ऋतुः _ṛtuḥ

ऋतुः [ऋ-तु-किच्च Uṇ1.71]

1 A season, period of the year, commonly reckoned to be six; शिशिरश्च वसन्तश्च ग्रीष्मो वर्षाः शरद्धिमः; sometimes only five; शिशिर and हिम or हेमन्त being counted together; cf. पञ्चर्तवो हेमन्तशिशिरयोः समासेन Ait. Br. वसन्तश्चैत्रवैशाखौ ज्येष्ठाषाढौ च ग्रीष्मकौ । वर्षा श्रावणभाद्राभ्यां शरदश्विनकार्तिकौ ॥ मार्गपौषौ च हेमन्तः शिशिरो माघफाल्गुनौ ॥ गोरक्षसंहिता.

-2 An epoch, a period, any fixed or appointed time.

-3 Menstruation, courses, menstrual discharge.

-4 A period favourable for conception; वरमृतुषु नैवाभिगमनम् Pt.1; ऋतुः स्वाभाविकः स्त्रीणां रात्रयः षोडश स्मृताः Ms.3.46,9.7; Y.1.11,79.

-5 Any fit season or right time.

-6 Fixed order or rule; द्वा यन्तारा भवतस्तथ ऋतुः Rv.1.162.19.

-7 Light, splendour.

-8 A month.

-9 N. of Viṣṇu.

-1 A symbolical expression for the number 'six'.

-11 A kind of collyrium.

-Comp. -अन्तः 1 the close of a season.

-2 termination of men- struation.

-कालः, -समयः, -वेला 1 the time of menstrua- tion, time favourable for conception, i. e. 16 nights from menstrual discharge; see ऋतु above.

-2 the duration of a season.

-गणः the seasons taken collectively.

-गामिन् a. having intercourse with a wife (at the time fit for conception, i. e. after the period of menstruation).

-ग्रहः a libation offered to the seasons, a kind of sacrifice.

-चर्या f. seasonal proceeding; अथातः संप्रवक्ष्यामि ऋतुचर्यास्तु वाजिनाम् Bhoja's Śālihotra 92.

-जुष् f. A woman enjoying intercourse at the time fit for procreation; Ks.

-धामन् m. N. of Viṣṇu

-पतिः 1 the lord of seasons, i. e. the spring.

-2 N. of Agni; Rv.1.2.1.

-3 N. of other deities; Av.3.1.9.

-पर्णः N. of a king of Ayodhyā; son of Ayutāyu, a descendant of Ikṣvāku. [Nala, king of Niṣadha, entered into his service after he had lost his kingdom and suffered very great adversity. He was 'profoundly skilled in dice'; and he exchanged with Nala this skill for his skill in horsemanship; and by virtue of it the king succeeded in taking Nala to Kuṇḍinapura before Damayantī had put into execution her resolve of taking a second husband].

-पर्यायः, -वृत्तिः the revolution of the seasons; cf. Ms.1.29.

-पशुः An animal to be sacrificed at a particular season.

-पाः m. N. of Indra.

-पात्रम् the cup in which the libation is offered.

-प्राप्त a. fertile, fruitful.

-प्रैषः N. of particular invocations spoken before the sacrifice to the seasons. Ait. Br.5.9.3,4.

-मुखम् the beginning or first day of a season.

-याजः a sacrifice offered to the seasons.

-राजः the spring.

-लिङ्गम् 1 a characteristic or sign of the season (as the blossom of the mango tree in spring); यथर्तुलिङ्गान्यृतवः स्वयमेवर्तुपर्यये Ms. 1.3.

-2 a symptom of menstruation.

-लोका f. N. of particular bricks; Śat. Br.1.

-ष्ठा (स्था) a. fixed at the proper seasons; Vāj.17.3.

-संहारः 'collection of the seasons, N. of Kālidāsa's work on the six seasons.

-सन्धिः 1 the junction of two seasons.

-2 the last day in the bright fortnight (पौर्णमासी) and in the dark one (दर्श).

-सात्म्यम् diet &c. suited to the season.

-स्तोमः a kind of sacrifice.

-स्नाता a woman who has bathed after menstruation and who is, therefore, fit for sexual intercourse; धर्मलोपभयाद्राज्ञीमृतुस्नाताभिमां स्मरन् R.1.76.

-स्नानम् bathing after menstruation.