# व्यूह (vyūha)

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

व्यूह (vyūha) is a Sanskrit word meaning arrangement or distribution, orderly arrangement of the parts of a whole, a military array, army, host, or squadron, shifting, transposition, or displacement, separation or resolution of vowels and syllables, detailed explanation or description. Its 21 recorded definitions are grouped into 12 contexts, among them Military Formation or Force, Arrangement, Distribution, or Disposition, Aggregate, Multitude, or Collection.

- **Etymology:** E. वि before ऊह to reason, aff. घञ् — E. vi before ūha to reason, aff. ghañ
- **SLP1:** `vyUha`  **IAST:** vyūha  **Devanagari:** व्यूह
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vy%C5%ABha
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/vyuha/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Military Formation or Force (7 definitions)
- A military array, army, host, or squadron.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > military array, an army, host, squadron (various arrays are दण्ड - (daṇḍa-), ‘staff-like array’; शकट - (śakaṭa-), ‘cart array’; वराह - (varāha-), ‘boar array’; मण्डल - (maṇḍala-), ‘circular ar° ’; अ - संहत - (a-saṃhata-), ‘loose ar° ’; आखेट - व्यूह (ākheṭa-vyūha), ‘hunting array’ &c.), Manu-smṛti (Title) vii, 187; MBh. &c. [ ID=210308 ]
- 1. Shifting, displacement, or distraction. 2. Distribution or disposition. 3. Military array or troops in battle array. 4. Aggregate, host, or multitude. 5. A divine quaternity consisting of Vasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha. 6. Detailed exposition. 7. A section or chapter.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > व्यूह (vyūha) [Printed book page 304-2 ] व्यूह (vyūha) vi‿ūhá, m. shifting, displacement; distraction ( of semi-vowels or compound vowels ); distribution, disposition ( rare ); military array, troops in battle-array ( ord. mg. ); aggregate, host, multitude; Puruṣottamaʼs quaternity as Vāsudeva, Saṃkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha; detailed exposition ( rare ); section, chapter: -racanāṃ vi-dhā, assume a warlike attitude. [ ID=17361 ]
- 1. Military array or the arrangement of troops. 2. A flock or multitude. 3. Logic and reasoning. 4. Making or manufacture. 5. The body.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > व्यूह (vyūha) [Printed book page 821 ] व्यूह (vyūha) m. ( - हः (-haḥ) ) 1 Military array, the arrangement of troops in various positions; as दण्डव्यूह (vyūha) ः (daṇḍavyūhaḥ) the array in line, भोगव्यूह (vyūha) ः (bhogavyūhaḥ) in column, मण्डलव्यूह (vyūha) ः (maṇḍalavyūhaḥ) in circle, असंहतव्यूह (vyūha) ः (asaṃhatavyūhaḥ) in mixed order; also various fanciful forms, as the शकटः (śakaṭaḥ) or car-shape, मकरः (makaraḥ) or marine monster-like, पताका (patākā) flag-shape, &c. 2 A flock, a multitude. 3 Logic, reasoning. 4 Making, manufacture. 5 The body. E. वि (vi) before ऊह (ūha) to reason, aff. घञ् (ghañ). [ ID=37322 ]
- 1. Military array. 2. A multitude. 3. Logic. 4. Manufacture. 5. The body.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > व्यूह (vyūha) [Printed book page 739-a ] व्यूह (vyūha) ( हः ) ((haḥ)) 1. m. Military array; a multitude; logic; manufacture; the body. [ ID=36958 ]
- 1. A multitude or host. 2. An army or squadron. 3. A military array. 4. The body. 5. Structure or formation. 6. Logic or reasoning.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > व्यूह (vyūha) [Printed book page 702-05 ] व्यूह (vyūha) m. 1. A host, a multitude; 2. an army, a squadron, व्यूह (vyūha) ावुभौ तावितरेतरस्माद् भंगं जयं चापतुरव्यवस्थम् (vyūhāvubhau tāvitaretarasmād bhaṃgaṃ jayaṃ cāpaturavyavastham) R. viii.54; 3. a military array; 4. the body; 5. structure, formation; 6. logic, reasoning. [ ID=36761 ]
- 1. The arrangement of troops in various positions. 2. A flock or multitude. 3. Logic or reasoning. 4. Making or manufacture. 5. The body. 6. Formation or structure. 7. A squadron.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > व्यूह (vyūha) [Printed book page 700-b ] व्यूह (vyūha) m. ( - हः (-haḥ) ) 1. Military array, the arrangement of troops in various positions; as दण्डव्यूह (vyūha) ः (vyūhaḥ) (daṇḍavyūhaḥ) the array in line, भोगव्यूह (vyūha) ः (vyūhaḥ) (bhogavyūhaḥ) in column, मण्डल - (maṇḍala-) व्यूह (vyūha) ः (vyūhaḥ) in circle, असंहतव्यूह (vyūha) ः (vyūhaḥ) (asaṃhatavyūhaḥ) in mixed order; also various fanciful forms, as the शकटः (śakaṭaḥ) or car-shape, मकरः (makaraḥ) or marine monster-like, पताका (patākā) flag-shape, &c. 2. A flock, a multitude. 3. Logic, reasoning. 4. Making, manufacture. 5. The body. 6. Formation, structure. 7. A squadron. E. वि (vi) before ऊह् (ūh) to reason, aff. घञ् । (ghañ.) [ ID=39094 ]
- 1. Military array. 2. An army or squadron. 3. A flock or multitude. 4. Logic. 5. Making. 6. The body.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > व्यूह (vyūha) [Printed book page 0920-b ] व्यूह (vyūha) vyūha, i. e. vi-ūh + a, m. 1. Military array, Man. 7, 187. 2. An army, Ragh. 7, 51; squadron, Man. 7, 188. 3. A flock, a multitude, Nal. 12, 30. 4. Logic. 5. Making. 6. The body. — Comp. Garbha-, m. a kind of array, MBh. 6, 3850; 3851. Cakra-, m. the array in a circle, ib. 7, 1441. Daṇḍa-, m. the array in line, Man. 7, 187. Maṇ- ḍala-, m. the array in a circle, cf. Pañc. 9, 14. [ ID=14304 ]

### Arrangement, Distribution, or Disposition (4 definitions)
- arrangement or distribution  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 1041,1] 1. व्य् - ऊह (vy-ūha) m. placing apart, distribution, arrangement, R.; VarBṛS. &c. [ ID=210306 ]
- orderly arrangement of the parts of a whole  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > orderly arrangement of the parts of a whole ( cf. चरण - व्य् (caraṇa-vy) ° (°) ), disposition, Nyāyas. [ ID=210307 ]
- 1. Distribution, arrangement, or military array. 2. A whole, complex, troop, or multitude. 3. Detailed explanation or description.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > व्यूह (vyūha) [Printed book page 531 ] व्यूह (vyūha) m. shifting, dislocation, distribution, disposition, arrangement, military array; totality, a whole or complex; host, troop, multitude; detailed explanation or description. [ ID=31468 ]
- 1. Separation, distribution, or orderly arrangement. 2. A military array or army. 3. A flock or multitude. 4. Structure, formation, or the body. 5. Reasoning or logic. 6. Breathing.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > व्यूह (vyūha) [Printed book page 0983-a ] Vy-ūha, as, m. placing apart, separation, distribu- tion; separation or resolution (of vowels, syllables, &c. in Vedic grammar); orderly arrangement, dis- position, array (e. g. caraṇa-vyūha, array of Vedic schools), military array, (various forms of array are enumerated in Manu VII. 187 and elsewhere, e. g. daṇḍa, that like ‘a staff;’ śakaṭa, ‘a cart;’ va- rāha, ‘a boar;’ makara, ‘a sea-monster;’ sūci, Page0983-b+ 75 ‘a needle;’ garuḍa, ‘the bird of Viṣṇu;’ vajra, ‘a thunderbolt;’ bhoga, ‘a snake,’ i. e. in column; maṇḍala, ‘a circle;’ asaṃhata, ‘mixed order;’ patāka, ‘a flag,’ &c.); an army, host, squadron; a flock, multitude; (in phil.) arrangement or peculiar distribution (of the senses); formation, structure, manu- facture; the body; reasoning, logic, (in this sense rather to be derived fr. rt. 2. ūh with vi ); breathing (according to the Nyāya-sūtras III. 31). —Vyūha- pārṣṇi, is, m. the rear of an army (= praty- āsāra). —Vyūha-bhaṅga or vyūha-bheda, as, m. breaking an array, throwing into disorder. —Vyūha- racanā, f. arrangement of troops. —Vyūha-rāja, as, m. the chief or best form of military array. —Vyūhāntara (°ha-an°), as, m. a different ar- rangement or position. [ ID=45852 ]

### Aggregate, Multitude, or Collection (1 definition)
- an aggregate, flock, or multitude  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > an aggregate, flock, multitude, Vās.; Śatr. [ ID=210315 ]

### Breathing or Respiration (1 definition)
- breathing  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > breathing, Nyāyas. [ ID=210317 ]

### Detailed Explanation or Description (1 definition)
- detailed explanation or description  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > detailed explanation or description, SaddhP. [ ID=210311 ]

### Form, Manifestation, or Divine Emanation (1 definition)
- form, manifestation, appearance  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > form, manifestation ( esp. the quadruple manifestation of Puruṣottama as Vāsudeva, Saṃkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha), appearance (often ifc. after numerals, cf. चतुर् - (catur-), त्रिर् - व्य् (trir-vy) ° (°) ), MBh.; BhP.; Sarvad. [ ID=210313 ]

### Formation, Structure, or Manufacture (1 definition)
- formation, structure, manufacture  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > formation, structure, manufacture, L. [ ID=210314 ]

### Linguistic Separation or Resolution (1 definition)
- separation or resolution of vowels and syllables  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > separation, resolution (of vowels, syllables &c.), RPrāt. [ ID=210310 ]

### Reasoning or Logic (1 definition)
- reasoning or logic  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 1041,1] 2. व्य् - ऊह (vy-ūha) m. reasoning, logic (= तर्क (tarka) ), L. [ ID=210331 ]

### Section or Division of a Text (1 definition)
- a section, division, or chapter  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a section, division, chapter, Sarvad. [ ID=210312 ]

### Shifting or Displacement (1 definition)
- shifting, transposition, or displacement  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > shifting, transposition, displacement, ŚBr.; ŚrS. [ ID=210309 ]

### The Physical Body (1 definition)
- the body  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the body, W. [ ID=210316 ]

## Sources

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

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