अयन ayana a. [अय्-ल्युट्] Going (at the end of comp.); यथेमा नद्यः स्यन्दमानाः समुद्रायणाः Praśn. Up. 1 Going, moving, walking; as in रामायणम्. -2 A walk, path, way, road; आयन्नापोऽयनमिच्छमानाः Rv.3.33.7. अगस्त्यचिह्नादयनात् R.16.44. -3 A place, site, abode, place of resort; Bṛi. Up.2.4.11. ता यदस्यायनं पूर्वम् Ms.1.10 (occurring in the derivation of the word नारायण). -4 A way of entrance, an entrance (to an array of troops or व्यूह); अयनेषु च सर्वेषु यथाभागमवस्थिताः Bg.1.11. -5 Rotation, circulation period; अङ्गिरसां अयनम्; इष्टि˚, पशु˚. -6 A particular period in the year for the performance of particular sacrificial or other religious works; N. of certain sacrificial performances; as गवामयनम्. -7 The sun's passage, north and south of the equator. -8 (Hence) The period of this passage, half year, the time from one solstice to another; see उत्तरायण and दक्षिणायन; cf. also सायन and निरयण. -9 the equinoctial and solstitial points; दक्षिणम् अयनम् winter solstice; उत्तरम् अयनम् summer solstice; -10 Method, manner, way. -11 A Śāstra, scripture or inspired writing. -12 Final emancipation; नान्यः पन्था विद्यतेऽयनाय Śvet. Up. -13 A commentary; treatise. -14 The deities presiding over the ayanas. -Comp. -अंशः, -भागः the arc between the vernal equinoctial point and beginning of the fixed zodiac or first point of Aries. -कलाः The correction (in minutes) for ecliptic deviation. Sūryasiddhānta. -कालः the interval between the solstices. -ग्रहः A planet's longitude as corrected for ecliptic deviation; ibid. -जः a month caused by ayanāṁśa. -परिवृत्तिः Change of the अयन; sun's passage from one side of the equator to the other; अयनपरिवृत्तिर्व्यस्तशब्देनोच्यते । ŚB. on MS.6.5.37. -संक्रमः, -संक्रान्तिः f. passage through the zodiac. -वृत्तम् the ecliptic.