Viharokká

Viharokká is an obscure term found in a small subset of Buddhist textual and philological sources. Because its attestation is limited and the manuscripts differ in transmission, modern scholarship does not maintain a single, widely accepted definition for viharokká.

Etymology and form are not firmly established. The element vihāra is well attested in Pali and Sanskrit as a dwelling or monastery, and viharokká appears to be a compound or derivational form built on that word. However, the exact morphological reading and the intended semantic field of the suffix or intermediary morpheme remain disputed, with some researchers suggesting regional spelling variants or scribal errors in transmission.

Attestations and usage in surviving texts are sparse. In the passages where viharokká is cited, it is generally connected with monastic living spaces or configurations within a vihāra, such as partitions, cells, or precincts designated for monks. Because the term occurs infrequently, its precise connotations—whether architectural, functional, or ritual—are not consistently explained across sources.

Scholarly reception is cautious. Some lexicographers treat viharokká as a marginal term whose meanings overlap with related concepts for dwelling or monastic space but do not warrant a full separate entry. Others propose that viharokká may reflect a regional or historical variant of a more common term, or that it results from scribal alteration of a related word. As a result, viharokká remains a relatively marginal item in contemporary discussions of monastic vocabulary and Buddhist architecture.

Related concepts include vihāra, monastic life, and Buddhist architectural terminology.