# अप् (ap)

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

अप् (ap) is a Sanskrit word meaning work, water, air and the intermediate region, the star delta Virginis, air or the intermediate region, divinities, particularly in the Vedas. Its 22 recorded definitions are grouped into 8 contexts, among them Water, Work (noun), Air / Intermediate Region.

- **Etymology:** E. आप to obtain, and क्विप् Unādi affix; the vowel of the radical becomes short — E. āpa to obtain, and kvip Unādi affix; the vowel of the radical becomes short
- **SLP1:** `ap`  **IAST:** ap  **Devanagari:** अप्
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ap_%28water%29
- **Declensions:** 72 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/ap/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** आप् (āp)

## Meanings by context

### Water (10 definitions)
- water  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > 2. अप् (ap) f. (in Ved. used in sing. and pl., but in the classical language only in pl., आपस् (āpas) ) water [ ID=8930 ]
- Water  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अप् (ap) [Printed book page 0103-a ] अप् (ap) f. [ आप् - क्विप् - ह्रस्वश्च (āp-kvip-hrasvaśca) Uṇādisūtras 2. 58 ] (Declined in classical language only in pl.; आपः, अपः, अद्भिः, अद्भ्यः अपां (āpaḥ, apaḥ, adbhiḥ, adbhyaḥ apāṃ) and अप् (ap) सु (apsu), but in singular and pl. in Veda) 1 Water (regarded in Ved. as sacred divinities, आपो देवीः (āpo devīḥ) ); खानि चैव (khāni caiva) स्पृशेदद्भिः (spṛśedadbhiḥ) Manusmṛti 2. 60. Water is generally considered to be the first of the 5 elements of creation, as in अप एव (apa eva) ससर्जादौ तासु बीजमवासृजत् (sasarjādau tāsu bījamavāsṛjat) Manusmṛti 1. 8, Śakuntalā (Bombay) 1. 1; but in Manusmṛti 1. 78 it is said to have been created from ज्योतिस् (jyotis) or तेजस् (tejas) after मनस्, आकाश, वायु (manas, ākāśa, vāyu) and ज्योतिस् (jyotis) or अग्नि; ज्योतिषश्च विकुर्वाणादापो रसगुणाः स्मृताः । (agni; jyotiṣaśca vikurvāṇādāpo rasaguṇāḥ smṛtāḥ.) अद्भ्यो गंधगुणा भूमिरित्येषा सृष्टिरादितः ॥ (adbhyo gaṃdhaguṇā bhūmirityeṣā sṛṣṭirāditaḥ..)
- water  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अप् (ap) 3. áp, f. pl. ( also sg. in V. ) water. [ ID=1853 ]
- water  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अप् (ap) [Printed book page 042 ] अप् (ap) f. pl. only, ( आप (āpa) ः (āpaḥ) ) Water. E. आप (āpa) to obtain, and क्विप् (kvip) Uṇādi affix; the vowel of the radical becomes short. [ ID=1950 ]
- Water  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अप् (ap) [Printed book page 033-b ] अप् (ap) ( आपः ) ((āpaḥ)) 5. f. Plu. Water. [ ID=1625 ]
- Water  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अप् (ap) [Printed book page 035-a ] अप् (ap) f. pl. only, ( आप (āpa) ः (āpaḥ) ) Water. E. आप (āpa) to obtain, and क्विप् (kvip) Unādi affix; the vowel of the radical becomes short. [ ID=1948 ]
- Water  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अप् (ap) [Printed book page 0031-a ] अप् (ap) ap, f., in the classical literature plur. : N.V. āpas, I. adbhis, D.A. ad- bhyas. Water, Man. 1, 8. adbhir dā, To give and confirm the gift by pour- ing water, Man. 9, 168. — Cf. Lat. aqua amnis, Goth. ahva, [ ID=600 ]
- Water  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > 2 अप् (ap) f. pl. (sgl. only in V.) water, waters. [ ID=1819 ]
- water  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > अप् (ap) [Printed book page 118-a ] áp [ 393], f. plurale tantum. water; waters. [unrelated to Lat. aqua, ‘water,’ Goth. ahva, ‘stream.’] [ ID=277 ]
- 1. Water. 2. Air or the intermediate region. 3. The star delta Virginis. 4. Divinities, particularly in the Vedas.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > अप् (ap) [Printed book page 0048-b ] अप् (ap) ap (in the Vedas used in sing. and plur., but in the classical language only in plur.), āpas, f. water; air, the intermediate region; the star δ Virigi- nis. Sometimes, particularly in the Vedas, the Āpaḥ are considered as divinities. As the last member of a compound, ap may become apa, īpa, ūpa. [Cf. Lat. aqua; Goth. ahva, ‘a river;’ Old Germ. aha, and affa at the end of compounds; Lith. uppê, ‘a river;’ perhaps Lat. amnis, ‘a river,’ for apnis; cf. also ἀφρός]. —Apa-vat, ān, atī, at, Ved. watery. —Apaḥ-saṃvarta, as, m. (Buddh.) destruction (of the world) by water. —Apāṃ-vatsa, as, m., N. of a star (‘calf of the waters’). —Apāṃ-napāt, t, or apāṃ-naptṛ, tā, or apāṃ-garbha, as, or apān- napāt, or apo-napāt, t, &c., m., Ved., N. of Agni or fire as sprung from water. —Apāṃ-napatriya or apāṃ-naptrīya or apo-napatriya or apo-naptrīya, as, ā, am, Ved. relating to Agni. —Apāṃ-nātha, as, m. the ocean. —Apāṃ-nidhi, is, m. the ocean. —Apām-pati or ap-pati, is, m. the ocean; N. of Varuṇa. —Apām-pitta or ap-pitta, am, n. fire; a plant. —Ap-kṛtsna, am, n. deep meditation per- formed by means of water. —Ap-cara, as, m. an aquatic animal. —Ap-saras, see s. v. [ ID=3118 ]

### Work (noun) (3 definitions)
- work  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 47,3] 1. अप् (ap) n. ( gen. अपस् (apas) ), work (according to Böhtlingk’s Sanskrit-Wörterbuch in kürzerer fassung (Title) ), Ṛg-veda (Title) i, 151, 4. [ ID=8929 ]
- work  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अप् (ap) 2. áp, work. [ ID=1852 ]
- work  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अप् (ap) [Printed book page 027 ] 1 अप् (ap) s. work. [ ID=1818 ]

### Air / Intermediate Region (2 definitions)
- air and the intermediate region  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > air, the intermediate region, Naighaṇṭuka, commented on by Yāska (subtitle) [ ID=8930.1 ]
- Air, the intermediate region  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अप् (ap) [Printed book page 0103-a ] अप् (ap) f. [ आप् - क्विप् - ह्रस्वश्च (āp-kvip-hrasvaśca) Uṇādisūtras 2. 58 ] (Declined in classical language only in pl.; आपः, अपः, अद्भिः, अद्भ्यः अपां (āpaḥ, apaḥ, adbhiḥ, adbhyaḥ apāṃ) and अप् (ap) सु (apsu), but in singular and pl. in Veda) 2 Air, the intermediate region

### The star δ Virginis (2 definitions)
- the star delta Virginis  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the star δ Virginis [ ID=8930.2 ]
- The star Beta Virginis  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अप् (ap) [Printed book page 0103-a ] अप् (ap) f. [ आप् - क्विप् - ह्रस्वश्च (āp-kvip-hrasvaśca) Uṇādisūtras 2. 58 ] (Declined in classical language only in pl.; आपः, अपः, अद्भिः, अद्भ्यः अपां (āpaḥ, apaḥ, adbhiḥ, adbhyaḥ apāṃ) and अप् (ap) सु (apsu), but in singular and pl. in Veda) 3 The star Ś virginis. For the changes of अप् (ap) at the end of comp. see Pāṇini’s Aṣṭādhyāyī V. 4. 74, VI. 3. 97-98. [ cf. L. aqua, Gr. appos; Lith. uppe; Goth. ahva; Pers. ab; Zend ap; Old Germ. aha ]

### Water as a Cosmic Element (2 definitions)
- Water  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अप् (ap) [Printed book page 035-07 ] अप् (ap) f. (only pl. in classical language; nom. आपः (āpaḥ) ) Water. (According to Hindu mythology, it is the first of the five elements of creation, the other four being आकाश (ākāśa), वायु (vāyu), अग्नि (agni) and पृथिवी (pṛthivī). अप एव ससर्जादौ तासु बीजमवासृजन् (apa eva sasarjādau tāsu bījamavāsṛjan) M. i.8; however, it is the 5th object of creation in M. i.78). [ ID=1957 ]
- 1. Water. 2. The atmosphere or sky. 3. The star Delta Virginis in astronomy.  
  *Goldstücker Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अ (a) प (apa) ् (ap) [Printed book page 155-b ] अ (a) प (apa) ् (ap) f. ( - प्; (-p;) in the classical literature only used in the plural: - आपः - अ (a) प (apa) ः - अ (a) द्भिः - अ (a) द्भ्यः - अ (a) प (apa) ाम् - अ (a) प (apa) ् (ap) सु (-āpaḥ-apaḥ-adbhiḥ-adbhyaḥ-apām-apsu) ) 1 Water.--Ac- cording to the Hindu doctrine it is one of the five elements the several denominations of which are आकाश (ākāśa) (æther), वायु (vāyu) (air), अ (a) ग्नि (agni) (fire), अ (a) प (apa) ् (ap) (water), पृथिवी (pṛthivī) (earth), (each of these being also replaced by synonymes, as आकाश (ākāśa) by व्योमन्, वायु (vāyu) (vyoman, vāyu) by मर (mara) ुत्, अ (a) ग्नि (agni) (marut, agni) by तेजस्, अ (a) प (apa) ् (ap) (tejas, ap) by वारि, पृथिवी (pṛthivī) (vāri, pṛthivī) by क्षिति (kṣiti) &c.; comp. under आकाश (ākāśa) &c.); the place, however, which water holds in the Hindu cosmogony varies according to the doctrines. Thus the Bṛhad-Āraṇ- yaka Upan. represents it as the first material creation, it being produced by Death after the creation of Soul; but its character in this Upanishad is not yet that of an element in the later sense of the word; nor is it such an element in the Aitareya-Upan., where the order of the primitive ma- terial creation is अ (a) म्भस् (ambhas) (the waters above the heavens), मर (mara) ीचि (marīci) (the sphere of sunbeams or atmosphere), मर (mara) (the sphere of death or earth) and अ (a) प (apa) ् (ap) (the sphere of waters beneath the earth).--In the Taittirīya-Upan. the order and successive origin of the elements is the same as in the Ve- dānta, viz. æther, in which originates air and thus suc- cessively fire, water, earth. But the Vedānta complicates this simple view by assuming a creation of subtle elements (see सूक्ष्मशरीर (sūkṣmaśarīra) ) æther &c., produced by Chaitanya or the worldly Brahman, whence arise through an intricate division and combination of the several parts of each, the material elements (see स्थूलशरीर (sthūlaśarīra) ) æther &c.; this system holds more- over that each successive element becomes possessed of the qualities of each preceding one, i. e. the quality of æther being sound, air obtains the qualities of sound and touch, and in a similar progress, fire the qualities of sound, touch and form, water of sound, touch, form and savour, earth of sound, touch, form, savour and odour.--According to the Sāṅkhya the coarse elements also arise from subtle ele- ments, but the latter ( तन्मात्र (tanmātra) q. v.), produced by Ahaṅkāra or the type of I, are the qualities sound, touch, form, savour and odour, æther proceeding from sound, air from touch, fire from form, water from savour and earth from odour. (Compare also Suśruta's mythological developement of the Sāṅkhya-Yoga: अ (a) व्यक्तं महानहंकारः पञ्च तन्मात्र (tanmātra) ाणि चे - (avyaktaṃ mahānahaṃkāraḥ pañca tanmātrāṇi ce-) त्यष्टौ प्र (pra) कृतयः शेषाः षोडश विकाराः । स्वः स्वश्चैषां विषयोऽधि - (tyaṣṭau prakṛtayaḥ śeṣāḥ ṣoḍaśa vikārāḥ. svaḥ svaścaiṣāṃ viṣayo'dhi-) भूतम् । स्वयमध्यात्ममधिदैवतं च । अ (a) थ बुद्धेर्ब्रह्मा । अ (a) हंकार (ahaṃkāra) स्ये - (bhūtam. svayamadhyātmamadhidaivataṃ ca. atha buddherbrahmā. ahaṃkārasye-) श्वरः । मनसश्चन्द्रमाः । दिशः श्रोत्रस्य । त्वचो वायु (vāyu) ः । सूर्यश्चक्षु - (śvaraḥ. manasaścandramāḥ. diśaḥ śrotrasya. tvaco vāyuḥ. sūryaścakṣu-) षोः । रसनस्यापः । पृथिवी (pṛthivī) घ्राणस्य । (ṣoḥ. rasanasyāpaḥ. pṛthivī ghrāṇasya.) &c.)--The Nyāya systems, more especially the Vaiśeṣika, do not discuss the origin of these elements, the order of which they retain, Page156-a+ 56 but attach themselves chiefly to the definition of their properties; accord. to the Vaiśeṣika the qualities of water are touch, number, quantity, individuality, conjunction, dis- junction, greater or less comprehensiveness (extension), ve- locity, gravity, fluidity, colour, savour and viscidity. (For those of the other elements see s. vv. आकाश (ākāśa) &c.) The cos- mogony of Manu which is neither the pure Sāṅkhya nor the pure Vedānta doctrine (although Kullūka endeavours to ex- plain his terms as if they were pure Vedānta terms), but a theory apparently prior to both and combining their views, imagines the coarse elements as proceeding from the subtle portions of the seven intellectual creations-- पुरुषाः (puruṣāḥ) which are, according to Kullūka, अ (a) हंकार (ahaṃkāra), महत् (ahaṃkāra, mahat) and the five subtle elements(?)--and endowed with the same qualities as assigned to them by the Vedānta.--According to the Viṣṇupurāṇa ‘elementary Egotism (the type of I, अ (a) हंकार (ahaṃkāra) ) becoming productive as the rudiment of sound, produced from it æther, of which sound is the characteristic, invest- ing it with its rudiment of sound; æther becoming produc- tive, engendered the rudiment of touch; whence originated strong wind, the property of which is touch; and æther with the rudiment of sound, enveloped the rudiment of touch; then wind becoming productive, produced the rudi- ment of form (colour); whence fire proceeded of which form is the attribute, and the rudiment of touch enveloped the wind with the rudiment of colour; fire becoming productive produced the rudiment of savour, whence proceed all juices in which savour resides, and the rudiment of colour invested the juices with the rudiment of savour; the waters becoming productive engendered the rudiment of smell; whence an aggregate (earth) originates, of which smell is the property.’ In a note to this passage ( Viṣṇup. p. 16) Professor Wilson observes that ‘the successive series of rudiments and ele- ments and their respectively engendering the rudiments and elements next in order occur in most of the Purāṇas in nearly the same words’, that ‘some of the Purāṇas, as the Matsya, Vāyu, Linga, Bhāgavata and Mārkaṇḍeya add a description of a participation of properties amongst the ele- ments, which is rather Vedānta than Sāṅkhya’ and mentions a passage of the Moksha Dharma (vv. 6778. 6779) of the Māhābhārata which is an exception, since its order of the elements is æther, water, fire, air, earth. [On the cosmo- gony of the chapter in which these latter verses occur, Arju- namiśra has the following gloss: कोऽयं सर्गप्र (pra) कारः । न हि (ko'yaṃ sargaprakāraḥ. na hi) साङ्ख्यादिसर्गेष्वयं क्रमः । उच्यते । अ (a) न्योऽयं प्र (pra) कारः सर्गस्य । (sāṅkhyādisargeṣvayaṃ kramaḥ. ucyate. anyo'yaṃ prakāraḥ sargasya.) पौराणिकादिसंमतेषु (paurāṇikādisaṃmateṣu) &c.; but he omits to say which Pu- rāṇas give this anomalous order of the elements.] For the Bhāgav. Pur. comp. III. 26. 29. ff. and the two verses VII. 12. 25 and 30: खे खानि वायौ निःश्वासांस्तेजस्यूष्माणमात्मवान् । (khe khāni vāyau niḥśvāsāṃstejasyūṣmāṇamātmavān.) अ (a) प (apa) ् (ap) स्वसृक्श्लेष्मपूयानि क्षितौ शेषं यथोद्भवम् (apsvasṛkśleṣmapūyāni kṣitau śeṣaṃ yathodbhavam) (scil. न्यसेत् (nyaset) ); and अ (a) प (apa) ् (ap) सु क्षिति (kṣiti) मपो ज्योतिष्यदो वायौ नभस्यमुम् । कूटस्थे तच्च म - (apsu kṣitimapo jyotiṣyado vāyau nabhasyamum. kūṭasthe tacca ma-) हति तदव्यक्तेऽक्षरे च तत् (hati tadavyakte'kṣare ca tat) (this reverted order being that in which dissolution takes place).--In the Vedas, however, अ (a) प (apa) ां (apāṃ) गर्भः (apāṃ garbhaḥ) ‘the child of the waters’ is an epithet of Agni, ‘because he comes forth from amid the waters’ or ‘because he resides as lightning amidst the rain-waters’ (according to Page156-b+ 56 Mahīdhara); comp. also गर्भो अ (a) प (apa) साम् (garbho apasām) s. v. अ (a) प (apa) स् (apas); (apas;) from the same reason probably Agni is also called अ (a) प (apa) ां (apāṃ) or अ (a) प (apa) ो (apo) नपात् (napāt) ‘the grandson of the waters’, but, in Sāyaṇa's opinion, ‘because trees grow through the agency of water and fire comes (through the friction of the wood) of trees. For the other explanations of these words see s. vv. अ (a) प (apa) ा - (apā-) न्नपात् (napāt), अ (a) प (apa) ान्नप्तृ; (nnapāt, apānnaptṛ;) comp. also अ (a) प (apa) ो (apo) नपात् (napāt), अ (a) प (apa) ो (apo) नप्तृ, अ (a) प (apa) ो (apo) न - (aponapāt, aponaptṛ, apona-) प्त्रिय, अ (a) प (apa) ो (apo) नप्त्रीय, अ (a) प (apa) ान्नप्त्रिय, अ (a) प (apa) ान्नप्त्रीय। -- अ (a) प (apa) ां (apāṃ) व्रतम् (ptriya, aponaptrīya, apānnaptriya, apānnaptrīya.--apāṃ vratam) is the liturgical name of the Sāmav. verses 2. 25. 26. (= II. 1. 1. 9.) and 2. 47-49. (= II. 1. 1. 18.); अ (a) प (apa) ां (apāṃ) साम (apāṃ sāma) of 1. 544. (= I. 6. 1. 4. 12.); अ (a) प (apa) ामीवम् (apāmīvam) of 2. 502-504. (= II. 4. 2. 7.); अ (a) प (apa) ां (apāṃ) निधिः (apāṃ nidhiḥ) of 1. 151. (= I. 2. 2. 1. 7.); अ (a) प (apa) ां (apāṃ) सर्पम् (apāṃ sarpam) of the Āraṇyagāna (of the Sāmav.) II. 7. (not in the Sāmav.). 2 (ved.) The same as अ (a) न्तरिक्ष (antarikṣa). 3 (In Astronomy.) The star (greek) δ Virginis. [Com- pounds the latter part of which is अ (a) प (apa) ् (ap) assume the samās. aff. अ (a), (a,) e. g. प्र (pra) or परा (parā) and अ (a) प (apa) ् (ap) form प्र (pra) ाप (prāpa), परा (parā) प; (prāpa, parāpa;) but some- times the word remains unchanged, if it is a Bahuvr. com- pound, e. g. स्वप्, बह्वप् (svap, bahvap) (in which case the neuter plur. is स्वाम्पि, बह्वाम्पि (svāmpi, bahvāmpi) ); if the first part of the compound is अ (a) नु, (anu,) the grammarians assume that अ (a) प (apa) ् (ap) becomes ऊप् (ūp) provided the meaning refers to a place, i. e. अ (a) नूप (anūpa) (comp. also सूप (sūpa) ); if it is द्वि, अ (a) न्तर् (dvi, antar) or a prepositional prefix not ending in अ (a) or आ, (ā,) that अ (a) प (apa) ् (ap) becomes ईप् (īp); (īp;) comp. द्वीप, अ (a) न्तरीप, (dvīpa, antarīpa,) नीप, वीप, अ (a) न्वीप, प्र (pra) तीप, समीप (nīpa, vīpa, anvīpa, pratīpa, samīpa) ( समाप (samāpa) being an ex- ception); if the prepos. prefix ends in अ (a) or आ, (ā,) that अ (a) प (apa) ् (ap) may change to ईप् (īp) or not; comp. प्र (pra) ाप (prāpa) or प्र (pra) ेप, परा (parā) प (prepa, parāpa) or परेप (parepa).--(Another explanation of these compounds will be found in the Preface.)].--Compare also अ (a) प (apa) and अ (a) प (apa) स् (apas). E. आप्, (āp,) uṇ. aff. क्विप् (kvip) with the shortening of the initial vowel. For another etym. see the Preface. [ ID=4472 ]

### Etymology and Linguistic Cognates (1 definition)
- Water.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > अप् (ap) [ cf. Lat. aqua; Goth. ahva, ‘a river’; Old Germ. aha, and affa at the end of compounds; Lith. uppê, ‘a river’; perhaps Lat. amnis, ‘a river’, for apnis cf. also ἀϕρός ] [ ID=8930.65 ]

### Sacred Waters / Water Deities (1 definition)
- the Waters considered as divinities  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the Waters considered as divinities. ifc. अप (apa) ् (ap) may become अप (apa) or ईप (īpa), ऊप (ūpa) after इ - (i-) and उ - (u-) stems respectively. [ ID=8930.3 ]

### To be active / To work (verb) (1 definition)
- be active, work  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अप् (ap) [Printed book page 019-1 ] अप् (ap) 1. AP, be active, work. [ ID=1851 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Goldstücker Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872); Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

The Sanskrit Lexicon app for iPhone, iPad and Mac: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sanskrit-lexicon-dictionary/id6746787546