Lesha, Leśa, Lesa: 21 definitions

Introduction:

Lesha means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, Buddhism, Pali, Marathi, Hindi. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

The Sanskrit term Leśa can be transliterated into English as Lesa or Lesha, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

Alternative spellings of this word include Lesh.

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In Hinduism

Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)

Source: Wisdom Library: Nāṭya-śāstra

Leśa (लेश, “wit”) refers to one of the thirty-six “characteristic features” (lakṣaṇa) of perfect ‘poetic compositions’ (kāvyabandha) and ‘dramatic compositions’ (dṛśyakāvya, or simply kāvya). According to the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 17, these thirty-six lakṣaṇas act as instructions for composing playwrights. The term is used throughout nāṭyaśāstra literature.

Source: archive.org: Natya Shastra

Leśa (लेश, “wit”).—One of the thirty-six lakṣaṇa, or “excellent points of a dramatic composition”;—Description of leśa: Words which are spoken in a clever manner by expert disputants and which relate to accomplishment of similar objects, constitute Wit (leśa).

Natyashastra book cover
context information

Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (shastra) of performing arts, (natya—theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing Dramatic plays (nataka), construction and performance of Theater, and Poetic works (kavya).

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Vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar)

Source: Wikisource: A dictionary of Sanskrit grammar

Leśa (लेश).—Such a slow or indistinct utterance or pronunciation of the letter य् (y) or व् (v) preceded by अ (a), as shows that it is almost dropped. This indistinct or slurred utterance of य् (y) or व (va), which is described as advocated by the Prātiśākhyakāra Vātsapra, corresponds to the utterance of य् (y) or व् (v) with a very low tone as mentioned by Pāṇini in the rule व्योर्लघुप्रयत्नतरः शाकटायनस्य (vyorlaghuprayatnataraḥ śākaṭāyanasya); e.g. आप उन्दन्तु (āpa undantu); या जाता ओषधयः (yā jātā oṣadhayaḥ) etc.; cf. लेशो वात्सप्रस्य एतयोः (leśo vātsaprasya etayoḥ) T.Pr. 10.23; cf. also लेशेन प्रयत्नशैथिल्येन ब्यञ्जनानां वचनमुच्चारणं क्रियते (leśena prayatnaśaithilyena byañjanānāṃ vacanamuccāraṇaṃ kriyate) Uvvața on R.Pr. XIV.5.

Vyakarana book cover
context information

Vyakarana (व्याकरण, vyākaraṇa) refers to Sanskrit grammar and represents one of the six additional sciences (vedanga) to be studied along with the Vedas. Vyakarana concerns itself with the rules of Sanskrit grammar and linguistic analysis in order to establish the correct context of words and sentences.

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Yoga (school of philosophy)

Source: ORA: Amanaska (king of all yogas): A Critical Edition and Annotated Translation by Jason Birch

Leśa (लेश) refers to a “little” (e.g., “a modicum of effort”), according to the Amanaska Yoga treatise dealing with meditation, absorption, yogic powers and liberation.—Accordingly, as Īśvara says to Vāmadeva: “[...] As long as there is [even] a modicum of effort (prayatna-leśa) and the forming of conceptual thought, then, absorption of the mind is not attained, what to say of the highest reality? The tree of the mundane world will fall [because] its root, [which is] the mind, has been uprooted by the Yogin [who] is growing [in strength] as a result of the flood of the nectar of detachment. [...]”.

Yoga book cover
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Yoga is originally considered a branch of Hindu philosophy (astika), but both ancient and modern Yoga combine the physical, mental and spiritual. Yoga teaches various physical techniques also known as āsanas (postures), used for various purposes (eg., meditation, contemplation, relaxation).

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In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: academia.edu: Tessitori Collection I

Lesā (लेसा) refers to the “spiritual hue” (of the Gods, Humans, Animals, etc.), as defined in the “Arhadvijñaptirūpā Vicāraṣaṭtriṃśikā” by Gajasāra, which is included in the collection of manuscripts at the ‘Vincenzo Joppi’ library, collected by Luigi Pio Tessitori during his visit to Rajasthan between 1914 and 1919.—The Vicāraṣaṭtriṃśikā (in Prakrit) was first presented in tabular form (yantra) according to the commentators, and then put in the form of a text. [...] Each category is then examined through twenty-four parameters [e.g., spiritual hue (lesā)].

General definition book cover
context information

Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.

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Languages of India and abroad

Pali-English dictionary

Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionary

lesa : (m.) a trifle; a pretext; trick.

Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary

Lesa, (cp. Sk. leśa particle; as Kern, Toev. s. v. points out, it occurs in Sk. also in the P. meaning at Mbh V, 33, 5 although this is not given in BR.—As “particle” only at Dhtp 444 in definition of lisati) sham, pretext, trick Vin. III, 169 (where ten lesas are enumerated, viz. jāti°, nāma°, gotta°, linga°, āpatti°, patta°, cīvara°, upajjhāya°, ācariya°, senāsana°); J. II, 11; VI, 402.—lesa-kappa pretext Vin. II, 166; Vv 8443 (=kappiya-lesa VvA. 348); Th. 1, 941; DA. I, 103. (Page 586)

Pali book cover
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Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.

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Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

lēśa (लेश).—m (S) A particle or bit; a minute portion or quantity; a little.

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lēśa (लेश) [or लेस, lēsa].—a ( H) Ready or prepared (for a work or an action).

Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

lēśa (लेश).—m A particle; a minute portion. a Ready.

context information

Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.

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Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Leśa (लेश).—[liś-ghañ]

1) A small bit or portion, a particle, an atom, a very small quantity; क्लेश (kleśa) (v. l. sveda)- लेशैरभिन्नम् (leśairabhinnam) Ś.2.4; श्रमवारिलेशैः (śramavārileśaiḥ) Kumārasambhava 3.38; so भक्ति°, गुण° (bhakti°, guṇa°) &c.

2) Smallness, littleness.

3) A measure of time (equal to two kalās).

4) (In Rhet.) A figure of speech which consists in representing what is usually considered as an advantage to be a disadvantage and vice versa. It is thus defined in R. G. :-गुणस्यानिष्टसाधन- तया दोषत्वेन दोषस्येष्टसाधनतया गुणत्वेन च वर्णनं लेशः (guṇasyāniṣṭasādhana- tayā doṣatvena doṣasyeṣṭasādhanatayā guṇatvena ca varṇanaṃ leśaḥ); for examples see ad loc. (Mammaṭa appears to include this figure under viṣeśa. See K. P.1 under viśeṣa and commentary.) cf. Ve.2.4.

Derivable forms: leśaḥ (लेशः).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Leśa (लेश).—Adj. Masc. only.

(-śaḥ) Small, little. Subst. 1. Smallness, littleness. 2. A little. 3. A particular measure of time equal to two Kalas. 4. Name of a figure of speech, (in rhetoric.) E. liś to be small, aff. ghañ. Some authorities vary the gender of the attribute.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Leśa (लेश).—i. e. liś + a, m. 1. Smallness. 2. When latter part of compound words, often A little bit, little; e. g. [Pañcatantra] i. 353; Mahābhārata 3, 1268; [Śākuntala, (ed. Böhtlingk.)] [distich] 37.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Leśa (लेश).—[masculine] particle, atom, drop, bit of ([genetive] or —°); a cert. figure of speech ([rhetorie]) °—, [instrumental], & [adverb] in tas slightly, very little.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Leśa (लेश):—[from liś] a m. a small part or portion, particle, atom, little bit or slight trace of ([genitive case] or [compound]; -tas and ena, Ind. = very slightly or briefly; leśa-śas, in small pieces, [Rāmāyaṇa]), [Prātiśākhya; Chāndogya-upaniṣad; Mahābhārata] etc.

2) [v.s. ...] smallness, littleness, [Horace H. Wilson]

3) [v.s. ...] a [particular] division or short space of time (= 2 or 12 Kalās), [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

4) [v.s. ...] a kind of song, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

5) [v.s. ...] (in [rhetoric]) a figure of speech in which a statement is made indirectly (e.g. [Veṇīs. ii, 4]), [Sāhitya-darpaṇa]

6) [v.s. ...] a figure of speech (in which what is usually considered as an advantage is represented as a disadvantage and vice versa), [Kuvalayānanda]

7) [v.s. ...] Name of a prince (a son of Su-hotra), [Viṣṇu-purāṇa]

8) b leśya, leṣṭavya etc. See p. 903, col. 1.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Leśa (लेश):—(śaḥ) 1. m. Small, little, smallness.

[Sanskrit to German]

Lesha in German

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

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Hindi dictionary

Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionary

1) Leśa (लेश) [Also spelled lesh]:—(a) very little; (nm) modicum, iota, trace; whit; —[mātra] a trace of, an iota of, modicum of.

2) Lesa (लेस) [Also spelled les]:—(nm) stickiness; adhesiveness; ~[dāra] sticky, gummy.

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Prakrit-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary

1) Lesa (लेस) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Leś.

2) Lesa (लेस) also relates to the Sanskrit word: Śleṣa.

3) Lesā (लेसा) also relates to the Sanskrit word: Leśyā.

4) Lesā (लेसा) also relates to the Sanskrit word: Leśyā.

context information

Prakrit is an ancient language closely associated with both Pali and Sanskrit. Jain literature is often composed in this language or sub-dialects, such as the Agamas and their commentaries which are written in Ardhamagadhi and Maharashtri Prakrit. The earliest extant texts can be dated to as early as the 4th century BCE although core portions might be older.

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Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Lēśa (ಲೇಶ):—

1) [noun] a small piece (of something).

2) [noun] a very little quantity, length, mass, etc.

3) [noun] a small, minute thing.

4) [noun] a kind of figure of speech, in which the merit and demerit, advantages and disadvantages are described together.

context information

Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

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