Punyaha, Punya-aha, Puṇyāha: 17 definitions
Introduction:
Punyaha 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
Vastushastra (architecture)
Puṇyāha (पुण्याह).—After a site is selected as suitable for construction, the sthapati offers a sacrifice, and causes the pronouncement of the formula of benediction, puṇyāha, “this is an auspicious day”, to the sounding of musical instruments. He repeatedly whispers a mantra. by which he requests the spirits, demons and gods who inhabit the site to leave and find their abode elsewhere. He then takes a pot, fills it with earth mixed with cowdung white reciting mantras, and sows seeds in it. This insemination of the soil is a preliminary step to aṅkurārpaṇa, “the ritual offering of seed and sprout”.
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.
Shaivism
Puṇyāha (पुण्याह) refers to “auspicious”, according to the Netratantra of Kṣemarāja: a Śaiva text from the 9th century in which Śiva (Bhairava) teaches Pārvatī topics such as metaphysics, cosmology, and soteriology.—Accordingly, [verse 19.110-113, while describing the king’s consecration]—“[The mantrin] who is free from doubt should consecrate [the king] in a solitary place at night and on a day of auspicious protection. With auspicious cries like ‘victory!’ (jaya-puṇyāha-śabda) and the sounds of the auspicious Veda, he should consecrate [the king] with water and make oblations of white mustard seeds [while he] proclaims the name [of the king] [...]”.
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.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Puṇyāha (पुण्याह) refers to certain Mantras, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.47 (“The ceremonious entry of Śiva”).—Accordingly, as Brahmā narrated to Nārada: “[...] Waiting for the auspicious Lagna befitting marriage, Bṛhaspati and others became jubilant. Garga was seated in the place where the chronometer had been kept. The Oṃkāra Mantra was repeated during the interval before the Lagna. Repeating the Puṇyāha mantras, Garga lifted the handful of rice-grains and handing them over to Pārvatī he made her shower it on Śiva. [...]”.
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.
Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa)
Puṇyāha (पुण्याह) refers to Pāñcarātra ritual discussed in chapter 5 of the Viṣṇutilakasaṃhitā: a Pāñcarātra text comprising 3500 Sanskrit verses covering the typically “agamic” subjects which are being narrated by Brahmā to a number of sages.—Description of the chapter [puṇyāha-ādi-vidhi]: This is an exceedingly discursive chapter in style, and interpretation is thereby made the more difficult. [...] Four main topics seem to cause the various injunctions and digressions to cluster about them: puṇyāha-rites (1-100), snapana routines (102-191), a special fire-worship with intricate elaborations indicated (192-301) and balidāna during nityotsava and mahotsava times (302- 327a). [...] It is discussed how the worshipper disposes his costume during puṇyāha (1-24); how to construct and repeat the mantras used in puṇyāha-rites (30-100); how to make sūtras for water pots (122-124); how to distinguish three types of snapana-rites according to number of pots used (108-112); [...]
Pancaratra (पाञ्चरात्र, pāñcarātra) represents a tradition of Hinduism where Narayana is revered and worshipped. Closeley related to Vaishnavism, the Pancaratra literature includes various Agamas and tantras incorporating many Vaishnava philosophies.
Kama-shastra (the science of Love-making)
Puṇyāha (पुण्याह) refers to the “auspicious days” (according to astrology), according to the Vātsyāyana’s Kāmasūtra: a Sanskrit text from the 2nd century dealing with eroticism, sexuality and emotional fulfillment in life belonging to Kāmaśāstra (the ancient Indian science of love-making).—Accordingly, “[While defending the standpoint that women should be allowed to learn theoratical science] [...] Though the practice of a science is known to all, only a few persons are acquainted with the rules and laws on which the science is based. [...] Again, persons do the duties required of them on auspicious days (puṇyāha), which are fixed by astrology, though they are not acquainted with the science of astrology. [asti jyautiṣamiti puṇyāheṣu karma kurvate] [...]”.
Kamashastra (कामशास्त्र, kāmaśāstra) deals with ancient Indian science of love-making, passion, emotions and other related topics dealing with the pleasures of the senses.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
puṇyāha (पुण्याह).—n S A holy day.
puṇyāha (पुण्याह).—n A holy day.
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
Puṇyāha (पुण्याह).—(for ahan) a happy or auspicious day; पुण्याहं भवन्तो ब्रुवन्तु । अस्तु पुण्याहम् (puṇyāhaṃ bhavanto bruvantu | astu puṇyāham); पुण्याहं व्रज मङ्गलं सुदिवसं प्रातः प्रयातस्य ते (puṇyāhaṃ vraja maṅgalaṃ sudivasaṃ prātaḥ prayātasya te) Amaruśataka 61. °वाचन (vācana) repeating 'this is an auspicious day' three times at the commencement of most religious ceremonies.
Derivable forms: puṇyāham (पुण्याहम्).
Puṇyāha is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms puṇya and aha (अह).
Puṇyāha (पुण्याह).—n.
(-haṃ) A holy day. E. puṇya holy, and ahan a day.
Puṇyāha (पुण्याह).—i. e. puṇya + aha. n. A good or happy day; with vācaya, To wish somebody a happy day, Mahābhārata 2, 1240.
Puṇyāha (पुण्याह).—[neuter] a god or happy day, also = seq.
1) Puṇyāha (पुण्याह):—[from puṇya] n. a happy or auspicious day
2) [v.s. ...] wishing a person a h° or auspicious day (haṃ with √vac, [Causal] ‘to wish a person [acc.] a h° or a° day’), [Brāhmaṇa; Gṛhya-sūtra and śrauta-sūtra; Mahābhārata] etc.
Puṇyāha (पुण्याह):—[puṇyā+ha] (haṃ) 1. n. A holy day.
Puṇyāha (पुण्याह):—(puṇya + ahan) n. [Pāṇini’s acht Bücher 5, 4, 90. 2, 4, 29, Vārttika von Kātyāyana. 2.] [Amarakoṣa 3, 6, 3, 29.] ein guter —, glücklicher Tag; das Zurufen, Wünschen eines puṇyāha [Taittirīyabrāhmaṇa 1, 5, 2, 1. 8, 10, 2.] [The Śatapathabrāhmaṇa 2, 1, 2, 19. 14, 9, 3, 1.] [Kātyāyana’s Śrautasūtrāṇi 7, 1, 31.] [Pāraskara’s Gṛhyasūtrāṇi 1, 4. 2, 13. 3, 4.] [Mahābhārata 1, 7333.] puṇyāhaṃ vraja maṅgalaṃ sudivasaṃ prayātasya te [Amaruśataka 62.] haṃ vācay einen glücklichen Tag Jmd (acc.) wünschen [Śāṅkhāyana’s Gṛhyasūtrāṇi 1, 16.] [Mahābhārata 2, 1240. 5, 7100. 16, 47.] vācana [?13, 473. 1608. Nalopākhyāna 16, 7. Scholiast zu Kātyāyana’s Śrautasūtrāṇi 6, 28, 16.] puṇyāhaṃ bhavanto bruvantu oṃ puṇyāhamiti triḥ [SAṂSK. K. 20,b.] tataḥ puṇyāhaghoṣo bhūddivaṃ stabdhveva [Mahābhārata 12, 1411. 1, 5333.] [Rāmāyaṇa] [Gorresio 2, 5, 8.] [Kathāsaritsāgara 50, 206.] kṛtvā śabdam [Bhaviṣyapurāna] in [Oxforder Handschriften 31,a,16.] kṛtvā maṅgalam 11. prabhūtapuṇyāhavedanirghoṣa (nagara) [Varāhamihira’s Bṛhajjātaka S. 42 (43), 26. 43, 7. 47, 49.] nānātūryaninādaiḥ puṇyāhairvedanirghoṣaiḥ [59, 10. 85, 23.] puṇyāhavācana adj. = puṇyāhavācanaṃ prayojanamasya [Pāṇini’s acht Bücher 5, 1, 111, Vārttika von Kātyāyana. 3.]
Puṇyāha (पुण्याह):—n. eine guter , glücklicher Tag , das Zurufen — , Wünschen eines glücklichen Tages.
Puṇyāha (पुण्याह) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Puṇṇāha.
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.
Kannada-English dictionary
Puṇyāha (ಪುಣ್ಯಾಹ):—
1) [noun] = ಪುಣ್ಯದಿನ - [punyadina -] 1.
2) [noun] a rite by which the surroundings, things used in worshipping, men engaged in worshipping etc. are ceremonially purified.
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)
Partial matches (+0): Punya, Aha.
Starts with (+0): Punyaha-vacaka, Punyahadi, Punyahadividhi, Punyahaka, Punyahamantra, Punyahan, Punyahaprayoga, Punyahashabda, Punyahasvana, Punyahavacana, Punyahavacanadyabhyudaya, Punyahavacananandishraddhaprayoga, Punyahavacanaprayoga, Punyahavidhi.
Full-text (+21): Punyahavacana, Punyahamantra, Punyahaprayoga, Vasudevapunyaha, Punyahashabda, Punyahasvana, Punyaha-vacaka, Punyahavidhi, Punyahadi, Punyahavacanaprayoga, Punniyakam, Punnaha, Vanabhojanapunyahavacanaprayoga, Bhadraha, Parameshvarapunyahavarcana, Samagrihita, Punyaratra, Sukhapunyahaghosha, Kautuka, Yajnopavita.
Relevant text
Search found 34 books and stories containing Punyaha, Punya-aha, Puṇya-aha, Puṇyāha; (plurals include: Punyahas, ahas, Puṇyāhas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Apastamba Dharma-sutra (by Āpastamba)
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts, Madras (by M. Seshagiri Sastri)
Agriculture and Animal husbandry in the Puranas (by Purboshri Borpuzari)
Part 14 - Rites and Methods of Sowing and Transplantation < [Chapter 2 - Agriculture and its importance]
Expiatory Rites in Keralite Tantra (by T. S. Syamkumar)
5.3. Purificatory Rites in Dharmaśāstras and Kerala Tantra < [Chapter 4 - Socio-Cultural aspects of Expiatory Rites]
1.5. Expiatory Rites In Rauravāgama < [Chapter 2 - Expiatory Rites in Āgamic Literature]
2. Expiatory Rites in Tantrasamuccaya < [Chapter 3 - Expiatory Rites in Kerala Tantric Ritual Manuals]
Skanda Purana (by G. V. Tagare)
Chapter 17 - Indradyumna Performs a Thousand Horse-sacrifices < [Section 2 - Puruṣottama-kṣetra-māhātmya]
Chapter 11 - Procedure of Gaṇeśa Worship: Manifestation of Lakṣmī < [Section 1 - Kedāra-khaṇḍa]
Chapter 237 - Greatness of Vajreśvara (Vajra-īśvara) < [Section 1 - Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya]
Atharvaveda ancillary literature (Study) (by B. R. Modak)
Part 1 - The Lore of the Constellations—Introduction < [Chapter 2b - A Topical Analysis of the Atharvaveda-Parisistas]
Part 2.6 - The Bhumidana-vidhi < [Chapter 2b - A Topical Analysis of the Atharvaveda-Parisistas]
Part 2.2 - The Pusya-abhiseka ceremony < [Chapter 2b - A Topical Analysis of the Atharvaveda-Parisistas]