प्रमाणpramāṇa

प्रमाण (pramāṇa) is a Sanskrit word meaning measure, scale, standard, prosodical length of a vowel, a measure in music, accordance of dancing movements with music and song, measure of physical strength, the first term in a rule of three sum. Its 28 recorded definitions are grouped into 8 contexts, among them Measure, Scale, Quantitative Standard, Proof, Evidence, Means of Knowledge, Proper Noun (Tree, Deity Title).

Root: 1. मा (1. mā)
Etymology: E. प्र before मा to measure, aff. ल्युट्; that by which all is measured; this word is generally restricted to the singular number, as वेदाः-प्रमाणं the Vedas are the authority; it is also confined to the neuter gender, as पुत्त्रः प्रमाणं the boy is a witness; some exceptions occur however, as प्रमाणः पुरुषः, प्रमाणा स्त्री the man witness, the woman witness; and in the following rule, प्रत्यक्षानुभानोपमानशब्दाः-प्रमाणानि perception, inference, comparison, and sound, are proofs
Definitions: 28

View Declension Tables , 48 forms

Meanings by context

Measure, Scale, Quantitative Standard

15 definitions

measure, scale, standard

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

measure of any kind, including size, extent, length, distance, weight, quantity, or duration

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

prosodical length of a vowel

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

a measure in music

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

accordance of dancing movements with music and song

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

measure of physical strength

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

the side of a square

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

1. Measure, scale, or standard. 2. Extent, size, length, distance, weight, quantity, or duration. 3. Prosodical length of a vowel. 4. Measure of physical strength. 5. Principal as opposed to interest. 6. Authority or rule of action. 7. Means of correct knowledge, evidence, or proof.

— Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. Cause or motive. 2. Limit. 3. Proof, testimony, or authority. 4. A scripture or authoritative work. 5. Measure or quantity. 6. A speaker of the truth. 7. Eternal. 8. An epithet of Vishnu. 9. Principal or capital.

— Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. A measure of weight, length, or capacity. 2. Magnitude or extent. 3. Quantity. 4. Limit. 5. Standard or authority. 6. Correct knowledge or accurate perception. 7. Testimony, evidence, or reason. 8. Principal or capital. 9. Unity. 10. Someone whose word is an authority. 11. A mode of proof or source of knowledge.

— Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. Cause or motive. 2. Limit. 3. Proof, testimony, or authority. 4. A sacred text. 5. Measure of weight, length, or capacity. 6. Magnitude or extent. 7. Standard. 8. Correct knowledge or accurate perception. 9. Unity. 10. Quantity. 11. A truth-speaker. 12. Eternal. 13. An epithet of Vishnu. 14. Principal or capital.

— Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. Measure, scale, analogy, quantity, or power. 2. Authority. 3. Decision or a decider. 4. A work of sacred authority. 5. Proof or evidence. 6. Cause. 7. Principal. 8. A title of Vishnu.

— Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. Measure, scale, standard, extent, size, weight, distance, duration, or prosodical length. 2. Norm, rule of action, or authority. 3. Proof or argument.

— Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. Measure or extent. 2. Standard or rule of action. 3. Authority.

— Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary

1. Measure, scale, standard, magnitude, extent, circumference, length, duration, weight, or quantity. 2. Rule, sanction, ground of assurance, authority, judgment, warrant, or a decider. 3. A source of knowledge, means of proof, or evidence. 4. Scripture or a work of sacred authority. 5. A speaker of the truth. 6. A correct notion or right conception. 7. Cause or motive. 8. A sense of security or freedom from apprehension. 9. The prosodial length of a vowel. 10. Physical power or strength. 11. The first term in a rule of three sum. 12. Principal or capital. 13. Oneness or unity. 14. Constant or eternal. 15. A title of Vishnu.

प्रमाण (pramāṇa) [Printed book page 0637-a]
Pra-māṇa, am, n. measure, scale, standard;

measure in general (whether of weight, length, or

capacity); magnitude, extent, circumference, length,

duration (of time); weight, quantity; rule, sanction,

ground of assurance, standard, authority, judgment,

warrant; a decider, one whose advice or decision is

an authority (e. g. pramāṇam bhavatī, your lady-

ship is the warrant or you must judge; pramāṇam

bhavantaḥ, your honours are the authority, i. e.

it is yours to decide or I abide by your advice, cf.

also strī-p°; in this sense pramāṇa sometimes

follows the number and gender of the word with

which it is placed in apposition, e. g. yadi Vedāḥ

pramāṇās te, if the Vedas be thy authorities; strī

pramāṇī yeṣām, they whose authority is a woman);

a means of acquiring pramā or certain knowledge,

source of knowledge, means of proof, proof, (the

Vedānta admits six Pramāṇas, viz. 1. Pratyakṣa,

perception by the senses; 2. Anumāna, inference;

3. Upamāna, analogy or comparison; 4. Śabda or

Āpta-vacana, verbal authority, trustworthy testi-

mony, especially of an inspired person, revelation;

5. An-upalabdhi or Abhāva-pratyakṣa, non-
Page0637-b+ 81

perception or negative proof; 6. Arthāpatti, in-

ference from circumstances. The Nyāya admits

only four, excluding the last two. The Sāṅkhya

only three, viz. Pratyakṣa, Anumāna, and Śabda,

excluding the third or Upamāna as well as the fifth

and sixth: besides the Pramāṇas of the three orthodox

schools, with their branches, other schools increase

the number to nine by adding 1. Sambhava, equi-

valence; 2. Aitihya, tradition or fallible testimony;

3. Ceṣṭā, gesture); testimony, evidence; a scrip-

ture, a work of sacred authority; a speaker of the

truth; a correct notion, right conception; cause,

motive; a sense of security, freedom from appre-

hension; the prosodial length of a vowel; physical

power or strength; the first term in a rule of three

sum; principal, capital; oneness, unity; constant,

eternal; a title of Viṣṇu; (as), m. rule, standard,

authority; N. of a large fig-tree on the bank of

the Ganges (Mahā-bh. Vana-p. 41); (ī), f. rule,

standard, authority; a kind of metre. —Pramāṇa-

koṭī, f., N. of a particular spot or of a Tīrtha near

the above fig-tree on the bank of the Ganges; [cf.

pra-māṇa.] —Pramāṇa-jña, as, m. an epithet of

Śiva. —Pramāṇa-tas, ind. agreeably to measure or

weight, with respect to measure, &c. according to

proof or authority. —Pramāṇa-tā, f. or pramāṇa-

tva, am, n. authority, warranty. —Pramāṇa-

dṛṣṭa, as, ā, am, recognised by authority, en-

joined by good authorities. —Pramāṇa-pattra,

am, n. a written warrant. —Pramāṇa-puruṣa,

as, m. ‘a man who is an authority,’ an umpire,

arbitrator, judge. —Pramāṇa-pramoda, as, m., N.

of a Nyāya work by Hari. —Pramāṇa-bhūta, as,

ā, am, constituting proof or authority; true, autho-

ritative; (as), m. an epithet of Śiva. —Pramāṇa-

mālā or pramāṇa-ratnamālā, f., N. of a Vedānta

work by Ānanda-bodha Yati. —Pramāṇa-lakṣaṇa,

am, n., N. of a Vedānta work. —Pramāṇa-vat, ān,

atī, at, furnished with proofs, established by proofs,

well-founded. —Pramāṇa-vākya, am, n. authorita-

tive statement, authority. —Pramāṇa-vārttika, am,

n. and pramāṇa-viniścaya, as, m., N. of two

works by Dharma-kīrtti. —Pramāṇa-śāstra, am, n.

any work of sacred authority, scripture. —Pramāṇa-

samuccaya, as, m., N. of a work by Diṅ-nāga.

—Pramāṇa-sūtra, am, n. a measuring cord.

—Pramāṇādhika (°ṇa-adh°), as, ā, am, being

beyond measure, excessive, unnaturally strong.

—Pramāṇāntara (°ṇa-an°), am, n. another means

of proof. —Pramāṇāntara-tā, f. the being another

means of proof. —Pramāṇābhāva (°ṇa-abh°), as,

m. absence of proof, want of authority. —Pramāṇī-

bhūta, as, ā, am, being an authority or proof,

proving, establishing. [ID=32437]

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)

Proof, Evidence, Means of Knowledge

3 definitions

a means of acquiring valid knowledge

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

proof, testimony, or evidence

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

a correct notion or right perception

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

Proper Noun (Tree, Deity Title)

3 definitions

A large fig tree on the bank of the Ganges.

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

name of a banyan tree

— Index to the Names in the Mahabharata

1. An epithet of Shiva. 2. An epithet of Vishnu.

— Index to the Names in the Mahabharata

Abstract Concepts (Unity, Eternity, Cause, Limit)

2 definitions

oneness, unity

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

constant

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

Financial/Mathematical Term

2 definitions

the first term in a rule of three sum

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

principal or capital

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

Authority, Norm, Prescriptive Standard

1 definition

Right measure, standard, authority

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

Name of a Poetic Metre (pramāṇī)

1 definition

name of a metre

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

Other

1 definition

1. Witness, evidence, or proof. 2. Scripture.

— Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

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Definitions on this page come from 11 works: 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, Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon.