Pancajnana, Pañcajñāna, Panca-jnana, Pancan-jnana: 9 definitions

Introduction:

Pancajnana 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.

Alternative spellings of this word include Panchajnana.

In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions (tantric Buddhism)

1) Pañcajñāna (पञ्चज्ञान) refers to the “five wisdoms”, according to the Bhūśalyasūtrapātananimittavidhi section of Jagaddarpaṇa’s Ācāryakriyāsamuccaya, a text within Tantric Buddhism dealing with construction manual for monasteries etc.—Accordingly, “The excellent master [= officiant] in steady meditation, gazing upon the centre of the tip of his nose, should cast the cord on the surface of the site which has been levelled following the rules exactly. [The cord,] into which [the five threads of the five colours] are twined, has as its nature the five wisdoms (pañcajñāna-maya) and is purified. [It] does not have a knot, and is placed in the centre [of the site before casting]”.

2) Pañcajñāna (पञ्चज्ञान) refers to the “five gnoses”, according to the Nāmamantrārthāvalokinī by Vilāsavajra, which is a commentary on the Nāmasaṃgīti.—Accordingly, [while commenting on verse 100ab]—“{Ādi-buddha}: [the word] ādibuddha means [he who is] ‘awakened from the very beginning’, and that one has the five gnoses as his nature (pañcajñāna-ātmaka). [...] So that one, who has the five gnoses as his nature and [also] the five colours as his nature, is the lord. And he should be understood to be Mañjuśrī, since as the equality of all dharmas he is the unique ground [of all phenonena]. For that very reason he is [described as] free from [causal] connection”.

The five gnoses (pañcajñāna) in terms of various masteries are:

  1. ādarśajñāna (mirror-like gnosis) is associated with the five bala (powers);
  2. samatājñāna (gnosis of equality), with the four vaiśāradya (confidences);
  3. pratyavekṣaṇājñāna (discriminating gnosis), with the four pratisaṃvid (special knowledges);
  4. kṛtyānuṣṭhānajñāna (praxis gnosis), with friendliness (maitrī) and compassion (karuṇā);
  5. and suviśuddhadharmadhātujñāna (gnosis of the completely pure dharma-sphere), with overlordship of everything (sarvādhipatya).

These associations are referenced to the Māyājālatantra in manuscript A (alone).

Source: OSU Press: Cakrasamvara Samadhi

Pañcajñāna (पञ्चज्ञान) refers to the “five wisdoms”, according to the Saṃvaramaṇḍala of Abhayākaragupta’s Niṣpannayogāvalī, p. 45 and n. 145; (Cf. Cakrasaṃvaratantra, Gray, David B., 2007).—The crown of five skulls symbolize the pañcajñāna, "The Five Wisdoms":

  1. ādarśa-jñāna, "mirror-like wisdom",
  2. samatā-jñāna, "the wisdom of equality",
  3. pratyavekṣā-jñāna, "discriminating wisdom",
  4. kṛtyanuṣṭhāna-jñāna, "the wisdom of action",
  5. tathatā-jñāna, "the wisdom of thusness".
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 pancajnana in the context of Tibetan Buddhism from relevant books on Exotic India

General definition (in Buddhism)

[«previous next»] — Pancajnana in Buddhism glossary
Source: Wisdom Library: Dharma-samgraha

Pañcajñāna (पञ्चज्ञान) or simply Jñāna refers to the “five knowledges” as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (section 94). he Dharma-samgraha (Dharmasangraha) is an extensive glossary of Buddhist technical terms in Sanskrit (e.g., pañca-jñāna). The work is attributed to Nagarjuna who lived around the 2nd century A.D.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

[«previous next»] — Pancajnana in Sanskrit glossary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Pañcajñāna (पञ्चज्ञान).—

1) an epithet of Buddha as possessing the five kinds of knowledge.

2) a man familiar with the doctrines of the Pāśupatas.

Derivable forms: pañcajñānaḥ (पञ्चज्ञानः).

Pañcajñāna is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms pañcan and jñāna (ज्ञान).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Pañcajñāna (पञ्चज्ञान).—m.

(-naḥ) A Bud'dha or Baud'dha sanctified teacher. E. pañca five (organs,) and jñāna knowledge.

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

Pañcajñāna (पञ्चज्ञान):—[=pañca-jñāna] [from pañca] m. ‘possessing fivefold knowledge’, a Buddha, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Pañcajñāna (पञ्चज्ञान):—[pañca-jñāna] (naḥ) 1. m. A buddha teacher.

[Sanskrit to German]

Pancajnana in German

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 pancajnana in the context of Sanskrit from relevant books on Exotic India

See also (Relevant definitions)

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