# दान (dāna)

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

दान (dāna) is a Sanskrit word meaning the act of giving, giving in marriage, giving up, communicating, imparting, teaching, paying back or restoring, adding or addition. Its 41 recorded definitions are grouped into 17 contexts, among them The Act of Giving, Gift, Donation, Distribution, Share, Dispensing, Nourishing, Cherishing, Protection.

- **Roots:** 1. दा (1. dā), 2. दा (2. dā)
- **SLP1:** `dAna`  **IAST:** dāna  **Devanagari:** दान
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C4%81na
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/dana/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** दाण (dāṇa)

## Meanings by context

### The Act of Giving, Gift, Donation (10 definitions)
- the act of giving  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 474,1] 1. दान (dāna) n. the act of giving, RV.; ŚBr.; MBh. &c. [ ID=91241 ]
- donation, gift  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > donation, gift [ Lat. donum ], RV.; ŚBr. &c. ( ° नंदा (°naṃdā), to offer a g°, Manu-smṛti (Title); Yājñ.; Hit. &c. ° नम् प्रयम् (°nam prayam), to bestow a g°, Manu-smṛti (Title) iv, 234 ) [ ID=91247 ]
- 1. Giving, presenting, or offering. 2. Abandonment. 3. Payment. 4. A gift, charitable gift, or offering. 5. Bribery. 6. Addition.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > दान (dāna) [Printed book page 118-2 ] दान (dāna) 1. dā‿aná, n. [√ 1. dā] giving, — away ( a daughter ), presenting, offering ( a sacrifice ), teaching (of, g., —° to lc., —° ); abandonment of life ( —° ); payment of debt; gift; charitable gift; bribery; addition; offering, oblation. [ ID=9178 ]
- 1. A gift. 2. A dividing.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > दान (dāna) [Printed book page 359-b ] दान (dāna) ( नं ) ((naṃ)) 1. n. Gift; a dividing. [ ID=18266 ]
- 1. Giving. 2. A gift. 3. Liberality. 4. An oblation. 5. Giving in marriage. 6. The fluid that flows from the temples of an elephant in rut.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > दान (dāna) [Printed book page 0394-b ] दान (dāna) dāna, i. e. 1. dā + ana, n. 1. Giving, Man. 1, 90. 2. Gift, Man, 4, 233; 11, 2. 3. Liberality, Man. 1, 86. 4. Oblation, Man. 3, 211. 5. Giving in marriage, Man. 3, 27. 6. The fluid that flows from the temples of an ele- phant in rut, Pañc. i. d. 419. — Comp. A-, I. n. 1. non-payment, Man. 8, 5. 2. illiberality, Pañc. ii. d. 74. II. adj. illiberal; and, without the fluid which flows from the temples of an elephant in rut, Pañc. ii. d. 73. Ati-, n. exces- sive liberality, Cāṇ. 50. Ātman-, n. sacrificing one's self, Kathās. 22, 219. Page0395-a+ 41 Udaka-, n. Pouring water in honour of a deceased one, Prab. 98, 3. Yoga-, n. a fraudulent gift, Man. 8, 165. Vṛthā-, unprofitable donation, gift to musicians, actresses, etc., Man. 8, 159. Sa-, adj. pouring out the fluid which flows from the temples of an elephant in rut, Kir. 5, 9. Sadā-, I. n. liberality. II. m. 1. Indra's elephant. 2. an elephant in rut. 3. Gaṇeśa. — Cf. Lat. donum. [ ID=6386 ]
- 1. Giving, imparting, bestowing, sacrificing, or offering. 2. Giving in marriage or giving up. 3. Teaching, communicating, granting, or conceding. 4. A gift, present, or donation.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > दान (dāna) [Printed book page 222 ] 1 दान (dāna) n. giving, imparting, bestowing of ( gen. or —°) on ( loc. or —°); giving in marriage, giving up, sacrificing, offering, paying; Page223 teaching, communicating; granting, conceding; gift, present, donation. [ ID=13516 ]
- giving, imparting, or gift  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > दान (dāna) [Printed book page 168-b ] dā́na, n. giving, imparting; gift. [ √1dā, 1150 : cf. Lat. dōnum, ‘gift.’] [ ID=1921 ]
- 1. Giving, presenting, or offering. 2. Giving in marriage. 3. Giving up or sacrificing. 4. Delivering or distributing. 5. Communicating, imparting, or teaching. 6. A gift, present, donation, or special oblation. 7. Adding or addition. 8. Liberality. 9. Bribery. 10. The fragrant fluid flowing from the temples of an elephant in rut. 11. A kind of honey.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > दान (dāna) [Printed book page 0407-b ] 1. dāna, as, m., Ved. a giver, giving; an offering, (according to Sāy. = datta or deya-bhūta, but thought by modern scholars to be the epithet of a horse); ( am ), n. giving, presenting; giving in marriage (e. g. kanyā-d°, q. v.); giving up, sacri- ficing (e. g. prāṇa-d°, q. v.); delivering, distributing; communicating, imparting, teaching, giving instruc- tion (e. g. brahma-d°, q. v.); a gift, present, donation (e. g. dānaṃ dā, to offer a gift; cf. Lat. donum); special gift, oblation (e. g. udaka-d°, q. v.); adding, addition; liberality; bribery (one of the four means by which a king overpowers his enemies; cf. upāya ); the fragrant fluid that flows from the temples of an elephant in rut (more probably connected with rt. 3. dā; see 2. dāna, p. 408, col. 1); a kind of honey, (per- haps for dāla. ) —Dāna-kalpa-taru, us, m., N. of a work mentioned in the Saṃskāra-tattva by Raghu- nandana. —Dāna-kāma, as, ā, am, Ved. fond of giving, liberal. —Dāna-kulyā, f. the flow of fluid from an elephant's temples. —Dāna-kusumāñjali (°ma- añ°), N. of a poem. —Dāna-kaumudī, f., N. of the second part of the Kriyā-kaumudī. —Dāna-cyuta, as, m., N. of a man. —Dāna-tas, ind. through gifts, by liberality. —Dāna-darpaṇa, N. of a work mentioned in the Saṃskāra-tattva. —Dāna-dharma, as, m. alms- giving, charitable acts, charity; the rules or practice Page0407-c+ 81 of alms-giving. —Dānadharma-vidhi, is, m. ‘the rules for alms-giving &c.,’ N. of a chapter of the Skanda-Purāṇa. —Dāna-pati, is, m. ‘a master of liberality,’ an exceedingly liberal or munificent man; an epithet of A-krūra, who was kinsman of Kṛṣṇa; N. of a Daitya. —Dāna-pattra, am, n. a deed of gift or conveyance. —Dāna-paddhati, is, f., N. of a work on the sixteen chief oblations. —Dāna-pātra, am, n. ‘an object of charity, one who deserves a gift,’ N. of a chapter of the Purāṇa-sarva-sva. —Dāna- pratibhāvya, am, n. security for payment of a debt &c. —Dāna-bhinna, as, ā, am, divided or made hostile by bribes. —Dāna-yogya, as, ā, am, worthy of a gift, meriting a donation. —Dāna-vajra, as, &c., ‘whose thunderbolt is liberality,’ an epithet of the Vaiśyas or men of the third tribe. —Dāna-vat, ān, atī, at, having gifts, presenting gifts, liberal. —Dāna-vidhi, is, m., N. of a chapter of the Skanda-Purāṇa. —Dāna-vīra, as, m. ‘a hero in liberality,’ an exceedingly liberal man. —Dāna-vya- tyāsa, as, m. ‘perversion of gifts,’ gift under error, giving to the wrong person. —Dāna-vrata, as, ā, am, devoted to liberality or benevolence; ( ās ), m. pl. the inhabitants of Śāka-dvīpa. —Dāna-śīla, as, ā, am, liberally disposed, liberal, generous, charitable, munificent; ( as ), m., N. of one of the translators of the Lalita-vistara in Tibetian. —Dāna-śūra, as, m. ‘a hero in liberality,’ N. of a Bodhi-sattva (= Śākya-muni in a former birth; cf. dāna-vīra ). —Dā- na-śauṇḍa, as, ī, am, ‘intoxicated with giving,’ ex- ceedingly liberal. —Dāna-sāgara, as, m. ‘the ocean of gifts,’ N. of a work by Malamāsa mentioned in the Saṃskāra-tattva by Raghu-nandana. —Dā- na-stuti, is, f. ‘praise of liberality,’ N. of a kind of hymn. —Dāna-hīna, as, ā, am, deprived of gifts. —Dāna-hemādri (°ma-ad°), N. of a work on oblations written under the patronage of Hemādri. —Dānādhikāra (°na-adh°), as, m., N. of a short Buddhist work on alms-giving. [ ID=22072 ]
- Giving, gifting, or charity.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > दान (dāna) [Printed book page 2-082 ] Dāna — a dharma; 1 a śiṣṭācāra; 2 three kinds of; superior, middling and inferior; the first and last of which are called respectively jyeṣṭha and kaniṣṭha; the lower and the higher not fit for one's own welfare; the middling is the equal dis- tribution among the deserving; the superior gift leads to Mokṣa and the inferior to one's own welfare; 3 he who per- forms sacrifice by ill-gotten wealth does not attain the fruits thereof; his gifts are not for dharma but only for show; but well-earned money given to right men without expecting fruits, merits Bhoga while Satya leads to heaven; 4 the mak- ing of, in a śrāddha and the fruits thereof; 5 one of the upāyas of a king; even Gods are brought under control by gifts; sixteen kinds of; done by Kāma, Ambarīṣa, Pṛthu, Prahlāda and others; 6 the vidhi of, enquired by Manu from the Matsya. 7 Incumbent on all castes 8 useless if given to a non- śrotriya; 9 conditions appropriate to. 10 [ Footnote: 1) Vā. 23. 101.] [ Footnote: 2) Br. II. 32. 41.] [ Footnote: 3) Ib. II. 32. 54-56; Vā. 59. 49-50.] [ Footnote: 4) Ib. 67. 27; 91. 106-12; 104. 14.] [ Footnote: 5) Br. III. 4. 24; 16. 1.] [ Footnote: 6) M. 222. 2; 224. 1-4; 246. 25-7; 274 (whole).] [ Footnote: 7) Ib. 2. 23.] [ Footnote: 8) Vi. III. 8. 22.] [ Footnote: 9) Ib. V. 38. 30.] [ Footnote: 10) Vā. 91. 107-13.] [ ID=5924 ]
- Giving or gifting.  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > दान (dāna) [Printed book page 1-350 ] 1. Dāna, ‘giving,’ ‘gift,’ is a word of frequent occurrence in the Rigveda, especially in the Dāna-stutis 1 (‘Praises of Gifts’) of generous patrons (see Dakṣiṇā ). One of the characteristics of the Brāhmaṇa is his right to receive gifts, which it is obligatory on the other castes to present. 2 The gift of a daughter ( kanyāyā dānam ) was a form of marriage 3 (see Vivāha ), because in it the girl was ‘given’ away by her father or brother. [ Footnote: 1) The term seems first to occur in the Bṛhaddevatā, vi. 45, 92, and in similar works.] [ Footnote: 2) Satapatha Brāhmaṇa, xi. 5, 7, 1; Weber, Indische Studien, 10, 47-61.] [ Footnote: 3) Nirukta, iii. 4.] [ ID=1285 ]

### Distribution, Share, Dispensing (7 definitions)
- distribution of food or of a sacrificial meal  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > दान (dāna) m. (only in RV., but cf. वसु - (vasu-) ) distribution of food or of a sacrificial meal [ ID=91370 ]
- part or share  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > part, share, possession [ ID=91372 ]
- distributor or dispenser  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > distributor, dispenser, Ṛg-veda (Title) vii, 27, 4. [ ID=91373 ]
- 1. Distribution, especially of food, a meal, or a sacrificial feast. 2. Liberality. 3. A share or property.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > दान (dāna) 2. dā‿aná, m. [√ 2. dā] distribution, esp. of food, meal, sacrificial feast; liberality; share, property. [ ID=9179 ]
- 1. Distribution or a dispenser. 2. Liberality. 3. A sacrificial meal. 4. A share or portion. 5. Possession.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > [Printed book page 223 ] 2 दान (dāna) m. distribution (concr. distributer, dispenser), liberality, (sacrificial) meal, share, portion, possession. [ ID=13517 ]
- 1. Distribution, a meal, or a sacrificial meal. 2. Liberality. 3. A part, share, or possession. 4. Cutting off or dividing. 5. Pasture. 6. The fluid flowing from an elephant's temples in rut.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > [Printed book page 0408-a ] 2. dāna, as, m. (for 1. dāna see p. 407, col. 2), Ved. distribution (especially of food); a meal; a sacri- ficial meal; distributing, communicating, liberality; part, share, possession; a distributer; ( am ), n. cut- ting off, dividing; pasture; the fluid flowing from an elephant's temples when in rut; [cf. 1. dāna. ] —Dānāpnas (°na-ap°), ās, ās, as, Ved. having abundant shares (or gifts, fr. 1. dāna ). —Dānaukas (°na-ok°), ās, m., Ved. delighting in the sacrificial meal; (Sāy.) ‘the abode of liberality, munificent,’ epithet of Indra, (as if fr. 1. dāna. ) [ ID=22098 ]
- 1. A sacrificial feast. 2. The secretion from the temples of a rutting elephant. 3. Pasture land.  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > 2. Dāna (‘distribution’) 1 seems in several passages of the Rigveda 2 to be a designation of the sacrificial feast to which Page1-351+ 46 the god is invited ( cf. (greek) δαίς, δαίτη). In one passage 3 Sāyaṇa thinks that it denotes the mada-jalāni, ‘drops of water falling from the temples of a rutting elephant,’ 4 but this is doubtful. In another passage 5 Roth thinks that ‘pasture land’ is meant. [ Footnote: 1) From dā, ‘divide.’] [ Footnote: 2) i. 55, 7; 48, 4; 180, 5; viii. 46, 26; 60, 8; 99, 4, etc. Cf., however, Pischel Vedische Studien, 1, 100.] [ Footnote: 3) Rv. viii. 33, 8; Ludwig, Transla- tion of the Rigveda, 5, 157.] [ Footnote: 4) Dāna in this sense, so common in the post-Vedic language, is probably derived from dā, ‘divide,’ meaning originally ‘secretion.’] [ Footnote: 5) ii. 13, 7.] [ ID=1286 ]

### Nourishing, Cherishing, Protection (3 definitions)
- 1. A gift, donation, or present. 2. The fluid flowing from an elephant's temples in rut. 3. Nourishing or cherishing. 4. Purification. 5. Cutting or dividing. 6. Beating or striking. 7. Wild honey.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > दा (dā) न (dāna) n. ( - नं (-naṃ) ) 1 Gift, giving, donation. 2 The fluid that flows from the temples of an elephant in rut. 3 Nourishing, cherishing. 4 Purification. 5 Cutting, dividing. 6 A present, a special gift. 7 Beating, striking. 8 Wild honey. E. दा (dā) to give, or दो (do) to cut, affix ल्युट् (lyuṭ). [ ID=18794 ]
- 1. Giving or delivering. 2. A gift or present. 3. Liberality or charity. 4. Bribery. 5. The juice flowing from the temples of an elephant during rut. 6. Cutting or dividing. 7. Purification. 8. Protection. 9. Pasture.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > दान (dāna) [Printed book page 329-25 ] दान (dāna) n. 1. Giving, delivering, K.S. v.15; 2. a gift, a present, Bg. xvii.20; 3. liberality, charity, R. i.69; 4. bribery as one of the four means by which a king overpowers his enemies (in civil polity) See उपायचतुष्टय (upāyacatuṣṭaya); 5. the juice flowing from the temples of an elephant, rut, ichor, R. ii.7, iv.45, v.43; 6. cutting, dividing; 7. purification; 8. protection; 9. pasture. [ ID=16712 ]
- 1. Giving or donation. 2. The fluid flowing from the temples of an elephant in rut. 3. Nourishing. 4. Purification. 5. Cutting or dividing. 6. Striking. 7. Wild honey.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > दा (dā) न (dāna) n. ( - नं (-naṃ) ) 1. Gift, giving, donation. 2. The fluid that flows from the temples of an elephant in rut. 3. Nourishing, cherishing. 4. Purification. 5. Cutting, dividing. 6. A present, a special gift. 7. Beating, striking. 8. Wild honey. E. दा (dā) to give, or दो (do) to cut, affix ल्युट् । (lyuṭ.) [ ID=18779 ]

### Related Verbal Roots or Etymological/Cross-Reference Notes (3 definitions)
- 1. To cut. 2. To straighten or be straight.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > दान (dāna) [Printed book page 405 ] दान (dāna) ( उ (u) ) दान (dāna) r. 1st cl. irr. ( दीदांसति - ते (dīdāṃsati-te) ) 1 To cut. 2 To straighten or make straight. 3 To be straight. [ ID=18793 ]
- 1. To cut. 2. To straighten or be straight.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > दान (dāna) [Printed book page 337-a ] दान (dāna) ( उ ) दान (dāna) ु (dāna (u) dānu) r. 1st cl. irr. ( दीदांसति - ते (dīdāṃsati-te) ) 1. To cut. 2. To straighten or make straight. 2. To be straight. भ्वा० उभ० सक० । (bhvā0 ubha0 saka0.) [ ID=18778 ]
- See under roots da  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > [Printed book page 0409-b ] दान (dāna) dāna, &c. See under rts. 1. and 3. dā. [ ID=22170 ]

### Rut-fluid of an Elephant (3 definitions)
- rut fluid flowing from an elephant's temples  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > rut-fluid (which flows from an elephant's temples), MBh.; Hariv. &c. [ ID=91369 ]
- fragrant secretion from the temples of elephants in rut  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > दान (dāna) 3. dā‿ana, n. [√ 2. dā] fragrant secretion from the temples of elephants in rut, temple-juice. [ ID=9180 ]
- the rut and rut-fluid of an animal  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > 4 दान (dāna) n. the rut (of an animal) & the rut-fluid (flowing from an elephant's temples in the time of rutting). [ ID=13519 ]

### Cutting, Splitting, Physical Division (2 definitions)
- cutting off, splitting, dividing  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 474,3] 2. दान (dāna) n. cutting off, splitting, dividing, L. [ ID=91367 ]
- 1. Cutting or dividing. 2. Pasture.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > 3 दान (dāna) n. cutting, dividing; pasture. [ ID=13518 ]

### Imparting Knowledge, Teaching (2 definitions)
- communicating, imparting, teaching  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > communicating, imparting, teaching ( cf. ब्रह्म - (brahma-) ) [ ID=91244 ]
- imparting, communicating, liberality  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > imparting, communicating, liberality [ ID=91371 ]

### Purification (2 definitions)
- purification  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 475,1] 3. दान (dāna) n. purification, L. [ ID=91473 ]
- purification  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > [Printed book page 0408-c ] 3. dāna, am, n. purification; [cf. 1. ava-dāna. ] [ ID=22121 ]

### Abandonment, Giving Up (of life, self, etc.) (1 definition)
- giving up  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > giving up ( cf. प्राण - (prāṇa-), आत्म - (ātma-), शरीर - (śarīra-), Pañcatantra (Title) ii ) [ ID=91243 ]

### Addition (1 definition)
- adding or addition  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > adding, addition ( VarBṛS. ) [ ID=91246 ]

### Bribery (1 definition)
- bribery  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > bribery, Manu-smṛti (Title) vii, 198 ( cf. उपा (upā) य (ya) ). [ ID=91250 ]

### Chariot Horse (Vedic context) (1 definition)
- a chariot horse  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > [Printed book page 1-351 ] 3. Dāna is in three passages of the Rigveda 1 held by Roth to designate a chariot horse. [ Footnote: 1) v. 27, 5; vii. 18, 23; viii. 46, 24. But in all these cases ‘gifts’ seems an adequate version, ‘horses’ being under- stood.] [ ID=1287 ]

### Giving in Marriage (1 definition)
- giving in marriage  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > giving in marriage ( cf. कन्या - (kanyā-) ) [ ID=91242 ]

### Liberality, Generosity, Charity (1 definition)
- liberality  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > liberality ( cf. 2. दान (dāna) ) [ ID=91249 ]

### Pasture, Meadow (1 definition)
- pasture, meadow  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > pasture, meadow, RV. [ ID=91368 ]

### Religious Oblation, Sacrificial Offering (1 definition)
- oblation  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > oblation ( cf. उदक - (udaka-), हविर् - (havir-) ) [ ID=91248 ]

### Restitution, Repayment (1 definition)
- paying back or restoring  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > paying back, restoring, Mn.; Yājñ. [ ID=91245 ]

## Sources

Definitions from 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); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Purana Index; 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.

The Sanskrit Lexicon app for iPhone, iPad and Mac: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sanskrit-lexicon-dictionary/id6746787546