# मेनका (menakā)

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

मेनका (menakā) is a Sanskrit word meaning the daughter of Vrisha-ashva, an Apsaras and wife of Himavat, name of the daughter of Vrishanashva, an apsaras who is the mother of Shakuntala, the wife of Himalaya, a celestial courtesan of Svarga and wife of Himalaya. Its 19 recorded definitions are grouped into 9 contexts, among them Apsaras and Wife of Himālaya, An Apsaras (General), Mother of Śakuntalā.

- **Etymology:** E. मे to me, का any one, न not, (equal or comparable.); or मि-नक । — E. me to me, kā any one, na not, (equal or comparable.); or mi-naka
- **SLP1:** `menakA`  **IAST:** menakā  **Devanagari:** मेनका
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menaka
- **Declensions:** 24 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/menaka/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Apsaras and Wife of Himālaya (5 definitions)
- an Apsaras and wife of Himavat  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of an Apsaras (wife of Hima-vat), MBh.; Kāv. &c. [ ID=167963 ]
- A celestial courtesan of Svarga and wife of Himalaya.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > मे (me) न (na) का (kā) (menakā) [Printed book page 674 ] मे (me) न (na) का (kā) (menakā) f. ( - का (kā) (-kā) ) One of the courtezans of Svarga, and wife to Himālaya. E. मे (me) to me, का (kā) any one, न (na) not, (equal or comparable.) [ ID=30975 ]
- 1. An apsaras. 2. The wife of Himalaya.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > मेनका (menakā) [Printed book page 585-24 ] मेनका (menakā) f. 1. Name of an apsaras; 2. name of the wife of Himālaya. [ ID=30904 ]
- 1. A celestial courtesan of Swarga. 2. The wife of Himalaya.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > मे (me) न (na) का (kā) (menakā) [Printed book page 578-b ] मे (me) न (na) का (kā) (menakā) f. ( - का (kā) (-kā) ) 1. One of the courtezans of Swarga. 2. Name of the wife of Himālaya. E. मे (me) to me, का (kā) any one, न (na) not, (equal or comparable.); or मि - न (na) क । (mi-naka.) [ ID=32150 ]
- 1. A heavenly courtesan. 2. The wife of Himalaya.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > मेनका (menakā) [Printed book page 0725-b ] मेनका (menakā) menakā, i. e. menā + ka, f. One of the courtesans of heaven, and wife to Himālaya, Śiś. 9, 86; Śāk. 14, 23 ( Prākṛ. ). [ ID=11559 ]

### An Apsaras (General) (4 definitions)
- A celestial courtesan  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > मेनका (menakā) [Printed book page 604-a ] मेनका (menakā) ( का ) ((kā)) 1. f. One of the courtezans of heaven, Menakā. [ ID=30528 ]
- the name of an Apsaras  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > मेनका (menakā) [Printed book page 420 ] मेनका (menakā) f. N. of an Apsaras etc. [ ID=25363 ]
- the Apsaras presiding over the month of Shukra and Shuci  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Menakā (II) — the Apsaras presiding over the month of Śukra and Śuci; coupled with Sahajanyā; 1 with the sun in the summer. 2 [ Footnote: 1) Bhā. XII. 11. 35; Br. II. 23. 6; III. 7. 14; IV. 33. 18; Vā. 69. 49; Vi. II. 10. 7.] [ Footnote: 2) Vā. 52. 7.] [ ID=11046 ]
- A celestial dancer who sat in the assembly of Hiranyakashipu alongside Urvashi and Rambha.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Menakā (III) — one, who was asked to dance along with Ūrvaśī and Rambhā; 1 in the sabhā of Hiraṇyakaśipu. 2 [ Footnote: 1) M. 24. 28.] [ Footnote: 2) Ib. 126. 7; 161. 75.] [ ID=11047 ]

### Mother of Śakuntalā (3 definitions)
- an apsaras who is the mother of Shakuntala  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > मेनका (menakā) [Printed book page 0879-a ] मेनका (menakā) 1 N. of an Apsaras (mother of Śakuntalā)
- Name of an Apsaras  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > मेनका (menakā) [Printed book page 235-3 ] मेनका (menakā) mena-kā, f. N. of an Apsaras ( mother of Śakuntalā ). [ ID=14491 ]
- the mother of Shakuntala  
  *The Purana Index*
  > मेनका (menakā) [Printed book page 2-735 ] Menakā (I) — the mother of Śakuntalā; she abandoned the child in the forest and went away. Bhā. IX. 20. 13. [ ID=11045 ]

### Wife of Himālaya / Mother of Pārvatī (2 definitions)
- the wife of Himalaya  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > मेनका (menakā) [Printed book page 0879-a ] मेनका (menakā) 2 N. of the wife of Himālaya
- See Menā.  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > मेनका (menakā) [Printed book page 2-179 ] Menakā. See 2. Menā. [ ID=2532 ]

### A Mind-Born Mother (1 definition)
- a mind-born mother  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Menakā (V) — a mind-born mother. M. 179. 20. [ ID=11049 ]

### Daughter of Vṛṣaṇ-aśva (1 definition)
- the daughter of Vrisha-ashva  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 833,1] मेनका (menakā) f. N. of the daughter of Vṛṣaṇ-aśva, ṢaḍvBr. [ ID=167962 ]

### Detailed Puranic Narratives (Apsaras) (1 definition)
- an Apsaras  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > मेनका (menakā) [Printed book page 478-1 ] Menakā, an Apsaras. § 21 (Pramadvarā): I, 8, 943, 944 ( Apsarāḥ ), 945 (do., with the Gandharva king Viśvāvasu the mother of Pramadvarā, whom she dropped near the hermitage of Sthūlakeśa).—§ 134 (Viśvāmitra): I, 71, 2915, 2916, 2918, (2921); 72, 2937, 2938, 2945 ( M. was sent by Indra to tempt Viśvāmitra; on her Viśvāmitra begot Śakuntalā).—§ 135 (Śakuntalop.): I, 74, 3055 (among the foremost Apsarases), 3056 ( Brahmayonivarā, mother of Śakuntalā), 3061, 3063 ( Apsarasāṃ śreṣṭhā ), 3065, 3067, 3070.—§ 191 (Arjuna): I, 123, 4820 (sung at the birth of Arjuna).—§ 269 (Vaiśravaṇasabhāv.): II, 10, 392 (in the palace of Kubera).—§ 336 (Indralokābhigamanap.): III, 43 α, 1784 (danced in the palace of Indra).—§ 565 (Gālavac.): V, 117, 3975 ( reme…M°āyāṃ yathorṇāyuḥ ).—§ 775 (Ānuśāsanik.): XIII, 166 β, 7641 (enumeration). [ ID=7298 ]

### Multiple Roles & Related Terms Summary (1 definition)
- 1. Name of the daughter of Vrishanashva. 2. Name of an Apsaras and wife of Himavat.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > मेनका (menakā) [Printed book page 0795-c ] Menakā, f., N. of the daughter of Vṛṣaṇ-aśva; of an Apsaras (wife of Hima-vat). —Menakātmajā (°kā-āt°), f. ‘daughter of Menakā,’ Pārvatī. —Me- nakā-prāṇeśa, as, m. ‘husband of Menakā,’ Hima- vat. —Menakā-hita, am, n., N. of a Rāsaka or kind of drama. [ ID=37969 ]

### Wife of Vindhyāśva / Mother of Divodāsa & Ahalyā (1 definition)
- the Apsaras wife of Vindhyashva  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Menakā (IV) — the Apsaras wife of Vindhyāśva (Badhyaśva Vā. P. ): gave birth to twins, Divodāsa and Ahalyā. M. 50. 7; Vā. 99. 200. [ ID=11048 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary; 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; 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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