# बोधिसत्त्व (bodhisattva)

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

बोधिसत्त्व (bodhisattva) is a Sanskrit word meaning of a poet, a Buddha or Buddhist saint, a Buddha immediately before attaining perfect knowledge. Its 7 recorded definitions are grouped into 4 contexts, among them Aspirant to Buddhahood / Buddhist Saint, Bodhisattva as a Buddha (Direct Equivalence), Bodhisattva as a Proper Name (Other Individuals).

- **Etymology:** E. बोधि intellect, सत्त्व truth — E. bodhi intellect, sattva truth
- **SLP1:** `boDisattva`  **IAST:** bodhisattva  **Devanagari:** बोधिसत्त्व
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattva
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/bodhisattva/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Aspirant to Buddhahood / Buddhist Saint (4 definitions)
- A Buddhist saint destined to attain supreme enlightenment and Nirvana.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3) [Printed book page 734,3] बोधि (bodhi) — सत्त्व (—sattva) m. ‘one whose essence is perfect knowledge’, one who is on the way to the attainment of p° k° ( i.e. a Buddhist saint when he has only one birth to undergo before obtaining the state of a supreme Buddha and then Nirvāṇa), Śiśupāla-vadha (Title); Kathāsaritsāgara (Title); Rājataraṃgiṇī (Title); Buddhist literature (Literary category) (the early doctrine had only one Bodhi-sattva, viz. Maitreya; the later reckoned many more, Monier-Williams’ Buddhism in its connexion with Brāhmaṇism and Hindūism: and in its contrast with Christianity (Title) 134, 188, 189 ) [ ID=145897 ]
- A Buddha or Buddhist saint.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > बोधि (bodhi) सत्त्व (sattva) (bodhisattva) [Printed book page 606 ] बोधि (bodhi) सत्त्व (sattva) (bodhisattva) m. ( - त्त्वः (-ttvaḥ) ) A Buddha, or Bauddha saint. E. बोधि (bodhi) intellect, सत्त्व (sattva) truth. [ ID=27972 ]
- A Buddha or Buddhist saint  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > बोधि (bodhi) सत्त्व (sattva) (bodhisattva) [Printed book page 520-a ] बोधि (bodhi) सत्त्व (sattva) (bodhisattva) m. ( - त्त्वः (-ttvaḥ) ) A Buddha, or Bauddha saint. E. बोधि (bodhi) intellect, सत्त्व (sattva) truth. [ ID=28840 ]
- a Buddha immediately before attaining perfect knowledge  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > बोधिसत्त्व (bodhisattva) [Printed book page 367 ] बोधिसत्त्व (bodhisattva) m. a Buddha immediately before the attainment of perfect knowledge. [ ID=22287 ]

### Bodhisattva as a Buddha (Direct Equivalence) (1 definition)
- A Buddha  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > बोधिसत्त्व (bodhisattva) [Printed book page 544-a ] बोधि - सत्त्व (bodhi-sattva) ( त्त्वः ) ((ttvaḥ)) 1. m. A Buddha. [ ID=27481 ]

### Bodhisattva as a Proper Name (Other Individuals) (1 definition)
- of a poet  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a poet, Catalogue(s) [Cologne Addition] (Title) [ ID=145899 ]

### Siddhartha Gautama as Bodhisattva (1 definition)
- The principal Buddha of the present era before attaining enlightenment  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of the principal Buddha of the present era (before he became a Buddha), Śiśupāla-vadha (Title), Sch.; Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=145898 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara 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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