Ahoratra, Ahan-ratra, Ahorātra: 22 definitions
Introduction:
Ahoratra means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India, Marathi. 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.
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Puranic EncyclopediaAhorātra (अहोरात्र).—(See under Kālamāna).
Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English TranslationAhorātra (अहोरात्र) refers to the period of “one day and one night”, consisting of 21,600 niśvāsas (respirations), according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.1.10, while explaining the span of life of the deities (Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Hara):—“[...] in the case of all living beings, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Hara, Gandharvas, serpents, Rākṣasas, etc., twenty one thousand six hundred respirations constitute the period of one day and one night (ahorātra), O foremost among Devas. Six respirations constitute the period of time one Pala. Sixty such Palas constitute one Ghaṭī. Sixty Ghaṭīs constitute one day and one night. (6 x 60 x 60 = 21600). There is no limit to the number of respirations of Sadāśiva. Hence He is undecaying”.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana IndexAhorātra (अहोरात्र).—A day and a night; 30 muhūrtas For pitṛs —kṛṣṇapakṣa and śuklapakṣa (one month); for Devas one full year is one day.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 13. 112; Matsya-purāṇa 1. 19; 142. 5-6, 9; Vāyu-purāṇa 65. 59; 66. 37.
Ā
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.
Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)
Source: Wisdom Library: Brihat Samhita by VarahamihiraAhorātra (अहोरात्र) refers to 1 (one) solar day, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 2), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “We shall now proceed to give a brief description of (the qualifications of) a jyotiṣaka. [...] He must have a correct, knowledge of a yuga (43,20,000 Solar years), varṣa (a solar year), āyana (6 solar months), ṛtu (2 solar months), māsa (a solar month), pakṣa (15 solar days), ahorātra (a solar day), yama (one-eighth of a solar day), muhūrta (one-thirtieth of a solar day), nāḍī (one-sixtieth of a solar day or 24 minutes), vināḍi (one sixtieth of a nāḍī or 24 seconds), prāṇa (4 seconds) truṭi (33, 75th of a second) and parts of a truṭi and other divisions of time and also of divisions of space”.
Source: Wikibooks (hi): Sanskrit Technical TermsAhorātra (अहोरात्र).—1. A day and night, a nychthemeron. 2. The day radius i.e., the radius of the diurnal circle. Note: Ahorātra is a Sanskrit technical term used in ancient Indian sciences such as Astronomy, Mathematics and Geometry.
Jyotisha (ज्योतिष, jyotiṣa or jyotish) refers to ‘astronomy’ or “Vedic astrology” and represents the fifth of the six Vedangas (additional sciences to be studied along with the Vedas). Jyotisha concerns itself with the study and prediction of the movements of celestial bodies, in order to calculate the auspicious time for rituals and ceremonies.
Ayurveda (science of life)
Source: archive.org: Vagbhata’s Ashtanga Hridaya Samhita (first 5 chapters)Ahorātra (अहोरात्र) refers to “day and night”, mentioned in verse 3.52 of the Aṣṭāṅgahṛdayasaṃhitā (Sūtrasthāna) by Vāgbhaṭa.—Accordingly, “[...] when hungry, one shall turn to bitter, sweet, astringent, and light food, [...]; to water (that is) heated by the beams of the hot-rayed one (and) cooled by the beams of the cold-rayed one, and this thoroughly day and night [viz., ahorātra]; (that is) detoxicated by the (heliacal) rising of Canopus, pure, called ‘swan-water’, devoid of dirt, (and) destructive of dirt”.
Note: Ahorātra (“day and night”) has been represented more emphatically by ñin mthsan gñi-gar (“both day and night”), gñis-kar in CD being an alternative spelling of gñi-gar (corrupted to gñid-gar in N).
Source: gurumukhi.ru: Ayurveda glossary of termsAhorātra (अहोरात्र):—1 Day and 1 night = 24 hours
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.
Yoga (school of philosophy)
Source: ORA: Amanaska (king of all yogas): A Critical Edition and Annotated Translation by Jason BirchAhorātra (अहोरात्र) refers to the “time of one day and night”, 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. [...] By means of an absorption for a day and night (ahorātra), the Yogin who is steady in his seated posture knows smells from afar, because of the cessation of the activity of his mind. [...]”.
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
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: De Gruyter: A Buddhist Ritual Manual on AgricultureAhorātra (अहोरात्र) refers to “day and night” (recitation of a mantra), according to the Vajratuṇḍasamayakalparāja, an ancient Buddhist ritual manual on agriculture from the 5th-century (or earlier), containing various instructions for the Sangha to provide agriculture-related services to laypeople including rain-making, weather control and crop protection.—Accordingly, [as the Bhagavān teaches an offering manual]: “A wax Garuḍa should be made. [...] Having placed it at a high place [covered] with cloths of various kinds [and colours], the mantra should be recited day and night (ahorātra) a thousand times. If there is no body-energy, one should take white foods. Besides one should bathe and it should be thus [continued to be] practised. [...]”.
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.
India history and geography
Source: Google Books: Studies in the History of the Exact Sciences (history)Ahorātra (अहोरात्र) refers to a “nychthemeron” (a period of 24 hours).—From about the fourth century A.D. up to recent times the water clock of the sinking bowl type (Ghaṭikā or Ghaṭīyantra) has been the chief device in India for measuring time. The instrument consists of a hemispherical bowl (ghaṭikā or ghaṭī) with a minute perforation at the bottom. When this bowl is placed on the surface of water in a larger vessel or basin (kuṇḍa, kuṇḍikā, kuṇḍī), water slowly percolates into the bowl through the perforation. When the bowl is full, it sinks to the bottom of the vessel with a clearly audible thud. The weight of the vessel and the size of the perforation are so regulated that the bowl sinks sixty times in a nychthemeron (ahorātra). Thus the time taken for filling the bowl once is one-sixtieth part of a nychthemeron, or twenty-four minutes. This was the standard unit of time measurement in India and is called ghaṭikā or ghaṭī after the name of the bowl. The ghaṭikā is subdivided into sixty vighaṭikās, which are also called palas.
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
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionaryahōrātra (अहोरात्र).—m n (S) A day of twenty-four hours or thirty Muhurtt; the period from sunrise to sunrise.
--- OR ---
ahōrātra (अहोरात्र).—ad S pop. ahōrātrīṃ ad Day and night. 2 (By the ignorant.) During or through the whole night.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishahōrātra (अहोरात्र) [-trīṃ, -त्रीं].—ad Day and night. ahōrūpa mahōdhvaniḥ: m Mutual adulation.
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 dictionaryAhorātra (अहोरात्र).—
-tram also)
Derivable forms: ahorātraḥ (अहोरात्रः).
Ahorātra is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms ahan and rātra (रात्र).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryAhorātra (अहोरात्र).—m.
(-traḥ) A day of twenty-four hours or thirty Muhurtas, from sun-rise to sun-rise. n. or ind. (-tram) Day and night, continually, always. E. ahan a day, and rātri a night.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryAhorātra (अहोरात्र).—i. e. ahan-rātra, m. and n. A day of twenty-four hours or thirty muhūrtas, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 1, 64.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryAhorātra (अहोरात्र).—[masculine] [neuter] day and night; vid† [adjective] knowing [drama] & [neuter]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Ahorātra (अहोरात्र):—[=aho-rātra] [from aho > ahar] a m. [plural] [Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā]; [dual number], [Atharva-veda] & [Pbr.]; sg. or [plural], [Mahābhārata] etc. or n. [plural] [Ṛg-veda x, 190, 2; Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā] etc.; [dual number], [Atharva-veda; Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā] etc.; sg. or [dual number] or [plural], [Manu-smṛti; Mahābhārata] etc. = ahar-niśa (q.v.), a day and night, νυχθήμερον, (having twenty-four hours or thirty Muhūrtas);
2) [=aho-rātra] [from aho-ratna] b See, [ib.]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryAhorātra (अहोरात्र):—(traḥ) 1. m. A day of 24 hours. n. Day and night.
[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.
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusAhōrātra (ಅಹೋರಾತ್ರ):—[noun] (pl.) the day and night.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Source: unoes: Nepali-English DictionaryAhorātra (अहोरात्र):—adv. day and night; n. a full day; a period of twenty-four hours;
Nepali is the primary language of the Nepalese people counting almost 20 million native speakers. The country of Nepal is situated in the Himalaya mountain range to the north of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Ratra, Aho, Aha.
Starts with: Ahoratracatushka, Ahoratradvaya, Ahoratrakala, Ahoratram, Ahoratrardhavishkambha, Ahoratrasu, Ahoratratraya, Ahoratravritta.
Full-text (+45): Daivahoratra, Paitrahoratra, Ahoratravritta, Ahoratram, Brahmahoratra, Hora, Shadahoratra, Ahoratracatushka, Kalavastha, Ahoratre, Ahoratri, Ahoratratraya, Tryahoratra, Ahoratradvaya, Camakorattiram, Rikamati, Akorattiram, Dvyahoratra, Taittiyakorattiram, Caturahoratra.
Relevant text
Search found 38 books and stories containing Ahoratra, Ahan-ratra, Ahan-rātra, Aho-ratra, Aho-rātra, Ahorātra, Ahōrātra; (plurals include: Ahoratras, ratras, rātras, Ahorātras, Ahōrātras). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Bhagavati-sutra (Viyaha-pannatti) (by K. C. Lalwani)
Part 3 - On the commencement of rainfall < [Chapter 1]
Brihat Jataka by Varahamihira [Sanskrit/English] (by Michael D Neely)
Verse 1.3 < [Chapter 1 - Zodiac Signs]
Skanda Purana (by G. V. Tagare)
Appendix 3 - Purāṇic measurements of time < [Appendices]
Chapter 19 - Incarnations of Śrī Viṣṇu < [Section 1 - Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya]
Chapter 272 - Characteristics of Different Yugas < [Section 1 - Tīrtha-māhātmya]
Ganitatilaka (Sanskrit text and English introduction) (by H. R. Kapadia)
Part 17 - Four kinds of Pramana (measure) < [Introduction]
Puranic encyclopaedia (by Vettam Mani)
History of Science in South Asia
The Units of Time in Ancient and Medieval India < [Vol. 5 No. 1 (2017)]
The Date and Nature of Sphujidhvaja’s Yavanajātaka Reconsidered in the Light of Some Newly Discovered Materials < [Vol. 1 (2013)]
Calendars, Compliments, and Computations < [Vol. 11 (2023)]