# दक्षिणायन (dakṣiṇāyana)

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

दक्षिणायन (dakṣiṇāyana) is a Sanskrit word meaning southward way, the way to Yama's quarter, situated in the sun's winter course, the sun's progress south of the equator, the winter solstice, the southern course of the sun. Its 12 recorded definitions are grouped into 5 contexts, among them Sun's Southward Astronomical Course/Period, Association with a Solstice, Adjectival Use (Celestial Context).

- **Etymology:** E. दक्षिण, and अयन going — E. dakṣiṇa, and ayana going
- **SLP1:** `dakziRAyana`  **IAST:** dakṣiṇāyana  **Devanagari:** दक्षिणायन
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakshinayana
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/dakshinayana/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Sun's Southward Astronomical Course/Period (5 definitions)
- the winter half-year when the sun progresses south of the equator  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > ‘sun's progress south of the equator’, the winter half-year, Gaut.; Manu-smṛti (Title) i, 67; MBh.; VarBṛS.; Pañcat.; Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title) v, 21, 3 [ ID=89441 ]
- 1. The southern path or southerly course of the sun. 2. The half-year when the sun moves from north to south, from the summer to the winter solstice.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > दक्षिणायन (dakṣiṇāyana) [Printed book page 115-a2 ] दक्षिणायन (dakṣiṇāyana) dakṣiṇa‿ayana, n. southern path ( i. e. to the realm of death ); southerly course of the sun, the half-year in which the sun moves from north to south (from summer to winter solstice) : -saṃkrānti, f. entrance of the sun on the southerly course, summer solstice. [ ID=8986 ]
- the sun’s progress south of the equator  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > दक्षिणायन (dakṣiṇāyana) [Printed book page 322-12 ] दक्षिण - अयन (dakṣiṇa-ayana) n. the sun’s progress south of the equator, the half year in which the sun moves from north to south. [ ID=16308 ]
- the southern progress of the sun, or the summer  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > दक्षिणायन (dakṣiṇāyana) [Printed book page 217 ] दक्षिणायन (dakṣiṇāyana) n. the southern progress (of the sun), the summer. [ ID=13159 ]
- 1. The south course of the sun. 2. The half-year from the summer to the winter solstice.  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > दक्षिणायन (dakṣiṇāyana) [Printed book page 167-a ] dakṣiṇāyana, n. south-course (of the sun), or the half-year from the summer to the winter solstice. [ dakṣiṇa + ayana. ] [ ID=1866 ]

### Association with a Solstice (4 definitions)
- The commencement of the sun southward course, or the summer solstice.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > [Printed book page 383-1 ] दक्षिणायन (dakṣiṇāyana) dakṣiṇa‿ayana, n. add; commencement of the sunʼs southward course = summer solstice ( in the month Āṣāḍha ). [ ID=20716 ]
- 1. The sun's progress south of the equator. 2. The winter solstice.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > दक्षिण (dakṣiṇa) ायन (dakṣiṇāyana) [Printed book page 395 ] दक्षिण (dakṣiṇa) ायन (dakṣiṇāyana) n. ( - नं (-naṃ) ) The sun's progress south of the equator, the winter solstice. E. दक्षिण (dakṣiṇa), and अयन (ayana) going. [ ID=18353 ]
- 1. The southern course of the sun. 2. The winter solstice.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > दक्षिणायन (dakṣiṇāyana) [Printed book page 350-b ] दक्षिणा _ यन (dakṣiṇā_yana) ( नं ) ((naṃ)) 1. n. Sun's southern course; winter solstice. [ ID=17829 ]
- The sun's progress towards the south of the equator, or the winter solstice.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > दक्षिणायन (dakṣiṇāyana) [Printed book page 329-b ] दक्षिणायन (dakṣiṇāyana) n. ( - नं (-naṃ) ) The suns progress towards the south of the equator, the winter solstice. E. दक्षिण, (dakṣiṇa,) and अयन (ayana) going. [ ID=18337 ]

### Adjectival Use (Celestial Context) (1 definition)
- situated in the sun's winter course  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3) [Printed book page 465,3] दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā) यन (yana) b mfn. situated in the sun's winter course (as an asterism), 23, 5 f. [ ID=89442 ]

### Referential or Anomalous Entries (1 definition)
- See Surya.  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > दक्षिणायन (dakṣiṇāyana) [Printed book page 1-337 ] Dakṣiṇāyana. See Sūrya. [ ID=1246 ]

### The Southward Path to Death/Yama (1 definition)
- 1. Southward way. 2. The way to Yama's quarter.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3) [Printed book page 465,3] दक्षिणा (dakṣiṇā) यन (yana) a n. ‘southward way’, way to Yama's quarter, Mahābhārata (Title) xii, 996 [ ID=89440 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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