भिक्षा

Hindi

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit भिक्षा (bhikṣā). Doublet of भीख (bhīkh).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi Hindi) IPA^(key): /bʱɪk.ʂɑː/, [bʱɪk.ʃäː]

Noun

भिक्षा • (bhikṣā) f

1. begging, alms, charity

   Synonym: भीख (bhīkh)

Declension

Declension of भिक्षा (fem ā-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	भिक्षा bhikṣā	भिक्षाएँ bhikṣāẽ
oblique	भिक्षा bhikṣā	भिक्षाओं bhikṣāõ
vocative	भिक्षा bhikṣā	भिक्षाओ bhikṣāo

Related terms

• भिक्षु (bhikṣu)
• भिक्षुक (bhikṣuk)

Sanskrit

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

• ভিক্ষা (Assamese script)
• ᬪᬶᬓ᭄ᬱᬵ (Balinese script)
• ভিক্ষা (Bengali script)
• 𑰥𑰰𑰎𑰿𑰬𑰯 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀪𑀺𑀓𑁆𑀱𑀸 (Brahmi script)
• ဘိက္ၑာ (Burmese script)
• ભિક્ષા (Gujarati script)
• ਭਿਕ੍ਸ਼ਾ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌭𑌿𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌾 (Grantha script)
• ꦨꦶꦏ꧀ꦰꦴ (Javanese script)
• 𑂦𑂱𑂍𑂹𑂭𑂰 (Kaithi script)
• ಭಿಕ್ಷಾ (Kannada script)
• ភិក្ឞា (Khmer script)
• ຠິກ຺ຩາ (Lao script)
• ഭിക്ഷാ (Malayalam script)
• ᢨᡳᡬᢢᠠᢇ (Manchu script)
• 𑘥𑘱𑘎𑘿𑘬𑘰 (Modi script)
• ᠪᠾᠢᢉᢔᠠ᠋᠎ᠠ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧅𑧒𑦮𑧠𑧌𑧑 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐨𑐶𑐎𑑂𑐲𑐵 (Newa script)
• ଭିକ୍ଷା (Odia script)
• ꢩꢶꢒ꣄ꢰꢵ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆨𑆴𑆑𑇀𑆰𑆳 (Sharada script)
• 𑖥𑖰𑖎𑖿𑖬𑖯 (Siddham script)
• භික්‍ෂා (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩳𑩑𑩜 𑪙𑪀𑩛 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚡𑚮𑚊𑚶𑚭 (Takri script)
• பி⁴க்ஷா (Tamil script)
• భిక్షా (Telugu script)
• ภิกฺษา (Thai script)
• བྷི་ཀྵཱ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒦𑒱𑒏𑓂𑒭𑒰 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨡𑨁𑨋𑩇𑨯𑨊 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Nominalised from भिक्षते (bhikṣate, “to beg, obtain”), from Proto-Indo-Aryan *bʰikṣati, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *bʰikšati, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰih₂g-s-eti, i-grade desiderative of *bʰeh₂g- (“to divide”), with semantic shift.

Noun

भिक्षा • (bhikṣā) stem, f

1. alms, begging
2. wages
3. service

Derived terms

• भिक्षासङ्घाटी (bhikṣāsaṅghāṭī, “mendicant's clothes, a beggar's raiment”)
• भिक्षाचर्या (bhikṣācaryā, “the beggar's way of life”)
• भिक्षाभाव (bhikṣābhāva, “monkhood, priesthood”)

Descendants

• → Lao: ພິກສາ (phik sā)
• Maharastri Prakrit:
  • Old Marathi: भीक (bhīka)
    • Marathi: भीक (bhīk)
• Pali: bhikkhā
  • → Khmer: ភិក្ខា (phɨkkhaa)
  • → Thai: ภิกขา
• Sauraseni Prakrit: 𑀪𑀺𑀓𑁆𑀔𑀸 (bhikkhā)
  • Gujarati: ભીખ (bhīkh)
  • Hindi: भीख (bhīkh)
  • Punjabi: ਭਿੱਖ (bhikkha)
• → Tamil: பிச்சை (piccai)

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “भिक्षा”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 756.