# नाडी (nāḍī)

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

नाडी (nāḍī) is a Sanskrit word meaning any pipe or tube, a flute, the box of a wheel, a fistulous sore, the pulse, any hole or crevice. Its 18 recorded definitions are grouped into 9 contexts, among them Tube, Pipe, Stalk, or General Reference, Anatomical Vessel, Pulse, or Sore, Musical Instrument (Flute).

- **SLP1:** `nAqI`  **IAST:** nāḍī  **Devanagari:** नाडी
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadi_%28yoga%29
- **Declensions:** 72 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/nadi/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** नादि (nādi), नाडि (nāḍi), नदी (nadī), नदि (nadi)

## Meanings by context

### Tube, Pipe, Stalk, or General Reference (6 definitions)
- the tubular stalk of any plant or any tubular organ of the body, such as a vein or artery  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 534,2] नाड (nāḍa) ी (nāḍī) f. ( fr. नाड (nāḍa) nom. ° डीस् (°ḍīs), Ṛg-veda (Title) x, 135, 7 ) the tubular stalk of any plant or any tubular organ (as a vein or artery of the body) [ ID=105382 ]
- any pipe or tube  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > any pipe or tube, Ṛg-veda (Title) &c. &c. [ ID=105383 ]
- 1. A tube, including sunbeams regarded as hollow. 2. A slit or crack. 3. A tubular vessel in the body or a vein. 4. The pulse.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > नाडी (nāḍī) [Printed book page 138-3 ] नाडी (nāḍī) nāḍī́, f. ( V. nm. -s ), tube ( also of the rays of the sun, regarded as hollow and sucking up water ); slit, crack; tubular vessel in the body, vein; pulse. [ ID=10440 ]
- The same as nadi  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > नाडी (nāḍī) [Printed book page 374-02 ] नाडी (nāḍī) f. The same as नाडि (nāḍi) q.v. [ ID=19168 ]
- naḍa + a + ī  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > नाडी (nāḍī) [Printed book page 0464-b ] नाडी (nāḍī) nāḍī, i. e. naḍa + a + ī, also [ ID=7302 ]
- 1. Tube, pipe, or flute. 2. Cranny or fissure. 3. Vein or pulse. 4. Wheel-box.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > नाडी (nāḍī) [Printed book page 265 ] नाडी (nāḍī) f. tube, pipe, flute; cranny, fissure; vein, pulse, etc. ( v. नाडि (nāḍi) ); wheel-box. [ ID=16102 ]

### Anatomical Vessel, Pulse, or Sore (3 definitions)
- a fistulous sore  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a fistulous sore, Suśruta (Title) [ ID=105386 ]
- the pulse  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the pulse, Horace H. Wilson, author of first Sanskrit-English dictionary in 1819 (Author) [ ID=105387 ]
- A vein or artery in the human body  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > नाडी (nāḍī) [Printed book page 1-441 ] 1. Nāḍī denotes a ‘vein’ or ‘artery’ in the human body in the Atharvaveda 1 and later, 2 a natural extension of the literal sense of ‘reed.’ [ Footnote: 1) vi. 138, 4; x. 7, 15. 16.] [ Footnote: 2) Kāṭhaka Saṃhitā, xii. 10; Śata- patha Brāhmaṇa, x. 4, 5, 2; Bṛhad- āraṇyaka Upaniṣad, ii. 1, 21; iv. 2, 3, etc.; Chāndogya Upaniṣad, viii. 6, 1; Kauṣītaki Upaniṣad, iv. 19.] [ ID=1536 ]

### Musical Instrument (Flute) (2 definitions)
- a flute  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a flute, Ṛg-veda (Title); Kāṭhaka (Literary category) [ ID=105384 ]
- a reed flute  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > 2. Nāḍī means a musical instrument, a ‘reed flute,’ in the Rigveda 1 as well as the Kāṭhaka Saṃhitā, 2 where in one passage it is mentioned along with the Tūṇava. 3 [ Footnote: 1) x. 135, 7.] [ Footnote: 2) xxiii. 4; xxxiv. 5.] [ Footnote: 3) xxxiv. 5. Cf. Hopkins, Journal of the American Oriental Society, 13, 329.] [ ID=1537 ]

### Wheel Component (Box/Hub) (2 definitions)
- the box of a wheel  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the box of a wheel, Taittirīya-saṃhitā (Title); Kāṭhaka (Literary category) [ ID=105385 ]
- the box of the chariot wheel  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > 3. Nāḍī in the Yajurveda Saṃhitās 1 seems to mean the box of the chariot wheel. [ Footnote: 1) Taittirīya Saṃhitā, iii. 4, 8, 3; Kāṭhaka Saṃhitā, xxxvii. 12.] [ ID=1538 ]

### A Type of Bent Grass (1 definition)
- a sort of bent grass  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a sort of bent grass (= गण्ड - दूर्वा (gaṇḍa-dūrvā) ), Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=105389 ]

### Hole, Crevice, or Fissure (1 definition)
- any hole or crevice  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > any hole or crevice, Kathāsaritsāgara (Title) [ ID=105388 ]

### Juggling Trick or Deception (1 definition)
- a juggling trick or deception  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a juggling trick, deception, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=105392 ]

### Leather Strap or Thong (1 definition)
- a leather strap or thong  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a strap of leather, thong, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=105390 ]

### Measure of Time (1 definition)
- a measure of time equal to half a Muhurta  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a measure of time = 1/2 Muhūrta, Varāha-mihira [Cologne Addition] (Author) [ ID=105391 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects; Vaidya 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
