# क्षेत्र (kṣetra)

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

क्षेत्र (kṣetra) is a Sanskrit word meaning landed property, land, or soil, a Buddha or any holy person, a field, place, region, country, a house, a town. Its 32 recorded definitions are grouped into 12 contexts, among them Land or Field, Place, Region, or Dwelling, Astronomical or Astrological Entity.

- **Roots:** 2. क्षि (2. kṣi), कृ (kṛ), 1. क्षि (1. kṣi)
- **Etymology:** E. क्षि to dwell, &c. affix ष्ट्रन् — E. kṣi to dwell, &c. affix ṣṭran
- **SLP1:** `kzetra`  **IAST:** kṣetra  **Devanagari:** क्षेत्र
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/kshetra/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Land or Field (11 definitions)
- landed property, land, or soil  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 332,1] क्षेत्र (kṣetra) n. (√ 2. क्षि (kṣi) ) landed property, land, soil ( क्षेत्र (kṣetra) स्य पति (kṣetrasya pati), ‘lord of the soil’, N. of a kind of tutelary deity, RV.; Atharva-veda (Title) ii, 8, 5; also क्षेत्र (kṣetra) स्य पत्नी (kṣetrasya patnī), ‘mistress of the soil’, and क्षेत्र (kṣetra) ाणाम् पति (kṣetrāṇām pati), ‘the lord of the soil’, N. of tutelary deities, Atharva-veda (Title) ii, 12, 1; Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā (Title) xvi, 18 ) [ ID=60239 ]
- a field  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a field ( e.g. ° (°) त्रं -√ कृ (° (°)traṃ-√kṛ), ‘to cultivate a field’, Mn.; Yājñavalkya (Author) ii, 158; cf. सस्य - क्ष् (sasya-kṣ) ° (°) ), RV. &c. [ ID=60241 ]
- an enclosed plot of ground, portion of space, or surface  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > an enclosed plot of ground, portion of space, superficies ( e.g. स्व् - अल्प - क्ष् (sv-alpa-kṣ) ° (°), of a small circuit, Yājñavalkya (Author) ii, 156 ) [ ID=60248 ]
- 1. Landed property or field. 2. Place or region. 3. Seat, sphere of activity, or source. 4. Extent. 5. Womb. 6. Wife. 7. The body or seat of the soul. 8. Primeval soul or matter.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > क्षेत्र (kṣetra) [Printed book page 079-1 ] क्षेत्र (kṣetra) kṣé-tra, n. landed property; field (-ṃ kṛ, cultivate a field); place, region; seat, sphere of activity, source; extent; womb; wife; seat of the soul, body; primeval soul or matter. [ ID=6602 ]
- 1. A field. 2. The body. 3. A wife. 4. A sacred spot or place of pilgrimage. 5. A plane figure or geometry. 6. A diagram.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > क्षेत्र (kṣetra) [Printed book page 267 ] क्षेत्र (kṣetra) n. ( - त्रं (-traṃ) ) 1 A field. 2 The body. 3 A wife. 4 A pure or sacred spot, a place of pilgrimage, as Benares, &c. 5 Plane figure, geometry. 6 A diagram. E. क्षि (kṣi) to dwell, &c. affix ष्ट्रन् (ṣṭran). [ ID=12487 ]
- 1. A field. 2. The body. 3. A wife. 4. A sacred spot. 5. A diagram.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > क्षेत्र (kṣetra) [Printed book page 230-b ] क्षेत्र (kṣetra) ( त्र ) ((tra)) 1. n. A field; the body; a wife; sacred spot; a diagram. [ ID=11940 ]
- 1. Land, soil, or field. 2. Place or region. 3. A sacred spot or place of pilgrimage. 4. An enclosed spot of ground. 5. Fertile soil. 6. Place of origin. 7. The body as the abode of the soul. 8. The mind. 9. A wife. 10. A house or town. 11. A geometric figure or diagram.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > क्षेत्र (kṣetra) [Printed book page 222-19 ] क्षेत्र (kṣetra) n. 1. Landed property, soil, a field, e.g. चीयते बालिशस्यापि सत्क्षेत्र (kṣetra) पतिता कृषिः (cīyate bāliśasyāpi satkṣetrapatitā kṛṣiḥ) Mud. i., M. x.114; 2. place, region, कपटशतमयं क्षेत्र (kṣetra) मप्रत्ययानाम् (kapaṭaśatamayaṃ kṣetramapratyayānām) Bhartr. i.77, Sant.S. ii.3, Megh. i.16; 3. a sacred spot, a place of pilgrimage, क्षेत्र (kṣetra) ं क्षुत्रप्रधनंपिशुनं कौरवं तद्भजेथाः (kṣetraṃ kṣutrapradhanaṃpiśunaṃ kauravaṃ tadbhajethāḥ) Megh. i.46, Bg. i.1; 4. an enclosed spot of ground; 5. fertile soil; 6. place of origin; 7. the body considered as the abode of the soul, योगिनो यं विचिन्वंति क्षेत्र (kṣetra) ाभ्यंतरवर्तिनम् (yogino yaṃ vicinvaṃti kṣetrābhyaṃtaravartinam) K.S. vi.77, Bg. xiii.1, 2; 8. the mind; 9. a wife, तौ तु जातौ परक्षेत्र (kṣetra) े (tau tu jātau parakṣetre) M. iii.175; 10. a house, a town; 11. a plain figure (in Geometry), a diagram. [ ID=11027 ]
- 1. A field. 2. The body. 3. A wife. 4. A sacred spot or place of pilgrimage. 5. A plane figure or geometry. 6. A diagram.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > क्षेत्र (kṣetra) [Printed book page 219-b ] क्षेत्र (kṣetra) n. ( - त्रं (-traṃ) ) 1. A field. 2. The body. 3. A wife. 4. A pure or sacred spot, a place of pilgrimage, as Puri, &c. 5. Plane figure, geometry. 6. A diagram. E. क्षि (kṣi) to dwell, &c. affix ष्ट्रन् (ṣṭran). [ ID=12481 ]
- 1. Landed property. 2. A field. 3. A place. 4. Extent. 5. A wife. 6. The body.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > क्षेत्र (kṣetra) [Printed book page 0240-b ] क्षेत्र (kṣetra) kṣetra, i. e. 1. 2. kṣi + tra, n. 1. Landed property, Bhāg. P. 9, 6, 37. 2. A field, Man. 10, 114. 3. Place, Lass. 17. 2. 4. Extent, Yājñ. 2, 156. 5. A wife, Man. 9, 33; MBh. 1, 4661. 6. The body, Bhag. 13, 1. — Comp. A-, n. a barren field, Man. 10, 71. Kar- makṣetra, i. e. karman-, n. the seat of sacred works, Bhāg. P. 5, 17, 11. Kuru-, I. n. the name of a country, Man. 2, 19; II. m. pl. the name of its inhabitants, Man. 7, 193. Dharma-, n. a plain in the north-west of India, Bhag. 1, 1. Ra- ṇa-, n. a field of battle, Chr. 25, 57. Sura-īśvarī-, n. the name of a district, Rājat. 5, 37. [ ID=4101 ]
- 1. Landed property, land, soil, or a field. 2. Place, region, or country. 3. A sacred spot, district, or place of pilgrimage. 4. An enclosed plot of ground, portion of space, or circuit. 5. A wife or fertile womb. 6. A department or sphere of action. 7. The body as the field of the soul. 8. A sign of the zodiac. 9. A geometric plane figure or diagram. 10. A house or town.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > क्षेत्र (kṣetra) [Printed book page 0270-a ] क्षेत्र (kṣetra) kṣetra, am, n. (fr. 1. or 2. kṣi ), landed property, land, soil, a field (e. g. kṣetraṃ kṛ, to cultivate the soil; kṣetrasya pati, lord of the soil, N. for a kind of genius or tutelary deity regarded in the Veda as the guardian of cultivated fields); place, region, country; a sacred spot or dis- trict, a place of pilgrimage, as Benares &c. an enclosed plot of ground, portion of space, superficies, circuit, circumference; fertile soil; the fertile womb, a wife; place of origin; department, sphere of action, the body considered as the field of the indwelling and working of the soul; a sign of the zodiac; (in geometry) a plane figure, as a triangle, circle, &c. enclosed by lines, any figure considered as having geometrical dimensions; a diagram; a house, town; [cf. anya-kṣetra, kuru-kṣetra, &c. cf. also Goth. haithi, Them. haithjo; Germ. Heide.] —Kṣetra-kara, as, ī, am, cultivating a field; a husbandman. —Kṣetra-karkaṭī, f. a kind of gourd; [cf. bālukī. ] —Kṣetrakarma-kṛt, t, t, t, one who cultivates the soil, a husbandman. —Kṣetra-kar- man, a, n. cultivation of the soil. —Kṣetra-gaṇita, am, n. geometry. —Kṣetra-gata, as, ā, am, geo- metrical. —Kṣetragatopapatti (°ta-up°), is, f. geometrical proof. —Kṣetra-cirbhiṭā, f. a kind of gourd, = cirbhiṭā. —Kṣetra-ja, as, ā, am, pro- duced in a field, as corn &c. born from the body; ( as ), m., scil. putra, a son, the offspring of the wife by a kinsman or person duly appointed to raise up issue to the husband, (this is one of the twelve kinds of issue allowed by the old Hindū law); ( ā ), f., N. of several plants, = śveta-kaṇṭakārī, śaśāṇḍulī, gomūtrikā, śilpikā, caṇikā. —Kṣetra-jāta, as, ā, am, begotten on the wife of another. —Kṣetra- jeṣa, as, m., Ved. contest for landed property, acquisition of land. —Kṣetra-jña, as, ā, am, knowing localities; familiar with the cultivation of the soil, a husbandman &c. clever, dexterous, skil- ful, cunning; ( as ), m. ‘knowing the body,’ i. e. the soul, the conscious principle in the corporeal frame; a libertine, a whoremonger; a form of Śiva; N. of a prince; ( ā ), f. a girl fifteen years old who personates the goddess Durgā at a festival of this deity. —Kṣetra-tattva, am, n. a part of the work Smṛti-tattva. —Kṣetra-tara, am, n., Ved. a spot very fit for cultivation or for habitation. —Kṣetra- tā, f. the state of being a seat or residence, a seat, a place of residence. —Kṣetra-dūtī, f. a kind of Solanum (śveta-kaṇṭakārī). —Kṣetra-devatā, f. ‘the deity of the fields,’ epithet of a serpent in the Pañca-tantra. —Kṣetra-pati, is, m. the owner of a field, a landowner, a landlord, a farmer; [cf. kṣai- trapata, kṣaitrapatya, p. 271, and kṣetrasya- pati above.] —Kṣetra-pada, am, n. a place sacred to a deity. —Kṣetra-parpaṭī, f., N. of a shrub, Oldenlandia Biflora or another species. —Kṣetra-pāla, as, m. a man employed to guard fields from depredation; a deity protecting the fields; an epithet of Śiva. —Kṣetra-phala, am, n. (in geometry) the superficial contents of a figure. —Kṣetra-bhakti, is, f. the division of a field. —Kṣetra-bhūmi, is, f. cultivated land. —Kṣetra- yamānikā, f., N. of a plant, = vacā. —Kṣetra- rakṣa, as, m. a man employed to guard fields Page0270-b+ 79 from depredation. —Kṣetra-rāśi, is, m. quantity represented by geometrical figures. —Kṣetra-ruhā, f. a kind of gourd, = bālukī. —Kṣetra-vasudhā, f. cultivated land. —Kṣetra-vid, t, t, t, familiar with localities; experienced, clever, skilful; ( t ), m. a husbandman; a sage, one who possesses spiritual knowledge; the soul. —Kṣetra-vyavahāra, as, m. drawing a figure in geometry; geometrical demon- stration. —Kṣetra-sambhava, as, m., N. of either of the shrubs Cañcu and Bhiṇḍā; ( ā ), f. a kind of gourd, = śaśāṇḍulī. —Kṣetra-sambhūta, as, m. a kind of grass, = kundara. —Kṣetra-sāti, is, f., Ved. acquisition of field or land. —Kṣetra-sādhas, ās, ās, as, Ved. arriving at or coming to a place. —Kṣetra-sīmā, f. the boundary of a meadow or field or holy place. —Kṣetra-stha, as, ā, am, residing at a sacred place. —Kṣetrājīva (°ra-āj°), as, ā, am, one who gains a livelihood by cultivating the soil; a cultivator, a peasant. —Kṣetrādhidevatā (°ra-adh°), f. the tutelary deity of any consecrated piece of ground. —Kṣetrādhipa (°ra-adh°), as, m. = the preceding; the regent of a sign of the zodiac. —Kṣetrāmalakī, the plant Flacourtia Ca- taphracta; [cf. bhūmy-āmalakī. ] —Kṣetrā-sā, ās, ās, am, Ved. acquiring or gaining land. —Kṣetre- kṣu (°ra-ik°), us, m. a kind of grain, = yāvanāla. —Kṣetropekṣa (°ra-up°), as, m., N. of a son of Śvaphalka. [ ID=16572 ]
- A field, cultivated land, or a place.  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > क्षेत्र (kṣetra) [Printed book page 1-210 ] Kṣetra, ‘field.’ The use of this word in the Rigveda points clearly to the existence of separate fields 1 carefully measured off, 2 though in some passages the meaning is less definite, Page1-211+ 64 indicating cultivated land generally. 3 In the Atharvaveda 4 and later the sense of a separate field is clearly marked, though the more general use is also found. 5 The deity Kṣetrasya Pati, 6 ‘Lord of the Field,’ should probably be understood as the god presiding over each field, just as Vāstoṣ Pati presides over each dwelling. 7 It is a fair conclusion from the evidence that the system of separate holdings already existed in early Vedic times.^8 See also Urvarā, Khilya. [ Footnote: 1) x. 33, 6. Cf. iii. 31, 15; v. 62, 7.] [ Footnote: 2) i. 110, 5.] [ Footnote: 3) i. 100, 18; ix. 85, 4; 91, 6; Kṣetra- jeṣa, i. 33, 15, ‘acquisition of land’; kṣetrā-sā, iv. 38, 1, ‘gaining land’; kṣetraṃ-jaya, ‘conquering cultivated land,’ Maitrāyaṇī Saṃhitā, ii. 2, 11. The wider sense of ‘place’ also occurs, v. 2, 3; 45, 9; vi. 47, 20, etc., and often later.] [ Footnote: 4) iv. 18, 5; v. 31, 4; x. 1, 18; xi. 1, 22; Taittirīya Saṃhitā, ii. 2, 1, 2; Chāndogya Upaniṣad, vii. 24, 2, etc.] [ Footnote: 5) Av. ii. 29, 3; xiv. 2, 7; Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, i. 4, 1, 15. 16, etc.] [ Footnote: 6) Rv. iv. 37, 1, 2; vii. 35, 10; x. 66, 13; Av. ii. 8, 5; kṣetrasya patnī, ‘Mis- tress of the Field,’ 12, 1; kṣetrāṇāṃ patiḥ, ‘Lord of Fields,’ Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā, xvi. 18.] [ Footnote: 7) Macdonell, Vedic Mythology, p. 138. Cf. Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, 236; Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, vii. 1, 1, 8, where the Kṣatriya, with the consent of the people, gives a settlement to a man: that is, presumably assigns to him a definite Kṣetra for his own, probably measured out as recorded in Rv. i. 110, 5.] [ ID=806 ]

### Place, Region, or Dwelling (5 definitions)
- place, region, country  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > place, region, country, RV.; Atharva-veda (Title) iii, 28, 3; Taittirīya-saṃhitā (Title) vii; Suśr.; Megh.; Vet. [ ID=60242 ]
- a house  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a house, L. [ ID=60243 ]
- a town  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a town, L. [ ID=60244 ]
- 1. A piece of ground, field, or place of dwelling. 2. A womb or wife.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > क्षेत्र (kṣetra) [Printed book page 142 ] क्षेत्र (kṣetra) n. dwelling-place, piece of ground, field, place, seat; womb, wife. [ ID=8926 ]
- 1. A dwelling place. 2. A piece of ground or field.  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > क्षेत्र (kṣetra) [Printed book page 147-b ] kṣétra, n. dwelling-place, 87 17; piece of ground; field. [ √1kṣi 1. ] [ ID=1298 ]

### Astronomical or Astrological Entity (3 definitions)
- a planetary orbit  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a planetary orbit, Gaṇit. [ ID=60251 ]
- a zodiacal sign  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a zodiacal sign, Sūryas. [ ID=60252 ]
- an astrological mansion  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > an astrological mansion, VarBṛS.; Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhajjātaka (Title) i, xi [ ID=60253 ]

### Etymological or Referential Information (2 definitions)
- female owner of a field  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1B) [Printed book page 332,1] क्षेत्री (kṣetrī) ( ई (ī) ), f. only dat. ° त्रियै (°triyai) for ° त्रियात् (°triyāt) ( Atharva-veda (Title) ii, 10, 1 ), Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa (Title) ii, 5, 6, 1 [ ID=60258 ]
- field, land  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1E) [Printed book page 332,1] क्षेत्र (kṣetra) [ cf. अ - क्ष् (a-kṣ) ° (°), अन्य - (anya-) and कुरु - क्षेत्र (kṣetra) (kuru-kṣetra), कर्म - क्ष् (karma-kṣ) ° (°), देव - क्ष् (deva-kṣ) ° (°), धर्म - क्ष् (dharma-kṣ) ° (°), रण - क्ष् (raṇa-kṣ) ° (°), सिद्ध - क्ष् (siddha-kṣ) ° (°), सु - क्ष् (su-kṣ) ° (°), सुरे (sure) श्वरी - क्ष् (śvarī-kṣ) ° (°); cf. also Goth. haithi, Them. haithjo; Germ. Heide.] [ ID=60259 ]

### Geometrical Figure or Measured Area (2 definitions)
- a geometric figure enclosed by lines  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (in geom. ) a plane figure (as a triangle, circle, &c.) enclosed by lines, any figure considered as having geometrical dimensions, Gol. [ ID=60249 ]
- a diagram  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a diagram, W. [ ID=60250 ]

### Philosophical Concept (2 definitions)
- unmanifest  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (in Sāṃkhya phil. ) = अ - व्यक्त (a-vyakta) ( q.v. ), Tattvas. [ ID=60257 ]
- 1. Avyaktam and Ksetrajna are Brahma, whose union leads to the eternal being. 2. Avisaya and visaya.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > क्षेत्र (kṣetra) [Printed book page 1-491 ] Kṣetra — avyaktam and Kṣetrajña are Brahmā; the union of these two leads to the eternal being; also aviṣaya and viṣaya. Br. I. 3. 37; Vā. 102. 34-6, 111-14. [ ID=3875 ]

### Sphere of Action, Department, or Origin (2 definitions)
- department or sphere of action  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > department, sphere of action, Mahābhārata (Title) xiv, 126; R. &c. [ ID=60245 ]
- place of origin or where anything is found  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > place of origin, place where anything is found, Yoga-sūtra (Title) ii, 4; Suśr.; Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title) viii, 12, 33 [ ID=60246 ]

### Divinatory Markings on the Palm (1 definition)
- certain portions marked out on the palm in chiromancy  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (in chiromancy) certain portions marked out on the palm, Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā (Title) lxviii, 1 [ ID=60254 ]

### Holy Person or Source of Merit (1 definition)
- A Buddha or any holy person  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > ‘soil of merit’, a Buddha or any holy person, Divyāv. [ ID=60240 ]

### Sacred Place or Temple (1 definition)
- a sacred spot or place of pilgrimage  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a sacred spot or district, place of pilgrimage (as Benares &c. often ifc. ), BrahmaP. [ ID=60247 ]

### The Physical Body (1 definition)
- the body considered as the field of the indwelling soul  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the body (considered as the field of the indwelling soul), Yājñavalkya (Author) iii, 178; Bhagavad-gītā (Title) xiii, 1 and 2; Kumāra-sambhava (Title) vi, 77 [ ID=60256 ]

### Wife or Womb (1 definition)
- fertile soil, a wife  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > ‘fertile soil’, the fertile womb, wife, Mn.; Yājñavalkya (Author) ii, 127; MBh.; R.; Śak.; BhP. [ ID=60255 ]

## 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 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