This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. Hindi to English
  3. Folklore

अंजल, अंजुल, उंजल

English translation: (Posture of )paying homage or tribute (by joining both hands)/handful

08:04 Apr 2, 2008
Hindi to English translations [Non-PRO]
Folklore / Greetings
Hindi term or phrase: अंजल, अंजुल, उंजल
Greetings,

I was wondering if you could please help me to find a precise definition of the above word. I always thought it included a bow, but I read in my Sanskrit book: कृताञ्जलिः प्रणमति, suggesting that the bow/obeisance is separate.

Any photos/pictures on the Web by any chance?

All the best,

Simon
SeiTT
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:33
English translation:(Posture of )paying homage or tribute (by joining both hands)/handful
Explanation:
दोनों हाथों की कनिष्ठिका या छोटी अंगुलियों को मिलाकर बनाई जाने वाली एक मुद्रा का अंजुली कहलाती है। हमारे ऋषि-मुनि इसी मुद्रा में हाथों में जल लेकर शाप या वरदान देते थे।

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2008-04-02 14:27:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

While writing and pasting some words have been omitted. The actual sentence is -ऋषिकुमार ने कमण्डल से अपनी अंजुली में जल ले कर तथा उसे मन्त्रों से अभिमन्त्रित करके राजा परीक्षित को शाप दिया।


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2008-04-02 14:31:22 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

आम जनता की भाषा में इसे ही चुल्लू भी कहते हैं. इसी से मुहावरा बना है-चुल्लू भर पानी में डूब मरना।
Selected response from:

Rajesh Srivastava
India
Local time: 10:03
Grading comment
many thanks excellent
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +4(Posture of )paying homage or tribute (by joining both hands)/handful
Rajesh Srivastava
5 +3Putting the hands (palms) together (joining them)
Anindita Basu (X)
4 +2reverence, benediction, and salutation
Pundora
4 +1Homage/tribute/praise
nisheeth833
3 +1Hands-cupped or cupped hands or mudra of greetings
Ramesh Bhatt
3Anjali Mudra in Yoga and dance
nke


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Homage/tribute/praise


Explanation:
Can't site any sources, but I believe this is the meaning

nisheeth833
Local time: 10:03
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in HindiHindi

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  chandan mishra: Putting the hands (palms) together (joining them) to pay homage
1 hr
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

30 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Hands-cupped or cupped hands or mudra of greetings


Explanation:
It is joining the hands together in the shape of a cup. And also in greetings mudra--mudra as used in Sanskrit--of joining the hands together upon the sternum bone in the chest, to greet somebody.

Ramesh Bhatt
Nepal
Local time: 10:18
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in UrduUrdu, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Pundora
1 day 7 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +4
(Posture of )paying homage or tribute (by joining both hands)/handful


Explanation:
दोनों हाथों की कनिष्ठिका या छोटी अंगुलियों को मिलाकर बनाई जाने वाली एक मुद्रा का अंजुली कहलाती है। हमारे ऋषि-मुनि इसी मुद्रा में हाथों में जल लेकर शाप या वरदान देते थे।

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2008-04-02 14:27:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

While writing and pasting some words have been omitted. The actual sentence is -ऋषिकुमार ने कमण्डल से अपनी अंजुली में जल ले कर तथा उसे मन्त्रों से अभिमन्त्रित करके राजा परीक्षित को शाप दिया।


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2008-04-02 14:31:22 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

आम जनता की भाषा में इसे ही चुल्लू भी कहते हैं. इसी से मुहावरा बना है-चुल्लू भर पानी में डूब मरना।

Example sentence(s):
  • ऋषिकुमार ने कमण्डल से अपनी अंजुली में जल ले कर तथा उसे मन्त्रों से अभिमन्त्रित करके राजा परीक्षि�

    Reference: http://hi.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9C%E0%...
Rajesh Srivastava
India
Local time: 10:03
Native speaker of: Hindi
Grading comment
many thanks excellent

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  chandan mishra: Putting the hands (palms) together (joining them) to pay homage
1 hr
  -> Thanks a lot.
agree  georgina singh
3 hrs
  -> Thanks a lot
agree  Kumud Verma
5 hrs
  -> Thanks a lot.
agree  Pundora
1 day 6 hrs
  -> Thanks pundoraji
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Anjali Mudra in Yoga and dance


Explanation:
There are many many webpages giving explanations and pictures and photographs of the Anjali mudra as also the answers given so far which I agree with. However, I have not come across it referred to as Anjal, Anjul or Unjal as per your above spellings. Would appreciate if you could post a reference to the context where you have come across these forms. Thank you


    Reference: http://onlinebharatanatyam.com/2008/03/04/anjali-hand-gestur...
    Reference: http://en.mimi.hu/yoga/anjali_mudra.html
nke
Local time: 05:33
Works in field
Native speaker of: Gujarati
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Putting the hands (palms) together (joining them)


Explanation:
Thus, we have Pushpanjali (a palm-cup-ful of flowers), geetanjali (song offerings), atmanjali (spiritual - offering up the soul to the divine) ...

kritanjali pranamti would be "joining my hands, I bow"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day8 hrs (2008-04-03 16:38:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

This post is in response to SeiTT's "Notes from asker":
I looked up my Sanskrit dictionary (Vaman Apte) and this is what it had to say:
अंजलिः 1. A cavity formed by folding and joining the open hands together, the hollow of the hands; hence, a cavity full of anything प्रकीर्णः पुष्पाणां हरिचरणयोरंजालिरय
fold the hands together and raise them to the head in supplication or salutation. 2. Hence, a mark of respect or salutation. 3. A measure of corn.

I did not find the words अंजल, अंजुल or उंजल in the dictionary. The correct word is अंजलि |

But I did find उदंजलि, which is an adjective. = One who hollows the palms and then raises them.

Anindita Basu (X)
India
Local time: 10:03
Native speaker of: Native in BengaliBengali, Native in HindiHindi

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  chandan mishra: Putting the hands (palms) together (joining them) to pay homage
1 hr
  -> Dhanyavad Mishraji
agree  Pundora
1 day 8 hrs
  -> Dhanyavad Pundoraji
agree  Rajan Chopra
2 days 6 hrs
  -> thanks :)
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 day 9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
reverence, benediction, and salutation


Explanation:
The Anjali mudra is a sacred hand posture in which one draws together the palms over the centre of the chest.......

Anjali is a Sanskrit word meaning reverence, benediction, and salutation. In India the Anjali mudra is used to greet people accompanied by the word "Namaste" - this sacred greeting is often translated as "I bow to the divinity within you from the divinity with me". In this way this salutation is used to acknowledge not only people, but places, statues, rivers and trees, reinforcing the deep spiritual truth that all things in the universe are part and parcel of one and the same God.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Hand-Postures-for-Meditation:-Anja...

The "Namaste" or "Namaskaar" in India is done commonly the way you describe as "....putting the two hands together from the fingertips almost to the wrists, similar to the way in which I was taught to fold my hands in (Christian) prayer when a child."

Most Hindi-English dictionaries define अंजलि as anjali mudra. The one I am having from Allied Publishers Limited defines it as: "the cup shaped hollow formed by joining of the two palms together."




Pundora
India
Local time: 10:03
Native speaker of: Hindi

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  chandan mishra: good explanation
9 hrs
  -> Thank you Chandan.
agree  Rajan Chopra: well said!
21 hrs
  -> Thank you langclinic.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search