# कथा (kathā)

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

कथा (kathā) is a Sanskrit word meaning conversation, speech, or talking together, talk, mention, what should one say of, story, tale, or fable, a feigned story or tale, Story personified. Its 39 recorded definitions are grouped into 12 contexts, among them Story, Tale, Fable, Narration, Interrogative Adverb/Particle, Comprehensive Noun Definitions.

- **SLP1:** `kaTA`  **IAST:** kathā  **Devanagari:** कथा
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katha_%28storytelling_format%29
- **Declensions:** 24 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/katha/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** काठ (kāṭha), कथ (katha), कठ (kaṭha)

## Meanings by context

### Story, Tale, Fable, Narration (8 definitions)
- story, tale, or fable  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > story, tale, fable, Mahābhārata (Title); Rāmāyaṇa (Title); Hitopadeśa (Title) &c. [ ID=42706.3 ]
- A tale or story  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कथा (kathā) [Printed book page 0373-c ] कथा (kathā) [ कथ् नि (kath ni) ° अ (° a) ] 1 A tale, story; ° प्रावीण्यं (°prāvīṇyaṃ) Uttararāmacarita 4 historical knowledge
- A fable or feigned story  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कथा (kathā) [Printed book page 0373-c ] कथा (kathā) [ कथ् नि (kath ni) ° अ (° a) ] 2 A fable, feigned story; कथा (kathā) च्छलेन बालानां नीतिस्तदिह कथ्यते (kathācchalena bālānāṃ nītistadiha kathyate) Hitopadeśa prastāvikā 8
- A feigned story, tale, or fable.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कथ (katha) ा (kathā) [Printed book page 185 ] कथ (katha) ा (kathā) f. ( - था (-thā) ) A feigned story, a tale or fable. E. कथ (katha) to tell, &c. अङ् (aṅ) and टाप् (ṭāp) affs. [ ID=8800 ]
- A word, tale, or story.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कथा (kathā) [Printed book page 154-a ] कथा (kathā) ( था ) ((thā)) 1. f. A word; a feigned story, a tale or history. [ ID=8229 ]
- A feigned story, tale, or fable.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कथ (katha) ा (kathā) [Printed book page 152-a ] कथ (katha) ा (kathā) f. ( - था (-thā) ) A feigned story, a tale or fable. E. कथ (katha) to tell, &c. अङ् (aṅ) and टाप् (ṭāp) affs. [ ID=8795 ]
- 1. A tale. 2. A speech or discourse. 3. Mention.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कथा (kathā) [Printed book page 0154-b ] कथा (kathā) kath + ā, f. 1. A tale, Rām. 1, 2, 38. 2. A speech, discourse, Man. 3, 231; Śāk. d. 76. 3. Mention, Nal. 21, 33. 4. With preceding kā ( fem. of kim ), and a following loc., or prati with acc., No question, out of the question, Ragh. 10, 29 (you are out of the ques- tion); in a protasis, Śāk. d. 52, kā kathā vāṇasaṃdhāne, There is no need to fix the arrow to the bow; in an apodosis, Kathās. 4, 123, how much less? — Comp. Dharma-, f. a conversa- tion concerning law or duty, Pañc. 117, 13. Purā-, f. a tale of past ages. Sam-, f. conversation. [ ID=2861 ]
- 1. Story, tale, fable, or discussion. 2. Personified Story.  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > 2kathā, f. —1. story, tale, fable; discussion; —2. personified, Story, 56 9. [ prop. ‘the how, τὸ ὅπως,’ 1kathā́. ] [ ID=1010 ]

### Interrogative Adverb/Particle (7 definitions)
- 1. How? 2. Whence? 3. Why?  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 247,3] 2. कथा (kathā) ind. (for 1. See col. 1) ( Ved. for कथम् (katham), Pāṇini (Author) v, 3, 26 ) how? whence? why? Ṛg-veda (Title); Atharva-veda (Title) viii, 1, 16; Taittirīya-saṃhitā (Title) &c. [ ID=42778 ]
- in any way whatsoever  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > ( यथा कथा च (yathā kathā ca), in any way whatsoever, Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa (Title) iv ) [ ID=42778.1 ]
- a particle of interrogation  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > sometimes merely a particle of interrogation ( e.g. कथा शृणोति (kathā śṛṇoti) … इन्द्रः (indraḥ), does Indra hear? Ṛg-veda (Title) iv, 23, 3; कथा - कथा (kathā-kathā), whether-or? Taittirīya-saṃhitā (Title) ii, 6, 1, 7 ). [ ID=42778.2 ]
- how, whence, or why  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कथा (kathā) [Printed book page 061-3 ] कथा (kathā) 1. ka-thā́, inter. ad. how? whence? why? uáthā kathā́ ca, howsoever. [ ID=5415 ]
- how? in what way? whence?  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कथा (kathā) [Printed book page 107 ] 1 कथा (kathā) adv. how? in what way? whence? In a. l. more frequent than कथम् (katham) q.v. — यथा कथा (kathā) च (yathā kathā ca) howsoever. [ ID=6934 ]
- see katham  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > कथा (kathā) [Printed book page 139-a ] 1kathā́, see kathám. [ ID=1009 ]
- How, whence, or why  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > [Printed book page 0199-b ] 2. kathā, ind. (for katham ), Ved. how? whence? why? Sometimes merely a particle of interrogation (e. g. kathā śṛṇoti Indraḥ, does Indra hear? yathā kathā ca, in any way whatsoever). [ ID=13531 ]

### Comprehensive Noun Definitions (4 definitions)
- 1. Conversation, talk, or discussion. 2. A story or tale. 3. Mention or statement.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कथा (kathā) 2. kath-ā, f. conversation, talk, discussion about ( lc., —° ); story, tale (about g. or —° ); mention, statement; Story ( personified ); kā kathā, it is not a question of —, — is out of the question, to say nothing of ( g., lc., or prati); kā‿kathā, how could there be a question about it? = it is out of the question. [ ID=5416 ]
- 1. Mention or allusion. 2. Conversation. 3. A tale or account. 4. A fable. 5. A type of prose composition.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कथा (kathā) [Printed book page 164-01 ] कथा (kathā) f. 1. Mention, allusion, का कथा (kathā) (kā kathā) बाणसंधाने ज्याशब्देनैव दूरतः । हुंकारेणेव धनुषः स हि विघ्नानपोहति (kā kathā bāṇasaṃdhāne jyāśabdenaiva dūrataḥ. huṃkāreṇeva dhanuṣaḥ sa hi vighnānapohati) Sak. iii.; 2. conversation; 3. a tale, an account, कथा (kathā) पि खलु पापानामलमश्रेयसे यतः (kathāpi khalu pāpānāmalamaśreyase yataḥ) Sis. ii.40; 4. a fable, कथा (kathā) च्छलेन बालानां नीतिस्तदिह कथ्यते (kathācchalena bālānāṃ nītistadiha kathyate) Hit. i.; 5. a species of prose composition often distinguished from आख्यायिका (ākhyāyikā) ( प्रबंधकल्पनां स्तोकसत्यां प्राज्ञाः कथा (kathā) ं विदुः । परंपराश्रया या स्यात् सा मताख्यायिका बुधैः (prabaṃdhakalpanāṃ stokasatyāṃ prājñāḥ kathāṃ viduḥ. paraṃparāśrayā yā syāt sā matākhyāyikā budhaiḥ) ). See under आख्यायिका (ākhyāyikā). The phrase का कथा (kathā) (kā kathā) (lit. ‘what mention’) is often used in the sense of ‘much more so,’ or ‘much less so,’ अभितप्तमयोऽपि मार्दवं भजते कैव कथा (kathā) शरीरिषु (abhitaptamayo'pi mārdavaṃ bhajate kaiva kathāśarīriṣu) R. viii.43, आतवागनुमानाभ्यां साध्यं स्वां प्रति का कथा (kathā) (kā kathā) (ātavāganumānābhyāṃ sādhyaṃ svāṃ prati kā kathā) x.28. [ ID=8007 ]
- 1. Talk, conversation. 2. Tale, story. 3. Communication, mention, statement. 4. Discussion, dialogue.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > 2 कथा (kathā) f. talk, conversation about ( loc. or —°); tale, story of ( gen. or —°); communication, mention, statement; discussion, dialogue. — का कथा (kathā) (kā kathā) what mention of i.e. to say nothing of ( gen., loc., or प्रति (prati) w. acc. ). कैषा कथा (kathā) (kaiṣā kathā) to say nothing of it. कथा (kathā) ं (kathāṃ) कृ (kṛ) talk or think of ( gen. ).* [ ID=6935 ]
- 1. Conversation, speech, or talk. 2. A tale, fable, or feigned story. 3. Mention. 4. Disputation.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > कथा (kathā) [Printed book page 0199-a ] 1. kathā, f. conversation, speech, tale; a fable, a feigned story; talk, mention; (in phil.) disputation; kā kathā (with gen. or more commonly with loc. and sometimes with prati ), what should one say of? how should one speak of? (e. g. eko 'pi kṛcchrād varteta, bhūyasāṃ kathaiva kā, even one person would live with difficulty, what should one say of many? i. e. how much more many?). —Kathākrama (°thā-āk°), as, m. the commence- ment of a conversation. —Kathā-chala, am, n. the device of a fable. —Kathā-java, as, m., N. of a man. —Kathānurāga (°thā-an°), as, m. attention, taking pleasure in a discourse. —Kathānta (°thā- an°), as, m. end of a conversation. —Kathāntara (°thā-an°), am, n. the course of a conversation. —Kathā-pīṭha, N. of the first Lambaka or book of the Kathā-sarit-sāgara. —Kathā-prabandha, as, m. a narrative, a tale, a composed story, a fiction. —Ka- thā-prasaṅga, as, m. connection of speeches or discourse, talking, conversation, speaking to or with, rumour, report; ( as, ā, am ), talkative, talking much and foolishly, half-witted, foolish; a conjuror, a dealer in antidotes &c. —Kathā-prāṇa, as, m. an actor, the speaker of a prologue or monologue, the intro- ducer of a drama; a professed story-teller. —Kathā- maya, as, ī, am, consisting of tales. —Kathā-mukha, am, n. the introduction to a tale; N. of the second Lambaka or book of the Kathā-sarit-sāgara. —Kathā- yoga, as, m. conversation, talk, discourse. —Kathā- rambha (°thā-ār°), as, m. beginning of a story or narrative, story-telling. —Kathārambha-kāla (°thā- ār°), as, m. story-beginning-time. —Kathārāma (°thā-ār°), as, m. garden of fable. —Kathārṇava (°thā-ar°), as, m., N. of a collection of stories at- tributed to Śivadāsa. —Kathālāpa (°thā-āl°), as, m. speech, conversation. —Kathāvaśeṣa (°thā-av°), or kathā-śeṣa, as, ā, am, one of whom only the narrative remains, i. e. deceased, dead; kathāva- śeṣatāṃ gataḥ, deceased, dead. —Kathā-virakta, as, ā, am, reserved, taciturn, disliking conversation. —Kathā-saṅgraha, as, m. a collection of tales or fables. —Kathā-sarit-sāgara, as, m. the ocean of the rivers of stories; title of a work of Somadeva. —Kathodaya (°thā-ud°), as, m. the beginning of a tale, introduction to a tale. —Kathodghāta (°thā- ud°), as, m. the opening of a drama by the character that first enters overhearing and repeating the last words of the prelude. —Kathopakathana (°thā-up°), am, n. conversation, conference, narration. —Katho- pākhyāna (°thā-up°), am, n. narration, narrative, relation, telling a story. [ ID=13520 ]

### Derived Terms: Forms & Structure of Narratives/Conversations (4 definitions)
- 1. A specific type of theatrical introduction where a character enters after overhearing and repeating the words or meaning of the stage manager. 2. The commencement of a tale or narration.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — उद्धातः (uddhātaḥ) 1 the second of the five kinds of प्रस्तावना (prastāvanā), where the first character enters the stage after over-hearing and repeating either the words of the manager ( सूत्रधार (sūtradhāra) ) or their sense; see Sāhityadarpaṇa 290; e. g. in Ratn., Ve. or Mudrārākṣasa. 2 commencement of a tale or narration; आकुमारकथोद्धातं शालिगोप्यो (ākumārakathoddhātaṃ śāligopyo) जगुर्यशः (jaguryaśaḥ) Raghuvaṃśa (Bombay) 4. 20
- An incidental story or conversation.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — उपकथ (upakatha)
- 1. The guise of a fable. 2. Giving a false account.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — छलं (chalaṃ) 1 the guise of a fable. 2 giving a false account
- 1. The introductory part of a tale or story. 2. The first book of the Kathasaritsagara.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — पठिं (paṭhiṃ) 1 the introductory part of a tale or story. 2 N. of the first लंबक (laṃbaka) or book of the कथासरित्सागर (kathāsaritsāgara)

### Derived Terms: Roles, Qualities, & States (3 definitions)
- the hero or leading character of a story  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — नायकः (nāyakaḥ), पुरुषः (puruṣaḥ) the hero or leading character of a story; रामायण (rāmāyaṇa) ° (°) Uttararāmacarita 4, 6
- 1. Talkative and foolish. 2. Mad or foolish.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — प्रसंग (prasaṃga) a. 1 talkative, talking much and foolishly. 2 mad, foolish. (
- see kathavashesha  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — शेष (śeṣa) a. see कथावशेष (śeṣa) (kathāvaśeṣa). [ ID=10168 ]

### Disputation, Philosophical Discussion (3 definitions)
- discussion, disputation  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (in log. ) discussion, disputation, Sarvadarśana-saṃgraha (Title) [ ID=42706.6 ]
- Disputation  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कथा (kathā) [Printed book page 0373-c ] कथा (kathā) [ कथ् नि (kath ni) ° अ (° a) ] 6 (In phil. ) Disputation. का कथा (kathā) (kā kathā) or कथा (kathā) with प्रति (prati) (what mention) is often used in the sense of ‘what need one say of’, ‘not to mention’, ‘to say nothing of’, ‘how much more’, or ‘how much less’; का कथा (kathā) (kā kathā) बाणसंधाने ज्याशब्देनैव दूरतः । (kā kathā bāṇasaṃdhāne jyāśabdenaiva dūrataḥ.) हुंकारेणेव धनुषः स हि विघ्नानपोहति (huṃkāreṇeva dhanuṣaḥ sa hi vighnānapohati) Śakuntalā (Bombay) 3. 1; अभितप्तमयोपि मार्दवं भजते कैव (abhitaptamayopi mārdavaṃ bhajate kaiva) कथा (kathā) शरीरिषु (kathā śarīriṣu) Raghuvaṃśa (Bombay) 8. 43; आप्तवागनुमानाभ्यां साध्यं त्वां प्रति (prati) का कथा (kathā) (kā kathā) (āptavāganumānābhyāṃ sādhyaṃ tvāṃ prati kā kathā) 10. 28; Veṇīsaṃhāra 2. 25
- A philosophical discussion  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > कथा (kathā) [Printed book page 1-134 ] Kathā. — The later use of this word 1 in the sense of a ‘philo- sophical discussion’ appears in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad. 2 [ Footnote: 1) Colebrooke, Miscellaneous Essays, 1, 293.] [ Footnote: 2) i. 8, 1: hantodgīthe kathāṃ vadāma, ‘let us begin a discussion regarding the Udgītha.’] [ ID=506 ]

### Talk, Conversation, Speech (3 definitions)
- Conversation, speech, or talking together  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 247,1] 1. कथा (kathā) f. (for 2. See col. 3) conversation, speech, talking together, Āśvalāyana-gṛhya-sūtra (Title); Mahābhārata (Title); Manu-smṛti (Title) &c. [ ID=42706 ]
- Talk, conversation, speech  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कथा (kathā) [Printed book page 0373-c ] कथा (kathā) [ कथ् नि (kath ni) ° अ (° a) ] 4 Talk, conversation, speech; प्रथमं कृतां कथा (kathā) ं (prathamaṃ kṛtāṃ kathāṃ) Śakuntalā (Bombay) 4. 1
- 1. Conversation or topic of discussion. 2. A curer of poisons.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — गः (gaḥ) ) 1 conversation, talk or course of conversation; नानाकथाप्रसंगावस्थितः (nānākathāprasaṃgāvasthitaḥ) Hitopadeśa (Nirṇaya Sāgara Edition) 1; कथाप्रसंगेन (kathāprasaṃgena) विवादं किल चक्रतुः (kathāprasaṃgena vivādaṃ kila cakratuḥ) Kathāsaritsāgara 22. 181; Naiṣadhacarita 1. 35. 2 a curer of poisons ( विषवैद्य (viṣavaidya) ); कथाप्रसंगेन (kathāprasaṃgena) जनैरुदाहृतात् (janairudāhṛtāt) Kirātārjunīya 1. 24 (where the word is used in sense 1 also)

### Literary Genre (Prose Composition) (2 definitions)
- a feigned story or tale  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a feigned story, tale (as one, of the species of poetical composition), Sāhitya-darpaṇa (Title) 567; Kāvyādarśa (Title) [ ID=42706.4 ]
- A prose composition.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कथा (kathā) [Printed book page 0373-c ] कथा (kathā) [ कथ् नि (kath ni) ° अ (° a) ] 5 A variety of prose composition, often distinguished from आख्यायिका (ākhyāyikā); ( प्रबंधकल्पनां स्तोकसत्यां प्राज्ञाः कथा (kathā) ं (prabaṃdhakalpanāṃ stokasatyāṃ prājñāḥ kathāṃ) विदुः । परंपराश्रया या स्यात् सा मताख्यायिका (viduḥ. paraṃparāśrayā yā syāt sā matākhyāyikā) बुधैः ॥ (budhaiḥ..) ); see under आख्यायिका (ākhyāyikā) also

### Mention, Account, Statement (2 definitions)
- talk, mention  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > talk, mention [ ID=42706.1 ]
- An account, allusion, or mention  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कथा (kathā) [Printed book page 0373-c ] कथा (kathā) [ कथ् नि (kath ni) ° अ (° a) ] 3 An account, allusion, mention; कथा (kathā) पि खलु (kathāpi khalu) पापानामलमश्रेयसे यतः (pāpānāmalamaśreyase yataḥ) Śiśupālavadha 2. 40

### Idiom: 'kā kathā' (1 definition)
- what should one say of  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > ( का कथा (kā kathā) [with gen. or more commonly with loc. and sometimes with प्रति (prati) ], what should one say of? how should one speak of? e.g. एको ' पि कृच्छ्राद् वर्तेत भूयसां तु कथै (eko 'pi kṛcchrād varteta bhūyasāṃ tu kathai) व का (va kā), even one person would live with difficulty, what should one say of many? i.e. how much more many? Kathāsaritsāgara (Title) iv, 123; का कथा (kā kathā) बाण - संधाने (kā kathā bāṇa-saṃdhāne), what mention of fitting the arrow? i.e. what necessity for fitting the arrow? Śakuntalā (Title) 53 a ) [ ID=42706.2 ]

### Personified Story (1 definition)
- Story personified  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > Story (personified), Kathāsaritsāgara (Title) [ ID=42706.5 ]

### Specific Named Kathās or Contextual Uses (1 definition)
- of Kama and Kesava to be narrated in Madanadvadasivrata  
  *The Purana Index*
  > कथा (kathā) [Printed book page 1-304 ] Kathā — of Kāma and Keśava to be narrated in Mada- nadvādaśīvrata. M. 7. 14. [ ID=2410 ]

## 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; 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.

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