# भ्रम (bhrama)

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

भ्रम (bhrama) is a Sanskrit word meaning wandering or roaming about, moving about or rolling, turning round, revolving, rotation, a whirling flame, a whirlpool or eddy, a spring, fountain, or watercourse. Its 22 recorded definitions are grouped into 10 contexts, among them Noun 'bhrama': Multiple Meanings Overview, Rotating or Boring Tools/Devices, Whirling Phenomena or Circular Forms.

- **Root:** दा (dā)
- **SLP1:** `Brama`  **IAST:** bhrama  **Devanagari:** भ्रम
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhrama_%28Hinduism%29
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/bhrama/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** भ्राम (bhrāma)

## Meanings by context

### Noun 'bhrama': Multiple Meanings Overview (8 definitions)
- 1. Roaming about or wandering. 2. Moving about. 3. Rotation, a whirling flame, or a whirlpool. 4. A turner's lathe. 5. Giddiness, bewilderment, perplexity, mistake, error, or delusion.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भ्रम (bhrama) [Printed book page 211-2 ] भ्रम (bhrama) bhram-á, m. roaming about, roving; wandering about in ( —° ); moving about ( the eyes ); rotation; whirling flame ( RV. ); whirlpool; turnerʼs lathe; giddiness; bewilderment, perplexity; mistake, error, delusion: —°, erroneous opinion of = that something is or Page211-3 was : e. g. maṇi-bhramāt, under the erroneous impression that it was a jewel. [ ID=13442 ]
- 1. Whirling or roaming. 2. Error, mistake, or ignorance. 3. A whirlpool or eddy. 4. A water-course. 5. A lathe or potter's wheel.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > [Printed book page 629 ] भ्रम (bhrama) m. ( - मः (-maḥ) ) 1 Whirling, going round. 2 Straying, roaming. 3 Error, ignorance, mistake, misapprehension. 4 A whirlpool, an eddy. 5 A drain, a water-course. 6 A lathe, a potter's wheel, &c. E. भ्रम (bhrama) to go round, aff. अप् (ap). [ ID=28961 ]
- 1. Whirling or wandering about. 2. Error. 3. An eddy. 4. A drain.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भ्रम (bhrama) [Printed book page 564-a ] भ्रम (bhrama) ( मः ) ((maḥ)) 1. m. Whirling, wandering about; error; an eddy; a drain. [ ID=28473 ]
- 1. Wandering about 2. Whirling or revolving 3. Erring 4. A whirlpool or eddy 5. A potter’s wheel 6. A grindstone 7. A lathe 8. A circular motion 9. Giddiness 10. Error or mistake 11. Confusion, delusion, or aberration 12. A fountain or watercourse  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भ्रम (bhrama) [Printed book page 539-01 ] भ्रम (bhrama) m. 1. Wandering about; 2. whirling, revolving; 3. erring; 4. a whirlpool, an eddy; 5. a potter’s wheel; 6. a grindstone; 7. a lathe; 8. a circular motion; 9. giddiness; 10. error, mistake, wrong notion, e.g. रज्जौ सर्पभ्रम (bhrama) ः (rajjau sarpabhramaḥ); 11. confusion, delusion, aberration; 12. a fountain, a watercourse. [ ID=28109 ]
- 1. Whirling or roaming. 2. Error or mistake. 3. A whirlpool or eddy. 4. A drain or water-course. 5. A lathe or potter's wheel.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भ्रम (bhrama) [Printed book page 539-a ] भ्रम (bhrama) m. ( - मः (-maḥ) ) 1. Whirling, going, round. 2. Straying, roaming. 3. Error, ignorance, mistake, misapprehension. 4. A whirlpool, an eddy 5. A drain, a water-course. 6. A lathe, a potter's wheel, &c. E. भ्रम (bhrama) ् (bhram) to go round, aff. घञ् । (ghañ.) [ ID=29891 ]
- 1. Whirling or roaming. 2. Error. 3. A whirlpool. 4. A watercourse. 5. A potter's wheel.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भ्रम (bhrama) [Printed book page 0670-b ] भ्रम (bhrama) bhram + a, m. 1. Whirling, going round, Rājat. 5, 363. 2. Stray- ing, roaming. 3. Error, Bhāṣāp. 133. 4. A whirlpool. 5. A watercourse. 6. A potter's wheel. [ ID=10740 ]
- 1. Roaming, wandering, or moving to and fro. 2. A whirling flame, whirlpool, eddy, or potter's wheel. 3. Giddiness, mental confusion, mistake, or error.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भ्रम (bhrama) [Printed book page 387 ] भ्रम (bhrama) m. roaming, wandering, moving to and fro; wandering through (—°); whirling flame, whirlpool, eddy, a potter's wheel; giddiness, wandering of mind, confusion, mistake, error. [ ID=23326 ]
- 1. Roaming or wandering about. 2. Turning round, revolving, or whirling. 3. Straying or erring. 4. A flickering flame. 5. A whirlpool or eddy. 6. A potter's wheel, lathe, or grindstone. 7. Giddiness or dizziness. 8. Mental confusion, mistake, or delusion. 9. A spring or fountain.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > भ्रम (bhrama) [Printed book page 0724-c ] Bhrama, as, m. roving or roaming about, wan- dering about; moving or going round, turning round, whirling, revolving, moving or going to and fro; straying, erring; a flickering flame (Ved.); a circular motion, whirl; a whirlpool, eddy; a potter's wheel; a lathe; a grindstone; giddiness, dizziness; wandering of mind; confusion, perplexity, error, mistake, aberration, misconception, misappre- hension, delusion [cf. sthāṇu-bh° ]; a spring, foun- tain, watercourse; ( āt ), ind. by an error or mistake. —Bhrama-tva, am, n. whirling found, the being Page0725-a+ 81 in error or mistake, erroneousness. —Bhramāsakta (°ma-ās°), as, m. ‘occupied in grinding,’ a knife- grinder, sword-cleaner, armourer. [ ID=35917 ]

### Rotating or Boring Tools/Devices (3 definitions)
- a potter's wheel  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a potter's wheel, Sāṃkhyakārikā (Title) [ ID=153531 ]
- a grindstone  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > ( v.l. ° मि (°mi) ), a grindstone (see comp. ) [ ID=153532 ]
- a gimlet or auger  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a gimlet or auger, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=153533 ]

### Whirling Phenomena or Circular Forms (3 definitions)
- a whirling flame  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a whirling flame, Ṛg-veda (Title) [ ID=153528 ]
- a whirlpool or eddy  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a whirlpool, eddy, Prabodha-candrodaya (Title) [ ID=153529 ]
- a circle  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a circle, Āryabhaṭa (Author) [ ID=153534 ]

### Turning, Revolving, Rotation (2 definitions)
- moving about or rolling  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > moving about, rolling (as of the eyes), Rājataraṃgiṇī (Title) [ ID=153526 ]
- turning round, revolving, rotation  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > turning round, revolving, rotation ( acc. with √ दा (dā) = to swing), Mahābhārata (Title); Sūryasiddhānta (Title); Hemādri’s Caturvarga-cintāmaṇi (Title) [ ID=153527 ]

### Adverbial: By Mistake (1 definition)
- by an error or mistake  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2C) [Printed book page 769,3] भ्रमात् (bhramāt) ( आत् (āt) ), ind. by an error or mistake, Gīta-govinda (Title) [ ID=153537 ]

### Error, Confusion, Mistake (1 definition)
- Confusion, perplexity, or mistake.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > confusion, perplexity, error, mistake ( ifc. mistaking anything for), Harivaṃśa (Title); Kāvya literature (Literary category); Rājataraṃgiṇī (Title) &c. [ ID=153536 ]

### Giddiness or Dizziness (1 definition)
- giddiness, dizziness  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > giddiness, dizziness, Suśruta (Title) [ ID=153535 ]

### Verbal Root √bhram: Meanings (1 definition)
- 1. To turn round or move circularly. 2. To be unsteady. 3. To roam, wander, err, or be mistaken.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भ्रम (bhrama) [Printed book page 628 ] भ्रम (bhrama)( उ,) भ्रम (bhrama) ु (bhrama(u,)bhramu) r. 1st cl. ( भ्रम (bhrama) ति भ्रम (bhrama) ्यति (bhramati bhramyati) ) 1 To turn round, to move circularly. 2 To be unsteady or unfixed. 3 To roam, to wander; it is also figuratively applicable to mental Page629 unsteadiness, as to err, to wander, to be ignorant or mistaken, &c. With परि (pari), To wander about. With वि (vi), To play, to wanton. With सम् (sam), 1 To hurry. 2 To honour. [ ID=28960 ]

### Wandering or Roaming (1 definition)
- wandering or roaming about  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 769,3] भ्रम (bhrama) m. ( ifc. f( आ (ā) ). ) wandering or roaming about, roving over or through ( comp. ), Kathāsaritsāgara (Title) [ ID=153525 ]

### Water Source or Channel (1 definition)
- a spring, fountain, or watercourse  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a spring, fountain, watercourse, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=153530 ]

## Sources

Definitions from 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; 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