Sanskrit

Noun

वज्र • ‎(vájra) m

1. (also n) "the hard or mighty one", a thunderbolt
   1. especially that of Indra, said to have been formed out of the bones of the rishi दधीच​ ‎(dadhīca) or दधीचि ‎(dadhīci), and shaped like a circular discus, or in later times regarded as having the form of two transverse bolts crossing each other thus x
   2. sometimes also applied to similar weapons used by various gods or superhuman beings, or to any mythical weapon destructive of spells or charms, also to मन्यु ‎(manyu, “wrath”), RV. or [with अपाम् ‎(apām)] to a jet of water AV. etc.
   3. also applied to a thunderbolt in general or to the lightning evolved from the centrifugal energy of the circular thunderbolt of Indra when launched at a foe
   4. in Northern Buddhist countries it is shaped like a dumb-bell and called Dorje (MWB. 201, 322 etc.; RV. etc.)
2. a diamond (thought to be as hard as the thunderbolt or of the same substance with it), (ShaḍvBr., Mn., MBh. etc.)
3. a kind of talc (L.)
4. a kind of penance (feeding for a month on only barley prepared with cow's urine) (L.)
5. sour gruel (W.)
6. a form of military array (Mn., MBh., etc.) (compare वज्रव्यूह​ ‎(vajra-vyūha))
7. a kind of column or pillar (VarBṛS.)
8. a particular form of the moon (ib.)
9. a particular एकाह​ ‎(ekāha) (Vait.)
10. a kind of hard mortar or cement (कल्क​ ‎(kalka)) (VarBṛS.) (compare वज्रलेप​ ‎(vajra-lepa))
11. name of the 15th of the 27 yogas or astronomical divisions of time (ib.)
12. a particular soma ceremony (ShaḍvBr.)
13. Euphorbia antiquorum and another species (L.)
14. Astera (L.)
15. name of a mountain (R.)
16. name of an asura (Vīrac.)
17. name of a son of अनिरुद्ध​ ‎(aniruddha) (MBh., Hariv., Pur.)
18. name of a son of विश्वामित्र​ ‎(viśvāmitra) (MBh.)
19. name of a son of Manu Sāvarṇa (Hariv.)
20. (Jainism) of one of the 10 dala-pūrvins (L.)
21. name of a rishi (VarBṛS.) (compare वात्स्य​ ‎(vātsya))
22. name of a minister of नरेन्द्रादित्य​ ‎(narendrāditya) (Rājat.)
23. name of a son of भूति ‎(bhūti) (ib.)
24. name of a heretical king (Buddh.)

Declension

Descendants

• English: vajra

Noun

वज्र • ‎(vájra) n

1. denunciation in strong language (compared to thunder) (R., Sāh., Pratāp.) (compare वाक्यवज्र​ ‎(vākya-vajra) and वाग्वज्र​ ‎(vāg-vajra))
2. a kind of hard iron or steel (L.)
3. a particular posture in sitting (Cat.) (compare वज्रासन​ ‎(vajrā*sana))
4. name of a particular configurations of the planets and stars (in which favourable planets are situated in the 1st and 7th houses and unfavourable in the 4th and 10th) (VarBṛS.)
5. myrobalan (L.)
6. the blossom of the sesamum or of any plant called vajra (L.)
7. Chrysopogon zizanioides, formerly Andropogon muricatus (L.)
8. = बालक​ ‎(bālaka), a child, pupil (L.)

Declension

Adjective

वज्र • ‎(vájra)

1. adamantine, hard, impenetrable (W.)
2. shaped like a kind of cross (compare above ), forked, zigzag (ib.)

Declension

References

• Sir Monier Monier-Williams (1898) A Sanskrit-English dictionary etymologically and philologically arranged with special reference to cognate Indo-European languages, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 0913