As a deity name
Name 204 of the Hanuman Sahasranāma — Rasvin Samhita / Brahmanda Purana, as taught by Lord Ram / Sages
Name 365 of the Krishna Sahasranāma — Mahabharata / Padma Purana, as taught by Sages and Devotees
Name 552 of the Narasimha Sahasranāma — Brahmanda Purana / Narasimha Purana, as taught by Sages to Assembly of Devotees
Name 211 of the Surya Sahasranāma — Bhavishya Purana, as taught by Lord Brahma / Sages
As a Hindi name
प्राण · noun · masculine
वायु । हवा · शरीर की वह वायु जिससे मनुष्य जीवित रहता है · जैन शास्त्रानुसार पाँच इंद्रियाँ; मनोबल, वाक्बल, और कायबल नामक त्रिविध बल तथा उच्छवास, विश्वास और वायु इन सबका समूह — Śabdasāgara
प्राण
आना था प्राणों में प्राण आना =घबराहट या भय कम होना । चित्त कुछ ठिकाने होना । हवास ठिकाने होना । प्राण या प्राणों का गले तक आना =मरने पर होना । मरणासन्न होना · वह जो प्राणों के समान प्यारा हो । परम प्रिय · वैवस्वत मन्वंतर के सप्तर्षियों में से एक ऋषि — Śabdasāgara
प्राण · prāṇa · s.m.
Breathing, breath, respiration, inspiration, expiration, vital breath, vital action, or life; spirit, soul, vitality; a vital organ, organ of sense, vital air; air inhaled, wind — Platts (1884), digital edition courtesy DSAL, University of Chicago, p. 237
प्राण · masculine
vitality, life, spirit, animation; breath
a Hindi word, a tatsama: the Sanskrit word borrowed unchanged into Hindi प्राण — per Wiktionary’s etymology record
“Borrowed from Sanskrit प्राण (prāṇa).” — per Wiktionary’s etymology record
1. prāṇa mfn. (for 2. See p. 705, col. 1.) filled, full, L.
2. prāṇa m. (ifc. f(ā). ; for 1. See under √ prā, p. 701) the breath of life, breath, respiration, spirit, vitality
As a Sanskrit word
Meaning
the breath of life, breath, respiration, spirit, vitality
Scripturally attested Verified derivationMultiple readings (21)Why this matches what you typed
M3 · meaning shifts "prāṇa" is derived from "prāṇ" with the aṇ/añ suffix — a related word whose meaning shifts, so both meanings are shown.
prāṇ or prān (pra-√ an) P. prāṇiti (Pāṇ. viii, 4, 19, Sch.; impf. prāṇat, vii, 3, 99, Sch.) or prāniti (Vop.), to breathe in, inhale, KenUp.; to breathe, RV.; AV.; ŚBr.; Up.; to blow (as the wind), AitBr.; to live, AV.; Bhaṭṭ.; to smell, Śaṃk. : Caus. prāṇayati (aor. prāṇiṇat, Pāṇ. viii, 4, 21, Sch.), to cause to breathe, animate, AV.; Bhaṭṭ. : Desid. prāṇiṇiṣati, Pāṇ. viii, 4, 21, Sch.
prāṇ mfn. breathing, Pāṇ. viii, 4, 20, Sch.
1. prāṇa mfn. (for 2. See p. 705, col. 1.) filled, full, L.
2. prāṇa m. (ifc. f(ā). ; for 1. See under √ prā, p. 701) the breath of life, breath, respiration, spirit, vitality
Dictionary citations
1. prāṇa mfn. (for 2. See p. 705, col. 1.) filled, full, L.
2. prāṇa m. (ifc. f(ā). ; for 1. See under √ prā, p. 701) the breath of life, breath, respiration, spirit, vitality
pl. life, RV. &c. &c. (prāṇān with √ muc or √ hā or pari-√ tyaj, ‘to resign or quit life’; with √ rakṣ, ‘to save l˚’; with ni-√ han, ‘to destroy l˚’; tvam me prāṇaḥ, ‘thou art to me as dear as l˚’; often ifc.; cf. pati-, māna-pr˚)
a vital organ, vital air (3 in number, viz. prāṇa, apāna and vyāna, AitBr.; TUp.; Suśr.; usually 5, viz. the preceding with sam-āna and ud-āna, ŚBr.; MBh.; Suśr. &c. cf. MWB. 242; or with the other vital organs 6 ŚBr.; or 7 AV.; Br.; MuṇḍUp.; or 9 AV.; TS.; Br.; or 10 ŚBr.; pl. the 5 organs of vitality or sensation, viz. prāṇa, vāc, cakṣus, śrotra, manas, collectively, ChUp. ii, 7, i; or = nose, mouth, eyes and ears, GopBr.; ŚrS.; Mn. iv, 143)
air inhaled, wind, AV.; ŚBr.
prāṇ or prān (pra-√ an) P. prāṇiti (Pāṇ. viii, 4, 19, Sch.; impf. prāṇat, vii, 3, 99, Sch.) or prāniti (Vop.), to breathe in, inhale, KenUp.; to breathe, RV.; AV.; ŚBr.; Up.; to blow (as the wind), AitBr.; to live, AV.; Bhaṭṭ.; to smell, Śaṃk. : Caus. prāṇayati (aor. prāṇiṇat, Pāṇ. viii, 4, 21, Sch.), to cause to breathe, animate, AV.; Bhaṭṭ. : Desid. prāṇiṇiṣati, Pāṇ. viii, 4, 21, Sch.
prāṇ mfn. breathing, Pāṇ. viii, 4, 20, Sch.
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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