Aya, Āya, Āyā: 15 definitions
Introduction
Introduction:
Aya means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Buddhism, Pali, the history of ancient India, Marathi, Hindi. 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 Aay.
Images (photo gallery)
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index1a) Aya (अय).—A son of Vasiṣṭha, and a Prajāpati of the Svārociṣa epoch.*
- * Matsya-purāṇa 9. 9.
1b) A son of Devakī.*
- * Vāyu-purāṇa 96. 173.
2) Āya (आय).—A Tuṣita god.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 36. 11.

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.
Vastushastra (architecture)
Source: McGill: The architectural theory of the MānasāraĀya (आय, “profit”) refers to the first of āyādiṣaḍvarga, six principles that constitute the “horoscope” of an architectural or iconographic object, according to the Mānasāra. Their application is intended to “verify” the measurements of the architectural and iconographic object against the dictates of astrology that lay out the conditions of auspiciousness.
Āya signifies “profit”; its twelve “fruits” or effects are:
- śāstra, “weapon”;
- vṛddhi, “increase”;
- bharaṇa, “reign”;
- śubhāvaha, “invoking auspiciousness”;
- cakṣu, “eye”;
- buddhi, “intelligence”;
- rūpa, “form”;
- sumaṅgala, “bringing good fortune”;
- śrīkara, “acquiring wealth”;
- sukhada, “granting comfort”;
- suvṛddhida, “granting great increase”;
- puṣkala “abundance”.
Being the effects of āya, “profit”, all of these may be assumed as auspicious.

Vastushastra (वास्तुशास्त्र, vāstuśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian science (shastra) of architecture (vastu), dealing with topics such architecture, sculpture, town-building, fort building and various other constructions. Vastu also deals with the philosophy of the architectural relation with the cosmic universe.
Shilpashastra (iconography)
Source: archive.org: Illustrations of Indian Music and Dance in Western Indian StyleĀya (आय) refers to one of the forty-seven tānas (tone) used in Indian music.—The illustration of Āya (as a deity) according to 15th-century Indian art is as follows.—The colour of his body is yellow. His face is similar to the face of a cuckoo. A viṇā is in his both hands.
The illustrations (of, for example Āya) are found scattered throughout ancient Jain manuscripts from Gujarat. The descriptions of these illustrations of this citrāvalī are based on the ślokas of Vācanācārya Gaṇi Sudhākalaśa’s Saṅgītopaniṣatsāroddhāra (14th century) and Śārṅgadeva’s Saṅgītaratnākara (13th century).

Shilpashastra (शिल्पशास्त्र, śilpaśāstra) represents the ancient Indian science (shastra) of creative arts (shilpa) such as sculpture, iconography and painting. Closely related to Vastushastra (architecture), they often share the same literature.
Vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar)
Source: Wikisource: A dictionary of Sanskrit grammarĀya (आय).—(I) the affix आय (āya) applied to the roots गुप्, धूप् (gup, dhūp) and others ending with which they are looked upon as roots; cf. P. III.1.28: P.III.1. 32. The affix is applied optionally when an ārdhadhātuka affix is to follow, e.g. गोपायिता, गोप्ता (gopāyitā, goptā); cf. P.III. 1.31; (2) augment; cf. असतो वर्णस्य उपजनः (asato varṇasya upajanaḥ) R. Prāt. XIV. 1 Uvaṭa.
Vyakarana (व्याकरण, vyākaraṇa) refers to Sanskrit grammar and represents one of the six additional sciences (vedanga) to be studied along with the Vedas. Vyakarana concerns itself with the rules of Sanskrit grammar and linguistic analysis in order to establish the correct context of words and sentences.
India history and geogprahy
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical GlossaryAya.—(IE 7-1-2), ‘four’. Note: aya is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.
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Āya.—(IE 7-1-2), ‘four’. (EI 33; CII 3; SII 1, 2), a fiscal term meaning ‘revenue’, ‘tax’. (SITI), literally, income; a general term denoting ‘taxes’; cf. vaḻiy-āyam (SITI), tolls on the roadway. (HRS), revenue in general according to the Arthaśāstra and other authorities; a special branch of revenue according to the inscriptions of the Uccakalpa kings and later epigraphs. (CITD), profit, income, receipt; tribute; corn given by the well-to-do villagers to the hereditary servants of the village as their established fees of office. Note: āya 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 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
Pali-English dictionary
Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionaryaya : (m.) income. (m.; nt.), iron. || āya (m.), income; profit.
Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary1) Aya, 2 (fr. i, go) 1. income, in aya-potthaka receipt book J. I, 2.—2. inlet (for water, aya-mukha) D. I, 74; A. II, 166, IV. 287. (Page 75)
2) Aya, 1 see ayo. (Page 74)
— or —
Āya, (Sk. āya; ā + i) 1. coming in, entrance M. III, 93. ‹-› 2. tax J. V, 113.—3. income, earning, profit, gain (opp. vaya loss) A. IV, 282 = 323; Sn. 978; J. I, 228; KhA 38 (in expln. of kāya), 82 (in etym. of āyatana); PvA. 130. ‹-› 4. (āyā f. ?) a lucky dice (“the incomer”) J. VI, 281.

Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionaryayā (अया).—m A compellation of respect amongst the liṅgāīta people.
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āya (आय).—m (S) Gain or profit: also receipt or income. 2 A term for the remainder or the cipher after a division, by eight, of the product of a multiplication together of the designed length and breadth of a house to be erected. It represents, according to its amount in numerical order, a banner, smoke, a lion, a dog, a bull, an ass, an elephant, a crow; which are emblematic of royalty, of the culinary function, of war, of hunting &c. &c.; and which stand in certain connections of suitableness with the eight regions or points of the compass. It indicates therefore the station or occupation; and thus, the figure and description and aspect of house, to which the given dimensions are appropriate. And if the station, profession, or purpose of the builder, and the size, shape, aspect &c. of the house thus indicated, correspond not with the circumstances and intentions actually existing, the dimensions must be varied and the calculation be continued, till the āya required be produced, and all disagreement be removed.
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āya (आय).—f (See āī) A mother.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishāya (आय).—m Income; gain. f A mother.
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 dictionaryAya (अय).—a. Going, moving.
-yaḥ 1 Going, moving (mostly in comp., as in astamaya).
2) Good actions of former birth.
3) Good fortune, good luck (śubhāvaho vidhiḥ) शुद्धपार्ष्णिरयान्वितः (śuddhapārṣṇirayānvitaḥ) R.4.26. पातु वासवदत्तायो महासेनोऽतिवीर्यवान् (pātu vāsavadattāyo mahāseno'tivīryavān) Pratijñā.1.1.
4) A move towards the right (in chess).
5) A die or cube (to play with); अया इव परि चरन्ति देवाः (ayā iva pari caranti devāḥ) Rv.1.116.9; कलिः सर्वानयानभिभवति (kaliḥ sarvānayānabhibhavati) Śat. Br. cf. अयः पुंसि गतावपि । शुभावहे चाभ्युदये (ayaḥ puṃsi gatāvapi | śubhāvahe cābhyudaye)...... ()| Nm.
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Ayā (अया).—ind. Ved. Thus, in this manner.
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Āya (आय).—[ā-i-ac, ay-ghañ vā]
1) Arrival, approach; आये वामस्य संगथे रयीणाम् (āye vāmasya saṃgathe rayīṇām) Rv.2.38.1.
2) Gaining or acquisition of money, acquiring (opp. vyaya); आये दुःखं व्यये दुःखं धिगर्थाः कष्टसंश्रयाः (āye duḥkhaṃ vyaye duḥkhaṃ dhigarthāḥ kaṣṭasaṃśrayāḥ) Pt.1.163.
3) Income, revenue; receipt; ग्रामेषु स्वामिग्राह्यो भाग आयः (grāmeṣu svāmigrāhyo bhāga āyaḥ) Sk.; Y.1.322,327; Mk.2.6; आयद्वाराणि (āyadvārāṇi) Dk.162 sources of income; आयव्ययौ च नियतावाकरान् कोषमेव च (āyavyayau ca niyatāvākarān koṣameva ca) Ms.8.419; आयाधिकं व्ययं करोति (āyādhikaṃ vyayaṃ karoti) he lives beyond his means.
4) Gain, profit.
5) The eleventh house (in astrology).
6) The guard of the women's apartments.
7) Means, source; मार्ग- त्यायशतैरर्थान् (mārga- tyāyaśatairarthān) Mb.13.163.5.
Derivable forms: āyaḥ (आयः).
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Āya (आय).—1 U.
1) To extend, lengthen out, stretch out; वस्त्रं-पाणिं-आयच्छते (vastraṃ-pāṇiṃ-āyacchate) Sk.; स्वाङ्गमायच्छमानः (svāṅgamāyacchamānaḥ) Ś.4. v. l.; आय- च्छति कूपाद्रज्जुम् (āya- cchati kūpādrajjum) Sk. draws up; बाणमुद्यतमायसीत् (bāṇamudyatamāyasīt) Bk.6.119 stretched out.
2) To restrain, draw in (as breath &c.); त्रिरायम्य शनैरसून् (trirāyamya śanairasūn) Ms.3.217,11.1; प्राणानायम्य (prāṇānāyamya) Y.1.24.
3) To stretch oneself, to grow long (Ātm.); P.I.3.28.
4) To grasp, possess; श्रियमायच्छमानाभिः (śriyamāyacchamānābhiḥ) Bk.8.46.
5) To bring or lead towards. -Caus.
1) To lengthen, stretch, spread or draw out.
2) To remove, transplant.
Derivable forms: āyam (आयम्).
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Āyā (आया).—2 P.
1) To come, arrive, approach.
2) To reach, attain, go to (any particular state); क्षयम्, वशम्, बन्धनम्, तुलाम् (kṣayam, vaśam, bandhanam, tulām) &c. ब्राह्मणो निर्वेदमायात् (brāhmaṇo nirvedamāyāt) Muṇḍa 1.2.12; आयातु वरदा देवी (āyātu varadā devī) Mahānār. 15.1.
3) To follow, result.
4) To be possible or practicable (with inf.).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryĀya (आय).—m. (in Sanskrit, and usually in Pali, only income, opp. to vyaya expense; rarely in Vedic and Up. something like arrival; see [Boehtlingk and Roth], and son in Pali e.g. Majjhimanikāya (Pali) i.277.1 udakass' āya-mukham, according to commentary ii.322.14 = āgamana-maggo; see also āya-dvāra), coming, arrival, especially coming into existence, origination, source: Kāśyapa Parivarta 46.6, 7, 8 (verse), replacing āyadvāraṃ, q.v., of prose above, karṣāpaṇāyo…bhoti, saṃbodhicittasya ca yatra āyo, āyo bahū tatra ca śrāva- kāṇām; same comparison Kāśyapa Parivarta 92.7, 9 (verse), āyu and āyo again replacing āyadvāraṃ of prose; āyaḥ Mahāvyutpatti 2654 = Tibetan ḥbuṅ ba (meaning?), or, ḥdu ba, coming together; associated or [compound] with vyaya, (in Sanskrit income and outlay, but) here origination, coming into being, and passing away (belief in which is a false opinion), Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra 174.12 āya-vyaya- dṛṣṭābhiniveśena; 175.14—176.1 nāhaṃ mahāmate lokāya- taṃ deśayāmi, na cāyavyayam, kiṃ tu mahāmate an- āyavyayaṃ deśayāmi.tatrāyo nāma mahāmate utpāda- rāśiḥ samūhāgamā, utpadyante (read °gamād utpadyate with Tibetan according to note). tatra vyayo nāma…vināśaḥ. an-āyavyaya ity an-utpādasyaitad adhivacanam; Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra 182.3 āyaṃ kāryārthanirvṛttiṃ (accs. sg., obj. of paśyate, prec. line), and 4 āyavyaya-parijñānād; Gaṇḍavyūha 470.3 sarvāyā- śrayaniśrita-vihāra-vihāriṇām (does āya here mean cause, basis, origin?).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryAya (अय).—m.
(-yaḥ) Good luck, favourable fortune. E. iṇa to go, and ac affix; happiness proceeding by it.
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Āya (आय).—m.
(-yaḥ) 1. Income, revenue. 2. Gain, profit. 3. The guard of the women’s apartments. E. āṅ before yā to obtain, ḍa aff.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryAya (अय).—i. e. i + a. m. 1. Going. 2. Good luck. [Raghuvaṃśa, (ed. Stenzler.)] 4, 26.
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Ayā (अया).—Ved. (old instr. sing of idam) Thus,
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Āya (आय).—i. e. ā-i + a, m. 1. Gain, Böhtl. Ind. Spr. 219. 2. Revenue, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 8, 419.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryAya (अय).—[masculine] walk, course (—°); luck, fortune; die.
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Ayā (अया).—([instrumental] [adverb]) thus, in this way.
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Āya (आय).—[masculine] approach; income, revenue.
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Āyā (आया).—approach, arrive, come from ([ablative]) to or into ([accusative], [rarely] [locative]), get at, enter into, partake of ([accusative]); appear to ([genetive]), befall ([accusative]).
Āyā is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms ā and yā (या).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Aya (अय):—[from ay] m. going (only ifc. cf. abhyastam aya)
2) [v.s. ...] (with gavām) ‘the going or the turn of the cows’, Name of a periodical sacrifice, [Mahābhārata]
3) [v.s. ...] a move towards the right at chess, [Patañjali] (cf. anānaya)
4) [v.s. ...] [Vedic or Veda] a die, [Ṛg-veda x 166, 9; Atharva-veda] etc.
5) [v.s. ...] the number ‘four’
6) [v.s. ...] good luck, favourable fortune, [Nalôd.]
7) Ayā (अया):—ind. ([from] [pronominal] base a = anayā), in this manner, thus, [Ṛg-veda]
8) Āya (आय):—a m. ([from] ā-√i), arrival, approach, [Ṛg-veda ii, 38, 10; Chāndogya-upaniṣad]
9) income, revenue
10) gain, profit, [Pāṇini; Manu-smṛti; Yājñavalkya; Mahābhārata; Hitopadeśa] etc.
11) the eleventh lunar mansion, [Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā]
12) a die, [Jyotiṣa]
13) the number four, [ib.]
14) Name of a kind of formulas inserted at particular occasions of a sacrifice, [Śāṅkhāyana-śrauta-sūtra] [commentator or commentary]
15) the guard of the women’s apartments, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
16) Āyā (आया):—[=ā-√yā] [Parasmaipada] -yāti, to come near or towards;
—to arrive, approach, [Ṛg-veda; Atharva-veda; Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa; Mahābhārata; Kathāsaritsāgara] etc.;
—to reach, attain, enter, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa] etc.;
—to get or fall into any state or condition;
—to be reduced to, become anything (with the [accusative] of an abstr. noun), [Harivaṃśa; Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa; Bhāgavata-purāṇa; Raghuvaṃśa etc.]
17) Āya (आय):—[from e] b etc. See p. 147, col. 3.
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.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with (+413): Aya-pada, Aya-shulka, Ayaba, Ayabadara, Ayabaya, Ayabhya, Ayabogayabo, Ayac, Ayacaka, Ayacamana, Ayacana, Ayacana Sutta, Ayacana Vagga, Ayacant, Ayacat, Ayacati, Ayachaka, Ayachana, Ayachit, Ayachita.
Ends with (+6974): A-lekhani-praveshataya, Ababa Niraya, Ababaya, Abalavasaya, Abbaya, Abbuda-niraya, Abdaparyaya, Abdaya, Abdikanirnaya, Abedavaranaya, Abhaya, Abhayupassaya, Abhedanvaya, Abhicchaya, Abhichchhaya, Abhicihnaya, Abhidharmasamuccaya, Abhidhaya, Abhigopaya, Abhijaya.
Full-text (+763): Ayas, Niraya, Ayamukha, Ayavat, Ayahkusha, Krishnayas, Ayahshaya, Ayohridaya, Ayasya, Ayoghana, Antaraya, Abhyaya, Ayojala, Pratyastamaya, Nirayavyayavat, Atyaya, Ayodat, Payati, Ayomukha, Ayahsthuna.
Relevant text
Search found 29 books and stories containing Aya, Āya, Ayā, Āyā, A-ya, Ā-yā; (plurals include: Ayas, Āyas, Ayās, Āyās, yas, yās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Sutrakritanga (by Hermann Jacobi)
Lecture 3: Knowledge of Food < [Book 2]
Manasara (English translation) (by Prasanna Kumar Acharya)
Chapter 64 - The comparative measures of images (pratimā)
Chapter 30 - The twelve-storeyed buildings (dvādaśatala or dvādaśabhūmi)
Śrī Hari-bhakti-kalpa-latikā (by Sarasvati Thkura)
Text 29 < [Second Stabaka]
Sushruta Samhita, Volume 6: Uttara-tantra (by Kaviraj Kunja Lal Bhishagratna)
Chapter LIV - Symptoms and Treatment of Worms (Krimi-roga) < [Canto III - Kaya-chikitsa-tantra (internal medicine)]
The Religion and Philosophy of Tevaram (Thevaram) (by M. A. Dorai Rangaswamy)
Chapter 89 - Thiruppunavayil or Tiruppunavayil (Hymn 50) < [Volume 3.7 - Unto the last]
Chapter 66 - Thiruvarur or Tiruvarur (Hymn 51) < [Volume 3.6 - Pilgrim’s progress: away from Otriyur and Cankili]
Chapter 2 - The Philosophy of the drama of creation < [Volume 4.2.1 - Philosophy of Nature]
The Shiva Purana (by J. L. Shastri)
Chapter 31 - Description of Creation (2) < [Section 5 - Umā-Saṃhitā]
Chapter 34 - The enumeration of Manvantaras < [Section 5 - Umā-Saṃhitā]
Chapter 15 - The Sacred rites of Nandā and Hymn to Śiva < [Section 2.2 - Rudra-saṃhitā (2): Satī-khaṇḍa]