हिरण्य

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• হিৰণ্য (Assamese script)
• ᬳᬶᬭᬡ᭄ᬬ (Balinese script)
• হিরণ্য (Bengali script)
• 𑰮𑰰𑰨𑰜𑰿𑰧 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀳𑀺𑀭𑀡𑁆𑀬 (Brahmi script)
• ဟိရဏျ (Burmese script)
• હિરણ્ય (Gujarati script)
• ਹਿਰਣ੍ਯ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌹𑌿𑌰𑌣𑍍𑌯 (Grantha script)
• ꦲꦶꦫꦟꦾ (Javanese script)
• 𑂯𑂱𑂩𑂝𑂹𑂨 (Kaithi script)
• ಹಿರಣ್ಯ (Kannada script)
• ហិរណ្យ (Khmer script)
• ຫິຣຓ຺ຍ (Lao script)
• ഹിരണ്യ (Malayalam script)
• ᡥᡳᡵᠠᢏᠶᠠ (Manchu script)
• 𑘮𑘱𑘨𑘜𑘿𑘧 (Modi script)
• ᠾᠢᠷᠠᢏᠶ᠎ᠠ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧎𑧒𑧈𑦼𑧠𑧇 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐴𑐶𑐬𑐞𑑂𑐫 (Newa script)
• ହିରଣ୍ଯ (Odia script)
• ꢲꢶꢬꢠ꣄ꢫ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆲𑆴𑆫𑆟𑇀𑆪 (Sharada script)
• 𑖮𑖰𑖨𑖜𑖿𑖧 (Siddham script)
• හිරණ්‍ය (Sinhalese script)
• 𑪂𑩑𑩼𑩪 𑪙𑩻 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚩𑚮𑚤𑚘𑚶𑚣 (Takri script)
• ஹிரண்ய (Tamil script)
• హిరణ్య (Telugu script)
• หิรณฺย (Thai script)
• ཧི་ར་ཎྱ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒯𑒱𑒩𑒝𑓂𑒨 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨱𑨁𑨫𑨘𑩇𑨪 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Iranian *ȷ́ʰr̥Hanyam (“gold”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰl̥h₃-en-yo-m, from *ǵʰelh₃- (“yellow, golden”). Cognate with Avestan 𐬰𐬀𐬭𐬀𐬦𐬌𐬌𐬀 (zarańiia, “gold”), Old Persian 𐎭𐎼𐎴𐎹 (d-r-n-y /⁠daraniya⁠/, “gold”), Russian жёлтый (žóltyj, “yellow”), English gold and yellow. Also related to हरि (hári).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /ɦí.ɾɐɳ.jɐ/, [ɦí.ɾɐj̃.jɐ]
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ɦiˈɾɐɳ.jɐ/

Noun

हिरण्य • (híraṇya) stem, n

1. gold
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 7.90.6:

     ई॒शा॒नासो॒ ये दध॑ते॒ स्व॑र्णो॒ गोभि॒रश्वे॑भि॒र्वसु॑भि॒र्हिर॑ण्यैः ।
     इन्द्र॑वायू सू॒रयो॒ विश्व॒मायु॒रर्व॑द्भिर्वी॒रैः पृत॑नासु सह्युः ॥

     īśānā́so yé dádhate svárṇo góbhiráśvebhirvásubhirhíraṇyaiḥ.
     índravāyū sūráyo víśvamā́yurárvadbhirvīráiḥ pṛ́tanāsu sahyuḥ.

     O Indra and Vayu, may these rulees who give us heavenly light with gifts of cows and horses, gold and treasures overcome in battle with their steeds and heroes through full life.

2. any vessel or ornament made of gold (as 'a golden spoon')
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda
   • c. 1200 BCE – 1000 BCE, Atharvaveda
3. a gold piece or coin
4. a particular measure
5. the Datura or thorn apple

Declension

Neuter a-stem declension of हिरण्य (híraṇya)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	हिरण्यम् híraṇyam	हिरण्ये híraṇye	हिरण्यानि / हिरण्या¹ híraṇyāni / híraṇyā¹
Vocative	हिरण्य híraṇya	हिरण्ये híraṇye	हिरण्यानि / हिरण्या¹ híraṇyāni / híraṇyā¹
Accusative	हिरण्यम् híraṇyam	हिरण्ये híraṇye	हिरण्यानि / हिरण्या¹ híraṇyāni / híraṇyā¹
Instrumental	हिरण्येन híraṇyena	हिरण्याभ्याम् híraṇyābhyām	हिरण्यैः / हिरण्येभिः¹ híraṇyaiḥ / híraṇyebhiḥ¹
Dative	हिरण्याय híraṇyāya	हिरण्याभ्याम् híraṇyābhyām	हिरण्येभ्यः híraṇyebhyaḥ
Ablative	हिरण्यात् híraṇyāt	हिरण्याभ्याम् híraṇyābhyām	हिरण्येभ्यः híraṇyebhyaḥ
Genitive	हिरण्यस्य híraṇyasya	हिरण्ययोः híraṇyayoḥ	हिरण्यानाम् híraṇyānām
Locative	हिरण्ये híraṇye	हिरण्ययोः híraṇyayoḥ	हिरण्येषु híraṇyeṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Synonyms

• सुवर्ण (suvárṇa)

Derived terms

• हिरण्यगर्भ (hiraṇyagarbha)
• हिरण्याक्ष (hiraṇyākṣa)
• हिरण्यकशिपु (hiraṇyakaśipu)

Descendants

• Ashokan Prakrit: 𑀳𑀺𑀭𑀁𑀦 (hiraṃna)
  • Ardhamagadhi Prakrit: 𑀳𑀺𑀭𑀡𑁆𑀡 (hiraṇṇa)
  • Maharastri Prakrit: 𑀳𑀺𑀭𑀡𑁆𑀡 (hiraṇṇa)
• Pali: hirañña
  • → Khmer: ហិរញ្ញ (herañ)
• Helu Prakrit:
  • Sinhalese: රන් (ran)
  • Dhivehi: ރަން (ran̊)
• → Tamil: ஹிரண்யம் (hiraṇyam), இரணியம் (iraṇiyam)
• → Bengali: হিরণ (hiron) (semi-learned)

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “हिरण्य”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 1299.
• Mayrhofer, Manfred (1996) Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎^[1] (in German), volume 2, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 816