# अपूर्व (apūrva)

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

अपूर्व (apūrva) is a Sanskrit word meaning unprecedented, unpreceded, not having existed before, quite new, incomparable, extraordinary, not married before, not first, preceded by a. Its 29 recorded definitions are grouped into 7 contexts, among them New, Unprecedented, or Extraordinary, Unseen Sacrificial Potency/Consequence (Mīmāṃsā), Grammatical: Preceded by 'a'/'ā'.

- **SLP1:** `apUrva`  **IAST:** apūrva  **Devanagari:** अपूर्व
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apurva
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/apurva/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** अपूर्वा (apūrvā)

## Meanings by context

### New, Unprecedented, or Extraordinary (14 definitions)
- unprecedented, unpreceded  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 56,2] अ - पूर्व (a-pūrva) mf( आ (ā) )n. unpreceded, unprecedented, Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa (Title) xiv, &c. [ ID=10329 ]
- not having existed before, quite new  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > not having existed before, quite new [ ID=10330 ]
- incomparable, extraordinary  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > unparalleled, incomparable, extraordinary [ ID=10331 ]
- a novice  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > [Printed book page 1314,3] अ - पूर्व (a-pūrva) m. a novice, Kirātārjunīya (Title) vi, 39 [ ID=10334.1 ]
- never before  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1C) [Printed book page 56,2] अ - पूर्वेण (a-pūrveṇa) ind. never before, Atharva-veda (Title) x, 8, 33. [ ID=10337 ]
- quite new  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अपूर्व (apūrva) [Printed book page 0118-c ] अपूर्व (apūrva) a. 1 Not preceded, not having existed before, the like of which did not exist before, quite new; ° र्वं (°rvaṃ) नाटकं (nāṭakaṃ) Śakuntalā (Bombay) 1; ° र्वं (°rvaṃ) राजकुलं (°rvaṃ rājakulaṃ) Mālavikāgnimitra (Bombay) 5; Kādambarī (Bombay) 191; Śiśupālavadha 4. 17
- 1. Strange, extraordinary, wonderful. 2. Unprecedented, unexampled.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अपूर्व (apūrva) [Printed book page 0118-c ] अपूर्व (apūrva) a. 2 Strange, extraordinary, wonderful; अपूर्व (apūrva) ः कोपि (apūrvaḥ kopi) बहुमानहेतुर्गुरुषु (bahumānaheturguruṣu) Uttararāmacarita 4; अपूर्व (apūrva) ो दृश्यते वाह्निः (apūrvo dṛśyate vāhniḥ) कामिन्याः स्तनमंडले । दूरतो दहतीवांगं (kāminyāḥ stanamaṃḍale. dūrato dahatīvāṃgaṃ) हृदि लग्रस्तु शीतलः ॥ (hṛdi lagrastu śītalaḥ..) Śṛṅgāratilaka 17; singular, unexampled, unprecedented; अपूर्व (apūrva) एष विरहमार्गः (apūrva eṣa virahamārgaḥ) Śakuntalā (Bombay) 6; अपूर्व (apūrva) रूपा दारिका (apūrvarūpā dārikā) Mālavikāgnimitra (Bombay) 1; अतोऽपूर्वः (ato'pūrvaḥ) खलु वोऽनुग्रहः (khalu vo'nugrahaḥ) Śakuntalā (Bombay) 7; अपूर्व (apūrva) कर्मचांडालमयि मुग्धे विमुंच मां (apūrvakarmacāṃḍālamayi mugdhe vimuṃca māṃ) Uttararāmacarita 1. 46 committing an unparalleled atrocity
- Unknown or stranger  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अपूर्व (apūrva) [Printed book page 0118-c ] अपूर्व (apūrva) a. 3 Unknown, unacquainted, stranger; ( pb ) Kirātārjunīya 6. 39
- 1. Unprecedented, new. 2. Extraordinary, incomparable.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अपूर्व (apūrva) [Printed book page 021-1 ] अपूर्व (apūrva) a-pūrvá, a. unprecedented, new; extraordinary, incomparable: in. ad. never before; -tā, f. n. newness, novelty; -darśana, a. never seen before. [ ID=2026 ]
- 1. Completely new or not existing before. 2. Unknown. 3. Unparalleled, extraordinary, or wonderful. 4. Not first.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अपूर्व (apūrva) [Printed book page 042-16 ] अपूर्व (apūrva) (I) a. (f. र्वा (rvā) ) 1. Not existing before, quite new; 2. unknown; 3. unparalleled, extraordinary, wonderful, अपूर्व (apūrva) ो दृश्यते वह्निः कामिन्याः स्तनमण्डले । दूरतो दहतीवांगं हृदिलग्नस्तु शीतलः (apūrvo dṛśyate vahniḥ kāminyāḥ stanamaṇḍale. dūrato dahatīvāṃgaṃ hṛdilagnastu śītalaḥ) Ud.; 4. not first. [ ID=2303 ]
- Unprecedented, extraordinary, or new.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अपूर्व (apūrva) [Printed book page 030 ] अपूर्व (apūrva) a. having no predecessor, not having existed before, unknown, unheard of, unprecedented, extraordinary, wonderful, incomparable, strange, new; instr. adv. never before. Abstr. अपूर्व (apūrva) ° ता (°tā) f., अपूर्व (apūrva) ° त्व (°tva) n. [ ID=2070 ]
- 1. Not preceded by anything. 2. Not having existed before, new, or unprecedented. 3. Extraordinary or wonderful. 4. Not having had a husband before. 5. In Mimamsa philosophy, the unseen or transcendental power of a religious or sacrificial act that produces results at a future time. 6. A sacrificial act, especially a principal act possessing unseen power. 7. An authoritative or binding injunction. 8. The consequence of an act. 9. Subsequent or last.  
  *Goldstücker Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) [Printed book page 198-a ] I. अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) 1. Bahuvr. 1. m. f. n. ( - र्वः - र्वा - र्वम् (-rvam) (-rvaḥ-rvā-rvam) ) 1 Not preceded by (scil. any thing), as ब्रह्मन् (brahman) n., e. g. तदेतद्ब्रह्मापूर्व (pūrva) मनपरमनन्तरमवा - (tadetadbrahmāpūrvamanaparamanantaramavā-) ह्यम्; (hyam;) (comp. also अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) ता (apūrvatā) 4.); or as मनस्, (manas,) it being the first of the organs ( इन्द्रिय (indriya) ), in the Vājasan. verse: यदपूर्व (pūrva) ं यक्षमन्तः (yadapūrvaṃ yakṣamantaḥ) प्रजानां तन्मे मनः शिवसंकल्पमस्तु; (prajānāṃ tanme manaḥ śivasaṃkalpamastu;) or as a word (not pre- Page198-b+ 56 ceded by any other word), e. g. in Pāṇini' s Sūtra जात्व - (jātva-) पूर्व (pūrva) म् (pūrvam) (comp. also the Vārtt. 5. to VIII. 1. 72. and the Kāśikā to VIII. 1. 49. (50.)). 2 Not having existed before; e. g. in the Anuśāsana Parvan: अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) ं च भवेत्पात्रमथवापि चिरोषितः (apūrvaṃ ca bhavetpātramathavāpi ciroṣitaḥ) &c. ( Nīlakanṭha: अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) ः कदाचिन्नागतो न दृष्टश्च (apūrvaḥ kadācinnāgato na dṛṣṭaśca) ); new (also applied to a religious act which does not follow as a con- sequence of other acts, but requires a special injunction); e. g. in the Vedānta Sūtra: कार्याख्यानादपूर्व (pūrva) म् (pūrvam) (kāryākhyānādapūrvam) ( Śaṅkara: अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) त्व (apūrvatva) ाद्विध्यर्हम्; (apūrvatvādvidhyarham;) Anūpanār.: अ (a) पां प्राणाच्छादकत्वध्यानमे - (apāṃ prāṇācchādakatvadhyāname-) वापूर्व (pūrva) ं विधेयम् (vāpūrvaṃ vidheyam) &c.); compare also the meaning 2. 1. a. b. 3 Unprecedented, extraordinary, wonderful; e. g. अ (a) यं त्व - (ayaṃ tva-) पूर्व (pūrva) ः प्रतिमाविशेषो यः सेव्यमानो रिपुतामुपैति; (pūrvaḥ pratimāviśeṣo yaḥ sevyamāno riputāmupaiti;) or वनमिद - (vanamida-) मपूर्व (pūrva) सत्त्वाधिष्ठितम् (mapūrvasattvādhiṣṭhitam) &c.; or सर्वशुभकर्महेतोः फलमिदं शृणु - (sarvaśubhakarmahetoḥ phalamidaṃ śṛṇu-) तास्य कर्मस्य । तस्माद्भवत कृतज्ञा अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) शुभसंचयं क्षपित्वेह; (tāsya karmasya. tasmādbhavata kṛtajñā apūrvaśubhasaṃcayaṃ kṣapitveha;) or अ (a) न्तर्गूढविषो वहिर्मधुमयश्चातीव मायापटुः । को नामायमपूर्व (pūrva)- (antargūḍhaviṣo vahirmadhumayaścātīva māyāpaṭuḥ. ko nāmāyamapūrva-) नाटकविधि (vidhi) र्यः शिक्षितो दुर्जनैः । (nāṭakavidhiryaḥ śikṣito durjanaiḥ.). 4 Not having had before (scil. a husband); used so in Pāṇini' s Sūtra: कौमारापूर्व (pūrva) वचने (kaumārāpūrvavacane). 2. n. ( - र्वम् (-rvam) ) 1 (In the Mīmānsā philosophy.) a. The unseen or transcendental power ( (greek) δυναμις, = अ (a) दृष्टपूर्व (pūrva) म् (pūrvam) (adṛṣṭapūrvam) or अ (a) त्यन्तमदृष्टम् (atyantamadṛṣṭam) liter. which has not been seen before or which is very invisible) of a religious or sacrificial act which produces the desired result at another than the present or at a distant time ( Kumārila: फलाय विहितं कर्म क्षणिकं चि - (phalāya vihitaṃ karma kṣaṇikaṃ ci-) रभावि (rabhāvi) ने । तत्सिद्धिर्नान्यथेत्येवमपूर्व (pūrva) मपि गम्यते; (rabhāvine. tatsiddhirnānyathetyevamapūrvamapi gamyate;) Mādhava: धात्वर्थातिरिक्तं कालान्तरभावि (rabhāvi) काम्यफलसाधनम्; (dhātvarthātiriktaṃ kālāntarabhāvi kāmyaphalasādhanam;) the same: यागजन्या काचिच्छक्तिरपूर्व (pūrva) मस्तु (yāgajanyā kācicchaktirapūrvamastu) ); if a religious act includes one or several other acts, the unseen power which results from the performance of the latter and which consists in producing their relation with the former, is called अ (a) वान्त - (avānta-) रापूर्व (pūrva), (rāpūrva,) while the unseen power of the superior act is called with regard to the inferior acts परमापूर्व (pūrva) (paramāpūrva) or मुख्यापूर्व (pūrva) (mukhyāpūrva) or प्रकृतापूर्व (pūrva) (prakṛtāpūrva) or प्रधानापूर्व (pūrva) (pradhānāpūrva). That unseen power which is only the result of performing the principal sacrifices, such as the Jyotiṣṭoma or the Darśapūrṇamāsa, and which con- sists in producing the result, i. e. swarga or the enjoyment of heaven, is called फलापूर्व (pūrva) (phalāpūrva). Since such acts include other acts which vary in degree or importance, there are various degrees of the अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) with regard to the फलापूर्व (pūrva) (phalāpūrva), (phalāpūrva,) viz. the समुदायापूर्व (pūrva), (samudāyāpūrva,) the उत्पत्त्यपूर्व (pūrva) (utpattyapūrva) and the अ (a) ङ्गापूर्व (pūrva) (aṅgāpūrva) (the latter also called कलापूर्व (pūrva) (kalāpūrva) ); thus, as the Darśapūrṇamāsa, the perfor- mance of which has the power of producing heaven, i. e. the फलापूर्व (pūrva) (phalāpūrva), (phalāpūrva,) consists of the two distinct sacrifices Darśa and Pūrṇamāsa which are performed at distinct times, it requires an unseen power to effectuate their combining so as to constitute the sacrifice Darśapūrnamāsa, (for other- wise neither of both would have a relation to the other or to that sacrifice itself); this unseen power is the समुदाया - (samudāyā-) पूर्व (pūrva); (pūrva;) likewise the उत्पत्त्यपूर्व (pūrva) (utpattyapūrva) causes the six Yāgas ( आग्नेय - (āgneya-) पुरोडाशयागः, ऐन्द्रपयोयागः, ऐन्द्रदधियागः (puroḍāśayāgaḥ, aindrapayoyāgaḥ, aindradadhiyāgaḥ) which con- stitute the Darśa, and the आग्नेयपुरोडाशयागः, आज्येनो - (āgneyapuroḍāśayāgaḥ, ājyeno-) पांशुयाजयागः, अ (a) ग्नीषोमीयपुरोडाशयागः (pāṃśuyājayāgaḥ, agnīṣomīyapuroḍāśayāgaḥ) which constitute the Pūrṇamāsa, and are performed, too, at different times,) to combine so as to become severally the Darśa and the Pūrṇamāsa; and lastly, as each of these six Yāgas comprises again a number of inferior acts, such as the beating of the vrīhi, the grinding of the taṇḍula, Page199-a+ 56 the cleansing of the ladles &c., which also are done at different times, it requires an अ (a) ङ्गापूर्व (pūrva) (aṅgāpūrva) (or कलापूर्व (pūrva) (kalāpūrva) ) to produce the result of their constituting severally each of these Yāgas.--Such an unseen power might be predi- cated, indeed, of any act, whether sacrificial or not, but the term अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) is expressly reserved by the Mīmān- sists to the former ( Kumārila: लौकिकं चापि यत्कर्म फले (laukikaṃ cāpi yatkarma phale) कालान्तरोद्गतौ । तत्रापि शक्तिरेवास्ते न त्वपूर्व (pūrva) गिरोच्यते (kālāntarodgatau. tatrāpi śaktirevāste na tvapūrvagirocyate) ), for the corresponding power of a non-sacrificial or profane act is called संस्कार (saṃskāra). ( Kumārila: यान्यपि च लौकिकानि कृषिघृ - (yānyapi ca laukikāni kṛṣighṛ-) तपानाद्ध्ययनप्रभृतीनि कर्माणि (karmāṇi) कालान्तरफलत्वेनेष्यन्ते तेषामपि (tapānāddhyayanaprabhṛtīni karmāṇi kālāntaraphalatveneṣyante teṣāmapi) स्वरूपावस्थानासंभवात्संस्कार (saṃskāra) ैरेव तिष्ठद्भिर्व्यवहारसिद्धः । ते (svarūpāvasthānāsaṃbhavātsaṃskāraireva tiṣṭhadbhirvyavahārasiddhaḥ. te) त्ववैदिकत्वात्संस्कार (saṃskāra) ा न त्वपूर्व (pūrva) शब्दाभिधेयत्वेन प्रसिद्धाः; (tvavaidikatvātsaṃskārā na tvapūrvaśabdābhidheyatvena prasiddhāḥ;) comp. also e. g. Mādhava in the Pūrvapakṣa of an Adhikaraṇa: योऽयं स्विष्टकृद्यागः सोऽयमुपयुक्तहविःसंस्कार (saṃskāra) इत्यविवादम् । (yo'yaṃ sviṣṭakṛdyāgaḥ so'yamupayuktahaviḥsaṃskāra ityavivādam.) तत्र संस्कार (saṃskāra) स्य दृष्टप्रयोजनत्वेनावशयंभावे सति तावतैवोपक्षी - (tatra saṃskārasya dṛṣṭaprayojanatvenāvaśayaṃbhāve sati tāvataivopakṣī-) णः स्विष्टकृद्यागो नापूर्व (pūrva) स्योपकरोति (ṇaḥ sviṣṭakṛdyāgo nāpūrvasyopakaroti) &c.) A doubt may arise, whether the beating of rice and such like acts have an अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva), (apūrva,) if considered absolutely or by themselves, since their result is the unhusking of the rice and since they are per- formed for sacrificial purposes, but the Mīmānsists decide the question in the negative, as it is the characteristic property of the अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) to be an unseen power, and the un- husking of rice is a visible result ( Mādhava: दृष्टफले संभ - (dṛṣṭaphale saṃbha-) वत्यपूर्व (pūrva) ं न कल्पनीयम् (vatyapūrvaṃ na kalpanīyam) ); again whether the cleaning of the sacrificial ladles with kuśa grass and such like acts have an अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva), (apūrva,) for their result might be said not to be visible; but the solution is the same although from a different reason; viz. be- cause they are undertaken for the sake of the द्रव्य (dravya), (dravya,) i. e. these inferior acts have an अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) only in so far as it concerns their relation to the superior acts, but not in so far as the mere material result (of unhusking, the purity of the ves- sels &c.) is concerned; ( Jaimini: तानि (tāni) [scil. कर्माणि (karmāṇi) ] द्वैधं (dvaidhaṃ) गुण (guṇa) प्रधानभूतानि (tāni) । यैर्द्रव्य (dravya) ं न चिकीर्ष्यते तानि (tāni) प्रधानभूतानि (tāni) (guṇapradhānabhūtāni. yairdravyaṃ na cikīrṣyate tāni pradhānabhūtāni) द्रव्य (dravya) स्य गुण (guṇa) भूतत्वात् (dravyasya guṇabhūtatvāt) --such as the Prayājas, when the con- sideration of the द्रव्य (dravya) is subordinate to the superior object of the sacrifice-- । यैस्तु द्रव्य (dravya) ं चिकीर्ष्यते गुण (guṇa) स्तत्र प्रतीयेत द्र - (. yaistu dravyaṃ cikīrṣyate guṇastatra pratīyeta dra-) व्यप्रधानत्वात् (vyapradhānatvāt) --as would be the case with the acts named before or with the paring of a sacrificial post, when the act is merely done for the sake of preparing a post &c.). As the अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) produces the result (swarga), it follows more- over, that it is not the divinity of the sacrifice who pro- duces the result or influences the peculiar nature of the sacrifice, the latter being the consequence of the अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) it- self, ( Mādhava: किं देवतायाः फलप्रदत्वलक्षणं प्राधान्यं श - (kiṃ devatāyāḥ phalapradatvalakṣaṇaṃ prādhānyaṃ śa-) ब्दादापाद्यते । वस्तुसामर्थ्याद्वा । नाद्यः (bdādāpādyate. vastusāmarthyādvā. nādyaḥ) &c. … ॥ नापि वस्तु - (….. nāpi vastu-) सामर्थ्याद्देवस्य फलप्रदत्वम् । (sāmarthyāddevasya phalapradatvam.) … तस्मात्फलप्रदमपूर्व (pūrva) मेव (…tasmātphalapradamapūrvameva) धर्माणां प्रयोजकम् । तथा सत्यग्न्यादिदेवाभावेऽप्यपूर्व (pūrva) प्रयुक्त - (dharmāṇāṃ prayojakam. tathā satyagnyādidevābhāve'pyapūrvaprayukta-) धर्माणामतिदेशादस्ति तत्रोहस्यावकाशः (dharmāṇāmatideśādasti tatrohasyāvakāśaḥ) ); and that the sacri- fice itself is not the chief object, since it, too, has not the (immediate) power of producing the result ( Mādhava: अ (a)- (a-) पूर्व (pūrva) ं मुख्यम् । फलवत्त्वात् । यजिर्न मुख्यः । फलरहितत्वात् (pūrvaṃ mukhyam. phalavattvāt. yajirna mukhyaḥ. phalarahitatvāt) ).-- A discussion (interesting on account of the questions of philosophy of grammar implied by it) is raised by the Mī- mānsā writers, viz. whether many words or a single word of a sentence and, again, in the latter case which word Page199-b+ 56 and which part of such a word will convey the notion of the अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva). The question is decided in this way: in vaidik passages, enjoining an act which possesses the unseen power, such as सोम (soma) ेन यजेत, (somena yajeta,) or हिरण्यमात्रेयाय ददाति, (hiraṇyamātreyāya dadāti,) or तस्मात्सुवर्णं हिरण्यं भार्यम्, (tasmātsuvarṇaṃ hiraṇyaṃ bhāryam,) or श्येन (śyena) ेनाभिचरन्यजेत, (śyenenābhicaranyajeta,) or चित्रया यजेत पशुकामः, (citrayā yajeta paśukāmaḥ,) not all the words of the sentence collectively convey the अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva), (apūrva,) nor a single word expressing the substance ( द्रव्य (dravya) ) of the sacrificial act, as सोम (soma) and हि - (hi-) रण्य, (raṇya,) nor the word expressing a quality ( गुण (guṇa) ), as सुवर्ण, (suvarṇa,) nor the word expressing the name ( कर्मवाचि (karmavāci) ) of the sacri- fice, as श्येन (śyena) and चित्रा, (citrā,) but the inflected verb or the word representing it, as यजेत, ददाति, भार्यम् (yajeta, dadāti, bhāryam). Again, in the verb the अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) is not conveyed by the meaning of the radical but by that part of it which implies the verbal notion ( भा - (bhā-) वना (vanā) ), lastly, so far as the implicit understanding of the verbal notion ( अ (a) र्थभावना (vanā) (arthabhāvanā) or अ (a) र्थात्मभावना (vanā) (arthātmabhāvanā) ) is concerned, any inflection-affix added to the radical might convey it, provided the connex of the sentence leaves no doubt, as when the word - काम (-kāma) (e. g. स्वर्गकामः (svargakāmaḥ) ) is added; but an explicit understanding of it ( शब्दभावना (vanā) (śabdabhāvanā) or अ (a) भिधाभावना (vanā) (abhidhābhāvanā) ) is only imparted by the inflection-affixes of the potential, leṭ, the imperative and by the affixes of the participles of the passive future. ( Mādhava: लिङ्लेड्लोट्तव्यप्रत्ययमात्रगता श - (liṅleḍloṭtavyapratyayamātragatā śa-) ब्दभावना (vanā) । सर्वाख्यातगतार्थभावना (vanā) । तदुक्तम् । अ (a) भिधाभाव - (bdabhāvanā. sarvākhyātagatārthabhāvanā. taduktam. abhidhābhāva-) नामाहुरन्यामेव लिङ्ङादयः । अ (a) र्थात्मभावना (vanā) (arthātmabhāvanā) त्वन्या सर्वाख्या - (nāmāhuranyāmeva liṅṅādayaḥ. arthātmabhāvanā tvanyā sarvākhyā-) तेषु गम्यत इति ।; (teṣu gamyata iti.;) and: सेयं शब्दभावना (vanā) (śabdabhāvanā) लिङ्ङादिभिरेव ग - (seyaṃ śabdabhāvanā liṅṅādibhireva ga-) म्यते । अ (a) र्थभावना (vanā) (arthabhāvanā) सर्वाख्यातप्रत्ययैर्गम्यत इत्युक्तम् । तस्यां चार्थ - (myate. arthabhāvanā sarvākhyātapratyayairgamyata ityuktam. tasyāṃ cārtha-) भावना (vanā) यां स्वर्गस्य भाव्यत्वं कमियोगादवगम्यते; (bhāvanāyāṃ svargasya bhāvyatvaṃ kamiyogādavagamyate;) in referring to Kumārila: … वैदिकलिङ्ङादीनां तदभिधायकत्वात् (…vaidikaliṅṅādīnāṃ tadabhidhāyakatvāt) (for this reason अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) is authoritative) । ततो धात्वर्थातिरिक्तं कालान्त - (. tato dhātvarthātiriktaṃ kālānta-) रभावि (rabhāvi) &c., see above, p. 198 b, 1. 25).--As the unseen power is the consequence of the performance of a sacrificial act which ‘has not existed before’ i. e. which is absolute ( Mādhava: कथं (kathaṃ) विनश्वरेण फलं कर्तव्यमित्यपेक्षायामपूर्व (pūrva) ं कृत्वेत्युच्यते । कथमपूर्व (pūrva) ं (vinaśvareṇa phalaṃ kartavyamityapekṣāyāmapūrvaṃ kṛtvetyucyate. kathamapūrvaṃ) क्रियत इत्यपेक्षायां यागानुष्ठानप्रकारेणेति (kriyata ityapekṣāyāṃ yāgānuṣṭhānaprakāreṇeti) ) the term अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) assumes also the meaning of such a sacrificial act, and as the latter requires always an authoritative injunction or विधि (vidhi), (vidhi,) since it would not take place otherwise, अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) occurs also in the sense of such an authoritative injunction, viz. b. a sacrificial act, especially a principal act, one not sub- ordinate to another act and therefore possessing the un- seen power of producing the result (i. e. heaven); e. g. in Jaimini' s Sūtra: अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) े च विकल्पः स्याद्यदि संख्याभिधानम्, (apūrve ca vikalpaḥ syādyadi saṃkhyābhidhānam,) Śabara: अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) े च दर्शपूर्णमासकर्मणि (apūrve ca darśapūrṇamāsakarmaṇi) &c.; or in Jaimini' s Sūtra: अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) े वापि भागित्वात्, (apūrve vāpi bhāgitvāt,) Śabara: अ (a) पि वा अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) े एते (api vā apūrve ete) उभे (ubhe) (viz. अ (a) ग्निहोत्र (agnihotra) and मासाग्निहोत्र (māsāgnihotra) ) अ (a) पि कर्मणी स्याताम्; (api karmaṇī syātām;) or in Jaimini' s Sūtra: अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) े त्वविकारोपदेशात्प्रतीयेत, (apūrve tvavikāropadeśātpratīyeta,) Śa- bara: अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) े त्वप्रकृतिपूर्व (pūrva) के कर्मणि (apūrve tvaprakṛtipūrvake karmaṇi) (i. e. in an act not sub- ordinate to a superior act); or in Jaimini' s Sūtra: प्रधानं (pradhānaṃ) त्वङ्गसंयुक्तं तथाभूतमपूर्व (pūrva) ं स्यात्तस्य विध्युपलक्षणात्; (tvaṅgasaṃyuktaṃ tathābhūtamapūrvaṃ syāttasya vidhyupalakṣaṇāt;) or Mādhava in an Adhikaraṇa: वैरूप्याच्च निरर्थत्वादपूर्व (pūrva) ं कर्म युज्यते (vairūpyācca nirarthatvādapūrvaṃ karma yujyate). c. the authoritative or binding injunction (comp. विधि (vidhi) ) which produces the unseen power &c.; e. g. Kumārila (on the Sūtra चोदना पुनरारम्भः (codanā punarārambhaḥ) ): आरम्भचोदनैवापूर्व (pūrva) स्यापि चो - (ārambhacodanaivāpūrvasyāpi co-) दना, (danā,) thus commented upon by Mādhava: गुरुणा यन्नियो - (guruṇā yanniyo-) गाख्यमपूर्व (pūrva) मभिप्रेयते (gākhyamapūrvamabhipreyate) &c.; or Mādhava: चोदितं यदपूर्व (pūrva) ं तस्यैव (coditaṃ yadapūrvaṃ tasyaiva) Page200-a+ 56 फलवत्त्वेनानुष्ठेयतयेतिकर्तव्यताकाङ्क्षा युक्ता; (phalavattvenānuṣṭheyatayetikartavyatākāṅkṣā yuktā;) the relation be- tween विधि (vidhi) and अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) may be seen e. g. from the follow- ing Adhikaraṇa of Mādhava: उपव्यानेऽनुवादो वा विधि (vidhi) र्वा - (upavyāne'nuvādo vā vidhirvā-) द्यो यतः स्मृतौ । प्राप्तं मैवमपूर्व (pūrva) त्वात्क्रतौ लेटा विधीयते; (dyo yataḥ smṛtau. prāptaṃ maivamapūrvatvātkratau leṭā vidhīyate;) or from Jaimini' s Sūtra: विधि (vidhi) र्वा स्यादपूर्व (pūrva) त्वाद्वादमात्रं ह्यनर्थ - (vidhirvā syādapūrvatvādvādamātraṃ hyanartha-) कम्; (kam;) (where the अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) त्व (apūrvatva) expresses the quality of what may be a विधि (vidhi) ः (vidhiḥ) ). 2 (In the non-philosophical literature.) Con- sequence (perhaps: remote consequence) of an act; e. g. the Mitākṣara on the word चरित्र (caritra) ( Yājnav. 2. 61.): चरित्र (caritra) शब्देन (caritraśabdena) गङ्गास्नानाग्निहोत्रादिजनितमपूर्व (pūrva) मुच्यते (gaṅgāsnānāgnihotrādijanitamapūrvamucyate). E. अ (a) priv. and पूर्व (pūrva). 2. Tatpur. m. f. n. ( - र्वः - र्वा - र्वम् (-rvam) (-rvaḥ-rvā-rvam) ) 1 Not first, subse- quent, last; e. g. in Jaimini' s Sūtra: प्रकृतेः पूर्व (pūrva) ोक्तत्वादपूर्व (pūrva)- (prakṛteḥ pūrvoktatvādapūrva-) मन्ते स्यान्न ह्यचोदितस्य शेषाम्नानम् (mante syānna hyacoditasya śeṣāmnānam) ( Śabara: प्राकृतं पूर्व (pūrva) ं त - (prākṛtaṃ pūrvaṃ ta-) दनन्तरमपूर्व (pūrva) ं वैकृतम्; (danantaramapūrvaṃ vaikṛtam;) in the corresponding Adhikaraṇa of Mādhava thus expressed: प्राकृते प्रथमो बोधो वैकृते चरम - (prākṛte prathamo bodho vaikṛte carama-) स्ततः । नारिष्टहोमाः पूर्व (pūrva) ाः स्युरुपहोमास्तु पृष्ठतः, (stataḥ. nāriṣṭahomāḥ pūrvāḥ syurupahomāstu pṛṣṭhataḥ,) these two Homas being there the subject of discussion). 2 Not easter- ly(?). E. अ (a) neg. and पूर्व (pūrva). [ ID=5259 ]
- unprecedented, incomparable  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > अपूर्व (apūrva) [Printed book page 118-b ] a-pūrvá, a. having no predecessor; unprecedented; incomparable. [ pū́rva: acct, 1304a.] [ ID=300 ]
- 1. Unprecedented, brand new, or having no prior existence. 2. Unparalleled, incomparable, wonderful, or extraordinary. 3. Not first. 4. In grammar, preceded by a or aa. 5. The remote or unforeseen consequence of an act.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > अपूर्व (apūrva) [Printed book page 0056-b ] अपूर्व (apūrva) a-pūrva, as, ā, am, unpreceded, un- precedented; not having existed before, quite new; unparalleled, incomparable, wonderful, extraordinary; not first; (in Pāṇini) preceded by a or ā; (am), n. the remote or unforeseen consequence of an act, as heaven of religious rites; a consequence not im- mediately preceded by its cause. —Apūrva-karman, a, n. a religious rite or sacrifice, the power of which on the future is not before seen. —Apūrva-tā, f. or apūrva-tva, am, n. the being unpreceded, not hav- ing existed before, incomparableness, &c. —A-pūrva- pati, is, f. one who has had no husband before. [ ID=3787 ]

### Unseen Sacrificial Potency/Consequence (Mīmāṃsā) (6 definitions)
- the remote or unforeseen consequence of an act  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > [Printed book page 56,2] अ - पूर्व (a-pūrva) ( अम् (am) ), n. the remote or unforeseen consequence of an act (as heaven of religious rites), Nyāyamālā-vistara (Title) [ ID=10335 ]
- a consequence not immediately preceded by its cause  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a consequence not immediately preceded by its cause [ ID=10336 ]
- the unseen virtue or power that connects past actions with their distant results  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अपूर्व (apūrva) [Printed book page 0118-c ] अपूर्व (apūrva) a. 6 (In phil. ). ‘That unseen virtue which is a relation superinduced, not before possessed, unseen but efficacious to connect the consequence with its past and remote cause and to bring about at a distant period or in another world the relative effect’ Colebrooke
- The remote consequence of an act  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — र्वं (rvaṃ) 1 The remote consequence of an act (as the acquisition of heaven which is the result of good deeds)
- Virtue and vice as the eventual cause of future happiness or misery.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — र्वं (rvaṃ) 2 Virtue and vice ( पापपुण्यं (pāpapuṇyaṃ) ) as the eventual cause of future happiness or misery
- Merit and sin causing future happiness or misery  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अपूर्व (apūrva) (III) n. Merit and sin as the cause of future happiness or misery. [ ID=2305 ]

### Grammatical: Preceded by 'a'/'ā' (3 definitions)
- preceded by a  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > preceded by अ (a), Pāṇini (Author) viii, 3, 17 [ ID=10333 ]
- Preceded by a or aa  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अ (a) पूर्व (apūrva) [Printed book page 0118-c ] अ (a) पूर्व (apūrva) a. 5 Preceded by अ (a) or आ (ā)
- Preceded by the vowel a or aa  
  *Goldstücker Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > [Printed book page 200-a ] II. अ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) Bahuvr. m. f. n. ( - र्वः - र्वा - र्वम् (-rvaḥ-rvā-rvam) ) (In Pāṇini's grammar.) Preceded by the vowel अ (a) or आ (= अ (a) वर्णपूर्व (pūrva)), (ā (= avarṇapūrva),) as the con- sonant स् ( रु ); (s (ru);) in the Sūtra: भोभगोअ (a) घोअ (a) पूर्व (pūrva) (apūrva) स्य योऽशि (bhobhagoaghoapūrvasya yo'śi) (where अ (a) according to Pāṇini' s terminology comprises the sound अ (a) in general, i. e. the short, long and pluta अ (a) ). E. अ (a), (a,) the vowel, and पूर्व (pūrva). [ ID=5260 ]

### Not First or Subsequent (2 definitions)
- not first  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > [Printed book page 56,2] not first [ ID=10332 ]
- Not first  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अपूर्व (apūrva) [Printed book page 0118-c ] अपूर्व (apūrva) a. 4 Not first

### The Supreme Soul (Brahman) (2 definitions)
- The supreme soul  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — र्वः (rvaḥ) The supreme soul ( परब्रह्म (parabrahma) )
- The supreme soul  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अपूर्व (apūrva) (II) m. The supreme soul. [ ID=2304 ]

### A Specific Sacrifice (1 definition)
- a sacrifice offered to Prajapati  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > अ - पूर्व (a-pūrva) ( अस् (as) ), m. N. of a sacrifice (offered to Prajāpati), PañcaviṃśaBrāhmaṇa [Cologne Addition] (Title); Vaitāna-sūtra (Title) [ ID=10334 ]

### A Virgin / Not Previously Married (1 definition)
- not married before  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > [Printed book page 1314,3] not married before, Āpastamba [Cologne Addition] (Author) [ ID=10331.1 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical 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); Vaidya 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