Vijja, Vijjā: 10 definitions

Introduction:

Vijja means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit. 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)

Source: Access to Insight: A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist TermsClear knowledge; genuine awareness; science (specifically, the cognitive powers developed through the practice of concentration and discernment).Source: Dhamma Dana: Pali English Glossary

F Knowledge (of dhamma). Knowledege of the four Noble Truths. Extraordinary kowledge, the three vijjas:

  • Vision of past lives.
  • Vision and hearing of beings living in other plans of existence.
  • Eradication of the kilesas.
  • Source: Pali Kanon: Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines

    '(higher) knowledge', gnosis. For the 3-fold k., s. abhiññā and te-vijjā. Cf. foll.

    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).

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    Languages of India and abroad

    Pali-English dictionary

    Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionary

    vijjā : (f.) higher knowledge; science.

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

    Vijja, (adj.) (—°) (=vijjā) having vijjā, possessed of wisdom; in vatthu°, tiracchāna°, nakkhatta° etc. (referring to the lower arts condemned as heretic: vijjā c.) S. III, 239. te° possessed of threefold wisdom: see vijjā b. (Page 617)

    — or —

    Vijjā, (f.) (cp. Vedic vidyā knowledge: etym. see under vindati) one of the dogmatic terms of Buddhist teaching, varying in meaning in diff. sections of the Canon. It is not always the positive to avijjā (which has quite a welldefined meaning from its first appearance in Buddhist psych. ethics), but has been taken into the terminology of Buddhism from Brahmanic and popular philosophy. The opposite of avijjā is usually ñāṇa (but cp. S. III, 162 f. 171; V, 429). Although certain vijjās pertain to the recognition of the “truth” and the destruction of avijjā, yet they are only secondary factors in achieving “vimutti” (cp. abhiññā, ñāṇa-dassana & paññā). That vijjā at M. I, 22 is contrasted with avijjā is to be explained as a word-play in a stereotype phrase.—A diff. side of “knowledge” again is given by “bodhi. ” ‹-› (a) Vijjā is a general, popular term for lore in the old sense, science, study, esp. study as a practice of some art (something like the secret science of the medicine man: cp. vejja!); hence applied in special, “dogmatic” sense as “secret science, ” revelation (put into a sort of magic formula), higher knowledge (of the learned man), knowledge which may be applied and used as an art (cp. magister artium!), practical knowledge; but also mysterious knowledge: “charm. ” — (b) vijjā, having a varying content in its connotation, is applied to a series of diff. achievements. A rather old tabulation of the stages leading by degrees to the attainment of the highest knowledge is given in the Sāmañña-phala-sutta (D. I, 63—86), repeated in nearly every Suttanta of D 1. It is composed of the 3 sampadās, viz. sīla°, citta° & paññā°. Under the first group belong sīla(—kkhandha), indriya-saṃvara, sati-sampajañña, santuṭṭhi; the second is composed (1) of the overcoming of the nīvaraṇas, (2) of the 4 jhānas; the third consists of 8 items, viz. (1) ñāṇa-dassana, (2) manomaya-kāya, (3) iddhi, (4) dibba-sota, (5) ceto-pariyañāṇa, (6) pubbe-nivās’ânussatiñāṇa, (7) cut’ûpapatti-ñāṇa, (8) āsavānaṃ khaya-ñāṇa. Other terms used are: for the 2nd sampadā: caraṇa (D. I. 100), and for the 3rd: vijjā (ibid.). ‹-› The discussion at D. I, 100 is represented as contradicting the (brahmaṇic) opinion of Ambaṭṭha, who thought that “vijjā nāma tayo Vedā, caraṇaṃ pañca sīlāni” (DA. I, 267 sq.).—In the enumeration of 3 vijjās at M. I, 22 sq. only Nos. 6—8 of the 3rd sampadā (said to have been attained by the Buddha in the 3 night watches) with the verbs anussarati (No. 6), pajānāti (7), abhijānāti (8), each signifying a higher stage of (“saving”) knowledge, yet all called “vijjā. ” Quoted at Vism. 202, where all 8 stages are given as “aṭṭha vijjā, ” and caraṇa with 15 qualities (sīla-saṃvara, indriyesu guttadvāra etc.). The same 3 vijjās (No. 6, 7, 8) are given at D. III, 220, 275, and poetically at A. II, 165 as the characteristics of a proper (ariya, Buddhist) monk (or brāhmaṇa): “etāhi tīhi vijjāhi tevijjo hoti brāhmaṇo, ” opposing the threeVeda-knowledge of the Brahmins.—Tevijja (adj.) in same meaning at S. I, 146 (where it refers to Nos. 3, 5, 8 of above enumeration), 192, 194. In brahmanic sense at Sn. 594 (=tiveda SnA 463). Both meanings compared & contrasted at A. I, 163 (aññathā brāhmaṇā brāhmaṇaṃ tevijjaṃ paññāpenti, aññathā ca pana ariyassa vinaye tevijjo hoti “different in the Brahmanic and diff. in the Buddhist sense”).—Tisso vijjā (without specification, but referring to above 6, 7, 8) further at Vin. II, 183; Sn. 656; Ps. I, 34; II, 56; Pv IV. 134; Miln. 359 (+chaḷabhiññā); DhA. IV, 30 (id.). It is doubtful whether the definition of ñāṇa as “tisso vijjā” at Vin. III, 91 is genuine. ‹-› On vijjā-caraṇa see also D. III, 97, 98, 237; S. I, 153, 166; II, 284; V, 197; A. II, 163; IV, 238; V, 327; Sn. 163, 289, 442.—On vijjā in the doctrinal appln see: D. III, 156, 214, 274; S. II, 7 sq. (cakkhu, ñāṇa, paññā, vijjā, āloka); III, 47; 163; 171; IV, 31, 49 sq. A. I, 83; II, 247; Sn. 334 (simply meaning “wisdom, ” craft, care, but Bdhgh SnA 339 takes it as “āsavānaṃ—khaya-ñāṇa”), 1026 (opposed to avijjā); Pug. 14, 57; Vbh. 324; Nett 76, 191.—(c) popular meanings & usage of vijjā: science, craft, art, charm, spell D. I, 213 (Gandhārī nāma v. also mentioned at J. IV, 498 as practised by physicians), 214 (Maṇika n. v.); J. III, 504 (Cintāmaṇi v.); IV, 323 (vatthu°: see under vatthu), 498 (ghora°); V, 458 (aṅga° palmistry); Miln. 200; Dh. I, 259 (bhūmicala n. v. “earthquake” charm), 265 (dhanu-agamanīyaṃ Ambaṭṭha n. v.); KhA 237 (vatthu°, khetta°, aṅga°); and see the list of forbidden crafts at D. I, 9 (aṅga°, vatthu°, khetta° etc.; cp. Dial. I. 18, 19).

    Pali book cover
    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.

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    Sanskrit dictionary

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

    Vijja (विज्ज).—[masculine] a man’s name.

    Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum

    Vijjā (विज्जा) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—poetess. Śp. p. 85. [Sūktikarṇāmṛta by Śrīdharadāsa] [Subhāshitāvali by Vallabhadeva] See Vidyā.

    Vijjā has the following synonyms: Vijjakā.

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

    1) Vijja (विज्ज):—m. Name of a man, [Rājataraṅgiṇī]

    2) Vijjā (विज्जा):—[from vijja] f. Name of a woman, [ib.]

    [Sanskrit to German]

    Vijja 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.

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    Prakrit-English dictionary

    Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary

    1) Vijja (विज्ज) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Vid.

    2) Vijja (विज्ज) also relates to the Sanskrit word: Vija.

    3) Vijja (विज्ज) also relates to the Sanskrit word: Vaidya.

    4) Vijja (विज्ज) also relates to the Sanskrit words: Vidvas, Vijña.

    5) Vijjā (विज्जा) also relates to the Sanskrit word: Vidyā.

    context information

    Prakrit is an ancient language closely associated with both Pali and Sanskrit. Jain literature is often composed in this language or sub-dialects, such as the Agamas and their commentaries which are written in Ardhamagadhi and Maharashtri Prakrit. The earliest extant texts can be dated to as early as the 4th century BCE although core portions might be older.

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