Ghanta, Ghaṇṭā, Ghaṇṭa: 27 definitions
Introduction
Introduction:
Ghanta means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, 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.
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In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: Google Books: Cultural History from the Vāyu PurānaGhaṇṭā (घण्टा)—One of the Heavenly ornaments according to the Vāyu Purāṇa. (It is not certain whether it was an ornament) Śiva is often associated with its use. He loved a garland of bells. He is called ghaṇṭā-priya and ghaṇṭīka.
Source: archive.org: Puranic Encyclopedia1) Ghaṇṭa (घण्ट).—A brahmin born in Vasiṣṭha’s family. He spent hundred years worshipping Śiva. Once Ghaṇṭa asked sage Devala to give his daughter in marriage to him. But Ghaṇṭa’s ugliness stood in the way. So he abducted the daughter of the sage and married her. Enraged at this Devala cursed and turned him into an owl. He was also given redemption from the curse that he would regain his form the day he helped Indradyumna. (Skanda Purāṇa).
2) Ghaṇṭa (घण्ट).—See under Ghaṇṭākarṇa.
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.
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Source: Wisdom Library: ŚāktismGhaṇṭā (घण्टा, “shining, splendid”):—Name of one of the sixty-four mātṛs to be worshipped during Āvaraṇapūjā (“Worship of the Circuit of Goddesses”, or “Durgā’s Retinue”), according to the Durgāpūjātattva. They should be worshipped with either the five upācāras or perfume and flowers.
Her mantra is as follows:
Source: Kamakoti Mandali: The Yoginis of Narasimha Vyuhaॐ घण्टायै नमः
oṃ ghaṇṭāyai namaḥ.
Ghaṇṭā (घण्टा) is the name of a Mātṛkā-Śakti created by Mahārudra in order to control the plague of demons created by Andhakāsura.—Accordingly, Andhaka-Asura tried to kidnap Umā (Devī Pārvatī), and was fiercely attacked by Mahārudra who shot arrows at him from his mahāpināka. when the arrows pierced the body of Andhakāsura, drops of blood fell to earth and from those drops, thousands of Andhakas arose. To control this plague of demons, Mahārudra created Mātṛkā-Śaktis [viz., Ghaṇṭā] and ordered them to drink the blood of the demons and drain them dry.
Source: Kamakoti Mandali: Nrisimha matrika-mandalaGhaṇṭā (घण्टा) refers to one of the various Mātṛkā-Śaktis created by Rudra in order to destroy the clones that spawned from Andhaka’s body.—Accordingly, [...] Andhakāsura attempted to abduct Girājanandinī (Pārvatī) and thus ensued a fierce battle between Andhakāsura and the great Rudra, the Lord of Umā. Like raktabīja, every drop of blood that fell from the body of Andhaka created another Asura like him and in no time, the entire world was filled with Andhakas. To destroy the growing number of Andhakas, Rudra created innumerable Mātṛkā-Śaktis [viz., Ghaṇṭā]. These Śaktis of immense power at once began to drink every drop of blood that flowed from the body of Andhaka, but they could still not effectively contain the emergence of more and more demons.
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.
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Source: Wisdom Library: Kubjikāmata-tantraGhaṇṭā (घण्टा):—Sanskrit name of one of the thirty-two female deities of the Somamaṇḍala (second maṇḍala of the Khecarīcakra) according to the kubjikāmata-tantra. These goddesses are situated on a ring of sixteen petals and represent the thirty-two syllables of the Aghoramantra. Each deity (including Ghaṇṭā) is small, plump and large-bellied. They can assume any form at will, have sixteen arms each, and are all mounted on a different animal.
Source: academia.edu: The Yoga of the MālinīvijayottaratantraGhaṇṭa (घण्ट) refers to one of the ten kinds of sounds (śabda) according to the Matsyendrasaṃhitā.
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.
Shilpashastra (iconography)
Source: Google Books: Elements of Hindu iconographyGhaṇṭā (or, the bell) is another musical instrument, which is generally found in the hands of Vīrabhadra and Kālī.
Source: Red Zambala: Hindu Icons and Symbols | IntroductionGhaṇṭā (Bell) - Impermanence. The phenomenal world which is impermanent and evanescent. Creation of the transient universe through sound — being perceived but not held and kept.
Source: Shodhganga: The significance of the mūla-beras (śilpa)1) Ghaṇṭā (घण्टा, “bell”) refers to a type of musical instrument, representing one of the several “attributes” (āyudha) or “accessories” of a detiy commonly seen depicted in Hindu iconography, defined according to texts dealing with śilpa (arts and crafs), known as śilpaśāstras.—Ghaṇṭā or the bell is another musical instrument, which is generally found in the hands of Vīrabhadra and Kālī.
2) Ghaṇṭā (घण्टा) is the name of a Ḍākinī who, together with the Vīra (hero) named Ghaṇṭa forms one of the 36 pairs situated in the Ākāśacakra, according to the 10th century Ḍākārṇava chapter 15. Accordingly, the ākāśacakra refers to one of the three divisions of the dharma-puṭa (‘dharma layer’), situated in the Herukamaṇḍala. The 36 pairs of Ḍākinīs [viz., Ghaṇṭā] and Vīras are dark blue in color; they each have one face and four arms; they hold a skull bowl, a skull staff, a small drum, and a knife. Alternatively, the Ḍākinīs have their own marks and motions according to the taste instead of a small drum and a skull staff.
Shilpashastra (शिल्पशास्त्र, śilpaśāstra) represents the ancient Indian science (shastra) of creative arts (shilpa) such as sculpture, iconography and painting. Closely related to Vastushastra (architecture), they often share the same literature.
Kavya (poetry)
Source: Wisdom Library: KathāsaritsāgaraGhaṇṭa (घण्ट) is the name of a Dānava, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 121. Accordingly, “... long ago there came to impede Prajāpati, in his creation of creatures, two terrible Dānavas, named Ghaṇṭa and Nighaṇṭa, invincible even by gods. And the Creator, being desirous of destroying them, created these two maidens, the splendour of whose measureless beauty seemed capable of maddening the world”.
The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Ghaṇṭa, is a famous Sanskrit epic story revolving around prince Naravāhanadatta and his quest to become the emperor of the vidyādharas (celestial beings). The work is said to have been an adaptation of Guṇāḍhya’s Bṛhatkathā consisting of 100,000 verses, which in turn is part of a larger work containing 700,000 verses.
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’.
Ayurveda (science of life)
Source: WorldCat: Rāj nighaṇṭuGhaṇṭā (घण्टा) is another name for Atibalā, a medicinal plant identified with Abutilon indicum Linn. (“Indian mallow”) from the Malvaceae or mallows family of flowering plants, according to verse 4.101-102 of the 13th-century Raj Nighantu or Rājanighaṇṭu. The fourth chapter (śatāhvādi-varga) of this book enumerates eighty varieties of small plants (pṛthu-kṣupa). Together with the names Ghaṇṭā and Atibalā, there are a total of ten Sanskrit synonyms identified for this plant.
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.
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Source: Wisdom Library: Tibetan BuddhismGhaṇṭā (घण्टा) is the name of Dūtī (i.e., messengers of Lord Vajrapāṇi) mentioned as attending the teachings in the 6th century Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa: one of the largest Kriyā Tantras devoted to Mañjuśrī (the Bodhisattva of wisdom) representing an encyclopedia of knowledge primarily concerned with ritualistic elements in Buddhism. The teachings in this text originate from Mañjuśrī and were taught to and by Buddha Śākyamuni in the presence of a large audience (including Ghaṇṭā).
Source: academia.edu: The Structure and Meanings of the Heruka Maṇḍala1) Ghaṇṭā (घण्टा) refers to a “bell” and represents one of the items held in the left hand of Heruka: one of the main deities of the Herukamaṇḍala described in the 10th century Ḍākārṇava chapter 15. Heruka is positioned in the Lotus (padma) at the center; He is the origin of all heroes; He has 17 faces (with three eyes on each) and 76 arms [holding, for example, ghaṇṭā]; He is half black and half green in color; He is dancing on a flaming sun placed on Bhairava and Kālarātrī.
2) Ghaṇṭā (घण्टा) is the name of a Ḍākinī who, together with the Vīra (hero) named Ghaṇṭa forms one of the 36 pairs situated in the Ākāśacakra, according to the same work. Accordingly, the ākāśacakra refers to one of the three divisions of the dharma-puṭa (‘dharma layer’), situated in the Herukamaṇḍala. The 36 pairs of Ḍākinīs [viz., Ghaṇṭā] and Vīras are dark blue in color; they each have one face and four arms; they hold a skull bowl, a skull staff, a small drum, and a knife. Alternatively, the Ḍākinīs have their own marks and motions according to the taste instead of a small drum and a skull staff.
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.
Languages of India and abroad
Pali-English dictionary
Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionaryghaṇṭā : (f.) a bell.
Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English DictionaryGhaṇṭā, (f.) a small bell (cp. kiṅkanikā) J.IV, 215; VvA.36, 37, 279 (khuddaka°). As ghaṇṭī at Vism.181. (Page 256)
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 Dictionaryghaṇṭā (घंटा).—f (S) A bell: also a plate of iron or mixed metal struck as a bell, or in telling the hours. ghaṇṭā vājaṇēṃ g. of s. Also ghaṇṭā hālaṇēṃ To be exhausted, spent, consumed; to be out or clean gone.
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ghāṇṭa (घांट).—f (ghaṇṭā S) A bell. 2 fig. A blab.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishghaṇṭā (घंटा).—f The bell. ghaṇṭā vājaṇēṃ Be ex- hausted, spent, consumed. Be out or clean gone.
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 dictionaryGhaṇṭa (घण्ट).—a. Shining, splendid
-ṇṭaḥ 1 Name of Śiva.
2) A kind of sauce, a kind of dish.
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Ghaṇṭā (घण्टा).—[ghaṇṭ-ac]
1) A bell.
2) A plate of iron or mixed metal struck as a clock.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryGhaṇṭa (घण्ट).—(?) (in Sanskrit name of a Dānava), name of a rākṣasa king: (Ārya-)Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa 18.1; but see Yama (3).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryGhaṇṭa (घण्ट).—m.
(-ṇṭaḥ) A sort of sauce, vegetables made into a pulp with water, turmeric, mustard seeds and capsicums. f.
(-ṇṭā) 1. A bell; also a plate of iron or mixed metal struck as a bell. 2. A plant: see ghaṇṭāpāṭalī E. ghana to strike, kta affix, fem. ṭāp and deriv. irr.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryGhaṇṭa (घण्ट).— (akin to han), I. adj., f. ṭī, Sounding (?), Mahābhārata 12, 10377; 4, 188. Ii. f. ṭā, A bell, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 10, 33.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryGhaṇṭā (घण्टा).—[feminine] a bell; ghaṇṭikā [feminine] a small bell.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Ghaṇṭa (घण्ट):—m. (for hantra?) Name of Śiva, [Mahābhārata xii, 10377 and 10419; Harivaṃśa 14884] (cf. ghaṭin)
2) a kind of dish (sort of sauce, vegetables made into a pulp and mixed with turmeric and mustard seeds and capsicums; cf. matsya-), [Horace H. Wilson]
3) Name of a Dānava, [Kathāsaritsāgara cxxi, 229]
4) Ghaṇṭā (घण्टा):—[from ghaṇṭa] a f. a bell, [Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa] etc. (ifc. f(ā). , [Mahābhārata xiv; Rāmāyaṇa vi])
5) [v.s. ...] a plate of iron or mixed metal struck as a clock, [Horace H. Wilson] (cf. ghaṭī)
6) [v.s. ...] Bignonia suaveolens, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
7) [v.s. ...] Lida cordifolia or rhombifolia, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
8) [v.s. ...] Uraria lagopodioides, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
9) [v.s. ...] Achyranthes aspera, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
10) [from ghaṇṭa] b f. of ṭa q.v.
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.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with (+27): Ghantabha, Ghantabija, Ghantadharini, Ghantagara, Ghantaghosha, Ghantaka, Ghantakarna, Ghantakarnahrada, Ghantakarnakritavishnustuti, Ghantakarnaprakarana, Ghantakarnastava, Ghantakarneshvara, Ghantakarni, Ghantakavela, Ghantala, Ghantali, Ghantamagha, Ghantamandapa, Ghantamudra, Ghantamukha.
Ends with (+26): Adhoghanta, Aghanta, Aghoraghanta, Birudaghanta, Candaghanta, Candikaghanta, Candraghanta, Chandaghanta, Chitraghanta, Citraghanta, Deulaghanta, Devalaci Ghanta, Ekaksharanighanta, Gajaghanta, Ghalaghalaghanta, Ghanaghanaghanta, Ghananaghanta, Gopaghanta, Grivaghanta, Jayaghanta.
Full-text (+136): Ghantakarna, Ghantarava, Ghantanada, Ghantika, Ghantavadya, Ghantasvana, Ghantabha, Ghantatadana, Ghantatada, Nirghanta, Ghantashabda, Ghanteshvara, Ghantamudra, Ghantapatali, Ghantaka, Mukhaghanta, Ghantapatha, Ghantakarneshvara, Ghanti, Ghantali.
Relevant text
Search found 23 books and stories containing Ghanta, Ghaṇṭā, Ghāṇṭa, Ghaṇṭa; (plurals include: Ghantas, Ghaṇṭās, Ghāṇṭas, Ghaṇṭas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Puranic encyclopaedia (by Vettam Mani)
The Skanda Purana (by G. V. Tagare)
Chapter 57 - Ghaṇṭeśvara (ghaṇṭa-īśvara-liṅga) < [Section 2 - Caturaśīti-liṅga-māhātmya]
Chapter 8 - Prākārakarṇa’s Story < [Section 2 - Kaumārikā-khaṇḍa]
Chapter 271 - Creation of Seven Liṅgas < [Section 1 - Tīrtha-māhātmya]
The Indian Buddhist Iconography (by Benoytosh Bhattachacharyya)
108 forms of Avalokiteśvara (63): Mahā-Abhayaphalada Lokeśvara
The gods of northern Buddhism (by Alice Getty)
Rasa Jala Nidhi, vol 3: Metals, Gems and other substances (by Bhudeb Mookerjee)
Introduction to Alkalis (kshara)
Part 6 - Process of preparing Sarva-kshara < [Chapter XXVIII - Kshara (akalis)]
Buddhist records of the Western world (Xuanzang) (by Samuel Beal)
Chapter 19 - Country of U-sha (Och) < [Book XII - Twenty-two Countries]
Chapter 1 - Country of Mo-kie-t’o (Magadha), part 1 < [Book VIII and IX]
Chapter 22 - Country of Kiu-sa-ta-na (Khotan) < [Book XII - Twenty-two Countries]