# आनन्द (ānanda)

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

आनन्द (ānanda) is a Sanskrit word meaning happiness or joy, enjoyment, especially sensual pleasure, in dramatic language, the thing wished for, the end of a drama, a kind of flute, the sixteenth Muhurta. Its 33 recorded definitions are grouped into 10 contexts, among them General: Happiness, Joy, Bliss, Proper Name: Deities/Divine Beings, Proper Name: Persons.

- **Etymology:** E. आङ्, नदि to be or make happy घञ् aff — E. āṅ, nadi to be or make happy ghañ aff
- **SLP1:** `Ananda`  **IAST:** ānanda  **Devanagari:** आनन्द
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%80nanda_%28Hindu_philosophy%29
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/ananda/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** आनन्दा (ānandā), अनन्द (ananda)

## Meanings by context

### General: Happiness, Joy, Bliss (9 definitions)
- Happiness or joy; enjoyment, especially sensual pleasure  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 139,3] आ - नन्द (ā-nanda) अस् (as), m. happiness, joy, enjoyment, sensual pleasure, Ṛg-veda (Title); Atharva-veda (Title); Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā (Title); Rāmāyaṇa (Title); Raghuvaṃśa (Title) &c. [ ID=24352 ]
- Joy, bliss, or sensual pleasure  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > आनन्द (ānanda) [Printed book page 039-3 ] आनन्द (ānanda) ā-nandá, m. ( n. ) joy, bliss; sensual pleasure: -ka, a. gladdening, delighting; -thu, m. joy, delight; -na, a. delighting; -bāṣpa, m. tears of joy; -maya, a. ( ī ) consisting of joy, blissful; -yitṛ, m. delighter; -vardhana, m. N. of a poet. [ ID=3608 ]
- 1. Happiness or joy. 2. Balarama. 3. God or the Supreme Spirit. 4. A plant.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > आनन्द (ānanda) [Printed book page 112 ] आनन्द (ānanda) m. ( - न्दः (-ndaḥ) ) 1 Happiness, joy. 2 BALARĀMA according to the Jain system of many KṚṢṆAS and many BALARĀMAS. n. ( - न्दं (-ndaṃ) ) GOD, Supreme Spirit, according to the Vedānta. f. ( - न्दी (-ndī) ) A Page113 plant, vulgarly Ākanpāta. E. आङ्, नदि (āṅ, nadi) to be or make happy घञ् (ghañ) aff. [ ID=5422 ]
- 1. Happiness or joy. 2. God. 3. A plant.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > आनन्द (ānanda) [Printed book page 090-a ] आ - नन्द (ā-nanda) ( न्दः ) ((ndaḥ)) 1. m. Happiness, joy. n. न्दं (ndaṃ) God. f. न्दी (ndī) A plant. [ ID=4794 ]
- 1. Happiness or joy. 2. An epithet of Shiva.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > आनन्द (ānanda) [Printed book page 101-14 ] आनन्द (ānanda) (I) m. 1. Happiness, joy, R. xii.62; 2. an epithet of Śiva. [ ID=5069 ]
- 1. Happiness and joy. 2. Balarama in the Jaina system. 3. God or the Supreme Spirit in Vedanta. 4. A plant.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > आनन्द (ānanda) [Printed book page 092-b ] आनन्द (ānanda) m. ( - न्दः (-ndaḥ) ) 1. Happiness, joy. 2. BALARAMA according to the Jaina system of many KṚṢṆAS and many BALARAMAS. n. ( - न्दं (-ndaṃ) ) GOD, Supreme spirit, according to the Vedanta. f. ( - न्दी (-ndī) ) A plant, vulgarly Ākanpata. E. आङ् (āṅ) before नदि (nadi) to be or make happy, घञ (ghaña) aff. [ ID=5420 ]
- 1. Joy. 2. Sensual pleasure. 3. Happiness and bliss.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > आनन्द (ānanda) [Printed book page 0078-b ] आनन्द (ānanda) ā-nand + a, m. 1. Joy, Rām. 1, 1, 17. 2. Sensual pleasure, Vedāntas. in Chr. 209, 20. 3. Happiness, bliss, ib. 202, 3; 5. — Comp. Nis-, adj., f. dā, joyless, Rām. 2, 47, 10. Parama-, m. 1. the highest bliss. 2. the universal soul. [ ID=1531 ]
- joy, pleasure, bliss  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > आनन्द (ānanda) [Printed book page 062 ] आनन्द (ānanda) m. ( n. ) joy, pleasure, bliss. [ ID=4289 ]
- 1. Happiness, joy, or sensual pleasure. 2. An epithet of Shiva. 3. God, the supreme spirit according to Vedanta.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > आनन्द (ānanda) [Printed book page 0121-b ] Ā-nanda, as, m. happiness, joy, enjoyment, sen- sual pleasure; N. of the forty-eighth year of the cycle of Jupiter; an epithet of Śiva; N. of a Bala-rāma according to the Jaina doctrine of many Kṛṣṇas and many Bala-rāmas; N. of a cousin and a zealous follower and favourite disciple of Buddha Śākya-muni, compiler of the Sūtras; ( ā and ī ), f., N. of two plants; ( am ), n. God, the supreme spirit according to the Vedānta. —Ānanda-giri, is, or ānanda-jñāna, as, or ānanda- jñāna-giri, is, m., N. of an annotator on Śaṅka- rācārya. —Ānanda-tā, f. joyfulness, joy. —Ānanda- tīrtha, as, m., N. of a scholiast. —Ānanda-da or ānanda-kara, as, ā, am, exhilarating, delighting. —Ānanda-datta, as, m. membrum virile. —Ā- nanda-paṭa, am, n. a bridal garment. —Ānanda- pūrṇa, as, m., N. of a man. —Ānanda-prabhava, am, n. the seminal fluid. —Ānanda-bodhendra (°dha-in°), as, m., N. of a scholiast. —Ānanda- bhairava, as, ā, am, causing both enjoyment and fear. —Ānanda-maya, as, ī, am, blissful, made up or consisting or happiness; ( am ), n. the supreme spirit. —Ānandamaya-koṣa, as, m. the innermost case of the body, or causal frame enshrining the soul. —Ānanda-rāma, as, m., N. of a man. —Ānanda- lahari, is or ī, f. ‘wave of enjoyment,’ title of a hymn by Śaṅkarācārya, addressed to Pārvatī. —Ā- nanda-vana, as, m., N. of a scholiast. —Ānanda- vardhana, as, ā, am, enhancing enjoyment; ( as ), m., N. of a poet. —Ānanda-vallī, f. title of the second part of the Taittirīya-Upaniṣad. —Ānanda- veda, as, m., N. of a man. —Ānandānandana (°da-ān°), as, m. a king. —Ānandāśrama (°da-āś°), as, m., N. of a scholiast. [ ID=8553 ]

### Proper Name: Deities/Divine Beings (7 definitions)
- Name of Shiva  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of Śiva [ ID=24357 ]
- of a Lokeshvara  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a Lokeśvara ( Buddhist literature (Literary category) ) [ ID=24358 ]
- of a Bala  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a Bala ( Jaina literature (Literary category) ), Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=24359 ]
- Name of Gauri  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > आ (ā)- नन्दा (ā-nandā) ( आ (ā) ), f. N. of Gaurī, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=24364 ]
- Vishnu  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > Ānanda 2 = Viṣṇu (1000 names). [ ID=517 ]
- a Satya god  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Ānanda (II) — a Satya god. Br. II. 36. 35. [ ID=1258 ]
- The realm of Brahma during the first kalpa lasting one hundred lakh years.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Ānanda (III) — The Lord of first kalpa consisting 100 lakhs of years by name Bhāva; this is the place of Brahmā. Vā. 21. 28. [ ID=1259 ]

### Proper Name: Persons (5 definitions)
- of several men  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of several men [ ID=24360 ]
- Name of one of the chief disciples of Gautama Buddha  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > [Printed book page 1319,2] आनन्द (ānanda) (also) N. of one of the chief disciples of Gautama Buddha, Monier-Williams’ Buddhism in its connexion with Brāhmaṇism and Hindūism: and in its contrast with Christianity (Title) 47 &c. [ ID=24360.1 ]
- Name of various authors and others  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > [Printed book page 1319,3] आनन्द (ānanda) N. of various authors &c., Catalogue(s) [Cologne Addition] (Title) [ ID=24360.2 ]
- one of the warriors of Skanda  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > आनन्द (ānanda) [Printed book page 035-2 ] Ānanda 1, one of the warriors of Skanda. § 615 u (Skanda): IX, 45 η, 2567. [ ID=516 ]
- A son of Medhatithi, and a region named after him in Plakshadvipa.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Ānanda (IV) — a son of Medhātithi; a varṣa after his name, in Plakṣadvīpa. Vā. 33. 32; Vi. II. 4. 4 and 5. [ ID=1260 ]

### Philosophical: Supreme Spirit / Attribute of Brahman (2 definitions)
- Pure happiness, one of the three attributes of Atman or Brahman in Vedanta philosophy  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > आ - नन्द (ā-nanda) ( अस् (as) ), m. and ( अम् (am) ), n. ‘pure happiness’, one of the three attributes of Ātman or Brahman in the Vedānta philosophy, Vedāntasāra (Title) &c. [ ID=24353 ]
- The supreme spirit in Vedanta philosophy  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > आनन्द (ānanda) (II) n. The supreme spirit (in Vedānta phil.) [ ID=5070 ]

### Proper Name: Place/Region (2 definitions)
- of a country  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > [Printed book page 139,3] of a country [ ID=24361 ]
- a kingdom adjoining the Dundubhi hill in Plakshadvipa  
  *The Purana Index*
  > आनन्द (ānanda) [Printed book page 1-158 ] Ānanda (I) (c) — a kingdom adjoining the Dundubhi hill in Plakṣadvīpa. Br. II. 14. 39; 17. 16. [ ID=1257 ]

### Proper Name: Plant (2 definitions)
- Name of two plants  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2B) [Printed book page 139,3] आ (ā)- नन्दा (ā-nandā) ( आ (ā) and ई (ī) ) f. N. of two plants, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=24363 ]
- Name of two plants  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > आ (ā)- नन्दी (ā-nandī) ( आ (ā) and ई (ī) ), f. N. of two plants, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=24363.1 ]

### Specific Objects (2 definitions)
- a kind of flute  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a kind of flute [ ID=24355 ]
- a kind of house  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > आ - नन्द (ā-nanda) ( अम् (am) ), n. a kind of house [ ID=24365 ]

### Time Division (2 definitions)
- the sixteenth Muhurta  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the sixteenth Muhūrta [ ID=24356 ]
- Name of the forty-eighth year of the cycle of Jupiter  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > आ - नन्द (ā-nanda) m. and ( अम् (am) ), n. N. of the forty-eighth year of the cycle of Jupiter [ ID=24362 ]

### Dramaturgical Term (1 definition)
- In dramatic language, the thing wished for; the end of a drama  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > आ - नन्द (ā-nanda) ( अस् (as) ), m. (in dram. ) the thing wished for, the end of the drama [ e.g. the VIth Act in the Veṇī-saṃhāra [Cologne Addition] (Title) ], Sāhitya-darpaṇa (Title) 399 [ ID=24354 ]

### Lexicographical Note: Usage in Names (1 definition)
- Often used at the beginning or end of proper names  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > आनन्द (ānanda) (often at the beginning and end of proper names.) [ ID=24366 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; 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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