Nimesha, Nimesa, Nimeṣa: 29 definitions
Introduction:
Nimesha means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Buddhism, Pali, Marathi, Jainism, Prakrit, 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 Nimeṣa can be transliterated into English as Nimesa or Nimesha, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
Alternative spellings of this word include Nimesh.
In Hinduism
Dharmashastra (religious law)
Nimeṣa (निमेष) is the natural winking of the Eye-lashes, which accompanies every opening of the eye. Other people have declared that ‘Nimēṣa’ is that time which is taken in the distinct utterance of one letter-sound.
Eighteen ‘Nimeṣas’ go to make that measure of time which is known as ‘Kāṣṭhā’; thirty ‘Kāṣṭhās’ make one ‘Kalā’; thirty ‘Kalās’ make one ‘Muhūrta,’ and thirty ‘Muhurtas’ make one ‘Ahorātra’ (Day and Night).
Dharmashastra (धर्मशास्त्र, dharmaśāstra) contains the instructions (shastra) regarding religious conduct of livelihood (dharma), ceremonies, jurisprudence (study of law) and more. It is categorized as smriti, an important and authoritative selection of books dealing with the Hindu lifestyle.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
1) Nimeṣa (निमेष).—A son of Garuḍa. (Udyoga Parva, Chapter 104, Verse 10).
2) Nimeṣa (निमेष).—See under Kālamāna.
1a) Nimeṣa (निमेष).—A small unit of time measured by the wink of the eye;1 from Nimi: 15 of them equal a Kāṣṭḥa2 the same mātra for laghvakṣara such as {#a, Dha, u#} some equal to a laghvakṣara.3
- 1) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 21. 116, 126; 29. 6; 24. 143.
- 2) Matsya-purāṇa 61. 35; 142. 3; 201. 19; Vāyu-purāṇa 50. 179; Viṣṇu-purāṇa I. 3. 8; VI. 3. 6.
- 3) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 13. 16 and 111; Vāyu-purāṇa 31. 24; 30. 13; 53. 115; 57. 6; 100. 213; 104. 33.
1b) (Vaiṣṇava)—equal to 100 Śaiva years; when Viṣṇu wakes up, the world is active and when he sleeps the world is sleepy.*
- * Matsya-purāṇa 290. 21-2.
Nimeṣa (निमेष) is a name mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. I.28.19) and represents one of the many proper names used for people and places. Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Nimeṣa) is a Sanskrit epic poem consisting of 100,000 ślokas (metrical verses) and is over 2000 years old.
The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.
Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)
Nimeṣa (निमेष, “closing”) refers to a specific gesture (āṅgika) made with the eyelids (puṭa), according to the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 8. These gestures of the eyelids (puṭa) are supposed to follow the corresponding movements of the eyeballs (tārā). These gestures form a part of the histrionic representation (abhinaya).
Nimeṣa (निमेष, “closing”).—A type of gesture (āṅgika) made with the eyelids (puṭa);—Instructions: bringing together the eyelids. Uses: in anger (krodha).
Nimeṣā (निमेषा) refers to a unit of Kāla (time-measurement) equal to eight Kāṣṭas, according to the Tālalakṣaṇa, an ancient work supposedly ascribed to Kohala—a celebrated authority of the ancient period along with others such as Bharata, Yāṣṭika, Śārdūla, Kāśyapa etc. Kohala gives the units of measuring kāla, in relation to kṣaṇa:
Kṣaṇa = the time taken for a needle to pierce through hundred lotus petals stacked one on top of the other.
Lava = 8 Kṣaṇas;
Kāṣṭa = 8 Lavas;
Nimeṣā = 8 Kāṣṭas;
Kalā = 8 Nimeṣa;
2 Kalā = Caturbhāga;
2 Caturbhāga = Anudruta;
2 Anudruta = Laghu;
2 laghu = Guru;
3 Laghu = Pluta;
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).
Ayurveda (science of life)
Veterinary Medicine (The study and treatment of Animals)
Nimeṣa (निमेष) (lit. “one who has twinkling or winking speed of Garuḍa”) is a synonym (another name) for Garuḍa, according to scientific texts such as the Mṛgapakṣiśāstra (Mriga-pakshi-shastra) or “the ancient Indian science of animals and birds” by Hamsadeva, containing the varieties and descriptions of the animals and birds seen in the Sanskrit Epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Unclassified Ayurveda definitions
Nimeṣa (निमेष):—Closure of the eyelids, a moment, to flutter the eyelids.
Nimeṣa (निमेष) or Nimeṣatantra is the name of a work related to Ayurveda and medicine referenced by the “cikitsa bidhane tantrasastra”—a Bengali work authored by ‘Krishna Chaitanya Thakur’ in three volumes dealing with the treatments for diseases and disorders collected from Tantric and Ayurvedic texts.—Eastern India is one of the major strongholds of Tantrism in South Asia, and this region, particularly Bengal, has played and still plays a prominent role in the development of Āyurveda. It is indeed a fact that much medically relevant material is to be found in [the Nimeṣa-tantra, or other] Tantric texts. The “cikitsā bidhāne tantraśāstra” (by Kṛṣṇacaitanya Ṭhākur) contains wealth of medicines and remedies for a large variety of diseases and disorders, arranged according to the individual diseases or disorders. The material presented is culled from a variety of texts [e.g., nimeṣa-tantra], [most of which] seem to be classed as Tantric, but some are quite obviously not so, though their material may be related to that to be found in Tantric texts.
Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद, ayurveda) is a branch of Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millenium BC. Literature is commonly written in Sanskrit using various poetic metres.
Shaivism
Nimeṣa (निमेष) (Cf. aunmukhya) refers to “retraction of the inclination towards manifestation” (i.e., “concealment of the essential nature of the Divine”), according to (commentaries on) the Spanda Kārikās section 1.—Both Rāmakaṇṭha and Utpala Bhaṭṭa warn that pralaya and udaya are not to be taken as corresponding to unmeṣa and nimeṣa exactly in the order in which they are given in the text but rather in a different order i.e. udaya with unmeṣa, and pralaya with nimeṣa:—“When there is unmeṣa i.e., aunmukhya or inclination towards manifestation, there is the udaya or emergence of the world. When there is nimeṣa or retraction of that inclination, there is submergence of the world”. Kṣemarāja takes pralaya and udaya both ways i.e. in a different order (bhinnakrama) as advocated by Rāmakaṇṭha and Utpalabhaṭṭa, and also in the order as they appear in the text. When taken in a different order, the meaning would be as given above. When taken in the order in which they appear in the text, the meaning would be as given below:—“When there is unmeṣa or revelation of the essential nature of the Divine, there is the pralaya or disappearance of the world. When there is nimeṣa or concealment of the essential nature of the Divine, there is the udaya or appearance of the world”. Both these interpretations are correct. In the first interpretation, the words unmeṣa and nimeṣa are construed with reference to Śakti of Śiva. In the second interpretation, they are construed with reference to the svarūpa or essential nature of Śiva.
Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.
Yoga (school of philosophy)
Nīmeṣa (नीमेष) refers to the “closing of one’s eyes”, according to Kṣemarāja’s Svacchandoddyota on verse 2.89c.—Accordingly, “Wide-eyed means, his [point of] focus is inwards, his gaze outwards and he does not open or close his eyes (nīmeṣa-unmeṣa-varjita). It concerns the wide [eyes] of the supreme Śiva who has been described thus by our tradition”.
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).
Vedanta (school of philosophy)
Nimeṣa (निमेष) refers to the “closing of one’s eyes” (which those of self-realization considers an affliction), according to the Aṣṭāvakragītā (5th century BC), an ancient text on spirituality dealing with Advaita-Vedānta topics.—Accordingly, [as Aṣṭavakra says to Janaka]: “[...] It is because of effort that everyone is in pain, but no-one realises it. By just this simple instruction, the lucky one attains tranquility. Happiness belongs to no-one but that supremely lazy man for whom even opening and closing his eyes (nimeṣa) is a bother. [vyāpāre khidyate yastu nimeṣonmeṣayorapi] [...]”.
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).
Languages of India and abroad
Pali-English dictionary
nimesa : (m.) winking; a wink.
Nimesa, (=nimisa, cp. Vedic nimesa) winking Miln. 194. (Page 367)
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.
Marathi-English dictionary
nimēṣa (निमेष).—m (S) See nimiṣa.
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.
Sanskrit dictionary
Nimeṣa (निमेष).—Twinkling of the eye, a moment &c.; see निमिष (nimiṣa); हरति निमेषात् कालः सर्वम् (harati nimeṣāt kālaḥ sarvam) Moha M.4.; अनिमेषेण चक्षुषा (animeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā) 'with a steadfast or fixed look'; R.2.19;3.43,61; Bri. Up.3.8.9.
Derivable forms: nimeṣaḥ (निमेषः).
Nimeṣa (निमेष).—m.
(-ṣaḥ) 1. Twinkling of the eye. 2. A momentary space of time, a twinkling of the eye considered as measure of time: see nimiṣa ni + miṣa bhāve ghañ .
Nimeṣa (निमेष).—i. e. ni-miṣ + a, m. 1. Twinkling of the eye, [Nala] 5, 26. 2. A moment, [Rāmāyaṇa] 3, 36, 19. 3. A proper name, Mahābhārata 1, 1489.
Nimeṣa (निमेष).—[masculine] = nimiṣa.
1) Nimeṣa (निमेष):—[=ni-meṣa] [from ni-miṣ] a m. shutting the eye, twinkling, winking, [Taittirīya-saṃhitā; Manu-smṛti; Yājñavalkya; Mahābhārata] etc. (also as a measure of time id est. a moment; ṣād iva, in a m°, [Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa] etc.; ṣaṃ nimeṣam, every m°, [Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa]; as a disease, [Suśruta])
2) [v.s. ...] Name of a Yakṣa, [Mahābhārata]
3) [=ni-meṣa] b See under 1. ni-miṣ.
Nimeṣa (निमेष):—[ni-meṣa] (ṣaḥ) 1. m. Twinkling of an eye, an instant, three lavas.
Nimeṣa (निमेष):—
Nimeṣa (निमेष):—m. (adj. Comp. f. ā) —
1) das Blinzeln , Schliessen der Augen. Auch als Bez. eines bestimmten Zeitmaassen. nimeṣaṃ nimeṣam jeden Augenblick. Ausnahmsweise n. —
2) krankhaftes Blinzeln oder Schliessen der Augendeckel. —
3) Nomen proprium eines Yakṣa (nach [Nīlakaṇṭha]).
Nimeṣa (निमेष) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Ṇimesa.
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.
Hindi dictionary
Nimeṣa (निमेष) [Also spelled nimesh]:—(nm) see [nimiṣa].
...
Prakrit-English dictionary
Ṇimesa (णिमेस) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Nimeṣa.
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.
Kannada-English dictionary
Nimēṣa (ನಿಮೇಷ):—
1) [noun] the act of blinking of eye-lids; twinkling; winking.
2) [noun] the act of closing (one’s) eyes.
3) [noun] a unit of time equal to the duration between two successive blinking of the eye-lids; a very short period of time; an instant; a moment.
4) [noun] the sixtieth part of an hour; a minute.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Nimeṣa (निमेष):—n. → निमिष [nimiṣa]
Nepali is the primary language of the Nepalese people counting almost 20 million native speakers. The country of Nepal is situated in the Himalaya mountain range to the north of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches (+0): Mesha, Mi, Ni.
Starts with (+0): Nimeshadyut, Nimeshaikakshi, Nimeshaka, Nimeshakat, Nimeshakrit, Nimeshakshi, Nimeshamatra, Nimeshamatrena, Nimeshana, Nimeshantara, Nimeshantaracarin, Nimesharahita, Nimeshardhat, Nimesharuc, Nimeshashatka, Nimeshashunya, Nimeshatantra, Nimeshatas, Nimeshavarjita, Nimeshonmesha.
Full-text (+57): Animesha, Nirnimesha, Vinimesha, Animesham, Nimeshakrit, Nimesharuc, Nimeshadyut, Nimeshantara, Nimeshatas, Sanimesha, Nimeshamatra, Akshinimesha, Unmeshanimesha, Nimesharahita, Cirannimesha, Nimeshamatrena, Nimisa, Nimeshaikakshi, Nirakritanimesha, Shannimesha.
Relevant text
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