# प्रहस्त (prahasta)

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

प्रहस्त (prahasta) is a Sanskrit word meaning long-handed, the open hand with the fingers extended, the name of a Rakshasa, a companion of Surya-prabha, having long hands, the outstretched hand. Its 14 recorded definitions are grouped into 5 contexts, among them Multiple meanings/roles of Prahasta, The open/outstretched hand, Prahasta, a Rākṣasa (Rāvaṇa's associate).

- **Etymology:** E. प्र exchanging, हस्त the hand — E. pra exchanging, hasta the hand
- **SLP1:** `prahasta`  **IAST:** prahasta  **Devanagari:** प्रहस्त
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prahasta
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/prahasta/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Multiple meanings/roles of Prahasta (4 definitions)
- 1. The open hand with extended fingers. 2. Name of one of the generals of Ravana.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > प्रहस्त (prahasta) [Printed book page 485-03 ] प्रहस्त (prahasta) m. 1. The open hand with the fingers extended; 2. name of one of the generals of Rāvaṇa. [ ID=25138 ]
- 1. The open hand with fingers extended. 2. Name of one of the generals of Ravana.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > प्र (pra) हस्त (hasta) (prahasta) [Printed book page 500-b ] प्र (pra) हस्त (hasta) (prahasta) m. ( - स्तः (-staḥ) ) 1. The oped hand with the fingers extended. 2. Name of one of the generals of Rāvana. E. प्र (pra) exchanging, हस्त (hasta) the hand. [ ID=27673 ]
- 1. Long-handed. 2. The name of a Rakshasa.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > 2 प्रहस्त (prahasta) a. long handed; m. N. of a Rakṣas etc. [ ID=21137 ]
- 1. Having long hands. 2. The open hand with the fingers extended. 3. Name of a Rakshasa.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > प्रहस्त (prahasta) [Printed book page 0651-b ] प्रहस्त (prahasta) pra-hasta, as, ā, am, having long hands; ( as ), m. the open hand with the fingers extended; N. of a Rākṣasa; of a companion of Sūrya-prabha (see Kathā-sarit-s. XLIV. 25). [ ID=33366 ]

### The open/outstretched hand (4 definitions)
- the open hand with the fingers extended  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > प्र - हस्त (pra-hasta) m. ( n., Pāṇini (Author) vi, 2, 183, Sch. ) the open hand with the fingers extended, Kātyāyana-śrauta-sūtra (Title), Sch. [ ID=138565 ]
- the open hand with the fingers extended  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > प्र (pra) हस्त (hasta) (prahasta) [Printed book page 584 ] प्र (pra) हस्त (hasta) (prahasta) m. ( - स्तः (-staḥ) ) The open hand with the fingers extended. E. प्र (pra) exchanging, हस्त (hasta) the hand. [ ID=26901 ]
- The open hand with the fingers extended  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > प्रहस्त (prahasta) [Printed book page 523-a ] प्र - हस्त (pra-hasta) ( स्तः ) ((staḥ)) 1. m. The open hand with the fingers extended. [ ID=26398 ]
- the outstretched hand  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > प्रहस्त (prahasta) [Printed book page 349 ] 1 प्रहस्त (prahasta) m. the outstretched hand. [ ID=21136 ]

### Prahasta, a Rākṣasa (Rāvaṇa's associate) (3 definitions)
- the name of a Rakshasa  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of a Rākṣasa, Mahābhārata (Title); Rāmāyaṇa (Title) [ ID=138566 ]
- a Rakshasa  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > प्रहस्त (prahasta) [Printed book page 555-2 ] Prahasta, a Rākṣasa. § 537 (Rāma-Rāvaṇayuddha): III, 285 β, 16377 (fought with Vibhīṣaṇa).—§ 538 (Kumbha- karṇaraṇag.): III, 286, 16379, 16383 (slain by Vibhīṣaṇa), 16396 ( ṇihataṃ ), 16403 ( °ādiḥ…svajano hataḥ ).—§ 540 (Indrajidvadha): III, 288, 16438 (sc. hataṃ ), 16443. Cf. Rākṣasa. [ ID=8486 ]
- a demon killed in the Lanka war  
  *The Purana Index*
  > प्रहस्त (prahasta) [Printed book page 2-433 ] Prahasta (I) — a Rākṣasa who was killed in the Lankā war. Bhā. IX. 10. 18. [ ID=8699 ]

### Other individuals named Prahasta (2 definitions)
- a companion of Surya-prabha  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a companion of Sūrya-prabha (son of Candra-prabha, king of Śākala; he had been an Asura before), Kathāsaritsāgara (Title) [ ID=138567 ]
- a son of Pushpotkata and Vishravas  
  *The Purana Index*
  > [Printed book page 2-434 ] Prahasta (II) — a son of Puṣpotkaṭa and Viśravas. Br. III. 8. 55; Vā. 70. 49. [ ID=8700 ]

### Long-handed (adjective) (1 definition)
- long-handed  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 700,3] प्र - हस्त (pra-hasta) mfn. long-handed, Inscriptions [Cologne Addition] (Title) [ ID=138564 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; 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, University of Cologne.

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