Sthala, Sthalā, Sthāla: 16 definitions
Introduction
Introduction:
Sthala means something in 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
Dharmashastra (religious law)
Source: Wisdom Library: Dharma-śāstraSthala (स्थल) refers to “artificially elevated ground”. This is used to mark the boundary between two villages. The word is used throughout Dharmaśāstra literature such as the Manusmṛti. (See the Manubhāṣya, verse 8.247)

Dharmashastra (धर्मशास्त्र, dharmaśāstra) contains the instructions (shastra) regarding religious conduct of livelihood (dharma), ceremonies, jurisprudence (study of law) and more. It is categorized as smriti, an important and authoritative selection of books dealing with the Hindu lifestyle.
Ayurveda (science of life)
Source: Shodhganga: Dietetics and culinary art in ancient and medieval IndiaSthala (स्थल) or Sthalajāta refers to “rice grown in wild soil” and is classified as a type of grain (dhānya) in the section on śūkadhānya (awned grains) in the Bhojanakutūhala (dravyaguṇāguṇa-kathana), and is commonly found in literature dealing with the topics of dietetics and culinary art, also known as Pākaśāstra or Pākakalā.—The author explains the characteristics and the properties of various food grains (dhānyas). [...] General properties of rice which are [viz., grown in wet land (sthala-jāta-śāli)] are discussed here. The properties of different grains based on their habitat, variety of water for irrigating them are also explained.

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.
Vastushastra (architecture)
Source: OpenEdition books: Architectural terms contained in Ajitāgama and RauravāgamaSthala (स्थल) refers to “floor of a room §§ 3.12; 4.7, 26; 5.3.”.—(For paragraphs cf. Les enseignements architecturaux de l'Ajitāgama et du Rauravāgama by Bruno Dagens)

Vastushastra (वास्तुशास्त्र, vāstuśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian science (shastra) of architecture (vastu), dealing with topics such architecture, sculpture, town-building, fort building and various other constructions. Vastu also deals with the philosophy of the architectural relation with the cosmic universe.
India history and geography
Source: archive.org: Personal and geographical names in the Gupta inscriptionsSthāla (स्थाल) refers to a name-ending for place-names according to Pāṇini VI.2.129. Pāṇini also cautions his readers that the etymological meaning of place-names should not be held authoritative since the name should vanish when the people leave the place who gave their name to it.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical GlossarySthala.—(IE 8-4), shortened form of deva-sthala; sometimes suffixed to names of localities; also the subdivision of a district. (IE 8-4; EI 12, 18, 24; ASLV), a small territorial unit like a Parganā; a district or its subdivision. Cf. Kona-sthala (EI 32), also called a deśa, maṇḍala, rāṣṭra, sīma, etc. (CITD), a place, habitation; a holy place; a district. Cf. sa-jala-sthala (IE 8-5); the land [of a village]. Cf. Tamil sthala-kkāval (SITI), village watch. Note: sthala 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
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionarysthala (स्थल).—n (S) A place, a spot. 2 Stead, room, lieu, place. 3 A portion of land consisting of several fields. 4 An office or a situation, a station, post, place. 5 S Dry and firm ground; land or terra firma, as opp. to sea.
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sthaḷa (स्थळ).—&c. This is only the Prakrit form of writing. sthala and its compounds.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishsthala (स्थल).—n A place; a station. Stead. Land.
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 dictionarySthala (स्थल).—[sthal-ac]
1) Firm or dry ground, dry land, terra firma (opp. jala); भो दुरात्मन् (bho durātman) (samudra) दीयतां टिट्टिभाण्डा- नि नो चेत्स्थलतां त्वां नयामि (dīyatāṃ ṭiṭṭibhāṇḍā- ni no cetsthalatāṃ tvāṃ nayāmi) Pt.1; प्रतस्थे स्थलवर्त्मना (pratasthe sthalavartmanā) R.4.6; so स्थलकमलिनी (sthalakamalinī) or स्थलवर्त्मन् (sthalavartman) q. v.
2) Shore, strand, beach.
3) Ground, land, soil (in general).
4) Place, spot; उवाच वाग्मी दशनप्रभाभिः संवर्धितोरःस्थलतारहारः (uvāca vāgmī daśanaprabhābhiḥ saṃvardhitoraḥsthalatārahāraḥ) R.5.52.
5) Field, tract, district.
6) Station.
7) A piece of raised ground, mound; ततः स्थलमुपारुह्य पर्वतस्याविदूरतः । ख्यातः पञ्चवटीत्येव नित्यपुष्पितकाननः (tataḥ sthalamupāruhya parvatasyāvidūrataḥ | khyātaḥ pañcavaṭītyeva nityapuṣpitakānanaḥ) || Rām.3.13.22.
8) A topic, case, subject, the point under discussion; विवाद°, विचार° (vivāda°, vicāra°) &c.
9) A part (as of a book).
1) A tent.
Derivable forms: sthalam (स्थलम्).
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Sthalā (स्थला).—A spot of dry ground artificially raised and drained (opp. sthalī q. v. below).
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Sthāla (स्थाल).—[sthalati tiṣṭhatyannādyatra ādhāre ghañ]
1) A plate or dish.
2) A cooking-pot, any culinary vessel; स्थालानां चषकाणां च भृङ्गाराणां च भूरिशः (sthālānāṃ caṣakāṇāṃ ca bhṛṅgārāṇāṃ ca bhūriśaḥ) Śiva B.29.58.
3) The hollow of a tooth.
Derivable forms: sthālam (स्थालम्).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionarySthāla (स्थाल).—nt., a kind of flower: Mahāvyutpatti 6185. Tibetan trans-literates.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionarySthala (स्थल).—nf. (-laṃ-lī) 1. Place, site, soil, dry or firm ground. 2. A natural spot, forest-land. nf.
(-laṃ-lā) A spot of dry ground prepared by art or drained and raised, &c., (as opposed to sthalī,) which is naturally so.) n.
(-laṃ) 1. A tent, a house of cloth. 2. A mound, a hillock. 3. Point, case, topic, subject, (of a description or discussion.) 4. Part, (as of a book.) 5. Firm or dry ground. 6. Shore, strand, beach. 7. Place, spot, soil, (in general.) 8. Field, tract, district. 9. Station. E. ṣṭhal to be firm, aff. ac .
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Sthāla (स्थाल).—n.
(-laṃ) 1. A caldron. 2. A plate or dish. 3. Any culinary utensil. f. (-lī) 1. An earthen pot or boiler. 2. A particular vessel used in the preparation of Soma. 3. The trumpet flower, (Bignonia suave olens.) E. ṣṭhā to stand, Unadi aff. ālac; or sthala-ghañ .
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionarySthala (स्थल).—[sthal + a], or rather sthā + la, I. n., and f. lī. 1. Firm or dry ground, [Hitopadeśa] i. [distich] 89, M. M. (la). 2. Place, [Vikramorvaśī, (ed. Bollensen.)] [distich] 79 (li); [Pañcatantra] 161, 15 (la). Ii. n., and f. lā, A spot drained and raised. Iii. n. 1. A mound, a terrace, [Meghadūta, (ed. Gildemeister.)] 67. 2. A tent. 3. Point, topic.
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Sthāla (स्थाल).—[sthā + la], I. n. A plate, a dish, [Rājataraṅgiṇī] 5, 46. Ii. f. lī, A pot, [Pañcatantra] 262, 16.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionarySthala (स्थल).—[neuter] raised or dry ground, land ([opposed] water), earth, ground, place, spot; sthalī [feminine] mound, eminence (also sthalā), ground, spot.
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Sthāla (स्थाल).—[neuter] plate, dish, vessel, tooth-hole; [feminine] sthālī (earthen) pot, kettle.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Sthala (स्थल):—[from sthal] m. a chapter, section (of a book), [Catalogue(s)]
2) [v.s. ...] Name of a son of Bala, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa]
3) [v.s. ...] (sthalā), a heap of artificially raised earth, mound, [Taittirīya-saṃhitā]
4) [from sthal] n. = sthalī above
5) [v.s. ...] dry land (opp. to damp low-land), firm earth (opp. to water), [Taittirīya-saṃhitā] etc. etc.
6) [v.s. ...] ground, soil, place, spot, [Manu-smṛti; Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa] etc.
7) [v.s. ...] a flat surface, roof (of a palace), [Meghadūta]
8) [v.s. ...] situation, circumstance, case (tathāvidha-sthale, ‘in such a case’), [Sāhitya-darpaṇa; Sarvadarśana-saṃgraha]
9) [v.s. ...] a topic, subject, [Horace H. Wilson]
10) [v.s. ...] a text, [ib.]
11) Sthāla (स्थाल):—[from sthal] a n. ([from] sthala, of which it is also the Vṛddhi form in [compound]) any vessel or receptacle, plate, cup, bowl, dish, caldron, pot, [???]
12) [v.s. ...] any culinary utensil, [Rājataraṅgiṇī]
13) [v.s. ...] the hollow of a tooth, [Yājñavalkya]
14) [from sthā] b etc. See p. 1262, col. 1.
15) c etc. See p. 1262, col. 1.
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 dictionarySthala (स्थल) [Also spelled sthal]:—(nm) land; place; site, location, venue; field (as [yuddhasthala] battlefield); -[kamala/padya] a kind of plant and its flowers; ~[cara/cārī] terrestrial; living on land; ~[ḍamarūmadhya] neck of land, isthmus; ~[mārga] roadway; •[se] by road, by land; -[senā] land forces, army.
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See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with (+44): Sthala-gauda, Sthala-karana, Sthala-karnam, Sthala-mahatmya, Sthala-patha-karana, Sthala-vritti, Sthalacara, Sthalacarin, Sthalacarita, Sthalachara, Sthalachyuta, Sthalacyuta, Sthaladevata, Sthaladurga, Sthalaga, Sthalagamin, Sthalagata, Sthalaja, Sthalajata, Sthalaka.
Ends with (+72): Achyutasthala, Acyutasthala, Adrikritasthala, Agnisthala, Ankasthala, Apavadasthala, Arkasthala, Arunacalasthala, Aupasthala, Avisthala, Balasthala, Bhrashtakakapishthala, Brahmasthala, Budasthala, Chitrasthala, Cidambarasthala, Citrasthala, Dahasthala, Devasthala, Dharmasthala.
Full-text (+266): Sthalacara, Gandasthala, Kushasthala, Sthalapadmini, Katasthala, Sthalasiman, Sthalakamala, Mahasthala, Sthalata, Sthali, Sthalapatha, Sthalaja, Sthalavigraha, Sthalamanjari, Vicarasthala, Sthalashringata, Acyutasthala, Susthala, Sthalaravinda, Mulasthala.
Relevant text
Search found 21 books and stories containing Sthala, Sthaḷa, Sthalā, Sthāla; (plurals include: Sthalas, Sthaḷas, Sthalās, Sthālas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
A History of Indian Philosophy Volume 5 (by Surendranath Dasgupta)
Part 2 - Anubhava-sūtra of Māyideva < [Chapter XXXV - Vīra-śaivism]
Part 1 - History and Literature of Vīra-śaivism < [Chapter XXXV - Vīra-śaivism]
Part 6 - Vātulāgama < [Chapter XXXIV - Literature of Southern Śaivism]
Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra (by Helen M. Johnson)
Part 22: Description of Meru < [Chapter III - The initiation and omniscience of Ajita]
Brihad Bhagavatamrita (commentary) (by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyana Gosvāmī Mahārāja)
Verse 2.1.105 < [Chapter 1 - Vairāgya (renunciation)]
Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī)
Verse 4.8.73 < [Part 8 - Compatible & Incompatible Mellows (maitrī-vaira-sthiti)]
Verse 3.4.73 < [Part 4 - Parenthood (vātsalya-rasa)]
Verse 2.1.358 < [Part 1 - Ecstatic Excitants (vibhāva)]
The Skanda Purana (by G. V. Tagare)
Chapter 17 - The Greatness of Daśāśvamedha < [Section 1 - Avantīkṣetra-māhātmya]
Chapter 17 - Vidūratha Goes Ahunting < [Section 1 - Tīrtha-māhātmya]
Chapter 14 - The Greatness of Catussamudra < [Section 1 - Avantīkṣetra-māhātmya]
Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi (by Ganganatha Jha)
Verse 8.247 < [Section XL - Disputes regarding Boundaries]