# जाति (jāti)

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

जाति (jāti) is a Sanskrit word meaning birth, production, rebirth, the form of existence fixed by birth, at the end of a compound, a genus or class, a species. Its 31 recorded definitions are grouped into 11 contexts, among them Comprehensive Dictionary Entries, Specific Plants/Products (Jasmine, Nutmeg, etc.), Birth, Origin, Form of Existence.

- **Root:** जन् (jan)
- **Etymology:** E. जन् to be born, affix क्तिन् and occasionally ङीष added — E. jan to be born, affix ktin and occasionally ṅīṣa added
- **SLP1:** `jAti`  **IAST:** jāti  **Devanagari:** जाति
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C4%81ti_%28Buddhism%29
- **Declensions:** 72 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/jati/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** जाती (jātī), जटी (jaṭī), जटि (jaṭi)

## Meanings by context

### Comprehensive Dictionary Entries (8 definitions)
- 1. Birth, origin, or rebirth. 2. Existence or life. 3. State, rank, or caste. 4. Family, tribe, or race. 5. Genus, species, kind, or class. 6. Disposition, normal character, or genuineness.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > जाति (jāti) [Printed book page 100-3 ] जाति (jāti) jā-ti, f. birth, origin, rebirth; existence, life; state; rank, caste; family, tribe, race; genus ( opp. species ), species ( opp. individual ), kind, class; disposition; normal character, genuineness; in. -tas, —°, by birth. [ ID=7988 ]
- 1. Kind, sort, species, class, or tribe. 2. Birth or production. 3. Lineage, race, or family. 4. A fireplace or chimney. 5. Emblic myrobalan. 6. A plant. 7. A kind of poetical metre. 8. A rhetorical ornament. 9. In arithmetic, assimilation. 10. The proximate cause or occurrence of disease. 11. Great-flowered jasmine. 12. Mace or nutmeg. 13. The flower of jasmine.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > जाति (jāti) [Printed book page 347 ] जाति (jāti) f. ( - तिः (-tiḥ) ) 1 Kind, sort, species, class, tribe. 2 Birth, production. 3 Lineage, race, family. 4 A fire place, a chimney. 5 Emblic myrobalan, ( Phyllanthus emblica.) 6 A plant: see काम्पिल्ल (kāmpilla). 7 A kind of poetical metre. 8 A rhetorical ornament. 9 (In Arithmetic,) Assimilation, as विशेषजाति (jāti) (śeṣajāti) (viśeṣajāti) assimilation of the difference, शेषजाति (jāti) (śeṣajāti) of the remainder. 10 Proximate cause or occurrence of disease, &c. f. ( - तिः (-tiḥ) or - ती (tī) ) 1 Great flowered jasmin, (J. grandiflorum.) 2 Mace, nutmeg. f. ( - तिः (-tiḥ) ) The flower of the jasmin. E. जन (jana) to be born, affix क्तिच् (ktic), and occasionally ङीष् (ṅīṣ) added. [ ID=16201 ]
- 1. Birth, race, kind, or caste. 2. A fireplace. 3. Myrobalan. 4. Jasmine. 5. A poetical metre. 6. Great jasmine. 7. Nutmeg.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > जाति (jāti) [Printed book page 305-b ] जाति (jāti) ( तिः ) ((tiḥ)) 2. f. Birth; race; kind; caste; fire-place; myrobalan; jasmin; a poetical metre. m. f. ( तिः - ती (tiḥ-tī) ) Great jasmin; nutmeg. [ ID=15668 ]
- 1. Birth or production. 2. Family, race, or lineage. 3. Caste. 4. Class, genus, or species. 5. Generic properties distinguishing a class. 6. A futile answer in philosophy. 7. A fireplace. 8. The seven primary musical notes. 9. Jasmine. 10. Mace or nutmeg.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > जाति (jāti) [Printed book page 288-20 ] जाति (jāti) f. 1. Birth, production, Bhartr. i.90; 2. family, race, lineage; 3. caste, high caste, जाति (jāti) र्यातु रसातलं गुणगणस्तस्याप्यधस्तिष्ठतु (jātiryātu rasātalaṃ guṇagaṇastasyāpyadhastiṣṭhatu) Bhartr. ii.39; (there are four primary castes of the Hindus- ब्राह्मण (brāhmaṇa), क्षत्रिय (kṣatriya), वैश्य (vaiśya) and शूद्र (śūdra) ); 4. class, genus, species; 5. properties which are peculiar to a class and distinguish it from all others, K.Pr. ii., Sis. ii.47; 6. futile answer (in Nyāya Phil.); 7. a fireplace; 8. seven primary notes in Hindu music; 9. the jasmine plant or its flower, पुष्पाणां प्रकरः स्मितेन रचितो ना कुंदजात्यादिभिः (puṣpāṇāṃ prakaraḥ smitena racito nā kuṃdajātyādibhiḥ) Am.S. 40; 10. mace, nutmeg; (written also जाती (jātī) in the last two senses). [ ID=14575 ]
- 1. Kind, species, class, or tribe. 2. Birth or production. 3. Lineage, race, or family. 4. A fireplace or chimney. 5. Emblic myrobalan. 6. A plant. 7. A kind of poetical metre. 8. A rhetorical ornament. 9. In arithmetic, assimilation. 10. The proximate cause of a disease. 11. Great-flowered jasmine. 12. Mace or nutmeg. 13. The flower of jasmine.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > जाति (jāti) [Printed book page 287-b ] जाति (jāti) f. ( - तिः (-tiḥ) ) 1. Kind, sort, species, class, tribe. 2. Birth, production. 3. Lineage, race, family. 4. A fire-place, a chimney. 5. Emblic myrobalan, (Phyllanthus emblica.) 6. A plant: see काम्पिल्ल (kāmpilla). 7. A kind of poetical metre. 8. A rhetorical ornament. 9. (In Arithmetic,) Assimilation, as विशेषजाति (jāti) (śeṣajāti) (viśeṣajāti) assimilation of the difference, शेषजाति (jāti) (śeṣajāti) of the remainder. 10. Proximate cause or occurance of disease, &c. f. ( - तिः (-tiḥ) or - ती (-tī) ) 1. Great flowered jasmin, (J. grandiflorum.) 2. Mace, nutmeg. f. ( - तिः (-tiḥ) ) The flower of the jasmin. E. जन् (jan) to be born, affix क्तिन् (ktin) and occasionally ङीष (ṅīṣa) added. [ ID=16172 ]
- 1. Birth. 2. Existence or life. 3. State. 4. Tribe. 5. Kind or genus. 6. Species. 7. Great-flowered jasmine. 8. The nutmeg-tree or nutmeg.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > जाति (jāti) [Printed book page 0329-a ] जाति (jāti) jāti, i. e. jan + ti, f. 1. Birth, Man. 2, 148. 2. Existence, life, Man. 4, 148. 3. State, Man. 3, 15. 4. Tribe, Man. 1, 118. 5. Kind, genus, MBh. 4, 45; Pañc. 203, 3. 6. Species, Man. 1, 48. 7. Also जाती (jātī) jātī, Great flowered jasmine, Hariv. 7891. जाती (jātī) jātī, also The nutmeg-tree, Suśr. 1, 132, 20; nutmeg. — Comp. A-jāti, f. another sort, Yājñ. 2, 246. Eka-, 1. adj. having only one birth, Man. 10, 4. 2. belong- ing to the same kind, Suśr. 2, 289, 12. II. m. a Śūdra, Man. 8, 270. Dus-, 1. f. misfortune, Mālav. d. 86. 2. adj. wicked, MBh. 5, 1944. Dvi-, m. a man of either of the three first classes, espe- cially a Brāhmaṇa ( cf. dvija ), Man. 10, 4; Bhāg. P. 6, 11, 15. Pūrva-, f. a for- mer existence, Kathās. 27, 82. Mṛga-, f. pl. the deer species, Draup. 4, 16. Sa-, adj. being of the same class, Man. 9, 87. Hīna- ( vb. hā ), adj. being of the lowest class, Man. 3, 15; degraded, outcaste. — Cf. Lat. gens; A.S. cynd; Engl. kind. [ ID=5358 ]
- 1. Birth, origin, or new birth. 2. Form of existence, position, rank, caste, family, race, kind, sort, or genus. 3. The genuine or true state of anything. 4. A kind of jasmine.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > जाति (jāti) [Printed book page 184 ] जाति (jāti) ( जाती (jātī) ) f. birth, origin, new birth, form of existence, position, rank, caste, family, race, kind, sort, genus, genuine or true state of anything; a kind of jasmine. °—, जात्या (jātyā) & जाति (jāti) तस् (jātitas) by birth or nature, from the beginning. [ ID=11245 ]
- 1. Birth, production, or form of existence fixed by birth. 2. Family, race, lineage, rank, or position assigned by birth. 3. Kind, sort, genus, species, class, tribe, or caste. 4. The true state or peculiarities of anything. 5. Reduction of fractions to a common denominator. 6. A false generalization, futile answer, or self-confuting reply. 7. A figure of speech, class of metres, or manner of singing. 8. A fireplace. 9. Jasmine grandiflorum, Emblica officinalis, mace, or nutmeg.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > जाति (jāti) [Printed book page 0344-b ] Jāti, is, f. birth, production; the form of existence, whether as a man or animal, which is fixed by birth; position assigned by birth; rank; family, race, lineage; kind, sort, genus, species, class, tribe, caste; the cha- racter or peculiarities of a species, the genuine or true state of anything; reduction of fractions to a common denominator; false generalization; a futile answer, a self-confuting reply; a particular figure of speech in rhetoric; a class of metres; a manner of singing; a fire-place; N. of several plants, = Jas- minum Grandiflorum; Emblica Officinalis; mace, nutmeg; [cf. antya-jāti, eka-jāti, dvi-jāti; cf. also Lat. gens; Lith. pri-gentis.] —Jāti-kośa or jāti- koṣa or jātī-kośa, am, n. a nutmeg; ( ī ), f. the outer skin of the nutmeg. —Jāti-tva, am, n. or jāti-tā, f. distinction or nature of caste or tribe; special or generic property. —Jāti-dharma, as, m. the duty of caste, the law or usage of caste (e. g. sacred study is the caste-duty of the Brāhman, fight- ing of the Kṣatriya, &c.); generic or specific property. —Jāti-dhvaṃsa, as, m. the loss of caste or its privileges. —Jātin-dhara, as, m., N. of a Page0344-c+ 77 physician, = Śuddhodana in a former birth. —Jāti- pattrī or jātī-pattrī, f. the outer skin of the nut- meg. —Jāti-phala or jātī-phala, am, n. a nutmeg; [cf. kṣudrajātī-phala. ] —Jāti-brāhmaṇa, as, m. a Brāhman by birth but not by knowledge. —Jāti- bhraṃśa, as, m. loss of rank or caste. —Jāti- bhraṃśa-kara, as, ī, am, causing loss of caste; forbidden, improper; ( am ), n. doing an act pro- hibited to a particular caste. —Jāti-bhraṣṭa, as, ā, am, fallen from caste, outcast. —Jāti-mat, ān, atī, at, of high rank, obtaining a high position. —Jāti-maha, as, m. birthday-festival. —Jāti-mātra, am, n. mere birth, position in life obtained by mere birth; caste only, but not the performance of the especial duties; species, genus. —Jātimātropajīvin (°ra-up°), ī, inī, i, or jātimātra-jīvin, ī, inī, i, (a Brāhman) who lives only by his caste (without any sacerdotal acts). —Jāti-mālā, f. ‘garland of the castes,’ title of a work treating of the different castes. —Jāti- lakṣaṇa, am, n. specific or generic distinction, characteristic, mark of tribe or caste. —Jāti-vacana, am, n. the idea of species or genus. —Jāti-vācaka, as, ikā, am, expressing genus, generic (as a name). —Jāti-viveka, as, m. title of a literary work. —Jāti-vaira, am, n. natural enmity, innate or instinctive hostility. —Jāti-vailakṣaṇya, am, n. inconsistency, incompatibility, conduct or quality at variance with birth or tribe. —Jāti-śabda, as, m. a word expressing the idea of species or genus. —Jāti- sampanna, as, ā, am, sprung from a good family, belonging to a noble family. —Jāti-sāra, as, m. nutmeg. —Jāti-smara, as, ā, am, recollecting a former existence, remembering one's condition in a former life; N. of a Tirtha. —Jāti-smaraṇa, am, n. recollection of a former existence. —Jāti-sva- bhāva, as, m. specific or generic character or nature. —Jāti-hīna, as, ā, am, of low birth or descent, void of caste, outcast, having a low position. —Jātī- rasa, as, m. gum myrrh. —Jāty-andha, as, ā, am, blind from birth, born blind. [ ID=19518 ]

### Specific Plants/Products (Jasmine, Nutmeg, etc.) (4 definitions)
- mace, nutmeg  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (= ° ती (°tī) ) mace, nutmeg, Suśruta (Title) [ ID=78673 ]
- Jasminum grandiflorum  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > Jasminum grandiflorum, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=78674 ]
- °-tī-phalā  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > = ° ती - फला (°tī-phalā), Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=78675 ]
- kampilla  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > = कम्पिल्ल (kampilla), Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) cf. अन्त्य - (antya-), एक - (eka-), द्वि - (dvi-) - [ ID=78676 ]

### Birth, Origin, Form of Existence (3 definitions)
- birth, production  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 418,1] जाति (jāti) f. birth, production, Aitareya-brāhmaṇa (Title) ii, 39; Manu-smṛti (Title); Mahābhārata (Title) (also ° ती (°tī), xiii f. ) &c. [ ID=78658 ]
- rebirth  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > re-birth, Rāmāyaṇa (Title) i, 62, 17; Kāraṇḍa-vyūha (Title) xxiii, 193 [ ID=78659 ]
- the form of existence fixed by birth  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the form of existence (as man, animal, &c.) fixed by birth, Manu-smṛti (Title) iv, 148 f.; Yoga-sūtra (Title) ii, 13 [ ID=78660 ]

### Intrinsic Nature, Properties, Character (3 definitions)
- the generic properties  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the generic properties (opposed to the specific ones), Sarvadarśana-saṃgraha (Title) [ ID=78664 ]
- natural disposition  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > natural disposition to, Carakasaṃhitā (Title) ii, 1 [ ID=78665 ]
- the character of a species or the genuine state of anything  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the character of a species, genuine or true state of anything, Yājñavalkya (Author) ii, 246; Mahābhārata (Title) xii, 5334 [ ID=78666 ]

### Linguistic, Referential, or Unique Meanings (3 definitions)
- at the end of a compound  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > ( ifc. ), Kathāsaritsāgara (Title) xviii, 98 [ ID=78661 ]
- Birth, origin  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > जाति (jāti) [ cf. Lat. gens; Lith. pri-gentis ] [ ID=78676.1 ]
- See column 2.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > [Printed book page 0344-c ] जाति (jāti) jāti. See col. 2. [ ID=19523 ]

### Poetics, Rhetoric, Music, Metre (3 definitions)
- a particular figure of speech in rhetoric  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (in rhet. ) a particular figure of speech, Sarasvatī-kaṇṭhābharaṇa, by Bhoja (Title) ii, 1 [ ID=78669 ]
- a class of metres  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a class of metres, Rāmāyaṇa (Title) i, 4, 6; Kāvyādarśa (Title) i, 11 [ ID=78670 ]
- a manner of singing  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a manner of singing, Harivaṃśa (Title) [ ID=78671 ]

### Social Standing (Caste, Rank, Family) (3 definitions)
- position assigned by birth, rank, caste, family, race, or lineage  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > position assigned by birth, rank, caste, family, race, lineage, Kātyāyana-śrauta-sūtra (Title) xv; Manu-smṛti (Title); Yājñavalkya (Author) &c. ( ° ती (°tī), Mahābhārata (Title) xiv, 2549 ) [ ID=78662 ]
- birth, position, or rank  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > जाति (jāti) [Printed book page 158-b ] jāti, f. birth; position or rank. [ √jan, 1157 1.] [ ID=1603 ]
- family  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > जाति (jāti) [Printed book page 1-281 ] Jāti, which in the Pāli 1 texts is the word denoting ‘caste,’ does not occur at all in the early Vedic literature; when it is found, as in the Kātyāyana Śrauta Sūtra, 2 it has only the sense of ‘family’ (for which cf. Kula, Gotra, and Viś ). For the influence of the family system on the growth of caste, see Varṇa. To assume that it was the basis of caste, as does Page1-282+ 48 Senart, 3 is difficult in face of the late appearance of words for family and of stress on family. 4 [ Footnote: 1) Fick, Die sociale Gliederung, 22, n. 4.] [ Footnote: 2) xv. 4, 14. So jātīya, xx. 2, 11, etc.] [ Footnote: 3) Les Castes dans l'Inde (1896).] [ Footnote: 4) Fick, op. cit., 3; Oldenberg, Zeit- schrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft, 51, 267 et seq. ] [ ID=1038 ]

### A Fireplace (1 definition)
- a fireplace  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a fire-place, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=78672 ]

### Arithmetic: Reduction of Fractions (1 definition)
- reduction of fractions to a common denominator  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > reduction of fractions to a common denominator [ ID=78667 ]

### General Classification (Kind, Genus, Species) (1 definition)
- 1. A genus or class. 2. A species.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > kind, genus (opposed to species), species (opposed to individual), class, Lāṭyāyana (Author); Kātyāyana-śrauta-sūtra (Title); Pāṇini (Author) &c., (once ° ती (°tī) ifc. Mahābhārata (Title) vi, 456 ) [ ID=78663 ]

### Nyāya Philosophy: Futile Reply (1 definition)
- a self-confuting reply  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a self-confuting reply (founded merely on similarity or dissimilarity), Nyāya (Literary category) v, 1 ff.; Sarvadarśana-saṃgraha (Title) xi, 10 and 34; Prabodha-candrodaya (Title), Sch. [ ID=78668 ]

## Sources

Definitions from 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; 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.

The Sanskrit Lexicon app for iPhone, iPad and Mac: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sanskrit-lexicon-dictionary/id6746787546