Paribhāṣā

laukika

லௌகிகம்

Also known as: lowkika, worldly, secular, pertaining to the world

Meaning

Worldly or secular; pertaining to ordinary human society and conventions, as distinguished from the sacred and Vedic order.

Detailed Explanation

Laukika — The Worldly Dimension

Laukika (Sanskrit: loka — world; -ika — pertaining to) refers to conventions, customs, relationships, and standards that belong to ordinary worldly life (vyavahāra), as opposed to the vaidika (Vedic/sacred) order.

In Śrī Vaiṣṇava discourse, laukika is not necessarily condemned — certain laukika relationships (parent-child, teacher-student) are validated and transformed when brought under the framework of bhāgavata devotion. However, laukika attachments that contradict the priorities of sādhana and liberation are to be transcended.

The term appears frequently in Yathīndra Pravaṇa Prabhāvam when describing events in the biographies of Āchāryas — distinguishing worldly social occasions from the spiritually significant events of their lives. When Māmunigaḷ renounced laukika pursuits to devote himself fully to the śaraṇāgati tradition, this renunciation is presented as exemplary.

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