# प्रमाण (pramāṇa)

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

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 — E. pra before mā to measure, aff. lyuṭ; that by which all is measured; this word is generally restricted to the singular number, as vedāḥ-pramāṇaṃ the Vedas are the authority; it is also confined to the neuter gender, as puttraḥ pramāṇaṃ the boy is a witness; some exceptions occur however, as pramāṇaḥ puruṣaḥ, pramāṇā strī the man witness, the woman witness; and in the following rule, pratyakṣānubhānopamānaśabdāḥ-pramāṇāni perception, inference, comparison, and sound, are proofs
- **SLP1:** `pramARa`  **IAST:** pramāṇa  **Devanagari:** प्रमाण
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pramana
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/pramana/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** प्रमण (pramaṇa), प्रमन (pramana)

## Meanings by context

### Measure, Scale, Quantitative Standard (15 definitions)
- measure, scale, standard  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 685,3] प्रमाण (pramāṇa) n. ( ifc. f( आ (ā) ). ) measure, scale, standard [ ID=135796 ]
- measure of any kind, including size, extent, length, distance, weight, quantity, or duration  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > measure of any kind (as size, extent, circumference, length, distance, weight, multitude, quantity, duration), KātyŚr.; KaṭhUp.; Mn. &c. ( instr. ‘on an average’, Jyot. ) [ ID=135797 ]
- prosodical length of a vowel  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > prosodical length (of a vowel), Pāṇini (Author) i, 1, 50, Sch. [ ID=135798 ]
- a measure in music  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > measure in music, MBh. ( Nīlak. ) [ ID=135799 ]
- accordance of dancing movements with music and song  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > accordance of the movements in dancing with music and song, Saṃgīt. [ ID=135800 ]
- measure of physical strength  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > measure of physical strength, Śak. ( cf. comp. below) [ ID=135801 ]
- the side of a square  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the measure of a square i.e. a side of it, Śulbas. [ ID=135803 ]
- 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*
  > प्रमाण (pramāṇa) [Printed book page 180-1 ] प्रमाण (pramāṇa) pra-māṇa, n. measure, scale, standard; extent, size; length; distance; weight; quantity; duration; sp. prosodical length of a vowel; measure of physical strength; principal ( opp. interest ); right measure, standard, authority; rule of action; means of correct knowledge, evidence, proof; true conception, correct notion: bhavatī or bhavantaḥ pramāṇam, you are the authority, i. e. the decision rests with you: in this sense the word is almost exclusively used in the sg., rarely in the pl. or fem. ( ī ); with the inf. it = person authorized to: -ka, a. —° = pramāṇa, measure etc. means of knowledge, proof; -koṭi, f. extreme of evidence = irrefragable proof; -tara, a. or n. greater authority than ( ab. ); -tas, ad. with respect to measure, size, weight, length, etc.; -tva, n. correctness; -dṛṣṭa, pp. accounted an authority; demonstrable; -patha, m. way of proof: -ṃ na‿ava-tṛ, not admit of proof; -paddhati, f. id.; -puruṣa, m. arbitrator, umpire, referee. [ ID=12244 ]
- 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*
  > प्र (pra) मा (mā) ण (pramāṇa) [Printed book page 575 ] प्र (pra) मा (mā) ण (pramāṇa) n. ( - णं (-ṇaṃ) ) 1 Cause, motive. 2 Limit. 3 Proof, testimony, authority. 4 A scripture, a work of sacred authority. 5 Measure, quantity. 6 A speaker of the truth. 7 Always, eternal. 8 A title of VIṢṆU. 9 Principal, capital. E. प्र (pra) before मा (mā) to measure, aff. ल्युट् (lyuṭ); that by which all is measured; this word is generally restricted to the singular number, as वेदाः - प्र (pra) मा (mā) ण (pramāṇa) ं (vedāḥ-pramāṇaṃ) the Vedas are the authority; it is also confined to the neuter gender, as पुत्त्रः प्र (pra) मा (mā) ण (pramāṇa) ं (puttraḥ pramāṇaṃ) the boy is a witness; some exceptions occur however, as प्र (pra) मा (mā) ण (pramāṇa) ः पुरुषः, प्र (pra) मा (mā) ण (pramāṇa) ा स्त्री (pramāṇaḥ puruṣaḥ, pramāṇā strī) the man witness, the woman witness; and in the following rule, प्र (pra) त्यक्षानुभानोपमा (mā) नशब्दाः - प्र (pra) मा (mā) ण (pramāṇa) ानि (pratyakṣānubhānopamānaśabdāḥ-pramāṇāni) perception, inference, comparison, and sound, are proofs. [ ID=26532 ]
- 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*
  > प्रमाण (pramāṇa) [Printed book page 475-21 ] प्रमाण (pramāṇa) n. 1. A measure (whether of weight, length or capacity), R. xviii.38, M. viii.132; 2. magnitude, extent; 3. quantity; 4. limit; 5. standard, authority; 6. correct knowledge, accurate perception (in logic), Bg. iii.21; 7. testimony, evidence, reason; 8. principal, capital; 9. unity; 10. one whose word is an authority, e.g. तदत्र देवपादाः प्रमाण (pramāṇa) म् (tadatra devapādāḥ pramāṇam); 11. a mode of proof, a source of knowledge; (they are six according to Mīmānsakas, viz., प्रत्यक्ष (pratyakṣa), अनुमान (anumāna), उपमान (upamāna), शब्द (śabda), अनुपलब्धि (anupalabdhi) and अर्थापत्ति (arthāpatti). The Naiyāyikas recognize only the first four; the Sānkhyas recognize प्रत्यक्ष (pratyakṣa), अनुमान (anumāna) and शब्द (śabda) only). ( प्रमाण (pramāṇa) ीकृ (pramāṇīkṛ) 1. to regard as an authority; 2. to prove; 3. to mete out.) [ ID=24691 ]
- 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*
  > प्र (pra) मा (mā) ण (pramāṇa) [Printed book page 491-a ] प्र (pra) मा (mā) ण (pramāṇa) n. ( - णं (-ṇaṃ) ) 1. Cause, motive. 2. Limit. 3. Proof, testimony, authority. 4. A scripture, a work of sacred authority. 5. Measure, (whether of weight, length or capacity.) 6. Magnitude, extent. 7. Standard, authority. 8. Correct knowledge, accurate perception, (in logic.) 9. Unity. 10. Quantity. 11. A speaker of the truth. 12. Always, eter- Page491-b+ 60 nal. 13. A title of VISHṆU. 14. Principal, capital. E. प्र (pra) before, मा (mā) to measure, aff. ल्युट्; (lyuṭ;) that by which all is measured; this word is generally restricted to the singular number, as वेदाः प्र (pra) मा (mā) ण (pramāṇa) ं (pramāṇaṃ) (vedāḥ pramāṇaṃ) the Vedas are the authority; it is also confined to the neuter gender, as पुत्त्रः (puttraḥ) प्र (pra) मा (mā) ण (pramāṇa) ं (pramāṇaṃ) the boy is a witness; some exceptions occur however, as प्र (pra) मा (mā) ण (pramāṇa) ः (pramāṇaḥ) पुरुषः, प्र (pra) मा (mā) ण (pramāṇa) ा स्त्री (puruṣaḥ, pramāṇā strī) the man witness, the woman witness; and in the following rule, प्र (pra) त्यक्षानुमा (mā) नोपमा (mā) नशब्द (śabda) ाः प्र (pra) मा (mā) ण (pramāṇa) ानि (pratyakṣānumānopamānaśabdāḥ pramāṇāni) perception, inference, comparison, and sound, are proofs. According to the Naiyāyikas अनुपलब्धि (anupalabdhi) or non-perception and अर्थापत्ति (arthāpatti) or the inference from circumstances of the Mimānsakas being exempted by them; the Sānkhys recognize प्र (pra) त्थक्ष, अनुमा (mā) न (pratthakṣa, anumāna) and शब्द (śabda) only. [ ID=27176 ]
- 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*
  > प्रमाण (pramāṇa) [Printed book page 0603-a ] प्रमाण (pramāṇa) pramāṇa, i. e. pra-ma + ana, n. 1. Measure, Pañc, i. d. 371; a scale, Hit. i. d. 12, M.M.; analogy, Hit. 110, 12; quantity, power, Pañc. 75, 22. 2. Authority. 3. Decision, a decider, Śāk. 61, 8; Pañc. 30, 18; 34, 10. 4. A work of sacred authority. 5. Proof, Pañc. iii. d. 93; evidence. 6. Cause. 7. Principal. 8. A title of Viṣṇu. — Comp. Ati-, adj. of exceeding largeness, Rām. 5, 54, 17. Anu-, adj. suitable, Suśr. 2, 7, 14. [ ID=9792 ]
- 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*
  > प्रमाण (pramāṇa) [Printed book page 342 ] प्रमाण (pramāṇa) n. measure, scale, standard; extent, size, weight, distance, duration, prosodical length; norm, rule of action, authority; proof, argument (ph.). [ ID=20778 ]
- 1. Measure or extent. 2. Standard or rule of action. 3. Authority.  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > प्रमाण (pramāṇa) [Printed book page 196-a ] pramāṇa, n. measure, extent ( 57 23 ), scale, standard; something by which to judge, 54 11; norm, rule of action, 21 21; authority, 12 10, 19 22. [ √1mā, ‘measure,’ + pra, 192a : hence, through the Persian farmān, the borrowed Eng. firman, ‘an authority or decree,’ esp. of the Sublime Porte.] [ ID=2764 ]
- 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.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > 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 ]

### Proof, Evidence, Means of Knowledge (3 definitions)
- a means of acquiring valid knowledge  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a means of acquiring Pramā or certain knowledge (6 in the Vedānta, viz. प्रत्यक्ष (pratyakṣa), perception by the senses; अनुमान (anumāna), inference; उपमान (upamāna), analogy or comparison; शब्द (śabda) or आप्त - वचन (āpta-vacana), verbal authority, revelation; अन् - उपलब्धि (an-upalabdhi) or अभाव - प्रत्यक्ष (pratyakṣa) (abhāva-pratyakṣa), non-perception or negative proof; अर्था (arthā) पत्ति (patti), inference from circumstances; the Nyāya admits only 4, excluding the last two; the Sāṃkhya only 3, viz. प्रत्यक्ष (pratyakṣa), अनुमान (anumāna) and शब्द (śabda); other schools increase the number to 9 by adding सम्भव (sambhava), equivalence; ऐतिह्य (aitihya), tradition or fallible testimony; and चेष्टा (ceṣṭā), gesture, Indian Wisdom, by Sir M. Monier-Williams (Title) 60 &c. &c.) [ ID=135806 ]
- proof, testimony, or evidence  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > any proof or testimony or evidence, Yājñ.; MBh.; Kāv. &c. [ ID=135807 ]
- a correct notion or right perception  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a correct notion, right perception (= प्रमा (pramā) ), Tarkas. [ ID=135808 ]

### Proper Noun (Tree, Deity Title) (3 definitions)
- A large fig tree on the bank of the Ganges.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > प्रमाण (pramāṇa) m. ( cf. n. ) N. of a large fig-tree on the bank of the Ganges, MBh. [ ID=135811 ]
- name of a banyan tree  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > प्रमाण (pramāṇa) [Printed book page 559-1 ] Pramāṇa, name of a banyan-tree. § 308 (Āraṇyakap.): III, 1, 41 ( °ākhyaṃ mahāvaṭaṃ, on the banks of the Gaṅgā). [ ID=8542 ]
- 1. An epithet of Shiva. 2. An epithet of Vishnu.  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > Pramāṇa(ṃ) = Śiva (1000 names 2 ).—Do. 2 = Viṣṇu (1000 names). [ ID=8543 ]

### Abstract Concepts (Unity, Eternity, Cause, Limit) (2 definitions)
- oneness, unity  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > oneness, unity, L. [ ID=135809 ]
- constant  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > = नित्य (nitya), L. [ ID=135810 ]

### Financial/Mathematical Term (2 definitions)
- the first term in a rule of three sum  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the first term in a rule of three sum, Col. [ ID=135802 ]
- principal or capital  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > principal, capital ( opp. to interest), Col. [ ID=135804 ]

### Authority, Norm, Prescriptive Standard (1 definition)
- Right measure, standard, authority  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > right measure, standard, authority, GṛŚrS.; Mn.; MBh. &c. ( प्रमाणम् भवती (pramāṇam bhavatī), ‘your ladyship is the authority or must judge’, Nal.; in this sense also m. and f. sg. and pl., e.g. वेदाः प्रमाणाः (vedāḥ pramāṇāḥ), ‘the Vedas are authorities’, MBh.; स्त्री प्रमाणी येषाम् (strī pramāṇī yeṣām), ‘they whose authority is a woman’, Pāṇ., Sch. ) [ ID=135805 ]

### Name of a Poetic Metre (pramāṇī) (1 definition)
- name of a metre  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2B) [Printed book page 685,3] प्रमाणी (pramāṇī) a ( ई (ī) ), f. ( cf. n. ) N. of a metre, Col. [ ID=135812 ]

### Other (1 definition)
- 1. Witness, evidence, or proof. 2. Scripture.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > प्रमाण (pramāṇa) [Printed book page 516-a ] प्र - माण (pra-māṇa) ( णं ) ((ṇaṃ)) 1. n. Witness, evidence, proof.; scripture. [ ID=26028 ]

## Sources

Definitions from 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, University of Cologne.

The Sanskrit Lexicon app for iPhone, iPad and Mac: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sanskrit-lexicon-dictionary/id6746787546