# गज (gaja)

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

गज (gaja) is a Sanskrit word meaning an elephant, one of the eight elephants of the regions, the number eight, a measure of length, a mound of earth for building a house, a kind of musical measure. Its 30 recorded definitions are grouped into 12 contexts, among them Elephant (animal), Proper Name: Other Individuals, Verbal Root 'gaj'.

- **Etymology:** E. गज् to sound, to roar, affix अच् — E. gaj to sound, to roar, affix ac
- **SLP1:** `gaja`  **IAST:** gaja  **Devanagari:** गज
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaja
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/gaja/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** गाज (gāja), गजा (gajā)

## Meanings by context

### Elephant (animal) (12 definitions)
- an elephant  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 342,1] गज (gaja) m. an elephant, Ṣaḍviṃśa-brāhmaṇa (Title) v, 3; Mn. &c. ( ifc. f( आ (ā) )., Rāmāyaṇa (Title) ii, 57, 7 ) [ ID=62306 ]
- a female elephant  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > गजी (gajī) f. a female elephant, Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title) iv, 6, 26; x, 33, 23. [ ID=62317 ]
- elephant  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > गज (gaja) [Printed book page 081-1 ] गज (gaja) gaja, m. elephant; ī, f. female elephant. [ ID=6774 ]
- 1. An elephant. 2. A measure of length equal to a yard or two cubits. 3. A mound of earth sloping on both sides for building a house. 4. A small hole in the ground for a fire to prepare medicines.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > गज (gaja) m. ( - जः (-jaḥ) ) 1 An elephant. 2 A measure of length, the Gaz, a yard, a measure of two cubits. 3 A mound of earth sloping on both sides, on which a house may be erected. 4 A small hole in the ground for a fire, over which to prepare medicines. E. गज (gaja) to sound, to roar, affix अच् (ac) [ ID=12964 ]
- 1. An elephant. 2. A yard measure. 3. A mound of earth to build a house on. 4. A hole in the ground.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > [Printed book page 240-b ] गज (gaja) ( जः ) ((jaḥ)) 1. m. An elephant; a yard measure; mound of earth to build a house on; hole in the ground. [ ID=12415 ]
- 1. An elephant. 2. The number eight. 3. A measure of length. 4. A demon killed by Shiva.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > गज (gaja) [Printed book page 229-08 ] गज (gaja) m. 1. An elephant, नगज (gaja) ा न गज (gaja) ा दयिता दयिताः (nagajā na gajā dayitā dayitāḥ) Bt. x.9; 2. the number ‘eight’; 3. a measure of length (thus defined- साधारणनरांगुल्या त्रिंशदंगुलको गज (gaja) ः (sādhāraṇanarāṃgulyā triṃśadaṃgulako gajaḥ) ); 4. a demon killed by Śiva. [ ID=11440 ]
- 1. An elephant. 2. A measure of length equal to two cubits or a yard. 3. A mound of earth sloping on both sides. 4. A small hole in the ground for a fire to prepare medicines.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > गज (gaja) m. ( - जः (-jaḥ) ) 1. An elephant. 2. A measure of length, the Gaz, a yard, a measure of two cubits. 3. A mound of earth sloping on both sides, on which a house may be created. 4. A small hole in the ground for a fire, over which to prepare medicines. E. गज (gaja) ् (gaj) to sound, to roar, affix अच् (ac). [ ID=12958 ]
- 1. An elephant. 2. A female elephant.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > गज (gaja) [Printed book page 0249-a ] गज (gaja) gaja, for original garj + a, I. m. An elephant, Man. 8, 296. II. f. jī, A female elephant, Bhāg. P. 4, 6, 26. — Comp. Araṇya-, m. a wild elephant, 219, 15. Āśā-, m. an elephant, sup- posed to support a quarter of the world, Rām. 1, 43, 7 Gorr. Diggaja, i. e. diś-, and diśā-, m. the same, Rām. 5, 3, 13; 1, 41, 13. Mahā-, m. a great elephant, Pañc. 69, 1. Vana-, m. a wild ele- phant, Pañc. 80, 6. Sura-, m. Indra's elephant = Airāvata, q. cf. Kir. 5, 47. When latter part of a comp. adj. the fem. ends in jā, e. g. sa-gaja, adj., f. jā, With elephants, Rām. 2, 57, 7. [ ID=4274 ]
- 1. An elephant. 2. A man's name.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > गज (gaja) [Printed book page 146 ] गज (gaja) m. elephant ( f. ई (ī) ); a man's name. [ ID=9160 ]
- elephant  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > गज (gaja) [Printed book page 148-b ] gaja, m. elephant. [ ID=1325 ]
- 1. An elephant. 2. One of the eight elephants of the quarters, serving as a symbol for the number eight. 3. A measure of length equal to two cubits or a yard. 4. A place prepared for building a house. 5. A sloping mound of earth for house erection. 6. A small ground hole for a fire to prepare food or medicine. 7. An attendant on the sun. 8. An Asura conquered by Shiva.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > गज (gaja) [Printed book page 0278-a ] Gaja, as, m. an elephant, one of the eight ele- phants of the quarters ( = dig-gaja ), and thus a sym- bolical term for the number 8; a measure of length, the Gaz, a yard, a measure of two cubits, = 1(3/4) or 2 Hastas; a place prepared for the building of a house; a mound of earth sloping on both sides, on which a house may be erected; a small hole in the ground for a fire, over which to prepare food or medicines; N. of an attendant on the sun; also of an Asura conquered by Śiva; ( ī ), f. a female elephant. —Gaja- kanda, as, m. a large esculent root, a sort of arum, = hasti-kanda. —Gaja-karṇa, as, m. ‘elephant- ear,’ N. of a Yakṣa. —Gaja-kūrmāśin (°ma-āś°), ī, m. one who devours an elephant and a tortoise, an epithet of Garuḍa, the bird and vehicle of Viṣṇu, (in allusion to his swallowing both those animals whilst engaged in a contest with each other.) —Gaja-gati, is, f. a stately gait like that of an elephant. —Gaja- gāminī, f. a woman of a stately elephant-like walk. —Gaja-cirbhaṭā, f. a kind of cucumber, Cucumis Ma- deraspatanus, = indra-vāruṇī. —Gaja-cirbhiṭa, as, m. the plant Cucumis Maderaspatanus; ( ā ), f. another kind of gourd, = mahendra-vāruṇī. —Gaja-cchāyā, f. a portion of time proper for a Śrāddha (as long as the shadow of an elephant rests on the spot chosen for a ceremony?). —Gaja-ḍhakkā, f. a kettle-drum carried on an elephant. —Gaja-tā, f. a multitude of elephants. —Gaja-turaṅga-vilasita, am, n., N. of a metre; [cf. ṛṣabha-gaja-vilasita. ] —Gaja-tva, am, n. the state of an elephant. —Gaja-daghna, as, ī, am, as high or tall as an elephant. —Gaja-danta, as, m. an elephant's tusk; ivory; a bracket or pin projecting from a wall; an epithet of Gaṇeśa, (this deity being represented with an elephant's head.) —Gajadanta-phalā, f. a kind of pumpkin, = ḍaṅ- garī. —Gajadanta-maya, as, ī, am, made of ivory. —Gaja-dāna, am, n. the liquor exuding from an elephant's temples. —Gaja-dvayasa, as, ī, am, as high as an elephant. —Gaja-nāsā, f. the trunk of an elephant. —Gaja-pati, is, m. the lord or keeper of elephants; a large stately elephant; a title given to kings; N. of an old king in the south of Jambu- Page0278-b+ 81 dvīpa. —Gaja-pādapa, as, m. the plant Bignonia Suaveolens, = sthalī. —Gaja-pippalī, f. a plant bear- ing a seed which resembles pepper, Scindapsus Offici- nalis; [cf. kari-pippalī, &c.] —Gaja-puṅgava, as, m. a large and excellent elephant. —Gaja-puṭa, as, m. a small hole in the ground for a fire, over which to prepare food, medical decoctions, extracts, &c. —Gaja-pura, am, n. the town called after the elephant; another N. of Hāstina-pura; [cf. gaja- sāhvaya, gajāhvaya, vāraṇa-sāhvaya. ] —Gaja- puṣpī, f., N. of a flower. —Gaja-priyā, f. the gum olibanum tree, Boswellia Serrata. —Gaja-bandhanī, am, f. n. a post to which an elephant is bound. —Gaja-bhakṣaka, as, m. the sacred fig tree, Ficus Religiosa, (the young branches of this tree being the elephants' favourite food.) —Gaja-bhakṣā or gaja- bhakṣyā, f. the gum olibanum tree; [cf. gaja- priyā. ] —Gaja-bhujaṅgama, au, m. du. an elephant and a serpent. —Gaja-maṇḍana, am, n. the orna- ments with which an elephant is decorated, especially the coloured lines on his head. —Gaja-maṇḍalikā, f. a ring or circle of elephants surrounding a car &c. —Gaja-malla, as, m., N. of a son of Karpūra and father of Kalyāṇa-malla. —Gaja-mācala, as, m. a lion; [cf. kari-mācala. ] —Gaja-mātra, as, ī, am, as tall as an elephant. —Gaja-muktā, f. or gaja- mauktika, am, n. pearl supposed to be found in the projections (Kumbha) on the forehead of an elephant. —Gaja-mukha, as, m. ‘elephant-faced,’ an epithet of Gaṇeśa. —Gaja-moṭana, as, m. a lion; also gaja-mocana (?). —Gaja-yāna-vid, t, t, t, expert in managing an elephant. —Gaja-yūtha, as, m. a herd of elephants. —Gaja-yodhin, ī, inī, i, fighting on an elephant. —Gaja-rāja, as, m. a noble ele- phant. —Gaja-vat, ān, atī, at, furnished with ele- phants. —Gaja-vadana, as, m. ‘elephant-faced,’ an epithet of Gaṇeśa. —Gaja-vara, as, m. the choicest or best of elephants. —Gaja-vallabhā, f. the gum olibanum tree; another plant, = giri-kadalī. —Gaja- vilasitā, f. a sort of metre. —Gaja-vīthi, is, f. ‘the course of the elephant,’ or that division of the moon's course in the heavens which contains the signs Rohiṇī, Mṛga-śiras, and Ārdrā, or (according to others) the signs Punar-vasu, Tiṣya, and Āśleṣā. —Gaja-vraja, as, ā, am, walking like an elephant; ( am ), n. the pace of an elephant; a troop of elephants. —Gaja- śikṣā, f. the knowledge or science of elephants, elephant-lore. —Gaja-śiras, ās, m., N. of a Dānava. —Gaja-śīrṣa, as, m., N. of a Nāga. —Gaja- sāhvaya, am, n. a famous city, Hāstina-pura, the capital of the Kurus; [cf. gaja-pura. ] —Gaja- skandha, as, m. ‘having shoulders like an elephant,’ N. of a Dānava. —Gaja-sthāna, as or am, m. or n. (?), N. of a place. —Gaja-snāna, am, n. vain or unproductive efforts, efforts which resemble the ab- lution of elephants, which after squirting water over their bodies, end by throwing dust and rubbish. —Ga- jākhya (°ja-ākh°), as, m. the plant Cassia Alata or Tora, = cakra-marda. —Gajāgraṇī (°ja-ag°), īs, m. the most excellent among the elephants, an epi- thet of Airāvata, the elephant of Indra. —Gajājīva (°ja-āj°), as, m. an elephant-keeper or driver, (ori- ginally ‘one who gets his livelihood by elephants.’) —Gajāṇḍa (°ja-aṇ°), am, n. a kind of carrot (piṇḍa-mūla). —Gajādana, a various reading for gajāśana, q. v. —Gajādi-nāmā (°ja-ād°), f., N. of a plant, = gaja-pippalī. —Gajādhipati (°ja- adh°), is, m. the prince of elephants, a noble ele- phant. —Gajādhyakṣa (°ja-adh°), as, m. the mas- ter or superintendent of the elephants. —Gajānana (°ja-ān°), as, m. ‘elephant-faced,’ a N. of Gaṇeśa. —Gajāpasada (°ja-ap°), as, m. a common or low- born elephant. —Gajāyur-veda (°ja-āy°), as, m. a work on the treatment of elephants. —Gajāri (°ja- ari), is, m. a lion (the enemy of elephants); a par- ticular tree. —Gajārūḍha (°ja-ār°), as, ā, am, riding on an elephant. —Gajāroha (°ja-ār°), as, m. an ele- phant-driver. —Gajāśana (°ja-aś°), as, m. the reli- gious fig tree, = aśvattha; (ā), f. the gum olibanum tree, Boswellia Serrata; hemp (Cannabis Sativa, = bhaṅgā ); the root of a lotus. —Gajāsura-dveṣin Page0278-c+ 74 (°ja-as°), ī, m. or gajāsuhṛd (°ja-as°), t, m. the enemy of the Asura Gaja, an epithet of Śiva. —Ga- jāsya (°ja-ās°), as, m. ‘elephant-faced,’ an epithet of Gaṇeśa; [cf. gaja-vadana and gajānana. ] —Gajāhva (°ja-āh°), am, n. a N. of Hāstina-pura [cf. gaja-pura ]; ( ā ), f. another N. of the plant Gaja-pippalī. —Gajāhvaya (°ja-āh°), am, n. = gaja-pura; (ās), m. pl. the inhabitants of Hāstina- pura. —Gajekṣaṇa (°ja-īk°), as, m., N. of a Dā- nava. —Gajendra (°ja-in°), as, m. a chief among elephants, a large and noble elephant; Indra's ele- phant. —Gajendra-karṇa, as, m. an epithet of Śiva. —Gajendra-nātha, as, m. a very princely elephant. —Gajendra-mokṣaṇa, am, n. title of a section of the Vāmana-Purāṇa; also said to be the title of a part of the Mahā-bhārata. —Gajendra- vikrama, as, ā, am, having the valour of an excel- lent elephant. —Gajeṣṭā (°ja-iṣ°), f. the plant Batatas Paniculata, = vidārī. —Gajodara (°ja-ud°), as, m., N. of a Dānava. —Gajoṣaṇā (°ja-uṣ°), f., N. of the plant Gaja-pippalī. [ ID=16994 ]
- the elephant  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > गज (gaja) [Printed book page 1-218 ] Gaja, the common name of the elephant in Epic 1 and later Sanskrit, is only found in the late Adbhuta Brāhmaṇa. 2 See Hastin. [ Footnote: 1) Hopkins, Journal of the American Oriental Society, 13, 265, 269.] [ Footnote: 2) Indische Studien, 1, 39.] [ ID=836 ]

### Proper Name: Other Individuals (4 definitions)
- an attendant on the sun  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of an attendant on the sun, L. [ ID=62315 ]
- a pupil of Rathitara  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Gaja (II) — a pupil of Rathītara. Br. II. 35. 4. [ ID=3968 ]
- a son of Uttama Manu  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Gaja (III) — a son of Uttama Manu. Br. II. 36. 39. [ ID=3969 ]
- a son of Mriga  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Gaja (V) — a son of Mṛga (Nāga). Br. III. 7. 332. [ ID=3971 ]

### Verbal Root 'gaj' (3 definitions)
- 1. To be drunk, confused, or inebriated. 2. To sound.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > गज (gaja) [Printed book page 276 ] गज (gaja) r. 1st cl. ( गज (gaja) ति (gajati) ) To be drunk, to be confused or inebriated: r. 1st and 10th cls. ( गज (gaja) ति (gajati) गज (gaja) यति (gajati gajayati) ) also ( इ (i) ) गज (gaja) ि (gaji) r. 1st cl. ( गञ्जति (gañjati) ) To sound. [ ID=12963 ]
- To be drunk  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > गज (gaja) [Printed book page 240-a ] गज (gaja) गज (gaja) ति (gajati) 1. a. To be drunk. ( क (ka) ) गज (gaja) यति (gajayati) 10. a. ( इ ) गञ्जति ((i) gañjati) to sound. [ ID=12414 ]
- 1. To be drunk, confused, or inebriated. 2. To sound.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > गज (gaja) [Printed book page 227-a ] गज (gaja) r. 1st cl. ( गज (gaja) ति (gajati) ) To be drunk, to be confused or inebriated; r. 1st and 10th cls. ( गज (gaja) ति (gajati), गज (gaja) यति (gajati, gajayati) ) also ( इ ) गज (gaja) ि ((i) gaji) r. 1st cl. ( गञ्जति (gañjati) ) To sound. [ ID=12957 ]

### Proper Name: Asura/Demon (2 definitions)
- an Asura conquered by Shiva  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of an Asura (conquered by Śiva), Kāśī khaṇḍa, from the Skanda-purāṇa (subtitle) lxviii [ ID=62314 ]
- the name of an asura  
  *The Purana Index*
  > गज (gaja) [Printed book page 1-503 ] Gaja (I) — the name of an asura. Bhā. XI. 12. 6. [ ID=3967 ]

### Proper Name: Warrior (brother of Śakuni) (2 definitions)
- Name of a man  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of a man, Mahābhārata (Title) vi, 3997 [ ID=62313 ]
- a Gandhara warrior, the younger brother of Shakuni  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > गज (gaja) [Printed book page 287-2 ] Gaja, a Gāndhāra warrior, the younger brother of Śakuni. § 585 (Bhīṣmavadhap.): VI, 90 σ, 3997 (among six younger brothers of Śakuni (Saubalasyānujāḥ, v. 3995), is slain by Irāvat). [ ID=3927 ]

### Astronomical Term (Gajā-vīthi) (1 definition)
- the fifth lunar mansion  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2B) [Printed book page 342,1] गजा (gajā) f. = - वीथि (-vīthi), Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā (Title) ix, 1 ff., Sch. [ ID=62316 ]

### Directional Elephant (Diggaja) (1 definition)
- one of the eight elephants of the regions  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (= दिग् - ग् (dig-g) ° (°) ) one of the 8 elephants of the regions, W. [ ID=62307 ]

### Measure of Length (Gaz) (1 definition)
- a measure of length  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a measure of length (commonly Gaz, equal to two cubits = 1 3/4 or 2 Hastas), L. [ ID=62309 ]

### Mound of Earth / Building Site (1 definition)
- a mound of earth for building a house  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a mound of earth (sloping on both sides) on which a house may be erected, Jyot. [ ID=62310 ]

### Musical Measure (1 definition)
- a kind of musical measure  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (in music) a kind of measure [ ID=62312 ]

### Ritual Fire Pit (Gajapuṭa) (1 definition)
- see the main entry  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > = - पुट (-puṭa), q.v. [ ID=62311 ]

### The Number Eight (1 definition)
- the number eight  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (hence) the number ‘eight’, Sūryas. [ ID=62308 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; 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; The Purana Index; The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects; 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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