Lobha

Lobha is a Sanskrit and Pali word—often translated as "lust," "desire," "craving," "greed"—which has different meanings depending on the context.

In Hinduism, lobha (Sanskrit: लोभ) is the concept of character affliction that refers to any form of "sensuality, lust, desire" or "attachment to sensual objects".^[1]^[2]^[3] It is one of the five kleshas that afflict the Ātman.^[4] It is one of the Shadripurs.^[5]

In Buddhism, lobha (Pāli), synonymous with taṇhā and rāga,^[6] refers to the concept of "craving" or "greed" that is a mental factor in the form of mental defilement, acting as one of the roots of evil actions—lobha, dosa, and moha.^[7]^[8]

Lobha is a Sanskrit technical term, used in jurisdiction, meaning "greed for wealth".^[9] It has been cited as one of the causes of perjury.^[9]

In Hinduism

The word lobha is used in religious literature such as the Manusmriti.^[10] Lobha refers to material greed. According to the Vishnu Purana, lobha represents a type of spiritual pain of the emotional kind.^[11] According to Vishnu Purana verses 6.5.1-6, "the wise man investigates the three types of worldly suffering, or mental and physical suffering and the like, and attains true knowledge and detachment from human objects, attaining ultimate extinction".^[9] Ramayana advises forest dwellers to give up lobha in verse 2.24.

The Bhagavad Gita identifies greed, alongside desire and anger, as one of the three gates to hell that destroy the soul (verse 16.21), urging their renunciation. In verse 14.17, greed is identified as rooted in the rajas and associated with restlessness and attachment, contrasting with sattva, which fosters wisdom.^[12]

In Buddhism

References

^ Thomas William Rhys Davids; William Stede (1921). Pali-English Dictionary. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 567. ISBN 978-81-208-1144-7.
^ Pali Text Society (1921-1925), “lobha”, in Pali-English Dictionary, London: Chipstead, page 588
^ Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985), "lobha", in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 649
^ Patañjali; et al. (2007). "Aphorisms, Section II of Pātañjalayogasūtra-s". Archived from the original on 2007-12-22. Retrieved November 23, 2007. quite :
अविद्यास्मितारागद्वेषाभिनिवेशाः पञ्च क्लेशाः॥३॥
Avidyāsmitārāgadveṣābhiniveśāḥ pañca kleśāḥ
^ Shadripu, Ṣaḍripu: 2 definitions, www.wisdomlib.org
^ Kheminda, Ashin (2019-09-01). Manual Abhidhamma: Bab 2 Faktor-Faktor-Mental (in Indonesian). Yayasan Dhammavihari. ISBN 978-623-94342-7-4.
^ "The Noble Eightfold Path: The Way to the End of Suffering". www.accesstoinsight.org. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
^ "AN 6.39: Nidānasutta". SuttaCentral. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
^ ^a ^b ^c Lobha: 38 definitions, www.wisdomlib.org
^ Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi by Ganganatha Jha, Verse 8.120, quite: लोभात् सहस्रं दण्ड्यस्तु मोहात् पूर्वं तु साहसम् ।
भयाद् द्वौ मध्यमौ दण्डौ मैत्रात् पूर्वं चतुर्गुणम् ॥ १२० ॥
^ The Vishnu Purana 6.5.1-6. Horace Hayman Wilson, www.wisdomlib.org
^ Sutton, Nicholas, ed. (2019). The Bhagavad Gita: a new translation and study guide. Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies Mandala Publishing Series. San Rafael, CA: Mandala Publishing. pp. 213–214. ISBN 978-1-68383-733-6.

[1] Thomas William Rhys Davids; William Stede (1921). Pali-English Dictionary. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 567. ISBN 978-81-208-1144-7.

[2] Pali Text Society (1921-1925), “lobha”, in Pali-English Dictionary, London: Chipstead, page 588

[3] Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985), "lobha", in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 649

[patanjali-4] Patañjali; et al. (2007). "Aphorisms, Section II of Pātañjalayogasūtra-s". Archived from the original on 2007-12-22. Retrieved November 23, 2007. quite :
अविद्यास्मितारागद्वेषाभिनिवेशाः पञ्च क्लेशाः॥३॥
Avidyāsmitārāgadveṣābhiniveśāḥ pañca kleśāḥ

[5] Shadripu, Ṣaḍripu: 2 definitions, www.wisdomlib.org

[:02-6] Kheminda, Ashin (2019-09-01). Manual Abhidhamma: Bab 2 Faktor-Faktor-Mental (in Indonesian). Yayasan Dhammavihari. ISBN 978-623-94342-7-4.

[7] "The Noble Eightfold Path: The Way to the End of Suffering". www.accesstoinsight.org. Retrieved 2024-08-10.

[8] "AN 6.39: Nidānasutta". SuttaCentral. Retrieved 2024-08-10.

[Lobha-9] Lobha: 38 definitions, www.wisdomlib.org

[10] Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi by Ganganatha Jha, Verse 8.120, quite: लोभात् सहस्रं दण्ड्यस्तु मोहात् पूर्वं तु साहसम् ।
भयाद् द्वौ मध्यमौ दण्डौ मैत्रात् पूर्वं चतुर्गुणम् ॥ १२० ॥

[11] The Vishnu Purana 6.5.1-6. Horace Hayman Wilson, www.wisdomlib.org

[12] Sutton, Nicholas, ed. (2019). The Bhagavad Gita: a new translation and study guide. Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies Mandala Publishing Series. San Rafael, CA: Mandala Publishing. pp. 213–214. ISBN 978-1-68383-733-6.

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In Hinduism

In Buddhism

See also

References