# अविद्या (avidyā)

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

अविद्या (avidyā) is a Sanskrit word meaning unlearned, unwise, ignorance, illusion personified as Maya, illusion or Maya, consisting of five parts and preceding creation. Its 8 recorded definitions are grouped into 4 contexts, among them General Ignorance or Lack of Knowledge, Avidyā in Puranic Cosmology and Classification, Philosophical Ignorance as Illusion (Māyā).

- **SLP1:** `avidyA`  **IAST:** avidyā  **Devanagari:** अविद्या
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avidy%C4%81_%28Buddhism%29
- **Declensions:** 24 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/avidya/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** अविद्य (avidya)

## Meanings by context

### General Ignorance or Lack of Knowledge (3 definitions)
- ignorance  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1B) [Printed book page 108,3] अ - विद्या (a-vidyā) f. ignorance, spiritual ignorance, Atharva-veda (Title) xi, 8, 23; Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā (Title) xl, 12 - 14; Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa (Title) xiv [ ID=18827 ]
- Ignorance  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अविद्या (avidyā) [Printed book page 065-b ] अ - विद्या (a-vidyā) ( द्या ) ((dyā)) 1. f. Ignorance. [ ID=3439 ]
- want of knowledge, ignorance  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अविद्या (avidyā) [Printed book page 048 ] अविद्या (avidyā) f. want of knowledge, ignorance. [ ID=3317 ]

### Avidyā in Puranic Cosmology and Classification (2 definitions)
- Ignorance existing in five degrees.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > अविद्या (avidyā) [Printed book page 1-120 ] Avidyā — of five degrees — Tāmisra, Andhatāmisra, Tama, Moha, and Mahātama. Bhā. III. 20. 18. [ ID=951 ]
- consisting of five parts and preceding creation  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Avidyā — Pañcaparva; precedes creation. Vā. 6. 37. [ ID=952 ]

### Philosophical Ignorance as Illusion (Māyā) (2 definitions)
- 1. Illusion personified as Maya. 2. Ignorance together with non-existence.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (in Vedānta phil. ) illusion (personified as Māyā); ignorance together with non-existence, Buddhist literature (Literary category) [ ID=18828 ]
- 1. Ignorance. 2. Spiritual ignorance. 3. Illusion or Maya.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अविद्या (avidyā) [Printed book page 078-07 ] अविद्या (avidyā) f. 1. Ignorance; 2. spiritual ignorance; 3. illusion or Māyā (i.e. that principle which, according to the Vedāntists, makes us see the whole universe in Brahman (n.) which alone exists), अपि द्रागाविद्यद्रुमदलनदीक्षागुरुरिह प्रवाहस्तेन वाराम् (api drāgāvidyadrumadalanadīkṣāgururiha pravāhastena vārām) G.L. 2. [ ID=3996 ]

### The Quality of Being Unlearned or Unwise (Adjective) (1 definition)
- unlearned, unwise  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 108,3] अ - विद्य (a-vidya) mfn. unlearned, unwise, Manu-smṛti (Title) ix, 205, &c. [ ID=18826 ]

## Sources

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

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