Pali, aka: Pālī, Pāli; 9 Definition(s)

Introduction

Pali means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, Marathi. 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 Buddhism

Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)

The canon of texts (see Tipitaka) preserved by the Theravada school and, by extension, the language in which those texts are composed.(Source): Access to Insight: A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms

See Mahapali and Suvannapali.

(Source): Pali Kanon: Pali Proper Names

context information

Theravāda is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).

Abhidhamma

Pali is the language of the Buddhist scriptures of the Theravada tradition.

(Source): Dhamma Study: Cetasikas

context information

Abhidhamma (अभिधम्म) usually refers to the last section (piṭaka) of the Pali canon and includes schematic classifications of scholastic literature dealing with Theravāda Buddhism. Primary topics include psychology, philosophy, methodology and metaphysics which are rendered into exhaustive enumerations and commentaries.

Pali

pāli : (f.) a line; range; the canon of the Buddhist writings or the language in which it is written. || paḷi (f.) a line; range; the canon of the Buddhist writings or the language in which it is written.

(Source): BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionary

Pāli, (Pāḷi) (f.) (cp. Sk. pālī a causeway, bridge Halāyudha III, 54) 1. a line, row Dāvs III, 61; IV, 3; Vism. 242 (dvattiṃs’ākāra°), 251 (danta°); SnA 87.—2. a line, norm, thus the canon of Buddhist writings; the text of the Pāli Canon, i.e. the original text (opp. to the Commentary; thus “pāliyaṃ” is opposed to “aṭṭhakathāyaṃ” at Vism. 107, 450, etc). It is the literary language of the early Buddhists, closely related to Māgadhī. See Grierson, The Home of Lit. Pāli (Bhandarkar Commemoration vol. p. 117 sq.), and literature given by Winternitz, Gesch. d. Ind. Litt. , II. 10; III, 606, 635. The word is only found in Commentaries, not in the Piṭaka. See also Hardy, Introd. to Nett, p. xi.—J. IV, 447 (°nayena accord. to the Pāli Text); Vism. 376 (°nay’anusārena id.), 394, 401, 565 (°anusārato accord. to the text of the Canon); 607, 630, 660 sq. , 693, 712; KhA 41; SnA 333, 424, 519, 604; DhsA. 157, 168; DhA. IV, 93; VvA. 117, 203 (pālito+aṭṭhuppattito); PvA. 83, 87, 92, 287; and freq. elsewhere.—vaṇṇanā is explanation of the text (as regards meaning of words), purely textual criticism, as opposed to vinicchaya-kathā analysis, exegesis, interpretation of sense Vbh. 291; Vism. 240 (contrasted to bhāvanāniddesa). (Page 455)

— or —

Pali°, (a variant of pari°, to be referred to the Māgadhī dialect in which it is found most frequently, esp. in the older language, see Pischel, Prk. Gr. § 257; Geiger, P. Gr. § 44) round, around (=pari) only as prefix in cpds. (q. v.). Often we find both pari° & pali° in the same word. (Page 440)

(Source): Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary

context information

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.

General definition (in Buddhism)

The language of the Theravada (Hinayana) Buddhist Canon, alleged to be the language used by the Buddha.(Source): Buddhist Door: Glossary

In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Pāli (पालि) is a Prakrit ending for deriving proper personal names, mentioned as an example in the Aṅgavijjā chapter 26. This chapter includes general rules to follow when deriving proper names. The Aṅgavijjā (mentioning pāli) is an ancient treatise from the 3rd century CE dealing with physiognomic readings, bodily gestures and predictions and was written by a Jain ascetic in 9000 Prakrit stanzas.

(Source): archive.org: Personal and geographical names in the Gupta inscriptions (jainism)

context information

Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.

Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

pāli (पालि) [or पाली, pālī].—f S The curving edge of the auricle, the helix. 2 Circumference.

--- OR ---

pāḷī (पाळी).—f A turn or recurring season: also an alternation or a vicissitude, a turn, spell, bout. 2 Lot or allotment; state or portion assigned. (For kuḷavācī pāḷī) A turn or bout (over ploughed ground) of the kuḷava (harrow); and, sometimes (over ground gen.) of the nāṅgara (plough). v ghāla.

--- OR ---

pāḷī (पाळी).—f (Poetry. pāli S) An encircling body or line (of troops, trees, wall, hedge &c.)

(Source): DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

paḷī (पळी).—f A ladle gen.

--- OR ---

pāḷī (पाळी).—f A turn. Lot or allotment. An encircling body or line.

(Source): DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

context information

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.

Relevant definitions

Search found 768 related definition(s) that might help you understand this better. Below you will find the 15 most relevant articles:

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Search found 132 books and stories containing Pali, Pālī or Pāli. You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Patthana Dhamma (by Htoo Naing)

References

Chapter 1 - Citta (or consciousness)

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Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī)

Verse 3.3.44 < [Part 3 - Fraternal Devotion (sakhya-rasa)]

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Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)

Appendix 1 - The seven minds of awakening (saṃbodhyaṅga) < [Chapter VIII - The Bodhisattvas]

Preliminary note to liberations, masteries and totalities < [Class (5) liberations, (6) masteries and (7) totalities]

II. Canonical definitions of the six Anusmṛti < [Preliminary note on the Eight Recollections]

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Guide to Tipitaka (by U Ko Lay)

Chapter II - Vinaya Pitaka

Part 18 - Milindapanha Pali < [Chapter VIII - Khuddaka Nikaya]

Book 5 - Parivara Pali < [Chapter II - Vinaya Pitaka]

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The Mahavastu (great story) (by J. J. Jones)

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Foreword to the second volume < [Volume II]

Chapter XXI - The birth of the Buddha Dīpaṃkara < [Volume I]

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A History of Indian Philosophy Volume 1 (by Surendranath Dasgupta)

Part 3 - Early Buddhist Literature < [Chapter V - Buddhist Philosophy]

Part 8 - Kamma < [Chapter V - Buddhist Philosophy]

Transliteration Note

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