Nalini, Nalinī, Nālīnī, Nālinī, Naḷiṉi, Nāḷiṉi, Naḷinī: 25 definitions
Introduction:
Nalini means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, the history of ancient India, Marathi, Hindi, biology, Tamil. 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 terms Naḷiṉi and Nāḷiṉi and Naḷinī can be transliterated into English as Nalini or Naliini, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: Wisdom Library: Bhagavata PuranaNalinī (नलिनी):—Wife of Ajamīḍha (one of the three sons of Hastī). They had a son named Nīla. (see Bhāgavata Purāṇa 9.21.30)
Source: archive.org: Puranic EncyclopediaNalinī (नलिनी).—A branch of the Ganges. When the heavenly Gaṅgā came down to the earth as a result of the penance of Bhagīratha, Śiva received it on his head. It is seen in Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bāla Kāṇḍa, Sarga 43, that when the Gaṅgā fell drown from the head of Śiva it split into seven river-arms called Hlādinī, Pāvanī, Nalinī, Sucakṣus, Sītā, Sindhu and Gaṅgā. The Ganges which flows through North India is one of these seven river-arms.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index1a) Nalinī (नलिनी).—One of the eastern entrances of the city of Purañjana1 allegorically the nostrils.2
1b) One of the wives of Ajamīḍha and mother of Nīla.*
- * Bhāgavata-purāṇa IX. 21. 30. Viṣṇu-purāṇa IV. 19. 56.
1c) A river in Śākadvīpa.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 19. 96; Viṣṇu-purāṇa II. 4. 65.
1d) Digging of lakes at the auspicious hour; the same prescription as for the excavation of tadāga; is also Puṣkaraṇi.*
- * Matsya-purāṇa 58. 1, 51.
1e) A name for the Ganges;1 a stream of the Gangā, flows east through the countries of Tomara, Haṃsamārga, Haihaya, Karṇaprāvaraṇa, Aśvamukha, Śikatāparvatamaru, Vidyādhara, and Nāgamaṇḍala and reaches the salt ocean;2 one of the seven streams, and one of the three going towards the western direction.3
- 1) Matsya-purāṇa 102. 6.
- 2) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 18. 40, 58-61; Vāyu-purāṇa 47. 38 and 56.
- 3) Matsya-purāṇa 121. 40.
2) Nālīnī (नालीनी).—One of the Eastern entrances to the city of Puranjana; allegorically the nostrils.*
- * Bhāgavata-purāṇa IV. 25. 48; 29. 11.

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.
Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)
Source: Wisdom Library: Nāṭya-śāstraNalinī (नलिनी) is the name of a meter belonging to the Gāyatrī class of Dhruvā (songs) described in the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 32:—“the metre which has in its feet of six syllables twice two short syllables followed by a long one, is nalinī”.
Nalinī is also the name of a meter belonging to the Anuṣṭubh class of Dhruvā (songs) described in the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 32:—“the metre which has in its feet of eight syllables the fifth and the final long ones, is nalinī”.

Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (shastra) of performing arts, (natya—theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing Dramatic plays (nataka), construction and performance of Theater, and Poetic works (kavya).
Chandas (prosody, study of Sanskrit metres)
Source: Journal of the University of Bombay Volume V: Apabhramsa metres (2)Nalinī (नलिनी) is the name of a catuṣpadi metre (as popularly employed by the Apabhraṃśa bards), as discussed in books such as the Chandonuśāsana, Kavidarpaṇa, Vṛttajātisamuccaya and Svayambhūchandas.—Nalinī has 25 mātrās in each of its four lines, divided into the groups of 4, 5, 5, [ISI], 4 and [IS] mātrās.

Chandas (छन्दस्) refers to Sanskrit prosody and represents one of the six Vedangas (auxiliary disciplines belonging to the study of the Vedas). The science of prosody (chandas-shastra) focusses on the study of the poetic meters such as the commonly known twenty-six metres mentioned by Pingalas.
In Buddhism
Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Pali Kanon: Pali Proper NamesThe kingdom of Vessavana. J.vi.313; but VvA. (339, 340) explains Nalini as a kilanatthana. This agrees with D.iii.202, where mention is made of a Kuvera nalini as one of the beauties of Vessavanas kingdom.
Theravāda is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).
In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Source: The University of Sydney: A study of the Twelve ReflectionsNalinī (नलिनी) refers to a “lotus”, according to the 11th century Jñānārṇava, a treatise on Jain Yoga in roughly 2200 Sanskrit verses composed by Śubhacandra.—Accordingly, “Truly, life perishes exceedingly quickly like water lying in the hand [and] youth perishes like snow passes from the petal of a lotus (nalinī-dala-saṃkrānta)”.

Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.
India history and geography
Source: Singhi Jain Series: Ratnaprabha-suri’s Kuvalayamala-katha (history)Nalinī (नलिनी) refers to type of animal found in water ponds of ancient India, according to Uddyotanasūri in his 8th-century Kuvalayamālā (a Prakrit Campū, similar to Kāvya poetry).—Page 160.13: There is a reference to stencil cutting in which a figure of Rājahaṃsī and the name of prince Kuvalayacandra were reproduced. It was one of the seventy-two arts. The price Kuvalayacandra himself cut a stencil design of a water pond with haṃsa, sārasa, cakravāka, nalinī, śatapatra, bhramara and also cut a Gāthā verse on it (169.8).

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.
Biology (plants and animals)
Source: Google Books: CRC World Dictionary (Regional names)1) Nalini in India is the name of a plant defined with Onosma echioides in various botanical sources. This page contains potential references in Ayurveda, modern medicine, and other folk traditions or local practices It has the synonym Cerinthe echioides L..
2) Nalini is also identified with Spondias pinnata It has the synonym Pourpartia pinnata Blanco (etc.).
Example references for further research on medicinal uses or toxicity (see latin names for full list):
· Supplementum Plantarum (1781)
· Prop. Brit. Bot. (1929)
· Hortus Bengalensis, or ‘a Catalogue of the Plants Growing in the Hounourable East India Company's Botanical Garden at Calcutta’ (1814)
· Planta Medica (1976)
· Genera Plantarum (1789)
· Journal of Cytology and Genetics (1990)
If you are looking for specific details regarding Nalini, for example diet and recipes, pregnancy safety, chemical composition, health benefits, extract dosage, side effects, 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
Pali-English dictionary
Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionarynalinī : (f.) a lotus pond.
Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English DictionaryNalinī, (f.) (Sk. nalinī) a pond J. IV, 90; Vism. 84, 17. (Page 348)

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 Dictionarynalinī (नलिनी).—f S An assemblage of lotus-flowers. 2 A place abounding in lotus-plants. 3 The stalk of a lotus. nalinīpatra n A lotus-leaf. Ex. prapañcīṃ rahāvēṃ nalinīpatra jaisēṃ || alipta hēṃ asēṃ pāhīla tyālā ||.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishnalinī (नलिनी).—f An assemblage of lotus-flowers. A place abounding in lotus-plants. The stalk of a lotus. nalinīpatra n A lotus leaf.
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 dictionaryNalinī (नलिनी).—
1) A lotus-plant; न पर्वताग्रे नलिनी प्ररोहति (na parvatāgre nalinī prarohati) Mṛcchakaṭika 4.17; नलिनीदलगतजलमतितरलम् (nalinīdalagatajalamatitaralam) Moha M.5; Kumārasambhava 4.6.
2) An assemblage of lotuses.
3) A pond or place abounding in lotuses. राजन्तीं राजराजस्य नलिनीमिव सर्वतः (rājantīṃ rājarājasya nalinīmiva sarvataḥ) Rām.2.95.4; नलिन्यो यत्र क्रीडन्ति प्रमदाः सुरसेविताः (nalinyo yatra krīḍanti pramadāḥ surasevitāḥ) Bhāgavata 8.15.13.
4) A lotus or the stalk of it.
5) The celestial Ganges.
6) The intoxicating juice of the cocoa-nut.
7) A myst.
8) Name of one of the nostrils.
9) the city of Indra (śakrapurī); 'वस्वौकसारा श्रीदस्य शक्रस्य नलिनी पुरी (vasvaukasārā śrīdasya śakrasya nalinī purī)' इति हरिः (iti hariḥ); Rām.2.94. 26.
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Nālinī (नालिनी).—A mystic name of one nostril; Bhāg.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryNalinī (नलिनी).—(= Pali Naḷ°, oftener Naḷinikā), name of the heroine of the Nalinī Jātaka (colophon °nīye rājakumārīye jātakaṃ Mahāvastu iii.152.19), a daughter of a king of Benares, who seduced Ekaśṛṅga: Mahāvastu iii.146.4 ff.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryNālinī (नालिनी).—i. e. nāla + in + ī, f. A mystical name of one of the nostrils, [Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, (ed. Burnouf.)] 4, 29, 11.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Nalini (नलिनि):—[from nala] metric. for nī in
2) Nalinī (नलिनी):—[from nala] 1. nalinī f. ([from] nalina above or [from] nala ‘lotus’ as ab-jinī [from] ab-ja, padminī [from] padma etc.) a lotus, Nelumbium Speciosum (the plant or its stalk), an assemblage of l° flowers or a l° pond, [Mahābhārata; Kāvya literature; Purāṇa] etc.
3) [v.s. ...] the Ganges of heaven or rather an arm of it, [ib.]
4) [v.s. ...] a myst. Name of one of the nostrils, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa]
5) [v.s. ...] a [particular] class of women (= padminī), [Catalogue(s)]
6) [v.s. ...] a kind of fragrant substance (= nalikā), [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
7) [v.s. ...] the fermented and intoxicating juice of the cocoa-nut, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
8) [v.s. ...] Name of the wife of Aja-mīḍha and mother of Nīla, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa]
9) [v.s. ...] of 2 rivers, [Viṣṇu-purāṇa]
10) [from nala] 2. nalinī f. having king Nala, [Naiṣadha-carita]
11) Nālinī (नालिनी):—[from nāla] f. a mystic. Name of one nostril, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa]
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)Nalinī (नलिनी) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Ṇaliṇi, Ṇaliṇī.
[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 dictionaryNalinī (नलिनी):—(nf) a lotus; lily.
...
Prakrit-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionaryṆaliṇi (णलिणि) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Nalinī.
Prakrit is an ancient language closely associated with both Pali and Sanskrit. Jain literature is often composed in this language or sub-dialects, such as the Agamas and their commentaries which are written in Ardhamagadhi and Maharashtri Prakrit. The earliest extant texts can be dated to as early as the 4th century BCE although core portions might be older.
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusNalini (ನಲಿನಿ):—
1) [noun] a lotus flower.
2) [noun] a pond, abounding in lotus plants.
3) [noun] the stalk of a lotus plant.
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Naḷini (ನಳಿನಿ):—
1) [noun] a lotus flower.
2) [noun] a pond, abounding in lotus plants.
3) [noun] the stalk of a lotus plant.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Tamil dictionary
Source: DDSA: University of Madras: Tamil LexiconNaḷiṉi (நளினி) noun < nalina.
1. Lakṣmī; இலக்குமி. (உரிச்சொல்நிகண்டு) [ilakkumi. (uricholnigandu)]
2. Lotus tank; தாமரைத் தடாகம். (பிங்கலகண்டு) [thamaraith thadagam. (pingalagandu)]
3. (Music) A musical mode; பண்வகை. (அகராதி நிகண்டு) [panvagai. (agarathi nigandu)]
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Nāḷiṉi (நாளினி) noun Hog-plum. See புளிமா. (வைத்திய மலையகராதி) [pulima. (vaithiya malaiyagarathi)]
Tamil is an ancient language of India from the Dravidian family spoken by roughly 250 million people mainly in southern India and Sri Lanka.
Nepali dictionary
Source: unoes: Nepali-English DictionaryNalinī (नलिनी):—n. 1. a lotus; 2. a bed of lotuses;
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)
Partial matches: I.
Starts with: Nalini Jataka, Nalinidala, Nalinidalamaya, Nalinigulma, Nalinika, Nalinika Jataka, Nalinikhanda, Nalininandana, Nalinipadmakosha, Nalinipatra, Nalinipattra, Naliniruha, Nalinirukam, Nalinisamvartika, Nalinishanda.
Full-text (+59): Naliniruha, Nalinipadmakosha, Nalinidala, Nalininandana, Nalinikhanda, Nalinipattra, Kuberanalini, Phullanalini, Sthalanalini, Nalinigulma, Nalinisamvartika, Kuvera Nalini, Nalinishanda, Nalinipatra, Nalina, Avadhuta, Nalini Jataka, Nilini, Nalinidalamaya, Nalinika.
Relevant text
Search found 76 books and stories containing Nalini, Naalini, Naliina-i, Naliina-i, Naḷina-ī, Naḷina-ī, Nalinī, Nālīnī, Nālinī, Ṇaliṇi, Ṇaliṇī, Naḷini, Naḷiṉi, Nāḷiṉi, Naḷinī, Ṇaliṇi°; (plurals include: Nalinis, Naalinis, is, īs, Nalinīs, Nālīnīs, Nālinīs, Ṇaliṇis, Ṇaliṇīs, Naḷinis, Naḷiṉis, Nāḷiṉis, Naḷinīs, Ṇaliṇi°s). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts, Madras (by M. Seshagiri Sastri)
Page 30 < [Volume 22 (1918)]
Mahavastu (great story) (by J. J. Jones)
Chapter XIV - The Jātaka of Nalinī (the king’s daughter) < [Volume III]
Chapter XV - The story of Padumāvatī (Padmāvatī) < [Volume III]
Sahitya-kaumudi by Baladeva Vidyabhushana (by Gaurapada Dāsa)
Text 10.145 < [Chapter 10 - Ornaments of Meaning]
Text 10.115 < [Chapter 10 - Ornaments of Meaning]
Discovery of Sanskrit Treasures (seven volumes) (by Satya Vrat Shastri)
3. Camatkara (A Collection of Sanskrit Plays) < [Volume 4 - Modern Sanskrit Literature]
1.1. Sanskrit Poems of 20th century < [Volume 4 - Modern Sanskrit Literature]
Bhagavata Purana (by G. V. Tagare)
Chapter 25 - The Story of Purañjana—Introduction < [Book 4 - Fourth Skandha]
Chapter 29 - The Purañjana allegory explained < [Book 4 - Fourth Skandha]
Chapter 21 - The Race of Bharata—The History of Rantideva < [Book 9 - Ninth Skandha]
Rivers in Ancient India (study) (by Archana Sarma)
7. The river Sindhu in the Purāṇas < [Chapter 5 - Rivers in the Purāṇic Literature]
5e. Bhāgīratha brought down Gaṅgā on earth < [Chapter 5 - Rivers in the Purāṇic Literature]