Ayu, Āyu: 18 definitions
Introduction
Introduction:
Ayu means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, Buddhism, Pali, 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 Aayu.
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: Wisdom Library: Bhagavata PuranaĀyu (आयु):—One of the six sons of Purūravā (son of Budha) by the womb of Urvaśī. His sons were called Nahuṣa, Kṣatravṛddha, Rajī, Rābha and Anenā. (see Bhāgavata Purāṇa 9.15.1, 9.17.1-3)
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index1a) Āyu (आयु).—A son of Prāṇa and Ūrjasvatī: a Vasu;1 Father of Vaitaṇḍya and others.2
1b) The son of Puruhotra, and father of Sātvata.*
- * Bhāgavata-purāṇa IX. 24. 6.
1c) One of the six sons of Purūravas and Urvaśī; wife Prabhā, Rāhu's daughter; father of five sons, Nahuṣa, Vṛddhaśarman, Rāju, Dambha, and Vipāpman, all of them expert warriors.*
- * Bhāgavata-purāṇa IX. 15. 1; 17. 1; Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 66. 22, 90; 67. 1; Matsya-purāṇa 24. 33-5; Vāyu-purāṇa 91. 51; Viṣṇu-purāṇa IV. 6. 73; 7. 1; 8. 1-3.
1d) A son of Kṛṣṇa and Bhadrā.*
- * Bhāgavata-purāṇa X. 61. 17.
1e) The sage presiding over the month of puṣya.*
- * Bhāgavata-purāṇa XII. 11. 42.
1f) (Śuci Agni). Father of Mahiṣa.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 12. 38-40.
1g) A carakādhvaryu.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 33. 13.
1h) The Agni that lives in paśu.*
- * Vāyu-purāṇa 29. 37.
1i) A son of Aṅgirasa; father of Amāvasu.*
- * Vāyu-purāṇa 65. 105; 73. 5.
Āyu (आयु) is a name mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. I.90.7) and represents one of the many proper names used for people and places. Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Āyu) is a Sanskrit epic poem consisting of 100,000 ślokas (metrical verses) and is over 2000 years old.
Source: Shodhganga: The saurapurana - a critical studyĀyu (आयु) or Āyus is one of the six sons of Aila Purūravas, according to the Vaṃśānucarita section of the 10th century Saurapurāṇa: one of the various Upapurāṇas depicting Śaivism.—Accordingly, [...] Aila Purūravas, the most illustrious pious king gets married to Urvaśī, the heavenly damsel who is cursed by Brahmā to spend sometime here on earth. Purūravas begets on her six sons—Āyu, Mayu, Amāyu, Viśvāyu, Śatāyu and Śrutāyu. All these are celebrated like Semi-divine beings (devayonaya). Āyu got married to the daughter of Svarbhānu and became the father of five sons who were quite famous and well known. Nahuṣa was the eldest of them.

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.
In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Source: Encyclopedia of Jainism: Tattvartha Sutra 8: Bondage of karmasĀyu (आयु) refers to “lifespan determining (karmas)” and represents one of the eight types of Prakṛti-bandha (species bondage): one of the four kinds of bondage (bandha) according to the 2nd-century Tattvārthasūtra chapter 8.—Accordingly, “what is meant by lifespan determining karma (āyu)? The karmas which give the living body existence in the four destinies (hell, heaven, human and sub human) are called lifespan determining karma”.
There are of four different types of life determining (āyu) karma:
- heavenly/celestial realms or states of existence (deva or devāyu),
- infernal /hellish realms or states of existence (naraka or nārakāyu),
- human realms or states of existence (manuṣya or manuṣyāyu),
- sub-human realms or states of existence (animal and plant) (tiryañca or tiryañcāyu).
Out of the four realms which destinies are the auspicious and/or inauspicious? The three realms i.e. heavenly, human and sub-human are auspicious and the heavenly realm is inauspicious.

Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.
Languages of India and abroad
Pali-English dictionary
Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionaryāyu : (nt.) age.
Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English DictionaryĀyu, (nt.) (Vedic āyus; Av. āyu, gradation form of same root as Gr. ai)w/n “aeon”, ai)έn always; Lat. aevum, Goth. aiws. Ohg. ēwa, io always; Ger. ewig eternal; Ags. āē eternity, ā always (cp. ever and aye)) life, vitality, duration of life, longevity D. III, 68, 69, 73, 77; S. III, 143 (usmā ca); IV, 294; A. I, 155; II, 63, 66 (addh°); III, 47; IV, 76, 139; Sn. 694, 1019; It. 89; J. I, 197 (dīgh°); Vv 555 (cp. VvA. 247 with its definition of divine life as comprising 30 600 000 years); Vism. 229 (length of man’s āyu = 100 years); Dhs. 19, 82, 295, 644, 716; Sdhp. 234, 239, 258.—Long or divine life, dibbaṃ āyu is one of the 10 attributes of ādhipateyya or majesty (see ṭhāna), thus at Vin. I, 294; D. III, 146; S. IV, 275 sq. ; A. I, 115; III, 33; IV, 242, 396; Pv. II, 959 (= jīvitaṃ PvA. 136).

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 Dictionaryāyu (आयु).—n S The term or period of life, life-time.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishāyu (आयु).—n Life-time.
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 dictionaryĀyu (आयु).—a. [i-ṭhaṇ Uṇ.1.2] Ved. Living, going, movable.
-yuḥ 1 A living being, man.
2) Mankind, human race.
3) Living beings taken collectively.
4) The first man.
5) Life, duration of life.
6) Wind, अहं केशरिणः क्षेत्रे वायुना जगदायुना (ahaṃ keśariṇaḥ kṣetre vāyunā jagadāyunā) Mb.
7) A son, descendant, offspring.
8) The son of Purūravas and Urvaśī.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryĀyu (आयु).—mn. (-yuḥ-yu) Age, duration of life. E. ay to go, Unadi affix ḍu.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryĀyu (आयु).—1. [adjective] living, lively, active; [masculine] living creature, man, mankind.
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Āyu (आयु).—2. [masculine] the genius of life; [neuter] life.
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Āyu (आयु).—draw onwards or towards, seize, occupy, get, procure, mix, mingle.
Āyu is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms ā and yu (यु).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Āyu (आयु):—[=ā-yu] 1. ā-√2. yu [Ātmanepada] (ā-yuvate, [Ṛg-veda ix, 77, 2]; [perfect tense] -yuyuve, [Ṛg-veda i, 138, 1]; p. -yuvamāna, [Ṛg-veda i, 582, and] -yuvāna, [Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa ix, 4, 1, 8])
—to draw or pull towards one’s self;
—to seize, take possession of [Ṛg-veda; Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa; Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa];
—to procure, provide, produce, [Taittirīya-saṃhitā];
—to stir up, agitate, mingle, [Mānava-śrauta-sūtra] and, [Mānava-gṛhya-sūtra] :
—[Intensive] (p. -yoyuvāna, [Ṛg-veda iv, 1, 11]) to meddle with.
2) 2. āyu mfn. ([from] √i, [Uṇādi-sūtra i, 2]), living, movable, [Ṛg-veda; Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā]
3) m. a living being, man
4) living beings collectively, mankind, [Ṛg-veda]
5) son, descendant, offspring
6) family, lineage, [Ṛg-veda]
7) a divine personification presiding over life, [Ṛg-veda x, 17, 4]
8) Name of fire (as the son of Purūravas and Urvaśī), [Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā; Mahābhārata; Harivaṃśa] (cf. āyus)
9) Name of a man persecuted by Indra, [Ṛg-veda]
10) Name of several other men, [Mahābhārata; Harivaṃśa] etc.
11) Name of a king of frogs, [Mahābhārata]
12) n. ([and (us) m., [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]]) life, duration of life, [Ṛg-veda iii, 3, 7; ix, 100, 1.]
[Sanskrit to German] (Deutsch Wörterbuch)
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Böhtlingk and Roth Grosses Petersburger WörterbuchĀyu (आयु):—
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Āyu (आयु):—2. (wie eben) Leben, Lebenszeit: va.saṃ na pūrva.āyuni jā.aṃ rihanti mā.araḥ [Ṛgveda 9, 100, 1.] agne.jarasva svapa.ya āyuni [3, 3, 6.] āyuśeṣatā (āyuḥśe?) [Pañcatantra 127, 3.] Nach den [Scholiast] zu [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 1369] : m., nach [JĀṬĀDH. im Śabdakalpadruma] : m. n. — Vgl. āyus, adabdhāyu, kṣitāyu, dīrghāyu, viśvāyu, vṛddhāyu, sarvāyu .
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Āyu (आयु):—, davor 1. hinzuzufügen. —
2) c) [Kāṭhaka-Recension.8,10.] [Oxforder Handschriften 50,a,29.] — d) γ) lies [Vālakhilya 4.] — ζ) Āyu Kāṇva [Weber’s Indische Studien.3,206,a.] — η) ein Sohn Kṛṣṇa’s [Bhāgavatapurāṇa 10, 61, 17.]
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 (+235): Ayu Sutta, Ayu-kalpa, Ayuddha, Ayuddhasena, Ayuddhavi, Ayuddhvi, Ayudh, Ayudha, Ayudhabhrit, Ayudhadharmini, Ayudhadharmmini, Ayudhagar, Ayudhagara, Ayudhagaranara, Ayudhagarika, Ayudhajivin, Ayudhapala, Ayudhapariksha, Ayudhapishachika, Ayudhapishaci.
Ends with (+205): Abayu, Abhyayu, Achyutayu, Acyutayu, Adabdhayu, Addhayu, Adevayu, Adhijarayu, Adhovayu, Advayu, Aghayu, Ajamayu, Ajarayu, Alikayu, Alpashayu, Alpasnayu, Amayu, Ambayu, Amitayu, Amitrayu.
Full-text (+311): Ayus, Nahusa, Ayusha, Ayurvedamaya, Purushayus, Ayustejas, Ayur, Svayus, Ayushtoma, Ayurdravya, Ayushkara, Havanayus, Shatayus, Ayushkrit, Ayurvedin, Ayurveda, Alpayus, Sthirayu, Ayurdaya, Samayu.
Relevant text
Search found 50 books and stories containing Ayu, Āyu, A-yu, Ā-yu; (plurals include: Ayus, Āyus, yus). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Satapatha Brahmana (by Julius Eggeling)
Additions and Corrections to volume 2 (kāṇḍa 3-4) < [Additions and Corrections]
Kāṇḍa XII, adhyāya 2, brāhmaṇa 3 < [Twelfth Kāṇḍa]
Kāṇḍa VII, adhyāya 2, brāhmaṇa 1 < [Seventh Kāṇḍa]
Sushruta Samhita, volume 2: Nidanasthana (by Kaviraj Kunja Lal Bhishagratna)
Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)
Story of the punishment of a bhikṣu who confused dhyāna and fruits of the Path < [Part 5 - The virtue of meditation]
Appendix 1 - Pūrṇavardhana or Puṇḍravardhana (city and district of Bengal) < [Chapter V - Rājagṛha]
Part 7 - Inner Generosity < [Chapter XIX - The Characteristics of Generosity]
The Brahmanda Purana (by G.V. Tagare)
Chapter 2 - The Legend of Naimiṣāraṇya < [Section 1 - Prakriyā-pāda (section on rites)]
Chapter 12 - The race of Agni < [Section 2 - Anuṣaṅga-pāda]
Chapter 67 - The origin of Dhanvantari < [Section 3 - Upodghāta-pāda]
The Vishnu Purana (by Horace Hayman Wilson)
Chapter VIII - Lineage of Ayu and origin of Dhanvantari < [Book IV]
Chapter IX - Battle of Raji and Daityas < [Book IV]
Chapter XIX - Dynasty of Puru < [Book IV]
The Mahabharata (English) (by Kisari Mohan Ganguli)
Section CXLIII < [Jayadratha-Vadha Parva]
Section LXXV < [Sambhava Parva]
Section XCV < [Sambhava Parva]