# प्रज्ञा (prajñā)

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

प्रज्ञा (prajñā) is a Sanskrit word meaning to find out, discover, perceive, or learn, wise, prudent, knowing, conversant with, wisdom, intelligence, discrimination, or judgment, device, design, a clever or sensible woman. Its 23 recorded definitions are grouped into 8 contexts, among them Wisdom, Intelligence, Understanding (Noun), Wise, Knowing, Intelligent (Adjective/Adjectival), A Wise or Learned Woman.

- **Root:** ज्ञा (jñā)
- **SLP1:** `prajYA`  **IAST:** prajñā  **Devanagari:** प्रज्ञा
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praj%C3%B1%C4%81_%28Buddhism%29
- **Declensions:** 24 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/prajna/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** प्राज्ञ (prājña), प्रज्ञ (prajña), प्राज्ञा (prājñā)

## Meanings by context

### Wisdom, Intelligence, Understanding (Noun) (8 definitions)
- See column 2  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2B) [Printed book page 659,1] प्र - ज्ञा (pra-jñā) b f. See col. 2 [ ID=130977 ]
- wisdom, intelligence, discrimination, or judgment  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 659,2] प्र - ज्ञा (pra-jñā) c f. wisdom, intelligence, knowledge, discrimination, judgement, Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa (Title) &c. &c. [ ID=131010 ]
- true or transcendental wisdom  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (with, Buddhist literature (Literary category) ) true or transcendental wisdom (which is three fold, Dharmasaṃgraha (Title) 110 ), Monier-Williams’ Buddhism in its connexion with Brāhmaṇism and Hindūism: and in its contrast with Christianity (Title) 126; 128 [ ID=131015 ]
- Intelligence, understanding, intellect, or wisdom  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > प्रज्ञा (prajñā) 1 Intelligence, understanding, intellect, wisdom; आकारसदृशप्रज्ञः प्रज्ञया सदृशागमः (ākārasadṛśaprajñaḥ prajñayā sadṛśāgamaḥ) Raghuvaṃśa (Bombay) 1. 15; शस्त्रं (śastraṃ) निहंति पुरुषस्य शरीरमेकं प्रज्ञा (prajñā) कुलं च (nihaṃti puruṣasya śarīramekaṃ prajñā kulaṃ ca) विभवं च यशश्च हंति ॥ (vibhavaṃ ca yaśaśca haṃti..) Subhāṣ
- Discernment, discrimination, judgment  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > प्रज्ञा (prajñā) 2 Discernment, discrimination, judgment
- Information, discrimination, judgment, intelligence, understanding, wisdom, knowledge, purpose, and resolve.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > प्रज्ञा (prajñā) [Printed book page 172-1 ] प्रज्ञा (prajñā) pra-jñā, f. information; discrimination, judgment, intelligence, understanding; wisdom, knowledge; purpose, resolve: -gupta, pp. protected by wisdom; -cakṣus, n. eye of understanding; a. seeing with the eye of understanding; having understanding in place of eyes, blind; -āḍhya, m. (rich in wisdom), N.. [ ID=12064 ]
- 1. Understanding, intelligence, or wisdom. 2. Discrimination or judgment. 3. Power of device or design. 4. A wise and learned woman.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > [Printed book page 460-10 ] प्रज्ञा (prajñā) f. 1. Understanding, intelligence, wisdom, आकारसदृशप्रज्ञः प्रज्ञया सदृशागमः (ākārasadṛśaprajñaḥ prajñayā sadṛśāgamaḥ) R. i.15, M. iv.41; 2. discrimination, judgment; 3. power of device or design; 4. a wise and learned woman. [ ID=23859 ]
- understanding  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > प्रज्ञा (prajñā) [Printed book page 194-b ] prajñā́, f. understanding. [ √jñā + pra. ] [ ID=2706 ]

### Wise, Knowing, Intelligent (Adjective/Adjectival) (3 definitions)
- wise, prudent  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 659,1] 2. प्र - ज्ञ (pra-jña) mf( आ (ā) )n. (for 1. See above) wise, prudent, Māṇḍūkya-upaniṣad, 12 Mantras (Title) [ ID=130975 ]
- knowing, conversant with  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > ( ifc. ) knowing, conversant with ( cf. निकृति - (nikṛti-), पथि - (pathi-) ) [ ID=130976 ]
- Wise, intelligent, learned  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > प्रज्ञ (prajña) ा (prajñā) [Printed book page 460-08 ] प्रज्ञ (prajña) a. (f. ज्ञा (jñā) ) Wise, intelligent, learned. [ ID=23857.1 ]

### A Wise or Learned Woman (2 definitions)
- a clever or sensible woman  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a clever or sensible woman, Horace H. Wilson, author of first Sanskrit-English dictionary in 1819 (Author) [ ID=131012 ]
- A wise or learned woman.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > प्रज्ञा (prajñā) 4 A wise or learned woman

### Device, Design, Plan (2 definitions)
- device, design  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > device, design, Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa (Title); Śāṅkhāyana-śrauta-sūtra (Title) [ ID=131011 ]
- Device or design  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > प्रज्ञा (prajñā) 3 Device or design

### Personification as Goddess Sarasvatī (2 definitions)
- Wisdom personified as the goddess of arts and eloquence  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > Wisdom personified as the goddess of arts and eloquence, Sarasvatī, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=131013 ]
- an epithet of the goddess Sarasvati  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > प्रज्ञा (prajñā) 5 N. of the ( pb ) goddess Sarasvatī

### The Verb 'to know, understand, discern' (2 definitions)
- 1. To know, understand, discern, distinguish, or be acquainted with. 2. To find out, discover, perceive, or learn.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 659,1] प्र - (pra-) √ ज्ञा (√jñā) a P. - जानाति (-jānāti), to know, understand ( esp. a way or mode of action), discern, distinguish, know about, be acquainted with ( acc. ), Ṛg-veda (Title) &c. &c. to find out, discover, perceive, learn, Mahābhārata (Title); Kāvya literature (Literary category) &c.: Caus. - ज्ञापयति (-jñāpayati) or - ज्ञपयति (-jñapayati), to show or point out (the way), Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa (Title); to summon, invite, Lalita-vistara (Title) [ ID=130973 ]
- 1. To know, understand, or discern. 2. To discover or become aware of.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > प्रज्ञा (prajñā) [Printed book page 0608-c ] प्रज्ञा (prajñā) 1. pra-jñā, cl. 9. P. A. -jānāti, -jā- nīte, -jñātum, to know, understand (especially said of knowing a way or mode of action); to distinguish, discern, discriminate; to know of, know about, be acquainted with; to become aware of, to find out, discover: Caus. -jñapayati, -jñāpayati, -yitum, to show or point out (the way); to discover, betray; to summon, invite. [ ID=30525 ]

### Usage in Compounds (e.g., Prajñā-vāda) (2 definitions)
- intelligent, wise  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — सहाय (sahāya) a. intelligent, wise
- void of wisdom or foolish  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — हीन (hīna) a. void of wisdom, silly, foolish. [ ID=19723 ]

### Śakti, Metaphysical Energy (2 definitions)
- a particular energy  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a partic. Śakti or energy, Hemādri’s Caturvarga-cintāmaṇi (Title) [ ID=131014 ]
- the energy of Adi-buddha  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the energy of Ādi-buddha (through the union with whom the latter produced all things), Monier-Williams’ Buddhism in its connexion with Brāhmaṇism and Hindūism: and in its contrast with Christianity (Title) 204. [ ID=131016 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872); Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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