Sanskrit dictionary (beta)

[रह्-उण् Uṇ.1.3]

1. Name of a demon, son of Viprachitti and Siṁhikā and hence often called Saiṁhikeya; ग्रसते हि तमोपहं मुहुर्ननु राह्वाह्वमहर्पतिं तमः Śi.16.57; विधुरपि विधियोगाद् ग्रस्यते राहुणासौ H. [When the nectar, that was churned out of the ocean, was being served to the gods, Rāhu disguised himself and attempted to drink it along with them. But he was detected by the sun and the moon who informed Viṣṇu of the fraud. Visnu, thereupon, severed his head from the body; but as he had tasted a little quantity of nectar the head became immortal, and is supposed to wreak its vengeance on the sun and moon at the time of conjunction and opposition; Compare Bh.2.34. In astronomy Rāhu is regarded, like Ketu, as one of the nine planets, or only as the ascending node of the moon.]
2. An eclipse, or rather the moment of occultation.
3. Abandoning.
4. One who abandons.
5. The regent of the southwest quarter.

1. masculine gender (from √रभ्; confer, compare ग्रह and √ग्रह्) "the Seizer", Name of a Daitya दैत्य or demon who is supposed to seize the sun and moon and thus cause eclipses (he is fabled as a son of Vipra-citti विप्र-चित्ति and Sin6hika1 सिंहिका and as having a dragon's tail; when the gods had churned the ocean for the Amr2ita अमृत or nectar of immortality, he disguised himself like one of them and drank a portion; but the Sun and Moon revealed the fraud to Vishn2u विष्णु, who cut off Ra1hu राहु 's head, which thereupon became fixed in the stellar sphere, and having become immortal through drinking the Amr2ita अमृत, has ever since wreaked its vengeance on the Sun and Moon by occasionally swallowing them; while at the same time the tail of the demon became Ketu केतु [quod vide] and gave birth to a numerous progeny of comets and fiery meteors; in astronomy Ra1hu राहु is variously regarded as a dragon's head, as the ascending node of the moon [or point where the moon intersects the ecliptic in passing northwards], as one of the planets [confer, compare ग्रह], and as the regent of the south-west quarter [Laghuj.] Page880,1; among Buddhists Buddhists many demons are called Ra1hu राहु) AV. etc.
2. masculine gender an eclipse or (rather) the moment of the beginning of an occultation or obscuration VarBr2S.
3. (in compound)