# विभीषण (vibhīṣaṇa)

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

विभीषण (vibhīṣaṇa) is a Sanskrit word meaning terrifying, fearful, horrible, bullying or blustering, miscarriage, abortion, amphidonax Karka, a brother of Ravana, two kings of Kashmir. Its 21 recorded definitions are grouped into 6 contexts, among them Other Named Individuals/Entities, Polysemous Entries (Adjective, Noun, Proper Noun), Miscellaneous Denotations (Plant, Muhūrta, Condition).

- **Etymology:** E. वि, भी to fear, युच् aff. षुक् augment — E. vi, bhī to fear, yuc aff. ṣuk augment
- **SLP1:** `viBIzaRa`  **IAST:** vibhīṣaṇa  **Devanagari:** विभीषण
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibhishana
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/vibhishana/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** विभीषणा (vibhīṣaṇā)

## Meanings by context

### Other Named Individuals/Entities (6 definitions)
- 1. Two kings of Kashmir. 2. A general name for the kings of Lanka.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of two kings of Kaśmīra (the sons of Go-narda and Rāvaṇa), Rājataraṃgiṇī (Title) i, 192 &c. (in later times V° appears to have been used as a general N. of the kings of Laṅkā) [ ID=198377 ]
- an author  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of an author, Cat. [ ID=198378 ]
- the name of a matri attending on Skanda  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2B) [Printed book page 978,2] वि - भीषणा (vi-bhīṣaṇā) f. N. of one of the Mātṛs attending on Skanda, MBh. [ ID=198379 ]
- a Yaksha  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > विभीषण (vibhīṣaṇa) [Printed book page 726-1 ] Vibhīṣaṇa 1, a Yakṣa. § 269 (Vaiśravaṇasabhāv.): II, 10, 398 (in the palace of Kubera). [ ID=11833 ]
- an epithet of Shiva  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > Vibhīṣaṇa 3 = Śiva (1000 names 1 ). [ ID=11835 ]
- one of Bhanda's eight councillors  
  *The Purana Index*
  > विभीषण (vibhīṣaṇa) [Printed book page 3-247 ] Vibhīṣaṇa (I) — one of Bhaṇḍa's eight councillors. Br. IV. 12. 12. [ ID=12991 ]

### Polysemous Entries (Adjective, Noun, Proper Noun) (6 definitions)
- 1. Fearful, formidable, or terrific. 2. The property of exciting fear. 3. The brother of Ravana.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > वि (vi) भी (bhī) षण (vibhīṣaṇa) [Printed book page 777 ] वि (vi) भी (bhī) षण (vibhīṣaṇa) mfn. ( - णः (-ṇaḥ)- णा - णं (-ṇaḥ-ṇā-ṇaṃ) ) Fearful, formidable, terrific, horrible. nf. ( - णं - णा (-ṇaṃ-ṇā) ) The property of exciting fear. m. ( - णः (-ṇaḥ) ) The brother of RĀVAṆA. E. वि (vi) before भी (bhī) to fear, युच् (yuc) aff., and षुक (ṣuka) augment. [ ID=35494 ]
- 1. The property of exciting fear. 2. Ravana's brother. 3. Fearful or terrific.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > विभीषण (vibhīṣaṇa) [Printed book page 697-b ] वि - भीषण (vi-bhīṣaṇa) ( णः - णा - णं ) ((ṇaḥ-ṇā-ṇaṃ)) 1. n. f. The property of exciting fear. m. Rāva- na's brother. a. Fearful, terrific. [ ID=35088 ]
- 1. Fearful, terrific, or horrible. 2. The property of exciting fear. 3. The brother of Ravana.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > विभीषण (vibhīṣaṇa) [Printed book page 665-a ] विभीषण (vibhīṣaṇa) mfn. ( - णः (-ṇaḥ)- णा - णं (-ṇaḥ-ṇā-ṇaṃ) ) Fearful, formidable, terrific, horrible. nf. ( - णं - णा (-ṇaṃ-ṇā) ) The property of exciting fear. m. ( - णः (-ṇaḥ) ) The brother of RĀVANA. E. वि, भी (vi, bhī) to fear, युच् (yuc) aff. षुक् (ṣuk) augment. [ ID=37135 ]
- 1. Terrific or horrible. 2. The brother of Ravana. 3. The property of exciting fear or a means of terrifying.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > विभीषण (vibhīṣaṇa) [Printed book page 0863-b ] विभीषण (vibhīṣaṇa) vibhīṣaṇa, i. e. vi-bhī, Caus., + ana, I. adj. Terrific, horrible, Hiḍ. 2, 4. II. m. The brother of Rāvaṇa. III. f. ṇā, and n. The property of exciting fear, terrifying, a means of terrifying, Draup. 5, 10 ( n. ). — Comp. Su-, adj. very terrible, Rām. 3, 55, 25. [ ID=13473 ]
- 1. Terrifying and horrible. 2. The proper name of a Rakshasa. 3. Frightening and causing terror.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > विभीषण (vibhīṣaṇa) [Printed book page 501 ] विभीषण (vibhīṣaṇa) a. terrifying, horrible. m. N. of a Rākṣasa etc.; n. frightening, terror. [ ID=29840 ]
- 1. Terrifying or terrible. 2. The act of terrifying or causing fear. 3. A brother of Ravana.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > विभीषण (vibhīṣaṇa) [Printed book page 0931-a ] Vi-bhīṣaṇa, as, ā or ī, am, terrifying, intimi- dating, terrific, fearful, terrible, formidable, horrible; bullying or blustering (as language); ( am, ā ), n. f. the act of terrifying, the property of exciting fear, a means of terrifying, terror; ( as ), m., N. of a brother of Rāvaṇa, (his other brothers were Kuvera [by a different mother] and Kumbha-karṇa; both Rāvaṇa and Vibhīṣaṇa are said to have propitiated Brahmā by their penances, so that the god granted them both boons, and the boon chosen by Vibhīṣaṇa was that he should never, even in the greatest cala- mity, stoop to any mean or wicked action; hence he is represented in the Rāmāyaṇa as opposing and endeavouring to counteract the malice of his brother Rāvaṇa, in consequence of which he was so ill- treated and insulted by Rāvaṇa that, leaving Laṅkā, he joined the side of Rāma, by whom, after the death of Rāvaṇa, Vibhīṣaṇa was placed on the throne of Laṅkā); N. of several kings, (in later times Vibhīṣaṇa appears to have been used as a general name of the kings of Laṅkā.) —Vibhīṣaṇa- vākya, am, n. ‘speech of Vibhīṣaṇa,’ N. of several chapters in the Sundara-kāṇḍa of the Rāmāyaṇa. —Vibhīṣaṇābhiṣeka (°ṇa-abh°), as, m. ‘inau- guration of Vibhīṣaṇa,’ N. of the ninety-first chapter of the Sundara-kāṇḍa of the Rāmāyaṇa (according to one recension). [ ID=43463 ]

### Miscellaneous Denotations (Plant, Muhūrta, Condition) (3 definitions)
- miscarriage, abortion  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > वि - भीषण (vi-bhīṣaṇa) m. miscarriage, abortion, MBh. [ ID=198374 ]
- Amphidonax Karka  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > Amphidonax Karka, L. [ ID=198375 ]
- the eleventh Muhurta  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of the 11th Muhūrta, Cat. [ ID=198381 ]

### Vibhīṣaṇa, brother of Rāvaṇa (3 definitions)
- a brother of Ravana  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of a brother of Rāvaṇa (his other brothers were Kubera [by a different mother] and Kumbha-karṇa; both Rāvaṇa and Vibhīṣaṇa are said to have propitiated Brahmā by their penances, so that the god granted them both boons, and the boon chosen by V° was that he should never, even in the greatest calamity, stoop to any mean action; hence he is represented in the Rāmāyaṇa as endeavouring to counteract the malice of his brother Rāvaṇa, in consequence of which he was so ill-treated by him that, leaving Laṅkā, he joined Rāma, by whom, after the death of Rāvaṇa, V° was placed on the throne of Laṅkā), MBh.; Hariv.; R. &c. [ ID=198376 ]
- a demon prince, brother of Kubera and Ravana  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > Vibhīṣaṇa 2, a Rākṣasa prince, brother of Kubera and Rāvaṇa. § 269 (Vaiśravaṇasabhāv.): II, 10, 411 (in the palace of Kubera— bhrātaraṃ ).—§ 284 (Sahadeva): II, 31, 1177 ( Paulastyāya, ruled Laṅkā, paid tribute to Sahadeva).— § 425 (Hanūmad-Bhīmasaṃv.): III, 148, 11213 ( Rākṣa- sendraṃ, installed as king of Laṅkā after Rāvaṇa had been killed, cf. § 543).—§ 526 (Rāmopākhyānap.): III, 275, 15896 (son of Viśravas and Mālinī), 15897 (surpassed all in beauty and was very pious), (β), 15905 (performed austerities subsisting only on dry leaves for 1000 years), (γ), 15917, (15918) (asked Brahmán for swerveless righteousness and the knowledge of the Brahmāstra; this was granted, and Brahmán himself added immortality), 15924.—§ 532 (Sītā- sāntvana): III, 280, 16158 (seen in a vision by Trijaṭā).— § 535 (Setubandhana): III, 283, 16314 ( bhrātā Rākṣa- sendrasya, came to Rāma Dāśarathi), 16317 (Rāma installed V. in the sovereignty of the Rākṣasas and made him his counsellor and the friend of Lakṣmaṇa), 16318, 16320.— § 536 (Laṅkāpraveśa): III, 284, 16346.—§ 537 (Rāma- Rāvaṇayuddha): III, 285, 16366, (β), 16377 (fought with Prahasta).—§ 538 (Kumbhakarṇaraṇag.): III, 286, 16379, 16381 (slew Prahasta).—§ 541 (Indrajidvadha): III, 289, 16469, 16472, 16478, 16480 ( °mate ).—§ 542 (Rāvaṇavadhap.): III, 290, 16513, 16514.—§ 543 (Rāmābhiṣeka): III, 291, 16535 (Rāma gave Laṅkā to V.), 16536, 16582, 16587, 16598 ( Paulastyaṃ ). Cf. Paulastya. [ ID=11834 ]
- A son of Vishravas and Kaikashi, brother of Ravana, friend and ally of Rama, and king of Lanka.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Vibhīṣaṇa (II) — a son of Viśravas and Kaikaśī, and a friend of Rāma. On the advice of Rāma, performed funeral rites to his kith and kin, according to established conventions. Was made king of Lankā by Rāma. Held the cāmara when Bharata carried pādukā of Rāma; 1 knew the yoga power of Hari and attained salvation by satsanga; of superior bhakti; 2 a brother of Rāvaṇa; 3 was present at Rāma's abhiṣeka. 4 [ Footnote: 1) Bhā. IV. 1. 37; IX. 10. 16, 29 and 43.] [ Footnote: 2) Ib. II. 7. 45; XI. 12. 5; Br. III. 34. 39.] [ Footnote: 3) Ib. III. 8. 47.] [ Footnote: 4) Vi. IV. 4. 99.] [ ID=12992 ]

### Noun: Act/Property of Terrifying (2 definitions)
- bullying or blustering  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > bullying or blustering (as language), MW. [ ID=198373 ]
- the act of terrifying, terror, or intimidation  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > वि - भीषण (vi-bhīṣaṇa) n. the act or a means of terrifying, terror, intimidation, MBh. [ ID=198380 ]

### Adjective: Terrifying / Fearful (1 definition)
- terrifying, fearful, horrible  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 978,2] वि - भीषण (vi-bhīṣaṇa) mf( आ (ā) )n. terrifying, fearful, horrible, RV. &c. &c. [ ID=198372 ]

## Sources

Definitions from 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); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Purana Index; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

The Sanskrit Lexicon app for iPhone, iPad and Mac: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sanskrit-lexicon-dictionary/id6746787546