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Lakshana (Sanskrit:लक्षणlakṣaṇa) – derived from the combination of wordslakshya andkshana – means 'indication' or 'symptom'.[1] It also means 'an auspicious mark', 'attribute' or 'quality'.[2]
InVaradarāja'sLaghukaumudi (St.210), on the followingPaniniya Sukta I.i.62 onSanskrit grammar, which reads:
states that whenelision (lopa) of anaffix has taken place, the affix shall still exert its influence, and the operations dependent upon it will take place as if it were present. He explains that the word,Lakshana, signifies that by which a thing is recognized, and the word,Lopa signifies the elision i.e. substitution of a blank, in which regard Sakalya had suggested certain optional substitutions as stated in Sukta VIII.iii.19. Vardaraja draws attention to Panini’s statement referred to at St.152 to the effect that after whatsoever there is an affix (pratyaya) enjoined, let what begins therewith, in the form in which it appears when the affix follows it, be called an inflective base (anga) e.g. in the case of addressing two or more persons of the same name, say - Rama, the Ramas need not be addressed asOh two Ramas but the -s is to be dropped without change in meaning (intention) and addressed asOh Rama which would suffice the intended purpose.[3]
Vyasa-bhashya (VIII.13) explains that in the smallest particle of time orkshana the whole universe undergoes a change. Each moment or particle of time is only the manifestation of that change, and time does not have a separate existence. Appearance is calledDharma, and the arrangement of objects or qualities is calledDharmin; the change of appearance is calledDharma-parinama which has two aspects –Lakshana-parinama andAvastha-parinama, which are not intrinsically different.Lakshana-parinama considers three stages of an appearance viz. a) the unmanifested when it exists in the future, b) the manifested moment of the present and c) the past when it has been manifested, lost to view but preserved and retained in all the onwards stages of evolution.Avastha-parinama is change of condition which is not materially different fromLakshana-parinama and hence its mode; it is on account of this that an object is called new or old, grown or decayed. It is the nature of theGuṇas that there cannot remain even a moment without the evolutionary changes ofdharma,lakshana andavastha, for movement is the characteristic of thegunas whose nature is the cause of constant movement, which changes the mind also experiences in accordance with its two qualities visible and invisible; the visible qualities are those whose changes can be noticed as conscious states or thought-products or precepts, whereas the invisible qualities are those whose changes can only be established by inference. There is an order in all successive changes (Vacaspati in hisTattva–vaivasaradi (III.15).[4]
Dharma, which provides security, peace and well-being, is concerned equally to the individual and his other worldly interests and to the worldly interest of the individual, family and society. Dharma embraces man’s life as a whole. The two goals of man’s individual and collective existence signified by the wordsabhyudaya ('prosperity') andnihsreyasa ('necessaries') are attained by following a two-fold dharma – 1)Pravritti Lakshana Dharma ('religion of action') that is characterized by action and 2)Nivritti Lakshana Dharma ('religion of renunciation') which is characterized by freedom from action.[5]
Advaita Vedanta refers to the three meanings that all words and sentences carry – the primary or direct meaning, the implied meaning and the suggested meaning. The implied meaning, known asLakshana, is of three kinds –Jahallakshana which consists in discarding the direct meaning in favour of the indirect or implied meaning,Ajahallakshana in which the direct meaning is not completely given up and the real meaning is hinted, andJahadjahallakshana which consists in giving up a part of the direct meaning and retaining the other part. Thus, the word "that" of themahavakya –tat tvam asi (that thou art) primarily refers to theSaguna Brahman orIshvara, and the word "thou" primarily to theJiva, the individual soul. The direct sense points to the identity of betweenIshvara andJiva. The implied meaning reveals that Ishvara and Jiva are the result of ignorance and the imposition of the unreal on the real when "that" refers to theNirguna Brahman, the pure consciousness who is absolute and without attributes and "thou" refers to self oratman, the pure consciousness which is the reality underlying the mind-body complex. It is according to the thirdLakshana that the identity of Brahman and Atman is established, that these two words in their implicit sense point to the same reality, thatBrahma-anubhava is the non-dual experience of the sole reality.[6]
The student ofclassical music – after faithfully evaluating the effect of listening and observation as aids forsadhana – strives to study the role of acquiringLakshana Jnanam ('theoretical knowledge') as an aid toLakshya Sadhana ('practical attainment') in order to uplift knowledge of music gained and realizing its practical utilities/applications. Mere theoretical knowledge, thearohana andavarohana of araga is notLakshana Jnanam, for the body is first formed and only thereafter infused with life. Lakshya (target or aim to be accomplished) is based onKalpana ('imagination','inspiration') andLakshana is likegrammar, the former is not clear without the latter. The knowledge ofLakshana is essential forLakshya sadhana.[citation needed]
In matters pertaining to the prediction of future events, the word,Lakshana, means a mark or anomen. In this system, eight different methods are employed:
According tonumerology, numbers pregnant with more than one meaning and significance, indicate the course of future events.[7] According toAnga Ranga, a very ancient method, women are divided into four distinct classes of temperament that correspond to the four phases of liberation (moksa).[8]