# लीला (līlā)

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

लीला (līlā) is a Sanskrit word meaning play, sport, or amusement, sport, play, or child's play, ease or facility in doing something, mere appearance, semblance, or pretence, a disguise or sham, grace, charm, beauty, or elegance. Its 24 recorded definitions are grouped into 7 contexts, among them General Play or Sport, Amorous Play or Lover's Imitation, Appearance or Pretence.

- **Etymology:** E. ली to embrace, क्विप् aff., and ला to get or give, affs. क and टाप् । — E. lī to embrace, kvip aff., and lā to get or give, affs. ka and ṭāp
- **SLP1:** `lIlA`  **IAST:** līlā  **Devanagari:** लीला
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lila_%28Hinduism%29
- **Declensions:** 24 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/lila/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### General Play or Sport (8 definitions)
- play, sport, or amusement  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 903,2] लीला (līlā) f. (derivation doubtful) play, sport, diversion, amusement, pastime, Mahābhārata (Title); Kāvya literature (Literary category) &c. [ ID=182805 ]
- Play, sport, pastime, diversion, pleasure, or amusement  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > लीला (līlā) [Printed book page 0930-b ] लीला (līlā) [ ली - क्विप् लियं लाति ला - क वा (lī-kvip liyaṃ lāti lā-ka vā) Tv. ] 1 Play, sport, pastime, diversion, pleasure, amusement; क्लमं (klamaṃ) ययौ कंदुकलीलयापि या (yayau kaṃdukalīlayāpi yā) Kumārasambhava (Bombay) 5. 19; oft. used as the first member of comp.; लीला (līlā) कमलं, लीला (līlā) शुकः (līlākamalaṃ, līlāśukaḥ) &c
- 1. Play, sport, pastime, diversion, or amusement. 2. Playful imitation of a lover. 3. Action easily performed. 4. Mere appearance or semblance. 5. Dissimulation, disguise, or pretence. 6. Charm or grace.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > लीला (līlā) [Printed book page 263-2 ] लीला (līlā) līlā, f. play, sport, pastime, diversion, amusement; playful imitation of a lover; mere sport, childʼs play (= action easily performed ); mere appearance, semblance ( —° ); dissimulation, disguise, pretence; charm, grace: °— and in. a-yā, sportively, to amuse oneself; in sport = with the greatest ease; for mere appearance, feignedly: -kamala, n. toy-lotus, lotus for playing with; -kalaha, m. playful or feigned quarrel; -khela, a. playfully sportive; -āgāra, n., -gṛha, n., -geha, n. pleasure house; -tāmarasa, n. toy-lotus, lotus for playing with; -nṛtya, n. playful dance; -padma, n. lotus for playing with; -abja, n. id.; -ābharaṇa, n. sham ornament ( e. g. a bracelet of lotus fibres ); -manuṣya, m. man in appearance only, man in disguise; -mandira, n. pleasure house; -ambuja, n. toy-lotus. [ ID=15615 ]
- 1. Play, sport, or pastime. 2. Wanton sport. 3. Facility in doing anything. 4. Mien or manner. 5. Grace or charm. 6. Pretence, disguise, or sham.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > लीला (līlā) [Printed book page 627-05 ] लीला (līlā) f. 1. Play, sport, pastime, R. v.70, K.S. v.19; 2. wanton sport (thus defined by Ujj. - अप्राप्तवल्लभसमागमनायिकायाः सख्याः पुरोत्र निजचित्तविनोदबुद्ध्या । आलापवेशगतिहास्यविलोकनाद्यैः प्राणेश्वरानुकृतिमाकलयंति लीला (līlā) म् (aprāptavallabhasamāgamanāyikāyāḥ sakhyāḥ purotra nijacittavinodabuddhyā. ālāpaveśagatihāsyavilokanādyaiḥ prāṇeśvarānukṛtimākalayaṃti līlām) ), क्षुभ्यंति प्रसभमहो विनापि हेतोर्लीला (līlā) भिः किमु सति कारणे रमण्यः (kṣubhyaṃti prasabhamaho vināpi hetorlīlābhiḥ kimu sati kāraṇe ramaṇyaḥ) Sis. viii.24, Bhartr. i.2; 3. facility in doing anything; 4. mien, manner; 5. grace, charm, मरुतामपश्यदाकृष्टलीला (līlā) न्नरलोकपालान् (marutāmapaśyadākṛṣṭalīlānnaralokapālān) R. vi.1, Megh. i.35, R. xvi.71; 6. pretence, disguise, sham. [ ID=32776 ]
- 1. Play, sport, or pastime. 2. Amorous or wanton sport.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > लीला (līlā) [Printed book page 0797-a ] लीला (līlā) līlā (akin to las ), f. 1. Play, sport, pastime, Pañc. 161, 15; līlayā ( instr. ), Sportively, Pañc. 229, 10; easily, without any effort, Pañc. 211, 12; Hit. 81, 18. 2. Amorous or wan- ton sport, Pañc. iii. d. 237. — Comp. Sa-līla, adj. wanton, sportive. °lam, adv. affectionately, Kir. 5, 33. [ ID=12447 ]
- 1. Play, sport, or pastime. 2. Grace, beauty, or charm. 3. Ease or facility in doing anything. 4. Appearance, semblance, or pretence.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > लीला (līlā) [Printed book page 463 ] लीला (līlā) f. play, sport, amusement, pastime; wantonness, grace, beauty, charm; mere play or sport, i.e. either ease or facility in doing anything; or appearance, semblance, pretence. °— & instr. for sport, without effort; feignedly. [ ID=27613 ]
- 1. Play. 2. An action done without serious effort.  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > लीला (līlā) [Printed book page 234-a ] līlā, f. —1. play; —2. ( like Eng. child's play) action that can be done without serious effort; līlayā, without any trouble. [ ID=3626 ]
- 1. Play, sport, diversion, amusement, or pastime. 2. Wanton sport or amorous pastime. 3. Joking, frivolity, or child's play. 4. Ease or facility in doing anything. 5. Sportive appearance, semblance, dissembling, pretense, or disguise. 6. Air, mien, or manner. 7. Grace, beauty, charm, or loveliness. 8. A species of meter.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > लीला (līlā) [Printed book page 0868-c ] लीला (līlā) līlā, f. (supposed by some to be a corruption of krīḍā; perhaps connected with rt. 1. las or with lelāya ), play, sport, diversion, amuse- ment, pastime; wanton sport, amorous pastime (shown in the imitation of a lover's gait, manner, &c.), wantonness; mere sport or play, mere amuse- ment, joking, frivolity, child's play, ease or facility in doing anything, ( līlayā, out of sport, sportively, for amusement, as a mere joke, with the greatest ease, without effort); sportive appearance, semblance, dissembling, dissimulation, pretence, disguise, sham; air, mien, manner; grace, beauty, charm, loveliness; a species of metre, four times ¯˘˘¯˘˘¯˘˘¯˘˘ ¯˘˘¯. —Līlā-kamala, am, n. a woman's toy- lotus, a lotus-flower held in the hand as a plaything. —Līlā-kara, as, m. a particular metre. —Līlā- kalaha, as, m. a quarrel or dispute in play, sham- fight, mock-fight. —Līlā-khela, as, ā, am, moving or sporting playfully, playful; ( am, ā ), n. f. a kind of metre, four times ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ —Līlāgāra (°lā-āg°) or līlā-gṛha or līlā-geha, am, n. a pleasure-house, place of amusement or sport. —Līlāṅga (°lā-an°), as, ī, am, having graceful or playful limbs (said of a bull &c.). —Līlācala (°lā- ac°), as, m., N. of a district. —Līlā-tanu, us, f. a form assumed for mere sport or pleasure. —Līlā- tāṇḍava-paṇḍita, as, ā, am, skilled in sportive dances (said of Śiva). —Līlā-tāmarasa, am, n. a lotus-flower held in the hand as a plaything. —Līlā- dagdha, as, ā, am, burnt to ashes or consumed without effort. —Līlādri (°lā-ad°), is, m. = līlā- cala. —Līlā-naṭana, am, n. a sportive dance. —Līlā-padma, am, n. a toy-lotus, (see līlā-ka- mala. ) —Līlā-parvata, as, m., N. of a mountain. —Līlābja (°lā-ab°), am, n. = līlā-kamala. —Lī- lābharaṇa (°lā-ābh°), am, n. a sham ornament (as a bracelet made of a string of lotuses). —Līlā- madhu-kara, as, m., N. of a drama. —Līlā-ma- nuṣya, as, m. a sham man, man in disguise, one not really a man. —Līlā-maya, as, ī, am, consisting of play or amusement, playful, sportive, relating to play or amusement. —Līlā-mātreṇa, ind. out of mere sport, in mere play, without the least effort. —Līlā-mānuṣa-vigraha, as, ā, am, having a human body merely for amusement, assuming the shape of a man for a pretext or pretence; ( as ), m. epithet of Kṛṣṇa. —Līlāmbuja (°lā-am°), am, n. = līlā-kamala. —Līlāyudha (°lā-āy°), ās, m. pl., N. of a people, (perhaps for nīlāyudha. ) —Līlā- rati, is, f. sportive amusement, sport, amusement. —Līlāravinda (°lā-ar°), am, n. = līlā-kamala. Page0869-a+ 75 —Līlā-vajra, am, n. an implement or instrument shaped like a thunderbolt. —Līlā-vat, ān, atī, at, possessed of grace or beauty, graceful, beautiful, charming; ( atī ), f. a beautiful and charming woman, a wanton woman; N. of Durgā; of the wife of the Asura Maya; of a merchant's daughter (in the Hitopadeśa); a kind of metre; N. of a section of the Siddhānta-śiromaṇi; of a well known treatise on arithmetic, algebra, and geometry by Bhāskara Ācārya; of an elementary treatise on the Vaiśeṣika philosophy ( = nyāya-l°, q. v.); of a work on medi- cine. —Līlāvatāra (°lā-av°), as, m. the descent (of Viṣṇu on the earth) for his own amusement. —Lī- lāvadhūta (°lā-av°), as, ā, am, gracefully waved about. —Līlā-vāpī, f. a pleasure-tank or lake. —Līlā- veśman, a, n. a pleasure-house; [cf. līlāgāra. ] —Līlā-śuka, as, m. ‘pleasure-parrot,’ N. of the poet Vilva-maṅgala. —Līlā-sādhya, as, ā, am, to be effected with ease. —Līlā-svātma-priya, as, m., N. of an author held in esteem by the Tāntrikas or worshippers of Durgā. —Līlodyāna (°lā-ud°), am, n. a pleasure-garden, pleasure-grounds. [ ID=40528 ]

### Amorous Play or Lover's Imitation (5 definitions)
- a maiden's playful imitation of her lover  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (in rhet. ) a maiden's playful imitation of her lover, Daśarūpa (Title); Sāhitya-darpaṇa (Title); Pratāparudrīya (Title) [ ID=182809 ]
- Amorous pastime or playful sport  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > लीला (līlā) [Printed book page 0930-b ] लीला (līlā) [ ली - क्विप् लियं लाति ला - क वा (lī-kvip liyaṃ lāti lā-ka vā) Tv. ] 2 Amorous pastime, wanton, amorous or playful sport; उत्सृष्टलीला (līlā) गतिः (utsṛṣṭalīlāgatiḥ) Raghuvaṃśa (Bombay) 7. 7; 4. 22; 5. 70; क्षुभ्यांति प्रसभमहो (kṣubhyāṃti prasabhamaho) विनापि हेतोर्लीला (līlā) भिः किमु सति कारणे (vināpi hetorlīlābhiḥ kimu sati kāraṇe) रमण्यः (ramaṇyaḥ) Śiśupālavadha 8. 24; Meghadūta (Bombay) 35; ( लीला (līlā) in this sense is thus explained by उज्ज्वलमणिः - अप्राप्तवल्लभसमागमनायिकायाः (ujjvalamaṇiḥ-aprāptavallabhasamāgamanāyikāyāḥ) सख्याः पुरोऽत्र निजचित्तविनोदबुद्ध्या । (sakhyāḥ puro'tra nijacittavinodabuddhyā.) आलापवेशगतिहास्यविलोकनाद्यैः (ālāpaveśagatihāsyavilokanādyaiḥ) प्राणेश्वरानुकृतिमाकलयंति लीला (līlā) म् ॥ (prāṇeśvarānukṛtimākalayaṃti līlām..) )
- 1. Play, sport, or pastime. 2. Amorous or wanton sport. 3. Playful imitation of a lover's manner. 4. A poetic metre.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > ली (lī) ला (lā) (līlā) [Printed book page 721 ] ली (lī) ला (lā) (līlā) f. ( - ला (lā) (-lā) ) 1 A branch of feminine action, proceeding from love; or the imitation of a lover's manner, speech, gait, &c. by his mistress, to pass the time in his absence. 2 Play, sport, pastime in general. 3 Amorous or wanton sport. 4 A species of the Daṇḍaka metre. E. ली (lī) embrace, ला (lā) to get or give, aff. क (ka) and टाप् (ṭāp). [ ID=32992 ]
- Play, sport, dalliance, or a playful action inspired by love  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > लीला (līlā) [Printed book page 645-a ] लीला (līlā) ( ला ) ((lā)) 1. f. A branch of feminine action proceeding from love; play, sport, dalliance. [ ID=32573 ]
- 1. Play, sport, or pastime. 2. Grace, charm, or manner. 3. Amorous sport or feminine action inspired by love. 4. Ease or facility in doing something. 5. Pretence or disguise. 6. A species of the Dandaka metre.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > ली (lī) ला (lā) (līlā) [Printed book page 618-b ] ली (lī) ला (lā) (līlā) f. ( - ला (lā) (-lā) ) 1. A branch of feminine action, proceeding from love; or the imitation of a lover's manner, speech, gait, &c. by his mistress, to pass the time in his absence. 2. Play, sport, pastime in general. 3. Amorous or wanton sport. 4. Fecility in doing anything. 5. Mien, manner. 6. Grace, charm. 7. Pretence, disguise, sham. 8. A species of the Dandaka metre. E. ली (lī) to embrace, क (ka) ्विप् (kvip) aff., and ला (lā) to get or give, affs. क (ka) and टाप् । (ṭāp.) [ ID=34409 ]

### Appearance or Pretence (3 definitions)
- 1. Mere appearance, semblance, or pretence. 2. A disguise or sham.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > mere appearance, semblance, pretence, disguise, sham, Kāvya literature (Literary category); Kathāsaritsāgara (Title); Purāṇas (Literary category) ( ibc. sportively, easily, in sport, as a mere joke; also = लीलया (līlayā) ind. for mere diversion, feignedly) [ ID=182807 ]
- appearance, semblance, or air  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > लीला (līlā) [Printed book page 0930-b ] लीला (līlā) [ ली - क्विप् लियं लाति ला - क वा (lī-kvip liyaṃ lāti lā-ka vā) Tv. ] 4 Appearance, semblance, air, mien; यः संयति प्राप्तपिनाकिलीलः (yaḥ saṃyati prāptapinākilīlaḥ) Raghuvaṃśa (Bombay) 6. 72 ‘appearing like Pinākin’
- Pretence, disguise, or sham  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > लीला (līlā) [Printed book page 0930-b ] लीला (līlā) [ ली - क्विप् लियं लाति ला - क वा (lī-kvip liyaṃ lāti lā-ka vā) Tv. ] 6 Pretence, disguise, dissimulation, sham; as, लीला (līlā) मनुष्यः, लीला (līlā) नटः (līlāmanuṣyaḥ, līlānaṭaḥ) &c

### Grace or Charm (3 definitions)
- grace, charm, beauty, or elegance  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > [Printed book page 903,3] grace, charm, beauty, elegance, loveliness, Kālidāsa (Author); Kathāsaritsāgara (Title); Rājataraṃgiṇī (Title) [ ID=182808 ]
- Beauty, charm, grace  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > लीला (līlā) [Printed book page 0930-b ] लीला (līlā) [ ली - क्विप् लियं लाति ला - क वा (lī-kvip liyaṃ lāti lā-ka vā) Tv. ] 5 Beauty, charm, grace; मुहुरवलोकितमंडंनलीला (līlā) (muhuravalokitamaṃḍaṃnalīlā) Gītagovinda 6, Raghuvaṃśa (Bombay) 6. 1; 16. 71
- sportively handsome  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — अंचित (aṃcita) a. sportively handsome

### Ease or Facility (2 definitions)
- 1. Sport, play, or child's play. 2. Ease or facility in doing something.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > mere sport or play, child's play, ease or facility in doing anything, in the same place [Cologne Addition] (Title) [ ID=182806 ]
- Ease, facility, mere sport, child's play  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > लीला (līlā) [Printed book page 0930-b ] लीला (līlā) [ ली - क्विप् लियं लाति ला - क वा (lī-kvip liyaṃ lāti lā-ka vā) Tv. ] 3 Ease, facility, mere sport, child's play; लीलया जघान (līlayā jaghāna) ‘killed with ease’

### Proper Name (Yoginī, Svara śakti) (2 definitions)
- The name of a Yogini  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of a Yoginī, Hemacandra’s Pariśiṣṭaparvan (Title) [ ID=182811 ]
- a Svara shakti  
  *The Purana Index*
  > लीला (līlā) [Printed book page 3-122 ] Līlā — a Svara śakti. Br. IV. 44. 57. [ ID=11969 ]

### A Type of Metre (1 definition)
- a kind of metre  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a kind of metre (4 times ¯ ˘ ˘ ¯ ˘ ˘ ¯ ˘ ˘ ¯ ˘ ˘ ¯ ˘ ˘ ¯), Colebrooke (Author) [ ID=182810 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary; Macdonell 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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