Nirvishesha, Nirviśeṣa, Nir-vishesha: 17 definitions
Introduction:
Nirvishesha means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, 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 Nirviśeṣa can be transliterated into English as Nirvisesa or Nirvishesha, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
Alternative spellings of this word include Nirvishesh.
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English TranslationNirviśeṣa (निर्विशेष) refers to “that which has no special traits” and is used to describe Sadāśiva (i.e., the Supreme Brahman), according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.8.—Accordingly, Himavat said to Nārada:—“[...] The supreme Brahman is great and imperishable. It is like the streak of a lamp. It is termed Sadāśiva. It is without aberration. It is beyond Brahmā. It is both full and devoid of qualities. It has no special traits [i.e., nirviśeṣa], no desires. It sees within and not without. O sage, from the Kinnaras who come here, such are the things heard about Him. Can it be untrue?”.

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.
Vaishnavism (Vaishava dharma)
Source: Pure Bhakti: Bhagavad-gita (4th edition)Nirviśeṣa (निर्विशेष) refers to “devoid of variety, featureless, without distinction”. (cf. Glossary page from Śrīmad-Bhagavad-Gītā).
Source: Pure Bhakti: Bhajana-rahasya - 2nd EditionNirviśeṣa (निर्विशेष) refers to:—Devoid of variety; featureless impersonal aspect of the Absolute. (cf. Glossary page from Bhajana-Rahasya).

Vaishnava (वैष्णव, vaiṣṇava) or vaishnavism (vaiṣṇavism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshipping Vishnu as the supreme Lord. Similar to the Shaktism and Shaivism traditions, Vaishnavism also developed as an individual movement, famous for its exposition of the dashavatara (‘ten avatars of Vishnu’).
Vedanta (school of philosophy)
Source: Google Books: Sannyasa UpanishadNirviśeṣa (निर्विशेष) refers to “(Brahman) without attributes”, according to the the commentary on the Kuṇḍika-upaniṣad verse 28.—The worshippers of the pure, resplendent Brahman (śabala-brahma) enter the world of Brahma (brahmaloka), that is, the sphere of Hiraṇyagarbha, along the path of the Sun (sūryamārga, or uttarāyaṇa-mārga) by exiting from the crown of the head (brahma-randhra) through the suṣumṇā canal; and there they are engaged in their quest for the attributeless Brahman till the end of the kalpa (till pralaya, or great dissolution, takes place). Having lived there till such time, they ultimately merge with Brahman on the attenuation of their subtle desires and attractions (vāsanā-kṣaya). Thereafter they never return to the plane of relative existence. This is the gradual liberation (krama-mukti) attained by the knowers of Brahman with attributes (saviśeṣa brahmajñānī). On the other hand, the knowers of the attributeless, absolute Brahman (nirviśeṣa brahmajñānī) will attain direct, instant liberation (sadyo-mukti), here and now (ihaiva).
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).
General definition (in Hinduism)
Source: Vaniquotes: HinduismNirviśeṣa means without any varieties or impersonalist.
In Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: academia.edu: A Study and Translation of the GaganagañjaparipṛcchāNirviśeṣa (निर्विशेष) [=Nirviśeṣatā?] refers to the “(one who is) without distinction”, according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā: the eighth chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāta (a collection of Mahāyāna Buddhist Sūtras).—Accordingly, “Then the Bodhisattva Gaganagañja, having praised the Lord with these verses, addressed himself to the Lord: ‘[...] The Lord, who is without distinction (nirviśeṣa), practices (prayoga) sameness (samatā) of all living beings since he is purified just like open space. Since the Lord has no desire, he is satisfied with insight (prajñatṛpta) and free from gain, honor and fame. Since the Lord is omniscient (sarvajña), his mode of five eyes is purified and sees everything’. [...]’”.

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.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryNirviśeṣa (निर्विशेष).—a. showing or making no difference, indiscriminating, without distinction; निर्विशेषा वयं त्वयि (nirviśeṣā vayaṃ tvayi) Mb.; निर्विशेषो विशेषः (nirviśeṣo viśeṣaḥ) Bhartṛhari 3.5. 'a difference without distinction'.
2) having no difference, same, like, not differing from (oft. in comp.); निर्विशेषाकृति (nirviśeṣākṛti) 'having the same form'; प्रवातनीलो- त्पलनिर्विशेषम् (pravātanīlo- tpalanirviśeṣam) Kumārasambhava 1.46; स निर्विशेषप्रतिपत्तिरासीत् (sa nirviśeṣapratipattirāsīt) R.14.22.
3) indiscriminate, promiscuous.
-ṣaḥ absence of difference. (nirviśeṣam and nirviśeṣeṇa are used adverbially in the sense of 'without difference', 'equally', indiscriminately'; kruddhena vipramukto'yaṃ nirviśeṣaṃ priyāpriye Rām.7.22.41. svagṛhanirviśeṣamatra sthīyatām H.1; R.5.6.).
Nirviśeṣa is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms nir and viśeṣa (विशेष).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryNirviśeṣa (निर्विशेष).—mfn.
(-ṣaḥ-ṣā-ṣaṃ) 1. Undiscriminating, making no difference. 2. Same, like, indiscriminate. E. nir neg. viśeṣa difference.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryNirviśeṣa (निर्विशेष).—I. m. want of difference, [Hitopadeśa] 113, 11. Ii. adj. 1. having no discrimination, [Hitopadeśa] ii. [distich] 68. 2. not different. 3. equal. 4. acc. ṣam, adv. a. without difference, [Hitopadeśa] 84, 5, M.M. b. alike, [Hitopadeśa] 128, 10. c. exceedingly, [Uttara Rāmacarita, 2. ed. Calc., 1862.] 99, 6.
Nirviśeṣa is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms nis and viśeṣa (विशेष).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryNirviśeṣa (निर्विशेष).—[adjective] making or showing no difference, not differing from (—°); equal, similar; [neuter] as [adverb] or as [abstract] = tā [feminine], tva [neuter]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Nirviśeṣa (निर्विशेष):—[=nir-viśeṣa] [from nir > niḥ] mf(ā)n. showing or making no difference, undiscriminating, without distinction, [Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa] etc.
2) [v.s. ...] not different from, same, like ([compound]), [Kālidāsa]
3) [v.s. ...] (with viśeṣa m. not the least difference, [Bhartṛhari iii, 54])
4) [v.s. ...] unqualified, absolute, [Sarvadarśana-saṃgraha]
5) [=nir-viśeṣa] [from nir > niḥ] n. absence of difference, indiscriminateness, likeness, [Mahābhārata vi, 5519]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryNirviśeṣa (निर्विशेष):—[nir-viśeṣa] (ṣaḥ-ṣā-ṣaṃ) a. Same, not different, indiscriminate.
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)Nirviśeṣa (निर्विशेष) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Ṇivvisesa.
[Sanskrit to German]
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 dictionaryNirviśeṣa (निर्विशेष) [Also spelled nirvishesh]:—(a) without distinction, having no attributes; invariable; (nm) the Transcendental Reality.
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Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusNirviśēṣa (ನಿರ್ವಿಶೇಷ):—[adjective] = ನಿರ್ವಿಶಿಷ್ಟ [nirvishishta].
--- OR ---
Nirviśēṣa (ನಿರ್ವಿಶೇಷ):—
1) [noun] the quality of being exactly same as another; perfect similarity which can be termed as oneness.
2) [noun] he who is not different from another.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Vishesha, Nir, Nish.
Starts with: Nirvisheshabrahma, Nirvisheshajnana, Nirvisheshakriti, Nirvishesham, Nirvisheshana, Nirvisheshanirasa, Nirvisheshasvarupa, Nirvisheshata, Nirvisheshatva, Nirvisheshavant, Nirvisheshavat.
Ends with: Mushikanirvishesha, Sanirvishesha.
Full-text (+20): Nirvisheshatva, Nirvisheshavant, Nirvisheshata, Nirvishesham, Sutanirvishesham, Nirvisheshavat, Nibbisesa, Nirvisheshana, Nirvisheshakriti, Nirvisheshena, Nivvisesa, Sanirvishesha, Mushikanirvishesha, Nirvishesh, Nirvishishta, Manaska, Labha, Vishesha, Tripta, Sarvajna.
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Search found 19 books and stories containing Nirvishesha, Nirviśeṣa, Nirvisesa, Nir-vishesha, Nir-viśeṣa, Nir-visesa, Nis-vishesha, Nis-viśeṣa, Nis-visesa, Nirviśēṣa; (plurals include: Nirvisheshas, Nirviśeṣas, Nirvisesas, visheshas, viśeṣas, visesas, Nirviśēṣas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Shrimad Bhagavad-gita (by Narayana Gosvami)
Verse 13.13 < [Chapter 13 - Prakṛti-puruṣa-vibhāga-yoga]
Verse 6.15 < [Chapter 6 - Dhyāna-yoga (Yoga through the Path of Meditation)]
Verses 12.3-4 < [Chapter 12 - Bhakti-yoga (Yoga through Pure Devotional Service)]
Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī)
Verse 2.4.226 < [Part 4 - Transient Ecstatic Disturbances (vyābhicāri-bhāva)]
The Tattvasangraha [with commentary] (by Ganganatha Jha)
Verse 1276 < [Chapter 17 - Examination of the Definition of Sense-perception]
Brahma Sutras (Nimbarka commentary) (by Roma Bose)
Brahma-Sūtra 3.2.11 < [Adhikaraṇa 5 - Sūtras 11-21]
Brahma-Sūtra 3.2.12 < [Adhikaraṇa 5 - Sūtras 11-21]
Brahma-Sūtra 3.2.17 < [Adhikaraṇa 5 - Sūtras 11-21]
Mahayana Buddhism and Early Advaita Vedanta (Study) (by Asokan N.)
Bhajana-Rahasya (by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Mahasaya)
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