# बन्धु (bandhu)

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

बन्धु (bandhu) is a Sanskrit word meaning connection, relation, association, respect, reference, kinship, a kinsman or relative, especially on the mother's side, in law, a cognate kinsman in a remote degree, a friend. Its 23 recorded definitions are grouped into 4 contexts, among them Connection, Relationship, Kinsman, Friend, Proper Nouns and Specific Designations, A specific plant (Pentapetes Phoenicea).

- **Root:** बन्ध् (bandh)
- **Etymology:** E. बन्ध to bind or connect, उ aff — E. bandha to bind or connect, u aff
- **SLP1:** `banDu`  **IAST:** bandhu  **Devanagari:** बन्धु
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandhu
- **Declensions:** 72 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/bandhu/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** बंधु (baṃdhu), बन्धू (bandhū)

## Meanings by context

### Connection, Relationship, Kinsman, Friend (15 definitions)
- connection, relation, association  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 721,1] बन्धु (bandhu) m. connection, relation, association, RV. &c. &c. ( ifc. with f( ऊ (ū) ). = belonging to, coming under the head of i.e. ‘being only in name’; cf. क्षत्र - (kṣatra-), द्विज - ब् (dvija-b) ° (°) &c. ‘resembling’, Bālarāmāyaṇa (Title) v, 56/57, ‘frequented by’, ib. iii, 20, ‘favourable for’, ib. iv, 87; cf. Pāṇini (Author) vi, 1, 14 ) [ ID=142731 ]
- kinship  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > kinship, kindred, Manu-smṛti (Title) ii, 136 [ ID=142733 ]
- 1. A kinsman or relative, especially on the mother's side. 2. In law, a cognate kinsman in a remote degree.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a kinsman ( esp. on the mother's side), relative, kindred, RV. &c. &c. (in law, a cognate kinsman in a remote degree, one subsequent in right of inheritance to the Sa-gotra; three kinds are enumerated, personal, paternal and maternal) [ ID=142734 ]
- a friend  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a friend ( opp. to रिपु (ripu) ), MBh.; Kāv.; BhP. [ ID=142735 ]
- a husband  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a husband, Ragh. [ ID=142736 ]
- a brother  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a brother, L. [ ID=142737 ]
- connection, relation, kinship, relative, friend, or husband  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > बन्धु (bandhu) [Printed book page 192-1 ] बन्धु (bandhu) bándh-u, m. connexion, relation; kinship, kindred; (maternal) kinsman; relative; friend; husband; —°, relation of = extremely life; friend of = visited by or favourable for; —° a. ( ū ), coming under the head, of, i. e. being only in name: -kṛtya, n. duty of a kinsman; business of a friend, friendly service; -ksit, a. dwelling among kinsmen ( RV.¹ ); -jana, m. kinsfolk; relative; friend; -jīva, m. (living in the family), a tree ( Pentapetes phoenicea; it has a beautiful red flower which opens at noon and falls off next morning at sunrise ): -ka, m. id.; N. of a cakravartin; ( ú ) -tā, f. connexion, relation; kinship; -tva, n. kinship, relationship; -datta, pp. given by relatives; m. N. a man : ā, f. N.; -pāla, m. N.; -pṛcch, a. seeking oneʼs kin ( RV.¹ ); -prabha, m. N. of a fairy; -prīti, f. love of oneʼs friend; -bhāva, m. relationship. [ ID=12691 ]
- 1. A kinsman or distant relative. 2. A friend. 3. A brother. 4. A flower, Pentapetes phoenicea.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > बन्ध (bandha) ु (bandhu) [Printed book page 599 ] बन्ध (bandha) ु (bandhu) m. ( - न्धुः (-ndhuḥ) ) 1 A kinsman, a relation, but especially a distant or cognate kinsman, and subsequent in right of inheritance to the gentile or Sagotra; the Bandhu, is of three kinds; the kinsman of the person himself, of his father, or his mother, as his father's brother's son, and his mother's sister's or brother's son; and the same reckoning upwards, as his father's father's sister's son, &c. 2 A friend. 3 A brother. 4 A flower, ( Pentapetes phænicea.) E. बन्ध (bandha) to bind or connect, उ (u) aff. [ ID=27610 ]
- A kinsman or friend.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > बन्धु (bandhu) [Printed book page 537-a ] बन्धु (bandhu) ( न्धुः ) ((ndhuḥ)) 2. m. A kinsman; a friend. [ ID=27115 ]
- 1. A kinsman or distant relation. 2. A friend. 3. A brother. 4. A flower.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > बन्धु (bandhu) [Printed book page 513-b ] बन्धु (bandhu) m. ( - न्धुः (-ndhuḥ) ) 1. A kinsman, a relation, but especially a distant or cognate kinsman, and subsequent in right of inheritance to the gentile or Sagotra; the Bandhu, is of three kinds; the kinsman of the person himself, of his father or his mother, as his father's brother's son, and his mother's sister's or brother's son; and the same reckoning upwards, as his father's father's sister's son, &c. 2. A friend. 3. A brother. 4. A flower, (Pentapetes phœnicea.) E. बन्ध् (bandh) to bind or connect, (in affection.) उ (u) aff. [ ID=28445 ]
- 1. A kinsman. 2. Kindred. 3. A friend.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > बन्धु (bandhu) [Printed book page 0627-a ] बन्धु (bandhu) bandh + u, m. 1. A kinsman, Pañc. iii. d. 182. 2. Kindred, Man. Page0627-b+ 43 2, 136; 3, 148 (maternal cousin, Kull. ). 3. A friend, Hit. i. d. 30, M.M. — Comp. A-, adj. having no friends, Pañc. i. d. 393. Kṣatra-, m. 1. a Kṣatriya, Man. 2, 38. 2. a mere, a base Kṣatriya, Bhāg. P. 1, 16, 23. Brahmabandhu, i. e. brahman-, m. 1. a Brāhmaṇa. 2. a base Brāhmaṇa, a term of abuse, Mālav. 39, 13; 58, 2. Rājanya-, m. a Kṣatriya, Man. 2, 65. Vasanta-, m. the god of love, Daśak. in Chr. 199, 11. [ ID=10225 ]
- 1. Connection, association, or relation. 2. A relative, kinsman, friend, brother, or husband.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > बन्धु (bandhu) [Printed book page 359 ] बन्धु (bandhu) m. connection, association, relation ( adj. f. ऊ (ū) only nominally connected with, only by name —°); concr. relative, kinsman, friend, brother, husband; f. ऊ (ū) wife (only adj. —°). [ ID=21750 ]
- 1. Connection or relationship. 2. A relative or friend.  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > बन्धु (bandhu) [Printed book page 200-a ] bándhu, m. —1. connection or relationship; —2. ( concrete, as in Eng. ) a connection, relative; friend; one who belongs to (a certain caste, for example ). [ √bandh, 1178. ] [ ID=2861 ]
- 1. Connection, relation, or association 2. A kinsman, relative, or kindred 3. A remote cognate kinsman in law 4. A friend 5. A husband 6. A brother 7. A flower 8. A metre 9. The fourth astrological mansion  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > बन्धु (bandhu) [Printed book page 0673-c ] Bandhu, us, m. connection, conjunction, relation- ship, association; relation, reference, respect (e. g. kena bandhunā, in what respect ?); one who is connected with or belongs to (any profession or tribe, especially if only nominally so connected; cf. kṣa- tra-b°, dvija-b°, brahma-b° ); a kinsman, relation, relative, connection, kindred in general [cf. mātṛ-b° ]; (in law) a cognate kinsman in a remote degree, one subsequent in right of inheritance to the Sa-gotra, (three kinds of these are enumerated, personal, pater- nal, and maternal: the first are sons of the deceased father's sister, of his mother's sister, and of his ma- ternal uncle: the second are the sons of his father's paternal aunt, of his father's maternal aunt, and of his father's maternal uncle: the third are the sons of his mother's paternal aunt, of his mother's ma- ternal aunt, and of his mother's maternal uncle); a friend [cf. a-b°, amṛta-b°, ṛṣi-b° ]; a husband; a brother; N. of a flower ( = bandhūka ); N. of a metre; (in astron.) N. of the fourth mansion; N. of a Ṛṣi with the patronymic Gaupāyana or Lau- pāyana, author of two hymns in the Ṛg-veda; (ac- cording to Yāska also) wealth; according to Pāṇini a feminine word ending in yā must change yā to ī before bandhu in a comp., e. g. kārīṣa-gandhyā- bandhu becomes kārīṣa-gandhī-bandhu; [cf. Hib. badh, ‘love, friendship.’] —Bandhu-kāma, as, ā, am, loving relations, affectionate towards relations and friends. —Bandhu-kṛtya, am, n. the duty of a kinsman or of a friend, a friendly office, friendly service. —Bandhu-kṣit, t, t, t, Ved. dwelling among rela- tions; (Sāy.) having the quality or condition of kin- dred; (according to some this word may be the N. of a person or family.) —Bandhu-jana, as, m. a kinsman, relation, friend; kinsfolk, relations. —Ban- dhu-jīva or bandhu-jīvaka, as, m. ‘living in associ- ation or groups,’ Pentapetes Phœnicea, (a plant with a red flower which opens at midday and withers away the next morning at sunrise); ( am ), n. its flower; ( kas ), m., N. of a Cakra-vartin. —Bandhujīva- puṣpa, am, n. the flower of Pentapetes Phœnicea. —Bandhujīvābhi-tāmra (°va-abh°), as, ā, am, deep red like the blossom of Pentapetes Phœnicea. —Bandhu-tā, f. relations collectively, kindred, kin ( = bandhūnāṃ samūhaḥ ); relationship, affinity, connection, relation. —Bandhu-tva, am, n. relation- ship, brotherhood, affinity. —Bandhu-dagdha, as, ā, am, ‘destroyed or consumed by relations,’ i. e. an abandoned wretch (= hataka). —Bandhu-datta, as, ā, am, given by relations or by a kinsman; ( as ), m., N. of a man; ( ā ), f., N. of a woman; ( am ), n. a particular kind of female property (given to a girl by her relations at her marriage). —Bandhu-dāyāda, as, m. a kinsman and heir. —Bandhu-pati, is, m. lord of kindred or relations; [cf. bāndhupata. ] Page0674-a+ 81 —Bandhu-pāla, as, m. ‘kindred-protector,’ N. of a man. —Bandhu-pālita, as, m. ‘kindred-pro- tected,’ N. of a prince. —Bandhu-puṣpa-māla, as, ā, am, wearing a chaplet of Bandhu flowers. —Ban- dhu-pṛch, ṭ, m., Ved. asking relations, inquiring after kindred, (Sāy. = bandhūnām praṣṭā ); [cf. pṛṣ- ṭa-bandhu. ] —Bandhu-prabha, as, m., N. of a Vidyā-dhara. —Bandhu-prīti, is, f. affection for a friend, love of relatives or friends. —Bandhu-bhāva, as, m. friendship. —Bandhu-bhāṣita, am, n. the talk or speech of kindred. —Bandhu-mat, ān, atī, at, having relations, surrounded by relations; ( ān ), m., N. of a man; of a king; ( atī ), f., N. of two women; N. of a town. —Bandhu-vañcaka, as, m. ‘deceiver of relatives,’ N. of a Vidūṣaka. —Bandhu- vat, ān, atī, at, having relations or kindred. —Ban- dhu-varga, as, m. the whole body of relations, circle of kinsmen, kindred. —Bandhu-hīna, as, ā, am, destitute of kindred, relationless, friendless. —Ban- dhū-kṛ, cl. 8. P. -karoti, -kartum, to make a friend of. —Bandhū-kṛta, as, ā, am, made a friend. —Bandhv-eṣa, as, m., Ved. inquiring after kin- dred, (Sāy. = bandhūnām anveṣaṇam. ) [ ID=34411 ]
- 1. Relationship in the abstract. 2. A relation in the concrete.  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > बन्धु (bandhu) [Printed book page 2-059 ] Bandhu, denoting ‘relationship’ 1 in the abstract and ‘rela- tion’ 2 in the concrete, occurs in the Rigveda and later. [ Footnote: 1) Rv. v. 73, 4; vii. 72, 2; viii. 73, 12, etc.; Av. v. 11, 10, 11; Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā, iv. 22; x. 6, etc.] [ Footnote: 2) Rv. i. 164, 33; vii. 67, 9; Av. x. 10, 23; Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa, iii. 7, 5, 5, etc.; bandhumant, ‘having relations,’ Rv. viii. 21, 4; Taittirīya Saṃhitā, i. 5, 1, 4, etc.] [ ID=2130 ]

### Proper Nouns and Specific Designations (6 definitions)
- a meter  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of a metre, Col. [ ID=142739 ]
- belonging to the fourth astrological mansion  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (in astrol. ) of the fourth mansion, Var. [ ID=142740 ]
- an author of the Rigveda with the patronymic Gaupayana or Laupayana  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a Ṛṣi with the patr. Gaupāyana or Laupāyana (author of Ṛg-veda (Title) v, 24 and x, 5660 ), RAnukr. [ ID=142741 ]
- of Manmatha  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of Manmatha, L. [ ID=142742 ]
- the son of Vegavat and father of Trinabindu  
  *The Purana Index*
  > बन्धु (bandhu) [Printed book page 2-456 ] Bandhu (I) — the son of Vegavat and father of Tṛṇa- bindu. Bhā. IX. 2. 30. [ ID=8864 ]
- a god of one of the ten branches of the Rohita gana  
  *The Purana Index*
  > [Printed book page 2-457 ] Bandhu (II) — a God of one of the ten branches of the Rohītā gaṇa. Br. IV. 1. 85. Vā. 100. 90. [ ID=8865 ]

### A specific plant (Pentapetes Phoenicea) (1 definition)
- the plant Pentapetes Phoenicea  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > Pentapetes Phoenicea, L. (= बन्धूक (bandhūka) ) [ ID=142738 ]

### Respect or Reference (1 definition)
- respect, reference  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > respect, reference ( केन बन्धुना (kena bandhunā) ‘in what respect?’), ŚBr. [ ID=142732 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller 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; The Purana Index; The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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