Nirantara, Niramtara, Nir-antara: 25 definitions
Introduction:
Nirantara means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, the history of ancient India, 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.
Images (photo gallery)
In Hinduism
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Source: Google Books: ManthanabhairavatantramNirantara (निरन्तर) refers to “constantly”, 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, “(Kubjikā’s) iconic form is threefold (according to whether it is) in (the transmission) of the Child, Middle One or the Aged. [...] (She holds) a skull, a rosary, the five immortal substances, an ascetic’s staff, the Kādi scripture, conch, and the great nectar which is filled constantly [i.e., nirantara—pūritaṃ ca nirantaram] with (the recitation of her Trikhaṇḍā Vidyā) consisting of 292 syllables. The garland of vowels on her head rains down a stream of nectar. The garland of letters that (hangs from) the neck of the goddess (reaches) the soles (of her) feet. The necklace around her neck, made of fifty scorpions, looks beautiful [...]”.
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.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English TranslationNirantara (निरन्तर) refers to “continuously”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.13 (“Śiva-Pārvatī dialogue”).—Accordingly, as Pārvatī said to Śiva: “O Yogin, O lord Śiva, based on what you said how can that Prakṛti cease to exist and how can you be considered beyond that Prakṛti? You shall ponder over this and say with reference to the facts as they are. All these (the universe etc) are bound by Prakṛti continuously [i.e., nirantara]. Hence you shall not say anything, not do anything. Know that speaking, doing etc. is a Prākṛta activity”.
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.
Kavya (poetry)
Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions (kavya)Nirantara (निरन्तर) refers to “gapless” (i.e., ‘filling the spaces between branches of trees’), according to Bāṇa’s Kādambarī (p. 225).—Accordingly, “[Then through the main entrance (of Caṇḍikā), the temple yard:] Her courtyard was adorned (vibhūṣita-aṅgaṇa) with thickets of red aśoka trees, the spaces between the branches of which were made gapless (nirantara) by flocks of perching red cockerels, [trees] which appeared to reveal unseasonal clusters of blooms in their fear”
Kavya (काव्य, kavya) refers to Sanskrit poetry, a popular ancient Indian tradition of literature. There have been many Sanskrit poets over the ages, hailing from ancient India and beyond. This topic includes mahakavya, or ‘epic poetry’ and natya, or ‘dramatic poetry’.
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Source: SOAS University of London: Protective Rites in the Netra TantraNirantara (निरन्तर) refers to “uninterrupted” (without any breaks), according to the Netratantra of Kṣemarāja: a Śaiva text from the 9th century in which Śiva (Bhairava) teaches Pārvatī topics such as metaphysics, cosmology, and soteriology.—Accordingly, [verse 22.17ab]—“Sa is that which is self-perceived, true, possesses the attribute of gratification, the receptacle of all amṛta, together with visarga, and the highest auspicious thing (i.e., Śiva), which is full and uninterrupted (nirantara), without any breaks”.
Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.
Yoga (school of philosophy)
Source: ORA: Amanaska (king of all yogas): A Critical Edition and Annotated Translation by Jason BirchNirantara (निरन्तर) refers to “continually” (remaining in absorption), according to the Amanaska Yoga treatise dealing with meditation, absorption, yogic powers and liberation.—Accordingly, as Īśvara says to Vāmadeva: “[...] [Now], I shall define the nature of that highest, mind-free absorption which arises for those devoted to constant practice. [...] [Thus, [the Yogin] who has remained in absorption continually (nirantara) for twelve years, [gains] the Siddhi of the ether-element. Indeed, he becomes absorbed in the ether-element. [...]”.
Yoga is originally considered a branch of Hindu philosophy (astika), but both ancient and modern Yoga combine the physical, mental and spiritual. Yoga teaches various physical techniques also known as āsanas (postures), used for various purposes (eg., meditation, contemplation, relaxation).
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Source: eScholarship: Buddhajñānāpāda's Vision of a Tantric Buddhist WorldNirantara (निरन्तर) refers to one of the Saptāṅga (“seven aṅgas of mahāmudrā”), according to Vāgīśvavarakīrti’s Saptāṅga and Tattvaratnāvaloka (and its auto-commentary).—(Cf. the seven yogas mentioned by Buddhajñānapāda in the Muktitilaka).—The same seven factors are addressed in Vāgīśvavarakīrti’s later Saptāṅga and his Tattvaratnāvaloka and its auto-commentary, where they are called the seven aṅgas of mahāmudrā, with reference to which see Isaacson (2010b, 271, 271n27) and, with a bit more detail, Isaacson and Sferra (2014, 271), where they are mentioned with reference to a citation from the Saptāṅga in Rāmapāla’s Sekanirdeśapañjikā.
Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.
In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Source: The University of Sydney: A study of the Twelve Reflections1) Nirantara (निरन्तर) refers to “having no interspace”, according to Pūjyapāda’s Sarvārthasiddhi.—Accordingly, “In one minute living being there are organisms infinite times the emancipated souls. Thus the entire universe is densely filled with one-sensed beings with no interspace (nirantara). To become a being with more than one sense is as difficult as finding out a very small piece of diamond buried in the sands of an ocean. Even among these most of them are endowed with imperfect senses (i.e. less than five senses). Hence birth as a five-sensed being is as rare as gratitude among the good qualities. [...]”.
2) Nirantara (निरन्तर) refers to “constantly”, according to the 11th century Jñānārṇava, a treatise on Jain Yoga in roughly 2200 Sanskrit verses composed by Śubhacandra.—Accordingly, “Having abandoned the tree, as the birds go in the early morning, in like manner the embodied souls continually [com.—nirantara—‘constantly’] go somewhere depending on their own karma”.
Synonyms: Śaśvat, Ajasra, Saṃtata, Avirata, Satata.
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.
India history and geography
Source: Singhi Jain Series: Ratnaprabha-suri’s Kuvalayamala-katha (history)Ṇiraṃtara (णिरंतर) refers to one of the various shops or “market places” (Sanskrit: Haṭṭa, Prakrit: Cauhaṭṭa) for a medieval town in ancient India, which were vividly depicted in Kathās (narrative poems), for example, by Uddyotanasūri in his 8th-century Kuvalayamālā.—The Kuvalayamala (779 A.D.) is full of cultural material which gains in value because of the firm date of its composition. [...] In the Kuvalayamālā, some names of shops according to articles displayed in them is given, [i.e., ṇiraṃtara] [...] Thus Uddyotana has in his view a complete form of a medieval market place with the number of lines full of different commodities.
The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.
Languages of India and abroad
Pali-English dictionary
Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionarynirantara : (adj.) continuous; uninterrupted.
Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English DictionaryNirantara, (adj.) (nis+antara) having no interval, continuous, uninterrupted PvA. 135. Usually in nt. as adv. nirantaraṃ always, incessantly, constantly; immediately, at once DhsA. 168; PvA. 52, 80, 107, 110 (=satataṃ), 120; DhA. I, 13. (Page 369)
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 Dictionarynirantara (निरंतर).—ad (S) Constantly, incessantly, unpausingly: also continuously or contiguously, without intervening space.
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nirantara (निरंतर).—a (S) Having contact with; being without space intervening. 2 Constant or incessant: also continuous or contiguous.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishnirantara (निरंतर).—ad Constantly, incessantly. Con- tinuously. a Having contact with.
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 dictionaryNirantara (निरन्तर).—a.
1) constant, perpetual, uninterrupted, incessant; निरन्त- राधिपटलैः (niranta- rādhipaṭalaiḥ) Bv.1.16; निरन्तरास्वन्तरवातवृष्टिषु (nirantarāsvantaravātavṛṣṭiṣu) Kumārasambhava 5.25.
2) having no intervening or intermediate space, having no interval, close, closely contiguous, in close contact; मूढे निरन्तरपयोधरया मयैव (mūḍhe nirantarapayodharayā mayaiva) Mṛcchakaṭika 5.15; हृदयं निरन्तरबृहत्कठिनस्तन- मण्डलावरणमप्यभिदन् (hṛdayaṃ nirantarabṛhatkaṭhinastana- maṇḍalāvaraṇamapyabhidan) Śiśupālavadha 9.66.
3) compact, dense; परितो रुद्धनिरन्तराम्बराः (parito ruddhanirantarāmbarāḥ) Śiśupālavadha 16.76.
4) coarse, gross.
5) faithful, true (as a friend).
6) not hidden from view.
7) not different, similar, identical.
8) sincere, sympathetic; सुहृदि निरन्तरचित्ते (suhṛdi nirantaracitte) (nivedya duḥkhaṃ sukhībhavati) Pañcatantra (Bombay) 1.341.
9) abounding in, full of; निपात्यमानैर्ददृशे निरन्तरम् (nipātyamānairdadṛśe nirantaram) Rām.7.7. 54; गुणैश्च निरन्तराणि (guṇaiśca nirantarāṇi) Mv.4.12.
-ram ind.
Nirantara is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms nir and antara (अन्तर).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryNirantara (निरन्तर).—mfn.
(-raḥ-rā-raṃ) 1. Coarse, gross, without interstices. 2. Continuous. 3. Uninterrupted, continual. 4. Unbounded. 5. Indentical, not different. 6. Unconcealed, not hidden or vanished. 7. Not external, &c. E. nir not, antara interval, difference, &c.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryNirantara (निरन्तर).—i. e. nis-antara, adj., f. rā. 1. Without any interstice, [Śiśupālavadha] 9, 66. 2. Completely filled, [Rāmāyaṇa] 6, 112, 42. 3. Continual, [Rāmāyaṇa] 5, 58, 8. 4. Faithful, Pañc ii. [distich] 190. ºram, adv. 1. Tightly, [Ṛtusaṃhāra] 2, 11. 2. Constantly, [Rāmāyaṇa] 3, 2, 11.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryNirantara (निरन्तर).—[adjective] having no interval, continuous, uninterrupted, constant, dense, compact; abounding in, full of ([instrumental] or —°); not different, equal, identical. [neuter] [adverb] tight, fast; constantly, regularly; immediately, forthwith.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Nirantara (निरन्तर):—[=nir-antara] [from nir > niḥ] mf(ā)n. having no interval (in space or time), close, compact, dense, uninterrupted, perpetual, constant (-tā f.), [Mahābhārata; Kāvya literature] etc.
2) [v.s. ...] faithful true, [Pañcatantra]
3) [v.s. ...] abounding in, full of ([compound]), [Rāmāyaṇa; Sāhitya-darpaṇa]
4) [v.s. ...] not other or different, identical, [Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa] etc.
5) [v.s. ...] not hidden from view, [Horace H. Wilson]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryNirantara (निरन्तर):—[nira+ntara] (raḥ-rā-raṃ) a. Coarse; continued; identical; unbounded; unconcealed.
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)Nirantara (निरन्तर) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Ṇiraṃtara.
[Sanskrit to German]
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 dictionaryNiraṃtara (निरंतर) [Also spelled nirantar]:—(a) continuous; uninterrupted, incessant, non-stop; perpetual; (adv) continuously; uninterruptedly, incessantly; ~[tā] continuity; non-interruption.
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Prakrit-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionaryṆiraṃtara (णिरंतर) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Nirantara.
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 corpusNiraṃtara (ನಿರಂತರ):—
1) [adjective] continuing, running or being for ever; continuous; permanent.
2) [adjective] lasting for a relatively longer time.
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Niraṃtara (ನಿರಂತರ):—
1) [noun] the one who lasts for ever; that which remains for every (without change).
2) [noun] the God, who does not have an end.
3) [noun] the condition, fact or quality of being dense, thickly populated or filled with.
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Niraṃtara (ನಿರಂತರ):—
1) [adverb] always; for ever.
2) [adverb] coninuously for a long time.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with: Nirantarabhyasa, Nirantaracuram, Nirantaragrihavasin, Nirantarala, Nirantaralata, Nirantaram, Nirantarapadavyakhya, Nirantarapayodhara, Nirantararambha, Nirantarasharira, Nirantarasukha, Nirantarata, Nirantaravishesha, Nirantaraya.
Full-text (+19): Nirantaram, Nirantarata, Nirantarapayodhara, Nirantarasharira, Nirantaravishesha, Nirantaragrihavasin, Nirantarodbhinna, Nirantarotkantha, Nirantarabhyasa, Satata, Nirantaracuram, Nairantayya, Nairantaya, Nirantar, Nairantarya, Nididhyasana, Nirantam, Nididhyasa, Nidhala, Panjika.
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Search found 29 books and stories containing Nirantara, Niramtara, Nir-antara, Niraṃtara, Ṇirantara, Ṇiraṃtara; (plurals include: Nirantaras, Niramtaras, antaras, Niraṃtaras, Ṇirantaras, Ṇiraṃtaras). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Garga Samhita (English) (by Danavir Goswami)
Verse 3.9.5 < [Chapter 9 - The Birth of Śrī Girirāja]
Verse 2.18.11 < [Chapter 18 - The Sight of Śrī Kṛṣṇacandra]
Verse 2.16.35 < [Chapter 16 - The Worship of Tulasī]
Brihad Bhagavatamrita (commentary) (by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyana Gosvāmī Mahārāja)
Verse 2.3.177 < [Chapter 3 - Bhajana (loving service)]
Verse 2.4.98 < [Chapter 4 - Vaikuṇṭha (the spiritual world)]
Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)
Class 7: The ten spheres of totality (kṛtsnāyatana, kṛtsna-āyatana) < [Class (5) liberations, (6) masteries and (7) totalities]
Vivekachudamani (by Shankara)
Bhajana-Rahasya (by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Mahasaya)