# अभिमान (abhimāna)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/abhimana

अभिमान (abhimāna) is a Sanskrit word meaning intention to injure, self-conceit, pride, haughtiness, assent, conception, especially an erroneous one regarding oneself, affection, desire, name of a Rishi in the sixth Manvantara. Its 17 recorded definitions are grouped into 7 contexts, among them Pride / Arrogance, Conception / Knowledge / Philosophical Egotism, Referential / Etymological.

- **Root:** मन् (man)
- **SLP1:** `aBimAna`  **IAST:** abhimāna  **Devanagari:** अभिमान
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhim%C4%81na
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/abhimana/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** अभीमान (abhīmāna)

## Meanings by context

### Pride / Arrogance (6 definitions)
- self-conceit, pride, haughtiness  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > high opinion of one's self, self-conceit, pride, haughtiness [ ID=12025 ]
- 1. Pride or haughtiness. 2. Knowledge. 3. Affection. 4. Injury or killing. 5. Requesting.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अभि (abhi) मान (abhimāna) [Printed book page 054 ] अभि (abhi) मान (abhimāna) m. ( - नः (-naḥ) ) 1 Pride, haughtiness. 2 Knowledge. 3 Affection. 4 Injury, hurting, killing. 5 Requesting. E. अभि (abhi), and मन (mana) to know, with घञ् (ghañ) affix, or मी (mī) to injure, and ल्युट् (lyuṭ). [ ID=2569 ]
- 1. Pride. 2. Knowledge. 3. Affection. 4. Injury.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अभिमान (abhimāna) [Printed book page 042-a ] अभि - मान (abhi-māna) ( नः ) ((naḥ)) 1. m. Pride; knowledge; affection; injury. [ ID=2091 ]
- 1. Pride or haughtiness. 2. Knowledge. 3. Affection. 4. Injury or killing. 5. Requesting.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अभिमान (abhimāna) [Printed book page 045-b ] अभिमान (abhimāna) m. ( - नः (-naḥ) ) 1. Pride, haughtiness. 2. Knowledge. 3. Affection. 4. Injury, hurting, killing. 5. Requesting. E. अभि, (abhi,) and मन (mana) to know, with घञ् (ghañ) affix, or मी (mī) to injure, and ल्युट् (lyuṭ) aff. [ ID=2567 ]
- 1. Pride, arrogance, or self-conceit. 2. Affection or love. 3. A conception or supposition.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अभिमान (abhimāna) [Printed book page 034 ] अभिमान (abhimāna) m. = prec. abstr.; self-conceit, arrogance, pride ( p. ° वन्त् (°vant) ); affection, love; conception, supposition, esp. a false one. [ ID=2332 ]
- 1. Pride, self-conceit, or haughtiness. 2. Consciousness or self-awareness. 3. Affection, love, or desire. 4. Laying claim to something. 5. Injury or hurting.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > अभिमान (abhimāna) [Printed book page 0065-c ] Abhi-māna, as, m. high opinion of one's self, self-conceit, pride, haughtiness, honourable feeling; consciousness; referring all objects to self (as the act of Ahaṅkāra or personality); conception, con- ceit; affection, love, desire; laying claim to; injury, hurting. —Abhimāna-tā, f. pride, arrogance. —Abhi- māna-vat, ān, atī, at, conceiving or having ideas about self; proud, arrogant. —Abhimāna-śūnya, as, ā, am, void of conceit, humble. [ ID=4588 ]

### Conception / Knowledge / Philosophical Egotism (5 definitions)
- assent  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (in Sāṃkhya phil. ) = अभि - मति (abhi-mati), above [ ID=12026 ]
- conception, especially an erroneous one regarding oneself  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > conception (especially an erroneous one regarding one's self), Sāhitya-darpaṇa (Title) &c. [ ID=12027 ]
- 1. Egotism. 2. Self-conceit or pride. 3. Love.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अभिमान (abhimāna) [Printed book page 0039-b ] अभिमान (abhimāna) abhimāna, i. e. abhi-man + a, m. 1. Referring existing objects to one's own self, egotism, Vedāntas. in Chr. 207, 2. 2. Self-conceit, pride, Bhartṛ. 3, 4. 3. Love, Daśak. in Chr. 182, 23. — Comp. Nis-, adj. exempt from pride, Bhāg. P. 5, 15, 6. Sa-, adj. proud, Rājat. 5, 233. [ ID=788 ]
- 1. Conceiving objects with the notion that they refer to one's own self. 2. Erroneous conception, imagination, or fancy. 3. Arrogance, self-conceit, or pride. 4. Affection. 5. Affectionate solicitation. 6. Wish or desire. 7. Injury or the desire to do injury.  
  *Goldstücker Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अभिमा (mā) न (bhimāna) (abhimāna) [Printed book page 257-b ] अभिमा (mā) न (bhimāna) (abhimāna) Tatpur. m. ( - नः (-naḥ) ) 1 (In Philosophy.) Conceiving objects with the notion that they refer to one's own self: the mental process which is the essential characteristic of अहङ्कार (kāra) (ahaṅkāra) (of the conception of ‘I’ or of the notion of per- sonality) q. v.; e. g. Sāṅkhya Sūtra: अभिमा (mā) न (bhimāna) (abhimāna) ोऽहंकार (kāra) ः (abhimāno'haṃkāraḥ) ( Vijnānāch.: अहं करोतीत्यहंकार (kāra) ः कुम्भकार (kāra) वत् । अन्तःकर - (ahaṃ karotītyahaṃkāraḥ kumbhakāravat. antaḥkara-) णद्रव्यं स च धर्मधर्म्यभेदादभिमा (mā) न (bhimāna) इत्युक्तः (ṇadravyaṃ sa ca dharmadharmyabhedādabhimāna ityuktaḥ) ); or Vedānta Sāra: अभिमा (mā) न (bhimāna) (abhimāna) ात्मिकान्तःकरणवृत्तिरहंकार (kāra) ः; (abhimānātmikāntaḥkaraṇavṛttirahaṃkāraḥ;) and therefore in cor- rect writing not identical with the philosophical term अहं - (ahaṃ-) कार (kāra) itself, although some authors use both words some- times apparently as synonymes: Vijnānāch.: अहंकार (kāra) (ahaṃkāra) श्चाभि - (ahaṃkāraścābhi-) मा (mā) नवृत्तिकमन् (man) तःकरणद्रव्यं न त्वभिमा (mā) न (bhimāna) मा (mā) त्रं द्रव्यस्यैव लोके (mānavṛttikamantaḥkaraṇadravyaṃ na tvabhimānamātraṃ dravyasyaiva loke) द्रव्योपादानत्वदर्शनात् (dravyopādānatvadarśanāt). Yet as the notion of personality in the orthodox philosophical systems is not our notion of self-consciousness, but the notion based on that con- dition of the mind which identifies the bodily personality or individual existence with the Absolute, and as this mental condition is held to lead to an erroneous concep- tion of the absolute Truth, the terms अहंकार (kāra) (ahaṃkāra) and अ - (a-) भिमा (mā) न (bhimāna) have generally a negative bearing, the latter imply- ing: ‘conceiving the wrong or erroneous idea that the ob- jects of the world refer absolutely to one's own bodily or individual self’; e. g. Viśvan. (on the Nyāya S. दोषनिमि - (doṣanimi-) त्तानां तत्वज्ञान (jñāna) ादहंकार (kāra) निवृत्तिः (ttānāṃ tatvajñānādahaṃkāranivṛttiḥ) ): अहंकार (kāra) (ahaṃkāra) ोऽहमित्यभिमा (mā) न (bhimāna) ः (ahaṃkāro'hamityabhimānaḥ) स च शरीरादिविषयको मिथ्याज्ञान (jñāna) मुच्यते (sa ca śarīrādiviṣayako mithyājñānamucyate) (comp. the Sid- dhāntamuktāv.: अहंकार (kāra) (ahaṃkāra) ोऽहमिति प्रत्ययः । तस्याश्रयो विषय (ahaṃkāro'hamiti pratyayaḥ. tasyāśrayo viṣaya) आत्मनि शरीरादिरिति (ātmani śarīrādiriti) ); or Sāṅkhyatattvak.: यत्खल्वालो - (yatkhalvālo-) चितं मतं च तत्राहमधिकृतः । शक्तः खल्वहमत्र । मदर्था एवा - (citaṃ mataṃ ca tatrāhamadhikṛtaḥ. śaktaḥ khalvahamatra. madarthā evā-) मी विषयाः । मत्तो नान्योऽत्राधिकृतः कश्चिदस्त्यतोऽहमस्मी - (mī viṣayāḥ. matto nānyo'trādhikṛtaḥ kaścidastyato'hamasmī-) ति योऽभिमा (mā) न (bhimāna) ः सोऽसाधारणव्यापारत्वादहंकार (kāra) ः (ti yo'bhimānaḥ so'sādhāraṇavyāpāratvādahaṃkāraḥ). 2 Con- ception in general, but (like the preceding meaning) usually with an implied negative bearing: erroneous conception or belief, imagination, fancy; e. g. Nyāya Sūtras: स्फटिकान्य - (sphaṭikānya-) त्वाभिमा (mā) न (bhimāna) वत्तदन्यत्वाभिमा (mā) न (bhimāna) ः (tvābhimānavattadanyatvābhimānaḥ) ‘as crystal is fancied to be- come different (from the proximity with objects it comes in contact with) so the mental activity is fancied to vary’; or स्वप्नविषयाभिमा (mā) न (bhimāna) वदयं प्रमा (mā) णप्रमेयाभिमा (mā) न (bhimāna) ः (svapnaviṣayābhimānavadayaṃ pramāṇaprameyābhimānaḥ) ‘like the conceit of things in a dream, is the conceit of means of proof and objects of proof’; or मिथ्योपलब्धिविनाशस्तत्त्व - (mithyopalabdhivināśastattva-) ज्ञान (jñāna) ात्स्वप्नविषयाभिमा (mā) न (bhimāna) प्रणाशवत्प्रतिबोधे (jñānātsvapnaviṣayābhimānapraṇāśavatpratibodhe) ‘false conception ceases through the knowledge of the Truth as the imagin- ation of objects in a dream vanishes on awaking’; or Bho- jadeva (on the Yoga S. विवेकख्याति (vivekakhyāti) °° (°°) ): प्रतिपक्षभावनाब - (pratipakṣabhāvanāba-) लादविद्याप्रविलये निवृत्तकर्तृत्वज्ञातृत्वाभिमा (mā) न (bhimāna) ाया रजस्तमो - (lādavidyāpravilaye nivṛttakartṛtvajñātṛtvābhimānāyā rajastamo-) मलानभिभूताया बुद्धेरन्तर्मुखाया या चिच्छायासंक्रान्तिः सा (malānabhibhūtāyā buddherantarmukhāyā yā cicchāyāsaṃkrāntiḥ sā) विवेकख्याति (vivekakhyāti) रित्युच्यते (vivekakhyātirityucyate) ‘…of the intellect in which the con- Page258-a+ 56 ceit of being agent or knower has ceased…’; or Sā- hityad.: उत्साहादिसमुद्बोधः साधारण्याभिमा (mā) न (bhimāna) तः । नृणामपि (utsāhādisamudbodhaḥ sādhāraṇyābhimānataḥ. nṛṇāmapi) समुद्रादिलङ्घनादौ न दुष्यति (samudrādilaṅghanādau na duṣyati) ‘…from imagining that the hero of a poem possesses universal powers’. Comp. also the inst. s. v. अभिमन् (man) यमा (mā) न (abhimanyamāna). (This use of the word recon- ciles its rendering ज्ञान (jñāna) by the Amarak., Hem., Bhūripr. &c., and अज्ञान (jñāna) (ajñāna) by the Medinī. ) 3 Arrogance, self-conceit, pride (of family, wealth, superior qualities &c.; Ramānātha on the Amarak.: आदिना कुलपशुगुणादिग्रहः (ādinā kulapaśuguṇādigrahaḥ) ); comp. अहङ्कार (kāra) (ahaṅkāra); (ahaṅkāra;) e. g. Śṛṅgāratil.: प्रायो मूर्खः परिभवविधौ नाभिमा (mā) न (bhimāna) ं पिधत्ते; (prāyo mūrkhaḥ paribhavavidhau nābhimānaṃ pidhatte;) or Bhaṭṭik.: परामृशन्तः प्रथिताभिमा (mā) न (bhimāna) ाः प्रोचुः प्रहस्तप्रमुखा (parāmṛśantaḥ prathitābhimānāḥ procuḥ prahastapramukhā) दशास्यम् (daśāsyam). 4 Affection, ( Amarak. &c. = प्रणयः; (praṇayaḥ;) Mukuṭa: = प्रीतिः (prītiḥ) ). 5 Affectionate solicitation; ( Ramānātha: = प्रेम्णा (premṇā) प्रार्थनम् (prārthanam) ). 6 Solicitation in general, wish, desire; ( Svāmin, Nīlak.: = प्रार्थना (prārthanā) ); e. g. Vijnānāch.: मयानेनेन्द्रियेणेदं रू - (mayānenendriyeṇedaṃ rū-) पादिकं भोक्तव्यमिदमेव सुखसाधनमित्याद्यभिमा (mā) न (bhimāna) ादेवादिसर्गे - (pādikaṃ bhoktavyamidameva sukhasādhanamityādyabhimānādevādisarge-) ष्विन्द्रियतद्विषयोत्पत्त्याहंकार (kāra) इन्द्रियादिहेतुः (ṣvindriyatadviṣayotpattyāhaṃkāra indriyādihetuḥ). 7 Injury, hurt- ing, killing, desire of doing injury &c. ( Amarak.: = हिंसा, (hiṃsā,) Bharata: = हनन; (hanana;) Sāyaṇa on the Śatap.: = हिंसेच्छा (hiṃsecchā) ). E. मन् (man) (cl. 4) with अभि, (abhi,) kṛt aff. घञ्; (ghañ;) or in the meanings 1-3, perhaps मा (mā) with अभि, (abhi,) kṛt aff. ल्युट्; (lyuṭ;) for the affinity of both radicals see s. vv. [ ID=6230 ]
- egoism or self-conceit  
  *The Purana Index*
  > अभिमान (abhimāna) [Printed book page 1-079 ] Abhimāna — (Rudra) entered Ātman (ahaṅkāra) of Virāṭ Puruṣa. Bhā. III. 6. 25. [ ID=637 ]

### Referential / Etymological (2 definitions)
- See abhiman  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 67,2] अभि - (abhi-) मान (abhi-māna) b See अभि - (abhi-) √ मन् (√man). [ ID=12059 ]
- See above.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > [Printed book page 0066-a ] अभिमान (abhimāna) abhi-māna. See abhi-man above. [ ID=4603 ]

### Affection / Desire (1 definition)
- affection, desire  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > affection, desire [ ID=12028 ]

### Injury / Harm (1 definition)
- intention to injure  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 67,1] अभि - मान (abhi-māna) a m. intention to injure, insidiousness, Kātyāyana-śrauta-sūtra (Title) [ ID=12024 ]

### Proper Name (Ṛṣi) (1 definition)
- Name of a Rishi in the sixth Manvantara  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of a Ṛṣi in the sixth Manvantara, Viṣṇu-purāṇa (Title) [ ID=12029 ]

### Self-Respect / Dignity (1 definition)
- 1. Self-respect and honourable feeling. 2. Pride, arrogance, and self-conceit. 3. Affection. 4. Solicitation, wish, and desire. 5. Misconception and conceiving objects with the notion that they refer to one's own self. 6. Killing.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अभिमान (abhimāna) [Printed book page 049-22 ] अभिमान (abhimāna) m. 1. Self-respect, honourable feeling, अभिमान (abhimāna) धनस्य गत्वरैरसुभिः स्थास्नु यशाश्रिचीषतः (abhimānadhanasya gatvarairasubhiḥ sthāsnu yaśāśricīṣataḥ) Kir. ix.19; 2. pride, arrogance, self-conceit, e.g. प्रायो मूर्खः परिभवविधौ नाभिमानं पिधत्ते (prāyo mūrkhaḥ paribhavavidhau nābhimānaṃ pidhatte); 3. affection; 4. solicitation, wish, desire; 5. misconception, conceiving objects with the notion that they refer to one’s own self (in phil.); 6. killing. [ ID=2594 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Goldstücker Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872); Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Purana Index; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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