Harini, aka: Hariṇī, Hariṇi; 10 Definition(s)

Introduction

Harini means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi. 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.

In Hinduism

Rasashastra (chemistry and alchemy)

Hariṇī (हरिणी):—One of the sixty-eight Rasauṣadhi, very powerful drugs known to be useful in alchemical processes related to mercury (rasa), according to Rasaprakāśa-sudhākara (chapter 9).

context information

Rasashastra (रसशास्त्र, rasaśāstra) is an important branch of Ayurveda, specialising in chemical interactions with herbs, metals and minerals. Some texts combine yogic and tantric practices with various alchemical operations. The ultimate goal of Rasashastra is not only to preserve and prolong life, but also to bestow wealth upon humankind.

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Hariṇī (हरिणी).—A daughter of Hiraṇyakaśipu, also called Rohiṇī. She was married to Viśvapati, an Asura. Vana Parva, 211, 18).

Hariṇī (हरिणी).—Mother of Hari, in the Tāmasa epoch.^*

• * Bhāgavata-purāṇa VIII. 1. 30; Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 3. 116.

context information

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.

Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)

Hariṇī (हरिणी) is another name for Vṛṣabhaceṣṭita, which refers to a type of syllabic metre (vṛtta), according to the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 16. In this metre, the first five, the eleventh, the thirteenth, the fourteenth, and the sixteenth syllables of a foot (pāda) are light (laghu), while the rest of the syllables are heavy (guru).

⏑⏑⏑¦⏑⏑⎼¦⎼⎼⎼¦⎼⏑⎼¦⏑⏑⎼¦⏑⎼¦¦⏑⏑⏑¦⏑⏑⎼¦⎼⎼⎼¦⎼⏑⎼¦⏑⏑⎼¦⏑⎼¦¦
⏑⏑⏑¦⏑⏑⎼¦⎼⎼⎼¦⎼⏑⎼¦⏑⏑⎼¦⏑⎼¦¦⏑⏑⏑¦⏑⏑⎼¦⎼⎼⎼¦⎼⏑⎼¦⏑⏑⎼¦⏑⎼¦¦

Hariṇī falls in the Atyaṣṭi class of chandas (rhythm-type), which implies that verses constructed with this metre have four pādas (‘foot’ or ‘quarter-verse’) containing seventeen syllables each.

Hariṇī (हरिणी) is the name of a Sanskrit metre (chandas) of the Vṛtta-type (akṣarachandas: metres regulated by akṣaras, syllabes).—The metre, Hariṇī contains seventeen syllables in each and every quarter and it possesses the gaṇas viz. na, sa, ma, ra, and sa. This metre is found to be employed in the Śrīkaṇṭhacarita.

context information

Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (śāstra) of performing arts, (nāṭya, e.g., theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing dramatic plays (nataka) and poetic works (kavya).

Vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar)

Hariṇi (हरिणि).—Name of a kind of svarabhakti when r (र् (r)) followed by s (श् (ś)) and s (स् (s)) is read as र (ra) + इ (i) +श् (ś) and र (ra) + इ (i) +स् (s) respectively.

Chandas (prosody, study of Sanskrit metres)

1) Hariṇī (हरिणी) refers to one of the 27 metres mentioned in the Suvṛttatilaka ascribed to Kṣemendra (11th century). The Suvṛttatilaka is a monumental work of Sanskrit prosody considered as unique in its nature. In this work Kṣemendra neither introduces any new metre nor discusses all the metres used in his time. He discusses 27 popular metres (eg., Hariṇī) which were used frequently by the poets.

2) Hariṇī (हरिणी) is the alternative name of a Sanskrit metre (chandas) mentioned by Hemacandra (1088-1173 C.E.) in his auto-commentary on the second chapter of the Chandonuśāsana. Hariṇī corresponds to Vṛṣabhalalita. Hemacandra gives these alternative names for the metres by other authorities (like Bharata), even though the number of gaṇas or letters do not differ.

3) Hariṇī (हरिणी) refers to one of the 135 metres (chandas) mentioned by Nañjuṇḍa (1794-1868 C.E.) in his Vṛttaratnāvalī. Nañjuṇḍa was a poet of both Kannada and Sanskrit literature flourished in the court of the famous Kṛṣṇarāja Woḍeyar of Mysore. He introduces the names of these metres (eg., Hariṇī) in 20 verses.

4) Hariṇī (हरिणी) refers to one of the 130 varṇavṛttas (syllabo-quantitative verse) dealt with in the second chapter of the Vṛttamuktāvalī, ascribed to Durgādatta (19th century), author of eight Sanskrit work and patronised by Hindupati: an ancient king of the Bundela tribe (presently Bundelkhand of Uttar Pradesh). A Varṇavṛtta (eg., hariṇī) refers to a type of classical Sanskrit metre depending on syllable count where the light-heavy patterns are fixed.

5) Hariṇī (हरिणी) refers to one of the 34 varṇavṛttas (syllabo-quantitative verse) dealt with in the Vṛttamaṇimañjūṣā, whose authorship could be traced (also see the “New Catalogus Catalogorum” XXXI. p. 7).

6) Hariṇī (हरिणी) refers to one of the seventy-two sama-varṇavṛtta (regular syllabo-quantitative verse) mentioned in the 334th chapter of the Agnipurāṇa. The Agnipurāṇa deals with various subjects viz. literature, poetics, grammar, architecture in its 383 chapters and deals with the entire science of prosody (eg., the hariṇī metre) in 8 chapters (328-335) in 101 verses in total.

context information

Chandas (छन्दस्) refers to Sanskrit prosody and represents one of the six Vedangas (auxiliary disciplines belonging to the study of the Vedas). The science of prosody (chandas-shastra) focusses on the study of the poetic meters such as the commonly known twenty-six metres mentioned by Pingalas.

Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

hariṇī (हरिणी).—f (S) A doe. 2 An individual of one of the four classes of womankind. See citriṇī 3 A form of metre.

hariṇī (हरिणी).—f A doe.

Sanskrit-English dictionary

Hariṇī (हरिणी).—

1) A female deer, doe; चकितहरिणीप्रेक्षणा (cakitahariṇīprekṣaṇā) Me.84; R.9.55;14.69.

2) One of the four classes of women (also called citriṇī q. v.).

3) Yellow jasmine.

4) A good golden image.

5) Name of a metre.

6) The green colour.

7) Turmeric.

8) Madder.

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