# पर्जन्य (parjanya)

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

पर्जन्य (parjanya) is a Sanskrit word meaning a rain-cloud, rain personified or the god of rain, name of one of the twelve Adityas, a Deva gandharva or Gandharva, name of a Rishi in several Manvantaras, a Prajapati and father of Hiranyaroma. Its 27 recorded definitions are grouped into 8 contexts, among them Named Mythological Figures, Rain, Cloud, & Rain God (Core), Botanical Name.

- **Root:** पृच् (pṛc)
- **SLP1:** `parjanya`  **IAST:** parjanya  **Devanagari:** पर्जन्य
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parjanya
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/parjanya/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** पार्जन्या (pārjanyā), पार्जन्य (pārjanya), पर्जन्या (parjanyā)

## Meanings by context

### Named Mythological Figures (12 definitions)
- Name of one of the twelve Adityas  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of one of the 12 Ādityas, Harivaṃśa (Title) [ ID=119454 ]
- a Deva gandharva or Gandharva  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a Deva-gandharva or Gandharva, Mahābhārata (Title); Harivaṃśa (Title) [ ID=119455 ]
- name of a Rishi in several Manvantaras  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a Ṛṣi in several Manv-antaras, Harivaṃśa (Title); Mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇa (Title) [ ID=119456 ]
- a Prajapati and father of Hiranyaroma  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a Prajā-pati (father of Hiraṇya-roman), Viṣṇu-purāṇa (Title) [ ID=119457 ]
- a Devagandharva  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > पर्जन्य (parjanya) [Printed book page 540-2 ] Parjanya 2, a Devagandharva. § 101 (Aṃśāvat.): I, 65, 2552 (the fourteenth son of Muni).—§ 191 (Arjuna): I, 123 α, 4812 ( caturdaśaḥ, among the Devagandharvas present at the birth of Arjuna). [ ID=8169 ]
- Vishnu  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > Parjanya 3 = Viṣṇu (1000 names). [ ID=8170 ]
- a Mauneya Gandharva  
  *The Purana Index*
  > पर्जन्य (parjanya) [Printed book page 2-295 ] Parjanya — a Mauneya Gandharva. Br. III. 7. 3. [ ID=7623 ]
- 1. An Aditya and Lokapala. 2. The sun in the month of Phalguna. 3. The father of Hiranyaroma.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Parjanya (II) — An Āditya and Lokapāla; the name of the sun in the month of Tapasya (Phālguna): father of Hiraṇyaroma. Bhā. XII. 11. 40; Br. II. 21. 157; 23. 12; 30. 40; III. 3. 68; 8. 20; Vā. 50. 206; 66. 66; Vi. II. 10. 12. [ ID=7648 ]
- 1. A sage of the Raivata epoch. 2. One who attained heaven through austerity.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > [Printed book page 2-300 ] Parjanya (IV) — a Parivaha and sage of the Raivata epoch; 1 attained heaven by tapas. 2 [ Footnote: 1) Br. II. 36. 62; M. 9. 19; Vi. III. 1. 22.] [ Footnote: 2) M. 143. 39.] [ ID=7650 ]
- 1. A son of Agni and Samhuti. 2. A husband of Manu and father of Hiranyaroma.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Parjanya (IV) — a son of Agni and Samhūti; 1 his wife Mānu and son Hiraṇyaroma. 2 [ Footnote: 1) Vā. 28. 16.] [ Footnote: 2) Br. II. 11. 19.] [ ID=7652 ]
- a royal sage  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Parjanya (VIII) — a Rājaṛṣi. Vā. 57. 122. [ ID=7654 ]
- a Mauneya  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Parjanya (IX) — a Mauneya. Vā. 69. 3. [ ID=7655 ]

### Rain, Cloud, & Rain God (Core) (5 definitions)
- 1. Rain-cloud. 2. Rain. 3. The god of rain.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > पर्जन्य (parjanya) [Printed book page 157-1 ] पर्जन्य (parjanya) parj-ánya, m. rain-cloud; rain; god of rain: -jinvita pp. animated by Parjanya. [ ID=11306 ]
- 1. Rain. 2. A rain cloud. 3. An epithet of Indra.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > पर्जन्य (parjanya) [Printed book page 422-23 ] पर्जन्य (parjanya) m. 1. Rain; 2. a thundering cloud, a cloud, प्रवृद्ध इव पर्जन्य (parjanya) ः सारंगैरभिनंदितः (pravṛddha iva parjanyaḥ sāraṃgairabhinaṃditaḥ) R. xvii.15; 3. an epithet of Indra. [ ID=21585 ]
- 1. A rain-threatening cloud. 2. Rain. 3. The deity of rain.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > पर्जन्य (parjanya) [Printed book page 0531-a ] पर्जन्य (parjanya) parjanya (and incorrectly पर्यन्य (paryanya) paryanya ), probably sphurj, for old sparj, + ana + ya, m. 1. A rain- threatening cloud, Ragh. 17, 15. 2. Rain, Bhag. 3, 14. 3. The deity of rain. [ ID=8455 ]
- rain-cloud or rain, personified as the rain-god  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > पर्जन्य (parjanya) [Printed book page 305 ] पर्जन्य (parjanya) m. rain-cloud or rain, personif. as the rain-god. [ ID=18479 ]
- 1. A rain-cloud or thunder-cloud. 2. Rain or the muttering of distant thunder. 3. The rain-god or Indra. 4. Name of an Aditya, a Deva-gandharva, a Rishi, and a Prajapati.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > पर्जन्य (parjanya) [Printed book page 0553-a ] पर्जन्य (parjanya) parjanya, as, m. (perhaps fr. sphurj for original sparj; but said to be fr. rt. pṛṣ; sometimes wrongly written paryanya ), a rain-cloud, thunder-cloud, cloud; the muttering of clouds or distant thunder; rain; Rain personified; the rain- god, thunderer and fertilizer, i. e. Indra; N. of one of the twelve Ādityas; of a Deva-gandharva; of one of the seven Ṛṣis in several Manv-antaras; of a Prajā-pati and father of Hiraṇya-roman; ( ā ), f. = parjanī, col. 2. —Parjanya-krandya, as, ā, am, Ved. muttering like a rain-cloud or like Parjanya. —Parjanya-jinvita, as, ā, am, Ved. animated by Page0553-b+ 80 Parjanya; (Sāy.) = Parjanyena prīta, agreeable to Parjanya. —Parjanya-nātha, as, ā, am, Ved. having Parjanya as protector or patron. —Parjanya-patnī, f., Ved. having Parjanya for a husband, wedded to Parjanya (said of the earth). —Parjanya-retas, ās, ās, as, Ved. generated or growing in the showers or in the rainy season, (said of a reed or arrow; Sāy. = parjanyo reto yasyāḥ. ) —Parjanya-vṛddha, as, ā, am, Ved. nourished by Parjanya (as the Soma). —Parjanya-sūkta, am, n., N. of a hymn contained in the Mantra-saṃhitā. [ ID=28303 ]

### Botanical Name (2 definitions)
- Curcuma aromatica or xanthorrhiza  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1B) [Printed book page 606,2] पर्जन्या (parjanyā) f. Curcuma Aromatica or Xanthorrhiza, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=119458 ]
- Curcuma aromatica or Xanthorrhiza  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > पर्जनी (parjanī) f. Curcuma Aromatica or Xanthorrhiza, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=119458.1 ]

### Cloud / Rain-cloud (2 definitions)
- a rain-cloud  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 606,1] पर्जन्य (parjanya) m. (√ पृच् (pṛc), or पृज् (pṛj) ?) a rain-cloud, cloud, Ṛg-veda (Title) &c. &c. [ ID=119451 ]
- 1. A rain cloud that provides dew for crop growth. 2. An overlord of seas, rivers, clouds, and rain. 3. A carrier of the heavenly Ganga.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Parjanya (III) — one of the important clouds raining dew for the growth of corns; 1 overlords of seas, rivers, clouds, rains besides Āditya; 2 they are under the control of wind, Parivaha; they also carry the heavenly Gangā. 3 Page2-300+ 27 [ Footnote: 1) Br. II. 22. 49.] [ Footnote: 2) Ib. III. 8. 14; Vā. 70. 13.] [ Footnote: 3) Ib. 51. 43-6.] [ ID=7649 ]

### Other Divine Roles/Identities (2 definitions)
- same as Hiranyaroma  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Parjanya (V) — same as Hiraṇyaroma. M. 124. 95. [ ID=7651 ]
- a deity with the sun in the sharat season  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Parjanya (VII) — a deity with the sun in the śarat season. Vā. 52. 12. [ ID=7653 ]

### Rain God / Deity (2 definitions)
- rain personified or the god of rain  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > rain personified or the god of rain (often identified with Indra), Ṛg-veda (Title) &c. &c. [ ID=119453 ]
- 1. A name of Indra. 2. The god of rain or rain itself.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > [Printed book page 2-299 ] Parjanya(m) (I) — a name of Indra: God of rain (or simply rain); created by Vāmadeva; 1 to be worshipped in house building. 2 [ Footnote: 1) Bhā. I. 10. 4; II. 6. 7; IV. 14. 26. VI. 14. 35; X. 20. 5; XII. 4. 7; M. 4. 29.] [ Footnote: 2) Ib. 253. 24.] [ ID=7647 ]

### Etymology (1 definition)
- 1. Rain cloud. 2. The god of rain.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1E) [Printed book page 606,2] पर्जन्य (parjanya) [ cf. Goth. fairguni; Icel. fiörgyn; Lith. perkúnas.] [ ID=119458.55 ]

### Rain (1 definition)
- rain  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > [Printed book page 606,2] rain, Bhagavad-gītā (Title) iii, 14 [ ID=119452 ]

## 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); The Purana Index; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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