# निर्वाण (nirvāṇa)

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

निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) is a Sanskrit word meaning extinguished or set, calmed, quieted, or tamed, dead, lost, or disappeared, immersed, plunged, immovable, extinction, cessation, vanishing, or disappearance. Its 41 recorded definitions are grouped into 13 contexts, among them Extinction, Cessation, or Disappearance, Spiritual Liberation and Supreme Bliss, Profound Calm, Repose, or Happiness.

- **Root:** कृ (kṛ)
- **SLP1:** `nirvARa`  **IAST:** nirvāṇa  **Devanagari:** निर्वाण
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/nirvana/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** निर्वाणा (nirvāṇā), निर्वण (nirvaṇa), निर्वन (nirvana), निर्व्वाण (nirvvāṇa), निर्व्वण (nirvvaṇa), निर्व्वन (nirvvana)

## Meanings by context

### Extinction, Cessation, or Disappearance (14 definitions)
- 1. Extinguished or set. 2. Calmed, quieted, or tamed. 3. Dead, lost, or disappeared.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3) [Printed book page 557,3] निर् - (nir-) ° (°) वाण (° (°)vāṇa) mfn. blown or put out, extinguished (as a lamp or fire), set (as the sun), calmed, quieted, tamed ( cf. अ - निर्व् (a-nirv) ° (°) ), dead, deceased ( lit. having the fire of life extinguished), lost, disappeared, Mahābhārata (Title); Kāvya literature (Literary category) &c. [ ID=109972 ]
- Extinction, cessation, vanishing, or disappearance  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > निर् - (nir-) ° वाण (°vāṇa) n. blowing out, extinction, cessation, setting, vanishing, disappearance ( ° णं -√ कृ (°ṇaṃ-√kṛ), to make away with anything i.e. not to keep one's promise) [ ID=109976 ]
- Extinguished, as a lamp or fire  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) [Printed book page 0635-b ] निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) p. p. 1 Blown or put out, extinguished (as a lamp or fire); निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) वैरदहनाः प्रशमादरीणां (nirvāṇavairadahanāḥ praśamādarīṇāṃ) Veṇīsaṃhāra 1. 7; Kumārasambhava (Bombay) 2. 23
- lost or disappeared  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) [Printed book page 0635-b ] निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) p. p. 2 Lost, disappeared
- Set, as the sun.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) [Printed book page 0635-b ] निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) p. p. 5 Set (as the sun)
- Extinction  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — णं (ṇaṃ) 1 Extinction; Hitopadeśa (Nirṇaya Sāgara Edition) 1. 131; शनैर्निर्वाणमाप्नोति निरिंधन इवानलः (śanairnirvāṇamāpnoti niriṃdhana ivānalaḥ) Mb
- vanishing from sight, disappearance  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — णं (ṇaṃ) 2 Vanishing from sight, disappearance
- cessation, desisting  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — णं (ṇaṃ) 8 Cessation, desisting
- 1. Extinguished, put out. 2. Lost, disappeared. 3. Dead, deceased. 4. Calmed, quieted. 5. Plunged.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) [Printed book page 388-29 ] निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) (I) a. (f. णा (ṇā) ) 1. Blown out, put out, extinguished (as a lamp), Ve. i.; 2. lost, disappeared, K.S. ii.23; 3. dead, deceased; 4. calmed, quited; 5. plunged. [ ID=19921 ]
- 1. Extinction. 2. Disappearance. 3. Death. 4. Final emancipation and spiritual liberation. 5. Perpetual calm. 6. Highest felicity. 7. Cessation. 8. Confluence. 9. The bathing of an elephant. 10. Instruction in sciences. 11. Absolute annihilation.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) (II) n. 1. Extinction, R. xii.1, Am.S. 98; 2. vanishing from sight, disappearance; 3. dissolution, death; 4. eternal bliss, final emancipation from matter and reunion with the supreme spirit, R. xii.1; 5. perpetual calm; 6. complete satisfaction, highest felicity; 7. cessation; 8. union, association, confluence; 9. the bathing of an elephant, अनिर्वाण (nirvāṇa) स्य दंतिनः (anirvāṇasya daṃtinaḥ) R. i.71; 10. instruction in sciences; 11. absolute annihilation, complete extinction of worldly existence (in Buddhistic works). [ ID=19922 ]
- 1. Becoming extinguished. 2. Final emancipation. 3. Union with God. 4. Complete satisfaction. 5. Pleasure.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) [Printed book page 0481-a ] निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) nirvāṇa, i. e. nis-vā + ana; n. 1. Becoming extinguished, MBh. 4, 716. 2. Final emancipation, MBh. 14, 543. 3. Union with God, Bhāg. P. 4, 6, 39. 4. Complete satisfaction, MBh. 3, 10438. 5. Pleasure, Mārk. P. 20, 13. [ ID=7628 ]
- 1. Blowing out, extinction, or disappearance. 2. Liberation, annihilation, or eternal bliss. 3. Joy or satisfaction.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) [Printed book page 276 ] 1 निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) n. blowing out, extinction, disappearance; liberation i.e. annihilation or eternal bliss ( (r.) ); joy, satisfaction i.g. [ ID=16814 ]
- extinguished, set, liberated, blessed  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > 2 निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) a. extinguished, set (sun), liberated, blessed. [ ID=16815 ]
- 1. Extinguished, put out, or blown out. 2. Lost or disappeared. 3. Liberated from existence, dead, or deceased. 4. Set, as a planet. 5. Calmed or quieted. 6. Immersed or plunged. 7. Extinction, disappearance, or vanishing. 8. Dissolution, final emancipation, eternal bliss, or union with the Supreme Spirit. 9. Absolute extinction of individual existence in Buddhism and Jainism. 10. Perfect and perpetual calm, repose, or satisfaction. 11. Cessation or stopping. 12. Vacuity or vacuum. 13. Union, blending, or confluence. 14. Bathing of an elephant. 15. Instructing in sciences.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) [Printed book page 0500-c ] 1. nir-vāṇa, as, ā, am (for 2. nir-vāṇa see p. 501, col. 1), blown out, gone out, put out, extinguished (as a fire); lost, disappeared; liberated from exist- ence (lit. having the fire of life extinguished); dead, deceased, defunct; set (as a planet); calmed, quieted, ( a-nirvāṇa, an elephant not yet tamed or one just caught and wild); immersed, plunged; ( am ), n. blowing out, extinguishing, extinction, (in this and some of the following senses nir-vāṇam is not the neut. of the pass. part. but formed fr. nir-vā with affix ana ), becoming extinguished, disappearance, setting, vanishing from sight, ( nirvāṇaṃ kṛ, to act as if nothing had happened, not to keep one's promise); extinction of the flame of life, dissolution, liberation, eternal bliss, final emancipation from matter and reunion with the deity, union with the Supreme Spirit; (with Buddhists and Jainas) absolute extinction or annihilation, complete extinction of individual existence; perfect and perpetual calm, repose; complete satisfaction or pleasure, highest felicity; desisting, leaving off, cessation; vacuity, vacuum; union, association, blending, confluence; of- fering oblations, (perhaps wrongly for 1. nir-vāpaṇa ); bathing of an elephant (because he draws in water with his trunk and then blows it out over his body); instructing in sciences; ‘Deliverance,’ N. of an Upa- niṣad; [cf. apa-n°, pari-n°. ] —Nirvāṇa-purāṇa, am, n. offering oblations to the dead. —Nirvāṇa- prakaraṇa, am, n., N. of the fourth chapter of the Vāsiṣṭha-rāmāyaṇa, commonly called Yoga- vāsiṣṭha. —Nirvāṇa-bhūyiṣṭha, as, ā, am, almost all vanished or departed. —Nirvāṇa-maṇḍapa, N. of a temple. —Nirvāṇa-mantra, am, n., N. of a mystical formula. —Nirvāṇa-mastaka, as, m. libe- ration, deliverance. —Nirvāṇa-ruci, ayas, m. pl. ‘delighting in final beatitude,’ N. of a class of Page0501-a+ 73 deities under the eleventh Manu; [cf. nirmāṇa-rati. ] —Nirvāṇa-lakṣaṇa, as, ā, am, having complete felicity as its characteristic mark. —Nirvāṇa-sūtra, am, n., N. of certain Buddhist Sūtras. [ ID=25562 ]

### Spiritual Liberation and Supreme Bliss (5 definitions)
- death, final emancipation, or dissolution  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > extinction of the flame of life, dissolution, death or final emancipation from matter and re-union with the Supreme Spirit, Mahābhārata (Title) &c. &c. [ ID=109977 ]
- Liberated from existence  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) [Printed book page 0635-b ] निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) p. p. 4 Liberated from existence
- liberation from matter, eternal bliss  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — णं (ṇaṃ) 4 Final liberation or emancipation from matter and reunion with the Supreme Spirit, eternal bliss, निर्वाणमपि मन्येऽहमंतरायं जयश्रियः (nirvāṇamapi manye'hamaṃtarāyaṃ jayaśriyaḥ) Kirātārjunīya 11. 69; Raghuvaṃśa (Bombay) 12. 1
- final emancipation  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) [Printed book page 519-1 ] *nirvāṇa (“final emancipation”): III, 1185, 10439(?), 13502 ( padaṃ ), 15487 ( siddhim parāṃ n°lakṣaṇāṃ ); VI, 950 ( brahman° ), 1059 ( brahman° ), 1060 ( brahman° ), 1061 (do.), 1079 ( śāntiṃ n°paramāṃ ); XII, 631, 783, †6258 ( °parāḥ ), 6966, 7130 ( °gatamānasāḥ ), 7150, 13014 ( paramaṃ sukhaṃ ), 13239 ( paramaṃ Brahma ); XIII, 1051 ( °da ); XIV, 543. [ ID=7718 ]
- moksha  
  *The Purana Index*
  > निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) [Printed book page 2-248 ] Nirvāṇa — is mokṣa; 1 gained by doing the vibhūtīdvā- daśivrata on the Ganges; 2 Prahlāda blessed with Nirvāṇa; 3 of Śatānīka; 4 Mucukunda's request to Kṛṣṇa for Nirvāṇa. 5 Page2-249+ 28 [ Footnote: 1) Bhā. III. 25. 28-29; VI. 4. 28; IX. 7. 27; Br. III. 56. 10. Vi. I. 20. 28 and 34; II. 8. 119; III. 18. 17; 8. 6.] [ Footnote: 2) M. 100. 33.] [ Footnote: 3) Vi. I. 19. 46.] [ Footnote: 4) Ib. IV. 21. 4.] [ Footnote: 5) Ib. V. 23. 47; VI. 7. 21. 2.] [ ID=7226 ]

### Profound Calm, Repose, or Happiness (4 definitions)
- perfect calm, happiness, or highest bliss  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > perfect calm or repose or happiness, highest bliss or beatitude, Mahābhārata (Title); Kāvya literature (Literary category) &c. [ ID=109979 ]
- Calmed, quieted  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) [Printed book page 0635-b ] निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) p. p. 6 Calmed, quieted
- Perfect and perpetual calm and repose  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — णं (ṇaṃ) 6 Perfect and perpetual calm, repose; Kirātārjunīya 18. 39
- Complete satisfaction or supreme bliss  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — णं (ṇaṃ) 7 Complete satisfaction or pleasure, supreme bliss, highest felicity; अये लब्धं नेत्रनिर्वाणं (ṇaṃ) (aye labdhaṃ netranirvāṇaṃ) Śakuntalā (Bombay) 3; Mālavikāgnimitra (Bombay) 3. 1; Śiśupālavadha 4. 23; Vikramorvaśīyam (Bombay) 3. 21

### Physical State (Immersed, Immovable) (3 definitions)
- immersed, plunged  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > immersed, plunged, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=109973 ]
- immovable  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > immovable, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=109974 ]
- Plunged  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) [Printed book page 0635-b ] निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) p. p. 7 Plunged

### Related to Elephants (3 definitions)
- bathing of an elephant  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > bathing of an elephant, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=109982 ]
- the post to which an elephant is tied  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the post to which an elephant is tied, Demetrius Galanos’s Lexiko: sanskritikes, anglikes, hellenikes (Title) [ ID=109983 ]
- The bathing of an elephant  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — णं (ṇaṃ) 11 The bathing of an elephant; as in अनिर्वाण (anirvāṇa) at Raghuvaṃśa (Bombay) 1. 71

### Annihilation of Self/Existence (Buddhist/Jaina) (2 definitions)
- absolute extinction or annihilation of individual existence or all desires and passions  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (with Buddhists and Jainas) absolute extinction or annihilation (= शून्य (śūnya), Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) ) of individual existence or of all desires and passions, Monier-Williams’ Buddhism in its connexion with Brāhmaṇism and Hindūism: and in its contrast with Christianity (Title) 137 - 139 &c. [ ID=109978 ]
- Absolute extinction of individual or worldly existence  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — णं (ṇaṃ) 5 (With Buddhists) Absolute extinction or annihilation, complete extinction of individual or worldly existence

### Death or End of Life (2 definitions)
- Dead, deceased  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) [Printed book page 0635-b ] निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) p. p. 3 Dead, deceased
- Dissolution, death  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — णं (ṇaṃ) 3 Dissolution, death

### Instruction in Sciences (2 definitions)
- instructing in sciences  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > instructing in sciences, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=109981 ]
- Instruction in sciences  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — णं (ṇaṃ) 12 Instruction in sciences

### Proper Noun (Text or Deity) (2 definitions)
- Name of an Upanishad  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of an Upaniṣad [ ID=109980 ]
- 1. Shiva. 2. Vishnu.  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > Nirvāṇa(ṃ) = Śiva (1000 names 2 ).—Do. 2 = Viṣṇu (1000 names). [ ID=7719 ]

### Having No Arrows (1 definition)
- having no arrows  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > [Printed book page 0501-a ] निर्वाण (nirvāṇa) 2. nir-vāṇa, as, ā, am (for 1. see under nir-vā, p. 500, col. 3), having no arrows. [ ID=25575 ]

### Offering Oblations (1 definition)
- offering oblations  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > offering oblations (for 1. निर् - वापण (nir-vāpaṇa) ?), Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=109984 ]

### Union or Association (General) (1 definition)
- Union, association, confluence  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — णं (ṇaṃ) 10 Union, association, confluence

### Vacuity or Emptiness (1 definition)
- Vacuity  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — णं (ṇaṃ) 9 Vacuity

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872); Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); The Purana Index; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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