# समान (samāna)

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

समान (samāna) is a Sanskrit word meaning same, identical, uniform, alike, similar, or equal, having the same place or organ of utterance, homogeneous, middling or moderate, common, general, universal, whole as opposed to a fraction. Its 45 recorded definitions are grouped into 15 contexts, among them Same, Equal, Similar (Adjective), A Vital Air (Samāna Vāyu), Proper Nouns & Specific Named Entities.

- **Root:** अन् (an)
- **Etymology:** E. सम all, अन to breathe, aff. घञ्, or सम् and आङ् before णी to get, aff. अच् — E. sama all, ana to breathe, aff. ghañ, or sam and āṅ before ṇī to get, aff. ac
- **SLP1:** `samAna`  **IAST:** samāna  **Devanagari:** समान
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/samana/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Same, Equal, Similar (Adjective) (16 definitions)
- same, identical, uniform  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 1160,1] सम (sama) ान (samāna) b mf( ई (ī), or आ (ā) )n. (connected with 1. and 2. सम (sama); in Ṛg-veda (Title) v, 87, 4 abl. sg. सम (sama) ान (samāna) स्मात् (samānasmāt) for सम (sama) ान (samāna) ात् (samānāt) See 1. सम (sama); for सम (sama) ् - (sam-) अन (sam-ana) See सम (sama) ् - (sam-) √ अन् (√an), for स - मान (sa-māna) See col. 3) same, identical, uniform, one (= एक (eka), L. ), Ṛg-veda (Title) &c. &c. [ ID=234226 ]
- alike, similar, or equal  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > alike, similar, equal (in size, age, rank, sense or meaning &c.), equal or like to (with instr., gen., or comp. ), VS. &c. &c. [ ID=234227 ]
- having the same measure  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 1160,3] 2. स - मान (sa-māna) mfn. (for 1. See above) having the same measure, L. [ ID=234375 ]
- Same, equal, similar  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > समान (samāna) [Printed book page 1096-c ] समान (samāna) a. 1 Same, equal, like, similar; समान (samāna) शीलव्यसनेषु सख्यं (samānaśīlavyasaneṣu sakhyaṃ) Subhāṣ
- One, uniform  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > समान (samāna) [Printed book page 1096-c ] समान (samāna) a. 2 One, uniform
- time  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — काल (kāla)
- synchronous  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — कालीन (kālīna) a. synchronous
- Identical, same, similar, equal in size, age, rank, or time, homogeneous, common, or joint.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > समान (samāna) [Printed book page 337-2 ] समान (samāna) 1. samāná [ fr. sama], a. ( ī́, V.; ā ) identical, same; similar, equal ( in size, age, rank, time, meaning ), to ( in., g., —° ); homogeneous ( letter ); common, combined, all ( V., rarely P. ); °— or -m, ad. jointly, alike; like ( in., —° ). [ ID=18884 ]
- 1. Like, similar, or uniform. 2. Good or virtuous. 3. One of the vital airs essential to digestion. 4. A corresponding letter of the alphabet.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > सम (sama) ान (samāna) [Printed book page 896 ] सम (sama) ान (samāna) mfn. ( - नः (-naḥ)- ना - नं (-naḥ-nā-naṃ) ) 1 Like, similar. 2 Good, virtuous. 3 One, uniform, same. m. ( - नः (-naḥ) ) 1 One of the vital airs, that which is considered essential to digestion. 2 A corresponding letter of the alphabet, as a long vowel to its short one, &c. E. सम (sama) all, अन (ana) to breathe, aff. घञ् (ghañ), or सम (sama) ् (sam) and आङ् (āṅ) before णी (ṇī) to get, aff. अच् (ac). [ ID=40612 ]
- 1. One of the vital airs. 2. Same, similar, or good.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > समान (samāna) [Printed book page 817-a ] समान (samāna) ( नः - ना - नं ) ((naḥ-nā-naṃ)) m. One of the vital airs. a. Same, similar, good. [ ID=40330 ]
- 1. Like, similar, or equal. 2. Same, one, or uniform. 3. Good or virtuous. 4. Honoured.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > समान (samāna) [Printed book page 759-18 ] समान (samāna) (I) a. (f. ना (nā) ) 1. Like, similar, equal, भुजे भुजंगेंद्रसमान (samāna) सारे (bhuje bhujaṃgeṃdrasamānasāre) R. ii.74; 2. same, one, uniform; 3. good, virtuous; 4. honoured. [ ID=39768 ]
- 1. Like or similar. 2. Good or virtuous. 3. Uniform or same. 4. Honoured. 5. A vital air essential to digestion, located at the navel. 6. A corresponding letter of the alphabet. 7. A friend.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > सम (sama) ान (samāna) [Printed book page 763-a ] सम (sama) ान (samāna) mfn. ( - नः (-naḥ)- ना - नं (-naḥ-nā-naṃ) ) 1. Like, similar. 2. Good, virtuous. 3. One, uniform, same. 4. Honoured. m. ( - नः (-naḥ) ) 1. One of the five vital airs, that which is considered essential to digestion and occupies the cavity of the navel. 2. A corresponding letter of the alphabet, as Page763-b+ 60 a long vowel to its short one, &c. 3. A friend. E. सम (sama) all, अन् (an) to breathe, aff. अण् (aṇ) or घञ्; (ghañ;) or सम (sama) ् (sam) and आङ् (āṅ) before णी (ṇī) to get, aff. अच् । (ac.) [ ID=42643 ]
- 1. Like, similar, or equal. 2. Same or uniform. 3. Good or virtuous. 4. Honoured. 5. A friend. 6. One of the vital airs, essential to digestion.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > समान (samāna) [Printed book page 1011-b ] समान (samāna) A. i. e. sa-māna, I. adj., f. nā and nī. 1. Like, similar, equal, Vikr. d. 110; Pañc. ii. d. 26. 2. Same, Chr. Page1012-a+ 42 295, 10 = Rigv. i. 92, 10; Man. 7, 163; Vedāntas. in Chr. 208, 21; one, uni- form. 3. Good, virtuous. 4. Honoured, Lass. 1, 12. II. am, adv. Equally (with instr. ), Kir. 18, 4. III. m. A friend, Nalod. 2, 16. B. i. e. sam-an + a, m. One of the vital airs, that which is essential to digestion, Vedāntas. in Chr. 207, 12. [ ID=15618 ]
- 1. Like, similar, equal, common, or universal. 2. Equally or similarly.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > समान (samāna) [Printed book page 593 ] 1 समान (samāna) f. ई (ī) & आ (ā) like, same, similar, homogeneous, equal to ( instr., gen., or —°), common, universal, all; °— & n. adv. equally, like ( instr. or —°). [ ID=35266 ]
- 1. Like or identical. 2. Common or united.  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > समान (samāna) [Printed book page 268-a ] samāná, f. -ī́, a. —1. like; one and the same, 78 15; -am, adv. in the same way, 103 13; —2. common (to different persons or countries), 73 4, 98 17; united, 73 16. [ 2samá, 1245d.] [ ID=4450 ]
- 1. Same, alike, similar, equal, uniform, one. 2. Common to all, general. 3. Good, virtuous. 4. Honoured. 5. An equal or friend. 6. A letter corresponding to another or having the same place of utterance. 7. A kind of metre.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > [Printed book page 1073-b ] समान (samāna) 2. samāna, as, ā (Ved. also ī ), am (according to some fr. sa + māna, as if the original meaning were ‘having the same measure,’ according to others connected with 1. sama; in Ṛg-veda V. 87, 4. samānasmāt, abl. c. = samasmāt = sar- veṣām sādhāraṇāt, see 1. sama; for 1. sam-āna see under sam-an ), same, alike, similar, equal (with inst., e. g. tena samāna, equal to him), uniform, one; common to all, common, general; good, virtuous; honoured; ( am ), ind. equally with (with inst.); ( as ), m. an equal, friend; any letter which corresponds to another (e. g. a long to its short vowel, a hard guttural to its soft), a letter having the same place or organ of utterance; ( ī ), f. a kind of metre. —Samāna-kāla or samāna-kālīna, as, ā, am, synchronous, occur- ring or produced at the same time. —Samāna-gotra, as, ā, am, being of the same family ( = sa-gotra, q. v.). —Samāna-jana, as, m. a person of the same family or race. —Samāna-janman, ā, ā, a, having a common birth or origin, of equal age. —Samāna- jāti, is, is, i, or samāna-jātīya, as, ā, am, be- longing to the same kind or species, of a common tribe or caste, of the same sort. —Samāna-tā, f. or samāna-tva, am, n. sameness, equality, likeness; community of kind or quality. —Samāna-tejas, ās, ās, as, of equal splendor, equal in glory. —Samāna- duḥkha, as, ā, am, having the same griefs, sympa- thising. —Samāna-bandhu, us, us, u, Ved. of the same family. —Samāna-māna, as, ā, am, receiving equal honour, equally respected. —Samāna-yama, as, m. the same pitch of voice. —Samāna-yoga- kṣema, as, ā, am, having the same value. —Sa- māna-yojana, as, ā, am, Ved. having the same yoking, harnessed for both alike (said of the chariot of the Aśvins). —Samāna-ruci, is, is, i, having the same tastes, taking pleasure in similar objects. —Sa- mānaruci-tā, f. the having similar tastes. —Samāna- rūpā, f. a kind of riddle or enigma. —Samāna- vayas, ās, ās, as, or samāna-vayaska, as, ā, am, of the same age. —Samāna-varcas, ās, ās, as, Ved. of equal splendor. —Samāna-śabdā, f. a kind of riddle or enigma. —Samāna-śīla, as, ā, am, of a similar disposition or temper. —Samānākṣara (°na-ak°), ‘a monophthong,’ N. of the vowels a, ā, i, ī, u, ū, ṛ, ṝ, ḷ (as opposed to the sandhy- akṣara or diphthongs). —Samānādhikaraṇa (°na-adh°), am, n. common or same government; same location, same predicament; a predicament including several things or persons, common or generic property, common substratum; ( as, ā, am ), being in the same subject or category, being in the same predicament, having the same location or sphere; having a common substratum (in the Vaiśe- shika phil.); agreeing together in the same case, &c., being in the same government, (see adhi- karaṇa. ) —Samānādhikāra (°na-adh°), as, m. similar office, like rule or government; generic character. —Samānārtha or samānārthaka (°na- ar°), as, ā, am, having the same meaning, syno- nymous. —Samānārtha-prayojana (°na-ar°), as, ā, am, having a common object and purpose, caused by common interests. —Samānālaṅkāra (°na-al°), as, ā, am, wearing the same ornaments. —Samānodaka (°na-ud°), as, m. ‘having com- mon water-oblations,’ a kinsman connected by the offering of water to the departed spirits of common ancestors, (this relationship is said to extend to the fourteenth degree, the first seven being both Sapiṇḍas and Samānodakas, while the remaining seven are Samānodakas only.) —Samānodarya (°na-ud°), as, m. born from the same womb, a brother of whole blood. [ ID=49978 ]

### A Vital Air (Samāna Vāyu) (6 definitions)
- one of the five vital airs that circulates about the navel and is essential to digestion  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 1154,2] सम् - आन (sam-āna) a m. (for समान (samāna) and स - मान (sa-māna) See p. 1160) one of the five vital airs (that which circulates about the navel and is essential to digestion; it is personified as a son of Sādhya), AV.; &c. [ ID=233468 ]
- One of the vital breaths located in the stomach and entrails, essential to digestion.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > समान (samāna) 2. sam-āná, m. [√an] one of the five vital aris, which has its seat in the stomach and entrails, is essential to digestion, and produces diarrhoea etc.. [ ID=18885 ]
- one of the vital airs  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > 2 समान (samāna) m. one of the vital airs. [ ID=35267 ]
- one of the five vital airs circulating about the navel and essential to digestion  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > समान (samāna) [Printed book page 1068-a ] 1. sam-āna (for 2. samāna see s. v.), one of the five vital airs (that which circulates about the navel and is considered essential to digestion). [ ID=49601 ]
- one of the life-breaths  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > समान (samāna) [Printed book page 610-1 ] Samāna 1, name of one of the life - breaths. § 485 (Pativratop., Brāhmaṇavyādhasaṃv.): III, 213, 13964 (description), 13970 ( °odānayor madhye ).—§ 595 (Ṣoḍaśarāj. v. Rāma Dāśarathi): VII, 59, 2237 ( Prāṇāpāna-S°āś ca Rāma rājyaṃ praśāsati ).—§ 660 b (Bhṛgu-Bharadvājasaṃv.): XII, 184, 6844 (within the heart); 185, 6870 ( d : In consequence of S. every one of the senses is made to act as it does), 6874 ( d : There is heat ( agniḥ ) in the bodies of living creatures ( dhātuṣu ), circulated by S.; residing thus in the body that breath operates ( vartayan ) upon all watery ( rasān ) and other elementary substances ( dkātūn ) and all bad humours ( doṣān )).—§ 662 b (Jāpakop.): XII, 200 ε, 7346.— § 667 (Mokṣadh.): XII, 213, 7759.—§ 704 (do.): XII, 302, 11124.—§ 714 g (Śukakṛtya): The host of gods named the Sādhyas had the son Samāna, his son was Udāna, his son was Vyāna, from him arose Apāna, and from Apāna Prāṇa. Prāṇa was childless. This wind ( rāyuḥ is the cause of the functions of all living creatures, and from this ( prāṇanāt ) he is called Prāṇa : XII, 329, 12396.—§ 782 b (Brāhmaṇa- gītā): XIV, 20, 612. 614; 21, 654; 23, 685, 688 ( vāyuḥ ), 692, 699, 700, 703, 705 (the contention among the life- breaths about superiority); 24, 712, 718, 719, 722, 726.— § 782 g (Guruśiṣyasaṃv.): XIV, 42, 1109. [ ID=9330 ]
- See Prana.  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > समान (samāna) [Printed book page 2-430 ] Samāna. See Prāṇa. [ ID=3492 ]

### Proper Nouns & Specific Named Entities (5 definitions)
- a classifier of colors  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > = वर्ण - भिद् (varṇa-bhid), L. [ ID=234234 ]
- the name of a work  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > समान (samāna) ( prob. ) n. N. of wk. ( cf. शाखा - स् (śākhā-s) ° (°) ). [ ID=234238 ]
- a Tushita  
  *The Purana Index*
  > समान (samāna) [Printed book page 3-538 ] Samāna (I) — a Tuṣita. Br. III. 3. 19: Va. 66. 18. [ ID=15395 ]
- the seventeenth kalpa  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Samāna (II) — the 17th kalpa. M. 290. 7. [ ID=15396 ]
- the mind-born son of Brahma in the twenty-first kalpa  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Samāna (III) — the mind-born son of Brahmā in the 21st kalpa. Vā. 21. 47. [ ID=15397 ]

### Common, General (Adjective) (2 definitions)
- common, general, universal  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > common, general, universal, all, RV.; Br.; ŚrS.; BhP. [ ID=234230 ]
- Common, general  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > समान (samāna) [Printed book page 1096-c ] समान (samāna) a. 4 Common, general

### Friend, Equal (as a Noun) (2 definitions)
- An equal or friend.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1B) [Printed book page 1160,1] समान (samāna) m. an equal, friend, TBr.; Cāṇ.; BhP. [ ID=234236 ]
- 1. A friend. 2. One of the five vital airs essential to digestion, located near the navel.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > समान (samāna) (II) m. 1. A friend; 2. one of the five vital airs which is essential to digestion and occupies the cavity of the navel. ( समान (samāna) म् (samānam) is used as an indeclinable in the sense of ‘equally, similarly, like,’ जलधरेण समान (samāna) मुमापतिः (jaladhareṇa samānamumāpatiḥ) Kir. xviii.4.) [ ID=39769 ]

### Grammatical/Logical/Semantic Sameness (2 definitions)
- 1. Having a common substratum. 2. Being in the same category or predicament. 3. Being in the same case-relation or government.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — अधिकरण (adhikaraṇa) a. 1 having a common substratum. 2 being in the same category or predicament. 3 being in the same case-relation or government (in gram. ); तत्पुरुषः (tatpuruṣaḥ) समानाधिकरणः कर्मधारयः (samānādhikaraṇaḥ karmadhārayaḥ) Pāṇini’s Aṣṭādhyāyī I. 2. 42. (
- 1. Same location or predicament. 2. Agreement in case or apposition. 3. A predicament including several things or a generic property. 4. Common government.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — णं (ṇaṃ) ) 1 same location or predicament. 2 agreement in case, apposition. 3 a predicament including several things, a generic property. 4 common government

### Honoured, Esteemed (2 definitions)
- possessing honour or esteem  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 1160,3] 1. स - मान (sa-māna) mfn. (for समान (samāna) See col. 1; for सम् - आन (sam-āna) See p. 1154, col. 2) possessing honour or esteem, honoured by ( gen. ), Vet. [ ID=234371 ]
- Honoured  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > समान (samāna) [Printed book page 1096-c ] समान (samāna) a. 5 Honoured

### Phonetic/Prosodic Sameness (2 definitions)
- having the same place or organ of utterance, homogeneous  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > having the same place or organ of utterance, homogeneous (as a sound or letter), Vop. [ ID=234228 ]
- a kind of metre  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > समानी (samānī) a ( ई (ī) ), f. a kind of metre, Piṅg. [ ID=234237 ]

### Virtuous, Good, Just (Adjective) (2 definitions)
- virtuous  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > virtuous, good, L. [ ID=234233 ]
- Good, virtuous, just  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > समान (samāna) [Printed book page 1096-c ] समान (samāna) a. 3 Good, virtuous, just

### Adverbial: Equally, Like (1 definition)
- like, equally with  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1C) [Printed book page 1160,1] समानम् (samānam) ( अम् (am) ), ind. like, equally with ( instr. ), Kir. [ ID=234235 ]

### Being (Ontological Sense) (1 definition)
- being  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > being (= सत् (sat), after an adj. ), Divyāv. [ ID=234232 ]

### Compounds: Shared Attribute/Kinship/Relationship (1 definition)
- sagotra  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — गोत्र (gotra) = सगोत्र (gotra) (sagotra) q. v

### Moderate, Middling (Adjective) (1 definition)
- middling or moderate  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > holding the middle between two extremes, middling moderate, BhP. [ ID=234229 ]

### Whole Number (Mathematical) (1 definition)
- whole as opposed to a fraction  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > whole (as a number, opp. to ‘a fraction’), Pāṇini (Author) v, 2, 47, Vārtt. 4 [ ID=234231 ]

### With Anger (as sa-māna) (1 definition)
- with anger  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > with anger, BhP. [ ID=234372 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary; 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; The Purana Index; The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects; 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
