Nirmala, Nirmalā: 15 definitions
Introduction
Introduction:
Nirmala means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, 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.
Alternative spellings of this word include Nirmal.
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In Hinduism
Ayurveda (science of life)
Source: archive.org: Vagbhata’s Ashtanga Hridaya Samhita (first 5 chapters)Nirmala (निर्मल) refers to “devoid of dirt”, mentioned in verse 3.52-53 of the Aṣṭāṅgahṛdayasaṃhitā (Sūtrasthāna) by Vāgbhaṭa.—Accordingly, “[...] when hungry, one shall turn to bitter, sweet, astringent, and light food, [...]; to water [...] devoid of dirt [viz., nirmala], (and) destructive of dirt [...] (and that is) neither causative of effusions nor rough, (but) nectar-like among the beverages etc.; (and)—beautifully adorned) with sandal, cuscus, camphor, pearls, garlands, and (fine) clothes— [...]”.
Note: As nirmala (“devoid of dirt”) and malajit (“destructive of dirt”) in 52d, so abhiṣyandin (“causative of effusions”), rūkṣa (“rough”), and amṛtopama (“nectar-like”) have been put verbally: ’brag (for ’brub)—“causing effusions”, rtsub-pa yin-pa—“being
rough”, and bdud-rtsir mthsuṅs (“resembling nectar”).
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.
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram1) Nirmala (निर्मल) refers to “pure (i.e., a pure state)”, according to the Śrīmatottara-tantra, an expansion of the Kubjikāmatatantra: the earliest popular and most authoritative Tantra of the Kubjikā cult.—Accordingly, “By the practice of the Yoga of Stillness [i.e., nirācārayoga], one obtains the fruit. She whose nature is movement (cara) moves, (and her movement is) divided into (downward) motion (cāra) and upward motion (uccāra). That should be known as Stillness (nirācāra). Stillness is not other (than this). (This is) where actions (cāra) cease along with the activities (karman) of speech, mind, and body. When a pure (nirmala) state arises, that is said to be Stillness”.
2) Nirmala (निर्मल) refers to “stainless” (viz., stainless as pure crystal) and is used to describe Ardhanarīśvara, according to the second recension of the Yogakhaṇḍa of the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—Accordingly, as Bhadrakālī said to Śrīkaṇṭha: “[...] (You are) he, the Siddha who has been pierced (by the power of the Command) and, made of universal bliss, is accompanied by Yogeśvarī. He is Śaṃkara’s lord; supreme, he has five faces, three eyes, holds a spear and, adorned with matted hair and crown, (his) divine body is covered with ashes. He is the pervasive lord Ardhanarīśvara. Beautiful he is, stainless as pure crystal [i.e., śuddhasphaṭika-nirmala]. (He is) the Lord (īśvara), supreme Śambhu, who bears a divine form and is auspicious. O Mahādeva, the three-eyed one, who, self-generated, is such as was repeatedly praised with greatly divine and mental hymns”.
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.
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Source: Wisdom Library: Tibetan BuddhismNirmalā (निर्मला) is the name of Vidyārājñī (i.e., “wisdom queen”) mentioned as attending the teachings in the 6th century Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa: one of the largest Kriyā Tantras devoted to Mañjuśrī (the Bodhisattva of wisdom) representing an encyclopedia of knowledge primarily concerned with ritualistic elements in Buddhism. The teachings in this text originate from Mañjuśrī and were taught to and by Buddha Śākyamuni in the presence of a large audience (including Nirmalā).
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
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionarynirmala (निर्मल).—a (S) pop. nirmaḷa a Void of dirt or impurity, lit. fig., clean, clear, pure, unsullied, guileless: also unadulterated, unalloyed &c.
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nirmaḷā (निर्मळा).—m A tree, Strychnos potatorum. Rox.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishnirmala (निर्मल).—a nirmaḷa a Void of dirt or impu- rity; clean, clear, pure. Unadulte- rated.
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
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryNirmala (निर्मल).—a.
1) free from dirt or impurities, clear, pure, stainless, unsullied (fig. also); नीरान्निर्मलतो जनिः (nīrānnirmalato janiḥ) Bv.1.63.
2) resplendent, bright; Bh.1.56.
3) sinless, virtuous; निर्मलाः स्वर्गमायान्ति सन्तः सुकृतिनो यथा (nirmalāḥ svargamāyānti santaḥ sukṛtino yathā) Ms.8.318. (-lam) 1 talc.
2) the remainings of an offering made to a deity. °उपलः (upalaḥ) a crystal.
Nirmala is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms nir and mala (मल).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryNirmala (निर्मल).—(1) name of a future Pratyekabuddha: Avadāna-śataka i.162.5; (2) name of a Buddha: Śikṣāsamuccaya 169.9.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryNirmala (निर्मल) or Nirmmala.—mfn.
(-laḥ-lā-laṃ) 1. Clear, clean, free from dirt or impurities, (literally or figuratively.) 2. Bright n.
(-laṃ) 1. The remains of an offering made to a deity. 2. Talc. E. nir priv. and nala dirt.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryNirmala (निर्मल).—adj., f. lā. 1. stainless, [Hitopadeśa] i. [distich] 47, M. M. 2. pure, [Hitopadeśa] ii. [distich] 134; clear, [Pañcatantra] 248, 5. 3. bright, [Johnson's Selections from the Mahābhārata.] 12, 33.
Nirmala is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms nis and mala (मल).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryNirmala (निर्मल).—[adjective] stainless, clean, pure; [abstract] tā [feminine], tva [neuter]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Nirmala (निर्मल):—[=nir-mala] [from nir > niḥ] mf(ā)n. spotless, unsullied, clean, pure, shining, resplendent, bright, [Upaniṣad; Mahābhārata; Kāvya literature] etc.
2) [v.s. ...] sinless, virtuous, [Manu-smṛti viii, 318]
3) [v.s. ...] m. Name of Skanda, [Atharva-veda.Pariś.]
4) [v.s. ...] m. [plural] Name of a sect, [Horace H. Wilson]
5) [v.s. ...] n. talc, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
6) [v.s. ...] = nir-mālya n., [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryNirmala (निर्मल):—[nir-mala] (laṃ) 1. n. Remains of an offering; talc. a. Pure, clean.
[Sanskrit to German] (Deutsch Wörterbuch)
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Böhtlingk and Roth Grosses Petersburger WörterbuchNirmala (निर्मल):—(nis + mala)
1) adj. f. ā fleckenlos, rein, klar, glänzend, lauter [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha 3, 658.] [Medinīkoṣa l. 102. fg.] gada [Mahābhārata 1, 5345.] veśman [Indralokāgamana 5, 18.] salila [Mahābhārata 3, 2535.] [Suśruta 1, 174, 6.] muktā [Mahābhārata 13, 3821.] [Varāhamihira’s Bṛhajjātaka S. 12, 9. 43 (34), 29.] [Hitopadeśa I, 42.] [Spr. 602.] gagana [Suśruta 1, 113, 19.] rajanī [Pañcatantra 248, 5.] jyotis [Prabodhacandrodaja 112, 9.] madhunirmalaḥ pavanaḥ [Bhartṛhari 1, 32.] rāmaḥ -śaśāṅka iva nirmalaḥ [Rāmāyaṇa 1, 19, 18.] [Vetālapañcaviṃśati] in [Lassen’s Anthologie 1, 13.] dhārābhirāryajanacittasunirmalābhiḥ [Mṛcchakaṭikā 91, 5.] vivekadīpakaḥ [Bhartṛhari 1, 55.] guṇa [2, 52.] tapas [Mahābhārata 1, 7860.] manas [15, 748.] prāpti [ŚVETĀŚV. Upakośā 3, 12.] yaśas [Śrutabodha] [?(BR.) 5.] saṃpadaḥ [Rājataraṅgiṇī 3, 376.] jñāna [Bhāgavatapurāṇa 7, 7, 15.] rājanirdhūtadaṇḍāstu kṛtvā pāpāni mānavāḥ . nirmalāḥ svargamāyānti santaḥ sukṛtino yathā .. [Manu’s Gesetzbuch 8, 318] [?(= Rāmāyaṇa 4, 17, 24). 11, 250.] nirmalīkṛta [VĀSAVAD. 11, 1.] —
2) n. a) Talk [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha] [Medinīkoṣa] — b) = nirmālya diess. [Hārāvalī 139.]
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Nirmala (निर्मल):—
1) (haṃsānām) kroḍāḥ śaṣpāgranirmalāḥ rein grün [Rāmāyaṇa 7, 18, 32.] = komalaśyāmavarṇāḥ [Scholiast] karman [Spr. 3223.] —
3) m. pl. Name einer Secte [WILSON, Sel. Works 1, 274. fgg. 2, 124. 142. 145. fg.]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Sanskrit-Wörterbuch in kürzerer FassungNirmala (निर्मल):——
1) Adj. (f. ā) fleckenlos , rein klar , glänzend , lauter. śaṣpāgra so v.a. rein grün wie Grasspitzen. —
2) m. Pl. einer Secte. —
3) *n. — a) Talk. — b) = nirmālaya 3).
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
Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionaryNirmala (निर्मल) [Also spelled nirmal]:—(a) clean; clear; pure; unsullied, spotless, stainless; ~[tā] cleanness; clearness; purity; stainlessness.
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See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with: Nirmala bhatta, Nirmalabhatta, Nirmalacarya, Nirmaladarpana, Nirmalagada, Nirmalai, Nirmalakrishna, Nirmalanjana, Nirmalaprakasha, Nirmalata, Nirmalatirtha, Nirmalatmavat, Nirmalatva.
Ends with: Anirmala, Sunirmala, Suvinirmala, Vinirmala.
Full-text (+1): Anirmala, Nairmalya, Vinirmala, Nirmalata, Anirmalya, Nirmala bhatta, Sunirmala, Nirmal, Nirmmala, Nirmalya, Amlana, Alamkaramanjari, Goda, Godavari, Nish, Niracarayoga, Cara, Malajit, Uccara, Anagha.
Relevant text
Search found 13 books and stories containing Nirmala, Nirmalā, Nirmaḷā; (plurals include: Nirmalas, Nirmalās, Nirmaḷās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Śrī Hari-bhakti-kalpa-latikā (by Sarasvati Thkura)
Text 5 < [First Stabaka]
The Padma Purana (by N.A. Deshpande)
Chapter 122 - The Celebration of Dīpāvalī < [Section 6 - Uttara-Khaṇḍa (Concluding Section)]
The Buddhist Philosophy of Universal Flux (by Satkari Mookerjee)
Chapter XIII - The Theory of Soul based on the Upaniṣads < [Part I - Metaphysics]
Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī)
Verse 2.1.139 < [Part 1 - Ecstatic Excitants (vibhāva)]
The Skanda Purana (by G. V. Tagare)
Chapter 199 - Destruction of Dakṣa’s Sacrifice < [Section 1 - Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya]
Chapter 263 - Origin of Matsyendranātha (Matsyendra-nātha) < [Section 1 - Tīrtha-māhātmya]
Chapter 29 - Gaṅgā-Sahasranāma (A Thousand Names of Gaṅgā) < [Section 1 - Pūrvārdha]
Preceptors of Advaita (by T. M. P. Mahadevan)
(iv) Potana < [56. Some Authors of Works in Regional Languages]