# रसायन (rasāyana)

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

रसायन (rasāyana) is a Sanskrit word meaning a drug used as a vermifuge, an alchemist, name of Garuda, a bodily fluid channel, name of various plants, an elixir to prevent old age and prolong life. Its 16 recorded definitions are grouped into 8 contexts, among them Elixir / Rejuvenating Medicine, Specific Plants / Plant-based Drugs, Alchemist.

- **Etymology:** E. रस juice, quicksilver, &c., and अयन a road, a going, &c — E. rasa juice, quicksilver, &c., and ayana a road, a going, &c
- **SLP1:** `rasAyana`  **IAST:** rasāyana  **Devanagari:** रसायन
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rasayana
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/rasayana/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** रासायन (rāsāyana)

## Meanings by context

### Elixir / Rejuvenating Medicine (7 definitions)
- an elixir to prevent old age and prolong life  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3B) [Printed book page 870,3] रसा (rasā) यन (yana) n. (sometimes following the gender of the word to which it refers) a medicine supposed to prevent old age and prolong life, an elixir, elixir vitae (also applied to the first fructifying rains), MBh.; Kāv. &c. [ ID=175768 ]
- 1. Alchemy or chemistry. 2. The medical use of mercury. 3. A medicine that prevents aging and prolongs life. 4. Poison. 5. Butter-milk. 6. Garuda. 7. An anthelmintic drug. 8. An alchemist. 9. A vessel conveying nutrition or a lacteal.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रस (rasa) ायन (rasāyana) [Printed book page 698 ] रस (rasa) ायन (rasāyana) n. ( - नं (-naṃ) ) 1 Alchymy, chemistry. 2 The employment of mercury in medicine. 3 A medicine preventing old age, and prolonging life, the Elixir Vitœ of the alchymists. 4 Poison. 5 Butter-milk. m. ( - नः (-naḥ) ) 1 GARUḌA. 2 An anthelmintic drug commonly Vireng, ( Embelia ribes ?) 3 An alchymist. f. ( - नी (-nī) ) A vessel conveying nutrition, a lacteal, an absorbent. E. रस (rasa) juice, quicksilver, &c., and अयन (ayana) a road, a going, &c. [ ID=32028 ]
- 1. Chemistry, alchemy, poison, elixir of life, or buttermilk. 2. Garuda, an alchymist, or a drug. 3. A lacteal.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रसायन (rasāyana) [Printed book page 624-b ] रसायन (rasāyana) ( नं ) ((naṃ)) 1. n. Chemistry, alchymy; poison; Elixir vitæ; buttermilk. m. Garuda; an alchymist; a drug. f. ( नी (nī) ) A lacteal. [ ID=31593 ]
- 1. A life-prolonging medicine or elixir. 2. Alchemy or chemistry.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रसायन (rasāyana) [Printed book page 607-02 ] रस - अयन (rasa-ayana) n. 1. a medicine prolonging life, an elixir vitæ, कर्णामृतानि मनसश्च रसायन (rasāyana) ानि (karṇāmṛtāni manasaśca rasāyanāni) Ut. i.; 2. alchemy, chemistry. [ ID=31874 ]
- 1. Alchemy or chemistry. 2. The medical use of mercury. 3. A medicine that prevents aging and prolongs life. 4. Poison. 5. Butter-milk. 6. Garuda. 7. An anthelmintic drug, Embelia ribes. 8. An alchemist. 9. A vessel conveying nutrition or an absorbent.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रस (rasa) ायन (rasāyana) [Printed book page 599-b ] रस (rasa) ायन (rasāyana) n. ( - नं (-naṃ) ) 1. Alchemy, chemistry. 2. The employment of mercury in medicine. 3. A medicine preventing old age, and prolonging life, the Elixir Vitæ of the alchemists. 4. Poison. 5. Butter-milk. m. ( - नः (-naḥ) ) 1. GARUDĀ. 2. An anthelmintic drug commonly Biranga, (Embelia ribes.) 2. An alchemist. f. ( - नी (-nī) ) A vessel conveying nutrition, a lacteal, an absorbent. E. रस (rasa) juice, quicksilver, &c., अयन (ayana) a road, a going, &c. [ ID=33342 ]
- 1. Buttermilk. 2. Poison. 3. An elixir or medicine that prevents old age and prolongs life. 4. A general remedy. 5. Alchemy or chemistry. 6. An alchemist. 7. Garuda. 8. A vessel conveying nutrition.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रसायन (rasāyana) [Printed book page 0763-a ] रसायन (rasāyana) rasāyana, perhaps rasa-a- yana, I. n. 1. Buttermilk. 2. Poison. 3. A medicine preventing old age and prolonging life, Pañc. ii. d. 80; elixir, Hit. i. d. 209, M.M. ( prīti-, Elixir-like joy). 4. Medicine, a remedy, Utt. Rāmac. 24, 2. 5. Alchymy, chemistry. II. m. 1. An alchymist. 2. Garuḍa. III. f. nī, A vessel conveying nutrition. [ ID=12017 ]
- medicine for prolonging life or an elixir  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रसायन (rasāyana) [Printed book page 445 ] रसायन (rasāyana) n. medicine for prolonging life, an elixir. [ ID=26691 ]

### Specific Plants / Plant-based Drugs (3 definitions)
- A drug used as a vermifuge  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3) [Printed book page 870,2] रसा (rasā) यन (yana) m. a partic. drug used as a vermifuge ( Embelia Ribes ), L. [ ID=175763 ]
- Name of various plants  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of various plants ( Solanum Indicum; Cocculus Cordifolius; a species of Karañja; = गोरक्ष - दुग्धा (gorakṣa-dugdhā); = मांस - च्छदा (māṃsa-cchadā) &c.), L. [ ID=175767 ]
- long pepper  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > long pepper (?), L. [ ID=175771 ]

### Alchemist (1 definition)
- an alchemist  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > an alchemist, L. [ ID=175764 ]

### Alchemy / Chemistry / Related Practices (1 definition)
- the employment of mercury as a remedy or for magical purposes  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the employment of mercury as a remedy or for magical purposes, W. [ ID=175772 ]

### Bodily Channels / Vessels (rasāyanī) (1 definition)
- a bodily fluid channel  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3B) [Printed book page 870,2] रसा (rasā) यनी (yanī) ( ई (ī) ), f. a canal or channel for the fluids (of the body), Car.; Suśr. [ ID=175766 ]

### Buttermilk (1 definition)
- buttermilk  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > buttermilk, L. [ ID=175769 ]

### Garuda (Mythological Being) (1 definition)
- Name of Garuda  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of Garuḍa, L. [ ID=175765 ]

### Poison (1 definition)
- poison  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > poison, L. [ ID=175770 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; 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.

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