Golaka, Goḷaka, Golia-ka: 23 definitions
Introduction:
Golaka means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Buddhism, Pali, the history of ancient India, 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.
The Sanskrit term Goḷaka can be transliterated into English as Golaka or Goliaka, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
Alternative spellings of this word include Golak.
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English TranslationGolaka (गोलक) refers to the “globe (which is the universe)” [?], according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.4.6 (“The miraculous feat of Kārttikeya”).—Accordingly, after the Brahmin named Nārada spoke to Kumāra (Kārttikeya): “On hearing his words, Śiva’s son, the emperor of the gods, sent his attendant Vīrabāhu on that mission. At his bidding, the great hero Vīrabāhu who bowed to his master with devotion started in search of it. He searched throughout the universe (sarvabrahmāṇḍa-golaka) but nowhere did he find the goat (although) he heard about the havoc done by it. [...]”.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana IndexGolaka (गोलक).—A disciple of Śākalya.*
- * Vāyu-purāṇa 60. 64.

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.
Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa)
Source: eScholarship: Chapters 1-14 of the Hayasirsa PancaratraGolaka (गोलक) refers to “one who is a widow’s bastard”, representing an undesirable characteristic of an Ācārya, according to the 9th-century Hayaśīrṣa-pañcarātra Ādikāṇḍa chapter 3.—The Lord said:—“I will tell you about the Sthāpakas endowed with perverse qualities. He should not construct a temple with those who are avoided in this Tantra. [...] He should not be a Punarbhū, a Svayambhū, a widow’s bastard (golaka), or a non-believer, nor irrational, pale, bald or crippled or fat. [...] A god enshrined by any of these named above (viz., golaka), is in no manner a giver of fruit. If a building for Viṣṇu is made anywhere by these excluded types (viz., golaka) then that temple will not give rise to enjoyment and liberation and will yield no reward, of this there is no doubt”.

Pancaratra (पाञ्चरात्र, pāñcarātra) represents a tradition of Hinduism where Narayana is revered and worshipped. Closeley related to Vaishnavism, the Pancaratra literature includes various Agamas and tantras incorporating many Vaishnava philosophies.
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Source: academia.edu: Religious Inclusivism in the Writings of an Early Modern Sanskrit Intellectual (Shaivism)Golaka (गोलक) (Cf. Vyavasthā) refers to a “widow’s bastard”.—[...] According to Appaya, there is no conflict if one understands that a limited reference (vyavasthā) is implicit: the Pāñcarātra is authoritative for certain groups of people only and it is for their sake that praising statements are made in smṛti. In fact, says Appaya, the ‘valid’ teachings of the Pāñcarātra concern only non-Vedic adhikārins such as kuṇḍas (son of a woman by another man than her husband), golakas (widow’s bastard), women, śūdras, and so on; other teachings for which Vedic eligibility is required have no authority whatsoever. The important point here is that the Pāñcarātra is authoritative only to a certain extent and outside the Vedic realm.

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.
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Source: Google Books: ManthanabhairavatantramGolaka (गोलक) refers to a “bud”, according to the Tantrasadbhāva, an important Trika Tantra and a major authority for Kashmiri Trika Śaivites.—Accordingly, “O goddess Umā! one should think of it in the heart. It has the form of a Kadamba bud [i.e., kadamba-golaka-ākāra] and is like a fine spray of snow. Once seen that supreme radiant energy (tejas), the knowledge of time arises”.

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.
Nirukta (Sanskrit etymology)
Source: Google Books: Linguistics, Archaeology and the Human PastGolaka (गोलक) refers to a “lizard” (Cf. Godhā).—Lüders (1942: 43-50) argues at length that godhā should be parsed as go-dhā- (with the meaning 'cow-sucker'). He takes the word to be of Indo-European origin, approving of Fick's etymology that links it to Latin būfō 'toad'. This hypothesis is fully endorsed by Paul Thieme (1965: 211-212). Turner takes 'cow-sucker' to be a popular etymology, with the more original form preserved in Sanskrit golaka- m. 'lizard' (cf. gṛhagolaka- m. 'house lizard', attested in Mārkaṇḍeya-Purāṇa 15,24), golikā- f. 'lizard' (which appears as a variant reading for godhikā- in Bāṇa's Kādambarī, as well as in the compound gṛhagolikā-, gṛhagaulikā-, gṛhakolikā-, etc.; see Lüders 1942: 36 n.1), and gaulī- f. 'lizard' (in the Pañcatantra).
Nirukta (निरुक्त) or “etymology” refers to the linguistic analysis of the Sanskrit language. This branch studies the interpretation of common and ancient words and explains them in their proper context. Nirukta is one of the six additional sciences (vedanga) to be studied along with the Vedas.
India history and geography
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical GlossaryGolakā.—(SITI), also called gulikā, goḻakkai, koḻakkai, kuḻigai; name of a coin, probably circular in shape. Note: golakā is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.
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Golakā.—same as gulikā, etc. Note: golakā 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
Pali-English dictionary
Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionarygoḷaka : (m.; nt.) a ball.
Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English DictionaryGoḷaka, a ball ThA.255 (kīḷā°). (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 Dictionarygōlaka (गोलक).—(S) A caste or an individual of it. It is composed of the descendents from illegitimate offspring of Brahman-widows. There are two distinctions--kuṇḍagōlaka Illegitimate offspring of a (esp. Brahman) woman having a husband, and raṇḍagōlaka Illegitimate offspring of a (Brahman) widow. 2 Any thing globular, a ball, an orb, a sphere. 3 In the sense Ball with some accommodation gōlaka is attached severally to the names of the organs of the senses; as karṇagōlaka the auricle of the ear, nāsāgōlaka the body of the nose, nētragōlaka the ball of the eye, mukhagōlaka the mouth: also indriyagōlaka an organ of sense, or indriyagōlaka pl the organs of sense. Ex. dēvatāśakti asalyāvāṃ- cūna kēvala indriyagōlakānnī kārya hōta nāhīṃ. See adhidēvata, adhibhūta, & adhyātmā.
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gōlaka (गोलक).—n ( P) A closed box with a slit to receive money, a money-box, a till.
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gōḷaka (गोळक).—m A caste. See gōlaka.
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 dictionaryGolaka (गोलक).—[guḍ ṇvula ḍasya laḥ]
1) A ball, globe; भूगोलकविशेषं नामरूपमानलक्षणतो व्याख्यास्यामः (bhūgolakaviśeṣaṃ nāmarūpamānalakṣaṇato vyākhyāsyāmaḥ) Bhāgavata 5.16.4.
2) A wooden ball for playing with.
3) A globular waterjar.
4) A widow's bastard; परदारेषु जायेते द्वौ सुतौ कुण्ड- गोलकौ । पत्यौ जीवति कुण्डः स्यान्मृते भर्तरि गोलकः (paradāreṣu jāyete dvau sutau kuṇḍa- golakau | patyau jīvati kuṇḍaḥ syānmṛte bhartari golakaḥ) || Manusmṛti 3.174.
5) A conjunction of six or more planets in one sign.
6) Glans penis.
7) Molasses.
8) Gum myrrh.
Derivable forms: golakaḥ (गोलकः).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryGolaka (गोलक).—(m. or nt.; compare prec.; Sanskrit Lex. bottle), a bottle- [Page217-b+ 71] shaped (or ball-shaped ?) ornament on a building (this is a meaning of Tibetan bum pa, see under prec.): (nagaraṃ…) aṭṭāla-(mss aṭṭala-)-golaka-(v.l. goraka)-toraṇaṃ Mahāvastu iii.160.13 (prose).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryGolaka (गोलक).—m.
(-kaḥ) 1. A wooden ball for playing with, or any thing globular, a sphere, a globe, &c. 2. A widow’s bastard. 3. A water jar. 4. Gum myrrh, 5. Pease. n.
(-kaṃ) The heaven of Krishna. E. kan added to the preceding. guḍa-ṇvul ḍasya laḥ .
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryGolaka (गोलक).—[gola + ka], m. 1. A ball, as the Kadamba's round flower, Bhāṣāp. p. 165 (v. r.); ū-, m. The earth, [Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, (ed. Burnouf.)] 5, 16, 4. 2. A widow’s bastard, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 3, 156; 174.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryGolaka (गोलक).—[masculine] ball, globe; a widow’s bastard.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Golaka (गोलक):—[from gola] m. a ball or globe, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa v, 16, 4; Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā xxxi, 22 [Scholiast or Commentator]] etc.
2) [v.s. ...] a ball for playing with, [Harivaṃśa 15549]
3) [v.s. ...] glans penis, [Sāyaṇa on Aitareya-brāhmaṇa i, 20]
4) [v.s. ...] a kind of pease (= palāśa), [Gobhila-śrāddha-kalpa iv, 4, 26; Śāṅkhāyana-gṛhya-sūtra iv, 19, 4]
5) [v.s. ...] myrrh, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
6) [v.s. ...] a globular water-jar, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
7) [v.s. ...] a kind of dish, [Demetrius Galanos’s Lexiko: sanskritikes, anglikes, hellenikes]
8) [v.s. ...] a widow’s bastard, [Manu-smṛti iii, 156 and 174; Mahābhārata iii, 13366]
9) [v.s. ...] the conjunction of all the planets in one sign, [Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhajjātaka xii, 3 and 19]
10) [v.s. ...] Name of a pupil of Deva-mitra, [Vāyu-purāṇa i, 60, 64]
11) [v.s. ...] n. a ball or globe, [Nyāyamālā-vistara [Scholiast or Commentator]]
12) [v.s. ...] = go-loka, Tantr.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryGolaka (गोलक):—(kaḥ) 1. m. A wooden play ball, a globe; pease; water-jar; myrrh. n. Krishna's heaven.
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)Golaka (गोलक) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Golaga, Golaya.
[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.
Hindi dictionary
Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionaryGolaka (गोलक) [Also spelled golak]:—(nm) see [gullaka]; ball (as eye-ball [netra]~).
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusGōlaka (ಗೋಲಕ):—
1) [noun] any round body or figure having the surface equally distant from the centre at all points; a globe; a ball.
2) [noun] any of the openings (as of sensory organs such as the eye, ear, nose, etc.) 3) the round, pigmented membrane surrounding the pupil of the eye, having muscles that adjust the size of the pupil to regulate the amount of light entering the eye; the iris.
3) [noun] an electric light bulb.
4) [noun] a closed box or a round container with a slit at the top for inserting monetary coins, used as a money box.
5) [noun] an illegitimate son of a widow.
6) [noun] a small ball, tablet, capsule, etc. of medicine usu. to be swallowed whole; a pill.
7) [noun] the churned curd.
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Gōḷaka (ಗೋಳಕ):—
1) [noun] any round body or figure having the surface equally distant from the centre at all points; a globe; a ball.
2) [noun] any of the openings (as of sensory organs such as the eye, ear, nose, etc.) 3) the round, pigmented membrane surrounding the pupil of the eye, having muscles that adjust the size of the pupil to regulate the amount of light entering the eye; the iris.
3) [noun] an electric light bulb.
4) [noun] a closed box or a round container with a slit at the top for inserting monetary coins, used as a money box.
5) [noun] an illegitimate son of a widow.
6) [noun] a small ball, tablet, capsule, etc. of medicine usu. to be swallowed whole; a pill.
7) [noun] the churned curd.
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 DictionaryGolaka (गोलक):—n. 1. spherical or cylindrical object; 2. piggy bank;
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: Golakaar-koshika, Golakadi, Golakadisthapana, Golakakara, Golakamkri, Golakapamcaka, Golakar, Golakara, Golakara-koshika, Golakarmi, Golakatraya, Golakayi.
Full-text (+39): Kundagolaka, Ghanagolaka, Nabhigolaka, Grihagolaka, Kilagolaka, Kakakshigolakanyaya, Bhugolaka, Halagolaka, Brahmandagolaka, Akshigolaka, Golak, Kundigolaka, Golakatraya, Golakapamcaka, Kridagolaka, Kilanagolaka, Khagolaka, Kundagola, Kundigola, Brahmakataha.
Relevant text
Search found 26 books and stories containing Golaka, Goḷa-ka, Goḷaka, Gōlaka, Gōḷaka, Golakā, Golia-ka, Guti-nvu, Guṭi-ṇvu; (plurals include: Golakas, kas, Goḷakas, Gōlakas, Gōḷakas, Golakās, nvus, ṇvus). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi (by Ganganatha Jha)
Verse 3.174 < [Section VIII - Śrāddhas]
Verse 9.191 < [Section XXIV - Inheritance]
Verse 4.141 < [Section XIV - Other Duties]
Gobhila-grihya-sutra (by Hermann Oldenberg)
Brihat Jataka by Varahamihira [Sanskrit/English] (by Michael D Neely)
Skanda Purana (by G. V. Tagare)
Chapter 20 - The war between demon Kuśa and Viṣṇu < [Section 4 - Dvārakā-māhātmya]
Chapter 223 - Kinds of Sons Eligible to Offer Śrāddha < [Section 1 - Tīrtha-māhātmya]
Chapter 17 - The breaking of ego of Rukmi and the servants of God < [Section 4 - Dvārakā-māhātmya]
Sanskrit Words In Southeast Asian Languages (by Satya Vrat Shastri)
Page 94 < [Sanskrit words in the Southeast Asian Languages]
Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (by Rajendralala Mitra)
Page 266 < [Volume 5 (1879)]
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