# विकल्प (vikalpa)

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

विकल्प (vikalpa) is a Sanskrit word meaning an intermediate Kalpa, the interval between two Kalpas, alternation, alternative, or option, variety and diversity, contrivance or art, difference of perception, indecision, doubt, or hesitation. Its 28 recorded definitions are grouped into 17 contexts, among them Multiple Core Senses (General Dictionaries), Option or Alternative, Lexicographical Note.

- **Root:** कॢप् (kḷp)
- **SLP1:** `vikalpa`  **IAST:** vikalpa  **Devanagari:** विकल्प
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vikalpa
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/vikalpa/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Multiple Core Senses (General Dictionaries) (8 definitions)
- 1. Alternative or option. 2. Combination or contrivance. 3. Variety. 4. Distinction. 5. Indecision, hesitation, or doubt. 6. False notion or fancy.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > विकल्प (vikalpa) [Printed book page 279-3 ] विकल्प (vikalpa) vi-kalpa, m. alternative, option; combination, contrivance; variety; distinction ( rare ); indecision, hesitation, doubt; false notion, fancy: in. optionally: -jāla, n. number of possible cases; -kalpana, n., ā, f. allowing an option; distinction; false notion or assumption; -kalpanīya, fp. to be ascertained; -kalpayitavya, fp. to be put as an alternative; -kalpa-vat, a. undecided, doubtful; -kalpa‿an-upapatti, f. untenableness owing to a dilemma; -kalpa‿asaha, a. not standing the test of a dilemma: -tva, n. untenableness owing to a dilemma; -kalpitatva, n. optionalness; -kalpin, a. ( hair ) liable to be mistaken for ( black Aśoka flowers, —° ); -kalpya, fp. to be distributed; — calculated; — chosen according to circumstances. [ ID=16444 ]
- 1. Error or mistake. 2. Alternative or option. 3. Doubt or indecision. 4. Antithesis of opposites. 5. Admission of more than one form or rule.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > वि (vi) कल्प (kalpa) (vikalpa) [Printed book page 759 ] वि (vi) कल्प (kalpa) (vikalpa) m. ( - ल्पः (-lpaḥ) ) 1 Error, ignorance, mistake. 2 Alternative, option. 3 Doubt, indecision. 4 (In rhetoric,) Antithesis of opposites. 5 (In grammar, &c.,) Admission of more than one form or rule. E. वि (vi) distinction, and कल्प (kalpa) making, &c. [ ID=34703 ]
- 1. Error or ignorance. 2. An alternative. 3. Doubt.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > विकल्प (vikalpa) [Printed book page 680-b ] वि - कल्प (vi-kalpa) ( ल्पः ) ((lpaḥ)) 1. m. Error, ignorance; alternative; doubt. [ ID=34300 ]
- 1. Option or alternative 2. Doubt, uncertainty, or hesitation 3. Error or mistake 4. Sort or variety 5. Device  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > विकल्प (vikalpa) [Printed book page 658-01 ] विकल्प (vikalpa) m. 1. Option, alternative; 2. doubt, uncertainty, hesitation, तत्सिषेवे नियोगेन स विकल्प (vikalpa) पराङ्मुखः (tatsiṣeve niyogena sa vikalpaparāṅmukhaḥ) R. xvii.49; 3. error, mistake; 4. sort, variety; 5. device, R. xiii.75. [ ID=34645 ]
- 1. Error, ignorance, or mistake. 2. Alternative or option. 3. Doubt or indecision. 4. Antithesis of opposites in rhetoric. 5. Admission of more than one form or rule in grammar. 6. Device.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > वि (vi) कल्प (kalpa) (vikalpa) [Printed book page 650-a ] वि (vi) कल्प (kalpa) (vikalpa) m. ( - ल्पः (-lpaḥ) ) 1. Error, ignorance, mistake. 2. Alternative, option. 3. Doubt, indecision. 4. (In rhetoric,) Antithesis of opposites. 5. (In grammar, &c.,) Admission of more than one form or rule. 6. Device. E. वि (vi) distinction, and कल्प (kalpa) making, &c. [ ID=36292 ]
- 1. Option, alternative, or distinction. 2. Alternation. 3. Doubt, indecision, or hesitation. 4. Error or mistake. 5. Ignorance.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > विकल्प (vikalpa) [Printed book page 0844-b ] विकल्प (vikalpa) vikalpa, i. e. vi-kḷp + a, m. 1. Option, Daśak. in. Chr. 181, 20 ( -upahāra-karman, Optional offerings, not prescribed); alternative, distinc- Page0845-a+ 44 tion, Vedāntas. in Chr. 217, 2. 2. Al- ternation, Mālav. d. 29. 3. Doubt, Pañc. i. d. 411; indecision, ib. 71, 20; hesitation, Ragh. 17, 49. 4. Error, mistake. 5. Igno- rance. — Comp. A-vikalpa, adj. not tarry- ing, Pañc. 88, 6; °pam, adv. 1. in an undoubted (legal?) manner, Pañc. 45, 4. 2. without indecision, i. e. without any delay, Pañc. i. d. 59. Daṇḍa-, m. a discretionary punishment, Man. 9, 228. Nis-, adj. allowing no alternative, Bhāṣāp. 57. °pam, adv. without hesitation, Pañc. i. d. 59. Sa-, adj. admitting of an alternative, distinguishing, Vedāntas. in Chr. 217, 1. [ ID=13163 ]
- 1. An alternative or choice between two or more things. 2. Difference or variety. 3. Supposition or false conception. 4. Uncertainty or doubt.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > विकल्प (vikalpa) [Printed book page 489 ] विकल्प (vikalpa) m. alternative, choice between two or more; difference, variety; supposition, (false) conception; uncertainty, doubt. [ ID=29112 ]
- 1. Alternation, option, or alternative. 2. Distinction. 3. Uncertainty, doubt, or hesitation. 4. Error or mistake. 5. Antithesis of opposites in rhetoric. 6. An optional rule in grammar.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > [Printed book page 0910-c ] Vi-kalpa, as, m. alternation, alternative, option; distinction; uncertainty, ambiguity; indecision, doubt, hesitation; error, mistake, ignorance; (in rhetoric) antithesis of opposites; (in grammar) admission of an option or alternative, the allowing a rule to be observed or not at pleasure; ( ās ), m. pl., N. of a people, (also read vikalya. ) —Vikalpa-jāla, a snare- like dilemma from which there is no escape. —Vikal- popahāra (°pa-up°), as, m. an optional offering. [ ID=42236 ]

### Option or Alternative (3 definitions)
- alternation, alternative, or option  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 955,2] 2. वि - कल्प (vi-kalpa) m. (for 1. See p. 950, col. 1) alternation, alternative, option, ŚrS.; Mn.; VarBṛS. &c. ( ° पेन (°pena) ind. ‘optionally’) [ ID=194108 ]
- admission of an option or alternative  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (in gram. ) admission of an option or alternative, the allowing a rule to be observed or not at pleasure ( वे (ve) ति विकल्पः (ti vikalpaḥ), Pāṇini (Author) i, 1, 44, Sch. ) [ ID=194120 ]
- optionally  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2C) [Printed book page 955,2] वि - कल्पेन (vi-kalpena) ind., ‘optionally’ [ ID=194123.1 ]

### Lexicographical Note (2 definitions)
- See under vi-kḷp  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 954,1] वि - (vi-) कल्प (vi-kalpa) a &c. See under वि - (vi-) √ कॢप् (√kḷp). [ ID=193870 ]
- See under vi-klp.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > विकल्प (vikalpa) [Printed book page 0909-b ] विकल्प (vikalpa) vi-kalpa, &c. See under vi-kḷp. [ ID=42161 ]

### Variety, Diversity, or Combination (2 definitions)
- variety and diversity  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > variation, combination, variety, diversity, manifoldness, KātyŚr.; MBh. &c. [ ID=194109 ]
- a collateral form  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a collateral form, VarBṛS. [ ID=194121 ]

### A God or Deity (1 definition)
- a god  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a god, BhP. ( Sch. ) [ ID=194118 ]

### Adjective: Different (1 definition)
- different  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > वि - कल्प (vi-kalpa) mfn. different, BhP. [ ID=194123 ]

### Admission or Statement (1 definition)
- admission, statement  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > admission, statement, BhP. [ ID=194113 ]

### Calculation (1 definition)
- calculation  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > calculation, VarBṛS. [ ID=194115 ]

### Contrivance, Art, or Device (1 definition)
- contrivance or art  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > contrivance, art, Ragh. [ ID=194110 ]

### Cosmological Term: Intermediate Kalpa (1 definition)
- an intermediate Kalpa, the interval between two Kalpas  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3) [Printed book page 950,1] 1. वि (vi) — कल्प (—kalpa) m. (for 2. See under वि (vi)- (vi-) √ कॢप् (√kḷp) ) an intermediate Kalpa, the interval between two Kalpas. ( q.v. ), BhP. [ ID=192887 ]

### Distinction or Difference of Perception (1 definition)
- difference of perception  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > difference of perception, distinction, Nyāyas.; BhP. [ ID=194111 ]

### Doubt or Indecision (1 definition)
- Indecision, doubt, or hesitation  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > indecision, irresolution, doubt, hesitation, MBh.; Kāv. &c. [ ID=194112 ]

### Error, Mistake, or False Notion (1 definition)
- false notion or imagination  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > false notion, fancy, imagination, Yogas.; Gīt. [ ID=194114 ]

### Mental Occupation or Thinking (1 definition)
- Mental occupation or thinking  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > mental occupation, thinking, L. [ ID=194116 ]

### Name of a People or Place (1 definition)
- Name of a people  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > pl. N. of a people, MBh. ( C. विकल्य (vikalya) ) [ ID=194122 ]

### Reference to Kalpa-sthāna (Ayurveda) (1 definition)
- pharmacology  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > = कल्प - स्थान (kalpa-sthāna), Car. [ ID=194117 ]

### Rhetorical Figure: Antithesis (1 definition)
- antithesis of opposites  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (in rhet. ) antithesis of opposites, Pratāp. [ ID=194119 ]

## 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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