# यान (yāna)

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

यान (yāna) is a Sanskrit word meaning leading or conducting, a path or course, a journey or travel, going, moving, riding, or marching, a vehicle or path of Buddhist spiritual practice, a way, road, or path. Its 19 recorded definitions are grouped into 7 contexts, among them Act of movement or travel, Vehicle or conveyance, Path, way, or course.

- **Root:** या (yā)
- **Etymology:** E. या to go, aff. ल्युट् । — E. yā to go, aff. lyuṭ
- **SLP1:** `yAna`  **IAST:** yāna  **Devanagari:** यान
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yana_%28Buddhism%29
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/yana/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Act of movement or travel (6 definitions)
- a journey or travel  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > यान (yāna) n. ( ifc. f( आ (ā) ). ) a journey, travel [ ID=171105 ]
- going, moving, riding, or marching  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > going, moving, riding, marching &c. to ( loc. or comp. ) or upon ( instr. or comp. ) or against ( acc. with प्रति (prati) ), Mn.; MBh. &c. [ ID=171106 ]
- 1. Leading. 2. Going, walking, marching, or riding. 3. Way or course. 4. Vehicle, conveyance, carriage, or chariot.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > यान (yāna) [Printed book page 244-2 ] यान (yāna) yā́‿ana, a. leading ( road ), to ( g. or ad. in -trā́; V. ); n. going, walking, marching, riding, to ( lc. or —° ), upon, on ( in., —° ), against ( ac. + prati); way, course; vehicle, conveyance, carriage, chariot (drawn by, —° ); vehicle leading to knowledge and releasing from transmigration ( B. ). [ ID=14810 ]
- 1. Marching or attacking. 2. Going, journey, or voyage. 3. Procession. 4. Carriage, chariot, or vehicle.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > यान (yāna) [Printed book page 596-28 ] यान (yāna) n. 1. Marching, attacking, M. vii.160, 2. going, a journey, a voyage, समुदयान (yāna) कुशला देशकालार्थदर्शिनः (samudayānakuśalā deśakālārthadarśinaḥ) M. viii.157; 3. a procession; 4. a carriage, a chariot, a vehicle in general, यान (yāna) ादवातरददूरमहीतलेन (yānādavātaradadūramahītalena) R. xiii.69, K.S. vi.76. [ ID=31421 ]
- 1. Going or moving. 2. Marching, including retreating or attacking an enemy. 3. Any vehicle, conveyance, or carriage.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > यान (yāna) [Printed book page 0741-b ] यान (yāna) yāna, i. e. yā + ana, n. 1. Going, Man. 4, 72; moving, Pañc. iii. d. 248. 2. Marching, generally comprising as well: Retreating before an enemy ( Pañc. iii. d. 34; cf. 35, and p. 153, 6, 7), as: Attacking an enemy ( Pañc. iii. d. 35; Man. 7, 160). 3. Any vehicle or form of conveyance, a carriage, Man. 2, 202. — Comp. Ākāśa-, n. moving through the sky, Vikr. 22, 9. Uṣṭra-, n. a vehicle drawn by camels, Man. 11, 201. Khara-, n. a vehicle drawn by asses, ib. Go-, n. a carriage drawn by oxen, Man. 11, 174. Jala-, n. a boat, Bhāg. P. 3, 14, 17. Deva-, I. adj., f. nī, lead- ing to the gods, MBh. 3, 11000. II. n. 1. the road leading to the gods, Bhāg. P. 7, 15, 55. 2. the vehicle of a god. III. f. nī, the daughter of Śukra, MBh. 1, 3159. Nara-, n. 1. a carriage drawn by men, MBh. 12, 1383. 2. -yāṇa (with ṇ ), riding on a man, Pañc. iii. d. 248. Nārī-, n. a carriage for women, Man. 3, 52. Nau-, n. navigation, Rājat. 1, 201. Pitṛ-, m. the way of the Manes, leading to the Manes, MBh. 12, 525, Pṛṣṭha-, n. 1. going on horseback, riding, Suśr. 1, 258, 5. 2. a horse, Kām. Nītis. 7, 36 (at the end of a comp. adj. ). Śata-sahasra-, n. a hundred thousand Page0742-a+ 42 roads, Pañc. ii. d. 135. Siṃha-, f. nā, Durgā. [ ID=11776 ]
- 1. Leading to a destination. 2. Going, riding, or marching. 3. A way or course. 4. A ship, vehicle, wagon, or chariot.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > यान (yāna) [Printed book page 432 ] यान (yāna) a. leading (of a way) to ( gen. or adv. in त्रा (trā) ). n. going, riding, marching; way, course; ship, vehicle i.g., waggon, chariot. [ ID=26001 ]

### Vehicle or conveyance (5 definitions)
- a vehicle, carriage, wagon, vessel, ship, litter, or palanquin  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a vehicle of any kind, carriage, waggon, vessel, ship, litter, palanquin, RV. &c. &c. [ ID=171107 ]
- 1. Any vehicle or form of conveyance. 2. Going, marching, or proceeding. 3. Marching against an enemy.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > या (yā) न (yāna) [Printed book page 684 ] या (yā) न (yāna) n. ( - नं (-naṃ) ) 1 Any vehicle or form of conveyance, as a carriage, a litter, a horse, an elephant, &c. 2 Going, marching, proceeding. 3 Invading, marching against an enemy. E. या (yā) to go, aff. ल्युट् (lyuṭ). [ ID=31421 ]
- 1. Any vehicle or form of conveyance. 2. Going. 3. Invading.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > यान (yāna) [Printed book page 612-b ] यान (yāna) ( नं ) ((naṃ)) 1. n. Any vehicle or form of conveyance; going; invading. [ ID=30982 ]
- 1. Any vehicle or conveyance. 2. Going, marching, or proceeding. 3. Invading or marching against an enemy.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > या (yā) न (yāna) [Printed book page 587-b ] या (yā) न (yāna) n. ( - नं (-naṃ) ) 1. Any vehicle or form of conveyance, as a carriage, a litter, a horse, an elephant, &c. 2. Going, marching, proceeding. 3. Invading, marching against an enemy. E. या (yā) to go, aff. ल्युट् । (lyuṭ.) [ ID=32658 ]
- vehicle  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > यान (yāna) [Printed book page 2-191 ] Yāna denotes ‘vehicle’ in the Rigveda 1 and later. 2 [ Footnote: 1) iv. 43, 6.] [ Footnote: 2) Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, v. 5, 3, 7; Ṣaḍviṃśa Brāhmaṇa, vi. 3, 10; Chān- dogya Upaniṣad, viii. 12, 3, etc.] [ ID=2583 ]

### Path, way, or course (3 definitions)
- a path or course  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2B) [Printed book page 849,3] यानी (yānī) f. a path, course, TS.; MaitrS.; Kāṭh. ( cf. g. गौरा (gaurā) दि (di) ) [ ID=171104 ]
- 1. A way. 2. A wagon.  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > यान (yāna) [Printed book page 225-a ] yā́na, m. way; as n. wagon. [ √yā, 1150. ] [ ID=3431 ]
- 1. A way, road, or path. 2. Moving, riding, marching, attacking, or retreating. 3. A journey or procession. 4. A vehicle, carriage, wagon, chariot, car, litter, or palanquin. 5. Among Buddhists, the means of attaining knowledge or release from rebirth.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > यान (yāna) [Printed book page 0813-c ] Yāna, as, am, m. n. way, road, path (Ved.); ( am ), n. the act of going, moving, riding; marching or proceeding (against an enemy), attacking; re- treating, retreat; a journey; a procession; a con- veyance or vehicle of any kind, carriage, waggon, chariot, car; a litter, palanquin; (with Buddhists) the vehicle or means of arriving at knowledge, the means of release from repeated births; ( ī ), f., see Gaṇa Gaurādi to Pāṇ. IV. 1, 41; [cf. Lat. janua.] —Yāna-kara, as, m. ‘carriage-maker,’ a wheel- Page0814-a+ 81 wright, carpenter. —Yāna-pātra or yāna-pātraka, am, n. ‘going-vessel,’ a ship, boat. —Yānapātrikā, f. a small vessel, boat. —Yāna-bhaṅga, as, m. the fracture of a vessel or boat, shipwreck. —Yāna- mukha, am, n. the fore part of a waggon or chariot, the pole or part where the yoke is fixed. —Yāna- yāna, am, n. riding in a carriage, driving in a chariot, a drive. —Yāna-vat, ān, atī, at, having a carriage or vehicle; travelling in a carriage. —Yāna- śālā, f. a coach-house, cart-shed. —Yāna-svāmin, ī, m. the owner of a vehicle. [ ID=38512 ]

### Cross-references or meta-notes (2 definitions)
- See page 849, column 3  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 851,2] यान (yāna) b &c. See p. 849, col. 3. [ ID=171444 ]
- See page 813  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > [Printed book page 0816-a ] यान (yāna) yāna, &c. See p. 813, col. 3. [ ID=38627 ]

### Buddhist spiritual path/vehicle (1 definition)
- 1. A method of arriving at knowledge and release from repeated births. 2. A vehicle or path of Buddhist spiritual practice.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (with Buddhists) the vehicle or method of arriving at knowledge, the means of release from repeated births (there are either 3 systems, the श्रावक - यान (śrāvaka-yāna), the प्रत्येक - बुद्ध - य् (pratyeka-buddha-y) ° (°) or प्रत्येक - य् (pratyeka-y) ° (°), and the महा - य् (mahā-y) ° (°); or more generally only 2, the महा - यान (mahā-yāna) or ‘Great method’ and the हिन - य् (hina-y) ° (°) or ‘Lesser method’; sometimes there is only ‘One Vehicle’, the एक - यान (eka-yāna), or ‘one way to beatitude’), SaddhP.; Dharmasaṃgraha (Title) 2 ( cf. Monier-Williams’ Buddhism in its connexion with Brāhmaṇism and Hindūism: and in its contrast with Christianity (Title) 159 &c.) [ ID=171108 ]

### Leading or conducting (adjective) (1 definition)
- leading or conducting  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 849,3] यान (yāna) a mfn. leading, conducting (said of a road; ‘to’ gen. or adv. in ° त्रा (°trā) ), RV. [ ID=171103 ]

### Name of a deity (1 definition)
- a Sadhya god  
  *The Purana Index*
  > यान (yāna) [Printed book page 3-028 ] Yāna — a Sādhya god. Vā. 66. 15. [ ID=11289 ]

## Sources

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