Pali, Pālī, Pāli: 18 definitions
Introduction
Introduction:
Pali means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, the history of ancient India, Marathi. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Puranic EncyclopediaPālī (पाली).—A corrupt form of Sanskrit.

The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.
In Buddhism
Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Access to Insight: A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist TermsThe canon of texts (see Tipitaka) preserved by the Theravada school and, by extension, the language in which those texts are composed.Source: Pali Kanon: Pali Proper NamesSee Mahapali and Suvannapali.
Source: Dhamma Study: CetasikasPali is the language of the Buddhist scriptures of the Theravada tradition.
Theravāda is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).
General definition (in Buddhism)
Source: Buddhist Door: GlossaryThe language of the Theravada (Hinayana) Buddhist Canon, alleged to be the language used by the Buddha.In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Source: archive.org: Personal and geographical names in the Gupta inscriptions (jainism)Pāli (पालि) is a Prakrit ending for deriving proper personal names, mentioned as an example in the Aṅgavijjā chapter 26. This chapter includes general rules to follow when deriving proper names. The Aṅgavijjā (mentioning pāli) is an ancient treatise from the 3rd century CE dealing with physiognomic readings, bodily gestures and predictions and was written by a Jain ascetic in 9000 Prakrit stanzas.

Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.
India history and geogprahy
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical GlossaryPāli.—name of a language. Note: pāli is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.
--- OR ---
Pālī.—(EI 3), embankment. (CII 3), a bridge. Note: pālī is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.

The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.
Languages of India and abroad
Pali-English dictionary
Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionarypāli : (f.) a line; range; the canon of the Buddhist writings or the language in which it is written. || paḷi (f.) a line; range; the canon of the Buddhist writings or the language in which it is written.
Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English DictionaryPāli, (Pāḷi) (f.) (cp. Sk. pālī a causeway, bridge Halāyudha III, 54) 1. a line, row Dāvs III, 61; IV, 3; Vism. 242 (dvattiṃs’ākāra°), 251 (danta°); SnA 87.—2. a line, norm, thus the canon of Buddhist writings; the text of the Pāli Canon, i.e. the original text (opp. to the Commentary; thus “pāliyaṃ” is opposed to “aṭṭhakathāyaṃ” at Vism. 107, 450, etc). It is the literary language of the early Buddhists, closely related to Māgadhī. See Grierson, The Home of Lit. Pāli (Bhandarkar Commemoration vol. p. 117 sq.), and literature given by Winternitz, Gesch. d. Ind. Litt. , II. 10; III, 606, 635. The word is only found in Commentaries, not in the Piṭaka. See also Hardy, Introd. to Nett, p. xi.—J. IV, 447 (°nayena accord. to the Pāli Text); Vism. 376 (°nay’anusārena id.), 394, 401, 565 (°anusārato accord. to the text of the Canon); 607, 630, 660 sq. , 693, 712; KhA 41; SnA 333, 424, 519, 604; DhsA. 157, 168; DhA. IV, 93; VvA. 117, 203 (pālito+aṭṭhuppattito); PvA. 83, 87, 92, 287; and frequent elsewhere.—vaṇṇanā is explanation of the text (as regards meaning of words), purely textual criticism, as opposed to vinicchaya-kathā analysis, exegesis, interpretation of sense Vbh. 291; Vism. 240 (contrasted to bhāvanāniddesa). (Page 455)
— or —
Pali°, (a variant of pari°, to be referred to the Māgadhī dialect in which it is found most frequently, esp. in the older language, see Pischel, Prk. Gr. § 257; Geiger, P. Gr. § 44) round, around (=pari) only as prefix in cpds. (q. v.). Often we find both pari° & pali° in the same word. (Page 440)

Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionarypāli (पालि) [or पाली, pālī].—f S The curving edge of the auricle, the helix. 2 Circumference.
--- OR ---
pāḷī (पाळी).—f A turn or recurring season: also an alternation or a vicissitude, a turn, spell, bout. 2 Lot or allotment; state or portion assigned. (For kuḷavācī pāḷī) A turn or bout (over ploughed ground) of the kuḷava (harrow); and, sometimes (over ground gen.) of the nāṅgara (plough). v ghāla.
--- OR ---
pāḷī (पाळी).—f (Poetry. pāli S) An encircling body or line (of troops, trees, wall, hedge &c.;)
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishpaḷī (पळी).—f A ladle gen.
--- OR ---
pāḷī (पाळी).—f A turn. Lot or allotment. An encircling body or line.
Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryPali (पलि).—f. A part of the elephant's face, perhaps the hollow in the middle of the forehead; Mātaṅga L.6.1.
Derivable forms: paliḥ (पलिः).
--- OR ---
Pāli (पालि) or Pālī (पाली).—f.
1) The tip of the ear; श्रवणपालिः (śravaṇapāliḥ) Gīt.3.
2) The edge, skirt, margin; तिष्ठतो युगपालीषु (tiṣṭhato yugapālīṣu) Mb.7.191. 3; महति सितपटच्छन्नपालीं कपालीम् (mahati sitapaṭacchannapālīṃ kapālīm) Bh.3.55.
3) The sharp side, edge or point of anything (aśri); कपोलपालिं तव तन्वि मन्ये लावण्यधन्ये दिशमुत्तराख्याम् (kapolapāliṃ tava tanvi manye lāvaṇyadhanye diśamuttarākhyām) Bv.2.9.
4) Boundary, limit.
5) A line, row; विपुलपुलकपाली (vipulapulakapālī) Gīt.6; Śi.3.51; रजनीचरपालिरागमिष्यत्यविलम्बं प्रतिपाल्यतां कुमारौ (rajanīcarapālirāgamiṣyatyavilambaṃ pratipālyatāṃ kumārau) Rām. Ch. 2.52.
6) A spot, mark.
7) A causeway, bridge.
8) The lap or bosom.
9) An oblong pond.
1) Maintenance of a pupil by his teacher during the period of his studies.
11) A louse.
12) Praise, eulogium.
13) A woman with a beard.
14) The hip.
15) A measure of capacity (prastha).
16) A circumference.
-lī A pot, boiler.
Derivable forms: pāliḥ (पालिः).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryPāli (पालि).—f.
(-liḥ or līḥ) 1. The sharp edge of a sword, or any cutting instrument. 2. The tip of the ear. 3. A line, a row or range. 4. A mark, a spot, a stain. 5. A louse. 6. A woman with a beard. 7. A boundary, a limit. 8. A raised bank, a causeway, a bridge. 9. A circumference. 10. Maintenance of a scholar during the period of his studies, by his teacher. 11. Praise, eulogium. 12. The hip or haunch. 13. A Prast'ha or measure so called. 14. The lap, the bosom. E. pāl to nourish, iṇ aff., and in most cases, ṅīp being optionally added, also pālī: see pāla.
Pāli can also be spelled as Pālī (पाली).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryPāli (पालि).—and pālī pālī, f. 1. The tip of the ear, [Gītagovinda. ed. Lassen.] 3, 13. 2. The edge of a sword or any other cutting instrument. 3. A line or row, [Gītagovinda. ed. Lassen.] 6, 10. 4. A raised bank, a dike, [Rājataraṅgiṇī] 5, 106 (lī). 5. A boundary, a margin, [Bhartṛhari, (ed. Bohlen.)] 3, 24 (lī).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryPāli (पालि).—[feminine] the tip of the ear; edge, margin, side i.[grammar]; row, range, line; raised bank, dike; pot, boiler; an oblong pond (only pālī).
--- OR ---
Pālī (पाली).—[feminine] the tip of the ear; edge, margin, side i.[grammar]; row, range, line; raised bank, dike; pot, boiler; an oblong pond (only pālī).
--- OR ---
Pālī (पाली).—v. pāla & pāli.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Pālī (पाली):—[from pāla > pāl] f. a herdsman’s wife, [Mahābhārata v, 3608]
2) [v.s. ...] an oblong pond (as ‘receptacle’ of water?), [Varāha-mihira] (cf. pāli).
3) Pāli (पालि):—[from pālana > pāl] a m. ([probably]) a protector, ruler (cf. go-pāli and prajā-p).
4) b f. (in most meanings and ifc. f (also ī). cf. under pāla; according to, [Uṇādi-sūtra iv, 529 [Scholiast or Commentator]] [from] √pal) the tip or lobe of the ear, the outer ear, [Suśruta] (cf. karṇaand śravaṇa-p)
5) a boundary, limit, margin, edge, [Mahābhārata; Kāvya literature] etc.
6) a row, line, range, [Ratnāvalī; Śiśupāla-vadha; Gīta-govinda]
7) a dam, dike, bridge, [Rājataraṅgiṇī]
8) a pot, boiler, [Hemacandra’s Pariśiṣṭaparvan]
9) a [particular] measure of capacity (= prastha), [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
10) prescribed food, maintenance of a scholar during the period of his studies by his teacher, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
11) the lap, bosom, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
12) a circumference, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
13) a mark, spot, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
14) a louse, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
15) a woman with a beard, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.] = praśaṃsā, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.] (lī ifc. to denote praise, [Gaṇ.])
16) = prabedha, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with (+83): Pali-dhvaja, Pali-ketana, Palibhaddaka, Palibhanga, Palibhanjana, Palibodha, Palibothra, Palibuddha, Palibuddhati, Palibujjhana, Palibujjhati, Palibujjhi, Palibujjhitva, Palicca, Palicem Tela, Paligedha, Paligedhin, Paligha, Palighaparivattika, Paligijjhati.
Ends with (+96): Adhanapali, Ambapali, Amrapali, Angapali, Ankapali, Apali, Ayupala, Bapali, Bhompali, Bhopali, Bhupali, Causashtipimpali, Cepali, Chidrapippali, Chintapali, Cipali, Dantapali, Deshapali, Devapali, Dhammapala.
Full-text (+12118): Dantapali, Kapotapali, Gopali, Margapali, Navadata, Manipali, Amrapali, Upapali, Palika, Gandapali, Palijvara, Utpali, Shrotrapali, Karnapali, Palivadha, Pakshapali, Upapalyayya, Palam, Pancapali, Alipalinem.
Relevant text
Search found 152 books and stories containing Pali, Paḷī, Pāḷī, Pālī, Pāli, Palī; (plurals include: Palis, Paḷīs, Pāḷīs, Pālīs, Pālis, Palīs). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Patthana Dhamma (by Htoo Naing)
Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī)
Verse 3.3.44 < [Part 3 - Fraternal Devotion (sakhya-rasa)]
Dipavamsa (study) (by Sibani Barman)
Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)
Appendix 1 - The seven minds of awakening (saṃbodhyaṅga) < [Chapter VIII - The Bodhisattvas]
Preliminary note to liberations, masteries and totalities < [Class (5) liberations, (6) masteries and (7) totalities]
II. Canonical definitions of the six Anusmṛti < [Preliminary note on the Eight Recollections]
Guide to Tipitaka (by U Ko Lay)
Part 18 - Milindapanha Pali < [Chapter VIII - Khuddaka Nikaya]
Book 3 - Mahavagga Pali < [Chapter II - Vinaya Pitaka]
The Mahavastu (great story) (by J. J. Jones)
Foreword to the second volume < [Volume II]
Chapter VII - The ordination of Mahā-Kāśyapa < [Volume III]