kosha

English - English

Definition of kosha in English English dictionary

five sheaths that are thought to cover the Atman, or True Self, according to Vedantic philosophy

a particular type of Sanskrit dictionary

The koshas, which are not based on any specific text, have some unusal properties. They are written in verse and include nouns and indeclinables but not verbs. The words are arranged according to topics. They deal with synonyms and homonyms and were meant for the use of poets. The best-known kosha in Sanskrit is the lexicon prepared by a Buddhist scholar Amarasinha, who was also a poet. This dictionary is usually known as Amarakosha (‘Amara's dictionary’) rather than by its actual name, Namalinganushasana.

Hyphenation

ko·sha

Etymology

() From Sanskrit कोश (kóśa, “sheath, vessel, container, layer etc.”).