मास

Sanskrit

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Iranian, from Proto-Indo-European *mḗh₁n̥s (“moon; month”), from *meh₁- (“to measure”). Cognates include Latin mensis, Ancient Greek μήν (mēn), Old Persian 𐎶𐎠𐏃 (māha) and Old English mōnaþ, mōna (English month, moon).

Noun

मास (mā́sa) m

1. moon
   • RV 10.89.13a

     अन्वह मासा अन्विद वनान्यन्वोषधीरनु पर्वतासः |

     अन्विन्द्रं रोदसी वावशाने अन्वापो अजिहतजायमानम ||

     anvaha māsā anvid vanānyanvoṣadhīranu parvatāsaḥ |

     anvindraṃ rodasī vāvaśāne anvāpo ajihatajāyamānam ||

     Him, verily, the moons, the mountains followed, the tall trees followed and the plants and herbage.

     Yearning with love both Worlds approached, the Waters waited on Indra when he first had being.

2. a month or the 12th part of the Hindu year
   • RV 3.31.9d

     नि गव्यता मनसा सेदुरर्कैः कर्ण्वानासो अम्र्तत्वाय गातुम |

     इदं चिन नु सदनं भूर्येषां येन मासानसिषासन्न्र्तेन ||

     ni ghavyatā manasā sedurarkaiḥ kṛṇvānāso amṛtatvāya ghātum |

     idaṃ cin nu sadanaṃ bhūryeṣāṃ yena māsānasiṣāsannṛtena ||

     They sate them down with spirit fain for booty, making with hymns a way to life eternal.

     And this is still their place of frequent session, whereby they sought to gain the months through Order.

   मासम् (māsam) — for a month

   मासम् एकम् (māsam ekam) — for one month

   मासेन (māsena) — in the course of a month

   मासे (māse) — in a month = after the lapse of a month

3. a symbolical name for the number twelve

Declension

    Masculine a-stem declension of मास

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	मासः (māsaḥ)	मासौ (māsau)	मासाः (māsāḥ)
Vocative	मास (māsa)	मासौ (māsau)	मासाः (māsāḥ)
Accusative	मासम् (māsam)	मासौ (māsau)	मासान् (māsān)
Instrumental	मासेन (māsena)	मासाभ्याम् (māsābhyām)	मासैः (māsaiḥ)
Dative	मासाय (māsāya)	मासाभ्याम् (māsābhyām)	मासेभ्यः (māsebhyaḥ)
Ablative	मासात् (māsāt)	मासाभ्याम् (māsābhyām)	मासेभ्यः (māsebhyaḥ)
Genitive	मासस्य (māsasya)	मासयोः (māsayoḥ)	मासानाम् (māsānām)
Locative	मासे (māse)	मासयोः (māsayoḥ)	मासेषु (māseṣu)

See also

• चन्द्र
• सोम

References

• Sir Monier Monier-Williams, A Sanskrit-English dictionary etymologically and philologically arranged with special reference to cognate Indo-European languages, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1898, page 0814