# विहार (vihāra)

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

विहार (vihāra) is a Sanskrit word meaning distribution or transposition, excessive lengthening or drawling in pronunciation, walking for pleasure, wandering, or roaming, sport, play, pleasure, or enjoyment, a place of recreation or pleasure-ground, a Buddhist or Jain monastery or temple. Its 21 recorded definitions are grouped into 13 contexts, among them Walking or Roaming for Pleasure, Arrangement or Transposition, Taking Away or Removing.

- **Etymology:** E. वि before हृ to take, aff. घञ्; also वीहार । — E. vi before hṛ to take, aff. ghañ; also vīhāra
- **SLP1:** `vihAra`  **IAST:** vihāra  **Devanagari:** विहार
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vih%C4%81ra
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/vihara/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** वैहार (vaihāra), वीहार (vīhāra), विहर (vihara)

## Meanings by context

### Walking or Roaming for Pleasure (7 definitions)
- walking for pleasure, wandering, or roaming  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > walking for pleasure or amusement, wandering, roaming, MBh.; Kāv. &c. [ ID=203236 ]
- 1. Distribution or transposition. 2. The arrangement of the three sacred fires or the space between them. 3. Walking about or promenading. 4. Diversion, enjoyment, or pleasure. 5. A place of recreation. 6. A Buddhist or Jain monastery. 7. The country of Behar.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > विहार (vihāra) [Printed book page 293-1 ] विहार (vihāra) vi-hāra, m. n. distribution, transposition ( of words, Br., S., rare ); (disposition of) the three sacred fires or or the space between them ( S. ); sauntering about, promenading; diversion, enjoyment, pleasure, with or in ( —°; ord. mg. ); place of recreation; ( Buddhaʼs pleasure ground), Buddhistic ( or Jain) monastery or temple; N. of a country, Page293-2 Behar; —° a. delighting in: -ka, a. ( i-kā ) delighting in ( —° ); serving for the diversion of ( —° ); -gṛha, n. play-house; -dāsī, f. convent attendant; -deśa, m. place of recreation; -bhadra, m. N.; -bhūmi, f. place of recreation; -vat, a. possessing a place of recreation; delighting in ( —° ); -vana, n. pleasure grove; -vāri, f. water for sport; -śaila, m. pleasure mountain; -sthalī, f. place of amusement; -avasatha, m. pleasure house. [ ID=16871 ]
- 1. Walking for pleasure or amusement. 2. Wandering or going about. 3. A Buddhist or Jaina convent. 4. Play, sport, or pastime. 5. The shoulder. 6. A sort of bird.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > वि (vi) हार (vihāra) [Printed book page 796 ] वि (vi) हार (vihāra) m. ( - रः (-raḥ) ) 1 Walking for pleasure or amusement. 2 Wandering, roaming, going about. 3 A Bauddha or Jaina convent. 4 Play, sport, pastime. 5 The shoulder. 6 A sort of bird. E. वि (vi) before हृ (hṛ) to take, aff. घञ् (ghañ); also वीहार (vīhāra). [ ID=36271 ]
- 1. Walking for pleasure or amusement. 2. A theatre. 3. A Jaina temple. 4. Sport. 5. A shoulder. 6. A sort of bird.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > विहार (vihāra) [Printed book page 714-b ] वि - हार (vi-hāra) ( रः ) ((raḥ)) 1. m. Walking for pleasure or amusement; theatre; Jaina temple; sport; shoulder; sort of bird. [ ID=35883 ]
- 1. Walking for pleasure or amusement. 2. Wandering or roaming about. 3. A Buddhist or Jaina convent. 4. A temple. 5. Removing. 6. Play or sport. 7. A pleasure-ground. 8. A palace. 9. The shoulder. 10. A sort of bird.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > वि (vi) हार (vihāra) [Printed book page 680-a ] वि (vi) हार (vihāra) m. ( - रः (-raḥ) ) 1. Walking for pleasure or amusement. 2. Wandering, roaming, going about. 3. A Bauddha or Jaina convent. 4. A temple. 5. Taking away, removing. 6. Play, sport, pastime. 7. A pleasure-ground. 8. A palace. 9. The shoulder. 10. A sort of bird. E. वि (vi) before हृ (hṛ) to take, aff. घञ्; (ghañ;) also वीहार । (vīhāra.) [ ID=37965 ]
- 1. Wandering, walking for pleasure, or sporting. 2. Relaxation. 3. A Buddhist or Jain convent. 4. A temple. 5. A palace. 6. The shoulder. 7. A sort of bird.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > विहार (vihāra) [Printed book page 0883-a ] विहार (vihāra) vihāra, i. e. vi-hṛ + a, m. 1. Wandering, going about, walking for pleasure, Rām. 3, 51, 20; Vedāntas. in Chr. 219, 1. 2. Sporting, Hit. 83, 4, M.M.; pleasure, Daśak. in Chr. 182, 9; relaxation, Rām. 3, 49, 39. 3. A Baud- dha or Jaina convent, Pañc. 236, 8. 4. A temple, Hit. 19, 10 ( cf. vīhāra ). 5. A palace, Mālat. 8, 4. 6. The shoulder. 7. A sort of bird. — Comp. Jayendra-, i. e. jaya-indra-, m. a con- vent built by Jayendra, a king of Cashmere, Rājat. 5, 427. Nis-, adj. deprived of pleasure, Hariv. 11150. Hiṃsā-, m. roaming with the inten- tion to do mischief, Rām. 3, 51, 20. [ ID=13804 ]
- 1. Distribution or arrangement, especially of the sacred fires. 2. Expansion, especially of the organs of speech. 3. Recreation, amusement, sport, or delight. 4. Walking for pleasure or roaming about. 5. A place of recreation, pleasure-garden, or grove. 6. A Buddhist or Jain temple or convent.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > विहार (vihāra) [Printed book page 514 ] विहार (vihāra) m. ( n. ) distribution, arrangement, esp. of the sacred fires, & these themselves; expansion, esp. of the organs of speech; relaxation, recreation, amusement, sport, pastime, delight in (—°, also adj. ); walking for pleasure, roaming about; place of recreation, pleasure-garden, grove; a Buddhist or Jaina temple or convent (also ° रिका (°rikā) f. ). [ ID=30591 ]

### Arrangement or Transposition (2 definitions)
- distribution or transposition  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 1003,3] वि - हार (vi-hāra) m. (once in BhP. n. ) distribution, transposition (of words), AitBr.; Lāṭy. [ ID=203233 ]
- arrangement or disposition of the three sacred fires, or the space between them  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > arrangement or disposition (of the 3 sacred fires; also applied to the fires themselves or the space between them), ŚrS. [ ID=203234 ]

### Taking Away or Removing (2 definitions)
- 1. Removing. 2. Walking for pleasure. 3. Sport, play, or recreation. 4. A pleasure-garden. 5. A palace. 6. The shoulder. 7. A temple. 8. A Buddhist or Jaina convent.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > विहार (vihāra) [Printed book page 683-32 ] विहार (vihāra) m. 1. Taking away, removing; 2. walking for pleasure, taking a walk; 3. sport, play, pastime, pleasure, recreation, R. ix.68, xiii.38, xvi.67; 4. a pleasure-garden, a pleasure-ground, R. v.41; 5. a palace; 6. the shoulder; 7. a temple; 8. a Buddhist or Jaina convent. [ ID=35888 ]
- 1. Removing or taking away. 2. Expansion or opening. 3. Walking for pleasure, wandering, or roaming. 4. Sport, play, recreation, or pastime. 5. A pleasure garden. 6. A Buddhist or Jaina temple or convent. 7. A palace. 8. The shoulder.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > Vi-hāra, as, m. taking away, removing; expan- sion, opening; too great expansion of the organs of speech (consisting in too great lengthening or drawl- ing in pronunciation; opposed to saṃ-hāra; cf. vy-āsa ); walking for pleasure or amusement, taking an airing, wandering, roaming, gadding, going about; sporting, play, sport, recreation, pastime, pleasure, relaxation; a pleasure-garden, garden; a Buddhist or Jaina temple or convent (originally the hall where Page0953-a+ 77 the Buddhist priests met or walked about; afterwards these halls were used as temples, and sometimes be- came the centre of a whole monastic establishment); a temple; the palace of Indra or a banner ( = vai- jayanta? ); a palace; N. of a district; the shoulder; a sort of bird, = vindu-rekhaka; (in Vedic ritual) a term for varying a verse (by taking it to pieces, joining to each of its Pādas a Pāda taken from another verse, and reciting both parts in such a way as if they formed only one verse; cf. vy-atimarśa ). —Vihāra-gṛha, am, n. a pleasure-house, play- house, theatre. —Vihāra-bhūmi, is, f. ground or place for roaming about, grazing ground, pasturage. —Vihāra-vat, ān, atī, at, taking pleasure or relax- ation, enjoying one's self. [ ID=44555 ]

### A Type of Bird (1 definition)
- a particular bird  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a partic. bird (= बिन्दुरेकक (bindurekaka) ), L. [ ID=203243 ]

### Buddhist/Jaina Monastery or Temple (1 definition)
- a Buddhist or Jain monastery or temple  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (with Buddhists or Jainas) a monastery or temple (originally a hall where the monks met or walked about; afterwards these halls were used as temples), Lalit.; Mṛcch.; Kathās. &c. ( cf. Monier-Williams’ Buddhism in its connexion with Brāhmaṇism and Hindūism: and in its contrast with Christianity (Title) 68; 81 &c.) [ ID=203239 ]

### Expansion (Speech Organs/Opening) (1 definition)
- excessive lengthening or drawling in pronunciation  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > too great expansion of the organs of speech (consisting in too great lengthening or drawling in pronunciation, opp. to सं - हार (saṃ-hāra), q.v. ), RPrāt. [ ID=203235 ]

### Geographical Region Name (1 definition)
- The region of Magadha  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of the country of Magadha (called Bihār or Behār from the number of Buddhist monasteries See Monier-Williams’ Buddhism in its connexion with Brāhmaṇism and Hindūism: and in its contrast with Christianity (Title) 68 ), Cat. [ ID=203241 ]

### Meaning 'Vaijayanta' (1 definition)
- vaijayanta  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > = वैजयन्त (vaijayanta), L. [ ID=203244 ]

### Place of Recreation (1 definition)
- a place of recreation or pleasure-ground  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a place of recreation, pleasure-ground, MBh.; Kāv. &c. [ ID=203238 ]

### Referential/Etymological Note (1 definition)
- See vihri  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > विहार (vihāra) [Printed book page 0952-c ] विहार (vihāra) vi-hāra, &c. See vi-hṛ below. [ ID=44537 ]

### Ritual Consecration (1 definition)
- consecration for a sacrifice  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > consecration for a sacrifice, Āpast. [ ID=203240 ]

### Sport, Play, or Enjoyment (1 definition)
- sport, play, pleasure, or enjoyment  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > sport, play, pastime, diversion, enjoyment, pleasure (‘in’ or ‘with’ comp.; ifc. also = taking delight in), Yājñ.; MBh.; R. &c. [ ID=203237 ]

### The Shoulder (1 definition)
- the shoulder  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the shoulder, L. [ ID=203242 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872); Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; 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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