prAyaH [ pra-ay GaY, i-ac vA ] 1 Going away, departure, departure from life. 2 Seeking death by fasting, fasting, sitting down and abstaining from food with some object in view (generally with words like As, upaviS &c.); see prAyopaveSana below. 3 The largest portion, majority, plurality; majority of cases. 4 Excess, abundance, plenty. 5 A condition of life. N. B. At the end of comp. prAya may be translated by ( a ) for the most part, generally, mostly, almost, nearly; patanaprAyO ‘about to fall;’ mftaprAyaH ‘almost dead, a little less than dead, nearly dead’; or ( b ) abounding or rich in, full of, excessive, abundant; kazwaprAyaM SarIraM U. 1 ; SAliprAyo deSaH Pt. 3 ; kamalAmodaprAyA vanAnilAH U. 3. 24 ‘full of the fragrance’ &c., or ( c ) like, resembling; varzaSataprAyaM dinaM , amftaprAyaM vacanaM &c. Comp. — upagamanaM , — upaveSaH, -upaveSanaM, -upaveSanikA sitting down and abstaining from food and thus preparing oneself for death, fasting oneself to death; mayA prAyopaveSanaM kftaM vidDi Pt. 4 ; prAyopaveSanamatirnfpatirbaBUva R. 8. 94 ; prAyopaveSasadfSaM vratamAsTitasya Ve. 3. 10. — upeta a. abstaining from food and thus awaiting the approach of death. — upavizwa, -upaveSin a. fasting oneself to death, who sits without food at the door of another to exact compliance with his demands. — darSanaM an ordinary phenomenon. — Bava a. common, usually met with.