# आज्ञा (ājñā)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/ajna

आज्ञा (ājñā) is a Sanskrit word meaning to perceive, notice, or understand, to order, command, or direct, to assure, authority, unlimited power, the tenth lunar mansion, without permission. Its 22 recorded definitions are grouped into 6 contexts, among them Order, Command, Direction, Derivatives and Related Concepts: Obedience, Disobedience, Servant, Permission, Allowance.

- **Root:** ज्ञा (jñā)
- **Etymology:** E. आङ्, ज्ञा to know, and अङ् aff — E. āṅ, jñā to know, and aṅ aff
- **SLP1:** `AjYA`  **IAST:** ājñā  **Devanagari:** आज्ञा
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajna
- **Declensions:** 24 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/ajna/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** अज्ञा (ajñā), अज्ञ (ajña), अनाज्ञा (anājñā)

## Meanings by context

### Order, Command, Direction (10 definitions)
- order, command  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 133,2] 2. आ - ज्ञा (ā-jñā) f. order, command, Manu-smṛti (Title) x, 56; Mahābhārata (Title) &c. [ ID=23158 ]
- An order, command  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > आज्ञा (ājñā) [ आ - ज्ञा - अङ् (ā-jñā-aṅ) ] 1 An order, command; तथेति शेषामिव भर्तुराज्ञां (tatheti śeṣāmiva bharturājñāṃ) Kumārasambhava (Bombay) 3. 22
- command, order  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > आज्ञा (ājñā) [Printed book page 038-1 ] आज्ञा (ājñā) ā-jñā, f. id. : -kara, m. ( ī ) servant: -tva, n. office of a servant; -dāna, n. giving an order; -na, n. apprehending, understanding; -parigraha, m. reception of an order. [ ID=3480 ]
- An order or command  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > आज्ञा (ājñā) [Printed book page 107 ] आज्ञा (ājñā) f. ( - ज्ञा (-jñā) ) An order, a command. E. आङ्, ज्ञा (āṅ, jñā) to know, and अङ् (aṅ) aff. [ ID=5170 ]
- An order, command, or direction.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > आज्ञा (ājñā) [Printed book page 085-a ] आ - ज्ञा (ā-jñā) ( ज्ञा ) ((jñā)) 1. f. An order, a command, direction. [ ID=4531 ]
- Order, command  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > आज्ञा (ājñā) [Printed book page 096-26 ] आज्ञा (ājñā) f. Order, command, अनतिक्रमणीया दिवस्पतेराज्ञा (anatikramaṇīyā divaspaterājñā) Sak. vi., पश्चाद्वनाय गच्छेति तदाज्ञां मुदितोग्रहीत् (paścādvanāya gaccheti tadājñāṃ muditograhīt) R. xii.7, K.S. iii.22, R. xvii.79. [ ID=4852 ]
- An order or command.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > आज्ञा (jñā) (ājñā) [Printed book page 088-b ] आज्ञा (jñā) (ājñā) f. ( - ज्ञा (jñā) (-jñā) ) An order, a command. E. आङ् (āṅ) before ज्ञा (jñā) to know, and अङ् (aṅ) aff. [ ID=5168 ]
- 1. An order. 2. Authority.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > आज्ञा (ājñā) [Printed book page 0073-a ] आज्ञा (ājñā) ā-jñā, f. 1. An order, Rājat. 5, 3. 2. Authority, Bhartṛ. 2, 40. — Comp. An-, f. want of assent, Man. 9, 199. [ ID=1440 ]
- Command, order, permission  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > आज्ञा (ājñā) [Printed book page 059 ] आज्ञा (ājñā) f. the same. [ ID=4094 ]
- 1. An order or command. 2. Allowance or permission.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > 2. ā-jñā, f. an order, a command; allowance, per- mission; [cf. Hib. agna, ‘wisdom.’] —Ājñā-kara, as, ī, am, executing an order, obeying, obedient; ( as ), m. a servant. —Ājñā-karaṇa, am, n. execu- tion of orders, obedience. —Ājñākara-tva, am, n. the office of a servant. —Ājñā-kārin, ī, iṇī, i, one who obeys or executes orders, obedient, minis- trant. —Ājñā-cakra, am, n. a mystical circle or dia- gram, one of six described by the Tantras. —Ājñā- nuyāyin or ājñānuvartin (°jñā-an°), ī, inī, i, obeying or executing orders, obedient. —Ājñānu- sārin (°jñā-an°), ī, iṇī, i, executing orders, obe- dient. —Ājñā-pattra, am, n. an edict, written order. —Ājñā-pratighāta as, m. disobedience, re- bellion. —Ājñā-bhaṅga, as, m. disobedience, insub- ordination, disloyalty. —Ājñā-vaha, as, ā, am, obe- dient, subject, ministrant. —Ājñā-sampādin, ī, inī, i, executing an order, obedient, submissive. [ ID=8246 ]

### Derivatives and Related Concepts: Obedience, Disobedience, Servant (5 definitions)
- following  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — अनुग, - अनुगामिन् (anuga, -anugāmin)
- obedient, submissive  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — अनुयायिन्, - अनुवर्तिन्, - अनुसारिन्, - संपादक, - वह (anuyāyin, -anuvartin, -anusārin, -saṃpādaka, -vaha) a. obedient, submissive
- obedient or executing orders  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — कर, - कारिन् (kara, -kārin) a. obeying or executing orders, obedient. (
- a servant  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — रः (raḥ) ) a servent; ° करत्वमधिगम्य (°karatvamadhigamya) Vikramorvaśīyam (Bombay) 3. 19 being the obedient servant; कार्याणां गतयो विधेरपि (kāryāṇāṃ gatayo vidherapi) नयंत्याज्ञाकरत्वं चिरात् (nayaṃtyājñākaratvaṃ cirāt) Mudrārākṣasa (Bombay) 7. 16 subjection
- obedient to commands  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — विधेय (vidheya) a. obedient to commands. [ ID=6022 ]

### Permission, Allowance (2 definitions)
- without permission  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > permission ( neg. अनाज्ञया (anājñayā) instr. ind. without permission of ( gen. ), Manu-smṛti (Title) ix, 199 ) [ ID=23161 ]
- Permission or allowance  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > आज्ञा (ājñā) [ आ - ज्ञा - अङ् (ā-jñā-aṅ) ] 2 Permission, allowance

### Specific Nomenclatures (Proper Names, Technical/Mystical Terms) (2 definitions)
- the tenth lunar mansion  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of the tenth lunar mansion, Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhajjātaka (Title) [ ID=23160 ]
- a name of Lalita  
  *The Purana Index*
  > आज्ञा (ājñā) [Printed book page 1-149 ] Ājñā — a name of Lalitā. Br. IV. 17. 19. [ ID=1184 ]

### Verbal Root and Etymology (Knowing, Perceiving; Ordering) (2 definitions)
- 1. To perceive, notice, or understand. 2. To order, command, or direct. 3. To assure.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 133,1] 1. आ - (ā-) √ ज्ञा (√jñā) - जानाति (-jānāti) ( Impv. 2. pl. - जानीत (-jānīta); perf. - जज्ञौ (-jajñau); p. जानत् (jānat) ) to mind, perceive, notice, understand, Ṛg-veda (Title) i, 94, 8; 156, 3; Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa (Title); Tāṇḍya-brāhmaṇa (Title); ( cf. अन् - आजानत् (jānat) (an-ājānat) ) : Caus. - ज्ञापयति (-jñāpayati), ° ते (°te) ( Inf. - ज्ञप्तुम् (-jñaptum), Rāmāyaṇa (Title) iv, 40, 8 ) to order, command, direct, Mahābhārata (Title) &c. to assure, Rāmāyaṇa (Title) vi, 103, 10. [ ID=23154 ]
- 1. To know, understand, or perceive. 2. To publish, order, command, direct, or assure.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > आज्ञा (ājñā) [Printed book page 0116-a ] आज्ञा (ājñā) 1. ā-jñā, cl. 9. P. -jānāti, -jñātum, to know, understand, learn, obtain information, ascer- tain, notice, perceive: Caus. -jñāpayati, -yitum, to publish, order, command, direct; to assure. [ ID=8243 ]

### Authority, Power (1 definition)
- authority, unlimited power  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > authority, unlimited power, Bālarāmāyaṇa (Title) [ ID=23159 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872); Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Purana Index; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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