Vimāna
Vimāna · vi-māna, “that which is measured out; a celestial car”
Grammar: masculine and neuter noun, from vi and the root mā (to measure): “that which is measured out”.
Meaning: a vimāna, a celestial car that moves through the sky, in which the devatās and those who have gained puṇya travel. Its synonym is vyomayāna, “the vehicle of the sky”.
In the scriptures: in the Agni Purāṇa the vimāna is the fruit of puṇya: one who builds for others, keeps a vrata or gives in dāna goes to svarga in a vimāna.
The builder of a water-body. At the end of the installation of wells, tanks and other water-bodies, which Bhagavān Hayagrīva teaches Brahmā, the phala is given: the puṇya of one who builds a single water-body is a thousand times greater than that of one who has performed a lakh of aśvamedha yajñas. He reaches svarga and rejoices in a vimāna, and he never goes to naraka (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 64).
The keeper of the Kārttika vrata. Among the vratas of the days which Agnideva teaches, the Kārttika vrata gives bhukti and mukti: on daśamī one takes pañcagavya, on ekādaśī one fasts, and one who worships Śrī Mahāvishṇu on the śukla dvādaśī of Kārttika becomes a devatā who travels in a vimāna (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 197).
The giver of a cart. In the dānas which Agnideva tells Vasishṭha Maharshi, one who gives a cart with its bulls goes to svarga in a vimāna (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 211).
In the lexicon. In the kośa which Agnideva gives, vyomayāna and vimāna, masculine and neuter, mean a vimāna, a celestial car (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 360).
Related terms: Svarga · Puṇya · Dāna · Vrata · Pushpaka Vimāna
Other meanings
Vimāna has more than one meaning in the Purāṇas and Itihāsas. Besides the meaning above, it names those listed here, each with where it is told.
- Vimāna, the prāsāda: Vimāna is one of the nine prāsādas (temple forms) of the Vairāja family. Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 104
Sources
- Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 64, 104, 197, 211, 360