Gahana, Gāhana, Gahanā, Gahaṇa: 24 definitions

Introduction
Image gallery
In Hinduism
1. Purana
2. Ayurveda
3. Shaktism
In Buddhism
1. Mahayana
In Jainism
1. General definition
Languages
1. Pali
2. Marathi
3. Sanskrit
4. Hindi
5. Prakrit
6. Kannada
See also

Introduction:

Gahana means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, Marathi, Hindi. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

Alternative spellings of this word include Gahan.

Images (photo gallery)

(+2 more images available)

In Hinduism

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English Translation

Gahana (गहन) refers to a “thick (forest)”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.32 (“The seven celestial sages arrive”).—Accordingly, as Menā said to Himavat (Himācala): “[...] O lord of mountains, I shall not give my daughter endowed with all good accomplishments to Śiva with ugly features, ignoble conduct and defiled name. If you do not accede to my request, I shall undoubtedly die. I will immediately leave this house or swallow poison. With a rope I shall tie Pārvatī round my neck and go to a thick forest (gahana—gahanaṃ vanam). I would rather drown myself in the great ocean. I shall never give my daughter to him. [...]”.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

Gahana (गहन).—A chief Vānara.^*

* Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 7. 235.

context information

The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.

Ayurveda (science of life)

Nighantu (Synonyms and Characteristics of Drugs and technical terms)

Source: Wisdom Library: Raj Nighantu

Gahana (गहन) refers to “forest” according to the second chapter (dharaṇyādi-varga) of the 13th-century Raj Nighantu or Rājanighaṇṭu (an Ayurvedic encyclopedia). The Dharaṇyādi-varga covers the lands, soil, mountains, jungles [viz., Gahana] and vegetation’s relations between trees and plants and substances, with their various kinds.

Toxicology (Study and Treatment of poison)

Source: Shodhganga: Kasyapa Samhita—Text on Visha Chikitsa

Gahana (गहन) refers to “dense (bamboo) thickets”, and is mentioned in a list of places highly susceptible to snake-bites, as taught in the Kāśyapa Saṃhitā: an ancient Sanskrit text from the Pāñcarātra tradition dealing with both Tantra and Viṣacikitsā—an important topic from Āyurveda which deals with the study of Toxicology (Agadatantra or Sarpavidyā).—The Kāśyapasaṃhitā mentions that snake-bites that happen in certain places [like dense (bamboo) thicket (gahana)—gahane vetrapadmayoḥ] are highly inimical to the victim.

context information

Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद, ayurveda) is a branch of Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millenium BC. Literature is commonly written in Sanskrit using various poetic metres.

Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram

1) Gahana (गहन) refers to “profound”, according to Arṇasiṃha’s Mahānayaprakāśa verse 134.—Accordingly, “The Śāmbhava (state) is the one in which the power of consciousness suddenly dissolves [i.e., vilaya] away into the Great Void called the Inactive (niḥspanda) that is profound [i.e., gahana] and has no abode. Cognitive awareness arises here in the form of a subtle wave of consciousness out of that ocean of emptiness, which is the perfectly peaceful condition of the dissolving away of destruction. [...] Again, that same (principle) free of the cognitive process is the supreme absolute said to be the Śāmbhava state of emptiness”.

2) Gahana (गहन) refers to a “dense (forest)”, according to the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—Accordingly: “Mitranātha, in order to (acquire) the authority which comes from initiation (went to) the dense (gahana) forest of doctrine within which the venerable (Goddess) Kubjikā wonders. Once the Command was given to him (he became) Kuṇḍalīśa, the lord designated for three Ages. [...]”.

context information

Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.

In Buddhism

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: academia.edu: A Study and Translation of the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā

Gahana (गहन) refers to “guile”, according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā: the eighth chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāta (a collection of Mahāyāna Buddhist Sūtras).—Accordingly, “[...] Ratnapāṇi said: ‘Son of good family, what are those eight dharmas included in?’ Gaganagañja said: ‘Son of good family, these eight dharmas are included in sixteen dharmas. What are these sixteen? To wit, (1) honest is included in calmness and gentleness; (2) clarity is included in the absence of pride and the absence of guile (gahana); (3) the absence of fabrication is included in the great friendliness and the great compassion; (4) the pure intention is included in the purity of body and thought; [...]’”.

context information

Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.

In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: The University of Sydney: A study of the Twelve Reflections

Gahana (गहन) refers to the “forest (of life)”, according to the 11th century Jñānārṇava, a treatise on Jain Yoga in roughly 2200 Sanskrit verses composed by Śubhacandra.—Accordingly, “Having assented to your own births in the forest of life (janman-gahana), the pain you have been suffering previously for a long time by roaming about on the path of bad conduct subject to wrong faith is [like] an external fire. Now, having entered the self which is cherishing the end of all restlessness, wise, solitary, supreme [and] self-abiding, may you behold the beautiful face of liberation. [Thus ends the reflection on] difference [between the body and the self]”.

context information

Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.

Languages of India and abroad

Pali-English dictionary

Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionary

gahaṇa : (nt.) taking; seizing; acquisition; grasp.

-- or --

gahana : (nt.) a thicket; a jungle; impenetrable place. (adj.), thick; impervious. || gāhana (nt.), submersion; plunging.

Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary

Gahana, (Sk. gahana, cp. also ghana) 1. adj. deep, thick, impervious, only in a° clear, unobstructed, free from obstacles Vv 18⁷ (akanataka+); Miln.160 (gahanaṃ a° kataṃ the thicket is cleared).—2. nt. an impenetrable place, a thicket jungle, tangle.—(a) 18 gahanāni at J.V, 46; usually appl. to grass: tiṇa° A.I, 153=III, 128 (+rukkha°); Miln.369; adj. tiṇagahanā obstructed with grass (of vihārā) Vin.II, 138;— S.I, 199 (rukkhamūla°); J.I, 7, 158; PvA.5 (pabbata°), 43; VvA.230 (vana°).—(b) fig. imperviousness, entanglement, obstruction, appl. to diṭṭhi, the jungle of wrong views or heresy (usually combined w. diṭṭhi-kantāra, the wilderness of d., see diṭṭhi) M.I, 8, 485; Pug.22; DA.I, 108. Of rāga°, moha°, etc., and kilesa° Nd² 630 (in expl. of Satthā; rāgagahanaṃ tāreti); DhA.IV, 156 (on Dh.394); VvA.96.-manussa° M.I, 340.

— or —

Gahaṇa, (fr. gaṇhāti) (adj.) seizing, taking; acquiring; (n.) seizure, grasp, hold, acquisition Vism.114 (in detail). Usually —°: nāma°-divase on the day on which a child gets its name (lit. acquiring a name) J.I, 199, 262; arahatta° DhA.I, 8; dussa° DhA.II, 87; maccha° J.IV, 139; hattha° J.I, 294; byanjana°-lakkhaṇa Nett 27. gahaṇatthāya in order to get ... J.I, 279; II, 352. ‹-› amhākaṃ g° sugahaṇaṃ we have a tight grip J.I, 222, 223. (Page 247)

— or —

Gāhana, (nt.) (fr. last) submersion, see avagahana, avagāhati & avagāhana. (Page 250)

context information

Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

gahana (गहन).—a (S) Difficult of passage or access--a river, road, forest, mountain: also difficult of comprehension--a science, treatise, stanza. Ex. ārambhilī rāmakathā ga0 ॥.

--- OR ---

gahanā (गहना) [or गहिना, gahinā].—m or by redup. gahanāgāṭhā m ( H) Trinkets, jewels, ornaments: also a trinket or an ornament gen.

--- OR ---

gāhaṇa (गाहण) [or गाहाण, gāhāṇa].—n by redup. gāhaṇapāhaṇa n ( H) A pawn or pledge. Pr. sōnēṃ gā0 tyālā māmā jāmīna kaśāsa?

Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

gahana (गहन).—a Difficult of passage or access-a forest &c., difficult of comprehen- sion, a science, treatise &c.

--- OR ---

gahanā (गहना).—m Trinkets, ornaments.

--- OR ---

gahāṇa (गहाण).—See under gāha

--- OR ---

gāhaṇa (गाहण).—n A pawn or pledge.

--- OR ---

gāhāṇa (गाहाण).—n A pawn or pledge.

context information

Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Gahana (गहन).—a.

1) Deep, dense, thick; वनान्निष्क्रम्य गहनाद्बहवः कुरुसैनिकाः (vanānniṣkramya gahanādbahavaḥ kurusainikāḥ) Mahābhārata (Bombay) 4.67.2.

2) Impervious, impenetrable, impassable, inaccessible.

3) Hard to be understood, inexplicable, mysterious; सेवाधर्मः परमगहनो योगिनामप्यगम्यः (sevādharmaḥ paramagahano yogināmapyagamyaḥ) Pañcatantra (Bombay) 1.11,285; Bhartṛhari 2.58; गहना कर्मणो गतिः (gahanā karmaṇo gatiḥ) Bhagavadgītā (Bombay) 4.17; Śānti.1.8.

4) Grave, dignified; भूम्ना रसानां गहनाः प्रयोगाः (bhūmnā rasānāṃ gahanāḥ prayogāḥ) Mālatīmādhava (Bombay) 1.4.

5) Impassioned, replete with love, strong; क्व च नु गहनाः कौतुकरसाः (kva ca nu gahanāḥ kautukarasāḥ) Uttararāmacarita 6.33.

6) Hard, difficult, causing pain or trouble; गहनसंसारः (gahanasaṃsāraḥ) Śānti.3.15; Uttararāmacarita 7.6. (v. l.).

7) Deepened, intensified; महामोहगहनः (mahāmohagahanaḥ) (vikāraḥ) Mālatīmādhava (Bombay) 1.3.

-nam 1 An abyss, depth; अम्भः किमासीद्गहनं गभीरम् (ambhaḥ kimāsīdgahanaṃ gabhīram) Ṛgveda 1.129.1.

2) A wood, thicket, deep or impenetrable forest; यदनुगमनाय निशि गहनमपि शीलितम् (yadanugamanāya niśi gahanamapi śīlitam) Gītagovinda 7; Bv.1.25.

3) A hiding-place.

4) A cave.

5) Pain, distress.

6) An ornament.

7) Water.

8) An inaccessible place; धिष्ण्यानामस्म्यहं मेरुर्गहनानां हिमालयः (dhiṣṇyānāmasmyahaṃ merurgahanānāṃ himālayaḥ) Bhāgavata 11.16.21.

-naḥ The Supreme Being.

--- OR ---

Gāhana (गाहन).—[gāh-lyuṭ] The act of diving into, plunging, bathing &c.

Derivable forms: gāhanam (गाहनम्).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary

Gahana (गहन).—(nt., or adj.), is sometimes, apparently, in-volved in word-plays with grahaṇa, q.v. (on the basis of MIndic pronunciation of the latter). In Śikṣāsamuccaya 286.1 (aśaṭhatā śaṭheṣu,) amāyāvitā gahanacariteṣu (this is the clear intention of the ms., see ed. note, and must be read), kṛtajñatā akṛtajñeṣu, etc., the Tibetan is said to render guilelessness among the guileful, which is supported by the parallel phrases surrounding this. The translation(s) of Bendall and Rouse renders gahana-carita overreaching; it seems more likely to mean of obscure, hidden (or perhaps tangled) conduct, and so tricky. See next (apparently a quite un- related confusion).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Gahana (गहन).—mfn.

(-naḥ-nā-naṃ) Impervious, inaccessible. n.

(-naṃ) 1. A wood, a thicket. 2. A cave. 3. Pain, distress. E. gāh to tremble, &c. affix yuc, and the radical vowel made short; or gah to be thick, affix as before.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Gahana (गहन).—i. e. gabh (cf. gabhīra, and gāh) + ana, I. adj., f. nā. 1. Deep, [Bhartṛhari, (ed. Bohlen.)] 3, 11. 2. Impervious, [Rāmāyaṇa] 2, 85, 4. 3. Impenetrable, [Pañcatantra] i. [distich] 317. Ii. n. 1. A thicket, [Rāmāyaṇa] 4, 48, 2. 2. Impenetrability, obscurity, Mahābhārata 11, 125. 3. Multitude, [Rāmāyaṇa] 1, 35, 16.

--- OR ---

Gāhana (गाहन).—[gāh + ana], n. Bathing, Da- śak. 145, 14.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Gahana (गहन).—[adjective] deep, thick, impenetrable; [neuter] depth, abyss, thicket, impenetrable place or darkness.

--- OR ---

Gāhana (गाहन).—[neuter] plunging, bathing.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Gahana (गहन):—[from gah] mf(ā)n. ([gana] kṣubhnādi) deep, dense, thick, impervious, impenetrable, inexplicable, hard to be understood, [Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa] etc.

2) Gahanā (गहना):—[from gahana > gah] f. ornament, [DevīP.]

3) Gahana (गहन):—[from gah] n. an abyss, depth (‘water’ [Naighaṇṭuka, commented on by Yāska; Nirukta, by Yāska]), [Ṛg-veda x, 129, 1]

4) [v.s. ...] an inaccessible place, hiding-place, thicket, cave, wood, impenetrable darkness[, i, 132, 6; Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa xiv, 7, 2, 17; Mahābhārata] etc.

5) [v.s. ...] pain, distress, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

6) [v.s. ...] a metre consisting of thirty-two syllables.

7) Gāhana (गाहन):—[from gāh] n. diving into, bathing, [Daśakumāra-carita xii, 111.]

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Gahana (गहन):—[(naḥ-nā-naṃ) a.] Impervious. n. A wood; a cave; pain.

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)

Gahana (गहन) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Gahaṇa.

[Sanskrit to German]

Gahana in German

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

Hindi dictionary

Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionary

1) Gahana (गहन) [Also spelled gahan]:—(a) deep; intricate; impregnable; obscure; mysterious, dense; inaccesible; ~[tā] depth; intricacy; impregnability; obscurity; mysteriousness; density; inaccessiblity.

2) Gahanā (गहना):—(nm) ornament; (v) to catch; [gahane] jewellery; •[rakhanā] to pawn, to mortgage.

3) Gāhanā (गाहना):—(v) to thresh; to chinse.

context information

...

Prakrit-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary

1) Gahaṇa (गहण) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Grahaṇa.

2) Gahaṇa (गहण) also relates to the Sanskrit word: Grāhaṇa.

3) Gahaṇa (गहण) also relates to the Sanskrit word: Grahaṇa.

4) Gahaṇa (गहण) also relates to the Sanskrit word: Gahana.

5) Gahaṇa (गहण) also relates to the Sanskrit word: Gahana.

6) Gāhaṇa (गाहण) also relates to the Sanskrit word: Grāhaṇa.

7) Gāhaṇā (गाहणा) also relates to the Sanskrit word: Grāhaṇā.

Gāhaṇā has the following synonyms: Gāhaṇayā.

context information

Prakrit is an ancient language closely associated with both Pali and Sanskrit. Jain literature is often composed in this language or sub-dialects, such as the Agamas and their commentaries which are written in Ardhamagadhi and Maharashtri Prakrit. The earliest extant texts can be dated to as early as the 4th century BCE although core portions might be older.

Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Gahana (ಗಹನ):—

1) [adjective] that is hard to be understood; not easily comprehensible.

2) [adjective] difficult to approach, reach.

3) [adjective] dense; thick; difficult to penetrate or get through.

--- OR ---

Gahana (ಗಹನ):—

1) [noun] that which is very difficult to accomplish.

2) [noun] an incomprehensible subject, matter, secret, etc.; a mysterious thing.

3) [noun] a great, wonderful thing.

4) [noun] a deep ditch.

5) [noun] a dense, impenetrable forest.

6) [noun] a low, woody plant with several permanent stems; a bush; a shrub.

7) [noun] a narrow and inaccessible place.

8) [noun] the fact of being dense, crowded.

9) [noun] a respectable man; a man of esteem.

--- OR ---

Gāhana (ಗಾಹನ):—

1) [noun] an incomprehensible subject, matter, secret, etc.; a mysterious thing.

2) [noun] a deep ditch.

3) [noun] a dense, impenetrable forest.

context information

Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

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Search found 28 books and stories containing Gahana, Gahāṇa, Gāhana, Gahanā, Gāhāṇa, Gāhanā, Gāhaṇā, Gahaṇa, Gāhaṇa, Gahanaa; (plurals include: Gahanas, Gahāṇas, Gāhanas, Gahanās, Gāhāṇas, Gāhanās, Gāhaṇās, Gahaṇas, Gāhaṇas, Gahanaas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

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Rig Veda 1.132.6 < [Sukta 132]

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