Ekaratra, Ēkarātra, Ekarātra, Eka-ratra: 12 definitions
Introduction:
Ekaratra means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, 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)
Ekarātra (एकरात्र) refers to the name of a Tīrtha (pilgrim’s destination) mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. III.81.159). Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Ekarātra) is a Sanskrit epic poem consisting of 100,000 ślokas (metrical verses) and is over 2000 years old.
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)
Ekarātra (एकरात्र) (Cf. Ekaniśā) refers to a “single night”, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 11), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).— Accordingly, “Jala Ketu is a comet which appears in the west with a raised tail; it is glossy, when it appears there will be prosperity in the land for 9 months, and the world will be freed from all miseries. Bhava Ketu is a comet visible only for a single night [i.e., ekarātra] and in the east, possessing a small disc; it is glossy; the tail is bent like that of a lion. There will be unprecedented happiness in the land for as many months as the number of hours for which it continues to be visible; if it should be fearful to look at, fatal diseases will afflict mankind”.
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.
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Ekarātra (एकरात्र) refers to a “singe night (of resting)”, according to the Pātravidhi—a manual of the Lakulīśa Pāśupata school of Śaivism dealing with purification of the initiate’s vessel (pātra) and other concerned issues.—Accordingly, “[An ascetic] should never use medicine, a teeth-cleaning twig, and drink or sip water, except at times of eating. (69) An ascetic who has spent a night (ekarātra-uṣita) having left behind his vessel, his staff and other [essential belongings], should reclaim his staff reciting the mantras, and definitively abandon the vessel. (70) If a Yogin were to drink water from the [ascetic’s] vessel when he has eaten only half [of his meal], he would do wrong to the god, the vessel and himself. (71) Thus the manual on [the use of] the vessel”.
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.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
ēkarātra (एकरात्र).—ad Through or during a whole day (of twenty-four hours).
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
Ekarātra (एकरात्र).—a ceremony lasting one night.
-tram one night; एकरात्रं तु निवसन्नतिथिर्ब्राह्मणः स्मृतः (ekarātraṃ tu nivasannatithirbrāhmaṇaḥ smṛtaḥ) Manusmṛti 3.12.
Derivable forms: ekarātraḥ (एकरात्रः).
Ekarātra is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms eka and rātra (रात्र).
Ekarātra (एकरात्र).—n.
(-traṃ) One night, a night. E. eka and rātri night.
Ekarātra (एकरात्र).—[masculine] a ceremony lasting one night; [neuter] a night’s (day’s) duration.
1) Ekarātra (एकरात्र):—[=eka-rātra] [from eka] n. duration of one night, one night, one day and night, [Pāraskara-gṛhya-sūtra; Manu-smṛti iii, 102, etc.]
2) [v.s. ...] m. a particular observance or festival, [Atharva-veda xi, 7, 10; Mahābhārata xiii]
3) [v.s. ...] mfn. during one night.
Ekarātra (एकरात्र):—[eka-rātra] (traṃ) 1. n. One night.
Ekarātra (एकरात्र):—(eka + rātra = rātri)
1) m. eine über eine Nacht dauernde Feier [Atharvavedasaṃhitā 11, 7, 10.] [Mahābhārata 13, 4914.] —
2) n. die Dauer einer Nacht (eines Tages) [Śāṅkhāyana’s Śrautasūtrāṇi 4, 15, 10.] [Pāraskara’s Gṛhyasūtrāṇi 3, 10.] [Manu’s Gesetzbuch 3, 102. 11, 178. 212.] [Bhāgavatapurāṇa 3, 31, 2.]
Ekarātra (एकरात्र):——
1) m. eine eine nacht lang dauernde Feier. —
2) n. die Dauer einer Nacht (eines Tages) [Gautama's Dharmaśāstra]
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
Ēkarātra (ಏಕರಾತ್ರ):—
1) [noun] one night.
2) [noun] a ceremony lasting one night.
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: Ekaratratirtha, Ekaratroshita.
Full-text: Ekaratrika, Ekaratratirtha, Aikaratrika, Ekaratroshita, Atithi, Ushita, Ekanisha.
Relevant text
Search found 11 books and stories containing Ekaratra, Ēkarātra, Ekarātra, Eka-ratra, Eka-rātra; (plurals include: Ekaratras, Ēkarātras, Ekarātras, ratras, rātras). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
List of Mahabharata people and places (by Laxman Burdak)
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts, Madras (by M. Seshagiri Sastri)
Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (by Rajendralala Mitra)
Page 24 < [Volume 7 (1883)]
Mahabharata (English) (by Kisari Mohan Ganguli)
Yajnavalkya-smriti with Mitakshara and Viramitrodaya (by J. R. Gharpure)
Verse 1.111 < [Chapter 5 - Duties of a Householder (Gṛhin)]
Apastamba Dharma-sutra (by Āpastamba)