Godha, Godhā, Goḍha: 19 definitions
Introduction
Introduction:
Godha means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Buddhism, Pali, 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
Ayurveda (science of life)
Source: Wisdom Library: Āyurveda and botanyGodhā (गोधा) is a Sanskrit word referring to the animal “iguana”. The meat of this animal is part of the māṃsavarga (‘group of flesh’), which is used throughout Ayurvedic literature. The animal Godhā is part of the sub-group named Bhūmiśaya, refering to animals “who sleep in burrows in earth”. It was classified by Caraka in his Carakasaṃhitā sūtrasthāna (chapter 27), a classical Ayurvedic work. Caraka defined such groups (vargas) based on the dietic properties of the substance.
The meat of the iquana (godhā) is madhura in Vipāka. It is kaṣāya and kaṭu in Rasa. It alleviates vāta and pitta and is also bulk-promoting and tonic.
Source: archive.org: Sushruta samhita, Volume IGodhā (गोधा)—Sanskrit word for an animal corresponding to “varan lizard”. This animal is from the group called Bileśaya (‘hole-dwellers’ or ‘those which have a burrow’). Bileśaya itself is a sub-group of the group of animals known as Jāṅghala (living in high ground and in a jungle).
The flesh of the Godhā is sweet of digestion and has a pungent, astringent taste. It is tonic and constructive and pacifies the Vāyu and Pittam.
Source: Shodhganga: Dietetics and culinary art in ancient and medieval IndiaGodhā (गोधा) refers to the “iguana”, whose meat (māṃsa) is classified as “terrestrial” (bhūcara) according to the 17th century Bhojanakutūhala (dravyaguṇāguṇa-kathana), and is commonly found in literature dealing with the topics of dietetics and culinary art, also known as Pākaśāstra or Pākakalā.—The text [māṃsa-prakaraṇa] says the three fold division of meat [such as terrestrial (bhūcara)...]. Here different types of meat and their properties are discussed in detail. The terrestrial animals are [viz., godhā (iguana)]. [...] The meats of [viz., godhā (iguana)] cooked in the fire of castor plant or in castor oil will instantaneously lead to death.
Godhā is mentioned in a list of potential causes for indigestion.—A complete section in Bhojanakutūhala is devoted for the description of agents that cause indigestion [viz., meat of godhā]. These agents consumed on a large scale can cause indigestion for certain people. The remedies [viz., citrataila (castor-oil)] for these types of indigestions are also explained therewith.

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.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Puranic EncyclopediaGodha (गोध).—A village in the north-east part of ancient India. (Śloka 42, Chapter 9, Bhīṣma Parva).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana IndexGodha (गोध).—(c)—a kingdom of Madhyadeśa.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 16. 42.

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.
Dharmashastra (religious law)
Source: Prācyā: Animals and animal products as reflected in Smṛti textsGodhā (गोधा) refers to a “iguana”.—The Manusmṛti [XII.64] states that one who steals a cow is reborn as an iguana (Godhā).

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.
India history and geography
Source: Wisdom Library: India HistoryGodha (or, Goḍha) refers to one of the 84 castes (gaccha) in the Jain community according to Mr. P. D. Jain. The Jain caste and sub-caste system was a comparatively later development within their community, and it may have arisen from the ancient classification of Brāhmaṇa, Kṣatriya, Vaiśya and Śūdra. Before distinction of these classes (such as Godha), the society was not divided into distinct separate sections, but all were considered as different ways of life and utmost importance was attached to individual chartacter and mode of behaviour.
According to Dr. Vilas Adinath Sangava, “Jainism does not recognise castes (viz., Godha) as such and at the same time the Jaina books do not specifically obstruct the observance of caste rules by the members of the Jaina community. The attitude of Jainism towards caste is that it is one of the social practices, unconnected with religion, observed by people; and it was none of its business to regulate the working of the caste system” (source).
The legendary account of the origin of these 84 Jain castes (e.g., Godha) relate that once a rich Jain invited members of the Jain community in order to establish a vaiśya-mahāsabhā (i.e. Central Association of Traders). In response, 84 representatives came from different places, and they were later seen as the progenitors of these castes. Various sources however mention differences in the list.

The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as 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 Dictionarygodhā : (f.) iguana; a large kind of lizard.
Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary1) Godhā, 2 (f.) string of a lute J.VI, 580 (cp. RV. 8, 58, 9). (Page 255)
2) Godhā, 1 (f.) (Sk. godhā) iguana, a large kind of lizard Vin.I, 215—16 (°mukha); D.I, 9≈(°lakkhaṇa, cp. DA.I, 94); J.II, 118; III, 52; 538; DhA.III, 420. As godha (m.) at J.V, 489. Dimin. golikā at J.II, 147. (Page 255)

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 Dictionarygōdhā (गोधा).—f S An iguana.
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gōdhā (गोधा).—f S gōdhāṅgulī f (Poetry.) A bow-stringfence worn by archers on the left arm.
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 dictionaryGodhā (गोधा).—[gudhyate, veṣṭyate bāhuranayā karaṇe ghaña]
1) A leathern fence fastened round the left arm to prevent injury from the bow-string; गोधाश्लिष्टभुजाशाखैरभूद्भीमा रणाटवी (godhāśliṣṭabhujāśākhairabhūdbhīmā raṇāṭavī) Śi. 19.39.
2) The alligator (Mar. susara); गोधाधरान् कीलधरान् वलीमुखशिलीमुखान् (godhādharān kīladharān valīmukhaśilīmukhān) Parnāl 3.25; त्रिभागागोधामुखं गोपुरं कारयेत् (tribhāgāgodhāmukhaṃ gopuraṃ kārayet) Kau. A.2.3.
3) A sinew; गोधा तस्मा अयथं कर्षदेतत् (godhā tasmā ayathaṃ karṣadetat) Rv.1.28.1-11.
4) A chord; गोधा परि सनिष्वणत् (godhā pari saniṣvaṇat) Rv. 8.69.9.
5) An iguana (Mar. ghorapaḍa).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryGodha (गोध).—greed, attachment (compare Pali gedha, and [Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit] paligodha, q.v.); must apparently be read for bodha in Kāśyapa Parivarta 111.6 (verse) ākāśa-bodhe imi dve pratiṣṭhite, tau bodhisattvena vivarjanīyau; prose above, line 1, ākāśa- paligodhau, Tibetan (nam mkhaḥ la = ākāśa) yoṅs su (= pari) chags pa (= greed), while in 6 Tibetan (nam mkhaḥ la ni) chags pa. It seems that ākāśa-godhe is intended. But see s.v. 2 bodha. Lin Li-Kouang. Aide-Mémoire 169 n. 6, cites wrongly pali-bodhe.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryGodhā (गोधा).—f.
(-dhā) 1. A leathern fence worn by archers on the left arm, to prevent its being injured by the bowstring. 2. An iguana, either the Gosap or the alligator. E. gudh to surround, affixes ghañ and ṭāp; see godhika. gudhyate veṣṭyate bāhuranayā karaṇe ghañ .
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryGodhā (गोधा).—f. 1. A leathern guard worn by archers on the left arm to prevent its being injured by the bowstring, [Rāmāyaṇa] 2, 100, 22. 2. A kind of lizard, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 5, 18.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryGodha (गोध).—[masculine] [plural] [Name] of a people. [feminine] godhā bowstring, sinew, arm-leather (cf. angulitra); a kind of lizard.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Godhā (गोधा):—[=go-dhā] [from go] a See sub voce
2) Godha (गोध):—m. [plural] Name of a people, [Mahābhārata vi, 9, 42] (sodha, C).
3) Godhā (गोधा):—b f. ([gana] bhidādi) a sinew (cf. go), [Ṛg-veda x, 28, 10 and 11; Atharva-veda iv, 3, 6]
4) a chord, [Ṛg-veda viii, 69, 9]
5) a leathern fence wound round the left arm to prevent injury from a bow-string, [Mahābhārata iii, iv, vii; Rāmāyaṇa i, ii]
6) an Iguana (either the Gosamp or the alligator, commonly gosāpa), [Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā xxiv, 35; Bṛhad-devatā; Manu-smṛti] etc.
7) = -vatī, [Demetrius Galanos’s Lexiko: sanskritikes, anglikes, hellenikes]
8) Name of the authoress of a Sāman.
[Sanskrit to German] (Deutsch Wörterbuch)
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Böhtlingk and Roth Grosses Petersburger WörterbuchGodhā (गोधा):—f. gaṇa bhidādi zu [Pāṇini’s acht Bücher 3, 3, 104.] [Vopadeva’s Grammatik 26, 191.]
1) Sehne: ni.rukte go.hā bhavatu [Atharvavedasaṃhitā 4, 3, 6.] go.hā tasmā a.athaṃ karṣade.at [Ṛgveda 10, 28, 10. 11.] —
2) Saite: ava svarāti.gargaro go.hā pari saniṣvaṇat [Ṛgveda 8, 58, 9.] —
3) ein am linken Arm befestigtes Leder um denselben vor dem Schlag der Bogensehne zu schützen [Amarakoṣa 2, 8, 2, 52.] [Trikāṇḍaśeṣa 3, 3, 217.] [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 776.] [Anekārthasaṃgraha 2, 240.] [Medinīkoṣa dh. 6.] tataścaṭacaṭāśabdo godhāghātādabhūttayoḥ [Mahābhārata 7, 5743.] godhāṅgulitraiḥ [Rāmāyaṇa 2, 100, 22.] baddhagodhāṅgulitravān [Mahābhārata 3, 694. 1474. 4, 141.] [Rāmāyaṇa 1, 24, 9. 2, 23, 36.] —
4) eine grosse Eidechsenart (vulg. gosāpa) [Trikāṇḍaśeṣa] [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 1297.] [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha] [Medinīkoṣa] [Vājasaneyisaṃhitā 24, 35.] [BṚH. Devīmāhātmya] in [Weber’s Indische Studien 1, 118.] śvāvidhaṃ śalyakaṃ godhāṃ khaḍgakūrmaśaśāṃstathā . bhakṣyānpañcanakheṣvāhuḥ [Manu’s Gesetzbuch 5, 18. 11, 131. 12, 64.] [Yājñavalkya’s Gesetzbuch 1, 177. 3, 215. 270.] [Mahābhārata 9, 2476. 13, 5761.] [Harivaṃśa 2295.] [Rāmāyaṇa 4, 16, 32.] [Suśruta 1, 57, 16. 59, 8. 108, 4. 203, 1. 7. 2, 108, 6. 150, 20. 340, 10.] [Pañcatantra 51, 9. 213, 16.] [Varāhamihira’s Bṛhajjātaka S. 32, 9. 50, 35. 52, 122. 53, 13. 69. 85, 42. 87, 3.] [Bhāgavatapurāṇa 3, 10, 22.] Vgl. kṛṣṇagodhā, gṛha und tṛṇa . — Zerlegt sich in go + dhā was man vom Rinde erhält (?); nach den Grammatikern von gudh .
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Godha (गोध):—m. pl. Nomen proprium eines Volkes [Mahābhārata 6, 349] nach der Lesart der ed. Bomb., sodha ed. Calc.
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 (+6): Godhada, Godhadantavisha, Godhadem, Godhadi, Godhadiamba, Godhajataka, Godhaka, Godhaman, Godhana, Godhani, Godhanya, Godhapadi, Godhapadika, Godhapitha, Godhara, Godharani, Godharasa, Godharma, Godhas, Godhasaman.
Ends with: Aparigodha, Candanagodha, Chandanagodha, Grihagodha, Kaligodha, Krishnagodha, Paligodha, Parigodha, Shrigodha, Trinagodha.
Full-text (+45): Grihagodha, Trinagodha, Krishnagodha, Godhas, Godhasaman, Godhapadika, Godhavinaka, Godhapadi, Godhini, Godhika, Godhikatmaja, Godhajataka, Gaudhara, Gaudheya, Godhi, Godheraka, Godhavati, Godhaskandha, Shodha, Gaudhera.
Relevant text
Search found 26 books and stories containing Godha, Godhā, Goḍha, Gōdhā, Go-dha, Go-dhā; (plurals include: Godhas, Godhās, Goḍhas, Gōdhās, dhas, dhās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
The Mahavastu (great story) (by J. J. Jones)
Chapter V - Godhā-jātaka (Jātaka of the Lizard) < [Volume II]
Chapter XVIII - The ordination of the five-hundred Śākyans < [Volume III]
Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi (by Ganganatha Jha)
Verse 12.64 < [Section IX - Details of Transmigration]
Rasa Jala Nidhi, vol 3: Metals, Gems and other substances (by Bhudeb Mookerjee)
Part 14 - Dietary presecriptions and prohibitions when taking iron < [Chapter IV - Metals (4): Lauha (iron)]
Sushruta Samhita, volume 1: Sutrasthana (by Kaviraj Kunja Lal Bhishagratna)
Chapter XX - Suitable and unsuitables for health
Chapter XVI - Puncturing and Bandaging the ear
The Jataka tales [English], Volume 1-6 (by Robert Chalmers)
Jataka 325: Godha-jātaka < [Volume 3]
Jataka 138: Godha-jātaka < [Book I - Ekanipāta]
Jataka 141: Godha-jātaka < [Book I - Ekanipāta]
Kautilya Arthashastra (by R. Shamasastry)
Chapter 4 - Remedies Against the Injuries of One’s Own Army < [Book 14 - Secret Means]
Chapter 17 - The Superintendent of Forest Produce < [Book 2 - The duties of Government Superintendents]
Chapter 6 - The Array of the Army < [Book 10 - Relating to War]