# ब्रह्मचारिणी (brahmacāriṇī)

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

ब्रह्मचारिणी (brahmacāriṇī) is a Sanskrit word meaning a young Brahman who studies the Veda under a preceptor, one who practices chastity and continence, name of a Gandharva, an epithet of Skanda, of Shiva, an epithet of Durga. Its 11 recorded definitions are grouped into 6 contexts, among them Chaste woman / Epithet of Durgā, Epithet/Name for specific male deities or beings, Names of plants.

- **SLP1:** `brahmacAriRI`  **IAST:** brahmacāriṇī  **Devanagari:** ब्रह्मचारिणी
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmacharini
- **Declensions:** 72 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/brahmacharini/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Chaste woman / Epithet of Durgā (3 definitions)
- an epithet of Durga  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3B) [Printed book page 738,2] ब्रह्म (brahma) — चारिणी (—cāriṇī) ( इणी (iṇī) ), f. N. of Durgā, DevīP. [ ID=146666 ]
- a woman who observes the vow of chastity  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a woman who observes the vow of chastity, W. [ ID=146667 ]
- 1. An epithet of Durga. 2. A woman who observes the vow of chastity.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > ब्रह्मचारिणी (brahmacāriṇī) [Printed book page 512-24 ] ब्रह्मन् - चारिणी (brahman-cāriṇī) f. 1. an epithet of Durgā; 2. a woman who observes the vow of chastity. [ ID=26816 ]

### Epithet/Name for specific male deities or beings (3 definitions)
- Name of a Gandharva  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of a Gandharva, MBh. [ ID=146663 ]
- an epithet of Skanda  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of Skanda, L. [ ID=146664 ]
- of Shiva  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of Śiva, Śivag. [ ID=146665 ]

### Names of plants (2 definitions)
- Clerodendrum Siphonanthus  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > Clerodendrum Siphonantus, L. ( v.l. ° रणी (°raṇī) ) [ ID=146668 ]
- Thespesia populneoides  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > Thespesia Populneoides, L. [ ID=146669 ]

### Male religious student / practitioner of chastity (1 definition)
- 1. A young Brahman who studies the Veda under a preceptor. 2. One who practices chastity and continence.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > ब्रह्म (brahma) — चारिन् (—cārin) m. a young Brāhman who is a student of the Veda (under a preceptor) or who practises chastity, a young Br° before marriage (in the first period of his life), AV.; Mn.; MBh. &c. ( cf. आश्रम (āśrama) and Indian Wisdom, by Sir M. Monier-Williams (Title) 192 &c. Religious Thought and Life in India, also called ’Brāhmanism and Hindūism,’ by Sir M. Monier-Williams (Title) 84 &c. the N. Brahma-cārin is also given to older unmarried Brāhmans, esp. if versed in the Veda, and by the Tantras to any person whose chief virtue is continence) [ ID=146662 ]

### Practicing sacred study or chastity (adjective) (1 definition)
- practising sacred study as an unmarried student, observing chastity  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3) [Printed book page 738,2] ब्रह्म (brahma) — चारिन् (—cārin) mf( इणी (iṇī) )n. practising sacred study as an unmarried student, observing chastity, RV. &c. &c. [ ID=146661 ]

### Synonym for करुणी (1 definition)
- karuni  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > = करुणी (karuṇī), L. [ ID=146670 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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