# ब्राह्मणी (brāhmaṇī)

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

ब्राह्मणी (brāhmaṇī) is a Sanskrit word meaning relating to or given by a Brahmana, befitting a Brahmana or Brahmanical, one who has divine knowledge, a member of the priestly class, an assistant priest in Vedic sacrifices, a Brahman in the second stage between Matra and Shrotriya. Its 36 recorded definitions are grouped into 13 contexts, among them Types of Fauna, Brāhmaṇī (Female Individual), Meta-linguistic Information.

- **SLP1:** `brAhmaRI`  **IAST:** brāhmaṇī  **Devanagari:** ब्राह्मणी
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmani_%28Matrika%29
- **Declensions:** 72 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/brahmani/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** ब्राह्माणी (brāhmāṇī), ब्राह्मणि (brāhmaṇi), ब्रह्माणी (brahmāṇī)

## Meanings by context

### Types of Fauna (5 definitions)
- a kind of lizard with a red tail  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a kind of lizard with a red tail, Rāmāyaṇa (Title), Sch. ( cf. ब्राह्मणिका (brāhmaṇikā) ) [ ID=147441 ]
- a kind of large-headed ant  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a kind of large-headed ant, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=147442 ]
- a kind of wasp  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a kind of wasp, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=147443 ]
- A kind of lizard  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > ब्राह्मणी (brāhmaṇī) [Printed book page 0804-b ] ब्राह्मणी (brāhmaṇī) 4 A kind of lizard
- A kind of wasp.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > ब्राह्मणी (brāhmaṇī) [Printed book page 0804-b ] ब्राह्मणी (brāhmaṇī) 5 A kind of wasp

### Brāhmaṇī (Female Individual) (4 definitions)
- A Brahmani woman or a Brahman's wife.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 742,1] ब्राह्मणी (brāhmaṇī) b f. (of ° ण (°ṇa) ) a Brāhmaṇī woman or a Brāhman's wife, Kāṭhaka (Literary category); Gṛhya-sūtra and Śrauta-sūtra (Literary category); Mahābhārata (Title) &c. ( ifc. ° ण (°ṇa) ीक (°ṇīka) cf. स - ब्राह्मणिक (sa-brāhmaṇika) ) [ ID=147440 ]
- A woman of the Brahmana caste.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > ब्राह्मणी (brāhmaṇī) [Printed book page 0804-b ] ब्राह्मणी (brāhmaṇī) 1 A woman of the Brāhmaṇa caste
- The wife of a Brahmana  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > ब्राह्मणी (brāhmaṇī) [Printed book page 0804-b ] ब्राह्मणी (brāhmaṇī) 2 The wife of a Brāhmaṇa
- 1. A woman of the Brahmana caste. 2. The wife of a Brahmana. 3. Intellect. 4. A kind of wasp. 5. A kind of lizard.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > [Printed book page 516-02 ] ब्राह्मणी (brāhmaṇī) f. 1. A woman of the Brāhmaṇa caste; 2. the wife of a Brāhmaṇa; 3. intellect; 4. a kind of wasp; 5. a kind of lizard. [ ID=26961 ]

### Meta-linguistic Information (4 definitions)
- see Brahmani  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2B) [Printed book page 741,2] ब्राह्मणी (brāhmaṇī) a ( ई (ī) ), f., see ब्राह्मणी (brāhmaṇī) [ ID=147322 ]
- brahmani  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > w.r. for ब्रह्माणी (brahmāṇī). [ ID=147450 ]
- female brahman  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > ब्राह्मण (brāhmaṇa) ी (brāhmaṇī) [Printed book page 370 ] 1 ब्राह्मण (brāhmaṇa) ी (brāhmaṇī) v. 1 ब्राह्मण (brāhmaṇa). [ ID=22464 ]
- See under Brahmana  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > ब्राह्मणी (brāhmaṇī) [Printed book page 0694-a ] Brāhmaṇī. See under brāhmaṇa, p. 693, col. 2. [ ID=34936 ]

### Types of Flora (4 definitions)
- Clerodendrum Siphonantus  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > Clerodendrum Siphonantus, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=147444 ]
- Trigonella Corniculata  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > Trigonella Corniculata, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=147445 ]
- rue  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > Ruta Graveolens, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=147446 ]
- A kind of grass  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > ब्राह्मणी (brāhmaṇī) [Printed book page 0804-b ] ब्राह्मणी (brāhmaṇī) 6 A kind of grass

### Brāhman (Male Individual) (3 definitions)
- 1. One who has divine knowledge. 2. A member of the priestly class.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > ब्राह्मण (brāhmaṇa) m. one who has divine knowledge (sometimes applied to Agni), a Brāhman, a man belonging to the 1st of the 3 twice-born classes and of the 4 original divisions of the Hindū body (generally a priest, but often in the present day a layman engaged in non-priestly occupations although the name is strictly only applicable to one who knows and repeats the Veda), Ṛg-veda (Title) &c. &c. [ ID=147318 ]
- an assistant priest in Vedic sacrifices  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > = ब्राह्मणाच्छंसिन् (brāhmaṇācchaṃsin), Kātyāyana-śrauta-sūtra (Title) [ ID=147319 ]
- a Brahman in the second stage between Matra and Shrotriya  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a Brāhman in the second stage (between Mātra and Śrotriya), Hemādri’s Caturvarga-cintāmaṇi (Title) [ ID=147320 ]

### Divine Principle / Sacred Power / Brāhmanhood (3 definitions)
- the divine  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > ब्राह्मण (brāhmaṇa) n. that which is divine, the divine, Atharva-veda (Title) [ ID=147323 ]
- sacred or divine power  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > sacred or d° power, in the same place [Cologne Addition] (Title); Āśvalāyana-gṛhya-sūtra (Title) [ ID=147324 ]
- become a Brahman  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > 2 ब्राह्मणी (brāhmaṇī) w. भू (bhū) become a Brahman. [ ID=22465 ]

### Geographical Names (3 definitions)
- Name of a river  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of a river, Mahābhārata (Title) [ ID=147449 ]
- a holy bathing place  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > ब्राह्मणी (brāhmaṇī) [Printed book page 164-1 ] Brāhmaṇī 1, a tīrtha. § 370 (Tīrthayātrāp.): III, 84, 8036 (by bathing there one attains to Brahmaloka). [ ID=1763 ]
- a river  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > [Printed book page 164-2 ] Brāhmaṇī 2, a river. § 574 (Jambūkh.): VI, 9 λ, 341 (in Bhāratavarṣa, only in B., C. has by error Brahmāṇīṃ ). [ ID=1764 ]

### Adjective: Brāhmanical (2 definitions)
- 1. Relating to or given by a Brahmana. 2. Befitting a Brahmana or Brahmanical.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 741,2] ब्राह्मण (brāhmaṇa) mfn. relating to or given by a Brāhman, befitting or becoming a Br°, Brāhmanical, Atharva-veda (Title); Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa (Title); Mahābhārata (Title) [ ID=147317 ]
- 1. Relating to or becoming a Brahmana. 2. Given by a Brahmana.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > ब्राह्मण (brāhmaṇa) ी (brāhmaṇī) [Printed book page 515-07 ] ब्राह्मण (brāhmaṇa) (I) a. (f. णी (ṇī) ) 1. Relating to or becoming a Brāhmaṇa; 2. given by a Brāhmaṇa. [ ID=26942.1 ]

### Brāhmaṇa Texts and Sacred Explanations (2 definitions)
- Explanations of sacred knowledge or doctrine  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > Brāhmanical explanation, explanations of sacred knowledge or doctrine ( esp. for the use of the Brāhmans in their sacrifices), Brāhmaṇa (Literary category) [ ID=147325 ]
- the Brahmana portion of the Veda containing rules for sacrifices, explanations, and legends  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the Brāhmaṇa portion of the Veda (as distinct from its Mantra and Upaniṣad portion) and consisting of a class of works called Brāhmaṇas (they contain rules for the employment of the Mantras or hymns at various sacrifices, with detailed explanations of their origin and meaning and numerous old legends; they are said by Sāyaṇa to contain two parts: 1. विधि (vidhi), rules or directions for rites; 2. अर्थ - वाद (artha-vāda), explanatory remarks; each Veda has its own Brāhmaṇa, that of the Ṛg-veda (Title) is preserved in 2 works, viz. the Aitareya, sometimes called Āśvalāyana, and the Kauṣītaki or Śāṅkhāyana-Brāhmaṇa; the white Yajur-veda has the Śata-patha- Br°; the black Yajur-veda has the Taittirīya- Br° which differs little from the text of its Saṃhitā; the Sāma-veda (Title) has 8 Br° s, the best known of which are the Prauḍha or Pañca-viṃśa and the Ṣaḍviṃśa; the Atharva-veda (Title) has one Br° called Go-patha), Nirukta, by Yāska (Title); Gṛhya-sūtra and Śrauta-sūtra (Literary category) &c. [ ID=147326 ]

### Intellect (Buddhi) (2 definitions)
- buddhi  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > = बुद्धि (buddhi), Nīlakaṇṭha (Author) [ ID=147448 ]
- Intellect  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > ब्राह्मणी (brāhmaṇī) [Printed book page 0804-b ] ब्राह्मणी (brāhmaṇī) 3 Intellect; ( बुद्धि (buddhi) according to नीलकंठ (nīlakaṃṭha) )

### Specific Inanimate Objects (2 definitions)
- the Soma vessel of the Brahman priest  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the Soma vessel of the Brahman priest, Ṛg-veda (Title); Atharva-veda (Title) [ ID=147327 ]
- a kind of brass  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a kind of brass, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=147447 ]

### Assembly of Brāhmans (1 definition)
- An assembly of Brahmans  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a society or assemblage of Brāhmans, a conclave, Horace H. Wilson, author of first Sanskrit-English dictionary in 1819 (Author) [ ID=147328 ]

### Lunar Mansion (1 definition)
- the 28th lunar mansion  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of the 28th lunar mansion, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=147321 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; 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.

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