Pita, aka: Piṭa, Pitā, Pīta, Pītā; 14 Definition(s)

Introduction

Pita means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, 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)

1) Pīta (पीत) is a Sanskrit technical term translating to the color “yellow” and is used throughout Āyurvedic literature such as the Suśrutasaṃhita or the Carakasaṃhita.

2) Pīta (पीत) is another name for Śākhoṭa, which is a Sanskrit word referring to Streblus asper (Siamese rough bush), from the Moraceae family. It is classified as a medicinal plant in the system of Āyurveda (science of Indian medicine) and is used throughout literature such as the Suśrutasaṃhita and the Carakasaṃhitā. The synonym was identified in the Rājanighaṇṭu (verse 9.123), which is a 13^th-century medicinal thesaurus.

3) Pīta (पीत) is another name (synonym) for Kusumbha, which is the Sanskrit word for Carthamus tinctorius (safflower), a plant from the Asteraceae family. This synonym was identified by Narahari in his 13th-century Rājanighaṇṭu, which is an Āyurvedic medicinal thesaurus. Certain plant parts of Kalamba are eaten as a vegetable (śāka).

Pītā (पीता) is another name for Tejovatī, a medicinal plant similar to Jyotiṣmatī Celastrus paniculatus (black oil plant or intellect tree) from the Celastraceae or “staff vine” or “bittersweet family” of flowering plants, according to verse 3.82 of the 13th-century Raj Nighantu or Rājanighaṇṭu. The Raj Nighantu reads Jyotiṣmatī and Tejovatī together while Bāpālāl identifies Tejovatī with Zanthoxylum budrunga (cape yellowwood or Indian ivy-rue) from the Rutaceae or “rue” or “citrus” family. The third chapter (guḍūcyādi-varga) of this book contains climbers and creepers (vīrudh). Together with the names Pītā and Tejovatī, there are a total of thirty-one Sanskrit synonyms identified for this plant.

context information

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)

1) Pitā (पिता).—A son of Brahmadhāna.^*

• * Vāyu-purāṇa 69. 132.

2) Pīta (पीत).—The Vaiśya caste of Śālmalidvīpa.^*

• * Viṣṇu-purāṇa II. 4. 30.

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.

Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)

Pīta (पीत, “yellow”) refers to one of the found original (natural) colors (varṇa), according to Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 23. From these colors come numerous derivative and minor colors (upavarṇa).

According to the Nāṭyaśāstra, “Budha (Mercury?) and Hutāśana (Agni) should be painted yellow (pīta)”.

context information

Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (śāstra) of performing arts, (nāṭya, e.g., 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) and poetic works (kavya).

Nirukta (Sanskrit etymology)

Pīta (पीत) is the past participle of the verb √pā, “drink”, and refers to the treatment of “iron” with a liquid bath, i.e., the quenching of carburized iron effectively a low-carbon steel).

In Buddhism

General definition (in Buddhism)

Pīta (पीत, “yellow”) refers to one of the “twenty form objects” (rūpa) as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (section 34). The Dharma-samgraha (Dharmasangraha) is an extensive glossary of Buddhist technical terms in Sanskrit (eg., pīta). The work is attributed to Nagarjuna who lived around the 2nd century A.D.

In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Pīta (पीत, “yellow”) refers to one of the five types of Varṇa (color) and represents one of the various kinds of Nāma, or “physique-making (karmas)”, which represents one of the eight types of Prakṛti-bandha (species bondage): one of the four kinds of bondage (bandha) according to the 2nd-century Tattvārthasūtra chapter 8. The karmas rise of which gives the colour attributes to the body are called colour body-making karma (pīta).

context information

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.

Languages of India and abroad

Pali-English dictionary

pīta : (pp. of pivati) drunk. (adj.) yellow; golden colour. (m.) yellow colour.

1) Pīta, ² (adj.) (Epic Sk. pīta, etym. unclear) yellow, goldencoloured Vin. I, 217 (virecana); D. I, 76 (nīla p. lohita odāta); III, 268 (°kasiṇa); M. I, 281 (pīta-nisita, belonging here or under pīta1?), cp. 385 (below); A. III, 239; IV, 263, 305, 349; V, 61; J. VI, 185 (nīla p. lohita odāta mañjeṭṭhaka), 449 (°alaṅkāra, °vasana °uttara, cp. 503); Dhs. 203 (°kasiṇa), 246, 247 (nīla p. lohitaka, odāta); Vism. 173 (°kasiṇa).—pīta is prominent (in the sense of golden) in the description of Vimānas or other heavenly abodes. A typical example is Vv 47 (Pītavimāna V. 1 & 2), where everything is characterised as pīta, viz. vattha, dhaja, alaṅkāra, candana, uppala, pāsāda, āsana, bhojana, chatta, ratha, assa, bījanī; the C. expln of pīta at this passage is “suvaṇṇa”; cp. Vv 361 (=parisuddha, hemamaya VvA. 166); 784 (=suvaṇṇamaya C. 304).—antara a yellow dress or mantle Vv 36 (=pītavaṇṇā uttarīyā C. 166).—aruṇa yellowish red Th. 2, 479.—âvalepana “golden-daubed” M. I, 385. (Page 462)

2) Pīta, ¹ (pp. of pivati) 1. having drunk or (pred.) being drunk (as liquid) S. I, 212 (madhu°); J. I, 198; PvA. 25 (with asita, khāyita & sāyita as fourfold food). ‹-› 2. soaked or saturated with (-°), in kasāyarasa° J. II, 98 (or=pīta2?) and visapīta (of an arrow) J. V, 36; Vism. 303, 381; which may however be read (on acct. of v. l. visappīta) as visappita “poison-applied” (see appita). Does M. I, 281 pīta-nisita belong here (=visapīta)? ‹-› 3. (nt.) drink M. I, 220 sq. =A. V, 347 sq.; A. V, 359; Th. 1, 503; Pv. II, 710; Nett 29, 80. (Page 462)

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

pitā (पिता).—m (S) A father. Pr. yōvai pitā savaiputraḥ || Like father like son.

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pīta (पीत).—a (S) Yellow. 2 p Drunk, that has been drunk. 3 That has drunk.

pitā (पिता).—m A father. Pr. yō vai pitā sa vai putrāḥ | Like father like son.

--- OR ---

pīta (पीत).—a Yellow. p Drunk.

Sanskrit-English dictionary

Piṭa (पिट).—A box, basket.

-ṭam 1 A house, hovel.

2) A roof.

Derivable forms: piṭaḥ (पिटः).

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Pīta (पीत).—a. [pā-karmaṇi kta]

1) Drunk, quaffed; वनाय पीतप्रतिबद्धवत्सां (vanāya pītapratibaddhavatsāṃ) (gāṃ mumoca) R.2.1.

2) Steeped, soaked in, filled or saturated with.

3) Absorbed, drunk up, evaporated; रविपीतजला तपात्यये पुनरोघेन हि युज्यते नदी (ravipītajalā tapātyaye punaroghena hi yujyate nadī) Ku. 4.44.

4) Watered, sprinkled with water; पातुं न प्रथमं व्यवस्यति जलं युष्मास्वपीतेषु या (pātuṃ na prathamaṃ vyavasyati jalaṃ yuṣmāsvapīteṣu yā) Ś.4.9.

5) Yellow; विद्युत्प्रभा- रचितपीतपटोत्तरीयः (vidyutprabhā- racitapītapaṭottarīyaḥ) Mk.5.2.

-taḥ 1 Yellow colour.

2) Topaz.

3) Safflower.

4) A Yellow pigment prepared from cow's urine.

-tam 1 Gold.

2) Yellow orpiment.

Piṭa (पिट).—m.

(-ṭaḥ) 1. A basket for holding grain, a sort of cupboard or granary made of bamboos or canes. 2. A basket, a box. n.

(-ṭaṃ) 1. A house, a hovel. 2. A roof. E. piṭ to collect, ka aff.

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Pīta (पीत).—mfn.

(-taḥ-tā-taṃ) 1. Of a yellow colour. 2. Drank, quaffed. m.

(-taḥ) 1. Yellow, the colour. 2. Safflower. 3. A topaz, a yellow gem. 4. A yellow pigment, prepared from the urine of kine. n.

(-taṃ) 1. Drinking. 2. Yellow orpiment. 3. Gold. 4. Sulphur. f.

(-tā) 1. Turmeric. 2. A medical plant, commonly Ataich, (Betula.) 3. Saturated, steeped. 4. Drunk. E. pā to drink, aff. kta; imbibed, literally, or figuratively, by the eye sight, &c.

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