Aranya, Araṇya, Āraṇya, Araṇyā: 26 definitions
Introduction:
Aranya means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India, Marathi, Hindi, biology. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
Alternative spellings of this word include Arany.
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Puranic EncyclopediaAraṇya (अरण्य).—A King of the Ikṣvāku dynasty. (See Ikṣvāku dynasty).
Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English TranslationAraṇya (अरण्य) refers to “forests”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.15 (“The penance and reign of Tārakāsura”).—Accordingly, as Brahmā narrated: “[...] At the same time, several phenomena of evil portent forboding misery and distress happened, when the son of Varāṅgī was born making the gods miserable. [...] Beasts in sheds and forests [i.e., araṇya] roamed here and there in great fright as though beaten and driven about, passing urine and shitting dungs as they pleased. Frightened cows sprayed blood through their udders; their eyes brimmed with tears, clouds showering putrid matter became terrifying. [...]”.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index1) Araṇya (अरण्य).—Father of Udaka and Vāruṇī.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 36. 104.
2) Āraṇya (आरण्य).—A madhyamādhvaryu; a Prajāpati and father of five deva gaṇas of the Cākṣuṣa epoch.1 Son of Atri.2
Source: JatLand: List of Mahabharata people and placesAraṇyā (अरण्या) refers to the name of a River mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. VI.10.33). Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Araṇyā) is a Sanskrit epic poem consisting of 100,000 ślokas (metrical verses) and is over 2000 years old.
The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.
Ayurveda (science of life)
Source: Wisdom Library: Raj NighantuAraṇya (अरण्य) refers to “forest” according to the second chapter (dharaṇyādi-varga) of the 13th-century Raj Nighantu or Rājanighaṇṭu (an Ayurvedic encyclopedia). The Dharaṇyādi-varga covers the lands, soil, mountains, jungles [viz., Araṇya] and vegetation’s relations between trees and plants and substances, with their various kinds.
Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद, ayurveda) is a branch of Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millenium BC. Literature is commonly written in Sanskrit using various poetic metres.
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Source: Google Books: ManthanabhairavatantramAraṇya (अरण्य) refers to a “deserted forest”, according to the Jayadrathayāmala verse 2.19.27-29.—Accordingly, “Having gone to a place where there are no people, a mountain peak, the bank of a river, a frightening cremation ground, a beautiful deserted forest [i.e., araṇya—kāntam araṇyaṃ janavarjitam] or a secluded part of the house at night or wherever (else) one pleases, or having reached (that) great place which is a sacred seat of Yoginīs and levelled the ground, extract the Vidyā”.
Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.
Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)
Source: Wisdom Library: Brihat Samhita by VarahamihiraAraṇya (अरण्य ) refers to “forests”, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 16) (“On the planets—graha-bhaktiyoga”), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “The Sun presides over the people of the western half of the Narmadā, and over the people living on the banks of the Ikṣumatī. He also presides over hill-men, quick-silver, deserts, shepherds, seeds, pod-grains, bitter flavour, trees, gold, fire, poison and persons successful in battle; over medicines, physicians, quadrupeds, farmers, kings, butchers, travellers, thieves, serpents, forests (araṇya) and renowned and cruel men”.
Jyotisha (ज्योतिष, jyotiṣa or jyotish) refers to ‘astronomy’ or “Vedic astrology” and represents the fifth of the six Vedangas (additional sciences to be studied along with the Vedas). Jyotisha concerns itself with the study and prediction of the movements of celestial bodies, in order to calculate the auspicious time for rituals and ceremonies.
In Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita SastraAraṇya (अरण्य) refers to a “forest”, according to Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter 36).—Accordingly, “In a forest (araṇya), an empty house, a charnel-ground, a mountain, a woods or a desert, the disciples of the Buddha who are meditating properly on the nine notions and who are practicing the meditation on the inner and outer horrors feel disgust for the body and say to themselves: ‘Why do we carry around this vile and horrible sack of excrement and urine?’ They are pained and frightened by it. Also there is wicked Māra who plays all kinds of evil tricks on them and who comes to frighten them in hopes of making them regress. This is why the Buddha, [in the Prajñāpāramitāsūtra], continues by explaining the eight recollections”.
Source: academia.edu: A Study and Translation of the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā1) Araṇya (अरण्य) refers to a “solitary place”, according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā: the eighth chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāta (a collection of Mahāyāna Buddhist Sūtras).—Accordingly, “Then, the Lord went on to speak these verses: ‘[...] (47) They, who are released from the bondage of actions, remain in morality. Thus the morality causes the liberation and becomes the basis of awakening. (48) They, who perform the ascetic practices (dhūta) in a solitary place (araṇya), know how to be satisfied (saṃtuṣṭa) with few desires, and purify their thoughts by meditating separated from assembly with severe austerity.[...]’”.
2) Araṇya (अरण्य) refers to the “wilderness”, according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā.—Accordingly, “[...] At that time, sixty koṭis of Bodhisattvas, having stood up from the congregation, joined their palms, paid homage to the Lord, and then uttered these verses in one voice: ‘[...] (199) Being mingled with materialists, praising themselves, disparaging noble ones, they will be ignorant and arrogant. (200) Giving up to stay in the wilderness (araṇya), always taking pleasure among the crowds of people, practicing worldly incantations, they will be attached to [the view] that there is a permanent substance. [...]’”.
Source: De Gruyter: A Buddhist Ritual Manual on AgricultureĀraṇya (आरण्य) refers to a “forest” (suitable for performing offerings), according to the Vajratuṇḍasamayakalparāja, an ancient Buddhist ritual manual on agriculture from the 5th-century (or earlier), containing various instructions for the Sangha to provide agriculture-related services to laypeople including rain-making, weather control and crop protection.—Accordingly, [As the Bhagavān said]: “Now I shall teach the offering manual which is auspicious and can bring about any effect. At the time of crop damage the [Nāgas] are agitated. Then the spell-master should prepare a square maṇḍalaka in the middle of the field or forest (āraṇya). Four filled jars should be placed [in the four directions]. Flowers should be scattered. [...]”.
Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.
India history and geography
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical GlossaryAraṇya.—(IE 8-5), a jungle. Note: araṇya is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.
The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionaryaraṇya (अरण्य).—n (S) A wild, waste, desert:--whether with or without trees. 2 An order among Gosavis &c.
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āraṇya (आरण्य) [or आरण्यक, āraṇyaka].—a (S) Relating to the desert, wild.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englisharaṇya (अरण्य).—n A wild, desert, waste.
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āraṇya (आरण्य).—a Belonging to the desert, wild.
Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryAraṇya (अरण्य).—(sometimes) m.
1) also, [अर्यते गम्यते शेषे वयसि ऋ-अर्तेर्निच्च (aryate gamyate śeṣe vayasi ṛ-arternicca) Uṇādi-sūtra 3.12] A land neither cultivated nor grazed, a wilderness, forest, desert; प्रियानाशे कृत्स्नं किल जगदरण्यं हि भवति (priyānāśe kṛtsnaṃ kila jagadaraṇyaṃ hi bhavati) Uttararāmacarita 6.3; माता यस्य गृहे नास्ति भार्या चाप्रियवादिनी । अरण्यं तेन गन्तव्यं यथारण्यं तथा गृहम् (mātā yasya gṛhe nāsti bhāryā cāpriyavādinī | araṇyaṃ tena gantavyaṃ yathāraṇyaṃ tathā gṛham) || Chāṇ. 44; तपःश्रद्धे ये ह्युपवसन्त्यरण्ये (tapaḥśraddhe ye hyupavasantyaraṇye) Muṇd.1.2.11. oft. used at first member of comp. in the sense of 'wild', 'grown or produced in forest'; °बीजम् (bījam) wild seed; °कार्पासि, °कुलत्थिका (kārpāsi, °kulatthikā); °कुसुम्भः (kusumbhaḥ) &c; so °मार्जारः, °मूषकः (mārjāraḥ, °mūṣakaḥ).
2) A foreign or distant land; अरण्येषु जर्भुराणा चरन्ति (araṇyeṣu jarbhurāṇā caranti) Ṛgveda 1.163.11.
-ṇyaḥ Name of a plant कट्फल (kaṭphala) (Mar. kāyaphaḷa)
Derivable forms: araṇyam (अरण्यम्).
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Āraṇya (आरण्य).—a.
1) (-ṇyā, -ṇyī f.) [अरण्ये भवः ण् (araṇye bhavaḥ ṇ)] Wild, forestborn, relating to a forest (opp. grāmya); °पशुः (paśuḥ) Manusmṛti 1.48. (āraṇyapaśu is of 7 kinds:sarīsṛpo ruruścaiva mahiṣo vānarastathā | pṛṣatarkṣau mṛgaścaiva paśurvai saptadhā mataḥ ||)
-ṇyaḥ, -ṇyam 1 A forest.
2) A kind of corn growing without sowing seed.
3) Name of certain signs of the zodiac (see °rāśi below).
4) Cow-dung (-ṇyaḥ only).
5) Name of a Parvan in the Mahābhārata.
6) Name of a Kāṇḍa in the Rāmāyaṇa.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryAraṇya (अरण्य).—(?) , adj.: in Avadāna-śataka ii.130.1—2 ms. so 'raṇyaṃ pratipadaṃ samādāya vartate; Speyer em. 'raṇya-prati°, interpreting the rules of forest-life (see his note). But probably read araṇāṃ pratipadaṃ, the passionless (kleśa-less) course of conduct or path; see s.vv. araṇa and pratipad; this would be paleographically close to the reading attrib- uted to the ms.; a similar error in Rāṣṭrapālaparipṛcchā 16.3, s.v. araṇa.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryAraṇya (अरण्य).—nf. (-ṇyaṃ-ṇī) A forest. m.
(-ṇyaḥ) Kayaphal, a drug so named. See kaṭphala. E. ṛ to go, and anya Unadi aff.
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Āraṇya (आरण्य).—mfn.
(-ṇyaḥ-ṇyī-ṇyaṃ) Forest, wild, forest-born, &c. E. araṇya a wood, aṇ affix of derivation.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryAraṇya (अरण्य).—n. A forest.
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Āraṇya (आरण्य).—i. e. araṇya + a, adj., f. yā. 1. Living in forests, Mahābhārata 1, 3637. 2. Growing in forests, Mahābhārata 1, 6658; wild, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 10, 89.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryAraṇya (अरण्य).—[neuter] wilderness, forest.
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Āraṇya (आरण्य).—[adjective] belonging to a forest, forest-born, wild; [masculine] a wild animal.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Araṇya (अरण्य):—n. ([from] 1. araṇa; [from] √ṛ, [Uṇādi-sūtra]), a foreign or distant land, [Ṛg-veda i, 163, 11 and vi, 24, 10]
2) a wilderness, desert, forest, [Atharva-veda; Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā] etc.
3) m. the tree also called Kaṭphala, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
4) Name of a son of the Manu Raivata, [Harivaṃśa 434]
5) of a Sādhya, [ib. 11536]
6) of a teacher (disciple of Pṛthvīdhara).
7) Āraṇya (आरण्य):—mf(ā)n. ([from] araṇya), being in or relating to a forest, forest-born, wild, [Ṛg-veda; Atharva-veda; Kātyāyana-śrauta-sūtra; Mahābhārata] etc.
8) m. a wild animal, [Chāndogya-upaniṣad]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Araṇya (अरण्य):—[ara-ṇya] (ṇyaṃ) 1. n. A forest, a wood.
2) Āraṇya (आरण्य):—[(ṇyaḥ-ṇyā-ṇyaṃ) a.] Wild.
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)Āraṇya (आरण्य) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Araṇṇa, Āraṇṇa, Raṇṇa.
[Sanskrit to German]
Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.
Hindi dictionary
Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionaryAraṇya (अरण्य) [Also spelled arany]:—(nm) forest; wilderness; ~[rodana] crying in wilderness (which attracts no one), an unavailing exercise.
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Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusAraṇya (ಅರಣ್ಯ):—[noun] a large tract of uncultivated land covered by thick growth of trees and underbrush; a forest.
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Āraṇya (ಆರಣ್ಯ):—[adjective] sylvan a) of or characteristic of the woods or forest; b) living or found in the woods or forest.
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Āraṇya (ಆರಣ್ಯ):—[noun] a vast tract of uncultivated land abounding in wild growth of trees, under-bushes, etc. ; a forest.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with (+87): Aranya Shiksha, Aranya-pashu, Aranyabasa, Aranyabhaga, Aranyabhava, Aranyabrahmana, Aranyacandrika, Aranyacara, Aranyacataka, Aranyacatakasana, Aranyachandrika, Aranyachara, Aranyachataka, Aranyachatakasana, Aranyadamana, Aranyadevata, Aranyadhanya, Aranyadharma, Aranyadhikari, Aranyadhiti.
Ends with (+56): Abhayaranya, Acaranya, Adhikaranya, Aikadhikaranya, Ambudaranya, Anaranya, Anyataranya, Arbudaranya, Asadharanya, Asharanya, Bharanya, Bhavaranya, Bhudhararanya, Brahmaranya, Brihadaranya, Brindaranya, Campakaranya, Caranya, Champakaranya, Dakshinaranya.
Full-text (+233): Aranna, Aranya-pashu, Aranyaka, Aranyaparvan, Aranyamudga, Aranyarakshaka, Aranyakadali, Aranyashvan, Aranyaja, Aranyakanda, Aranyavasa, Aranyarudita, Aranyagana, Aranyani, Aranyakukkuta, Aranyarashi, Aranyiya, Aranyavayasa, Aranyadhanya, Aranyacara.
Relevant text
Search found 41 books and stories containing Aranya, Ara-nya, Ara-ṇya, Araṇya, Āraṇya, Araṇyā; (plurals include: Aranyas, nyas, ṇyas, Araṇyas, Āraṇyas, Araṇyās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Yoga-sutras (Ancient and Modern Interpretations) (by Makarand Gopal Newalkar)
Sūtra 1.8 < [Book I - Samādhi-pāda]
Sūtra 4.4 [Nirmāṇacitta—Artificial Minds] < [Book IV - Kaivalya-pāda]
Chandogya Upanishad (Madhva commentary) (by Srisa Chandra Vasu)
Mareecha in Valmiki and Adhyatma Ramayana < [October – December, 2003]
The Godavari < [April 1949]
Sita: Power, Penance, Promise - An Introduction < [October – December, 1988]
Ramayana of Valmiki (by Hari Prasad Shastri)
Chapter 75 - Rama reaches the Lake Pampa < [Book 3 - Aranya-kanda]
Garga Samhita (English) (by Danavir Goswami)
Verse 6.15.26 < [Chapter 15 - The Glories of Nṛga-kūpa and Gopī-bhūmi]
Mahabharata (English) (by Kisari Mohan Ganguli)
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