agra , ( 1 ) adj. (in Skt. only Lex. ; replaces Skt. agrya; = Pali agga), first, chief, prime, foremost, best : Mvy 2521 ; ye brāhmavimāna agrās SP 190.16 ( vs ); sūtram agram 385.2 ( vs ); lokasyāgro LV 162.2 , best of the world ; dhyāyina agrā 169.5 ( vs ); jñānaṃ cāgraṃ 371.14 ; agraṃ ca … ojaḥ 387.1 ; bhavān ihāgras tribhave 398.21 ; agro prajñāye Mv i.44.9 , first in wisdom ; 113.6 (food); 248.17, 18 ; ii.208.13 ; 259.9 ; iii.63.17—18 ; Divy 61.29 ; 349.14 ; 385.8 ; Śikṣ 129.4 ; 311.14 f. ; Bbh 94.17 ; etc. , common. As prior member of cpds. : agra-gaṇikā, leading harlot Mv iii.35.17 ff. ; agrapudgala, foremost person , a Buddha, Mv i.47.2 ( mss. mostly °puṅgala); agrapura, leading city , Mv i.4.6 ; agrabala, having prime powers Divy 99.20 ; agrabalin, MSV ii.78.4 ; agraśrāvakā, leading disciples , Mv i.307.4 ; others, see the following entries; also (like vara) at the end of cpds. in same sense, see rasāgra ; ( 2 ) nt. of the preceding used as substantive: (a) the best of its class , used particularly as predicate to ākhyāyate (°ti), with a personal subject (so in Pali , tathāgato tesam aggaṃ akkhāyati, CPD s.v. akkhāyati): (sā …) agram ākhyāyati Mv iii.390.6 ; samyaksaṃbuddhas teṣām agram ākhyātaḥ Av i.50.1 (so ms. ; Speyer em. agra(ḥ); to be sure agra(ḥ) is printed in the text of the same phrase, without report of v.l. , in Av i.329.16 , but Mv and Pali support agram of ms. in [Page005-a] i.50.1 ); (b) first-class gift , as if for agra-dāna ( cf. Pali agga-dāna and CPD s.v. agga 2, c), agraṃ abhiharāmi te Mv iii.211.10 ; the same vs in Pali DN ii.240.17 has aggha twice in text but v.l. once agga, and cf. Jāt. v.377.19 aggaṃ in same sense.
agra a. [ aMg-ran nalopaH Uṇ. 2. 28 ] 1 First, foremost, chief, best, prominent, principal, pre-eminent; °mahizI chief queen; °vAtamAsevamAnA M. 1 front (and hence, fresh) breeze; °AsanaM chief seat, seat of honour Mu. 1. 12. 2 Excessive, over and above, surplus; supernumerary, projecting ( aDika ). — graM 1 ( a ) The foremost or topmost point, tip, point ( opp. mUlaM , maDyaM ); ( fig. ) sharpness, keenness; Darmasya brAhmaRo mUlaM agraM rAjanya ucyate Ms. 11. 84 ; darvyAM agraM mUlaM maDyaM &c; nAsikA° tip of the nose; sUci° &c.; samastA eva vidyA jihvAgre'Bavan K. 346 stood on the tip of the tongue; amuzya vidyA rasanAgranartakI N. 1. 5. ( b ) Top, summit, surface; kElAsa°, parvata° , &c. 2 Front, van; agre kf put in the front or at the head; tAmagre kftvA Pt. 4 See agre . 3 The best of any kind; syaMdanAgreRa with the best of chariots; prAsAdAgrEH Rām. 4 Superiority, ( pb ) excellence ( utkarza ); agrAdagraM rohati Tāṇḍya. 5 Goal, aim, resting place ( AlaMbanaM ); manumekAgramAsInaM Ms. 1. 1 , See °BUmi also. 6 Beginning, See agre . 7 A multitude, assemblage. 8 Overplus, excess, surplus; sAgraM strIsahasraM Rām. 1000 women and more; so sAgrakowI ca rakzasAM . 9 A weight = pala q. v. 10 A measure of food given as alms ( brAhmaRaBojanaM occurring in agrahAra ). 11 (Astr.) Amplitude of the sun ( °grA, agrakA also). In compounds as first member meaning ‘the forepart’, ‘front’, ‘tip’ &c.; e. g. °pAdaH, -caraRaH the forepart of the foot, toe; so °hastaH, °karaH; °pARiH &c.; °saroruhaM the topmost lotus Ku. 1. 16 ; °kAyaH forepart of the body; so °naKaM , °nAsikA tip of the nail, nose &c., — adv. In front, before, ahead. Comp. — aMSuH [ agraM aMSoH ] the focal point. — akzi n. [ karma .] sharp or pointed vision, side-look ( apAMgavIkzaRa ); agrAkzRA vIkzamARastu tiryag BrAtaramabravIt Rām. — advan a. having precedence in eating. — anI (RI) kaH (kaM) vanguard; dIrGAMlla~GUMScEva narAnagrAnIkezu yoDayet Ms. 7. 193 ; agrARIkaM raGuvyAGrO rAkzasAnAM baBaMjatuH Rām. — ayaRIyaM [ agraM SrezWaM ayanaM jYAnaM tatra sADu Ca ] N. of a Buddhistic tenet ( utpAdapUrvamagrAyaRIyamaTa vIryatA pravAdaH syAt-hemacaMdraH ). — avalehitaM [ agraM avalehitaM AsvAditaM yasya ] food at a Śrāddha ceremony, the chief part of which has been tasted. — upaharaRaM first supply. — upaharaRIya a [ agre upahriyate karmaRi anIyar ] 1 that which is first offered or supplied. 2 [ agraM upahriyate yasmE hf-saMpradAne anIyar ] SrAdDAdyarTamupakalpitasya annAderagre dAnoddeSyaH vAstudevAdiH Tv. — karaH 1 = agrahastaH q. v. 2 the focal point. — keSaH front line of hair; °Sezu reRuH apaharati K. 86. — gaH [ agre gacCatItiM, gam-qa ] a leader, a guide; taking the lead; marching foremost. — gaRya a. [ agre gaRyate'sO ] foremost, to be ranked first. — gAmin a. [ agre gacCati ] a leader; prazWo'gragAmini P. VIII. 3. 92. — ja a. [ agre jAyate; jaR-qa .] first born or produced; AnaMdenAgrajeneva R. 10. 78. — (jaH) 1 The first born, an elder brother; sumatiM mamAgrajamavagacCa M. 5 ; astyeva manyurBaratAgraje me R. 14. 73. 2 a Brāhmaṇa. — (jA) an elder sister; so °jAta, °jAtaka, °jAti . — jaMGA the forepart of the calf. — janman m. [ agre janma yasya saH ] 1 the firstborn, an elder brother; janakAgrajanmanoH SAsanamatikramya Dk. 2. 2 a Brāhmaṇa ( varRezu maDye agrajAtatvAt , or agrAt praDAnAMgAt muKAt ( pb ) jAtatvAt, brAhmaRosya muKamAsIt, tasmAt trivft stomAnAM muKaM… agnirdevatAnAM brAhmaRo manuzyARAM; tasmAd brAhmaRo muKena vIryaM karoti muKato hi sfzwaH Tāṇḍya. ); ativayasamagrajanmAnaM K. 12 ; avocat °nmA Dk. 13. 3 N. of Brahmā, as he was the first to be born in the waters. — jihvA the tip of the tongue. — jyA (Astr.) the sign of the amplitude. — dAnin [ agre dAnaM asya; agradAna-ini ] a (degraded) Brāhmaṇa who takes presents offered in honour of the dead ( pretoddeSena yaddAnaM dIyate tatpratigrAhI ); loBI vipraSca SUdrARAmagredAnaM gfhItavAn . grahaRe mftadAnAnAM ( grahaRAttiladAnAnAM Tv. ) agradAnI baBUva saH .. -dAnIyaH [ agre dAnamarhatiCa ] = agradAnin . — dUtaH a harbinger; kfzRAkroDAgradUtaH Ve. 1. 22 ; °dUtikA Dk. 20 ; mahIpatInAM praRayAgradUtyaH R. 6. 12. — nirUpaRaM predestination; prophecy, determining beforehand. — nIH ( RIH ) [ agre nIyate asO nI-kvip , RatvaM ] 1 a leader, foremost, first, chief; °RIrvirAgahetuH K. 195 ; apyagraRIrmaMtrakftAmfzIRAM R. 5. 4 chief. 2 fire. — parRI [ agre parRaM yasyAH sA-NIp ] cowage, Carpopogon Pruriens ( ajaloman ). — pAtin a. [ agre AdO patati; pat-Rini ] happening beforehand, antecedent; °tIni SuBAni nimittAni K. 65. — pAdaH the forepart of the foot; toes; navakisalayarAgeRAgrapAdena M. 3. 12 ; °sTitA standing on tiptoe. Ś. 6. — pARiH = °hastaH q. v. — pUjA the highest or first mark of reverence or respect; °jAmiha sTitvA gfhARedaM vizaM praBo Rām. — peyaM precedence in drinking. — bIja a. [ agraM SAKAgraM bIjamutpAdakaM yasya ] growing by means of the tip or end of branches, growing on the stock or stem of another tree, such as ‘kalama’ . — (jaH) a viviparous plant. — BAgaH ...