# राग (rāga)

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

राग (rāga) is a Sanskrit word meaning the act of colouring or dyeing, colour or redness, inflammation, loveliness or beauty, a musical note, harmony, or melody, nasalization. Its 26 recorded definitions are grouped into 11 contexts, among them General Term with Multiple Meanings, Specific Technical, Medical, or Phonetic Meanings, A type of Grain (Eleusine Coracana).

- **Roots:** रञ्ज् (rañj), रज् (raj)
- **Etymology:** E. रञ्ज् to colour, &c., aff. घञ् । — E. rañj to colour, &c., aff. ghañ
- **SLP1:** `rAga`  **IAST:** rāga  **Devanagari:** राग
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raga_%28Sanskrit_term%29
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/raga/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** रागा (rāgā), रग (raga)

## Meanings by context

### General Term with Multiple Meanings (9 definitions)
- 1. Colouring, dyeing, or redness. 2. Passion, vehement desire, love, affection, or delight. 3. Nasalization. 4. Loveliness or beauty of voice or song. 5. A musical mode.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > राग (rāga) [Printed book page 252-3 ] राग (rāga) rāg-a, m. [√raj] colouring, dyeing; colour; redness; passion, vehement desire, love, affection or sympathy for, joy or delight in ( lc. or —° ); (colouring), nasalization; loveliness, beauty ( of voice or song ); musical mode ( of which six are generally assumed, these being variously stated to be Śrirāga, Bhairava, Megha, Kauśika, Hindola, Dīpaka; or Śrīrāga, Bhairava, Megha, Vasanta, Pañcama, Naṭanārāyaṇa; or Śrīrāga, Vasanta, Mālava, Mallāra, Karṇāṭa, and Hillola; sts. seven of twenty-six are spoken of ). [ ID=15138 ]
- 1. Colour, hue, or tint. 2. Affection, love, or desire. 3. General mental emotion such as sorrow or joy. 4. Envy. 5. A musical mode. 6. A king or sovereign. 7. The quality of passion. 8. Greediness. 9. Coloring or painting.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > राग (rāga) [Printed book page 699 ] राग (rāga) m. ( - गः (-gaḥ) ) 1 Colour, hue, tint, dye. 2 Affection, prepossession, love, desire. 3 Mental affection in general, as sorrow, joy, &c. 4 Envy, impatience of another's success. 5 A mode of music; of which six are enumerated, viz. Bhairava, Mālava, Sāraṅga, Hindola, Vasanta, Dīpaka, and Megha; they are personified in poetry and mythology. 6 A king, a sovereign. 7 The Raja Guṇa, the property or quality of passion. 8 Greediness, cupidity. 9 Colouring, painting, dying. f. ( - गा (-gā) ) A sort of grain, commonly Raggy, much cultivated in the south of India, ( Eleusine corocana, or Cynosurus corocanus.) E. रञ्ज (rañja) to colour, &c., aff. घञ् (ghañ). [ ID=32064 ]
- 1. Colour, affection, or a mode of music. 2. A sort of gram.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > राग (rāga) [Printed book page 625-b ] राग (rāga) ( गः ) ((gaḥ)) 1. m. Colour; affection; mode of music. f. Sort of gram. [ ID=31630 ]
- 1. Color or hue. 2. Red color. 3. Affection, passion, or feeling. 4. Musical harmony or mode. 5. Sympathy or pleasure. 6. Anger or wrath. 7. Regret or sorrow. 8. Greediness or envy. 9. Beauty or charm.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > राग (rāga) [Printed book page 608-15 ] राग (rāga) m. 1. Dying, colour, hue; 2. red colour, राग (rāga) ेण बालारुणकोमलेन चूतप्रवालोष्ठमलंचकार (rāgeṇa bālāruṇakomalena cūtapravāloṣṭhamalaṃcakāra) K.S. iii.30; 3. an affection, passion, feeling, चित्तं मुनेरपि हरन्ति निवृत्तराग (rāga) म् (cittaṃ munerapi haranti nivṛttarāgam) Rt. ii.25; 4. musical harmony, a musical mode; (six primary Rāgas are enumerated, भैरवः कोशिकश्चैव हिंदोलो दीपकस्तथा । श्रीराग (rāga) ो मेघराग (rāga) श्च राग (rāga) ाः षडिति कीर्तिताः (bhairavaḥ kośikaścaiva hiṃdolo dīpakastathā. śrīrāgo megharāgaśca rāgāḥ ṣaḍiti kīrtitāḥ); from these are derived innumerable modes mixed and simple), अहो राग (rāga) पारवाहिणी गीतिः (aho rāgapāravāhiṇī gītiḥ) Sak. v., K.S. vii.91; 5. sympathy, pleasure, पुरा चक्षूराग (rāga) स्तदनु मनसोऽनन्यपरता (purā cakṣūrāgastadanu manaso'nanyaparatā) M.M. vi.; 6. anger, wrath; 7. regret, sorrow; 8. greediness, envy; 9. beauty, charm. [ ID=31933 ]
- 1. Colour or dye. 2. Love, affection, or desire. 3. General mental emotion. 4. Envy. 5. A musical mode. 6. A king. 7. The quality of passion. 8. Greediness. 9. Colouring or painting.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > राग (rāga) [Printed book page 600-a ] राग (rāga) m. ( - गः (-gaḥ) ) 1. Colour, hue, tint. dye. 2. Affection, prepossession, love, desire. 3. Mental affection in general, as sorrow, joy, &c. 4. Envy, impatience of another's success. 5. A mode of music; of which six are enumerated, viz.:—Bhairava, Kausika, Srīrāga, Hindola, Dipaka, and Megha; they are personified in poetry and mythology. 6. A king, a sovereign. 7. The Raja Gūna, the property or quality of passion. 8. Greediness, cupidity. 9. Colouring, painting, dying. f. ( - गी (-gī) ) A sort of grain, commonly Raggy, much cultivated in the south of India, (Eleusine corocana, or Cynosurus corocanus.) E. रञ्ज् (rañj) to colour, &c., aff. घञ् । (ghañ.) [ ID=33379 ]
- 1. Colour or red colour. 2. Being subdued by affections. 3. Affection, love, desire, sorrow, or joy. 4. Wrath. 5. Envy. 6. Greediness. 7. Passion. 8. A mode of music. 9. Harmony. 10. A king.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > राग (rāga) [Printed book page 0764-a ] राग (rāga) rāga, i. e. rañj + a, I. m. 1. Colour, Pañc. 203, 5; Vikr. d. 26 (red colour). 2. Being subdued by affec- tions, MBh. 13, 12427; Ṛt. 6, 23. 3. Affection, love, Pañc. iii. d. 266; Da- śak. in Chr. 197, 6; desire, sorrow, joy, Rājat. 5, 382. 4. Wrath, Pañc. 29, 17. 5. Envy. 6. Greediness. 7. Passion, Hit. iv. d. 83 ( ni-vṛtta-, adj. Free from passions). 8. A mode of music, of which six are enumerated, Pañc. 248, 6. 9. Harmony, Śāk. d. 5. 10. A king. II. f. gī, A sort of grain, Eleusine corocana. — Comp. Aṅga-, m. paint, unguent, powder for smearing and perfuming the body, Ṛt. 6, 12. Apa-, m. enmity, Man. 7, 154. Kṛ- trima-, m. an artificial colour, Vikr. d. Page0764-b+ 42 40. Padma-, m. a ruby, Hit. pr. d. 44, M.M. Puṣpa-, m. a topaz, Ragh. 18, 31. Vi-, m. 1. disinclination, hatred, Böhtl. Ind. Spr. 1156. 2. the absence of desire or passion, indiffer- ence, disregard of all sensual enjoy- ment, Vedāntas. in Chr. 203, 6. Vīta-, i. e. vi-ita-, I. adj. 1. colourless. 2. exempt from passions, Hit. 42, 10, M.M. II. m. a sage. Sa-, adj. 1. coloured. 2. impassioned. Haridrā-, adj. fickle, unsteady. [ ID=12032 ]
- 1. Colour, especially redness. 2. Charm or loveliness. 3. Affection, feeling, or passion. 4. Joy, pleasure, or love. 5. A musical mode.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > राग (rāga) [Printed book page 446 ] राग (rāga) m. colouring, colour, esp. redness; charm, loveliness; affection, feeling, passion; joy, pleasure, delight in, longing after, love of ( loc. or —°); musical mode (6). [ ID=26733 ]
- 1. Color or coloring. 2. Affection, feeling, or passion.  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > राग (rāga) [Printed book page 229-a ] rāga, m. —1. coloring, color; —2. affection, feeling, passion. [ √raj, 216. 1.] [ ID=3516 ]
- 1. The act of coloring, dyeing, or tinting. 2. Color, hue, tint, dye, or red color. 3. Affection, emotion, passion, or feeling. 4. A musical mode or note. 5. The quality of Rajas. 6. Love, sympathy, interest, joy, or pleasure. 7. Vehement longing or desire. 8. Regret or sorrow. 9. Greediness or envy. 10. Anger or wrath. 11. Loveliness, beauty, charm, or attraction. 12. Nasalization. 13. A particular process in the preparation of quicksilver. 14. A king or prince. 15. The sun. 16. The moon.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > राग (rāga) [Printed book page 0837-c ] राग (rāga) rāga, as, m. (fr. rt. rañj ), the act of colouring or dyeing, tinting [cf. mūrdhaja-r° ]; colour, hue, tint, dye, red colour, (sometimes at the end of an adj. comp., e. g. kṛmi-rāga, as, ā, am, red as cochineal, dyed with cochineal); affection, emotion, passion, feeling; a musical mode, (six pri- mary modes or orders of sounds are enumerated, viz. Bhairava, Kauśika, Hindola, Dīpaka, Śrī- rāga, and Megha; or Śrī-rāga, Vasanta, Pañ- cama, Bhairava, Megha, and Nata-nārāyaṇa; or Mālava, Mallāra, Śrī-rāga, Vasanta, Hil- lola, and Karṇāṭa: these six Rāgas or modes are supposed to have been originally connected with the six Ṛtus or seasons, each mode, like the several seasons, moving some Rāga or affection of the mind; they are personified, and each of the six is wedded to five consorts, called Rāgiṇīs, and is the father of eight sons; sometimes six Rāgiṇīs are assigned to each Rāga); a musical note, harmony, music; the quality Rajas, q. v.; feeling or mental affection in general, love, sympathy, interest in anything, joy, pleasure; vehement longing or desire; regret, sorrow; greedi- ness, envy; anger, wrath; loveliness, beauty, charm, attraction; nasalization; N. of a particular process in the preparation of quicksilver; a king, prince; the sun; the moon; (ā), f. Eleusine Coracana, a sort of grain (commonly called Rāggy, much cultivated in the south of India); N. of the second daughter of Aṅgiras; [cf. according to some, Gr. ὀργή, perhaps for ῥογή.] —Rāga-khāḍava, see rāga-ṣāḍava. —Rāga-khāṇḍava, am, n. a kind of sweetmeat; [cf. rāga-ṣāḍava. ] —Rāga-khāṇḍavika, as, m. a maker of the above sort of sweetmeat. —Rāga- cūrṇa, as, m. Acacia Catechu (a tree yielding an astringent resin, the wood of which is used in dye- ing); a red powder (which the Hindūs throw over each other at the vernal festival called Holi; cf. holākā ); red lead; lac; Kāma-deva, the god of love. —Rāga-cchanna, as, m. the god of love or Kāma-deva; N. of Rāma. —Rāga-da, as, ā, am, colour-giving, colouring, passion-inspiring; ( as ), m. a kind of shrub, = tairaṇī; (ā), f. ‘producing various colours,’ crystal. —Rāga-dravya, am, n. ‘colour-substance,’ paint, dye. —Rāga-paṭṭa, a kind of precious stone. —Rāga-puṣpa, as, m. Penta- petes Phœnicea; the red globe-amaranth; ( ī ), f. the Chinese rose. —Rāga-prasava, as, m. Penta- petes Phœnicea; the red globe-amaranth. —Rāga- bandha, as, m. the connection of the Rāgas, ex- pression or manifestation of affection, affection, passion. —Rāga-bandhin, ī, inī, i, exciting or inflaming the passions. —Rāga-bhañjana, as, m., N. of a Vidyā-dhara. —Rāga-mañjarikā, f. a dimi- nutive from rāga-mañjarī below (‘wicked Rāga- mañjarī’). —Rāga-mañjarī, f., N. of a woman. —Rāga-maya, as, ī, am, ‘consisting of colour or of red colour,’ red-coloured, red; dear, beloved. —Rāga-mālā, f. ‘string or series of musical Rāgas,’ a chapter on the subject of musical Rāgas; N. of a work on the musical Rāgas by Kṣema-karṇa. —Rāga-yuj, k, m. a ruby. —Rāga-rajju, us, m. Kāma-deva, the god of love. —Rāga-latā, f. ‘Pas- sion-creeper, Passion-flower,’ N. of Rati (wife of Kāma-deva). —Rāga-lekhā, f. a streak or line of paint, stroke, the mark of dye. —Rāga-vat, ān, atī, at, having colour, coloured, red; impassioned. —Rā- ga-vibodha, as, m., N. of a celebrated treatise on the musical Rāgas and theory of music. —Rāga- vṛnta, as, m. ‘Passion-stalk,’ N. of Kāma-deva, the god of love. —Rāga-ṣāḍava, as, m. a sweet- Page0838-a+ 79 meat made from grapes and pomegranates together with a kind of broth made from Phaseolus Mungo; (according to others) half ripe mango fruit made into syrup with ginger, cardamoms, oil, butter, &c., (also written rāga-khāḍava, rāga-ṣāḍhava; cf. rāga-khāṇḍava. ) —Rāga-sūtra, am, n. any coloured thread or string; a silk thread; the string of a balance. —Rāgāṅgī (°ga-aṅ°) or rāgāḍhyā (°ga-āḍh°), f. Rubia Munjista (= mañjiṣṭhā). —Rāgātmaka (°ga-āt°), as, ikā, am, composed of or characterized by passion, impassioned. —Rāgā- nugāvivṛti (°ga-an°), is, f., N. of a work. —Rā- gāndha (°ga-an°), as, ā, am, blind with passion or desire. —Rāgānvita (°ga-an°), as, ā, am, having colour or dye, coloured; affected by passion or desire. —Rāgāyāta (°ga-āy°), am, n. excess of passion, the coming on or uprising of excessive passion. —Rāgārṇava (°ga-ar°), as, m., N. of a work on the musical Rāgas. —Rāgārha (°ga-ar°), as, ā, am, worthy of affection, any suitable object of affection. —Rāgāśani (°ga-aś°), is, m. a Bud- dha; a Jina. —Rāgodreka (°ga-ud°), as, m. excess of passion. [ ID=39292 ]

### Specific Technical, Medical, or Phonetic Meanings (3 definitions)
- inflammation  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > inflammation, Car. [ ID=176091 ]
- nasalization  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > nasalization, RPrāt. [ ID=176095 ]
- a specific process in the preparation of quicksilver  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a partic. process in the preparation of quicksilver, Sarvad. [ ID=176096 ]

### A type of Grain (Eleusine Coracana) (2 definitions)
- Eleusine coracana, a type of grain  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1B) [Printed book page 872,1] रागा (rāgā) ( आ (ā) ), f. Eleusine Coracana (a sort of grain, commonly called Rāggy, and much cultivated in the south of India), L. [ ID=176101 ]
- Eleusine Coracana  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1B) [Printed book page 872,1] रागी (rāgī) ( ई (ī) ), f. Eleusine Coracana, L. [ ID=176103 ]

### Colour, Hue, or Dyeing (2 definitions)
- the act of colouring or dyeing  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 872,1] राग (rāga) m. ( fr. √ रञ्ज् (rañj); ifc. आ (ā), or ई (ī) ) the act of colouring or dyeing ( cf. मूर्धज - र् (mūrdhaja-r) ° (°) ) [ ID=176089 ]
- colour or redness  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > colour, hue, tint, dye, ( esp. ) red colour, redness, MBh.; Kāv. &c. [ ID=176090 ]

### Emotion, Passion, or Desire (2 definitions)
- any feeling or passion, especially love, affection, desire, or delight  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > any feeling or passion, ( esp. ) love, affection or sympathy for, vehement desire of, interest or joy or delight in ( loc. or comp. ), Up.; Mn.; MBh. &c. [ ID=176092 ]
- attachment or passion that leads to worldly existence and rebirth  
  *The Purana Index*
  > राग (rāga) [Printed book page 3-062 ] Rāga — carries away bhūta; leads to samsāra and its ills; Viṣayarāga, reason for re-birth. Vā. 102. 67, 69. [ ID=11542 ]

### Proper Noun (Person or Deity) (2 definitions)
- the second daughter of Angiras  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of the second daughter of Aṅgiras, MBh. [ ID=176102 ]
- an epithet of Shiva  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > राग (rāga) [Printed book page 573-2 ] Rāga = Śiva (1000 names 1 ). [ ID=8874 ]

### Sun or Moon (2 definitions)
- the sun  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the sun, L. [ ID=176099 ]
- the moon  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the moon, L. [ ID=176100 ]

### King or Prince (1 definition)
- A prince or king.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a prince, king, L. [ ID=176098 ]

### Loveliness, Beauty, or Charm (1 definition)
- loveliness or beauty  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > loveliness, beauty ( esp. of voice or song), Śak.; Pañcat. [ ID=176093 ]

### Musical Mode or Concept (1 definition)
- A musical note, harmony, or melody.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a musical note, harmony, melody (in the later system a partic. musical mode or order of sound or formula; Bharata enumerates 6, viz. भैरव (bhairava), कौशिक (kauśika), हिन्दोल (hindola), दीपक (dīpaka), श्री - राग (śrī-rāga), and मेघ (megha), each mode exciting some affection; other writers give other names; sometimes 7 or 26 Rāgas are mentioned; they are personified, and each of the 6 chief Rāgas is wedded to 5 or 6 consorts called Rāgiṇīs; their union gives rise to many other musical modes), Bhar.; Saṃgīt.; Rājat.; Pañcat. &c. [ ID=176094 ]

### Seasoning or Condiment (1 definition)
- seasoning or condiment  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > seasoning, condiment, Car. [ ID=176097 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; 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; 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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