यन्त्र

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• ᬬᬦ᭄ᬢ᭄ᬭ (Balinese script)
• যন্ত্ৰ (Assamese script)
• যন্ত্র (Bengali script)
• 𑰧𑰡𑰿𑰝𑰿𑰨 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀬𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀭 (Brahmi script)
• 𑌯𑌨𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌰 (Grantha script)
• યન્ત્ર (Gujarati script)
• ꦪꦤ꧀ꦠꦿ (Javanese script)
• យន្ត្រ (Khmer script)
• ಯನ್ತ್ರ (Kannada script)
• ຍນ຺ຕ຺ຣ (Lao script)
• യന്ത്ര (Malayalam script)
• 𑘧𑘡𑘿𑘝𑘿𑘨 (Modi script)
• ယန္တြ (Burmese script)
• 𑧇𑧁𑧠𑦽𑧠𑧈 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐫𑐣𑑂𑐟𑑂𑐬 (Newa script)
• ଯନ୍ତ୍ର (Oriya script)
• ꢫꢥ꣄ꢡ꣄ꢬ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆪𑆤𑇀𑆠𑇀𑆫 (Sharada script)
• 𑖧𑖡𑖿𑖝𑖿𑖨 (Siddham script)
• యన్త్ర (Telugu script)
• ยนฺตฺร (Thai script)
• ཡནྟྲ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒨𑒢𑓂𑒞𑓂𑒩 (Tirhuta script)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *yem-tró-m (“instrument of restraining”), from *yem- (“to hold, to restrain”).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /jɐn.tɾɐ́/
• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈjɐn̪.t̪ɾɐ/

Noun

यन्त्र • (yantrá) n

1. any instrument for holding or restraining or fastening, a prop, support, barrier; a fetter, band, tie, thong, rein
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 10.149.1:

     सविता यन्त्रैः पृथिवीमरम्णादस्कम्भने सविता द्यामदृंहत् ।

     savitā yantraiḥ pṛthivīmaramṇādaskambhane savitā dyāmadṛṃhat .

     Savitar fixed the earth with fetters to bind it, and made heaven stedfast where no prop supported.

2. a surgical instrument (especially a blunt one, such as tweezers)
3. any instrument or apparatus, mechanical contrivance, engine, machine, implement, appliance (as a bolt or lock on a door, oars or sails in a boat. etc.)
4. restraint, force
5. an amulet, mystical diagram supposed to possess occult powers

Declension

Neuter a-stem declension of यन्त्र (yantrá)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	यन्त्रम् yantrám	यन्त्रे yantré	यन्त्राणि / यन्त्रा¹ yantrā́ṇi / yantrā́¹
Vocative	यन्त्र yántra	यन्त्रे yántre	यन्त्राणि / यन्त्रा¹ yántrāṇi / yántrā¹
Accusative	यन्त्रम् yantrám	यन्त्रे yantré	यन्त्राणि / यन्त्रा¹ yantrā́ṇi / yantrā́¹
Instrumental	यन्त्रेण yantréṇa	यन्त्राभ्याम् yantrā́bhyām	यन्त्रैः / यन्त्रेभिः¹ yantraíḥ / yantrébhiḥ¹
Dative	यन्त्राय yantrā́ya	यन्त्राभ्याम् yantrā́bhyām	यन्त्रेभ्यः yantrébhyaḥ
Ablative	यन्त्रात् yantrā́t	यन्त्राभ्याम् yantrā́bhyām	यन्त्रेभ्यः yantrébhyaḥ
Genitive	यन्त्रस्य yantrásya	यन्त्रयोः yantráyoḥ	यन्त्राणाम् yantrā́ṇām
Locative	यन्त्रे yantré	यन्त्रयोः yantráyoḥ	यन्त्रेषु yantréṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Descendants

• Dardic:
  • Kashmiri: यन्द्र् (yandr)
  • Kalasha: žontr
  • Phalura: yáandr
  • Torwali: ژان‎ (žān)
• Pali: yanta
  • → Khmer: យន្ត (yŭən), យ័ន្ត (yŭən), យន្ត្រ (yŭən)
  • → Thai: ยนต์ (yon)
• Prakrit: 𑀚𑀁𑀢 (jaṃta)
  • Bhojpuri: 𑂔𑂰𑂀𑂞𑂰 (jā̃tā)
  • Early Assamese: জান্ত (janto), জান্তি (janti)
    • Assamese: যাঁত (zãt), যাঁতি (zãti)
  • Hindi: जाँत (jā̃t)
  • Magahi: 𑂔𑂰𑂀𑂞𑂰
  • Nepali: जाँतो (jā̃to)
  • Sindhi: jaṇḍu

    Devanagari: जंडु

    Arabic: جَنڊُ‎

• Romani: ǰándir, ǰándri
• → Assamese: যঁতৰ (zõtor), যন্ত্ৰ (zontro)
• → Oriya: ଯନ୍ତ୍ର (jôntrô)
• Punjabi: ਜੰਦਰਾ (jandrā)
• → English: yantra
• → Kannada: ಯಂತ್ರ (yantra)
• → Malayalam: യന്ത്രം (yantraṃ)
• → Tamil: இயந்திரம் (iyantiram)
• → Telugu: యంత్రము (yantramu)
• → Tocharian B: yāntärne

Further reading

• Monier Williams (1899), “यन्त्र”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, OCLC 458052227, page 845.
• Apte, Vaman Shivram (1890), “यन्त्र”, in The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary, Poona: Prasad Prakashan