Nirmanakaya, Nirmana-kaya, Nirmāṇakāya: 7 definitions

Introduction:

Nirmanakaya 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

Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)

[«previous next»] — Nirmanakaya in Shaivism glossary
Source: Archaeological Survey of India: Śaiva monuments at Paṭṭadakal (śaivism)

Nirmāṇakāya (निर्माणकाय).—Śiva has a body called Nirmāṇakāya at the time of his avatāra. “Śiva has an avatāraśarīra called Nirmāṇakāya with śuddhasattva as the principal aspect” (Kannaḍa Nighaṇṭu, vol. 5, p. 4696).

Shaivism book cover
context information

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.

Discover the meaning of nirmanakaya in the context of Shaivism from relevant books on Exotic India

In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: Google Books: The Inner Kalacakratantra: A Buddhist Tantric View of the Individual

The four aspects of the Nirmāṇakāya are part of the Sixteen Aspects (ṣoḍaśākārā) of Gnosis (jñāna) in terms of ultimate reality.

  1. the Nirmāṇa-body (nirmāṇa-kāya)
  2. the Nirmāṇa-mind (nirmāṇa-citta)
  3. the Nirmāṇa-speech (nirmāṇa-vāc)
  4. the Nirmāṇa-gnosis (nirmāṇa-jñāna)
Source: OSU Press: Cakrasamvara Samadhi

Nirmāṇakāya (निर्माणकाय) refers to the “transformation body”, according to Buddhist teachings followed by the Newah in Nepal, Kathmandu Valley (whose roots can be traced to the Licchavi period, 300-879 CE).—In the Mahāyāna, the Buddha became understood as has having "three bodies", the trikāya, which consists of the dharmakāya, "the reality body", the Buddha as the ultimate reality of emptiness, sambhogakāya, "the enjoyment body", the Buddha as a divine mystical being, and nirmāṇakāya, "the transformation body", the Buddha in human form. The sambhogakāya, is seen as the form of the Buddha which taught the Mahāyāna sūtras. This celestial understanding of buddhahood lead to a burgeoning of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in divine form.

Tibetan Buddhism book cover
context information

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.

Discover the meaning of nirmanakaya in the context of Tibetan Buddhism from relevant books on Exotic India

General definition (in Buddhism)

[«previous next»] — Nirmanakaya in Buddhism glossary
Source: Shambala Publications: General

Nirmānakāya; See Trikāya.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

[«previous next»] — Nirmanakaya in Sanskrit glossary
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary

Nirmāṇakāya (निर्माणकाय).—m., body of magic transformation: Mahāvyutpatti 118; Daśabhūmikasūtra.g. 6(342).22. In Mahāvyutpatti contrasts with dhar- ma-k° (3) and saṃbhoga-k°; see s.v. kāya, end. In Asaṅga (Mahāyāna-sūtrālaṃkāra) ix.60, 63 nairmāṇikaḥ k°; Lévi métamorphique. See also Mus, Barabudur (II) 643 ff. (corps d'artifice). In Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra 241.7 nirmāṇa-kāyair may be an early occurrence of this; see Suzuki's translation(s), and Studies p. 145; compare also Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra 314.2. Cf. nairmāṇikaṃ (q.v.) kāyaṃ Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra 73.9 (verse), but the same verse 276.10 reads nairvāṇikaṃ.

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

Nirmāṇakāya (निर्माणकाय):—[=nir-māṇa-kāya] [from nir-māṇa > nir-mā] m. the body of transformations, [Buddhist literature; Monier-Williams’ Buddhism 247]

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.

Discover the meaning of nirmanakaya in the context of Sanskrit from relevant books on Exotic India

Kannada-English dictionary

[«previous next»] — Nirmanakaya in Kannada glossary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Nirmāṇakāya (ನಿರ್ಮಾಣಕಾಯ):—[noun] the material body in which a god incarnates in this world.

context information

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

Discover the meaning of nirmanakaya in the context of Kannada from relevant books on Exotic India

See also (Relevant definitions)

Relevant text

Like what you read? Consider supporting this website: