# एकायन (ekāyana)

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

एकायन (ekāyana) is a Sanskrit word meaning a narrow path accessible to only one person, the only way or manner of conduct, meeting-place or centre of union, absorption in one, absolute devotedness to one, passable for only one person, closely attentive and absorbed in one object. Its 17 recorded definitions are grouped into 5 contexts, among them Focused Attention, Devotion, or Unity, Narrow Path or Solitary Place, Meeting Place or Centre of Union.

- **SLP1:** `ekAyana`  **IAST:** ekāyana  **Devanagari:** एकायन
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekay%C4%81na
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/ekayana/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Focused Attention, Devotion, or Unity (6 definitions)
- absorption in one, absolute devotedness to one  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > absorption in one, absolute devotedness to one, unity, MBh.; ChUp. [ ID=39856 ]
- closely attentive and absorbed in one object  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > fixing one's thoughts on one object, closely attentive, absorbed in L. [ ID=39858 ]
- Closely attentive or intent.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > एकायन (ekāyana) [Printed book page 172 ] एकायन (ekāyana) mfn. ( - नः - ना - नं (-naḥ-nā-naṃ) ) Closely attentive, intent. E. एक, अयन (eka, ayana) going. [ ID=8194 ]
- Closely attentive or devoted to one object.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > एकायन (ekāyana) [Printed book page 142-a ] एका _ यन (ekā_yana) ( नः - ना - नं ) ((naḥ-nā-naṃ)) a. Closely attentive, devoted to one object. [ ID=7616 ]
- 1. Closely attentive. 2. Passable by only one.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > एकायन (ekāyana) [Printed book page 152-02 ] एक - अयन (eka-ayana) (I) a. 1. closely attentive; 2. passable by one only. [ ID=7365 ]
- Closely attentive  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > एकायन (ekāyana) [Printed book page 141-b ] एकायन (ekāyana) mfn. ( - नः - ना - नं (-naḥ-nā-naṃ) ) Closely attentive, intent. E. एक, अयन (eka, ayana) going. [ ID=8190 ]

### Narrow Path or Solitary Place (6 definitions)
- a narrow path accessible to only one person  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3) [Printed book page 230,2] एका (ekā) यन (yana) n. a narrow way or path accessible for only one person, MBh.; R. [ ID=39853 ]
- passable for only one person  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > एका (ekā) यन (yana) mfn. passable for only one (as a foot-path), MBh. [ ID=39857 ]
- 1. A narrow road passable by only one path. 2. A meeting place. 3. Absolute oneness. 4. The one right way.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > एकायन (ekāyana) [Printed book page 058-2 ] एकायन (ekāyana) eka‿ayaná, n. road passable by only one narrow path; meeting-place; absolute oneness; the one right way: ī-bhāva, m. unanimity; ī-bhū, become a centre of union for ( g. ). [ ID=5110 ]
- 1. Passable by one only. 2. Devoted to one only. 3. A solitary place. 4. Adoration of one only.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > एकायन (ekāyana) [Printed book page 0141-a ] एकायन (ekāyana) ekāyana, i. e. eka-ayana, I. adj. 1. Passable by one only, MBh. 3, 11136. 2. Adoring one only, MBh. 12, 7872. II. n. 1. A solitary place, MBh. 3, 11695. 2. Adoration of one only, MBh. 14, 532. [ ID=2609 ]
- 1. A narrow path passable for only one. 2. A meeting-place. 3. Absolute oneness.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > एकायन (ekāyana) [Printed book page 101 ] 1 एकायन (ekāyana) n. a path passable for only one; meeting-place; absolute oneness. [ ID=6501 ]
- narrow, passable for only one  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > 2 एकायन (ekāyana) a. passable for only one, narrow. [ ID=6502 ]

### Meeting Place or Centre of Union (2 definitions)
- meeting-place or centre of union  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > meeting-place, centre of union, ŚBr. [ ID=39855 ]
- 1. A meeting place. 2. Monotheism.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > एक - अयन (eka-ayana) (II) n. 1. a meeting place; 2. monotheism. [ ID=7366 ]

### Unique Way of Conduct or Doctrine (2 definitions)
- the only way or manner of conduct  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the only way or manner of conduct, worldly wisdom, Chāndogya-upaniṣad (Title) vii, 1, 2 [ ID=39854 ]
- An object of study in the Chandogya Upanishad, variously interpreted as the doctrine of unity, ethics, or worldly wisdom.  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > एकायन (ekāyana) [Printed book page 1-119 ] Ekāyana denotes some object of study in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad. 1 The St. Petersburg Dictionary renders it ‘doctrine ( ayana ) of unity’ ( eka ), ‘monotheism,’ while Max Müller prefers ‘ethics,’ and Monier-Williams in his Dicitionary ‘worldly wisdom.’ 2 [ Footnote: 1) vii. 1, 2. 4; 2, 1; 7, 1.] [ Footnote: 2) Max Müller and Monier-Williams thus follow Śaṅkara's interpretation as nīti-śāstra, ‘moral teaching.’ Cf. Weber, Indische Studien, 1, 267, 484; Little, Grammatical Index, 43.] [ ID=443 ]

### Proper Name (Ārṣeyapravara) (1 definition)
- an Arsheya pravara among Bhargavas  
  *The Purana Index*
  > एकायन (ekāyana) [Printed book page 1-278 ] Ekāyana — Ārṣeyapravara (Bhārgavas). M. 195. 43. [ ID=2221 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; 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.

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