Prahelika, Pra-helika, Prahelikā: 11 definitions

Introduction
In Hinduism
1. Natyashastra
2. Kamashastra
Languages
1. Marathi
2. Sanskrit
3. Hindi
See also

Introduction:

Prahelika means something in 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.

In Hinduism

Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)

Source: svAbhinava: Abhinava's Conception of Humor

Prahelikā (प्रहेलिका) refers to an “enigma”.—Abhinava explains that the prahelikā is an answer that is intended to perplex others, and hence when this is done with a dose of humor it is called nālikā, praṇālikā or vyājā. The helikā is a sport, like narma, etc., and the prahelikā is where these features are fully (pra-) developed. As example, he offers the scene from Act II.14 of Ratnāvalī that he will again cite as an instance of that he will again cite as an instance of narmasphoṭa based on the element of hāsa (see chap. VIII, p. ???, note 57 above). Through Susaṅgatā’s double-entendre (bhaṅgi) on the picture-board, the (vital) matter is both hidden and brought to the heart.

The prahelikā is intended to bewilder and perplex others and the hiding of the meaning in Abhinava’s example is given by some commentators as the essential meaning of the root pra+valh: “Prahelikās are useful in amusements of sportive assemblies for (secret) communication between those adept in their techniques in a place crowded with other (uninitiated) people who have to kept in a state of bewilderment (i.e., off-guard).”

context information

Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (shastra) of performing arts, (natya—theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing Dramatic plays (nataka), construction and performance of Theater, and Poetic works (kavya).

Kama-shastra (the science of Love-making)

Source: Shodhganga: Elements of Art and Architecture in the Trtiyakhanda of the Visnudharmottarapurana (kama)

Prahelikā (प्रहेलिका) refers to “composing and solving riddles and rhymes” and represents one of the “sixty four kinds of Art”, according to the Kāmasūtra of Vātsyāyaṇa.—Indian tradition, basically includes sixty four Art forms are acknowledged. The references of sixty four kinds of kalā are found in the Bhāgavatapurāṇa, Śaiva-Tantras, Kāmasūtra of Vātsyāyaṇa etc.

context information

Kamashastra (कामशास्त्र, kāmaśāstra) deals with ancient Indian science of love-making, passion, emotions and other related topics dealing with the pleasures of the senses.

Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

prahēlikā (प्रहेलिका).—f S An enigma or a riddle; an enigmatical or a puzzling question.

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.

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Prahelikā (प्रहेलिका).—f., [prahelikā] A riddle, an enigma, a conundrum. It is thus defined in the विदग्धमुखमण्डन (vidagdhamukhamaṇḍana) :-- व्यक्तीकृत्य कमप्यर्थं स्वरूपार्थस्य गोपनात् । यत्र बाह्यान्तरावर्थौ कथ्येते सा प्रहेलिका (vyaktīkṛtya kamapyarthaṃ svarūpārthasya gopanāt | yatra bāhyāntarāvarthau kathyete sā prahelikā). It is आर्थी (ārthī) or शाब्दी (śābdī); तरुण्यालिङ्गितः कण्ठे नितम्ब- स्थलमाश्रितः । गुरूणां सन्निधानेऽपि कः कूजति मुहुर्मुहुः (taruṇyāliṅgitaḥ kaṇṭhe nitamba- sthalamāśritaḥ | gurūṇāṃ sannidhāne'pi kaḥ kūjati muhurmuhuḥ) (where the answer is īṣadūnajalapūrṇakumbhaḥ) is an instance of the former kind; सदारिमध्यापि न वैरियुक्ता नितान्तरक्ताप्यसितैव नित्यम् । यथोक्तवादिन्यपि नैव दूती का नाम कान्तेति निवेदयाशु (sadārimadhyāpi na vairiyuktā nitāntaraktāpyasitaiva nityam | yathoktavādinyapi naiva dūtī kā nāma kānteti nivedayāśu) || (where the answer is sārikā), of the latter. Daṇḍin, however, mentions 16 different kinds of प्रहेलिका (prahelikā); see Kāv.3.96-124.

[Sanskrit to German]

Prahelika 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.

Hindi dictionary

Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionary

Prahelikā (प्रहेलिका):—: (nf) a riddle; an enclave.

context information

...

Relevant text

Search found 11 books and stories containing Prahelika, Pra-helika, Pra-hēlikā, Pra-helikā, Prahelikā, Prahēlikā; (plurals include: Prahelikas, helikas, hēlikās, helikās, Prahelikās, Prahēlikās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Text 11.4 [Bindu-cyutaka] < [Chapter 11 - Additional Ornaments]

Text 11.16 < [Chapter 11 - Additional Ornaments]

Text 10.190 < [Chapter 10 - Ornaments of Meaning]

+ 1 more chapters / show preview

Education (6): Literature < [Chapter 4 - Cultural Aspects]

show preview

1-2: The number of Alaṃkāras (poetic figures) mentioned < [Chapter 5 - A Comparative study of the different alaṃkāras mentioned by Vāmana]

2: Definition of Yamaka Alaṃkāra < [Chapter 3 - Śabdālaṃkāras mentioned by Vāmana]

show preview

Chapter 343 - Definition of the embellishment of words (śabda-alaṅkāra)

Chapter 360 - Synonyms denoting the celestial region and the nether world

show preview