Sanu, Sānu, Saṇu, Sānū: 19 definitions
Introduction:
Sanu means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit. 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
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Saṇu (सणु).—A country of ancient India. (Mahābhārata, Bhīṣma Parva Chapter 9, Verse 43).
Sānu (सानु) refers to “ridges”, and is used to describe the mountain Kailāsa (the auspicious excellent mountainous abode of Śiva), according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.2.40.—Accordingly, as Brahmā narrated to Nārada:—“[...] accompanied by the gods, sages, Brahmā and others Viṣṇu went to Kailāsa, the auspicious excellent mountainous abode of Śiva. [...] Many kinds of deer roamed and many kinds of birds hovered there. The celestial and Siddha damsels sported about in different springs and pools along with their husbands and lovers. It contained many caves and ridges (i.e., sānu). It shone with various kinds of trees and had a silver lustre”.
Sānu (सानु).—A son of Satyabhāmā and Kṛṣṇa.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 71. 247; Vāyu-purāṇa 96. 238.
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)
Nighantu (Synonyms and Characteristics of Drugs and technical terms)
Sanu (सनु) or Sānu or Sānunī refers to the “top” or “peak” of a mountain (giri) according to the second chapter (dharaṇyādi-varga) of the 13th-century Raj Nighantu or Rājanighaṇṭu (an Ayurvedic encyclopedia). The Dharaṇyādi-varga covers the lands, soil, mountains [viz., Sanu], jungles and vegetation’s relations between trees and plants and substances, with their various kinds.
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.
In Buddhism
Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)
He was born in a family of Savatthi after his father had left home for the ascetic life. The mother, naming him Sanu, took him at the age of seven to the monks for ordination, thinking thus to ensure for him supreme happiness. He was known as Sanu (Sanu Samanera) the Novice, and became a very learned teacher of the doctrine, practising the meditation of love (metta), and was popular among gods and men.
His mother in a previous birth was a Yakkha. Later, Sanu lost his intellectual discernment and grew distraught and longed to go roaming. His former Yakkha mother seeing this, warned his human mother as described in the Sanu Sutta (q.v.). The latter was overwhelmed with grief, and, when Sanu visited her, he found her weeping. She told him that he was as good as dead in that he had rejected the Buddhas teaching and turned again to lower things, hence her sorrow. Sanu was filled with anguish, and, strengthening his insight, he soon won arahantship (ThagA.i.113f).
He is evidently identical with Udakadayaka of the Apadana (Ap.i.205). In the past, he saw Siddhattha Buddha having his meal and brought him water for his hands and feet and face and mouth. Sixty one kappas ago he was a king, named Vimala.
The story of Sanu is given also in the Samyutta and Dhammapada Commentaries (SA.i.235ff.; DhA.iv.18ff), but the details differ. There, Sanus human mother is portrayed as encouraging him to return to the lay life. His Yakkha mother went to his human mothers home, where Sanu was waiting for a meal, took possession of his body, twisted his neck, and felled him to the ground, where he lay foaming at the mouth. Sanus mother was filled with despair. The Yakkhini then revealed herself and exhorted Sanu not to behave foolishly by disregarding the Buddhas teaching. When he regained his senses, his human mother, too, pointed out the disadvantages of household life. When he declared his intention of not returning to lay life, she fed him with choice food and gave him a set of three robes that he might receive the upasampada ordination. He then sought the Buddha, who urged him to fresh and strenuous effort. Sanu was famous as a mighty teacher throughout Jambudipa. He lived to one hundred and twenty years.
Theravāda is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Sānu (सानु) is the name of a Vākchomā (‘verbal secrect sign’) which has its meaning defined as ‘parvata’ according to chapter 8 of the 9th-century Vajraḍākamahātantrarāja, a scripture belonging to the Buddhist Cakrasaṃvara (or Saṃvara) scriptural cycle. These Vākchomās (viz., sānu) are meant for verbal communication and can be regarded as popular signs, since they can be found in the three biggest works of the Cakrasaṃvara literature.
Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.
Languages of India and abroad
Pali-English dictionary
sānu : (f.; nt.) a table land.
Sānu, (m. and nt.) (Vedic sānu) ridge Vv 3210; J. III, 172. The commentary on the former passage (VvA. 136), translates vana wood, that on the latter paṃsupabbata; sānupabbata a forest-hill J. IV, 277; VI, 415, 540; pabbatasānu-° J. III, 175; girisānu-° J. III, 301; IV, 195. (Page 704)
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.
Sanskrit dictionary
Sānu (सानु).—m., n.
1) A peak, summit, ridge; सानूनि गन्धः सुरभीकरोति (sānūni gandhaḥ surabhīkaroti) Kumārasambhava 1.9; Meghadūta 2. Kirātārjunīya 5.36.
2) A level ground on the top of a mountain, table-land.
3) A shoot, sprout.
4) A forest, wood; आसीद् विशालो- त्तमसानुलक्ष्म्या पयोदपङ्क्त्येव परीतपार्श्वम् (āsīd viśālo- ttamasānulakṣmyā payodapaṅktyeva parītapārśvam) Bu. Ch.1.2.
5) A road.
6) Any surface, point, end.
7) A precipice.
8) A gale of wind.
9) A learned man.
1) The sun.
Sānu (सानु).—mn. (-nuḥ-nu) 1. Table-land, level ground on the top or edge of a mountain. 2. A wood. 3. A road. 4. A gale of wind. 5. Point, end, top. 6. A sage, a learned man or Pandit. 7. A shoot, a sprout. 8. The sun. E. ṣaṇ to give, (pleasure,) Unadi aff. ñun .
Sānu (सानु).—probably so + nu, m. and n. 1. End, point, the top of a mountain, [Mālatīmādhava, (ed. Calc.)] 145, 10. 2. Level ground on the top or edge of a mountain, tableland, [Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, (ed. Burnouf.)] 4, 25, 13. 3. A forest. 4. A shoot, a sprout. 5. A road. 6. A gale of wind. 7. A learned man, a sage. 8. The sun.
Sānu (सानु).—[masculine] [neuter] top, surface, ridge, back.
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Sanu (सनु).—sound or roar together.
Sanu is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms sa and nu (नु).
Sānu (सानु):—m. n. ([according to] to [Uṇādi-sūtra i, 3] [from] √san; collateral form 3. snu) a summit, ridge, surface, top of a mountain, (in later language generally) mountain-ridge, table-land, [Ṛg-veda] etc. etc. ([cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.] also, ‘a sprout; a forest; road; gale of wind; sage, learned man; the sun’).
Sānu (सानु):—[(nuḥ-nu)] 2. m. n. Table-land; a wood; a road; a gale; top; pandit; sun; shoot.
Sanu (सनु):—in 2. sanutar fgg.
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Sānu (सानु):—
Sānu (सानु) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Sāṇu.
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.
Prakrit-English dictionary
Sāṇu (साणु) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Sānu.
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
Saṇu (ಸಣು):—[adjective] low or relatively low in height; not tall.
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Sāṇu (ಸಾಣು):—[noun] = ಸಾಣ [sana]2.
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Sānu (ಸಾನು):—
1) [noun] an elevated tract of more or less level land; tableland; plateau.
2) [noun] the peak of a mountain.
3) [noun] the new growth put forward by a seed or by a part of a plant.
4) [noun] a wide tract of land having natural and thick growth of trees, under-shrubs; a forest.
5) [noun] a path, way; road.
6) [noun] a narrow stretch of low land lying between hills or mountains; a valley.
7) [noun] a violent storm with high winds; tempest.
8) [noun] a learned person; a scholar.
9) [noun] the sun.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
1) Sānu (सानु):—adj. → सानो [sāno]
2) Sānū (सानू):—n. a word used to call the children with love; a small one; baby;
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 (+19): Canucanti, Canucaptami, Canuvatanam, Sanu chimal, Sanu kans, Sanu Sutta, Sanu-kapase, Sanu-pipla, Sanu-pureni, Sanuagalu, Sanubadhana, Sanubamgha, Sanubandh, Sanubandha, Sanubandhaka, Sanubhuti, Sanucara, Sanud, Sanudaparvata, Sanuga.
Full-text (+47): Sanukampa, Ratnasanu, Sanuga, Rajasanu, Girisanu, Divyasanu, Urdhvasanu, Sanumat, Adrisanu, Budhasanu, Antahsanu, Trisanu, Pridakusanu, Sanuja, Pabbatasanu, Sanuprastha, Vrishasanu, Sanuruha, Agrasanu, Sanupabbata.
Relevant text
Search found 36 books and stories containing Sanu, Sa-nu, Sānu, Saṇu, Sāṇu, Sānū; (plurals include: Sanus, nus, Sānus, Saṇus, Sāṇus, Sānūs). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Rig Veda (translation and commentary) (by H. H. Wilson)
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts, Madras (by M. Seshagiri Sastri)
Dictionaries of Indian languages (Kosha)
Page 497 < [Gujarati-Hindi-English, Volume 3]
Page 498 < [Gujarati-Hindi-English, Volume 3]
Page 482 < [Hindi-Sindhi-English Volume 2]
Ganitatilaka (Sanskrit text and English introduction) (by H. R. Kapadia)
Page 72 < [Sanskrit Text of the Ganitatilaka]
Garga Samhita (English) (by Danavir Goswami)
Verse 2.1.17 < [Chapter 1 - Description of the Entrance in Vṛndāvana]
Verse 4.19.47 < [Chapter 19 - A Thousand Names of Srī Yamunā]
Verse 8.13.77 < [Chapter 13 - A Thousand Names of Lord Balarāma]
Dhammapada (Illustrated) (by Ven. Weagoda Sarada Maha Thero)
Verse 326 - The Story of Sāmanera Sānu < [Chapter 23 - Nāga Vagga (The Great)]