# लङ्का (laṅkā)

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

लङ्का (laṅkā) is a Sanskrit word meaning a man's name, the chief town or island of Ceylon, name of a lake, an epithet of a Yogini, pertaining to a shakini or evil spirit, an unchaste woman. Its 17 recorded definitions are grouped into 7 contexts, among them The Island/City/Kingdom of Laṅkā (Rāvaṇa's realm), A Spirit or Supernatural Female (Yoginī/Śākinī), Other Proper Names (Man, Lake).

- **Etymology:** E. लक् to obtain, (happiness, in which,) aff. अच्, and नुम् irr. augment — E. lak to obtain, (happiness, in which,) aff. ac, and num irr. augment
- **SLP1:** `laNkA`  **IAST:** laṅkā  **Devanagari:** लङ्का
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanka
- **Declensions:** 24 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/lanka/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** लंका (laṃkā), लङ्क (laṅka)

## Meanings by context

### The Island/City/Kingdom of Laṅkā (Rāvaṇa's realm) (9 definitions)
- The chief town or island of Ceylon  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 894,3] लङ्का (laṅkā) b f. N. of the chief town in Ceylon or of the whole island (renowned as the capital of the great Rākṣasa Rāvaṇa q.v.; accord. to some accounts L° was much larger than the island of Ceylon is at present, or was even distinct from it, the first meridian of longitude which passed through Ujjayinī being supposed to pass through L° ), MBh.; R. &c. [ ID=181069 ]
- The capital of Ceylon, or Ceylon itself.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > लङ्का (laṅkā) [Printed book page 260-1 ] लङ्का (laṅkā) laṅkā, f. N. of the capital of Ceylon; Ceylon ( in E. the home of the Rākṣasas under Rāvaṇa ): -anila, m. wind from Ceylon. south wind; -ari, m. foe of Laṅkā, ep. of Rāma; -īśvara, m. ep. of Rāvaṇa; -udaya, m. sunrise in Laṅkā. [ ID=15471 ]
- 1. The capital of Ravana in Ceylon or the island itself. 2. A goddess or evil spirit, one of the Shakinis. 3. An unchaste woman. 4. A branch.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > लङ्का (laṅkā) [Printed book page 714 ] लङ्का (laṅkā) f. ( - ङ्का (-ṅkā) ) 1 The capital of RĀVAṆA in Ceylon; the name is extended also to the island, which according to the notions of the Hindus, is much more considerable in size, and lies further from the continent than in reality; it is described as being equal to 1/12th of the equatorial circumference of the earth, and is one of the places lying under the first meridian, Page715 whence the longitude is computed; it is thus placed in the Eastern ocean, South of Ceylon, and according to WILFORD is the peninsula of Malacca: according to some Hindu accounts also, it is distinct from Ceylon, from which island Laṅkā is said to be just visible. 2 A goddess or evil spirit, one of the Śākinīs, perhaps the same as the tutelar deity of the city of Laṅkā. 3 An unchaste woman. 4 A branch. E. लक (laka) to obtain (happiness, in which), aff. अच् (ac), and नुग (nuga) irr. augment. [ ID=32716 ]
- 1. The capital of Ravana in Ceylon. 2. An evil spirit. 3. An unchaste woman. 4. A branch.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > लङ्का (laṅkā) [Printed book page 639-a ] लङ्का (laṅkā) ( ङ्का ) ((ṅkā)) 1. f. The capital of Rā- vana in Ceylon; an evil spirit; an unchaste woman; a branch. [ ID=32293 ]
- 1. The capital of Ravana in Ceylon or the island of Ceylon. 2. A goddess or evil spirit. 3. An unchaste woman. 4. A branch. 5. A kind of grain.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > लङ्का (laṅkā) [Printed book page 612-b ] लङ्का (laṅkā) f. ( - ङ्का (-ṅkā) ) 1. The capital of RĀVAṆA in Ceylon; the name is extended also to the island, which according to the notions of the Hindus, is much more considerable in size, and lies further from the continent than in reality; it is described as being equal to one-twelvth of the equatorial circumference of the earth, and is one of the places lying under the first meridian, whence the longitude is computed; it is thus placed in the Eastern ocean, South of Ceylon, and according to WILFORD is the peninsula of Malacca: according to some Hindu accounts also, it is distinct from Ceylon, from which island Lankā is said to be just visible. 2. A goddess or evil spirit, one of the Śākinīs, perhaps the same as the tutelary deity of the city of Lankā. 3. An unchaste woman. 4. A branch. 5. A kind of grain. E. लक् (lak) to obtain, (happiness, in which,) aff. अच्, (ac,) and नुम् (num) irr. augment. [ ID=34086 ]
- 1. The capital of Ceylon. 2. Ceylon. 3. The name of a female evil spirit. 4. An unchaste woman. 5. A branch.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > लङ्का (laṅkā) [Printed book page 0785-b ] लङ्का (laṅkā) laṅkā, f. 1. The capital of Ceylon, Lass. 5, 3. 2. Ceylon, Rām. 3, 53, 35; Pañc. iii. d. 268. 3. The name of a Śākinī, or evil spirit. 4. An un- chaste woman. 5. A branch. [ ID=12300 ]
- The island of Ceylon and its chief town  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > लङ्का (laṅkā) [Printed book page 458 ] लङ्का (laṅkā) f. N. of the chief town in Ceylon & the island itself. [ ID=27391 ]
- the city of Ravana, formerly belonging to Kubera  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > लङ्का (laṅkā) [Printed book page 445-2 ] Laṅkā, the city of Rāvaṇa, formerly belonging to Kubera. § 342 (Indralokābhigamanap.): III, 51, 1989 ( °nivāsinaḥ, present at the rājasūya of Yudhiṣṭhira).—§ 425 (Hanūmad- Bhīmasaṃv.): III, 148, 11209 (when Hanūmat had found the ravished Sītā in L., he burnt the whole city, cf. § 534), 11213 (after the death of Rāvaṇa, Vibhīṣaṇa was installed as king of L., cf. § 543).—§ 430 (do.): III, 150, 11279.—§ 525 (Rāmopākhyānap.): III, 274, 15874, 15887 ( Rākṣasagaṇasevitaṃ, given by Brahmán to Kubera as residence).—§ 526 (do.): III, 275, 15891 (abode of Kubera), 15920 (Rāvaṇa conquered L. from Kubera), 15921. —§ 528 (Rāvaṇagamana): III, 277, 15989 (residence of Rāvaṇa).—§ 529 (Sītāharaṇa): III, 278, 16035 ( purī, on the other side of the sea).—§ 530 (Viśvāvasumokṣaṇa): III, 279, 16056 (Rāvaṇa carried Sītā to L.), 16087 ( Rāvaṇena …L°ādhivāsinā ).—§ 532 (Sītāsāntvana): III, 280, 16133 ( purīṃ ).—§ 534 (Hanūmatpratyāgamana): III, 282, 16252 ( d : on the other side of the sea in a valley of the mountain Trikūṭa).—§ 535 (Setubandhana): III, 283, 16319 (Rāma and his followers devastated the gardens of L.).—§ 536 (Laṅkāpraveśa): III, 284, 16324 (strongly fortified), 16329 (Aṅgada was sent as a messenger to L.), 16343 ( purīṃ ), 16345, 16347 (Rāma and his followers broke down the ramparts and attacked the city), 16353, 16361, 16363.— § 538 (Kumbakarṇaraṇagamana): III, 286, 16394.— § 541 (Indrajidvadha): III, 289, 16489.—§ 543 (Rāmābhiṣeka): III, 291, 16535 (when Rāvaṇa had been slain Rāma bestowed L. on Vibhīṣaṇa), 16582. [ ID=6449 ]
- 1. An island division of Jambudvipa. 2. Ravana's capital city located in Trikuta.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > लङ्का (laṅkā) [Printed book page 3-112 ] Laṅkā — an upadvīpa to Jambūdvīpa; a great city in Tri- kūṭa; was besieged by Rāma and his Vānara hosts and made desolate by Rāvaṇa's indiscretion; Vibhīṣaṇa as king of; Jāmbavatī alluded to this incident in praising Kṛṣṇa; 1 capital of Rāvaṇa; 2 conquered by Arjuna; one of the places for residence of Agastya. 3 [ Footnote: 1) Bhā. V. 19. 30; IX. 10. 16-33; X. 56. 28; Vā. 48. 28.] [ Footnote: 2) Br. III. 7. 266; 69. 35; M. 43. 37.] [ Footnote: 3) Ib. 61. 51.] [ ID=11884 ]

### A Spirit or Supernatural Female (Yoginī/Śākinī) (2 definitions)
- an epithet of a Yogini  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a Yoginī, Hcat. [ ID=181071 ]
- pertaining to a shakini or evil spirit  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a Śākinī or evil spirit, L. [ ID=181072 ]

### Other Proper Names (Man, Lake) (2 definitions)
- a man's name  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 894,3] लङ्क (laṅka) m. N. of a man g. नडा (naḍā) दि (di) [ ID=181064 ]
- Name of a lake  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of a lake (= रावण - ह्रद (rāvaṇa-hrada) ), R. [ ID=181070 ]

### A Branch (1 definition)
- a branch  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a branch, L. [ ID=181074 ]

### A Kind of Grain (1 definition)
- a kind of grain  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a kind of grain, L. [ ID=181075 ]

### An Unchaste Woman (1 definition)
- an unchaste woman  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > an unchaste woman, L. [ ID=181073 ]

### Referential Entry (1 definition)
- See below  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1B) [Printed book page 894,3] लङ्का (laṅkā) a f. See below. [ ID=181065 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Purana Index; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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