आ [ā] The second letter of the Alphabet.
आ [ā] 1 Used as a particle or interjection showing (a) assent; 'yes', 'verily'. (b) Compassion (अनुकम्पा) 'Ah'. (c) Pain or regret (usually written आस् or अः q. v.), 'alas'. (d) Recollection (स्मरण). 'Ah', 'Oh'; आ एवं किलासीत्
[U.6.] (e) But (used as a disjunctive conjunction). (f) And (used as a cumulative conjunction). (g) Sometimes used as an expletive; आ एवं मन्यसे. In all these senses आ is treated as a Pragṛihya vowel (does not form any Sandhi with a following vowel)
[P.I.1.14.] (h) It shows 'anger' also.
(As a prefix to verbs and nouns.) (a) it expresses the senses of near, near to, towards, from all sides, all around (see the several verbs). (b) With verbs of motion, taking, carrying &c. it shows the reverse of the action; as गम् to go, आगम् to come; दा to give, आदा to take; नी to carry, आनी to bring.
(As a separable preposition with abl.) it shows either (a) the limit inceptive (अभिविधि), from, ever since, away from, out of, off, from among; आ मूलात् श्रोतुमिच्छामि
[Ś.1;] बहुभ्य आ from out of many; आ जन्मनः
[Ś.5.25] ever since (her) birth; आ मनोः
[U.6.18.] (b) Or, it expresses the limit exclusive or conclusive (मर्यादा), till, until, upto, as far as, unto; आङ् मर्यादाभिविध्योः
[P.II.1.13;] see अभि- विधि; आ परितोषाद्विदुषाम्
[Ś.1.2] till the learned are satisfied; आ कैलासात्
[Me.11] upto or as far as Kailāsa; ओदकान्तात्
[Ś.4;] [U.1.37;] [V.2.2.] In this sense आ sometimes governs the acc.; शतमा जातीः upto a hundred births. (c) In both these senses आ frequently enters into compound, forming either Avyayībhāva comp. or compound adjectives; आबालं (or आ बालेभ्यः) हरिभक्तिः commencing with or including children; आमुक्ति (or आ मुक्तेः) संसारः Sk. till final emancipation; आमेखलम्
[Ku. 1.5] as far as; आमरणम् Pt.1 till death; आगोपालं ननृतुः K.7 down to the cowherd; आगोपाला द्विजातयः including the cowherds. Sometimes the compound so formed stands as the first member of other compounds, सोऽ- हमाजन्मशुद्धानामाफलोदयकर्मणाम् । आसमुद्रक्षितीशानामानाकरथवर्त्मनाम्
[R.1.5;] आगण्डविलम्बि
[Ś.6.17;] आकर्णलम्बि
[M.5.1.] (d) Used with loc. it has the sense of 'in', 'at' (mostly Ved.); गावो न यवसेष्वा
[Rv.1.91.13.] With adjectives (or sometimes with nouns) आ has a diminutive force; आपञ्जर a. Little red, reddish; आपिञ्जरा बद्धरजःकणत्वान्मञ्ज- र्युदारा शुशुभेऽर्जुनस्य
[R.16.51;] आपाण्डुर a little white, whitish; आलक्ष्य
[Ś.7.18.] slightly visible; आकम्पः gentle shaking; so आनील, आरक्त.
(As a separable adverb) आ chiefly occurs in the Vedas and means near, near to, or towards, there to, further; and also, even; in many cases it emphasizes the word which precedes it, and when placed after prepositions it strengthens their sense. आ प्रगृह्ये स्मृतौ वाक्ये परितापे पितामहे । घटे भावे च आऽस्तु स्यादव्ययं कोपपीडयोः । आङीषदर्थेऽभिव्याप्तौ सीमार्थे धातु- योगजे ॥
[Nm.] आ [ā] आः [āḥ] आः 1 N. of Śiva.
Grand father.
आः [āḥ] 1 = आस् q. v.
N. N. of Lakṣmī (आ). or Brahman.
Speech.
Boundary. cf. आः स्वयंभूरिभो वाजी खेदः शंकरवासवौ । पारिजातः समः प्राज्ञो निवासश्चणकः सुतः ॥
[Enm.]