1. the womb.
2. origin, way of birth, place of birth, realm of existence; nature, matrix There are four yonis or ways of being born or generation viz. aṇḍaja oviparous creation, jalābuja viviparous saṃsedaja moisture-sprung, opapātika spontaneous MN.i.73; DN.iii.230; Mil.146; Vism.552, Vism.557 sq.; cp Vb-a.203 sq
   ■ Freq. in foll. combinations: tiracchāna˚; the class of animals, the brute creation AN.i.37, AN.i.60; AN.v.269; Iti.92; Pv.iv.11#1; Vism.103, Vism.427; Pv-a.27, Pv-a.166; nāga˚ birth among the Nāgas SN.iii.240 sq. (in ref. to which the 4 kinds of birth, as mentioned above, are also applied) Vism.102 (niraya-nāga-yoni); pasu˚; = tiracchāna˚ Pv.ii.13#12; pisāca˚; world of the Pisācas SN.i.209; peta˚ the realm of the Petas Pv-a.68 (cp. peta)
   ■ kamma˚ K. as origin AN.iii.186
   ■ yoni upaparikkhitabba (= kiṃjātikā etc.) SN.iii.42
   ■ ayoni unclean origin Thag.219
3. thoroughness, knowledge, insight Ne.40
   ■ ayoni superficiality in thought SN.i.203 (“muddled ways Mrs. Rh. D.)
   ■ yoniso (abl.) “down to its origin or foundation,” i.e. thoroughly, orderly, wisely, properly judiciously SN.i.203 (“in ordered governance” K.S. i.259); DN.i.118 (wisely); Iti.30 (āraddha āsavānaṃ khayāya); Pp.25; Vism.30, Vism.132, Vism.599; Pp-a.31. Opp ayoniso disorderly improperly Pp.21; Dhp-a.i.327; Pv-a.113, Pv-a.278
   ■ Esp. frequent in phrase yoniso manasikāra “fixing one’s attention with a purpose or thoroughly,” proper attention, “having thorough method in one’s thought” (K.S. i.259) Pts.i.85 sq.; Iti.9; Ja.i.116; Mil.32; Ne.8, Ne.40, Ne.50, Ne.127; Vism.132; Pv-a.63. See also manasikāra
   ■ Opp. ayoniso manasikāra disorderly or distracted attention DN.iii.273; Vb-a.148 Thag-a.79. In BSk. the same phrase: yoniśo manasikāraḥ Divy.488; Avs.i.122; Avs.ii.112 (Speyer: “the right & true insight, as the object of consideration really is”). See further on term Dial. iii.218 (“systematized attention”); K.S. i.131; ii.6 (“radical grasp”).

• -ja born from the womb Snp.620; Dhp.396.
• -pamukha principal sort of birth DN.i.54; MN.i.517.

Vedic yoni