Upeksha, Upekṣā: 20 definitions

Item last updated: 16 June, 2022

Glossary
Sanskrit

Introduction:
Upeksha means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit,
Jainism, Prakrit, the history of ancient India, 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.

The Sanskrit term Upekṣā can be transliterated into English as Upeksa

or Upeksha, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

Upekṣā (उपेक्षा).—One of the upāyas of a king.*

context information

The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving

ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends,
religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen
mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date
to at least several centuries BCE.

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Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions (shaktism)

Upekṣā (उपेक्षा) refers to “ignoring (another deity) (in devotion)”,

according to Sāhib Kaul’s Śārikāstrotra.—Accordingly, “[...] My
devotion to you nourishes me every day, as the rise of the full moon
always nourishes the ocean. On account of the true affluence of
victorious devotion to you I even ignore (upekṣā) the excellent Lakṣmī.
The whole world consists of you, Goddess of Gods! Your body is
consciousness, you are alone and perfectly established. Nowhere is
there ignorance. Thus, where do we see the son of a barren woman run
and raise his bow? [...]”.

context information

Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of

Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta
literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and
Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.

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In Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra

1) Upekṣā (उपेक्षा, “equanimity”) refers to one of ten constituents

(dravya) of the thirty-seven auxiliaries to enlightenment
(bodhipākṣika), according to the 2nd century
Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter XXXI.—Accordingly, “these thirty-
seven auxiliaries (bodhipākṣika) have ten things (dravya) as roots
(mūla). Equanimity (upekṣā) constitutes the factor-of-enlightenment
called equanimity (upekṣā-saṃbodhyaṅga)”.

2) Upekṣā (उपेक्षा, “equanimity”) refers to one of the “four

immeasurables” (apramāṇa), according to chapter 32.—Accordingly,
“Upekṣā is to abandon the three previous feelings and think of beings
without either aversion (pratigha) or fondness (anunaya). Upekṣā is
practiced to remove sensual attachment (kāmarāga) and hostility
(vyāpāda) toward others”.

3) Upekṣā (उपेक्षा) refers to “sensation of indifference” and represents

one of the twenty-two faculties (indriya), according to chapter 38. The
word indriya, derived from the root id or ind, is synonymous with great
power, with control. The twenty-two Dharmas in question [viz.,
upekṣā] have the characteristic of being dominant in regard to the
living being (sattva) in that which concerns: his primary constitution,
his distinctiveness, his duration, his moral defilement and his
purification.

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

Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā

Upekṣa (उपेक्ष) refers to “equanimity”, according to the

Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā: the eighth chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāta (a
collection of Mahāyāna Buddhist Sūtras).—Accordingly as The Lord
said: “O Śāriputra, from innumerable aeons ago (asaṃkhyeya-kalpa),
the Bodhisatvas in the Mahāvyūha universe have been in accordance
with the [perfection of] giving as adorned with generosity, [...] have
practiced the protection of all living beings as adorned with great
friendliness (mahā-maitrī), have practiced never giving up any being as
adorned with great compassion (mahā-karuṇa), have never ceased to
make joy, happiness, and great delight of all living beings as adorned
with great happiness (mahā-mudita), and have been punctilious in the
practice without interruption, which has made all living beings not to
be conceited or depressed as adorned with great equanimity (mahā-
upekṣa) [...]”.
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.

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General definition (in Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Dharma-samgraha

Upekṣā (उपेक्षा, “equanimity”) refers to one of the “four spiritual states”

(brahmavihāra) as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (section 16). The
Dharma-samgraha (Dharmasangraha) is an extensive glossary of
Buddhist technical terms in Sanskrit (e.g., brahma-vihāra and Upekṣā).
The work is attributed to Nagarguna who lived around the 2nd century
A.D.

Upekṣā also refers to one of the fourty “conditions” (saṃskāra) that

are “associated with mind” (citta-samprayukta) as defined in the
Dharma-saṃgraha (section 30).

Upekṣā also refers to one of the “seven factors of awakening”

(bodhyaṅga) as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (section 49), itself
forming part of the “thirty-seven things on the side of awakening”
(bodhipākṣika-dharma).

Source: DLMBS: Buddhānusmṛti

upekṣā [upekkhā] ('equanimity'): Upekṣā is the state of mind which

maintains a balance while experiencing joy or sorrow, fame or infamy,
gain or loss. Equanimity takes a person beyond love and hatred. One
should meditate upon love, compassion, joy and equanimity.
Equanimity is the seventh constituent of enlightenment. It helps one to
get rid of attachment and aversion. It can be precisely described as the
state which is devoid of pain and pleasure, the state in which no
preference is shown to one thing or the other. Its property is
indifference.

As one of the bodhyaṅga-s it means one and the same attitude of mind
towards all thoughts.

Upekṣā is of ten kinds.

1. ṣaḍaṅgopekṣā -- neither pleasure nor pain from the objects of six-

sense organs,
2. brahmavihāropekṣā -- equanimity in extending love to all,
3. bodhyaṅgopekṣā -- equanimity with regard to thoughts,
4. vīryopekṣā -- the same intensity of force of determination,
5. saṃskāropekṣā -- equanimity with regard to all kinds of wisdom
essential for the attainment of the paths,
6. vedanopekṣā -- equanimity with regard to feelings,
7. vidarśanopekṣā -- the state of equanimity towards what has been
seen,
8. tatramadhyasthopekṣā -- practising all modes of upekṣā,
9. dhyānopekṣā -- equanimity with regard to the impermanency of
objects, and
10. pariśuddhi-upekṣā -- equanimity with regard to everything that
takes one to emancipation.

In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)

Source: The University of Sydney: A study of the Twelve Reflections

Upekṣā (उपेक्षा, “equanimity”) refers to one of the four brahmavihāras

“four practices”, according to the Yogaśāstra 4.75 (vol. 2, p. 863).—
Hemacandra explains that by the phrase “friendliness, etc.”
(maitryādi), he means to say “friendliness” (maitrī), “joy” (muditā),
“compassion” (karuṇā) and “equanimity” (upekṣā). These constitute
the four practices known as the brahmavihāras mentioned in various
Buddhist texts. They are also listed by Patañjali in Yogasūtra 1.33 as
means for purification of the mind (see Mukerji 2000: 77-8; Bryant
2009: 128-30).

context information

Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around

harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major
branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-
control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development
through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.

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India history and geography

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical
Glossary

Upekṣā.—(CII 4), Buddhist; indifference; one of the bhā- vanās. Note:

upekṣā 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 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.
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Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

upēkṣā (उपेक्षा).—f (S) Indolent or careless putting off; delaying,

dallying: also viewing without concern as light and insignificant:
slighting. 2 Overlooking (an offence).

Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

upēkṣā (उपेक्षा).—f Indolent putting off; delaying, overlooking (an

offence).

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.

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Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Upekṣā (उपेक्षा).—

1) Overlooking, disregard, neglect.

2) Indifference, contempt, disdain; कुयार्मुपेक्षां हतजीिवतेऽिस्मन्

(kuryāmupekṣāṃ hatajīvite'smin) R.14.65.

3) Leaving, quitting.

4) Endurance, patience.

5) Dissent.

6) Neglect, trick or deceit (one of the 7 expedients in war).

7) A sort of भावना (bhāvanā) in Yoga, q. v.

8) Regard, consideration.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist

Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary

Upekṣā (उपेक्षा).—(Sanskrit id., used in much the same sense, but in

[Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit] like Pali upekkhā, upekhā, technical
religious term, while also used in general untechnical sense),
indifference (Tibetan btaṅ sñoms), putting up with whatever happens,
patience, long-suffering: non-religious, Lalitavistara 304.11 (verse)
śreyo upekṣa ma raṇe paribhāvu gacchet, (a son of Māra advises him
not to fight the Bodhisattva) better is patience (to put up with what
can't be helped), lest one arrive at humiliation in battle; religious, as
the 7th bodhy- aṅga and as one of the 4 apramāṇa, qq.v.; Lalitavistara
129.10 (prose) aduḥkhāsukham upekṣāsmṛtipariśuddhaṃ catur- thaṃ
dhyānam; 224.2 (verse) mudito upekṣa-dhyāyī brāhme pathi vidhijñaḥ;
275.18 (yasyā…brāhmaḥ patho jñāyate) maitrī vā karuṇā upekṣa
muditā (see s.v. apramāṇa); in 442.5 acquisition of upekṣā leads to
getting rid of love and hatred, anunayapratighotsargāya; its six aṅga,
see this.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara

Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Upekṣā (उपेक्षा).—f.
(-kṣā) 1. Trick, deceit, one of the minor expedients in war. 2.
Abandoning, leaving. 3. Dissent. 4. Negligence, neglect. 5. Endurance,
patience. 6. Contempt, disdian. E. upa before īkṣ to see, aṅ and ṭāp
affs.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English

Dictionary

Upekṣā (उपेक्षा).—i. e. upa-īkṣ + a, f. 1. Indifference, Mahābhārata 14,

1049. 2. Neglect, [Rāmāyaṇa] 4, 12, 35. 3. Want of attention, Bhāṣāp.
159.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams

Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Upekṣa (उपेक्ष):—[from upekṣ] m. Name of a son of Śva-phalka,

[Harivaṃśa]

2) Upekṣā (उपेक्षा):—[from upekṣa > upekṣ] f. overlooking, disregard,

negligence, indifference, contempt, abandonment, [Mahābhārata;
Raghuvaṃśa; Hitopadeśa] etc.

3) [v.s. ...] endurance, patience

4) [v.s. ...] dissent

5) [v.s. ...] trick, deceit (as one of the minor expedients in war), [cf.
Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra,
etc.]

6) [v.s. ...] regard, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha,

halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English

Dictionary

Upekṣā (उपेक्षा):—[upe+kṣā] (kṣā) 1. f. Neglect; abandoning; endurance;

trick.
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi
dictionary (S)

Upekṣā (उपेक्षा) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words:

Uvikkhā, Uvehā, Ovehā.

[Sanskrit to German]

Upeksha 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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Hindi dictionary

Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionary

Upekṣā (उपेक्षा):—(nf) negligence; neglect, disregard; ~[kārī] negligent;

—[karanā] to ignore, to disregard, to brush aside.

context information

...

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See also (Relevant definitions)

Starts with: Upekshacitta, Upekshadosha, Upekshaka, Upekshana,
Upekshanem, Upekshaniy, Upekshaniya, Upekshasambodhyanga,
Upekshasamyuta.

Ends with: Adhyupeksha, Anadhyupeksha, Cetanopeksha,

Chetanopeksha, Nirupeksha, Nupeksha.

Full-text (+45): Utpaksha, Nirupeksha, Uveha, Uvikkha, Brahmavihara,

Apramana, Kshetropeksha, Mudita, Nupeksha, Apayana,
Apramanacitta, Sthanadvaya, Upekshana, Adhyupeksha, Oveha,
Maitri, Karuna, Upekshanem, Apeksha, Upaya.

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Upeksa, Upēkṣā, Upekṣa; (plurals include: Upekshas, Upekṣās,
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Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)

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