Nakta: 18 definitions
Introduction:
Nakta means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi, Hindi, biology. 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)
Nakta (नक्त) refers to the “night”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.7.—Accordingly, after the Goddess (Umā/Śivā) incarnated as Pārvatī by becoming the daughter of Menā:—“[...] O sage, the goddess Śivā when the suitable time for her education arrived learnt all the lores from a good preceptor, with concentrated mind and great pleasure. Just as the flock of swans returns to the Gaṅgā in the autumnal season and just as the brilliant lustre manifests itself in the medicinal herbs during the night [i.e., nakta], so also all the learning of the previous birth returned to Kālī. O sage, thus I have described one of the divine sports of Śivā. I shall narrate another one of her divine sports. You listen to it lovingly”.
Nakta (नक्त).—A son of Pṛthusena (Pṛthu-br., vi., and*
- * Bhāgavata-purāṇa V. 15. 6. Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 14. 68; Vāyu-purāṇa 33. 57; Viṣṇu-purāṇa II. 1. 38.

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.
Ayurveda (science of life)
Nighantu (Synonyms and Characteristics of Drugs and technical terms)
Naktā (नक्ता) is another name for Kalikārī, a medicinal plant identified with Gloriosa superba Linn. (‘flame lily’) from the Colchicaceae family of flowering plants, according to verse 4.128-130 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 Naktā and Kalikārī, there are a total of sixteen 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.
Biology (plants and animals)
Nakta in India is the name of a plant defined with Gloriosa superba in various botanical sources. This page contains potential references in Ayurveda, modern medicine, and other folk traditions or local practices It has the synonym Methonica doniana Kunth (among others).
Example references for further research on medicinal uses or toxicity (see latin names for full list):
· Journal of the Indian Botanical Society (1992)
· Feddes Repertorium Specierum Novarum Regni Vegetabilis (1913)
· Prodromus Stirpium in Horto ad Chapel Allerton vigentium (1796)
· Current Science (1981)
· Ceylon Med. J., (1971)
· Proceedings of the Indian Science Congress Association (1985)
If you are looking for specific details regarding Nakta, for example chemical composition, extract dosage, side effects, pregnancy safety, diet and recipes, health benefits, have a look at these references.

This sections includes definitions from the five kingdoms of living things: Animals, Plants, Fungi, Protists and Monera. It will include both the official binomial nomenclature (scientific names usually in Latin) as well as regional spellings and variants.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
nakta (नक्त).—n naktabhōjana n (S) naktavrata n (S) A religious observance. Eating only at nights for a period.
--- OR ---
nakta (नक्त) [or नकद, nakada].—n ( A) Ready money. See nagada.
nakta (नक्त).—n naktabhōjana n naktavrata n A religious observance. Eating only at nights for a period.
--- OR ---
nakta (नक्त) [or nakada, or नकद].—n Ready money. See nagada.
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
Nakta (नक्त).—a. [naj-kta] Ashamed.
-ktam 1 Night.
2) Eating only at night, as a sort of religious vow or penance
Nakta (नक्त).—n.
(-ktaṃ) Night. E. naj to be ashamed, kta aff.
Nakta (नक्त).—I. n. 1. Night, [Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, (ed. Burnouf.)] 5, 22, 5. 2. Eating only by night, [Yājñavalkya, (ed. Stenzler.)] 3, 319. Ii. ºtam, adv. By night, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 6, 19.
— Cf. [Latin] nox, noctu; [Gothic.] nahts; A. S. naht, niht;
Nakta (नक्त).—[neuter] night, [accusative] by night.
1) Nakta (नक्त):—1. nakta n. night, [Ṛg-veda; Atharva-veda] (f(naktā). only in naktayā q.v., and as [dual number] with uṣāsā; cf. sa-naktā and naktoṣāsā)
2) eating only at n° (as a sort of penance), [Yājñavalkya; Hemādri’s Caturvarga-cintāmaṇi]
3) m. Name of a son of Pṛthu, [Viṣṇu-purāṇa]
4) of a son of Pṛthu-ṣeṇa and Ākūti, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa]
5) Naktā (नक्ता):—[from nakta] f. (cf. above) Methonica Superba, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
6) Nakta (नक्त):—cf. nak and nakti; [Zend] nakht-uru, nakht-ru; [Greek] νύξ; [Latin] nox; [Lithuanian] naktis; [Slavonic or Slavonian] nošti; [Gothic] nahts; [Anglo-Saxon] neaht, niht, Engl. night, [German] Nacht.
7) 2. nakta or nakla (?) n. (in [astronomy]) Name of the fifth Yoga (= نقل).
Nakta (नक्त):—(ktaṃ) adv. By night.
[Sanskrit to German]
Nakta (नक्त) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Ṇatta.
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
Nakta in Hindi refers in English to:—(nm) see [naka (~kata); —jie bure havala] he that hath ill name is half-hanged..—nakta (नकटा) is alternatively transliterated as Nakaṭā.
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Nakta (ನಕ್ತ):—
1) [noun] the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise; night.
2) [noun] a religious observance of having food only during nights (and not during day time).
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Nakta (नक्त):—n. 1. twilight; 2. Mythol. an epithet of Shiva; 3. night;
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 (+14): Nakta-haans, Naktababa, Naktabhojan, Naktabhojana, Naktabhoji, Naktabhojin, Naktabhojitva, Naktacara, Naktacarin, Naktacarya, Naktahva, Naktajiva, Naktaka, Naktakalanirnaya, Naktakara, Naktam, Naktamala, Naktambhaga, Naktambhogin, Naktamcareshvara.
Full-text (+56): Naktamala, Naktancara, Ushasanakta, Naktabhojana, Naktamukha, Naktam, Naktamdina, Naktamcarya, Naktacarin, Naktamcarin, Naktavrata, Dinanaktam, Naktambhaga, Naktandha, Naktamprabhava, Sauranakta, Naktamjata, Naktamsamaya, Naktamdivam, Divanaktam.
Relevant text
Search found 55 books and stories containing Nakta, Naktā; (plurals include: Naktas, Naktās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Linga Purana (by J. L. Shastri)
Chapter 83 - The holy rites of Śiva (śivavrata) < [Section 1 - Uttarabhāga]
Chapter 84 - The holy rite of Umā-Maheśvara (umāmaheśvara-vrata) < [Section 1 - Uttarabhāga]
Chapter 65 - Thousand names of Śiva (Rudra-sahasranāma) < [Section 1 - Uttarabhāga]
Rig Veda (translation and commentary) (by H. H. Wilson)
Hayanaratna: The Jewel of Annual Astrology (by Martin Gansten)
5. The Nakta Configuration < [Chapter 3 - The Sixteen Configurations]
1. The Names of the Configurations and the Orbs of Light of the Planets < [Chapter 3 - The Sixteen Configurations]
6. The Yamayā Configuration < [Chapter 3 - The Sixteen Configurations]
Vratas depicted in the Gangajala (study) (by Maitreyee Goswami)
Part 2.4 - A study on the Nakta-vrata < [Chapter 4]
Part 2.6 - A study on the Upavāsa-vrata < [Chapter 4]
Devala-smriti (critical study) (by Mukund Lalji Wadekar)
12.3. Rules regarding Fasting and Vows (Vratas) < [Chapter 9 - The distinctive features of the Devalasmriti]
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