# स्वाहा (svāhā)

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

स्वाहा (svāhā) is a Sanskrit word meaning hail, hail to, or may a blessing rest on, an oblation or oblation personified, an oblation or offering to the gods, a female Buddhist deity, an exclamation used when making oblations, similar to hail, an oblation or offering made to all gods indiscriminately. Its 21 recorded definitions are grouped into 5 contexts, among them The Ritual Exclamation 'Svāhā', Other Divine Roles and Puranic Mentions, Personification as a Major Deity (Wife of Agni).

- **Roots:** कृ (kṛ), अह् (ah)
- **Etymology:** E. सु well, auspiciously, आङ् before ह्वेञ् to call, to invoke, (the gods,) and डा aff., or स्वाद to taste, aff. आ, and द changed to ह — E. su well, auspiciously, āṅ before hveñ to call, to invoke, (the gods,) and ḍā aff., or svāda to taste, aff. ā, and da changed to ha
- **SLP1:** `svAhA`  **IAST:** svāhā  **Devanagari:** स्वाहा
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svaha
- **Declensions:** 24 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/svaha/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** स्वाह (svāha)

## Meanings by context

### The Ritual Exclamation 'Svāhā' (11 definitions)
- hail, hail to, or may a blessing rest on  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 1284,3] स्व् - आहा (sv-āhā) ind. ( prob. fr. 5. सु (su) and √ अह् (ah); cf. दुर् - आहा (dur-āhā) ) hail! hail to! may a blessing rest on! (with dat.; an exclamation used in making oblations to the gods; with √ कृ (kṛ) [ ind.p. - कारम् (-kāram), or - कृ (kṛ) त्य (-kṛtya) ] and acc. ‘to pronounce the exclamation Svāhā over’), RV. &c. &c. [ ID=259776 ]
- 1. Hail or amen. 2. Personified as a daughter of Daksha and wife of Agni.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > स्वाहा (svāhā) [Printed book page 373-2 ] स्वाहा (svāhā) su‿ā́hā, indecl. [ perhaps old in., auspicious word: √ah: cp. su‿asti] hail! blessing! (to, on, d. of deity ); at the end of invocations = amen: with kṛ, pronounce the exclamation svāhā over ( ac. ); f. personified as daughter of Dakṣa and wife of Agni : -kārá, m. utterance of or consecration with the exclamation svāhā; ( svā́hā ) -kṛta, pp. consecrated or offered with ‘svāhā’; ( svā́hā )- -kṛtī, f. consecration with ‘svāhā’; a deity of the Āprī hymns; -pati, m. husband of Svāhā, Agni; -vallabha, m. id.. [ ID=20339 ]
- 1. An exclamation used in making an oblation to the gods. 2. The wife of fire and goddess of burnt offerings. 3. A female divinity of the Buddhists.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > स्वाह (ha) ा (svāhā) [Printed book page 966 ] स्वाह (ha) ा (svāhā) ind. An exclamation used in making an oblation to the gods. f. ( - ह (ha) ा (-hā) ) 1 A personification of the preceding, as the wife of fire, and goddess presiding over burnt offerings. 2 A female divinity, peculiar to the Bauddhas. E. सु (su) well, auspiciously, आ (ā) ङ् (āṅ) before ह (ha) ्वेञ् (hveñ) to call, to invoke, (the gods,) and डा (ḍā) aff., or स्वाद (da) (svāda) to taste, aff. आ (ā), and द (da) changed to ह (ha). [ ID=43811 ]
- 1. An exclamation used when making offerings to the gods. 2. The wife of fire and a goddess of the Buddhists.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > स्वाहा (svāhā) [Printed book page 890-a ] स्वाहा (svāhā) adv. Exclamation on offering to the gods. f. Wife of fire, goddess of the Buddhists. [ ID=43620 ]
- An exclamation uttered when making an offering to the gods.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > स्वाहा (svāhā) (II) ind. An exclamation uttered at the time of making an offering to the gods (used with a noun in the dat., e.g. अग्नये स्वाहा (svāhā) (agnaye svāhā) ). [ ID=42838 ]
- 1. An exclamation uttered when making an offering to the gods. 2. The wife of fire and goddess of burnt offerings. 3. An oblation made to gods. 4. A female divinity in Buddhism.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > स्वाहा (svāhā) [Printed book page 825-a ] स्वाहा (svāhā) Ind. An exclamation uttered at the time of making an offering to the gods, (used with a noun in the dative.) f. ( - हा (-hā) ) 1. A personification of the preceding, as the wife of fire, and goddess presiding over burnt offerings. 2. An oblation made to Gods indiscriminately. 3. A female divinity, peculiar to the Bauddhas. E. सु (su) well, auspiciously, आङ् (āṅ) before ह्वेञ् (hveñ) to call, to invoke, (the gods,) and डा (ḍā) aff.; or स्वाद (da) ् (svād) to taste, aff. आ, (ā,) and द (da) changed to ह । (ha.) [ ID=46405 ]
- 1. An exclamation used when making offerings to the gods. 2. A personification of this exclamation as the wife of fire.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > स्वाहा (svāhā) [Printed book page 1100-a ] स्वाहा (svāhā) svāhā, I. indecl. An excla- mation on offering to the gods. II. f. A personification of the preceding as the wife of fire, Ragh. 1, 56. [ ID=16926 ]
- 1. An exclamation used when making oblations or at the end of an invocation. 2. A personification of the daughter of Daksha and wife of Agni.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > स्वाहा (svāhā) [Printed book page 655 ] स्वाहा (svāhā) an exclam, used in making oblations = hail to ( dat. ), or at the end of an invocation = Amen; as f. a personification of the daughter of Dakṣa and wife of Agni. [ ID=39218 ]
- An exclamation used when making oblations, or placed at the end of an invocation like amen.  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > स्वाहा (svāhā) [Printed book page 284-a ] svā́hā, excl. used when making oblations, hail, w. dat., 103 3; at the end of an invocation, like Amen, 99 13. [ ID=4852 ]
- A ritual exclamation, personified as a daughter of Daksha and wife of Agni.  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > स्वाहा (svāhā) [Printed book page 669-1 ] Svāhā (originally a ritual exclamation: I, 923; III, 14518; V, 4483; XII, 9630, 10602; XIII, 5620), personified as a daughter of Dakṣa, wife of Agni. § 240 (Vaivāhikap.): I, 199, 7351 ( yathā…S°ā caiva Vibhāvasau ).—§ 270 (Brahmasabhāv.): II, 11, 458 (in the palace of Brahmán).— § 490 (Āṅgirasa): III, 219, 14152 (a fire = Manyantī?, according to Nīl. daughter of Bṛhaspati).—§ 496 (Skandot- patti): III, 224, 14295 ( Dakṣaduhitā ); 225, 14314 ( S. assumed the form of the six wives of the Saptarṣis and cohabited with Agni; then she, in the shape of a bird (suparṇī), carried away the semen of Agni, from which Skanda arose).—§ 497 (do.): III, 226, 14344, 14347, 14354.—§ 500 (Skandop.): III, 228, 14391 ( Rudram Agnim Umāṃ (B., Agnimukhāṃ ) S°āṃ…yajanti putra- kāmāś ca putriṇaś ca sadā janāḥ ).—§ 501 (do.): III, 229, 14432.—§ 503 (Skandayuddhap.): III, 231, 14514, 14516, 14520, 14522 (Skanda granted S. companionship with Agni, so far as offerings should be performed with her name ( svāhety uktvā, v. 14518)).—§ 509 (Kārttikeyastava): III, 232, †14642 ( °-Mahī-Kṛttikānāṃ, sc. sutaḥ, i.e. Skanda).— § 565 (Gālavacarita): V, 117, 3967 ( reme…Svāhāyāñ ca yathā Vahniḥ ).—§ 599 (Jayadrathavadhap.): VII, 94 ε, 3452 (mentioned in a benediction to Duryodhana).—§ 615 u (Skanda): IX, 45 γ, 2515 (came to the investiture of Skanda).—§ 768 b (Umā-Maheśvarasaṃv.): XIII, 146 γ, 6751 ( Vibhāvasoḥ, sc. sādhvī ).—Different deities identified with the s. : Śiva: XII, 10423 (1000 names 1 ); Śrī: XII, 8355; Kṛṣṇa: XII, 1513; Sarasvatī: IX, 2389; Skanda: III, †14639. [ ID=10635 ]
- an invocation used in sacrificial offerings to deities  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Svāhā (V) — for karmas associated with Devas and yajñas like svadhā for Pitṛs. Vā. 75. 77. [ ID=17105 ]

### Other Divine Roles and Puranic Mentions (3 definitions)
- a god of one of the ten branches of the Harita gana  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Svāhā (II) — a god of one of the ten branches of the Harita gaṇa. Br. IV. 1. 85; Vā. 100. 89. [ ID=17102 ]
- the goddess enshrined at Maheshvarapura  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Svāhā (III) — the goddess enshrined at Māheśvarapura. M. 13. 42. [ ID=17103 ]
- a mind-born mother  
  *The Purana Index*
  > [Printed book page 3-736 ] Svāhā (IV) — a mind-born mother. M. 179. 20. [ ID=17104 ]

### Personification as a Major Deity (Wife of Agni) (3 definitions)
- 1. The wife of Agni. 2. An exclamation used when offering oblations to the gods.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > स्वाहा (svāhā) [Printed book page 1162-c ] स्वाहा (svāhā) 2 N. of the wife of Agni. — ind. An exclamation used in offering oblations to the gods (with dat. ); इंद्राय स्वाहा (svāhā); अग्नये स्वाहा (svāhā) (iṃdrāya svāhā; agnaye svāhā) &c
- 1. The wife of fire. 2. An oblation made to gods indiscriminately.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > स्वाहा (svāhā) [Printed book page 823-23 ] स्वाहा (svāhā) (I) f. 1. The wife of fire, अन्वासितमरुंधत्या स्वाहयेव हविर्भुजम् (anvāsitamaruṃdhatyā svāhayeva havirbhujam) R. i.56; 2. an oblation made to gods indiscriminately. [ ID=42837 ]
- 1. A daughter of Daksha and mother of Agni's forms. 2. An exclamation used when making offerings to gods.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > स्वाहा (svāhā) [Printed book page 3-735 ] Svāhā (I) — a daughter of Dakṣa and the mother of Pāvaka, Pavamāna and Śucī through Paśupati-Agni; from these three have sprung up forty-five agnis. All of them form a group of 49 agnis. 1 Mode of offering in invoking devas while svadhā for invoking Pitṛs. 2 [ Footnote: 1) Bhā. IV. 1. 60-61; Br. I. 1. 62; II. 9. 52, 56; 10. 81. 12. 3; Vā. 1. 76; 10. 28, 32; 27. 53; 29. 1; Vi. I. 7. 25, 27; 8. 8; 10. 14-15.] [ Footnote: 2) Br. III. 3. 25; 11. 18 and 116.] [ ID=17101 ]

### The Oblation or Offering (3 definitions)
- an oblation or oblation personified  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > स्व् - आहा (sv-āhā) f. an oblation (offered to Agni, Indra &c.) or Oblation personified (as a daughter of Dakṣa and wife of Agni; she is thought to preside over burnt-offerings; her body is said to consist of the four Vedas, and her limbs are the six Aṅgas or members of the Veda; she is represented also as a wife of the Rudra Paśu-pati), RV.; &c. [ ID=259776.1 ]
- An oblation or offering made to all gods indiscriminately.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > स्वाहा (svāhā) [Printed book page 1162-c ] स्वाहा (svāhā) 1 An oblation or offering made to all gods indiscriminately
- 1. An oblation or offering to the gods. 2. The personified oblation, wife of Agni and goddess of burnt offerings. 3. A female Buddhist deity. 4. An exclamation used when making oblations, similar to hail.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > स्वाहा (svāhā) [Printed book page 1162-a ] स्वाहा (svāhā) svāhā (probably for sv-ādhā, i. e. 5. su + rt. dhā with ā, but cf. sva-dhā ), ‘anything good placed on the fire,’ a good oblation or offering (to Agni, Indra, &c.), that part of an offering which is given to all the gods indiscriminately, (in this sense probably ind., but in the next fem.); the Ob- lation personified (as a wife of Agni and goddess presiding over burnt-offerings; Svāhā's body is said to consist of the four Vedas, and her limbs are the six Aṅgas or members of the Veda; she is repre- sented also as a wife of the Rudra Paśu-pati; cf. sva- dhā ); a female Bauddha divinity; in Naigh. I. 11. svāhā is enumerated among the vāṅ-nāmāni; (ind.) an exclamation used in making oblations to the gods (often used like ‘Hail!’ and governing a dat. case, e. g. Agnaye or Somāya svāhā; cf. sv-asti ). —Svāhā-kāra, as, m. utterance of the term Svāhā; the formula Svāhā (uttered at the end of the Yājyā verses). —Svāhā-kṛti, is, f., Ved. an oblation made with the Svāhā-kāra, (Ṛg-veda X. 110, 11. is ad- dressed to the Svāhā-kṛtis.) —Svāhā-pati, is, m. ‘lord of the Svāhā,’ Agni. —Svāhā-priya, as, m. ‘fond of the Svāhā,’ Agni. —Svāhā-bhuj, k, m. ‘eating the Svāhā,’ a deity. [ ID=53800 ]

### Related Terms and Epithets (1 definition)
- a god  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — भुज् (bhuj) m. a god, deity. [ ID=31208 ]

## 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; 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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