वसु [ vasu ] [ vásu ]1 m. f. n. ( for 2. see p. 932 , col. 3) excellent , good , beneficent Lit. RV. Lit. GṛŚrS.

  sweet Lit. L.

  dry Lit. L.

  N. of the gods (as the " good or bright ones " , esp. of the Ādityas , Maruts , Aśvins , Indra , Ushas , Rudra , Vāyu , Vishṇu , Śiva , and Kubera) Lit. RV. Lit. AV. Lit. MBh. Lit. R.

  of a partic. class of gods (whose number is usually eight , and whose chief is Indra , later Agni and Vishṇu ; they form one of the nine Gaṇas or classes enumerated under Gaṇa-devatā q.v. ; the eight Vasus were originally personifications , like other Vedic deities , of natural phenomena , and are usually mentioned with the other Gaṇas common in the Veda , viz. the eleven Rudras and the twelve Ādityas , constituting with them and with Dyaus , " Heaven " , and Pṛithivī , " Earth " ( or , according to some , with Indra and Prajā-pati , or , according to others , with the two Aśvins ) , the thirty-three gods to which reference is frequently made ; the names of the Vasus , according to the Vishṇu-Purāṇa , are , 1. Āpa ( connected with [ ap ] , " water " ) ; 2. Dhruva , " the Pole-star " ; 3. Soma , " the Moon " ; 4. Dhava or Dhara ; 5. Anila , " Wind " ; 6. Anala or Pāvaka , " Fire " ; 7. Pratyūsha , " the Dawn " ; 8. Prabhāsa , " Light " ; but their names are variously given ; Ahan , " Day " , being sometimes substituted for 1 ; in their relationship to Fire and Light they appear to belong to Vedic rather than Purānic mythology) Lit. RV.

  a symbolical N. of the number " eight " Lit. VarBṛS.

  a ray of light Lit. Naigh. i , 15

  a partic. ray of light Lit. VP.

  = [ jina ] Lit. Śīl. ( only Lit. L. the sun ; the moon ; fire ; a rope , thong ; a tree ; N. of two kinds of plant = [ baka ] and [ pīta-madgu ] ; a lake , pond ; a kind of fish ; the tie of the yoke of a plough ; the distance from the elbow to the closed fist)

  N. of a Ṛishi (with the patr. Bharad-vāja , author of Lit. RV. ix , 80-82, reckoned among the seven sages) Lit. Hariv.

  of a son of Manu Lit. ib.

  of a son of Uttāna-pāda Lit. ib.

  of a prince of the Cedis also called Upari-cara Lit. MBh.

  of a son of Īlina Lit. ib.

  of a son of Kuśa and the country called after him Lit. RV.

  of a son of Vasu-deva Lit. BhP.

  of a son of Kṛishṇa Lit. ib.

  of a son of Vatsara Lit. ib.

  of a son of Hiraṇya-retas and the Varsha ruled by him Lit. ib.

  of a son of Bhūtajyotis Lit. ib.

  of a son of Naraka Lit. ib.

  of a king of Kaśmīra Lit. Cat.

  [ vasu ] ( [ u ] ) f. light , radiance Lit. L.

  a partic. drug Lit. L.

  N. of a daughter of Daksha and mother of the Vasus (as a class of gods) Lit. Hariv. Lit. VP.

  [ vasvī ] f. night Lit. Naigh. i , 7

  [ vasu ] n. ( in Veda gen. [ vásos ] , [ vásvas ] and [ vásunas ] ; also pl. , exceptionally m.) wealth , goods , riches , property Lit. RV. ( [ °soṣ-pati ] m. prob. " the god of wealth or property " Lit. AV. i , 12 ( Lit. Paipp. [ asoṣ-p ] , " the god of life " ) ; [ °sor-dhā́rā ] f. " stream of wealth " , N. of a partic. libation of Ghṛita at the Agni-cayana Lit. AV. Lit. TS. Lit. Br. ; of the wife of Agni Lit. BhP. ; of the heavenly Gaṅgā Lit. MBh. ; of sacred bathing-place Lit. ib. ; of a kind of vessel Lit. ib. ; [ °sor-dhā́rā-prayoga ] m. N. of wk.)

  n. gold (see [ -varma-dhara ] )

  a jewel , gem , pearl (see [ -mekhala ] )

  any valuable or precious object Lit. L.

  n. ( also f.) a partic. drug Lit. L.

  n. a kind of salt (= [ romaka ] ) Lit. L.

  water Lit. L.

  a horse (?) Lit. L.

  = [ śyāma ] Lit. L.