# दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā)

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

दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā) is a Sanskrit word meaning able, clever, dexterous, right, south or southern, coming from the south, the southern sacred text of the Tantrikas, straightforward, candid, or sincere. Its 55 recorded definitions are grouped into 16 contexts, among them Adverbial: towards/at the right or south, Gift, fee, reward (Dakṣiṇā), South, southern (direction, region, quality).

- **Roots:** कृ (kṛ), दिश् (diś)
- **SLP1:** `dakziRA`  **IAST:** dakṣiṇā  **Devanagari:** दक्षिणा
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dak%E1%B9%A3i%E1%B9%87%C4%81
- **Declensions:** 24 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/dakshina/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** दाक्षिणा (dākṣiṇā), दाक्षिण (dākṣiṇa), दक्षिण (dakṣiṇa)

## Meanings by context

### Adverbial: towards/at the right or south (14 definitions)
- to the right  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2C) [Printed book page 465,2] दक्षिणम् (dakṣiṇam) ( अम् (am) ), ind. to the right, Rāmāyaṇa (Title) ii, 92, 13 [ ID=89389.22 ]
- on the right side  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2C) [Printed book page 465,2] दक्षिणे (dakṣiṇe) ( ए (e) ), loc. ind. on the right side, Hemac. [ ID=89389.44 ]
- from or on the right side  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > दक्षिणात् (dakṣiṇāt) a ( आत् (āt) ), abl. ind. from or on the right side, Pāṇini (Author) v, 3, 34 [ ID=89389.46 ]
- from the south  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > दक्षिणात् (dakṣiṇāt) ind. from the south, southward, ib. [ ID=89389.48 ]
- on the right, on the south, or southward from  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2C) [Printed book page 465,2] दक्षिणेन (dakṣiṇena) ( एन (ena) ), instr. ind. on the right or south ( 35 ), on the right side of or southward from ( acc.; ii, 3, 31 ), ŚBr.; KātyŚr.; MBh. &c. (with √ कृ (kṛ), to place or leave on the right, Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title) v, 21, 8 ) [ ID=89389.50 ]
- to the right  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > दक्षिणैः (dakṣiṇaiḥ) ( एइस् (eis) ), instr. ind. to the right, Kauśika-sūtra (Title) 77; [ ID=89389.52 ]
- On the right or south, or southward from  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā) ind. (old. instr. ) on the right or south ( Pāṇini (Author) v, 3, 36 ), on the right side of or southward from ( abl. : ii, 3, 29 ), Ṛg-veda (Title) ii, 27, 11; x, 17, 9; AV. (also दक्ष् (dakṣ) ° (°) ), VS.; TBr.; ŚBr.; KātyŚr.; ŚāṅkhŚr.; Lāṭy.; ChUp.; Kauś. [ ID=89476 ]
- On the right or south of  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā) [Printed book page 0554-b ] दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā) ind. 1 On the right or south of
- In the southern direction  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā) [Printed book page 0554-b ] दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā) ind. 2 In the southern direction (with abl. )
- to the right or southwards  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā) [Printed book page 115-a1 ] दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā) dakṣiṇā́, ad. to the right or southwards (of, ab. ). [ ID=8982 ]
- To the south  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > [Printed book page 322-13 ] दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā) (I) ind. To the south, in the southern direction, (with an abl.). [ ID=16325 ]
- To the right hand or southward.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā) [Printed book page 0383-b ] दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā) dakṣiṇā (old instr. sing. of dakṣiṇa ), adv. To the right hand, southward. — Cf. dakṣiṇa. [ ID=6249 ]
- On the right or on the south  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā) [Printed book page 216 ] दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā) adv. on the right or on the south of ( abl. ). [ ID=13151 ]
- southerly or toward the south  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā) [Printed book page 167-a ] dakṣiṇā́, adv. southerly; toward the south. [ dákṣiṇa: acct, 1112e.] [ ID=1861 ]

### Gift, fee, reward (Dakṣiṇā) (8 definitions)
- a fee or present to the officiating priest  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a fee or present to the officiating priest (consisting originally of a cow, cf. Kātyāyana-śrauta-sūtra (Title) xv; Lāṭyāyana (Author) viii, 1, 2 ), RV. &c. [ ID=89389.26 ]
- reward  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > reward, Ṛg-veda (Title) viii, 24, 21 [ ID=89389.30 ]
- offered to the Guru  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (offered to the Guru), Mahābhārata (Title) v; Raghuvaṃśa (Title) v, 20; Kathāsaritsāgara (Title) iv, 93 f. [ ID=89389.32 ]
- to thank  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > ( ° णाम् आ -√ दिश् (°ṇām ā-√diś), ‘to thank’, Divyāvadāna (Title) vii, 104; Caus. ‘to earn thanks’, i ) [ ID=89389.34 ]
- A gift or donation.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a gift, donation ( cf. अभय - (abhaya-), प्रा (prā) ण - (ṇa-) ), Manu-smṛti (Title) iii; Rāmāyaṇa (Title) ii [ ID=89389.36 ]
- A present or gift to Brahmanas at the completion of a religious rite.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — णा (ṇā) 1 A present or gift to Brāhmaṇas (at the completion of a religious rite, such as a sacrifice)
- A gift, offering, donation, fee, or remuneration.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — णा (ṇā) 3 A gift, offering or donation in general, fee, remuneration; प्राणदक्षिणा (ṇā) (prāṇadakṣiṇā), गुरुदक्षिणा (ṇā) (gurudakṣiṇā) &c
- The gift presented to priests at a sacrifice  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā) [Printed book page 1-336 ] Dakṣiṇā appears repeatedly in the Rigveda 1 and later 2 as the designation of the gift presented to priests at the sacrifice, apparently because a cow — a prolific ( dakṣiṇā ) one — was the usual ‘fee’ 3 on such an occasion. 4 The later Dāna-stutis, or ‘Praises of Gifts,’ in the Rigveda immensely exaggerate these donations, and the exaggeration grows in the Brāhmaṇas. It is important to notice that these enumerations of gifts in the main include nothing but articles of personal property, such as kine, horses, buffaloes, or camels ( uṣṭra ), ornaments, and so forth, but not land. 5 Reference is, however, made in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 6 to land as a Dakṣiṇā, but with dis- approval, probably because the land came to be regarded as inalienable without the consent of the clansmen. 7 [ Footnote: 1) A whole hymn, Rv. x. 107, is devoted to its praise. Cf. i. 168, 7; vi. 27, 8; viii. 24, 29; 39, 5; x. 62, 1, etc.] [ Footnote: 2) Av. iv. 11, 4; v. 7, 11; xi. 7, 9; 8, 22; xiii. 1, 52; xviii. 4, 8, etc.; Taittirīya Saṃhitā, i. 7, 3, 1; 8, 1, 1; Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā, iv. 19, 23; xix. 30; Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa, i. 7, 3, 3 et seq.; Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, i. 9, 3, 1 et seq. The verses ( gāthā nārāśaṃsī, either as a single expression or as two separate terms) used to win these Dakṣiṇās were notoriously false. See Kāṭhaka Saṃ- hitā, xiv. 5; Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa, i. 3, 2, 6. 7; Nirukta, i. 7; xi. 2.] [ Footnote: 3) The transition of meaning is similar in the use of the English word ‘fee’; ‘cattle,’ ‘money,’ ‘payment for service’ (see Murray's English Dictionary, s.v. ‘fee’). Cf. also Go-dāna, n. 4.] [ Footnote: 4) Cf. the rule that when nothing is specified a cow is the Dakṣiṇā, Kāty- āyana Śrauta Sūtra, xv. 2, 13; Lāṭy- āyana Śrauta Sūtra, viii. 1, 2.] [ Footnote: 5) So, e.g., Rv. i. 126, 1-4; v. 30, 12-15; viii. 1, 32. 33; 3, 21 et seq.; 4, 19-21; 5, 37-39; 6, 46-48; 55; 56; vii. 18, 21-24, and the full list in Ludwig, Translation of the Rigveda, 3, 273-277. Cf. Weber, Indische Studien, 10, 49 et seq. Clothes ( vāsas ) and gold are mentioned as a Dakṣiṇā in Av. ix. 5, 14. The four Dakṣiṇās, according to the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, iv. 3, 4, 7, are gold, a cow, clothes, and a horse. This is practically exhaustive if the trappings of the horse and ornaments are included.] [ Footnote: 6) xiii. 7, 1, 13, with which compare xiii. 6, 2, 18, where the Brahmin's land is excluded; and see xiii. 7, 1, 15, where the gift of land is disapproved.] [ Footnote: 7) Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, vii. 1, 1, 4. Cf. above, pp. 100, n. 19, 246; below, pp. 351, 352. Cf. Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, 169- 171; Jolly, Recht und Sitte, 104, 105; Weber, Indische Streifen, 1, 96-98; Bloomfield, Religion of the Veda, 69-74; Atharvaveda, 76 et seq., 100, 121.] [ ID=1243 ]

### South, southern (direction, region, quality) (7 definitions)
- south or southern  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > south, southern (as being on the right side of a person looking eastward), situated to the south, turned or directed southward, AV.; VS. &c. [ ID=89389.04 ]
- coming from the south  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > coming from south (wind), Suśr.; Raghuvaṃśa (Title) iv, 8 [ ID=89389.06 ]
- the south  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > दक्षिण (dakṣiṇa) m. or n. the south, Nalopākhyāna (subtitle) ix, 23; Rāmāyaṇa (Title) iv [ ID=89389.18 ]
- the south or Deccan  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > ( scil. दिश् (diś) ) the south, Deccan, L. [ ID=89389.38 ]
- The south.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — णा (ṇā) 5 The south
- The southern country, the Deccan.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — णा (ṇā) 6 The southern country, the Deccan
- the Deccan  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — र्तः (rtaḥ) ) the Deccan

### Other meanings (Dakṣiṇā fem.) (5 definitions)
- a figure of Durga having the right side prominent  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a figure of Durgā having the right side prominent, W. [ ID=89389.40 ]
- completion of any rite  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > completion of any rite ( प्र - तिष्ठा (pra-tiṣṭhā) ), L. [ ID=89389.42 ]
- Fame.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — णा (ṇā) 7 Fame
- A type of heroine who, even when attached to another, does not abandon her former lover out of respect, fear, and love.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — णा (ṇā) 8 A kind of heroine thus defined: - या गौरवं भयं प्रेम सद्भायं (yā gauravaṃ bhayaṃ prema sadbhāyaṃ) पूर्वनयिके । न मुंचत्यन्यसक्तापि सा ज्ञेया दक्षिणा (ṇā) (pūrvanayike. na muṃcatyanyasaktāpi sā jñeyā dakṣiṇā) बुधैः ॥ (budhaiḥ..)
- Completion of any rite.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — णा (ṇā) 9 Completion of any rite

### Personified Dakṣiṇā (mythological) (4 definitions)
- 1. Donation to the priest. 2. The wife of Sacrifice.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > Donation to the priest (personified along with Brahmaṇas-pati, Indra, and Soma, i, 18, 5; x, 103, 8; authoress of x, 107; RAnukr.; wife of Sacrifice [ Raghuvaṃśa (Title) i, 31; Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title) ii, 7, 21 ], both being children of Ruci and Ākūti, iv, 1, 4 f.; Viṣṇu-purāṇa (Title) i, 7, 18 f. ) [ ID=89389.28 ]
- Dakshina regarded as a daughter of Prajapati and the wife of personified Sacrifice.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — णा (ṇā) 2 Dakṣiṇā regarded as a daughter of Prajāpati and as the wife of Sacrifice personified; पत्नी (patnī) सुदक्षिणेत्यासीदध्वरस्येव दक्षिणा (ṇā) (sudakṣiṇetyāsīdadhvarasyeva dakṣiṇā) Raghuvaṃśa (Bombay) 1. 31
- the sister and wife of Yajna and mother of the twelve Yama gods  
  *The Purana Index*
  > दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā) [Printed book page 2-063 ] Dakṣiṇā — as sister and wife of Yajña and mother of 12 Yāmā gods. Vi. I. 7. 21. [ ID=5761 ]
- daughter of Ruci and Akuti, consort of Suyajña, and mother of the twelve Tushita gods  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Dakṣiṇā — a daughter of Ruci and Ākūtī; consort of Suyajña, an avatār of Hari. Had twelve sons who were known as Tuṣita gods (Yāmas) of the period of Svāyam- bhuva Manu. Bhā. II. 7. 2; IV. 1. 5-8; Br. II. 9. 44. [ ID=5762 ]

### Etymology/Reference (3 definitions)
- the right hand  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2E) [Printed book page 465,2] दक्षिण (dakṣiṇa) [ cf. Lith. dészinê f. ‘the right hand’.] [ ID=89389.76 ]
- feminine of dakshina  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 466,1] दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā) b f. of ° ण (°ṇa), q.v. [ ID=89475 ]
- See dakshina  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā) [Printed book page 0397-c ] Dakṣiṇā, dakṣiṇena, dakṣiṇe. See col. 1, under dakṣiṇa. [ ID=21777 ]

### Adj: curved right, turned/inclining south (2 definitions)
- 1. Curved to the right. 2. Turned towards the south.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — आवर्त (āvarta) a. 1 curved to the right. 2 turned towards the south. (
- inclining to the south  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — प्रणव (praṇava) a. inclining to the south

### Prolific milch-cow (as Dakṣiṇā) (2 definitions)
- A prolific milch-cow  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2B) [Printed book page 465,2] दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā) a ( आ (ā) ), f. ( scil. गो (go) ), ‘able to calve and give milk’, a prolific cow, good milch-cow, RV.; AV. [ ID=89389.24 ]
- A good or prolific milch-cow.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — णा (ṇā) 4 A good milch-cow, prolific cow

### Religious/Tantric doctrine/text (2 definitions)
- the southern sacred text of the Tantrikas  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (with आम्नाय (āmnāya) ) the southern sacred text (of the Tāntrikas), Kulārṇava-tantra (Title) iii [ ID=89389.08 ]
- the right-hand or higher doctrine of the Shaktas  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > दक्षिण (dakṣiṇa) n. the right-hand or higher doctrine of the Śāktas, Kulārṇava-tantra (Title) ii [ ID=89389.20 ]

### Right side (not left) (2 definitions)
- right  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > right (not left), RV.; AV.; VS. &c. ( ° णं परी (°ṇaṃ parī), ‘to walk round a person with the right side towards him’, Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title) iv, 12, 25; ° णं √ कृ (°ṇaṃ√kṛ), ‘to place any one on the right side as a mark of respect’, i, viii ) [ ID=89389.02 ]
- the right hand or arm  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > दक्षिण (dakṣiṇa) m. the right (hand or arm), Ṛg-veda (Title) i, viii, x; Taittirīya-saṃhitā (Title) v [ ID=89389.12 ]

### Adj. (general): able, right, southern, etc. (1 definition)
- 1. Able, competent, or clever. 2. Right, opposite to left. 3. Southern. 4. Straightforward, honest, or impartial. 5. Pleasing, amiable, or agreeable. 6. Liberal or courteous. 7. Submissive.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > दक्षिण (dakṣiṇa) ा (dakṣiṇā) [Printed book page 322-12 ] दक्षिण (dakṣiṇa) (I) a. (f. णा (ṇā) ) 1. Able, competent, clever; 2. right, (op. to वाम (vāma) ); 3. southern; 4. straightforward, honest, impartial; 5. pleasing, amiable, agreeable; 6. liberal, courteous; 7. submissive; 8. situated on the right side; 9. situated to the south. [ ID=16302.1 ]

### Adjective: able, clever, dexterous (1 definition)
- able, clever, dexterous  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 465,2] दक्षिण (dakṣiṇa) mf( आ (ā) )n. (also ° ण (°ṇa), ŚBr. ) (declined as a pron. when denoting relative position [‘right’ or ‘southern’] KātyŚr.; ĀśvGṛ. &c. cf. Pāṇini (Author) i, 1, 34; vii, 1, 16; but not necessarily in abl. and loc. sg. m. n. [ ° ण (°ṇa) े (°ṇe), KātyŚr.; Manu-smṛti (Title) ii, 63 ] and nom. pl. m.; except, Harivaṃśa (Title) 12390 ) able, clever, dexterous, Pāṇini (Author) i, 1, 34, Kāś.; Śatr. ( ifc. ) [ ID=89389 ]

### Adjective: honest, sincere, pleasing (1 definition)
- 1. Straightforward, candid, or sincere. 2. Pleasing or compliant.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > straightforward, candid, sincere, pleasing, compliant, Mahābhārata (Title) iv, 167; R.; Śakuntalā (Title) iv, 18; Sāhitya-darpaṇa (Title) iii, 35; Pratāpar.; BrahmaP. [ ID=89389.10 ]

### Noun fem. (general): cow, gift, deity, etc. (1 definition)
- 1. A prolific cow. 2. A gift given to Brahmanas during religious rites. 3. The personified wife of a sacrifice. 4. A gift or offering in general. 5. The south. 6. The Deccan.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā) (II) f. 1. A prolific cow; 2. a present or gift to Brāhmaṇas on the performance of religious rites; 3. दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā) considered (originally only in a figure) as the wife of a sacrifice, R. i.31; 4. gift, offering in general; 5. the south; 6. the Dekkan. [ ID=16326 ]

### Right-side horse (1 definition)
- the horse on the right side of the pole of a carriage  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the horse on the right side of the pole of a carriage, i, x; Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā (Title) ix, 8 [ ID=89389.14 ]

### The god Śiva (1 definition)
- auspicious, fortunate  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > Śiva [ ID=89389.16 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary; 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); The Purana Index; The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects; 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