धेनु

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Iranian *dʰa(H)inúš (milch cow), a derivation from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁(y)- (to suckle, nurse). Cognate with Avestan 𐬛𐬀𐬉𐬥𐬎 (daēnu).

Pronunciation

Noun

धेनु • (dhenú) stem, f

  1. a milk cow or any cow
    • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 9.69.4:
      उक्षा मिमाति प्रति यन्ति धेनवो देवस्य देवीरुप यन्ति निष्कृतम् ।
      ukṣā mimāti prati yanti dhenavo devasya devīrupa yanti niṣkṛtam.
      The Bull is bellowing; the Cows are coming near: the Goddesses approach the God's own resting-place.
  2. any offering or present to Brahmans instead or in the shape of a cow
  3. (figuratively) the earth

Declension

Feminine u-stem declension of धेनु (dhenú)
Singular Dual Plural
Nominative धेनुः
dhenúḥ
धेनू
dhenū́
धेनवः
dhenávaḥ
Vocative धेनो
dhéno
धेनू
dhénū
धेनवः
dhénavaḥ
Accusative धेनुम्
dhenúm
धेनू
dhenū́
धेनूः
dhenū́ḥ
Instrumental धेन्वा
dhenvā́
धेनुभ्याम्
dhenúbhyām
धेनुभिः
dhenúbhiḥ
Dative धेनवे / धेन्वै¹
dhenáve / dhenvaí¹
धेनुभ्याम्
dhenúbhyām
धेनुभ्यः
dhenúbhyaḥ
Ablative धेनोः / धेन्वाः¹ / धेन्वै²
dhenóḥ / dhenvā́ḥ¹ / dhenvaí²
धेनुभ्याम्
dhenúbhyām
धेनुभ्यः
dhenúbhyaḥ
Genitive धेनोः / धेन्वाः¹ / धेन्वै²
dhenóḥ / dhenvā́ḥ¹ / dhenvaí²
धेन्वोः
dhenvóḥ
धेनूनाम्
dhenūnā́m
Locative धेनौ / धेन्वाम्¹
dhenaú / dhenvā́m¹
धेन्वोः
dhenvóḥ
धेनुषु
dhenúṣu
Notes
  • ¹Later Sanskrit
  • ²Brāhmaṇas

Descendants

  • Maharastri Prakrit: 𑀥𑁂𑀡𑀼 (dheṇu)
  • Pali: dhenu
  • Hindi: धेनु (dhenu)
  • Telugu: ధేనువు (dhēnuvu)

Adjective

धेनु • (dhenú) stem

  1. milch, yielding or giving milk

References

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