The Sanskrit term Vaiśāradya can be transliterated into English as Vaisaradya or Vaisharadya, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Buddhism

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra

Vaiśāradya (वैशारद्य, “fearlessnes”) refers to a set of qualities acquired by the Bodhisattvas accompanying the Buddha at Rājagṛha on the Gṛdhrakūṭaparvata, according to the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter X. The Bodhisattvas are endowed with the four vaiśāradyas. The vaiśāradyas, the fearlessnesses, are of two types: the vaiśāradya of the Buddha and the vaiśāradya of the Bodhisattva.

There are four fearlessnesses (vaiśāradya) mentioned in chapter XL. For what reasons does the Buddha speak of his four fearlessnesses? The Buddha, who experiences no fear, wishes to destroy incorrect suspicions and, in order to refute objection, he speaks of the four fearlessnesses.

In summary, here is the nature of these four fearlessnesses (vaiśāradya):

1. Complete knowledge of all the dharmas.
2. Destruction of all the impurities and their traces.
3. A report of the dharmas that create obstacles to the path.
4. A report of the path of the cessation of suffering.

The Buddha does not fear that anyone can truthfully say that he does not fully know these four things. Why? Because he knows them precisely and fully. The first two fearlessnesses are personal qualities or perfections for the Buddha; the last two fearlessnesses are qualities useful to beings. In the first, third and fourth fearlessness, it is a matter of knowledge; in the second, it is a matter of destruction (kṣaya). The matter is governed by the perfection of wisdom and cessation.

Source: academia.edu: A Study and Translation of the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā

Vaiśāradya (वैशारद्य) refers to “intrepidity”, according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā: the eighth chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāta (a collection of Mahāyāna Buddhist Sūtras).—Accordingly as The Lord said: “O Śāriputra, in the buddha-field of the Tathāgata Ekaratnavyūha, there is a Bodhisattva, the great being Gaganagañja who is resplendent by the splendor of merit (puṇya-tejas), [...] who has obtained the ten powers of the Tathāgatas as adorned with power (bala), is unsurpassed by all opponents (sarva-parapravādi-anabhibhūta) as adorned with intrepidity (vaiśāradya), has attained limitless virtues of a Buddha as adorned with virtue (guṇa), [...]”.

context information

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.

General definition (in Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Dharma-samgraha

Vaiśāradya (वैशारद्य) or Caturvaiśāradya refers to the “four confidences” as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (section 77):

1. abhisambodhi (confidence in the Awakening),
2. āsravakṣayajñāna (confidence in the destruction of the pollutants),
3. nairvāṇikamārgāvataraṇa (confidence in the path that leads to entering emancipation),
4. antarāyikadharmānanyathātvaniścitavyākaraṇa (and confidence that those things declared in the dharma to be obstacles are not other than stated).

The Dharma-samgraha (Dharmasangraha) is an extensive glossary of Buddhist technical terms in Sanskrit (e.g., vaiśāradya). The work is attributed to Nagarguna who lived around the 2nd century A.D.

India history and geography

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical Glossary

Vaiśāradya.—cf. vesārajja (EI 5), Buddhist; four in number. Note: vaiśāradya is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.

context information

The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Vaiśāradya (वैशारद्य).—Skill, cleverness, proficiency.

Derivable forms: vaiśāradyam (वैशारद्यम्).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary

Vaiśāradya (वैशारद्य).—nt. (viśārada plus -ya; = Pali vesārajja), confidence in oneself, fearlessness, almost always a quality of a Buddha or Bodhisattva, who usually has a standard list of four such (below): caturhi °dyehi viśārada Mahāvastu i.38.15; 335.14; iii.64.5; 138.13; same with suviśārada, i.50.4—5; 238.18; 239.11—12; catur-°dya-viśārada Divyāvadāna 95.16; 264.30; Avadāna-śataka ii.105.14; vaiśāradya-viśāradaḥ Lalitavistara 438.7 (verse); catur-°dya-prāpta Lalitavistara 403.1; 428.5; vaiśāradya- prāptā Divyāvadāna 617.15, of the nun (2) Prakṛti; °dya-varapa- ramiprāptaḥ Mahāvastu i.115.7 (verse); vigatakathaṃkatho °dya- prāptaḥ kuśaleṣu dharmeṣu Mahāvastu iii.201.12; °dye 'pi chedaṃ (mss. °do) vikartuṃ pratibalāḥ 322.4; among qualities of a Buddha (or Bodhisattva), Lalitavistara 160.15 (caturbhiś ca tathāgata-°dyaiḥ samanvāgatam); Mahāvastu i.237.10; iii.386.14 (verse, °dyehi saṃpannāṃ, but read with mss. °nno, vācaṃ bhāṣe tathāgato); iii.97.10; Saddharmapuṇḍarīka 29.11; 77.7; 81.3; 259.5; Lalitavistara 275.10; Avadāna-śataka i.7.5 etc. (in cliché, prediction of Buddha- hood, caturbhir °dyais); Divyāvadāna 126.13; 182.20; Bodhisattvabhūmi 89.5; sarvaśāstra-°dyena Lalitavistara 431.5; (anabhibhūtapratijñā-)-°dya- prāptatvād 433.22; the usual four vai° of a Buddha, corresp. to Pali, listed Mahāvyutpatti 131—4: (1) sarva-dharmābhi- saṃbodhi-vai°, confidence of being perfectly enlightened as to all dharmas; (2) sarvāśravakṣayajñāna-vai°, of knowledge that all impurities are destroyed for him; (3) antarāyika- dharmānanyathātva-niścita-vyākaraṇa-vai°, of having de- scribed precisely and correctly the obstructive conditions (to religious life); (4) sarvasaṃpadadhigamāya nairyāṇika- pratipattathātva-vai°, of the correctness of his way of salva- tion for realization of all (religious) success; more briefly Dharmasaṃgraha 77, accidentally omitting 3 (in 4 nairvāṇika°); in somewhat diff. language and transposing 3 and 4, Bodhisattvabhūmi 402.3—12; a wholly diff. list (unknown to Pali) of 4 vai° of Bodhisattvas, Mahāvyutpatti 781—5 (une liste fort obscure, Lévi, Asaṅga (Mahāyāna-sūtrālaṃkāra) iii.3 note 3, who gives a translation(s) of a diff. [Page513-a+ 71] Chinese version); a still different list of four vai° (attained by a Bodhisattva, preliminary to enlightenment) in Mahāvastu ii.261.5 f. and 262.6 f.: kāya-vai°, vācā-, citta-, and pṛthu- vai°; they are not explained, and the last is dubious, see pṛthu (Senart assumes that it means Sanskrit pṛthak, but does not explain how that would help); ten vai° of a monk listed Karmavibhaṅga (and Karmavibhaṅgopadeśa) 105.6 (otherwise unknown; viśārado grāmaṃ praviśati, vi° grāmān niṣkrāmati, etc.).

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

Vaiśāradya (वैशारद्य).—[neuter] [abstract] to [preceding]

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

1) Vaiśāradya (वैशारद्य):—[from vaiśārada] n. experience, skill in ([locative case]), expertness, wisdom, [Mahābhārata; Bālarāmāyaṇa; Sāhitya-darpaṇa]

2) [v.s. ...] clearness of intellect, infallibility, [Yoga-sūtra; Bṛhad-āraṇyaka-upaniṣad [Scholiast or Commentator]]

3) [v.s. ...] Buddha’s confidence in himself (of four kinds), [Divyāvadāna] (cf. [Dharmasaṃgraha 77]).

[Sanskrit to German]

Vaisharadya 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.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Starts with: Vaisharadyaprapta, Vaisharadyavajranarayanasimha.

Ends with: Asangavaisharadya, Avaisharadya, Balavaisharadya, Caturvaisharadya.

Full-text (+17): Prashna, Avaisharadya, Parartha, Anantarayika, Svartha, Kriya, Dushkara, Suvidhijnata, Suvidhi, Analinata, Analina, Aromaharsha, Caturvaisharadyavisharada, Tathakarin, Nirbhaya, Yathavadin, Romaharsha, Visarada, Samshayacchedana, Four Confidences.

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Search found 9 books and stories containing Vaisharadya, Vaiśāradya, Vaisaradya; (plurals include: Vaisharadyas, Vaiśāradyas, Vaisaradyas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)

Bodhisattva quality 11: having obtained the fearlessnesses < [Chapter X - The Qualities of the Bodhisattvas]

Preliminary note (1): The ten powers and the four fearlessnesses < [Part 2 - The ten powers and the four fearlessnesses according to the Mahāyāna]

I. Text of the list according to the Prajñāpāramitā < [Part 1 - Mahāyānist list of the eighteen special attributes of the Buddha]

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Consciousness in Gaudapada’s Mandukya-karika (by V. Sujata Raju)

All Dharmas (entities) are beginningless and unattached < [Chapter 6: A Study of Māṇḍūkya Kārikā: Alātaśānti Prakaraṇa]

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Mandukya Upanishad (Gaudapa Karika and Shankara Bhashya) (by Swami Nikhilananda)

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.94 < [Chapter IV - Alatashanti Prakarana (Quenching the firebrand)]

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Yoga-sutras (with Bhoja’s Rajamartanda) (by Rajendralala Mitra)

Sūtra 1.47 < [First Chapter (Samadhi Pada)]

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Mahayana Buddhism and Early Advaita Vedanta (Study) (by Asokan N.)

Chapter 5.6 - Is Gaudapada a Buddhist?

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Abhidharmakośa (by Leo M. Pruden)

Chapter VII - The Knowledges

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Click here for all 9 books