प्रधानpradhāna

प्रधान (pradhāna) is a Sanskrit word meaning the most important part or chief thing, the principal, first, chief, or head, having as the chief object or essential part, the original source of the visible universe, primary or unevolved matter or nature, supreme or universal soul. Its 41 recorded definitions are grouped into 9 contexts, among them Chief, Principal, Main, Primordial Matter/Source (Sāṃkhya/Cosmology), Minister, Chief Official, Noble.

Root: 1. धा (1. dhā)
Etymology: E. प्र before धा to have, aff. ल्युट्
Definitions: 41

View Declension Tables , 48 forms

Meanings by context

Chief, Principal, Main

14 definitions

the most important part or chief thing

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

the principal, first, chief, or head

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

having as the chief object or essential part

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

chief, main, principal, most important

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

Chief, principal, or most excellent

— Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

principally inherent, prevalent, or predominant

— Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. The most important thing or primary object. 2. A chief or leader.

— Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. Most distinguished. 2. Receiving the chief share.

— Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. The chief thing, object, or person. 2. The essential or best part. 3. Chaos or unevolved nature. 4. The supreme or universal soul. 5. Most excellent, principal, or pre-eminent.

— Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. Chief, principal, or most excellent. 2. Prevalent or predominant.

— Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. The chief or head. 2. The primary germ from which the material world evolves in philosophy. 3. The supreme spirit. 4. Intellect.

— Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. The chief thing, head, or principal person. 2. Original matter or supreme spirit. 3. Chief, main, or best.

— Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

the chief thing

— Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary

1. Chief, main, principal, or pre-eminent. 2. A chief thing, principal object, or the most important thing. 3. Original matter out of which the material world is evolved, or nature as opposed to spirit. 4. The Supreme Spirit or Supreme Deity. 5. Intellect or understanding. 6. A king's minister, courtier, or noble.

प्रधान (pradhāna) [Printed book page 0631-c]
Pra-dhāna, as, ā, am, chief, main, principal,

capital (city); pre-eminent, most eminent, most ex-

cellent, best; prevalent, predominant, preponderant,

principally or pre-eminently inherent; (am), n. a chief

or principal thing, chief object, the most important

thing, the head, chief, (often at the end of a comp.,

e. g. Indra-pradhāna, having Indra as the chief

object; cf. dharma-p°, vinaya-p°, yathā-pradhā-

nam); (in Sāṅkhya phil.) = Prakṛti, ‘the Ori-

ginant,’ primary or original matter or rather the

primary germ out of which all material appearances

are evolved, the first evolver or source of the material

world (hence in a general acceptation ‘nature’ or

rather ‘matter’ as opposed to puruṣa or ‘spirit’);

the Supreme Spirit, the Supreme Deity; intellect, un-

derstanding; (in grammar) the principal member of a

compound (opposed to the upa-sarjana or secondary

member by which the primary member is qualified);

(as, am), m. n. the first companion or attendant of

a king, his minister or counsellor, his eunuch or con-

fidant; a courtier, a noble; an elephant-driver; (as),

m., N. of an ancient king. —Pradhāna-karman,

a, n. or pradhāna-kārya, am, n. chief or principal

action; the principal mode of treatment (in medi-

cine). —Pradhāna-tama, as, ā, am, the most

excellent or distinguished, most important, chiefest.

—Pradhāna-tara, as, ā, am, more excellent,

better. —Pradhāna-tas, ind. according to eminence

or superiority. —Pradhāna-tā, f. pre-eminence,

excellence, superiority, supremacy, prevalence; the

being Pra-dhāna, q. v., (in Mahā-bh. Vana-p. 173

= jagat-kāraṇatā; cf. śarīra-p°.) —Pradhāna-

tva, am, n. pre-eminence, superiority, excellence;

(in Sāṅkhya phil.) the being Pra-dhāna, q. v.

—Pradhāna-dhātu, us, m. the chief element or

ingredient of the body, semen virile. —Pradhāna-

puruṣa, as, m. a chief person, most distinguished

personage; an epithet of Śiva. —Pradhāna-puru-

ṣātīta (°ṣa-at°), as, m. transcending Pradhāna

and Puruṣa (matter and spirit); an epithet of Śiva.

—Pradhāna-bhāj, k, k, k, receiving the chief share,

presiding over; the most excellent or distinguished.

—Pradhāna-mantrin, ī, m. a prime minister.

—Pradhāna-mitra, am, n. a chief friend. —Pra-

dhāna-vāsas, asī, n. du. two principal garments, best

clothes. —Pradhāna-vṛṣṭi, is, f. very copious rain,

heaviest rain. —Pradhāna-śiṣṭa, as, ā, am, taught

or laid down as of primary importance; [cf. anvā-

caya-śiṣṭa.] —Pradhāna-sevā, f. chief or prin-

cipal service. —Pradhānāṅga (°na-aṅ°), am, n. a

chief member, the chief member of the body; most

eminent person in a state; principal branch of a

science, &c. —Pradhānātman (°na-āt°), ā, m. the

highest personal principle, the chief soul, an epithet

of Viṣṇu; one with crude nature or Viśva-bhāvana.

—Pradhānādhyakṣa (°na-adh°), as, m. a chief

superintendent. —Pradhānādhyakṣa-tā (°na-

adh°), f. the office of chief superintendent. —Pra-

dhānāmātya (°na-am°), as, m. a prime minister.

—Pradhānottama (°na-ut°), as, ā, am, best of

the eminent, eminent, illustrious; warlike, brave. [ID=32103]

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)

Primordial Matter/Source (Sāṃkhya/Cosmology)

9 definitions

the original source of the visible universe

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

primary or unevolved matter or nature

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

the primary source of the material world

— Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. Nature or the cause of the material world. 2. The Supreme God. 3. Intellect or understanding. 4. Chief or principal. 5. A minister, courtier, or noble. 6. An elephant-driver.

— Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. Nature, God, intellect, or being chief. 2. A king's companion or an elephant-driver.

— Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. Nature, the natural state of anything, or the cause of the material world. 2. The supreme god. 3. Intellect or understanding. 4. Chief or principal. 5. A minister, courtier, noble, or confidant of a king. 6. An elephant-driver. 7. Prevalent or predominant.

— Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. Nature. 2. The Supreme God. 3. Intellect. 4. Chief, principal, or excellent. 5. A king's first companion, minister, or confidant.

— Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary

prakriti

— Index to the Names in the Mahabharata

an Ananta and Avyayatma

— The Purana Index

Minister, Chief Official, Noble

5 definitions

A courtier, noble, or king's companion.

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

The principal attendant or companion of a king

— Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

A noble or courtier.

— Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

The commander-in-chief

— Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. A king's chief attendant, minister, or confidant. 2. A courtier. 3. An elephant-driver.

— Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Supreme Being/Soul/Deity

3 definitions

supreme or universal soul

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

the name of a Shakti

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

The Supreme Spirit

— Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Elephant Driver

2 definitions

an elephant-driver

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

An elephant-driver

— Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Grammatical Principal Member

2 definitions

in grammar, the principal member of a compound

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

The principal member of a compound

— Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Intellect, Understanding

2 definitions

intellect and understanding

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

Intellect

— Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Proper Name (King/Rājarṣi)

2 definitions

An ancient king

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

a royal sage

— Index to the Names in the Mahabharata

Superior, Better Than

2 definitions

pre-eminent

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

superior to

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

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Definitions on this page come from 13 works: Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Index to the Names in the Mahabharata, Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary, 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.