Lakkhaṇa
Lakkhaṇa,(nt.) [Vedic lakṣman nt.sign; adj.lakṣmaṇa; later Sk.lakṣmaṇa nt.In the defn of grammarians syn.with aṅka brand,e.g.Dhtp 536 “aṅka lakkhaṇe lakkha dassane,” or Dhtm 748 “lakkha=dassanaaṅke”; cp.J.I,451 lakkhaṇena aṅketi to brand.‹-› The Sk.Np.Lakṣmaṇa appears also in Prk.as Lakkhaṇa:Pischel,Prk.Gr.§ 312] 1.sign,characteristic,mark; esp.a sign as implying something extraordinary or pointing to the future,therefore a prognosticative mark (cp.talisman),a distinguishing mark or salient feature,property,quality (as Rh.D.in Dial.I.19 somewhat lengthily,after Bdhgh,trsls lakkhaṇa by “signs of good & bad qualities in the foll.things and of the marks in them denoting the health or luck of their owners”) D.I,9 (a long list,as forbidden practice of fortune-telling,like maṇi° from jewels,daṇḍa° from sticks,asi° from marks on swords etc.); Sn.360 (pl.lakkhanā,here as fortune-telling together with supina telling fr.dreams,cp.SnA 362:daṇḍa°,vattha° etc.referring to D.I,9),927 (with Āthabbana,supina & nakkhatta,all kinds of secret sciences; expld at SnA 564 as “maṇi-lakkhaṇâdi”) 1018 (gottaṁ brūhi sa° “with its distinguishing marks”); J.VI,364 (sign of beauty); Miln.171 (yathāva° just characterization); Mhvs 35,109 (itthi° auspicious signs in women); PvA.161,219; SnA 386.A long enumn of all sorts of (perfect) marks (tatha-lakkhaṇāni) is found at DA.I,62 sq.Cp.tādi-lakkhaṇa marks of such (a being),with ref.to good luck etc.J.III,98; SnA 200; VvA.95.-- 2.mark on the body,esp.when serving a def.purpose,e.g.as the branding (of slaves),or the marks of a fortunate being,pointing towards his future greatness:(a) brand J.I,451,cp.cpd.°āhata.-- (b) the (32) marks of a mahā-purisa or a great being,either destined to be a rājā cakkavatti,or a sammā-sambuddha.These are given at Sn.1019 (pl.lakkhanā),1021,1022 as only 3 (viz.mukhaṁ jivhāya chādeti,uṇṇ’assa bhamuk’antare,kos’ohitaṁ vattha-guyhaṁ with ref.to his tongue,the hair between the eyebrows & the sexual organ); more completely as 32 at D.II,16 sq.; III,142 sq.(the Lakkhaṇa Suttanta); referred to at D.I,88,105; J.I,56; Mhvs 5,91; cp.paripuṇṇa-kāya Sn.548 (with expln lakkhaṇehi puṇṇatāya at SnA 452).-- 3.(in spec.sense:) pudendum J.V,197 (subha°,the male member),366.-- 4.(adj.) (--°) having the marks (of),characterized by,of such & such character A.I,102 (kamma°; bāla° & paṇḍita°,together with bāla- & paṇḍitanimitta); Miln.111 (sata-puñña°,of the Buddha); VvA.71 (para-sampatti-usuyyā-lakkhaṇā issā); PvA.17,120.-- 5.(as t.t.in philosophy) specific attribute,characteristic (mark).In contrast to nimitta more a substantial attribute or primary characteristic (cp.VbhA.261).Compared with other terms of definition we get the foll.:rasa essential property,paccupaṭṭhāna recurring phenomenon,padatṭhāna immediate occasion DhsA.63 (trsln Expos.I.84),cp.Cpd.13 (where padaṭṭhāna is trsld as “proximate cause”).-- Ps.I,54 sq.(khandhānaṁ); II,108 (saccānaṁ),VbhA.85,136 (with ref.to the Paṭiccasamuppāda,cp.Vism.528),261 (fourfold,of kesā etc.); Vism.278 (with ref.to kammaṭṭhāna) 351 (4,of the dhātus:thaddha°,ābandhana°,paripācana°,vitthambhana°),363 sq.(id.),495 (ariya-saccānaṁ); VvA.38 (compd with ārammaṇa with ref.to jhāna).-- The 3 properties (tilakkhaṇaṁ) of existing things or of the phenomenal world are anicca,dukkha,anatta,or impermanence,suffering,unreality:thus at J.I,48 (dhamma-desanā ti-l-°muttā),275; III,377 (through contemplating them arises vipassanā & pacceka-bodhi-ñāṇa).-- Abl.lakkhaṇato “by or qua characteristic,” “in its essential qualification,” often found in exegetical analysis in Commentary style combd with var.similar terms (atthato,kamato,nimittato etc.),e.g.Vism.351,363,495,528; VbhA.46,76,83,131,261 (where Vism.351 has paripācana for uṇhatta); SnA 343.-- Cp.upa°,vi°,sa°.--āhata affected with a mark (of punishment or disgrace),branded Vin.I,76; VvA.66.--kusala clever at interpreting bodily marks or at fortune-telling from signs (cp.nemittaka) M.I,220; J.I,272.--kusalatā cleverness at (telling people’s fortune by) signs VvA.138.--paṭiggāhaka one who reads the signs,a soothsayer,wise man J.I,56.--pāṭhaka an expert in (interpreting) signs,fortune-teller J.I,455; II,194; V,211.--manta the secret science of (bodily) marks Sn.690 (but expld at SnA 488 as “lakkhaṇāni ca vedā ca,” thus taking it as Dvandva); DhA.III,194.--sampatti excellency of marks J.I,54.--sampanna endowed with (auspicious) signs Sn.409; J.I,455.
the 3 lakkhaṇas at Sn.1022 refer to the brahmin Bāvari.(Page 578)