As a deity name
Name 487 of the Rama Sahasranāma — Padma Purana / Skanda Purana, as taught by Lord Shiva to Goddess Parvati
Name 399 of the Vishnu Sahasranāma — Mahabharata (Anushasana Parva), as taught by Bhishma to Yudhishthira on his deathbed
As a Hindi name
नय · noun · masculine
नीति · नम्रता · एक प्रकार का जुआ — Śabdasāgara
नय · noun · feminine
नदी — Śabdasāgara
नय · nay · s.m.
Guiding, leading; guidance, direction; management — Platts (1884), digital edition courtesy DSAL, University of Chicago, p. 1163
As a Sanskrit word
Meaning
conduct, behaviour, (esp.) prudent c˚ or b˚, good management, polity, civil and military government, &c.
Scripturally attested Verified derivationMultiple readings (5)Why this matches what you typed
The spelling you confirmed, नय, is itself a dictionary headword — no grammatical transformation stands between what you typed and the meaning above.
Dictionary citations
naya m. (√ 1. nī) leading (of an army), R.
conduct, behaviour, (esp.) prudent c˚ or b˚, good management, polity, civil and military government, MBh.; Kāv. &c.
wisdom, prudence, reason (naya ibc. or nayeṣu, in a prudent manner, MBh.), R.; BhP.
plan, design, MBh.; Pañc.; Kathās.
leading thought, maxim, principle, system, method, doctrine, R.; Sāh.; Bhāṣāp.; Sarvad.
Alternative readings
More than one analysis survives full verification. That ambiguity is real, so we show every reading rather than pick one silently.
Caveats
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