# विवेक (viveka)

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

विवेक (viveka) is a Sanskrit word meaning discrimination, distinction, consideration, discussion, investigation, a water trough, the name of a work, true knowledge or discretion, discussion or investigation. Its 16 recorded definitions are grouped into 4 contexts, among them Cognitive Faculty of Discrimination & Judgment, Nomenclature, Etymology, and Grammatical Information, Vedāntic Philosophical Discrimination.

- **Root:** विच् (vic)
- **Etymology:** E. वि severally, विच to judge, aff. घञ् — E. vi severally, vica to judge, aff. ghañ
- **SLP1:** `viveka`  **IAST:** viveka  **Devanagari:** विवेक
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viveka
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/viveka/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Cognitive Faculty of Discrimination & Judgment (12 definitions)
- discrimination, distinction  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 987,3] वि - वेक (vi-veka) a m. discrimination, distinction, Mn.; Sarvad.; Suśr. [ ID=200139 ]
- consideration, discussion, investigation  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > consideration, discussion, investigation, Gīt.; MārkP.; Sarvad. [ ID=200140 ]
- true knowledge, discretion, and the ability to distinguish and classify things according to their real properties  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > true knowledge, discretion, right judgement, the faculty of distinguishing and classifying things according to their real properties, ChUp.; Kap. &c. [ ID=200141 ]
- 1. Discrimination and distinction. 2. Investigation, discussion, and criticism. 3. Discernment and judgment.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > विवेक (viveka) [Printed book page 289-1 ] विवेक (viveka) vi-veka, m. [√vic] discrimination, distinction; investigation, discussion, criticism; discernment, judgment: -khyāti, f. correct judgment; -jña, a. having correct knowledge, of ( —° ); -jñāna, n. correct knowledge; -bhāj, a. discerning; -mantharatā, f. feebleness of judgment; -rahita, pp. lacking an interstice ( breasts ) and lacking discernment; -vat, a. judicious, discerning. [ ID=16734 ]
- 1. Discrimination, judgment, or the ability to distinguish reality from illusion. 2. Discussion or investigation. 3. A reservoir or bath.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > वि (vi) वेक (viveka) [Printed book page 785 ] वि (vi) वेक (viveka) m. ( - कः (-kaḥ) ) 1 Discrimination, judgment, the faculty of distinguishing things by their properties, and classing them according to their real not apparent nature; in the Vedānta system, it is applied to the power of separating Brahma or invisible spirit, from the ostensible world, truth from untruth, or reality from illusion. 2 Discussion, investigation. 3 A reservoir, a bath. E. वि (vi) severally, वि (vi) च (vica) to judge, aff. घञ् (ghañ). [ ID=35826 ]
- 1. Discrimination or investigation. 2. A reservoir.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > विवेक (viveka) [Printed book page 704-b ] वि - वेक (vi-veka) ( कः ) ((kaḥ)) 1. m. Discrimination; investigation; a reservoir. [ ID=35431 ]
- 1. Judgment and discrimination. 2. Discussion and investigation. 3. Distinction and difference. 4. The power of distinguishing reality from illusion. 5. A reservoir or basin.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > विवेक (viveka) [Printed book page 676-29 ] विवेक (viveka) m. 1. Judgment, discrimination, विवेक (viveka) प्रध्वंसादुपचितमहामोहगहनो विकारः (vivekapradhvaṃsādupacitamahāmohagahano vikāraḥ) M.M. i.; 2. discussion, investigation, यच्छृंगारविवेक (viveka) तत्वमपि यत्काव्येषु लीलायितम् (yacchṛṃgāravivekatatvamapi yatkāvyeṣu līlāyitam) Git.G. xii.; 3. distinction, difference, परात्मीयविवेक (viveka) ं च प्रामुष्णात् कपिरक्षसाम् (parātmīyavivekaṃ ca prāmuṣṇāt kapirakṣasām) Bt. xvii.60; 4. the power of distinguishing reality from illusion (in Vedānta phil.); 5. a reservoir, a basin. [ ID=35540 ]
- 1. Discrimination or judgment. 2. Discussion or investigation. 3. A reservoir, basin, or bath.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > वि (vi) वेक (viveka) [Printed book page 671-b ] वि (vi) वेक (viveka) m. ( - कः (-kaḥ) ) 1. Discrimination, judgment, the faculty of distinguishing things by their properties, and classing them according to their real not apparent nature; in the Vedānta system, it is applied to the power of separating BRAHMA or invisible spirit, from the ostensible world, truth from untruth, or reality from illusion. 2. Discussion, investigation. 3. A reservoir, a basin, a bath. E. वि (vi) severally, वि (vi) च् (vic) to judge, aff. घञ् । (ghañ.) [ ID=37499 ]
- 1. Discrimination. 2. Judgment. 3. Discussion or investigation. 4. True knowledge. 5. A reservoir.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > विवेक (viveka) [Printed book page 0870-b ] विवेक (viveka) viveka, i. e. vi-vic + a, m. 1. Discrimination, Man. 1, 26; Pañc. i. d. 294. 2. Judgment, Bhartṛ. 2, 10. 3. Discussion, investigation. 4. True knowledge, Bhartṛ. 1, 89. 5. A reser- voir. — Comp. A-, I. m. absence of dis- crimination or judgment, Hit. iv. d. 97. Page0871-a+ 41 II. adj. wanting discrimination, stupid, Hit. i. d. 135, M.M. [ ID=13610 ]
- separation, discrimination, discernment, examination, consideration, judgment insight, penetration  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > विवे (vive) क (viveka) [Printed book page 506 ] विवे (vive) क (viveka) m. separation, discrimination, discernment, examination, consideration, judgment insight, penetration; poss. विवे (vive) क (viveka) ° वन्त् (°vant) & विवे (vive) ° किन् (°kin). [ ID=30162 ]
- 1. separation 2. discrimination, discernment, or good judgment  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > विवेक (viveka) [Printed book page 246-b ] viveka, m. —1. a separating apart; —2. discrimination, discernment, good judgment [ √vic + vi, 216. 1: for mg 2, cf. discrimination w. Lat. discrimināre, ‘separate, ’ fr. discrīmen of the same root as discernere, ‘separate’; cf. also discernment with discernere. ] [ ID=3919 ]
- 1. Discrimination, judgment, or the faculty of distinguishing things according to their real properties. 2. The power of separating spirit from matter or truth from illusion. 3. True knowledge or discretion. 4. Discussion or investigation. 5. A reservoir or basin for water.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > विवेक (viveka) [Printed book page 0940-a ] Vi-veka, as, m. discrimination, judgment, the faculty of distinguishing and classifying things ac- cording to their real properties; (in the Vedānta system) the power of separating the invisible Spirit from the visible world, (or spirit from matter, truth from untruth, reality from mere semblance or illu- sion); true knowledge; discretion; discussion, in- vestigation; a receptacle for water, reservoir, basin Page0940-b+ 78 ( = jala-droṇī ). —Viveka-ja, as, ā, am, produced or arising from discrimination. —Viveka-jña, as, ā, am, skilled in discrimination, intelligent. —Viveka- jñāna, am, n. knowledge arising from discrimina- tion, faculty of discrimination. —Viveka-tā, f. or viveka-tva, am, n. judgment, discrimination, the faculty of judgment. —Vivekadṛśva-tā, f. or viveka- dṛśva-tva, am, n. the character of a discerning man, discrimination, discernment. —Viveka-dṛśvan, ā, m. one who sees or is conversant with true know- ledge, a wise or discerning man. —Viveka-padavī, f. ‘path of discrimination,’ reflection. —Viveka-vilāsa, as, m., N. of a work. —Viveka-sāra, N. of a general Vedānta disquisition in sixteen sections by Rāmendra- yati. —Viveka-sindhu, N. of an elementary treatise on the Vedānta by Mukunda-rāja. [ ID=44011 ]

### Nomenclature, Etymology, and Grammatical Information (2 definitions)
- the name of a work  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > [Printed book page 988,1] N. of wk. [ ID=200144 ]
- See under vi-vic.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 989,1] वि - (vi-) वेक (vi-veka) b &c. See under वि - (vi-) √ विच् (√vic). [ ID=200360 ]

### Vedāntic Philosophical Discrimination (1 definition)
- the power of separating spirit from matter or truth from illusion  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (in Vedānta) the power of separating the invisible Spirit from the visible world (or spirit from matter, truth from untruth, reality from mere semblance or illusion) [ ID=200142 ]

### Water Trough or Reservoir (1 definition)
- a water trough  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a water trough (= जल - द्रोणी (jala-droṇī) ), L. [ ID=200143 ]

## Sources

Definitions from 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; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary; 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