Garta, Gartā: 21 definitions
Introduction:
Garta means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India, 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 Gart.
In Hinduism
Dharmashastra (religious law)
Garta (गर्त) is a Sanskrit word referring to water-stream whose course do not run beyond 2004 yards. The word is used throughout Dharmaśāstra literature such as the Manusmṛti. (also see the Manubhāṣya verse 4.203)
Dharmashastra (धर्मशास्त्र, dharmaśāstra) contains the instructions (shastra) regarding religious conduct of livelihood (dharma), ceremonies, jurisprudence (study of law) and more. It is categorized as smriti, an important and authoritative selection of books dealing with the Hindu lifestyle.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Garta (गर्त).—A son of Vasiṣṭha and Ūrjā.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 11. 41.
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)
Garta (गर्त) refers to “under the ground” (i.e., “holes”), according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 16) (“On the planets—graha-bhaktiyoga”), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “[...] Rāhu also presides over the most wicked in the family, over torturers, ungrateful men, thieves, persons who are untruthful, uncleanly and ungenerous; over ass-riders, duelists, persons of easily irritable temperament, [+ garta-āśraya ?] infants in the womb and Cāṇḍālas. [...]”.
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)
Agriculture (Krishi) and Vrikshayurveda (study of Plant life)
Garta (गर्त) or Sugarta refers to a “pit” (suitable for planting seeds), according to the Vṛkṣāyurveda by Sūrapāla (1000 CE): an encyclopedic work dealing with the study of trees and the principles of ancient Indian agriculture.—Accordingly: “A healthy seed of a properly ripened Mangifera indica should be soaked in the blood of a tortoise and a hare and then should be dried in the direct heat of the sun. After a month it should be planted in a pit (su-gartaka), previously prepared as per the method described before. Thereafter it should be showered with the milk of a she-goat. Then it blossoms into a tree with thousands of branches and produces lovely flowers and fruits round the year. This is no wonder”.
Veterinary Medicine (The study and treatment of Animals)
Garta (गर्त) refers to a “(broad) hole” (used for certain elephant-traps), according to the 15th century Mātaṅgalīlā composed by Nīlakaṇṭha in 263 Sanskrit verses, dealing with elephantology in ancient India, focusing on the science of management and treatment of elephants.—[Cf. chapter 10, “on the catching of elephants”]: “12. Separate ropes with multiple ends, the ends of which are tied into nooses, are covered with kerī-bark and twigs, etc., (the ropes) as large as the girth of a betel nut tree, and approximately sixty karas (30 yards) long, and are well buried and covered on all sides with dust in a very broad hole (garta) in the ground sunk [nimnadharaṇīgarte'tivistārite] to the depth of a kara (a foot and a half)”.
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.
Vastushastra (architecture)
Garta (गर्त) refers to a “hole” (into which one’s liṅga can fall) which is mentioned as one of the possible causes for replacing a Liṅga, according to the section dealing with Jīrṇoddhāra (“renovation”) in verse 119cd-124 of the Prāyaścittasamuccaya of Trilocanaśiva: a 12th century Śaiva manual on expiations.—Accordingly, “[...] If the liṅga is licked by fire and its beauty is not diminished, [expiation is achieved] by [reciting aghora] thirty thousand times. If [the liṅga] is mutilated, burnt, loses its lustre, is used by out-castes, falls in a terrible hole (ghora-garta) [or] is stolen by kings or others, then one should abandon the liṅga, recite one lakh repetitions of aghora, install another liṅga and [thereby] one attains purification”
Garta (गर्त) refers to a “hole” (which is dug in the place where the temple sanctuary will be raised), as discussed in chapter 10 of the Ādikāṇḍa of the Hayaśīrṣasaṃhitā: a large Pāñcarātra Āgama consisting of roughly 6500 verses dealing primarily with architecture, temple-building and consecration rituals and iconography.—Description of the chapter [arghyadāna]: [...] The Ācārya then offers various foods and grains in homa-sacrifice to all devatās, and thereupon he turns to the digging of a small hole (garta). Pūjā offerings of flowers, etc. are made into this hole; also, water from the pot into which Brahmā had been invoked is poured into it. More flowers are placed in the hole along with barley and other grains. On the completion of the garta-pūjā the Ācārya is rewarded, whereupon a larger pit is dug at the same place (12-28).
Vastushastra (वास्तुशास्त्र, vāstuśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian science (shastra) of architecture (vastu), dealing with topics such architecture, sculpture, town-building, fort building and various other constructions. Vastu also deals with the philosophy of the architectural relation with the cosmic universe.
In Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Garta (गर्त) refers to a “(big) ditch”, according to Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter 21).—Accordingly, “The immoral person is not respected (satkṛta) by people; his house is like a cemetery into which people do not go; he loses all his virtues like a rotten tree that people despise; [...] he is like bad grain, having the outer appearance of good seed but which is inedible; he is like a den of thieves where it is not good to stop; he is like a great sickness which no one dares to approach; he does not succeed in avoiding suffering; he is like a bad path difficult to travel on; he is dangerous to visit like an evil thief whom it is difficult to befriend; he is like a big ditch (garta) that people who walk avoid; he is bad company like a poisonous snake; [...] Even though he is called Bhikṣu because he has a shaved head, the yellow robe and presents his ‘ticket’ in the proper order, in reality he is not a Bhikṣu”.
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.
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Garta (गर्त) or Garteśvara refers to one of the “eight passionless ones” (Aṣṭavaitarāga or Aṣṭavītarāga), according to the Guru Mandala Worship (maṇḍalārcana) ritual often performed in combination with the Cakrasaṃvara Samādhi, which refers to the primary pūjā and sādhanā practice of Newah Mahāyāna-Vajrayāna Buddhists in Nepal.
Garta (गर्त) refers to a “hollow” (i.e., Gartamadhya—“the channel in one’s head”), according to chapter 50 of the 10th-century Ḍākārṇava-tantra: one of the last Tibetan Tantric scriptures belonging to the Buddhist Saṃvara tradition consisting of 51 chapters.—Accordingly, “Now, I will explain the characteristic of Mahākaṅkāla. [...] [The currents] rest in the middle of the skull by means of the mirror-like consciousness. Assuming the appearance of streams of immortal nectar [poured out] from a pot, they flow in the middle of a hollow (garta-madhya) [viz, channel in his head]. He should meditate that [this awakening] mind undergoes states such as absorption and enjoyment. [If he performs] the yoga of a donkey in that hollow, he sees the seven-time born. The appearances of mother-borns are three; likewise, the father-borns are three. [...]”.
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.
India history and geography
Garta (गर्त) refers to a name-ending for place-names according to Pāṇini VI.2.126. Pāṇini also cautions his readers that the etymological meaning of place-names should not be held authoritative since the name should vanish when the people leave the place who gave their name to it.
Garta or Gartā.—(EI 3, 27; CII 3), a trench or pit; a boundary trench; a pit or valley; cf. sa-garta-uṣara (IE 8-5); also found as the termination of names of villages. Note: garta is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.
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
Sanskrit dictionary
Garta (गर्त) or Gartā (गर्ता).—[gṝ-tan Uṇādi-sūtra 3.86]
1) A hollow, hole, cave; ससत्त्वेषु गर्तेषु (sasattveṣu garteṣu) Manusmṛti 4.47,23.
2) A grave.
-rtaḥ 1 The hollow of the loins.
2) A kind of disease.
3) Name of a country, a part the Trigartas q. v.
4) Ved. A throne.
5) A chariot; the seat of a chariot; तिष्ठद्धरी अध्यस्तेव गर्ते (tiṣṭhaddharī adhyasteva garte) Ṛgveda 6.2.9.
6) A table for playing at dice.
7) A house.
8) The post of an assembly room.
Derivable forms: gartaḥ (गर्तः), gartam (गर्तम्).
Garta (गर्त).— (probably 2. gṛ10), m., f. tā, and n. 1. A hole, Mahābhārata 1, 1034; [Pañcatantra] 81, 22; Mahābhārata 7, 4953. 2. A ditch, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 4, 47; 203.
Garta (गर्त).—1. [masculine] high seat, throne; the seat of a warchariot, carriage i.[grammar]
--- OR ---
Garta (गर्त).—2. [masculine] [neuter], ā [feminine] hollow, cave, ditch, grave; a water-hole (only [masculine]).
1) Garta (गर्त):—1. garta m. a high seat, throne (of Mitra and Varuṇa), [Ṛg-veda] (‘a house’ [Naighaṇṭuka, commented on by Yāska])
2) the seat of a war-chariot, [vi, 20, 9]
3) ([Nirukta, by Yāska iii, 5]) a chariot, [Gautama-dharma-śāstra xvi, 7]
4) a table for playing at dice, [Nirukta, by Yāska iii, 5.]
5) 2. garta m. (= karta q.v.) a hollow, hole, cave, grave, [Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa xiv; Śāṅkhāyana-brāhmaṇa; Āśvalāyana-gṛhya-sūtra; Śāṅkhāyana-gṛhya-sūtra; Kauśika-sūtra; Mahābhārata] etc.
6) a canal, [Manu-smṛti iv, 203]
7) the hollow of the loins, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
8) a kind of disease, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
9) Name of a country (part of Tri-garta, in the north-west of India), [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.] (cf. [Pāṇini 4-2, 137])
10) n. a hole, cave, [Mahābhārata vii, 4953]
11) Gartā (गर्ता):—[from garta] a f. a hole, cave, [Pañcatantra i; ii, 6, 34/35]
12) [v.s. ...] Name of a river, [Śiva-purāṇa]
13) [from garta] b f. of ta q.v.
Garta (गर्त):—
--- OR ---
Garta (गर्त):—2. (jüngere Form für karta) [Die Uṇādi-Affixe 3, 85.]
1) m. Grube, Loch; Grab [Yāska’s Nirukta 3, 5.] [Amarakoṣa 1, 2, 1, 2.] [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 1364.] [Anekārthasaṃgraha 2, 164.] [Medinīkoṣa t. 13.] gartamiva patati [The Śatapathabrāhmaṇa 14, 7, 1, 20. 3, 6, 1, 18. 5, 2, 1, 7.] [Śāṅkhāyana’s Gṛhyasūtrāṇi 1, 15. 3, 2.] jānumātraṃ gartaṃ khātvā [ĀŚV. GṚHY. 2, 8. 4, 5.] [Kauśika’s Sūtra zum Atuarvaveda 49. 66] u. sonst. sasattveṣu garteṣu [Manu’s Gesetzbuch 4, 47.] snānaṃ samācarennityaṃ gartaprasravaṇeṣu ca [203.] dadarśa pitāmahān . lambamānānmahāgarte pādairūrdhvairavāṅmukhān [Mahābhārata 1, 1034. fg.] [3, 8553. fgg.] gartaruddha ivoragaḥ [Rāmāyaṇa 4, 34, 2.] vivṛte garte nipapāta [Mārkāṇḍeyapurāṇa 21, 9. 10.] aśucisthānamucchiṣṭaprakṣepaṇārthaṃ gartādikam [Mitākṣarā 267, 5 v. u.] śete viṇmūtrayorgarte (vom Fötus) [Bhāgavatapurāṇa 3, 31, 5.] romagarteṣu (sūkarasya) [13, 33.] mamatāvarte mohagarte nipātitāḥ [Devīmāhātmya 1, 40.] Auch n.: tataste paryavartanta sarve droṇarathaṃ prati . bhayātpatagarājasya gartānīva mahoragāḥ .. [Mahābhārata 7, 4953.] Auch f. gartā [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 1364,] [Scholiast] [Pañcatantra 81, 22. fg.] [82, 2. 96, 14. 20. 142, 6.] Am Ende eines adj. comp. f. āḥ nidhigartāṃ (garbhāṃ?) dadadbhūmim [Mahābhārata 13, 3184.] Am Ende von Ortsnamen [Pāṇini’s acht Bücher 4, 2, 137.] —
2) m. Lendenhöhle [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha] [Medinīkoṣa] —
3) m. eine Art Krankheit [Śabdaratnāvalī im Śabdakalpadruma] —
4) m. Name eines Theiles von Trigarta [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha] [Medinīkoṣa]
--- OR ---
Garta (गर्त):—2.
1) [Śāṅkhāyana’s Brāhmaṇa 11, 4. 16, 9. 25, 14. 26, 5.] gartaṃ vāvapadyate [Scholiast] zu [Prātiśākhya zur Vājasaneyisaṃhitā 8, 62. 63. Z. 13] [Mahābhārata 13, 3184] liest die ed. Bomb. richtig nidhigarbhāṃ . —
5) f. ā Nomen proprium eines Flusses: aṅgāragartāsaṃgama [Oxforder Handschriften 65,b,41.] — Vgl. mañju, mahā .
Garta (गर्त):—1. m. —
1) hoher Stuhl , Thron. —
2) der Sitz des Streitwagens. —
3) Wagen [Gautama's Dharmaśāstra] —
4) *Würfeltisch. —
5) *Haus , Gemach.
--- OR ---
Garta (गर्त):—2. —
1) m. f. ( ā) und n. Grube , Loch , Grab. —
2) m. — a) Kanal [Mānavadharmaśāstra. 4,203.] — b) Lendenhöhle. — c) *eine best. Krankheit. — d) *Nomen proprium eines Theiles von Trigarta. — e) mit garbha verwechselt. —
3) f. ā Nomen proprium eines Flusses.
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
Garta (गर्त) [Also spelled gart]:—(nm) a pit; recess.
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Garta (ಗರ್ತ):—
1) [noun] a chair of State for a sovereign; a throne.
2) [noun] a two or four-wheeled vehicle drawn by horses, used in ancient warfare; a chariot.
3) [noun] the seat in a chariot for a warrior to sit on.
4) [noun] a chequered cloth, which the game of dice is played on.
5) [noun] a hole; a hollow or depressed place.
6) [noun] the hollow of the loins.
7) [noun] a deep wound.
8) [noun] a large hollow in the side of a cliff, hill, etc. or underground; a cave.
9) [noun] water moving rapidly in a circle so as to produce a depression in the centre into which floating objects may be drawn; a whirlpool; an eddy.
10) [noun] a building for people to live in; a house.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Garta (गर्त):—n. a hole; ditch; pit;
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)
Starts with: Gartaka, Gartaki, Gartakukkuta, Gartakukkutaka, Gartamadhya, Gartamit, Gartanvant, Gartapatya, Gartapuja, Gartapurana, Gartaruh, Gartasad, Gartashraya, Gartavat, Garteshvara.
Full-text (+64): Trigarta, Gartashraya, Gartaruh, Bhumigarta, Lomagarta, Mahagarta, Hastigarta, Manjugarta, Romagarta, Gartakukkuta, Gartasad, Gartamit, Bahugarta, Gartin, Gartaka, Karta, Gartika, Srigalagarta, Vrikagarta, Asyagarta.
Relevant text
Search found 32 books and stories containing Garta, Gartā; (plurals include: Gartas, Gartās). 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 3.2.17 < [Chapter 2 - The Great Festival of Śrī Girirāja]
Rig Veda (translation and commentary) (by H. H. Wilson)
Dictionaries of Indian languages (Kosha)
Page 459 < [Hindi-Bengali-English Volume 1]
Page 450 < [Hindi-Bengali-English Volume 2]
Page 392 < [Hindi-Bengali-English Volume 1]
Yajnavalkya-smriti with Mitakshara and Viramitrodaya (by J. R. Gharpure)
Verse 1.100 < [Chapter 5 - Duties of a Householder (Gṛhin)]
Skanda Purana (by G. V. Tagare)
Chapter 53 - Greatness of Bhrūṇagartā < [Section 1 - Tīrtha-māhātmya]
Chapter 231 - Importance of Ekādaśī Vrata < [Section 1 - Tīrtha-māhātmya]
Chapter 230 - Vṛka’s Conquest of Indra’s Kingdom < [Section 1 - Tīrtha-māhātmya]
Nirukta and the Vedic interpretation (study) (by Shruti S. Pradhan)