Vitakka

Vitarka (Sanskrit, also vitarkah; Pali: vitakka; Tibetan phonetic: tokpa) is a Buddhist term that is translated as "conception", "application of thought", etc. In the Theravada tradition, it is defined as the mental factor that mounts or directs the mind towards an object. In the Mahayana tradition, vitarka is defined as a mental factor that investigates things roughly.