Nirantara, Nir-antara, Niramtara: 19 definitions

Introduction
In Hinduism
1. Shaktism
2. Purana
3. Kavya
In Buddhism
1. Tibetan Buddhism
Languages
1. Pali
2. Marathi
3. Sanskrit
4. Prakrit
5. Kannada
See also

Introduction:

Nirantara means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi, Jainism, Prakrit. 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

Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram

Nirantara (निरन्तर) refers to “constantly”, according to the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—Accordingly, “(Kubjikā’s) iconic form is threefold (according to whether it is) in (the transmission) of the Child, Middle One or the Aged. [...] (She holds) a skull, a rosary, the five immortal substances, an ascetic’s staff, the Kādi scripture, conch, and the great nectar which is filled constantly [i.e., nirantara—pūritaṃ ca nirantaram] with (the recitation of her Trikhaṇḍā Vidyā) consisting of 292 syllables. The garland of vowels on her head rains down a stream of nectar. The garland of letters that (hangs from) the neck of the goddess (reaches) the soles (of her) feet. The necklace around her neck, made of fifty scorpions, looks beautiful [...]”.

context information

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.

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English Translation

Nirantara (निरन्तर) refers to “continuously”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.13 (“Śiva-Pārvatī dialogue”).—Accordingly, as Pārvatī said to Śiva: “O Yogin, O lord Śiva, based on what you said how can that Prakṛti cease to exist and how can you be considered beyond that Prakṛti? You shall ponder over this and say with reference to the facts as they are. All these (the universe etc) are bound by Prakṛti continuously [i.e., nirantara]. Hence you shall not say anything, not do anything. Know that speaking, doing etc. is a Prākṛta activity”.

context information

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.

Kavya (poetry)

Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions (kavya)

Nirantara (निरन्तर) refers to “gapless” (i.e., ‘filling the spaces between branches of trees’), according to Bāṇa’s Kādambarī (p. 225).—Accordingly, “[Then through the main entrance (of Caṇḍikā), the temple yard:] Her courtyard was adorned (vibhūṣita-aṅgaṇa) with thickets of red aśoka trees, the spaces between the branches of which were made gapless (nirantara) by flocks of perching red cockerels, [trees] which appeared to reveal unseasonal clusters of blooms in their fear”

context information

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’.

In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: eScholarship: Buddhajñānāpāda's Vision of a Tantric Buddhist World

Nirantara (निरन्तर) refers to one of the Saptāṅga (“seven aṅgas of mahāmudrā”), according to Vāgīśvavarakīrti’s Saptāṅga and Tattvaratnāvaloka (and its auto-commentary).—(Cf. the seven yogas mentioned by Buddhajñānapāda in the Muktitilaka).—The same seven factors are addressed in Vāgīśvavarakīrti’s later Saptāṅga and his Tattvaratnāvaloka and its auto-commentary, where they are called the seven aṅgas of mahāmudrā, with reference to which see Isaacson (2010b, 271, 271n27) and, with a bit more detail, Isaacson and Sferra (2014, 271), where they are mentioned with reference to a citation from the Saptāṅga in Rāmapāla’s Sekanirdeśapañjikā.

context information

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 Dictionary

nirantara : (adj.) continuous; uninterrupted.

Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary

Nirantara, (adj.) (nis+antara) having no interval, continuous, uninterrupted PvA. 135. Usually in nt. as adv. nirantaraṃ always, incessantly, constantly; immediately, at once DhsA. 168; PvA. 52, 80, 107, 110 (=satataṃ), 120; DhA. I, 13. (Page 369)

context information

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 Dictionary

nirantara (निरंतर).—ad (S) Constantly, incessantly, unpausingly: also continuously or contiguously, without intervening space.

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nirantara (निरंतर).—a (S) Having contact with; being without space intervening. 2 Constant or incessant: also continuous or contiguous.

Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

nirantara (निरंतर).—ad Constantly, incessantly. Con- tinuously. a Having contact with.

context information

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 dictionary

Nirantara (निरन्तर).—a.

1) constant, perpetual, uninterrupted, incessant; निरन्त- राधिपटलैः (niranta- rādhipaṭalaiḥ) Bv.1.16; निरन्तरास्वन्तरवातवृष्टिषु (nirantarāsvantaravātavṛṣṭiṣu) Ku.5.25.

2) having no intervening or intermediate space, having no interval, close, closely contiguous, in close contact; मूढे निरन्तरपयोधरया मयैव (mūḍhe nirantarapayodharayā mayaiva) Mk.5.15; हृदयं निरन्तरबृहत्कठिनस्तन- मण्डलावरणमप्यभिदन् (hṛdayaṃ nirantarabṛhatkaṭhinastana- maṇḍalāvaraṇamapyabhidan) Śi.9.66.

3) compact, dense; परितो रुद्धनिरन्तराम्बराः (parito ruddhanirantarāmbarāḥ) Śi.16.76.

4) coarse, gross.

5) faithful, true (as a friend).

6) not hidden from view.

7) not different, similar, identical.

8) sincere, sympathetic; सुहृदि निरन्तरचित्ते (suhṛdi nirantaracitte) (nivedya duḥkhaṃ sukhībhavati) Pt.1.341.

9) abounding in, full of; निपात्यमानैर्ददृशे निरन्तरम् (nipātyamānairdadṛśe nirantaram) Rām.7.7. 54; गुणैश्च निरन्तराणि (guṇaiśca nirantarāṇi) Mv.4.12.

-ram ind.

Nirantara is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms nir and antara (अन्तर).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Nirantara (निरन्तर).—mfn.

(-raḥ-rā-raṃ) 1. Coarse, gross, without interstices. 2. Continuous. 3. Uninterrupted, continual. 4. Unbounded. 5. Indentical, not different. 6. Unconcealed, not hidden or vanished. 7. Not external, &c. E. nir not, antara interval, difference, &c.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Nirantara (निरन्तर).—i. e. nis-antara, adj., f. rā. 1. Without any interstice, [Śiśupālavadha] 9, 66. 2. Completely filled, [Rāmāyaṇa] 6, 112, 42. 3. Continual, [Rāmāyaṇa] 5, 58, 8. 4. Faithful, Pañc ii. [distich] 190. ºram, adv. 1. Tightly, [Ṛtusaṃhāra] 2, 11. 2. Constantly, [Rāmāyaṇa] 3, 2, 11.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Nirantara (निरन्तर).—[adjective] having no interval, continuous, uninterrupted, constant, dense, compact; abounding in, full of ([instrumental] or —°); not different, equal, identical. [neuter] [adverb] tight, fast; constantly, regularly; immediately, forthwith.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Nirantara (निरन्तर):—[=nir-antara] [from nir > niḥ] mf(ā)n. having no interval (in space or time), close, compact, dense, uninterrupted, perpetual, constant (-tā f.), [Mahābhārata; Kāvya literature] etc.

2) [v.s. ...] faithful true, [Pañcatantra]

3) [v.s. ...] abounding in, full of ([compound]), [Rāmāyaṇa; Sāhitya-darpaṇa]

4) [v.s. ...] not other or different, identical, [Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa] etc.

5) [v.s. ...] not hidden from view, [Horace H. Wilson]

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Nirantara (निरन्तर):—[nira+ntara] (raḥ-rā-raṃ) a. Coarse; continued; identical; unbounded; unconcealed.

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)

Nirantara (निरन्तर) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Ṇiraṃtara.

[Sanskrit to German]

Nirantara in German

context information

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.

Prakrit-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary

Ṇiraṃtara (णिरंतर) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Nirantara.

context information

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 corpus

Niraṃtara (ನಿರಂತರ):—

1) [adjective] continuing, running or being for ever; continuous; permanent.

2) [adjective] lasting for a relatively longer time.

--- OR ---

Niraṃtara (ನಿರಂತರ):—

1) [noun] the one who lasts for ever; that which remains for every (without change).

2) [noun] the God, who does not have an end.

3) [noun] the condition, fact or quality of being dense, thickly populated or filled with.

--- OR ---

Niraṃtara (ನಿರಂತರ):—

1) [adverb] always; for ever.

2) [adverb] coninuously for a long time.

context information

Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

Relevant text

Search found 10 books and stories containing Nirantara, Nir-antara, Niramtara, Ṇiraṃtara, Ṇirantara, Niraṃtara; (plurals include: Nirantaras, antaras, Niramtaras, Ṇiraṃtaras, Ṇirantaras, Niraṃtaras). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Verse 3.4.19 < [Chapter 4 - Descriptions of Śrī Acyutānanda’s Pastimes and the Worship of Śrī Mādhavendra]

Verse 1.12.2 < [Chapter 12 - The Lord’s Wandering Throughout Navadvīpa]

Verse 3.9.163 < [Chapter 9 - The Glories of Advaita]

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Text 11 < [Chapter 5 - Pañcama-yāma-sādhana (Aparāhna-kālīya-bhajana–kṛṣṇa-āsakti)]

Text 7 < [Chapter 1 - Prathama-yāma-sādhana (Niśānta-bhajana–śraddhā)]

Text 13 < [Chapter 6 - Ṣaṣṭha-yāma-sādhana (Sāyaṃ-kālīya-bhajana–bhāva)]

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Eulogy (praśasti)

Verse 6.24 - The influx of Tīrthaṅkara name-karma (nāmakarma) < [Chapter 6 - Influx of Karmas]

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Part 3.11 - Nature of Vākya (sentence) and their types < [Chapter 5 - Analyasis and Interpretations of the Kāvyamīmāṃsā]