# लय (laya)

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

लय (laya) is a Sanskrit word meaning the act of sticking or clinging to, lying down, cowering, melting, dissolution, disappearance, or absorption, extinction, destruction, death, rest, repose, a place of rest, residence, house, or dwelling. Its 33 recorded definitions are grouped into 15 contexts, among them Musical Time, Rhythm, or Pause, Adherence, Union, Embrace, Destruction, Dissolution, Absorption.

- **Roots:** गा (gā), गम् (gam), या (yā), 1. ली (1. lī)
- **Etymology:** E. ली adhere to, &c., aff. अच् । — E. lī adhere to, &c., aff. ac
- **SLP1:** `laya`  **IAST:** laya  **Devanagari:** लय
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/laya/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Musical Time, Rhythm, or Pause (7 definitions)
- musical time classified as quick, moderate, or slow  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (in music) time (regarded as of 3 kinds, viz. द्रुत (druta), ‘quick’, मध्य (madhya), ‘mean or moderate’, and विलम्बित (vilambita), ‘slow’), Kālid.; Daśar.; Pañcat. &c. [ ID=182764 ]
- a kind of measure  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a kind of measure, Saṃgīt. [ ID=182765 ]
- the union of song, dance, and instrumental music  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the union of song, dance and instrumental music, L. [ ID=182766 ]
- a pause  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a pause, MW. [ ID=182767 ]
- 1. Equal time in music and dancing. 2. Adhering, embracing, or uniting. 3. A house or dwelling. 4. Sport or pastime. 5. The root of Andropogon muricatum. 6. Loss or destruction. 7. Fusion or melting.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > लय (laya) m. ( - यः (-yaḥ) ) 1 Equal time in music and dancing. 2 Adhering or clinging to, embracing, uniting. 3 A house, a dwelling. 4 Sport, pastime. n. ( - यं (-yaṃ) ) 1 The root of the Andropogon muricatum. 2 Loss, destruction. 3 Fusion, melting. E. ली (lī) to adhere to, &c., aff. अच् (ac). [ ID=32816 ]
- 1. Equal time in music and dancing, embracing, a house, or sport. 2. Loss or fusion.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > लय (laya) [Printed book page 641-a ] लय (laya) ( यः ) ((yaḥ)) 1. m. Equal time in music and dancing; embracing; a house; sport. n. Loss; fusion. [ ID=32395 ]
- 1. Equal time in music and dancing. 2. Union or adherence. 3. Fusion or absorption. 4. Concentration or devotion. 5. Rest or repose. 6. Mental inactivity. 7. An embrace. 8. Destruction. 9. A house or dwelling. 10. Sport or pastime. 11. The root of Andropogon muricatum.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > लय (laya) [Printed book page 614-b ] लय (laya) m. ( - यः (-yaḥ) ) 1. Equal time in music and dancing. 2. Adherence, union. 3. Fusion, solution, absorption. 4. Concentration, exclusive devotion. 5. Rest, repose. 6. Mental inactivity. 7. An embrace. 8. Destruction. 9. A house, a dwelling. 10. Sport, pastime. n. ( - यं (-yaṃ) ) 1. The root of the Andropogon muricatum. 2. Loss, destruction. 3. Fusion, melting. E. ली (lī) adhere to, &c., aff. अच् । (ac.) [ ID=34200 ]

### Adherence, Union, Embrace (6 definitions)
- the act of sticking or clinging to  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 903,2] लय (laya) b m. the act of sticking or clinging to ( loc. ), Śiś. ( लय (laya) ं (layaṃ ) √ गा (√gā) with loc., ‘to become attached to any one’, Kuval. ) [ ID=182754 ]
- an embrace  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > an embrace, L. [ ID=182763 ]
- 1. Adherence, disappearance, or absorption. 2. Extinction, dissolution, destruction, or death. 3. Rest or repose. 4. Mental lethargy or inactivity. 5. Sport. 6. Musical time or tempo.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > लय (laya) [Printed book page 261-2 ] लय (laya) láy-a, m. [√ 1. lī] adherence; disappearance or absorption in ( lc., —° ); extinction, dissolution, destruction, death; rest, repose ( rare ); mental lethargy or inactivity; sport; time in music ( of which there are three : druta, madhya, and vilambita): -ṃ gam, become attached to any one ( lc. ); disappear, be dissolved, or absorbed in ( lc. ); -ṃ yā, id.; be destroyed, perish. [ ID=15516 ]
- 1. Adherence or union. 2. Fusion, solution, or absorption. 3. Concentration or exclusive devotion. 4. Destruction or disappearance. 5. An embrace. 6. Rest or repose. 7. Mental inactivity. 8. Musical time. 9. Habitation or residence.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > लय (laya) [Printed book page 622-11 ] लय (laya) m. 1. Adherence, union; 2. fusion, solution, absorption; 3. concentration, exclusive devotion, ध्यानलय (laya) ेन पुरः परिकल्प्य भवंतमतीव दुरापम् (dhyānalayena puraḥ parikalpya bhavaṃtamatīva durāpam) Git.G. iv.; 4. destruction, disappearance; 5. an embrace; 6. rest, repose; 7. mental inactivity; 8. time (in music, किसलय (laya) ैः सलय (laya) ैरिव पाणिभिः (kisalayaiḥ salayairiva pāṇibhiḥ) R. ix.35, पादन्यासो लय (laya) मुपगतः (pādanyāso layamupagataḥ) Mal. ii.; 9. habitation, residence, Sis. iv.57. [ ID=32542 ]
- 1. Adhering 2. A house 3. Sport 4. Equal time or a pause in music and dancing 5. Melting or vanishing 6. Dissolution or destruction 7. Loss 8. Slackness of mind  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > लय (laya) [Printed book page 0790-a ] लय (laya) laya, i. e. lī + a, m. 1. Ad- hering. 2. A house. 3. Sport. 4. Equal time in music and dancing, Pañc. v. d. 43. 5. Melting; layaṃ yā, To melt away, to vanish, Pañc. v. d. 4. 6. Dissolution, Vedāntas. in Chr. 204, 23; 211, 7; destruction. 7. Loss. 8. A pause in music, Mālav. 19, 11. 9. Slackness of mind, Vedāntas. in Chr. 217, 23. — Comp. A-, I. m. non- destruction, duration, Rām. 3, 71, 10. II. adj. without a fixed abode, Śiś. 4, 57. [ ID=12352 ]
- 1. Clinging, adhering, or embracing. 2. Lying down or hiding. 3. Melting, dissolving, disappearing, or destruction. 4. Rest, repose, or a dwelling place. 5. Mental inactivity or spiritual indifference. 6. Time or a pause in music.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > [Printed book page 0868-b ] Laya, as, m. the act of clinging, adhering, stick- ing, union, adherence; embracing, an embrace ( = śleṣa, saṃ-śleṣaṇa ); the act of lying, cowering, lurking, hiding; melting, fusion, solution, melting away, dissolution, absorption, extinction, disappearing, vanishing, disappearance, destruction, reduction (of the Universe &c.) into its original state, death, ( layaṃ yā or gam, &c., to go to dissolution, melt away, disappear, vanish; to be destroyed, perish); rest, repose; place of rest, residence, house, dwelling; mental inactivity, spiritual indifference, slackness of mind; time (in music, regarded as of three kinds, viz. druta, ‘quick,’ madhya, ‘mean or moderate,’ and vilambita, ‘slow’); a pause in music; a parti- cular agricultural implement, (perhaps a sort of harrow or hoe, Ved.); ( am ), n. the root of Andropogon Muricatus; ( as, ā, am ), making the mind inactive or indifferent. —Laya-kāla, as, m. time of disso- lution or destruction. —Laya-gata, as, ā, am, gone to dissolution, dissolved, melted. —Laya-putrī, f. ‘daughter of (musical) time,’ a female dancer, Page0868-c+ 79 actress. —Layārambha (°ya-ār°) or layālamba (°ya-āl°), as, m. ‘moving according to time,’ a dancer, actor. —Layārka (°ya-ar°), as, m. the sun at the dissolution of the world. [ ID=40520 ]

### Destruction, Dissolution, Absorption (3 definitions)
- melting, dissolution, disappearance, or absorption  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > melting, dissolution, disappearance or absorption in ( loc. or comp. ), Up.; Kap. &c. ( लयं (layaṃ ) √ गम् (√gam) or या (yā) ‘to disappear, be dissolved or absorbed’; लयं (layaṃ ) सं - (layaṃ saṃ-) √ गम् (√gam), ‘to hide or conceal one's self’) [ ID=182756 ]
- extinction, destruction, death  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > extinction, destruction, death, MBh.; Kāv. &c. ( लयं (layaṃ ) √ या (√yā), ‘to be destroyed, perish’) [ ID=182757 ]
- 1. The dissolution pertaining to Prakriti, where the universe merges when the gunas are in a balanced state. 2. A state of a century without rain and severe famine accompanied by a destructive deluge fire and violent winds. 3. Deluge.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > लय (laya) [Printed book page 3-115 ] Laya — the dissolution pertaining to Prakṛti; a state in which there is no rain for a century, famine rages and the fire of deluge consumes all spaces, accompanied by violent winds and so on. It is of four kinds; nitya, naimittika, prā- kṛtika, and ātyantika; deluge, when the universe merges when the guṇas are in a balanced state. Bhā. XII. 4. (whole); M. 1. 33; Vā. 5. 9. [ ID=11915 ]

### Mental Inactivity, Lethargy, Indifference (3 definitions)
- mental inactivity or spiritual indifference  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > mental inactivity, spiritual indifference, Kap.; Vedāntas. [ ID=182760 ]
- making the mind inactive or indifferent  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > लय (laya) mfn. making the mind inactive or indifferent, BhP. [ ID=182773 ]
- 1. Dulling or hebetating the mind. 2. Clinging, hiding, vanishing, or entering into. 3. Absorption, extinction, or death. 4. Rest or repose. 5. Time or pause in music.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > लय (laya) [Printed book page 460 ] लय (laya) m. dulling or hebetating the mind. m. clinging or adhering to (—°), cowering, hiding, vanishing or entering into ( loc. or —°); absorption, extinction, death; rest, repose; time or pause in music. [ ID=27461 ]

### Proper Name (Person, Deity, Yoginī) (2 definitions)
- Name of a Yogini  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2B) [Printed book page 903,2] लया (layā) f. N. of a Yoginī, Hcat. ( v.l. जया (jayā) ) [ ID=182771 ]
- Shiva  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > लय (laya) [Printed book page 446-1 ] Laya = Śiva (1000 names 2 ). [ ID=6468 ]

### Referential or Cross-Reference Entry (2 definitions)
- See page 903, column 2.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 897,2] लय (laya) a, लय (laya) न (layana) &c. See p. 903, col. 2. [ ID=181584 ]
- See page 868  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > लय (laya) [Printed book page 0862-c ] लय (laya) laya, layana, &c. See p. 868, cols. 2, 3. [ ID=40207 ]

### Sport, Amusement, Delight (2 definitions)
- sport, diversion, merriness  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > sport, diversion, merriness, Vās. [ ID=182761 ]
- delight in anything  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > delight in anything, Harav. [ ID=182762 ]

### A Specific Plant Root (Andropogon Muricatum) (1 definition)
- the root of Andropogon muricatus  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > लय (laya) n. the root of Andropogon Muricatus, Bhpr. [ ID=182772 ]

### Agricultural Implement (1 definition)
- an agricultural implement  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a partic. agricultural implement (perhaps a sort of harrow or hoe), VS. [ ID=182768 ]

### Dwelling, Abode (1 definition)
- a place of rest, residence, house, or dwelling  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > place of rest, residence, house, dwelling, W. [ ID=182759 ]

### Lying Down, Cowering (1 definition)
- lying down, cowering  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > lying down, cowering, MBh. [ ID=182755 ]

### Rest, Repose (as a state) (1 definition)
- rest, repose  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > rest, repose, Śiś.; BhP. ( cf. अ - लय (a-laya) ) [ ID=182758 ]

### Swift Movement (of an arrow) (1 definition)
- the quick downward movement of an arrow  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the quick (downward) movement of an arrow, L. [ ID=182770 ]

### Swoon, Fainting (1 definition)
- a swoon  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a swoon, L. [ ID=182769 ]

### Verbal Root: To Go, To Move (1 definition)
- To go or move.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > लय (laya) [Printed book page 717 ] लय (laya) r. 1st cl. ( लय (laya) ते (layate) ) To go, to move. [ ID=32815 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872); Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Purana Index; 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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