Nihsvabhava, Niḥsvabhāva, Nih-svabhava: 8 definitions
Introduction:
Nihsvabhava means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit. 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.
In Hinduism
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Niḥsvabhāva (निःस्वभाव) refers to “(being) devoid of (phenomenal) being” and is used to describe Kaula, according to the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—Accordingly, [while expounding Kaula and the Nine Kaulas]—“Devoid of (phenomenal) being (niḥsvabhāva), without lord, I praise Kaula, which is ever manifest. Free of Dharma and Adharma, liberation and bondage, I praise Kaula; non-dual, omnipresent and eternal, it is (both) supreme (transcendent) and inferior (immanent)”.
Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.
Vedanta (school of philosophy)
Niḥsvabhāva (निःस्वभाव) refers to “one who is free of individuality”, which is used to describe a true Yogī, according to the Aṣṭāvakragītā (5th century BC), an ancient text on spirituality dealing with Advaita-Vedānta topics.—Accordingly, [as Aṣṭavakra says to Janaka]: “[...] For the wise man who is always unchanging and fearless there is neither darkness nor light nor destruction, nor anything. There is neither fortitude, prudence nor courage for the yogi whose nature is beyond description and free of individuality (niḥsvabhāva). [anirvācyasvabhāvasya niḥsvabhāvasya yoginaḥ] There is neither heaven nor hell nor even liberation during life. In a nutshell, in the sight of the seer nothing exists at all. [...]”.
Vedanta (वेदान्त, vedānta) refers to a school of orthodox Hindu philosophy (astika), drawing its subject-matter from the Upanishads. There are a number of sub-schools of Vedanta, however all of them expound on the basic teaching of the ultimate reality (brahman) and liberation (moksha) of the individual soul (atman).
In Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Niḥsvabhāva (निःस्वभाव) refers to “(that which is) without self-nature”, according to Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter 41).—Accordingly, “[The Non-existence of Time According to the Mahāyāna].—[...] Furthermore, the Buddha has two kinds of paths (pratipad): (1). The path of merit (puṇyapratipad), if a person, hearing about the ten powers of the Buddha, his four fearlessnesses, his four unhindered knowledges and his eighteen special attributes, produces minds of veneration and faith. (2). The path of wisdom (prajñāpratipad), if a person hearing that dharmas coming from the complex of causes and conditions are without self-nature (niḥsvabhāva), abandons all these dharmas, but does not become attached in mind to emptiness. [...]”.
Niḥsvabhāva (निःस्वभाव) refers to “that which has no proper nature”, according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā: the eighth chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāta (a collection of Mahāyāna Buddhist Sūtras).—Accordingly as The Lord said: “Śāriputra, the Tathāgata Ekaratnavyūha, seating in the lion’s throne thus, explained the dharma-seal called Gaganapariśuddhi to these Bodhisattvas, which has thirty-two aspects of entrance. What is this Dharma-seal (dharmamudrā) called Gaganapariśuddhi which has thirty-two aspects of entrance? [...] 23) all dharmas are originally pure since they never turn back (avinivartana); 24) all dharmas never turn back since their essence has the characteristic of an illusion (māyālakṣaṇa-svabhāva); 25) all dharmas are like an illusion since they have no proper nature (niḥsvabhāva); 26) all dharmas have no proper nature since their essential characteristics are unconditioned (anabhisaṃskāra-lakṣaṇa); [...]”.
Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Niḥsvabhāva (निःस्वभाव) refers to one of the Saptāṅga (“seven aṅgas of mahāmudrā”), according to Vāgīśvavarakīrti’s Saptāṅga and Tattvaratnāvaloka (and its auto-commentary).—(Cf. the seven yogas mentioned by Buddhajñānapāda in the Muktitilaka).—The same seven factors are addressed in Vāgīśvavarakīrti’s later Saptāṅga and his Tattvaratnāvaloka and its auto-commentary, where they are called the seven aṅgas of mahāmudrā, with reference to which see Isaacson (2010b, 271, 271n27) and, with a bit more detail, Isaacson and Sferra (2014, 271), where they are mentioned with reference to a citation from the Saptāṅga in Rāmapāla’s Sekanirdeśapañjikā.
Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
1) Niḥsvabhāva (निःस्वभाव):—[=niḥ-svabhāva] [from niḥ] m. want of property, poverty, [Śāntiśataka]
2) [v.s. ...] mfn. ‘unpropertied’, void of peculiarities, [Sarvadarśana-saṃgraha]
Niḥsvabhāva (निःस्वभाव):—(nis + sva) adj. einer Eigenthümlichkeit ermangelnd [MADHYAM. 23.]
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Niḥsvabhāva (निःस्वभाव):—keine Selbständigkeit habend: bhava [Spr. 5229.]
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Niḥsvabhāva (निःस्वभाव):—(Nachträge) lies m. Besitzlosigkeit, Armuth und vgl. [Spr. (II) 7029.]
Niḥsvabhāva (निःस्वभाव):—1. m. Besitzlosigkeit , Armuth [Indische sprüche 7020.]
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Niḥsvabhāva (निःस्वभाव):—2. Adj. einer Eigenthümlichkeit ermangelnd [Sarvadarśanasaṃgraha 15,1.]
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.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Nih, Svabhava.
Full-text: Naihsvabhavya, Wu zi xing, Saptanga, Anabhisamskara, Mayalakshana, Maya, Wu xing.
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Search found 10 books and stories containing Nihsvabhava, Niḥsvabhāva, Nih-svabhava, Niḥ-svabhāva; (plurals include: Nihsvabhavas, Niḥsvabhāvas, svabhavas, svabhāvas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Advayavajra-samgraha (Sanskrit text and English introduction) (by Mahamahopadhyaya Haraprasad Shastri)
Chapter 9 - Mayanirukti < [Sanskrit texts of the Advayavajra-samgraha]
Chapter 14 - Mahasukha-prakasha < [Sanskrit texts of the Advayavajra-samgraha]
Chapter 6 - Caturmudra < [Sanskrit texts of the Advayavajra-samgraha]
28th Imperishable, Reliance on Meaning
37th Imperishable, The Presence of Recollection Concerned with Moments of Existence.
Time and Change in Advaita—Gauḍapāda in Dialogue with... < [Volume 15, Issue 2 (2024)]
Tattva, vrata, caryā < [Volume 15, Issue 3 (2024)]
Cidgaganacandrika (study) (by S. Mahalakshmi)
Verse 154 [Kramaśūnya Saṃhāra Avasthā is inherent nature of Śakti] < [Chapter 3 - Third Vimarśa]
Hevajra Tantra (analytical study) (by Seung Ho Nam)
3. history of Yogaratnamala < [Chapter 2 - Place of Hevajra Tantra in Tantric Literature]
3. The Theory of Emptiness in the Madhyamika Doctrine < [Chapter 1 - Tantric Buddhism]
Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)
Part 2 - The nine notions according to the Mahāyana < [Chapter XXXV - The Nine Horrible Notions]
The Non-existence of Time According to the Mahāyāna < [Part 1 - Mahāyānist list of the eighteen special attributes of the Buddha]
II. The four trances (dhyāna) according to the Mahāyāna < [Class 2: The four trances]