Indu, Imdu: 22 definitions
Introduction:
Indu means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India, Marathi, Jainism, Prakrit, 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.
Images (photo gallery)
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index1a) Indu (इन्दु).—A name of Soma (s.v.).*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 19. 134; 37. 44; III. 65. 21; Vāyu-purāṇa 63. 41; Viṣṇu-purāṇa I. 15. 77.
1b) The son of Viśvaga.*
- * Matsya-purāṇa 12. 29.
1c) Moon—married the 27 mānasa daughters of Dakṣa.*
- * Vāyu-purāṇa 63. 41.
Indu (इन्दु) is a name mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. I.60.12) and represents one of the many proper names used for people and places. Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Indu) 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: archive.org: Vagbhata’s Ashtanga Hridaya Samhita (first 5 chapters)1) Indu (इन्दु) is the author of the Śaśilekhā: a commentary on the Aṣṭāṅgahṛdayasaṃhitā: one of the three great works of Vāgbhaṭa.—The Aṣṭāṅgahṛdayasaṃhitā consists only of verses. The eight-fold division is observed in the Aṣṭāṅgahṛdayasaṃhitā too, though not as strictly as in the Aṣṭāṅgasaṃgraha. Numerous commentaries on the Aṣṭāṅgahṛdayasaṃhitā [viz., Indu’s Śaśilekhā], many of them unedited so far, can be traced in manuscripts, catalogues, publishers’ lists, etc.
Tradition makes Indu a pupil of Vāgbhaṭa, and his referring to the author of the Aṣṭāṅgahṛdayasaṃhitā simply as “Master” (Ācārya) seems to point in the same direction. What is more, a contemporary of Vāgbhaṭa by the name of Indu, or rather Indukara, is quite familiar to us; he is the father of Mādhavakara, the renowned author of the Mādhavanidāna, which can hardly have been written later than the 7th century. [...] Judging by the fact that he expressly defines Āndhra and Draviḍa as the names of two southern peoples or kingdoms and repeatedly mentions Kashmirian terms for particular plants, he is likely to have been a Northerner and a native of Kashmir.
Indu also wrote a commentary on the Aṣṭāṅgasaṃgraha, which bears the same title and follows the wording of the former wherever Aṣṭāṅgahṛdayasaṃhitā and Aṣṭāṅgasaṃgraha agree with each other. This work is frequently mentioned as “Indumatī” in Niścalakara’s Ratnaprabhā.
2) Indu (इन्दु) refers to the “moon”, as mentioned in verse 3.30 of the Aṣṭāṅgahṛdayasaṃhitā (Sūtrasthāna) by Vāgbhaṭa.—Accordingly, “[...] One shall eat rice (that is) white like jasmine and the moon [viz., indu], (together) with the meat of game. One shall drink broth (that is) not too thick, rasālā, curds, raga and khāṇḍava syrup, [...]”.

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.
Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)
Source: Wisdom Library: Brihat Samhita by VarahamihiraIndu (इन्दु) refers to the “moon (candra)”, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 4), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “The moon (candra) [i.e., indu] is always below (nearer to the Earth than) the sun. It is spherical in shape. One half of it is always illumined by the light of the sun, while the other half is dark owing to its own shadow, just like a pot placed in the sun. The rays of the sun falling on the watery moon remove the darkness of the night (on Earth) just in the same way as light reflected from a mirror (placed in the sun) removes the darkness (from) within a room”.

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.
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram (shaivism)Indu (इन्दु) refers to “(white like the) moon”, according to the Śrīmatottara-tantra, an expansion of the Kubjikāmatatantra: the earliest popular and most authoritative Tantra of the Kubjikā cult. Accordingly, “O goddess, Svacchanda is in the middle, within the abode of the triangle. Very powerful, he has five faces with three times five flaming eyes. [...] Īśāna is the upper face. Both supreme and inferior, its nature is creation. (White) like snow, jasmine and the moon [i.e., hima-kunda-indu-saṃkāśa], it is stainless like pure crystal. It nourishes the entire universe with its moon rays as it rains in a great torrent a stream of nectar-like (bliss). Contemplating Īśāna (in this way) one attains (all eight) yogic powers. [...]”.

Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.
India history and geography
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical GlossaryIndu.—(IE 7-12), ‘one’. Note: indu 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
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionaryindu (इंदु).—m S The moon. induvāra or induvāsara m S Monday.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishindu (इंदु).—m The moon. induvāra-vāsara m Monday.
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 dictionaryIndu (इन्दु).—[unatti kledayati candrikayā bhuvanaṃ und-u ādericca Uṇādi-sūtra 1.12]
1) The moon; दिलीप इति राजेन्दुरिन्दुः क्षीरनिधाविव (dilīpa iti rājendurinduḥ kṣīranidhāviva) R.1.12 (indu is said to mean in the Veda a drop of Soma juice, a bright drop or spark; sutāsa indavaḥ Ṛgveda 1.16.6).
2) The मृगशिरस् (mṛgaśiras) Nakṣatra.
3) (in Math.) The number 'one'.
4) Camphor.
5) The point on a die; तेभ्यो व इन्दवो हविषा विधेम (tebhyo va indavo haviṣā vidhema) Av.7.19.6.
6) Designation of the अनुस्वार (anusvāra). (pl.)
1) The periodical changes of the moon.
2) The time of moon-light, night.
Derivable forms: induḥ (इन्दुः).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryIndu (इन्दु).—m.
(-nduḥ) 1. The moon. 2. Camphor. E. und to wet or moisten; u Unadi affix and the initial changed to i.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryIndu (इन्दु).—m. The moon, [Rāmāyaṇa] 3, 50, 12.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryIndu (इन्दु).—[masculine] a drop, [especially] of Soma; the drop or spark in the sky, i.e. the moon.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum1) Indu (इन्दु) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—a writer on botany. Quoted by Kṣīrasvāmin on Amarakośa.
2) Indu (इन्दु):—a grammarian. Quoted in Mādhavīyadhātuvṛtti. See Indumitra.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Indu (इन्दु):—m. (√und, [Uṇādi-sūtra i, 13]; probably [from] ind = √und, ‘to drop’ [see p. 165, col. 3, and cf. indra]; perhaps connected with bindu, which last is unknown in the Ṛg-veda, [Boehtlingk & Roth’s Sanskrit-Woerterbuch]), [Vedic or Veda] a drop (especially of Soma), Soma, [Ṛg-veda; Atharva-veda; Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā]
2) a bright drop, a spark, [Taittirīya-saṃhitā]
3) the moon
4) m. [plural] (avas) the moons id est. the periodic changes of the moon
5) time of moonlight, night, [Ṛg-veda; Mahābhārata; Śakuntalā; Meghadūta] etc.
6) camphor, [Bhāvaprakāśa]
7) the point on a die, [Atharva-veda vii, 109, 6]
8) Name of Vāstoṣpati, [Ṛg-veda vii, 54, 2]
9) a symbolic expression for the number ‘one’
10) designation of the Anusvāra
11) a coin, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.] (In the Brāhmaṇas, indu is used only for the moon; but the connexion between the meanings ‘Soma juice’ and ‘moon’ in the word indu has led to the same two ideas being transferred in classical Sanskṛt to the word soma, although the latter has properly only the sense ‘Soma juice.’)
12) the weight of a silver Pala, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryIndu (इन्दु):—(nduḥ) 2. m. The moon.
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)Indu (इन्दु) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Iṃdu.
[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 dictionaryIndu in Hindi refers in English to:—(nm) see '[camdrama]'..—indu (इंदु) is alternatively transliterated as Iṃdu.
...
Prakrit-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionaryIṃdu (इंदु) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Indu.
Prakrit is an ancient language closely associated with both Pali and Sanskrit. Jain literature is often composed in this language or sub-dialects, such as the Agamas and their commentaries which are written in Ardhamagadhi and Maharashtri Prakrit. The earliest extant texts can be dated to as early as the 4th century BCE although core portions might be older.
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusIṃḍu (ಇಂಡು):—[verb] to call or cry aloud; to shout.
--- OR ---
Iṃḍu (ಇಂಡು):—[noun] = ಇಂಡೆ [imde]1.
--- OR ---
Iṃdu (ಇಂದು):—
1) [noun] the present day; to-day.
2) [noun] the present time or period.
3) [noun] ಇಂದುತನಕ [imdutanaka] indutanaka till to-day; 2. till recently or present time; ಇಂದುಮೊದಲ್ [imdumodal] indu modal from to-day onwards; henceforth; ಇಂದುವರಂ [imduvaram] induvaram = ಇಂದುತನಕ [imdutanaka]; ಇಂದುವರೆ [imduvare] induvare = ಇಂದುತನಕ [imdutanaka].
--- OR ---
Iṃdu (ಇಂದು):—
1) [adverb] on this day.
2) [adverb] in the present time; now-a-days.
--- OR ---
Iṃdu (ಇಂದು):—[noun] the river in South Asia, rising in South West Tibet and flowing west across Jammu and Kashmir, India, then southwest through Pakistan into the Arabian Sea; the Sindhu river.
--- OR ---
Iṃdu (ಇಂದು):—
1) [noun] the moon.
2) [noun] (math.) a symbol for the number one.
3) [noun] (pros.) a metrical foot consisting of one long syllabic instant followed by two short ones (-uu); dactylus.
--- OR ---
Iṃdu (ಇಂದು):—[noun] the tree Corypha umbraculifera of Aracaceae family; umbrella palm.
--- OR ---
Īṃdu (ಈಂದು):—[noun] the palm tree, Phoenix sylvestris ( = Elate sylvestris) of Arecaceae family; toddy palm.
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 (+93): Imducuda, Imdudhara, Imdudidhiti, Imdudyuti, Imdughamtarava, Imduhasa, Imdujuta, Imdukale, Imdukamtopala, Imdulamchana, Imdulekhacuda, Imdulekhe, Imdupala, Imduppu, Imdurekhe, Imduroci, Imduruci, Imduti, Imduttaravadimsaga, Indu bhatta.
Ends with (+188): Abalendu, Abbindu, Abimdu, Abvindu, Adhobindu, Adhyatmabindu, Agnibindu, Agnivindu, Ajabindu, Ajavindu, Amcevimdu, Amdhabimdu, Amritabindu, Amritavindu, Anandabindu, Aradivimdu, Aragilivimdu, Ardhendu, Arkendu, Ashtamimdu.
Full-text (+311): Sindhu, Saindhava, Induratna, Indulohaka, Indukamala, Induvalli, Indubhrit, Indukala, Paresindhu, Lohaka, Indumani, Induvrata, Indumati, Indujanaka, Indushekhara, Krumu, Imdu, Indukanta, Sindhunada, Upasindhu.
Relevant text
Search found 85 books and stories containing Indu, Imdu, Iṃdu, Iṃḍu, Iṇḍu, Īṃdu, Īndu; (plurals include: Indus, Imdus, Iṃdus, Iṃḍus, Iṇḍus, Īṃdus, Īndus). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Emergence of the New Indian Women: Shashi < [April – June, 2006]
Martial Dissonance in R. P. Jhabvala’s The < [July – September, 2007]
The Religion of the World < [April – June, 1993]
Complete works of Swami Abhedananda (by Swami Prajnanananda)
Appendix 1 - Prehistoric Indus Civilization < [Discourse 1 - India and Her People]
Chapter 2 - The Religion of India Today < [Discourse 1 - India and Her People]
Appendix 2 - Indian Art in all its Phases < [Discourse 1 - India and Her People]
Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi (by Ganganatha Jha)
Verse 3.87 < [Section VII - Duties of the Householder]
Rig Veda (translation and commentary) (by H. H. Wilson)
Bhesajjakkhandhaka (Chapter on Medicine) (by Hin-tak Sik)
History of Indian Medicine (a): Pre-Vedic Phase < [Chapter 2 - Background Information]
History of Indian Medicine—Up to the Buddha’s Time < [Chapter 2 - Background Information]
History of Indian Medicine (b): Vedic Phase < [Chapter 2 - Background Information]
A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms (by Fa-Hien)