Lauha: 17 definitions
Introduction:
Lauha means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, 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 Lauh.
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In Hinduism
Ayurveda (science of life)
Rasashastra (Alchemy and Herbo-Mineral preparations)
Lauha (लौह) is the Sanskit technical term referring to “metals”. It is used throughout Rasaśāstra literature.
Unclassified Ayurveda definitions
Lauha (लौह):—1. Element iron ferrum with chemical symbol Fe at At. no 26 2. Applied to all metals

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.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Lauha (लौह) or Loha refers to “metallic”, representing a type of material for construction of a Liṅga, according to the Śivapurāṇa 1.22 while explaining the importance of the partaking of the Naivedya of Śiva:—“[...] in regard to Bāṇaliṅga, metallic Liṅga [viz., Lauha-liṅga], Siddhaliṅga and Svayambhūliṅga and in all other idols, Caṇḍa, one of the attendants of Śiva, is not authorised. Where Caṇḍa is not authorised, the food-offering can be partaken of by men with devotion. But no man shall partake of the food-offering where Caṇḍa is authorised. [...]”.

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.
Shyanika-shastra (the science of Hawking and Hunting)
Lauha (लौह) refers to an “iron (needle)” (used in the treatment of hawks), according to the Śyainika-śāstra: a Sanskrit treatise dealing with the divisions and benefits of Hunting and Hawking, written by Rājā Rudradeva (or Candradeva) in possibly the 13th century.—Accordingly, [while discussing the treatment of hawks]: “[...] If [the inflammation] is the effect of the distemper of the phlegm, two muscles are to be pierced with a heated iron (lauha) needle. [...]”.

Shyanika-shastra (श्यैनिकशास्त्र, śyainikaśāstra) deals with ancient Indian skill of hawking/falconry (one of the ways of hunting) which were laid down in a systematic manner in various Sanskrit treatises. It also explains the philosophy behind how the pleasures derived from sense-experience could lead the way to liberation.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
lauha (लौह).—a S Relating to iron, ferreous.
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
Lauha (लौह).—a. (-hī f.) [लोहमेव लोहस्य विकारः अण् (lohameva lohasya vikāraḥ aṇ)]
1) Made of iron, iron.
2) Coppery.
3) Metallic.
4) Copper-coloured, red.
-ham 1 Iron; लौहभारसहस्रेण निर्मिता निरकारि मे (lauhabhārasahasreṇa nirmitā nirakāri me) Bk. 15.54.
2) Meat of a red goat; कालशाकं च लौहं चाप्यानन्त्यं छाग उच्यते (kālaśākaṃ ca lauhaṃ cāpyānantyaṃ chāga ucyate) Mahābhārata (Bombay) 13.88.1.
-hī A kettle; ददृशुर्विस्मिता- स्तत्र नरा लौहीः सहस्त्रशः (dadṛśurvismitā- statra narā lauhīḥ sahastraśaḥ) Rām.2.91.68.
Lauha (लौह).—mfn.
(-haḥ-hī-haṃ) 1. Iron, made of iron, copper, &c. 2. Red, coppercoloured. m.
(-haḥ) Iron. f. (-hī) An iron vessel, a pot. E. lauha iron, and aṇ deriv. aff.
Lauha (लौह).—i. e. loha, I. adj. Made of iron, [Johnson's Selections from the Mahābhārata.] 15, 55(?). Ii. m. Iron, [Rāmāyaṇa] 2, 59, 41. ([Hitopadeśa] ii. [distich] 38, read loha; cf. Böhtl. Ind. Spr. 2771.)
Lauha (लौह).—[feminine] ī coppery, metallic, red; [neuter] metal, [especially] iron.
1) Lauha (लौह):—mf(ī)n. ([from] loha) made of copper or iron or any metal, coppery, iron, metallic, [Gṛhya-sūtra and śrauta-sūtra; Mahābhārata] etc.
2) red, [Mahābhārata]
3) belonging to or coming from the red-coloured goat, [Mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇa]
4) Lauhā (लौहा):—[from lauha] f. a metal or iron cooking-pot, kettle, pan, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
5) Lauha (लौह):—n. iron, metal, [Bhaṭṭi-kāvya]
Lauha (लौह):—(haḥ) 1. m. Iron. f. (hā) Iron pot.
Lauha (लौह):—(von loha)
1) adj. (f. ī) a) kupfern, metallen gaṇa rājatādi zu [Pāṇini’s acht Bücher 4, 3, 154.] [Kātyāyana’s Śrautasūtrāṇi 7, 4, 34. 20, 7, 1.] lauha, āyasa [4.] kṣura [ĀŚV. GṚHY. 1, 17, 9.] piṇḍa [Yājñavalkya’s Gesetzbuch 2, 105.] bhājana [Mahābhārata 3, 1129. 15, 728.] ābharaṇa [Rāmāyaṇa Gorresio 1, 60, 12.] [Suśruta 1, 23, 20. 65, 15.] kumbha [2, 12, 9.] nāḍī [121, 9.] pātra [Varāhamihira’s Bṛhajjātaka S. 77, 2.] pratimā [Bhāgavatapurāṇa 11, 27, 12.] [WEBER, KṚṢṆAJ. 273] (fälschlich lohī die Hdschr.). nigaḍa [Mārkāṇḍeyapurāṇa 14, 60.] tulā [Kathāsaritsāgara 60, 248.] — b) von der rothen Ziege kommend: āmiṣa [Mārkāṇḍeyapurāṇa 32, 7.] — c) = loha roth: kālaśākaṃ ca lauhaṃ (lauhaṃ kāñcanavṛkṣajaṃ puṣpādiśākam [Nīlakaṇṭha]; wir verbessern lauhaścā und verbinden lauhaḥ mit chāgaḥ) cāpyānantyaṃ chāga ucyate [Mahābhārata 13, 4249.] ajena (ājena ed. Bomb.) vāpi lauhena [4252.] varāhasya lauhasya (lohasya ed. Bomb.) [1, 5369.] —
2) f. ā Kessel, ein metallener Kochtopf [Śabdacandrikā im Śabdakalpadruma] —
3) n. = loha Metall [Amarakoṣa 2, 9, 99.] [Spr. 1263, v. l. 2771, v. l.] [Weber’s Verzeichniss No. 974.] Eisen [Amarakoṣa 3, 4, 13, 56.] [Bhaṭṭikavya 15, 54.] — Vgl. tri .
Lauha (लौह):——
1) Adj. (f. ī) — a) kupfern , metallen [Āpastamba’s Dharmasūtra] — b) roth. — c) von der rothen Ziege kommend. —
2) f. ā Kessel , ein metallener Kochtopf. —
3) Metall , insbes. Eisen.
Lauha (लौह) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Loha.
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
Lauha (लौह) [Also spelled lauh]:—(nm) iron; (a) made of iron; ferrous; ~[kāra] a blacksmith; ~[kiṭṭa] rust of iron; ~[cūrṇa] iron filings; —[paṭa] iron curtain; —[pātra] ironware; —[puruṣa] an iron man; ~[maya] ferric, ferrate; abounding in iron; —[yuga] iron age; ~[sāra] steel.
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Lauha (ಲೌಹ):—[adjective] made of metal in gen. 2) mde of iron or copper.
--- OR ---
Lauha (ಲೌಹ):—
1) [noun] a metal in gen.
2) [noun] iron.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Lauha (लौह):—n. iron; adj. 1. of/relating to iron; made of iron. copper, etc.; 2. red;
Nepali is the primary language of the Nepalese people counting almost 20 million native speakers. The country of Nepal is situated in the Himalaya mountain range to the north of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with (+9): Lauhabandha, Lauhabhanda, Lauhabhasma, Lauhabhisarikaprayoga, Lauhabhu, Lauhacaraka, Lauhacarya, Lauhadanda, Lauhagraha, Lauhagudika, Lauhaja, Lauhakalpa, Lauhakara, Lauhakari, Lauhala, Lauhalinga, Lauhamala, Lauhamrita, Lauhaparpati, Lauhapradipa.
Full-text (+250): Lauhatman, Lauhabhanda, Lauhabhu, Lauhashanku, Lauhashastra, Kalalauha, Lauhakara, Lauhabandha, Lauhapradipa, Candralauha, Kantalauha, Lauhamala, Lauhaja, Lauhacaraka, Yakridarilauha, Kitta, Trilauha, Lauhabhasma, Rasayanamritalauha, Lauhasara.
Relevant text
Search found 35 books and stories containing Lauha, Lauhā, Lauhas; (plurals include: Lauhas, Lauhās, Lauhases). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
International Research Journal of Ayurveda and Yoga
A Review on Literary Aspect of “Kanta Lauha” < [Vol. 5 No. 3: March (2022)]
To Evaluate The Comparative Study Of Navayas Lauha With Controlled Known Drug... < [Vol. 3 No. 12: Dec (2020)]
A Literary Study On Clinical Management On Pandu Vyadhi: A Brief Review < [Vol. 4 No. 3: March (2021)]
Yajnavalkya-smriti with Mitakshara and Viramitrodaya (by J. R. Gharpure)
Verse 2.105 < [Chapter 7 - Of the Ordeals (divya)]
World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
Prameha – a penalty for faulty pattern of life < [2023: Volume 12, February issue 3]
Study of Shatavari-Mandur vs Madhukadi-Lauham in Garbhini-Pandu. < [2021: Volume 10, March issue 3]
Critical review of Rasaratna Samucchaya, Indian alchemy treatise. < [2023: Volume 12, August issue 13]
An introduction to abhinava chintamani an ayurveda treatise from orissa < [Volume 10 (issue 1), Jul-Sep 1990]
Review of Rasaratna Samuccaya: A Comprehensive Text on Indian Alchemy < [Volume 36 (issue 1), Jul-Sep 2016]
Standardization and bioavailability of Lauha Bhasma: Part 1. < [Volume 15 (issue 2), Oct-Dec 1995]
Journal of Ayurveda and Integrated Medical Sciences
Critical review of Rasa Ratna Samuchchaya w.s.r. to its Rasaprabha Teeka < [Vol. 8 No. 4 (2023)]
Utility of Navayasa Lauha as a Herbo-mineral Preparation in Modifying Various... < [Vol. 10 No. 2 (2025)]
Pharmaceutical Standardization of Saptamrita Lauha < [Vol. 1 No. 03 (2016)]
Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (by Rajendralala Mitra)



