Ratha: 20 definitions
Introduction
Introduction:
Ratha means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, 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.
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana IndexRatha (रथ).—Of the moon, description of; sprang out of waters with ten horses, charioteer, etc., has three wheels.*
- * Vāyu-purāṇa 52. 50-4.

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.
Vaishnavism (Vaishava dharma)
Source: ISKCON Press: GlossaryRatha (रथ).—Temple cart or chariot, used during religious festival to carry the Deities.

Vaishnava (वैष्णव, vaiṣṇava) or vaishnavism (vaiṣṇavism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshipping Vishnu as the supreme Lord. Similar to the Shaktism and Shaivism traditions, Vaishnavism also developed as an individual movement, famous for its exposition of the dashavatara (‘ten avatars of Vishnu’).
Vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar)
Source: Wikisource: A dictionary of Sanskrit grammarRatha (रथ).—Name of one of the eight kinds of recitals of the Veda Samhita by dividing it into the component words (पद (pada)) and reciting the component words by repeating them, in their regular order and reverse order too.
Vyakarana (व्याकरण, vyākaraṇa) refers to Sanskrit grammar and represents one of the six additional sciences (vedanga) to be studied along with the Vedas. Vyakarana concerns itself with the rules of Sanskrit grammar and linguistic analysis in order to establish the correct context of words and sentences.
General definition (in Hinduism)
Source: archive.org: Vedic index of Names and SubjectsRatha (रथ) in the Rigveda and later denotes ‘chariot’ as opposed to Anas, ‘cart’, though the distinction is not absolute. Of differences in the structure of the two we have no information, except that the Kha, or nave hole, in the wheel of the chariot was greater than in that of the cart.
In Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita SastraRatha (रथ) refers to “chariots” and is mentioned among the “material benefits” granted by the Bodhisattva, according to the Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter XLVI.—Accordingly, “vehicles (yāna), i.e., elephants (hastin), horses (aśva), chariots (ratha), carriages (śakaṭa), etc.”

Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.
India history and geography
Source: archive.org: Personal and geographical names in the Gupta inscriptionsRāṭhā is the modified form of Rāṣṭra when used in place-names. Rāṣṭra is the oldest and biggest territorial term. In the Ṛgveda and later Saṃhitās, it denotes “kingdom” or “royal territory”. It is considered to be one of the Prakṛtis (constituents) and refers to a country.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical GlossaryRatha.—rock-cut temples at Mahābalipuram (Journ. Mad. Univ., Vol. XXXII, p. 140). Note: ratha 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 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 Dictionaryratha : (m.) a carriage; chariot.
Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary1) Ratha, 2 (fr. ram, cp. Sk. ratha) pleasure, joy, delight: see mano°. (Page 565)
2) Ratha, 1 (Vedic ratha, Av. rapa, Lat. rota wheel, rotundus (“rotund” & round), Oir. roth=Ohg rad wheel, Lith. rãtas id. ) a two-wheeled carriage, chariot (for riding, driving or fighting S. I, 33 (ethically); A. IV, 191 (horse & cart; diff. parts of a ratha); M. I, 396; Sn. 300, 654; Vism. 593 (in its compn of akkha, cakka, pañjara, īsā etc.); J. III, 239 (passaddha° carriage slowing up); Th. 2, 229 (caturassaṃ rathaṃ, i.e. a Vimāna); Mhvs 35, 42 (goṇā rathe yuttā); VvA. 78 (500), 104, 267 (=Vimāna), PvA. 74.—assatarī° a chariot drawn by a she-mule Vv 208=438; Pv. I, 111; J. VI, 355.—Phussa-ratha state carriage J. III, 238; VI, 30 sq. See under ph.—On ratha in similes see J. P. T. S. 1907, 127.

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 Dictionaryraṭha (रठ) [or रंठ, raṇṭha].—a Hard;--used of kinds of wood. 2 Hard--kinds of betelnut, unripe fruits. 3 Coarse--flour, powders. 4 Hard or rough--the tongue. 5 Hard and unyielding--a soil, or the ground from an incidental cause. 6 Hardy--a body or a person. 7 Used sometimes in the senses of raṭāla or raṭēla. See further under rāṇṭha, for of these two forms each has, in certain applications and with certain speakers, a preferableness over the other.
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ratha (रथ).—m (S) A war-chariot or a carriage of state, a car.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishratha (रथ).—m A war-chariot, a car.
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rāṭha (राठ).—a Rough, rude; hardy; harsh.
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 dictionaryRatha (रथ).—[ramyatenena atra vā, ram-kathan; cf. Uṇ.2.2]
1) A carriage, chariot, car, vehicle; especially, a war-chariot.
2) A hero (for rathin); अपवातेषु पार्येषु त्रयस्तेऽभावञ् रथाः (apavāteṣu pāryeṣu trayaste'bhāvañ rathāḥ) Mb.1.2.92.
3) A foot.
4) A limb, part, member.
5) The body; cf. आत्मानं रथिनं विद्धि शरीरं रथमेव तु (ātmānaṃ rathinaṃ viddhi śarīraṃ rathameva tu) Kaṭh. 1.3.3.
6) A reed.
7) Pleasure, delight.
Derivable forms: rathaḥ (रथः).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryRatha (रथ).—m.
(-thaḥ) 1. A car, a war-chariot. 2. A car, a carriage in general, any vehicle or mode of conveyance. 3. A limb, a member. 4. The body. 5. A foot. 6. A sort of cane, (Calamus rotang.) E. ram to sport, Unadi aff. kthana .
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryRatha (रथ).— (vb. ṛ), m. 1. A car, [Hitopadeśa] pr. [distich] 32, M.M.; a war chariot,
Ratha (रथ).—1. [masculine] waggon, [especially] war-chariot, also any vehicle of the gods; charioteer, warrior, champion, hero.
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Ratha (रथ).—2. [masculine] pleasure, joy.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Ratha (रथ):—1. ratha m. (√4. ṛ) ‘goer’, a chariot, car, [especially] a two-wheeled war-chariot (lighter and swifter than the anas q.v.), any vehicle or equipage or carriage (applied also to the vehicles of the gods), waggon, cart, [Ṛg-veda] etc. etc. (ifc. f(ā). )
2) a warrior, hero, champion, [Mahābhārata; Kathāsaritsāgara; Bhāgavata-purāṇa]
3) the body, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
4) a limb, member, part, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
5) Calamus Rotang, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
6) Dalbergia Ougeinensis, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
7) = pauruṣa, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
8) 2. ratha m. (√ram) pleasure, joy, delight (cf. mano-ratha)
9) affection, love (cf. next).
10) Rāṭha (राठ):—m. Vangueria Spinosa, [Caraka] (cf. rāḍha).
11) Rātha (राथ):—1. rātha Vṛddhi form of 1. ratha, in [compound]
12) 2. rātha Vṛddhi form of 2. ratha, in [compound]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryRatha (रथ):—(thaḥ) 1. m. A car; a war-car; a limb; the body; a cane.
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 dictionaryRatha (रथ) [Also spelled rath]:—(nm) a chariot; ~[kāra] chariot-maker; -[yātrā] a celebration organized on the second day of the bright fortnight of [āṣāḍha] when the devotees take out the idols of the deities in a huge procession; ~[vān] a charioteer, one who rides a chariot.
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