Hindu and Buddhist concept of character affliction
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]
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]
^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
^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. ISBN978-1-68383-733-6.