# जप (japa)

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

जप (japa) is a Sanskrit word meaning muttering or whispering, muttering prayers or sacred formulas, to speak, say, or tell, to meditate or speak internally, muttering prayers or repeating sacred passages inaudibly, the China rose plant or flower. Its 19 recorded definitions are grouped into 5 contexts, among them The Religious Practice of Muttering Sacred Texts, Adjective: Muttering or Whispering, Associated Items, Rituals, and Concepts of Japa.

- **Etymology:** E. जप to repeat inaudibly, affix अप्; the flower is a sacred object — E. japa to repeat inaudibly, affix ap; the flower is a sacred object
- **SLP1:** `japa`  **IAST:** japa  **Devanagari:** जप
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japa
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/japa/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** जाप (jāpa), जपा (japā)

## Meanings by context

### The Religious Practice of Muttering Sacred Texts (12 definitions)
- muttering prayers or sacred formulas  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > जप (japa) m. ( Pāṇini (Author) iii, 3, 61; oxyt. g. उञ्छा (uñchā) दि (di) ) muttering prayers, repeating in a murmuring tone passages from scripture or charms or names of a deity, &c., muttered prayer or spell, Aitareya-brāhmaṇa (Title) ii, 38; Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa (Title) ii; Śāṅkhāyana-śrauta-sūtra (Title); Nirukta, by Yāska (Title) &c. [ ID=77155 ]
- Muttering prayers or repeating passages and names of deities in an undertone.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — पः (paḥ) 1 Muttering prayers, repeating prayers &c. in an under-tone. 2 Repeating passages of the Veda or names of deities &c.; Manusmṛti 3. 74; Yājñavalkya (Mr. Mandlik’s Edition) 1. 22
- 1. Muttering or repeating prayers in an undertone. 2. A muttered prayer.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — पः (paḥ) 1 Muttering prayers, repeating prayers &c. in an under-tone. 3 A muttered prayer
- 1. Muttering prayers in an undertone. 2. Counting the beads of a rosary silently.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — पः (paḥ) 1 Muttering prayers, repeating prayers &c. in an under-tone. 4 Counting silently the beads of a rosary &c
- 1. Whispering. 2. Muttering prayers or murmured prayer.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > जप (japa) [Printed book page 099-1 ] जप (japa) jáp-a, a. whispering; m. muttering ( prayers etc. ); murmured prayer. [ ID=7880 ]
- 1. Muttering prayers or repeating sacred passages inaudibly. 2. The China rose plant or flower.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > जप (japa) m. ( - पः (-paḥ) ) Muttering prayers, repeating inaudibly passages from the scriptures, charms, names of a deity, counting silently the beads of a rosary, &c. f. ( - पा (-pā) ) The China rose, the flower or plant; also जवा (javā). E. जप (japa) to repeat inaudibly, affix अप् (ap); the flower is a sacred object. [ ID=15867 ]
- 1. Muttering prayers. 2. The China rose.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > जप (japa) [Printed book page 299-a ] जप (japa) ( पः ) ((paḥ)) 1. m. Muttering prayers, &c. f. The China rose. [ ID=15329 ]
- 1. Repeating prayers or Vedic passages in a murmuring tone. 2. A muttered prayer.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > जप (japa) [Printed book page 285-01 ] जप (japa) m. 1. Repeating prayers in a murmuring tone; 2. repeating passages of the Veda, M. iii.74; 3. a muttered prayer. [ ID=14291 ]
- 1. Muttering prayers or sacred passages inaudibly. 2. The China rose plant or flower.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > जप (japa) m. ( - पः (-paḥ) ) Muttering prayers, repeating inaudibly passages from the scriptures, charms, names of a deity, counting silently the beads of a rosary, &c. f. ( - पा (-pā) ) The China rose, the flower or plant; also जवा (javā). E. जप (japa) ् (jap) to repeat inaudibly, affix कर्त्तरि अच्; (karttari ac;) the flower is a sacred object. [ ID=15838 ]
- 1. Muttering prayers. 2. A prayer.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > जप (japa) [Printed book page 0324-b ] जप (japa) jap + a, m. 1. Muttering prayers, Man. 3, 74. 2. A prayer, Rām. 1, 25, 3. [ ID=5271 ]
- 1. Whispering or muttering. 2. The muttering of prayers or spells.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > जप (japa) [Printed book page 181 ] जप (japa) a. whispering, muttering; m. muttering prayers, a muttered prayer or spell. [ ID=11031 ]
- Muttering, whispering, or repeating prayers and sacred formulas in a low voice.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > जप (japa) [Printed book page 0338-b ] Japa, as, ā, am, muttering, whispering, uttering in a low voice [cf. karṇe-japa ]; ( as ), m. mutter- Page0338-c+ 78 ing prayers, repeating in a murmuring tone passages from scripture, charms, names of a deity, &c. counting silently the beads of a rosary, &c. a muttered prayer or spell; [cf. jāpa. ] —Japa-tā, f. the state of a mutterer or of one who mutters prayers. —Japa- parāyaṇa, as, ā, am, devoted to repetition of prayers, engaged in muttering prayers. —Japa-mālā, f. a rosary used for counting muttered prayers. —Japa- yajña, as, m. muttering prayers as a religious rite or sacrifice. —Japa-homa, as, m. a sacrifice which con- sists in muttering prayers. [ ID=19305 ]

### Adjective: Muttering or Whispering (2 definitions)
- muttering or whispering  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 412,1] जप (japa) mfn. ‘muttering, whispering’, see कर्णे - (karṇe-), कु - (ku-) [ ID=77154 ]
- Muttering or whispering  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > जप (japa) [Printed book page 0506-c ] जप (japa) a. [ जप (japa) ् - कर्तरि अच् (jap-kartari ac) ] 1 Muttering, whispering

### Associated Items, Rituals, and Concepts of Japa (2 definitions)
- sacrifice  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — यज्ञः (yajñaḥ)
- muttering prayers as a sacrifice  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — होमः (homaḥ) muttering prayers as a sacrifice. [ ID=13755 ]

### Verbal Root: To speak, meditate (2 definitions)
- 1. To speak, say, or tell. 2. To meditate or speak internally.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > जप (japa) [Printed book page 340 ] जप (japa) r. 1st cl. ( जप (japa) ति (japati) ) 1 To speak, to say or tell. 2 To meditate, to speak internally, to say to one's self. With उप (upa) prefixed, To divide. [ ID=15866 ]
- 1. To speak, say, or tell. 2. To meditate, speak internally, or say to oneself.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > जप (japa) [Printed book page 281-b ] जप (japa) r. 1st cl. ( जप (japa) ति (japati) ) 1. To speak, to say or tell. 2. To meditate, to speak internally, to say to one's self. With उप (upa) prefixed, to divide. भ्वा - पर - सक - सेट् । (bhvā-para-saka-seṭ.) [ ID=15837 ]

### Mythological: A Group of Deities (1 definition)
- a group of gods of Uttama epoch  
  *The Purana Index*
  > जप (japa) [Printed book page 1-627 ] Japas — a group of gods of Uttama epoch. Vi. III. 1. 4. [ ID=4981 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872); Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Purana Index; 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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