# पिङ्गला (piṅgalā)

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

पिङ्गला (piṅgalā) is a Sanskrit word meaning reddish-brown, tawny, yellow, or gold-colored, the tenth unknown quantity in algebra, having reddish-brown eyes, yellow colour, fire, an ape. Its 42 recorded definitions are grouped into 8 contexts, among them Names of deities, mythological figures, sages, or authors, Specialized technical, astrological, anatomical, or ethnographic terms, Various other animals (lizard, ichneumon, ape, snake, elephant).

- **SLP1:** `piNgalA`  **IAST:** piṅgalā  **Devanagari:** पिङ्गला
- **Declensions:** 24 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/pingala/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Names of deities, mythological figures, sages, or authors (12 definitions)
- an epithet of Shiva  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of Śiva or a kindred being, Gṛhya-sūtra (Literary category); Gautama-dharma-śāstra (Title) &c. [ ID=123618 ]
- an attendant of Shiva  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > [Printed book page 625,1] of an attendant of Śiva, Kathāsaritsāgara (Title) [ ID=123619 ]
- an attendant of the Sun  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of an attendant of the Sun, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=123620 ]
- of a Rudra  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a Rudra, Viṣṇu-purāṇa (Title) [ ID=123621 ]
- of a Yaksha  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a Yakṣa, Mahābhārata (Title) [ ID=123622 ]
- name of a Danava  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a Dānava, Kathāsaritsāgara (Title) [ ID=123623 ]
- a serpent demon, identified with the author of the treatise on metre and with Patanjali  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a Nāga or serpent-demon, Mahābhārata (Title) i, 1554 (the supposed author of the Chandas or treatise on metre regarded as one of the Vedāṅgas, identified by some with Patañjali, author of the Mahā-bhāṣya) [ ID=123624 ]
- several ancient sages  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of sev. ancient sages, Mahābhārata (Title); Rāmāyaṇa (Title) &c. [ ID=123625 ]
- an epithet of Lakshmi  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of Lakṣmī, Demetrius Galanos’s Lexiko: sanskritikes, anglikes, hellenikes (Title) [ ID=123634 ]
- a shakti of Shri Marutesvara  
  *The Purana Index*
  > [Printed book page 2-326 ] Piṅgalā (III) — a śakti of Śri Mārutesvara. Br. IV. 33. 70. [ ID=7867 ]
- a mind-born mother  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Piṅgalā (IV) — a mind-born mother. M. 179. 23. [ ID=7868 ]
- 1. Mother of Mahapadma and Urmimali. 2. Wife of the moon.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Piṅgalā (V) — gave birth to Mahāpadma and Ūrmi- māli; husband, candra or moon; these families were fond of elephant fighting; some of them were used in the war between the Devas and Asuras. Vā. 69. 229 and 231. [ ID=7869 ]

### Specialized technical, astrological, anatomical, or ethnographic terms (6 definitions)
- the tenth unknown quantity in algebra  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (in alg. also as N. of the 10th unknown quantity) [ ID=123606 ]
- Name of a treasure in Jainism  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (with Jainas) N. of a treasure [ ID=123616 ]
- the fifty-first year in the sixty-year cycle of Jupiter  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the 51st (or 25th) year in a 60 years' cycle of Jupiter, Varāha-mihira [Cologne Addition] (Author) [ ID=123617 ]
- The name of a people  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > पिङ्गल (piṅgala) m. pl. N. of a people, Mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇa (Title) [ ID=123626 ]
- a particular vessel of the body, being one of the chief passages of breath and air in yoga philosophy  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a partic. vessel of the body (the right of 3 tubular vessels which according to the Yoga philosophy are the chief passages of breath and air; cf. Chāndogya-upaniṣad (Title) viii, 6, 1 ) [ ID=123632 ]
- of an astrological house or period  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of an astrological house or period, Horace H. Wilson, author of first Sanskrit-English dictionary in 1819 (Author) [ ID=123637 ]

### Various other animals (lizard, ichneumon, ape, snake, elephant) (6 definitions)
- an ape  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > an ape, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=123610 ]
- an ichneumon  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > an ichneumon, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=123611 ]
- a small kind of lizard  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a small kind of lizard, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=123613 ]
- a species of snake  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a species of snake, Suśruta (Title) [ ID=123614 ]
- of the female elephant of the South quarter  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of the female elephant of the South quarter, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=123636 ]
- an elephant  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Piṅgalā (II) — an elephant (nāga). Br. III. 7. 346. [ ID=7866 ]

### Minerals, metals, pigments, or fire (5 definitions)
- fire  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > fire, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=123609 ]
- a kind of brass  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a kind of brass, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=123631 ]
- a kind of yellow pigment  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a kind of yellow pigment (= गो - रोचना (go-rocanā) ), Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=123633 ]
- a particular metal  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2B) [Printed book page 625,1] पिङ्गल (piṅgala) n. a partic. metal, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=123639 ]
- yellow orpiment  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > yellow orpiment, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=123640 ]

### Plants, plant parts, or plant-derived products (4 definitions)
- a particular vegetable poison  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a partic. vegetable poison, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=123615 ]
- Dalbergia Sissoo  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > Dalbergia Sissoo, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=123629 ]
- 1. The pericarp of a lotus. 2. The ear-ornament. 3. The filament of a flower.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > = कर्णिका (karṇikā), Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=123630 ]
- heart-pea  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > heart-pea, Horace H. Wilson, author of first Sanskrit-English dictionary in 1819 (Author) [ ID=123638 ]

### The color reddish-brown, tawny, or yellow (3 definitions)
- reddish-brown, tawny, yellow, or gold-colored  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 624,3] पिङ्गल (piṅgala) mf( आ (ā) and ई (ī) )n. ( cf. g. गौरा (gaurā) दि (di) and कडारा (kaḍārā) दि (di) ), reddish-brown, tawny, yellow, gold-coloured, Atharva-veda (Title) &c. &c., [ ID=123605 ]
- having reddish-brown eyes  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > having r° - b° eyes, Kātyāyana-śrauta-sūtra (Title), Sch. [ ID=123607 ]
- yellow colour  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > पिङ्गल (piṅgala) m. yellow colour, Horace H. Wilson, author of first Sanskrit-English dictionary in 1819 (Author) [ ID=123608 ]

### The specific individual Piṅgalā, a courtezan/prostitute (3 definitions)
- a courtezan remarkable for her piety  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a courtezan who became remarkable for her piety, Mahābhārata (Title) [ ID=123635 ]
- a courtesan  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > पिङ्गला (piṅgalā) [Printed book page 551-1 ] Piṅgalā, a courtesan. § 659 (Mokṣadh.): XII, 174, 6513 ( °āyā gītā gāthāḥ ), 6514 ( veśyā ), (6516), 6520 (some gāthās sung by P. are quoted); 178, 6646, 6647 (all. to ch. 174 ). [ ID=8361 ]
- An aged prostitute of Videha city who turned to spiritual life after growing disgusted with worldly pursuits.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > पिङ्गला (piṅgalā) [Printed book page 2-325 ] Piṅgalā (I) — an aged prostitute of the Videha city; her story as narrated by Avadhūta to Yadu is as follows; she spent her life as a public woman living by earning money every day from one paramour or other; one night she did not get a paramour though she waited to the middle of the night; she then grew disgusted with her life and turned her thought on Hari which resulted in her restful sleep; 1 her view of life cited by the Gopis to Uddhava. 2 [ Footnote: 1) Bhā. XI. 8. 22-44.] [ Footnote: 2) Ib. X. 47. 47.] [ ID=7865 ]

### Types of birds (owls, general bird species) (3 definitions)
- a small kind of owl  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a small kind of owl, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=123612 ]
- a species of bird  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2B) [Printed book page 625,1] पिङ्गला (piṅgalā) ( आ (ā) ), f. a species of bird, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=123627 ]
- a kind of owl  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a kind of owl, Varāha-mihira [Cologne Addition] (Author) [ ID=123628 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); The Purana Index.
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