Usa, aka: Uṣā, Usā, Ūsa, Uṣa, Ūṣā, Ūṣa, Usha; 15 Definition(s)

Introduction

Usa means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, Buddhism, Pali, 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.

The Sanskrit terms Uṣā and Uṣa and Ūṣā and Ūṣa can be transliterated into English as Usa or Usha, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Hinduism

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Uṣā (उषा) is the name of a mind-born ‘divine mother’ (mātṛ), created for the purpose of drinking the blood of the Andhaka demons, according to the Matsya-purāṇa 179.8. The Andhaka demons spawned out of every drop of blood spilled from the original Andhakāsura (Andhaka-demon). According to the Matsya-purāṇa 179.35, “Most terrible they (eg., Uṣā) all drank the blood of those Andhakas and become exceedingly satiated.”

The Matsyapurāṇa is categorised as a Mahāpurāṇa, and was originally composed of 20,000 metrical verses, dating from the 1st-millennium BCE. The narrator is Matsya, one of the ten major avatars of Viṣṇu.

1) Uṣā (उषा).—The daughter of Bāṇāsura and the wife of Aniruddha. Genealogy. Descended from Viṣṇu in the following order:—Brahmā-Kaśyapa-Hiraṇyakaśipu-Prahlāda-Virocana-Mahābali-Bāṇa-Uṣā. Marriage of Uṣā. See under Aniruddha. (See full article at Story of Uṣā from the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani)

2) Uṣā (उषा).—The daughter of a hermit. The king of Śālva once attacked Satyaratha, the king of Vidarbha, and killed him. The queens of the king of Vidarbha went to the forest. One of them who was pregnant gave birth to a child on the bank of a river. When she got down into the river to drink water, a crocodile swallowed her. Then a hermit’s daughter named Uṣā brought up the child. (Śiva Purāṇa).

3) Uṣā (उषा).—The night is called Uṣā and the day, Ghuṣṭi. The time between Uṣā and Ghuṣṭi is called Sandhyā. (Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Aṃ a 2, Chapter 8).

Uṣā (उषा) refers to the last yāma (3 hours) of the night, as defined in the Śivapurāṇa 1.13, “The last yāma (3 hours) of the night is called uṣā and the latter half of it is sandhi (period of conjunction). A Brahmin shall get up at that hour and answer the calls of nature. It must be in a place far off from the house. It must be a covered place. He shall sit facing the north. If it is not possible due to any obstacle he can sit facing other directions”.

1a) Uṣa (उष).—The wife of Vibhāvasu; mother of Vyuṣṭa and two other sons.^*

• * Bhāgavata-purāṇa VI. 6. 16.

1b) Night: a mind-born mother.^*

• * Matsya-purāṇa 179. 20; Vāyu-purāṇa 50. 161.

1c) Created by Brahmā from his feet;¹ camels belonging to the Tāmra line.²

• 1) Viṣṇu-purāṇa I. 5. 49.
• 2) Viṣṇu-purāṇa I. 21. 17.

2) Uṣā (उषा).—The daughter of Bāṇa and granddaughter of Bali got enamoured of Aniruddha whom she saw in a picture and requested her maid to arrange for her marriage with him; she saw Umā dallying with Śiva and asked of her marriage which Umā said will be to him whom she would see in a dream. So she saw Aniruddha in a dream on a vaiśākha śukla dvādaśī; by the aid of Citralekhā, he was taken to her chamber in secret. Also ūṣā (s.v.).^*

• * Viṣṇu-purāṇa V. 32. 7-30.

3) Ūṣā (ऊषा).—(also uṣā) Daughter of Bāṇa. Her companion was Citralekhā. Dreamt one night that she was sleeping with Aniruddha. Informed her friend of the dream but could not give Aniruddha's name. Citralekhā drew pencil sketches of all gods and men and showed them to her one by one. Seeing Aniruddha's she identified him. At this, Citralekhā flew through air and brought Aniruddha to her room unnoticed by others. Ūṣā was enjoying his company. The guards who got scent of this reported to Bāṇa who imprisoned Aniruddha. In course of time she married Aniruddha and went to his home with the approval of Bāṇa.^*

• * Bhāgavata-purāṇa X. 61. 23 [9]; 62. 1-35; 63. 50.

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.

Shilpashastra (iconography)

Uṣā (उषा):—The consort of Śarva (aspect of Śiva, as in, one of the eight names of Rudra) according to the Pādma-purāṇa.

context information

Shilpashastra (शिल्पशास्त्र, śilpaśāstra) represents the ancient Indian science (shastra) of creative arts (shilpa) such as sculpture, iconography and painting. Closely related to Vastushastra (architecture), they often share the same literature.

Katha (narrative stories)

Uṣā (उषा) is the daughter of Asura Bāṇa, who had Citralekhā paint her a picture of her unknown lover Aniruddha, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 31. Accordingly, “and Citralekhā, being acquainted with magic, thus addressed that Uṣā, who knew not the name of her lover nor any sign whereby to recognise him: ‘My friend, this is the result of the boon of the goddess Gaurī. What doubt can we allege in this matter? But how are you to search for your lover, as he is not to be recognised by any token? I will sketch for you the whole world, gods, Asuras and men, in case you may be able to recognise him; and point him out to me among them in order that I may bring him’.”.

The story of Uṣā, Bāṇa and Citralekhā was narrated by Kaliṅgasenā to Somaprabhā in order to demonstrate the similarity between the story and her situation involving the Udayana (king of Vatsa).

The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Uṣā, is a famous Sanskrit epic story revolving around prince Naravāhanadatta and his quest to become the emperor of the vidyādharas (celestial beings). The work is said to have been an adaptation of Guṇāḍhya’s Bṛhatkathā consisting of 100,000 verses, which in turn is part of a larger work containing 700,000 verses.

context information

Katha (कथा, kathā) refers to narrative Sanskrit literature often inspired from epic legendry (itihasa) and poetry (mahākāvya). Some Kathas reflect socio-political instructions for the King while others remind the reader of important historical event and exploits of the Gods, Heroes and Sages.

General definition (in Hinduism)

Usha is the Vedic Goddess of Dawn. She is said to be the daughter of sky [R.V.1.48]. She is radiant, immortal. The twin Ashwinis are her companions and follow her in their glorious chariot. She is one of the few Goddesses mentioned in the Rig Veda.

Ushā (उषा): Wife of Aniruddha, daughter of Banasur.

In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Uṣa (उष) refers to “soda”: a mineral that was typically mined, extracted and used (both domestic and industrial) in ancient India. Mining was an important industry at that time as well. The Jaina canonical texts mention about the extraction of various kinds of minerals, metals and precious stones. The term ‘āgara’ occurring intire texts denotes the mines which provided many kinds of mineral products (eg., uṣa). The references in the texts of various professions and trade in metallic commodities clearly show a highly developed industry of mining and metallurgy in that period.

context information

Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.

Languages of India and abroad

Pali-English dictionary

ūsa : (m.) saline substance.

Usā, (f.) (doubtful) (a certain) food J. VI, 80. (Page 156)

— or —

Ūsa, (Sk. ūṣa) salt-ground; saline substance, always comb^d. with khāra S III 131 (°gandha); A. I, 209. (Page 159)

context information

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.

Marathi-English dictionary

usa (उस).—An interjection upon a sudden pang or twinge. v mhaṇa, kara. See hāya.

ūsa (ऊस).—m Sugarcane.

Sanskrit-English dictionary

Uṣa (उष).—a. Burning.

-ṣaḥ 1 Early morning, dawn, daybreak.

2) A libidinous man,

3) Saline earth.

4) Bdellium.

--- OR ---

Uṣā (उषा).—[oṣatyandhakāram uṣ-ka]

1) Early morning, dawn; उषामुषां श्रेयसीं धेह्यस्मै (uṣāmuṣāṃ śreyasīṃ dhehyasmai) Av.12.2.45.

2) Morning light.

3) Twilight.

4) Saline earth.

5) A cow.

6) Night.

7) A boiler, cooking vessel (sthālī); cf. उखा (ukhā).

8) Name of a wife of Bhava (who was a manifestation of Rudra).

9) Name of a daughter of the demon Bāṇa and wife of Aniruddha. [She beheld Aniruddha in a dream and became passionately enamoured of him. She sought the assistance of her friend Chitralekhā, who advised her to have with her the portraits of all young princes living round about her. When this was done, she recognized Aniruddha and had him carried to her city, where she was married to him; see अनिरुद्ध (aniruddha) also]. ind. Early in the morning.

2) At night.

--- OR ---

Ūṣa (ऊष).—[ūṣ-rujāyām-ka]

1) Salt ground; saline earth; कौशेयाविकयोरूषैः (kauśeyāvikayorūṣaiḥ) (śaucaṃ vidhīyate) Ms.5.12.

2) An acid.

3) A cleft, fissure.

4) The cavity of the ear.

5) The Malaya mountain.

6) Dawn, daybreak (-ṣam according to some).

7) Semen.

-ṣī Saline earth; भस्मन्हुतं कुहकराद्धमिवोप्तमूष्याम् (bhasmanhutaṃ kuhakarāddhamivoptamūṣyām) Bhāg.1.15.21.

Derivable forms: ūṣaḥ (ऊषः).

--- OR ---

Ūṣā (ऊषा).—= उषा (uṣā) q. v.

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