# चित्त (citta)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/chitta

चित्त (citta) is a Sanskrit word meaning noticed, longed for, visible, attending, observing, thinking, reflecting, imagining, intention, aim, wish. Its 41 recorded definitions are grouped into 9 contexts, among them As a Past Participle (e.g., Perceived, Considered), The Mind, Intellect, or Heart (as a faculty), Comprehensive Definitions and General Summaries.

- **Roots:** 4. चित् (4. cit), चित् (cit)
- **SLP1:** `citta`  **IAST:** citta  **Devanagari:** चित्त
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citta
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/chitta/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** चित्ता (cittā)

## Meanings by context

### As a Past Participle (e.g., Perceived, Considered) (9 definitions)
- noticed  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 395,3] चित्त (citta) a mfn. ‘noticed’, see अ - चित्त (citta) (a-citta) [ ID=73536 ]
- longed for  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > ‘aimed at’, longed for, Chāndogya-upaniṣad (Title) vii, 5, 3 [ ID=73537 ]
- visible  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > ‘appeared’, visible, Ṛg-veda (Title) ix, 65, 12 [ ID=73538 ]
- Observed, perceived  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > चित्त (citta) [Printed book page 0492-c ] चित्त (citta) p. p. [ चित् - क्त (cit-kta) ] 1 Observed, perceived
- Considered or reflected upon  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > चित्त (citta) [Printed book page 0492-c ] चित्त (citta) p. p. [ चित् - क्त (cit-kta) ] 2 Considered, reflected or meditated upon
- Resolved  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > चित्त (citta) [Printed book page 0492-c ] चित्त (citta) p. p. [ चित् - क्त (cit-kta) ] 3 Resolved
- Intended, wished, or desired  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > चित्त (citta) [Printed book page 0492-c ] चित्त (citta) p. p. [ चित् - क्त (cit-kta) ] 4 Intended, wished, desired
- Visible, perceptible  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > चित्त (citta) [Printed book page 0492-c ] चित्त (citta) p. p. [ चित् - क्त (cit-kta) ] 5 Visible, perceptible
- 1. Perceived. 2. Considered, reflected, or meditated upon. 3. Resolved. 4. Intended.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > चित्त (citta) [Printed book page 273-05 ] चित्त (citta) (I) a. (f. त्ता (ttā) ) 1. Perceived; 2. considered, reflected, meditated upon; 3. resolved; 4. intended. [ ID=13661 ]

### The Mind, Intellect, or Heart (as a faculty) (9 definitions)
- the heart or mind  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > चित्त (citta) n. ( Naighaṇṭuka, commented on by Yāska (subtitle) iii, 9 ) the heart, mind, Taittirīya-saṃhitā (Title) i; Śvetāśvatara-upaniṣad (Title) vi, 5; MBh. &c. ( ifc. f( आ (ā) )., Pañcat. ) [ ID=73542 ]
- memory  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > चित्त (citta) n. memory, W. [ ID=73543 ]
- intelligence, reason  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > intelligence, reason, Kapila’sSāṃkhya-pravacana (Title) i, 59; Yoga-sūtra (Title) i, 37; ii, 54; Vedāntas. [ ID=73544 ]
- The mind  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — त्तं (ttaṃ) 3 The mind; यदासौ दुर्वारः प्रसरति मदश्चित्तकरिणः (yadāsau durvāraḥ prasarati madaścittakariṇaḥ) Śāntiśataka by Śilhaṇa 1. 22; so चलचित्त (calacitta) and comps. below. ( pb )
- The heart as the seat of intellect.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — त्तं (ttaṃ) 4 The heart (considered as the seat of intellect)
- Reason, intellect, reasoning faculty  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — त्तं (ttaṃ) 5 Reason, intellect, reasoning faculty
- The mind, the faculty of reasoning, or the heart as the seat of intellect.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > चित (cita) ्त (citta) [Printed book page 325 ] चित (cita) ्त (citta) n. ( - त्तं (-ttaṃ) ) The mind or faculty of reasoning, the heart considered as the seat of intellect. E. चित (cita) to consider, and क्त (kta) aff. [ ID=15124 ]
- The mind or heart  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > चित्त (citta) [Printed book page 285-a ] चित्त (citta) ( त्तं ) ((ttaṃ)) 1. n. The mind or faculty of reasoning, the heart. [ ID=14581 ]
- The mind or heart considered as the seat of intellect.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > चित् (cit) त (citta) [Printed book page 268-b ] चित् (cit) त (citta) n. ( - त्तं (-ttaṃ) ) The mind or faculty of reasoning, the heart considered as the seat of intellect. E. चित् (cit) to consider, and करणे क्त (karaṇe kta) aff. [ ID=15116 ]

### Comprehensive Definitions and General Summaries (6 definitions)
- 1. Observation, thought, or purpose. 2. Will, mind, heart, intellect, or reason.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > चित्त (citta) [Printed book page 094-2 ] चित्त (citta) cit-tá, pp.; n. observation; thought; purpose, will; mind, heart, intellect, reason; a. thinking of ( —° ). [ ID=7575 ]
- 1. Attending or observing. 2. Thought or attention. 3. Desire, intention, or aim. 4. The mind. 5. The reasoning faculty or intellect.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > चित्त (citta) (II) n. 1. Attending, observing; 2. thinking, thought, attention, मच्चित्त (citta) ः सततं भव (maccittaḥ satataṃ bhava) Bg. xviii.57; 3. desire, intention, aim, Bg. xvi.16; 4. the mind, जनस्य चित्त (citta) ं क्रियते समन्मथम् (janasya cittaṃ kriyate samanmatham) Rt. i.5; 5. the reasoning faculty, intellect, reason. [ ID=13662 ]
- 1. Thought 2. Intellect 3. Will 4. The mind 5. The heart  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > चित्त (citta) [Printed book page 0304-a ] चित्त (citta) 1. cit + ta, n. 1. Thought, Bhag. 16, 16. 2. Intellect, Vedāut. in Chr. 207, 2. 3. Will, Śāk. C. 32, 3. 4. The mind, Rām. 3, 55, 19. 5. The heart, Pañc. 140, 17. — Comp. Anya-, adj. thinking of some one or something else, Pañc. 225, 23. Eka-, I. n. 1. thought directed to one object only, Prab. 8, 5. 2. unanimity, Rām. 2, 40, 35. II. adj. 1. thinking only of one object; in tad-, thinking of him only, Hit. 39, 2. 2. unanimous, Hit. 14, 3. Cala-, I. n. fickleness, Man. 9, 15. II. adj. unsteady, Rām. 3, 1, 32. Pramoha-, adj., f. tā, bewildered in mind. [ ID=4987 ]
- 1. Thought, observed, or desired. 2. Attention, observation, idea, purpose, intent, wish, desire, intelligence, reason, mind, or heart.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > चित्त (citta) [Printed book page 172 ] चित्त (citta) a. thought, observed, desired; n. attention, observation, idea ( adj. —° thinking of); purpose, intent, wish, desire, intelligence, reason; the mind or heart. [ ID=10511 ]
- notice, thought, mind  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > चित्त (citta) [Printed book page 156-a ] cittá, n. notice; thought; mind. [ lit. ‘noticed,’ √cit, see 1176a.] [ ID=1511 ]
- 1. Perceived, observed, considered, reflected upon, resolved, intended, or understood. 2. Visible or perceptible. 3. Attending, observing, thinking, reflecting, imagining, thought, intention, aim, or wish. 4. The heart as the seat of intellect, the mind, the reasoning faculty, intellect, reason, or personified reason.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > चित्त (citta) [Printed book page 0323-b ] Citta, as, ā, am, perceived, observed, considered; reflected upon; resolved; intended, aimed at, under- stood; visible, perceptible; ( am ), n. attending, ob- serving; thinking, reflecting, imagining, thought; intention, aim, wish; the heart considered as the seat of intellect; the mind, the reasoning faculty; intellect, reason; reason personified; [cf. a-citta, iha-c°, cala-c°, pūrva-c°, prāyaś-c°, &c.] —Citta- kalita, as, ā, am, anticipated, expected, calculated; known. —Citta-garbhā, f., Ved. visibly pregnant. —Citta-cārin, ī, iṇī, i, proceeding or acting accord- ing to the wish of another (with gen.) —Citta-janman, ā, m. produced within the mind, love, the god of love; [cf. citta-bhū, citta-yoni, manasi-ja. ] —Citta- jña, as, ā, am, knowing the hearts, heart-searching. —Cittajña-tā, f. knowledge of the heart. —Citta- nāśa, as, m. loss of conscience. —Citta-nirvritti, is, f. contentment of mind, happiness. —Citta- pramāthin, ī, inī, i, moving or touching the heart, exciting passion or love, afflicting the mind. —Citta- praśama, as, ā, am, satisfied in mind, composed, complacent, tranquil, content. —Citta-prasanna-tā, f. happiness of the mind, gaiety, joy. —Citta-pra- sādana, am, n. gladdening of the mind. —Citta- bhava, as, ā, am, being in the thoughts, felt, per- ceived. —Citta-bheda, as, m. inconsistency, con- trariety of purpose or will. —Citta-bhū, ūs, m. love, the god of love. —Citta-bhrama-cikitsā, f. ‘medical treatment of mental derangement,’ a chapter of the medical work Vaidya-vallabha. —Citta-moha, as, m. confusion or infatuation of mind. —Citta-yoni, is, m. love; see citta-janman. —Citta-rāga, as, m. affection, passion, desire. —Citta-vat, ān, atī, at, endowed with understanding, reasonable; kind- hearted, amiable. —Cittavat-kartṛka, as, ā, am, (a root) employing an intelligent agent (e. g. Deva- Page0323-c+ 81 dattaḥ pacati, Deva-datta cooks). —Citta-vikāra, as, m. change of thoughts or feelings, disturbance of mind. —Citta-vikārin, ī, iṇī, i, changing a person's character or feeling. —Citta-vināśana, as, ā, am, destroying the conscience. —Citta-viplava, as, m. disturbance of mind, madness, insanity. —Citta- vibhrama, as, m. derangement of mind, madness. —Citta-viśleṣa, as, m. parting of hearts, breach of friendship. —Citta-vṛtti, is, f. disposition of mind, feeling; inward purpose, emotion; thinking, imagining. —Citta-vedanā, f. anxiety, affliction. —Citta-vaikalya, am, n. bewilderment of mind, distraction, perplexity. —Citta-saṃhati, is, f. a multitude of thoughts or emotions, many minds. —Citta-saṅkhya, as, ā, am, pervading the heart, penetrating the soul, knowing the thoughts. —Citta- samunnati, is, f. pride of heart, arrogance, hau- teur, haughtiness. —Citta-stha or citta-sthita, as, ā, am, fixed in the mind, being in the heart; ( as ), m., N. of a Samādhi. —Citta-hārin, ī, iṇī, i, stealing the heart, fascinating, agreeable, beautiful. —Citta-hṛt, t, t, t, fascinating, winning. —Cittā- nuvartin (°ta-an°), ī, inī, i, gratifying wishes, humouring. —Cittāpahāraka (°ta-ap°), as, ikā, am, or cittāpahārin (°ta-ap°), ī, iṇī, i, heart- stealing, captivating, attractive. —Cittābhoga (°ta- ābh°), as, m. full consciousness, consciousness of pleasure or pain, the attention of the mind to its own sensations. —Cittāsaṅga (°ta-ās°), as, m. attachment, affection, love. —Cittaikya (°ta-aik°), am, n. unanimity, harmony, agreement. —Citton- nati (°ta-un°), is, f. pride of heart, arrogance. [ ID=18571 ]

### Mental Processes and Products (Thought, Observation, Intention) (4 definitions)
- attending, observing  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > चित्त (citta) n. attending, observing ( तिरश् चित्त (citta) ानि (tiraś cittāni), ‘so as to remain unnoticed’), vii, 59, 8 [ ID=73539 ]
- thinking, reflecting, imagining  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > thinking, reflecting, imagining, thought, RV.; VS.; ŚBr. &c. [ ID=73540 ]
- Observing, attending  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — त्तं (ttaṃ) 1 Observing, attending
- 1. Thought, thinking, or attention. 2. Desire, intention, or aim.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — त्तं (ttaṃ) 2 ( a ) Thought, thinking, attention; ( b ) desire, intention, aim; मच्चित्तः सततं भव (maccittaḥ satataṃ bhava) Bhagavadgītā (Bombay) 18. 57; अनेकचित्तविभ्रांत (anekacittavibhrāṃta) 16. 16

### Miscellaneous (Astrology, References, Etymology) (4 definitions)
- the ninth astrological mansion  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (in astrol. ) the 9th mansion, Varāha-mihira’s Yogayātrā (Title) iv, 1 [ ID=73545 ]
- This entry provides several cross-references rather than a standalone definition.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > cf. इह - (iha-), चल - (cala-), पूर्व - (pūrva-), प्रायश् - (prāyaś-), लघु - (laghu-), सु - (su-), स्थिर - (sthira-). [ ID=73546 ]
- See cit  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 398,1] चित् (cit) त (citta) b See √ 4. चित् (cit). [ ID=74097 ]
- See page 323  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > [Printed book page 0325-b ] चित्त (citta) citta. See p. 323, col. 2. [ ID=18610 ]

### Adjectival Qualities or Actions Involving the Mind (3 definitions)
- not available  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — अपहा - क (apahā -ka)
- 1. Attractive or captivating. 2. Pleasing or beautiful.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — अपहारिन्, - आकर्षिन्, - हारिन् (apahārin, -ākarṣin, -hārin) a. 1 ‘heart-stealing,’ attractive, captivating. 2 pleasing, agreeable, beautiful
- composed, tranquil  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — प्रशम (praśama) a. composed, tranquil. (

### Mental or Emotional States and Conditions (3 definitions)
- tranquility of heart  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — मः (maḥ) ) tranquility of heart
- ruin, destruction  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — विप्लवः (viplavaḥ)
- madness or mental derangement  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — विभ्रमः (vibhramaḥ) aberration, disturbance or derangement of mind, madness, insanity

### Mind-Born Concepts (e.g., Love, Cupid) (2 definitions)
- male offspring  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — जः, - जन्मन् (jaḥ, -janman) m
- 1. Love or passion. 2. Cupid, the god of love.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — भूः, - योनिः (bhūḥ, -yoniḥ) 1 love, passion. 2 Cupid, the god of love; चित्तयोनिरभवत्पुनर्नवः (cittayonirabhavatpunarnavaḥ) Raghuvaṃśa (Bombay) 19. 46; सोयं प्रसिद्धविभवः खलु चित्तजन्मा (soyaṃ prasiddhavibhavaḥ khalu cittajanmā) Mālatīmādhava (Bombay) 1. 20

### Other (1 definition)
- intention, aim, wish  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > intention, aim, wish, RV.; VS.; AV.; TBr. &c. [ ID=73541 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872); Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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