# रक्षा (rakṣā)

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

रक्षा (rakṣā) is a Sanskrit word meaning protection, care, or preservation, a guard, watch, or sentinel, a preservative, a bracelet or amulet used as a charm, a tutelary divinity, guard, protection. Its 22 recorded definitions are grouped into 10 contexts, among them Act of protection, preservation, security, Protective wrist-thread (Rakhi), Ashes (as preservative).

- **Root:** 1. रक्ष् (1. rakṣ)
- **SLP1:** `rakzA`  **IAST:** rakṣā  **Devanagari:** रक्षा
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raksha_%28Vedic%29
- **Declensions:** 24 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/raksha/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** राक्षा (rākṣā), रक्ष (rakṣa)

## Meanings by context

### Act of protection, preservation, security (8 definitions)
- protection, care, or preservation  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 860,1] रक्षा (rakṣā) f. the act of protecting or guarding, protection, care, preservation, security, Mn.; MBh. &c. [ ID=173088 ]
- Protection or preservation  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रक्षा (rakṣā) [Printed book page 0900-b ] रक्षा (rakṣā) [ रक्ष् - भावे अ टाप् (rakṣ-bhāve a ṭāp) ] 1 Protection, preservation; guarding; मयि (mayi) सृष्टिर्हि लोकानां रक्षा (rakṣā) युष्मास्ववस्थिता (sṛṣṭirhi lokānāṃ rakṣā yuṣmāsvavasthitā) Kumārasambhava (Bombay) 2. 28; Śakuntalā (Bombay) 2. 14; Raghuvaṃśa (Bombay) 2. 4, 8; Meghadūta (Bombay) 43
- Care, security  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रक्षा (rakṣā) [Printed book page 0900-b ] रक्षा (rakṣā) [ रक्ष् - भावे अ टाप् (rakṣ-bhāve a ṭāp) ] 2 Care, security
- A guard or watch.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रक्षा (rakṣā) [Printed book page 0900-b ] रक्षा (rakṣā) [ रक्ष् - भावे अ टाप् (rakṣ-bhāve a ṭāp) ] 3 A guard, watch
- 1. Protection, deliverance, or preservation. 2. Guard or sentinel. 3. A preservative, amulet, or mystical object.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रक्षा (rakṣā) [Printed book page 248-a3 ] रक्षा (rakṣā) rakṣ-ā, f. protection, deliverance, preservation, of ( —° very common; rarely —° = from, e. g. cold, or on, e. g. a journey ); guard, sentinel; preservative, amulet, mystical object: -karaṇḍaka, n. magical preservative casket; -gṛha, n. lying-in chamber; Page249-1 -adhikṛta, pp. entrusted with the protection ( of the country etc. ); m. appointed guardian; -adhipati, m. head-constable; -parigha, m. protective bolt; -puruṣa, m. guard, watchman; -pradīpa, m. protective lamp ( kept burning to keep off demons ); -abhyadhikṛta, m. police official; -maṅgala, n. protective ceremony ( against evil spirits ); -maṇi, m. jewel used as a preservative ( against demons ); also fig. of a king; -mahauṣadhi, f. sovran preservative herb ( against demons ); -ratna, n. preservative jewel ( against demons ): -pradipa, m. preservative jewel lamp ( the gems in which serve as a protective light against demons ): -vat, a. enjoying, protection, protected by ( in. ); -sarṣapa, m. mustard seed as a preservative against demons. [ ID=14984 ]
- 1. Guarding and preservation. 2. A guard or watch. 3. A tutelary deity. 4. Ashes. 5. An amulet or protective charm. 6. A protective thread bound around the wrist on certain occasions.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रक्षा (rakṣā) [Printed book page 602-11 ] रक्षा (rakṣā) f. 1. The act of guarding, preservation, मयि सृष्टिर्हि लोकानां रक्षा (rakṣā) युष्मास्ववस्थिता (mayi sṛṣṭirhi lokānāṃ rakṣā yuṣmāsvavasthitā) K.S. ii.28, R. ii.4; 2. a guard, a watch; 3. a tutelary deity; 4. ashes; 5. a preservative, an amulet used as a charm, (also रक्षिका (rakṣikā) in this sense), अहो रक्षा (rakṣā) करंडकमस्य मणिबंधे न दृश्यते (aho rakṣākaraṃḍakamasya maṇibaṃdhe na dṛśyate) Sak. vii.; 6. a piece of thread-silk bound round the wrist on the full-moon day of Śrāvaṇa and on some other occasions as a preservative; (also read रक्षी (rakṣī) in this sense). [ ID=31659 ]
- protection, watch  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > रक्षा (rakṣā) [Printed book page 227-b ] rakṣā, f. protection; watch. [ √1rakṣ, 1149. ] [ ID=3481 ]
- Guard, protection  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > रक्षा (rakṣā) [Printed book page 0825-b ] Rakṣā, f. guard, protection, &c. see rakṣa, col. 1; (for rakṣā = rākṣā, lac, see rākṣā. ) [ ID=38971 ]

### Protective wrist-thread (Rakhi) (3 definitions)
- A thread or silk bound around the wrist on special occasions as an amulet, symbol of mutual dependence, or mark of respect.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a piece of thread or silk bound round the wrist on partic. occasions ( esp. on the full moon of Śrāvaṇa, either as an amulet and preservative against misfortune, or as a symbol of mutual dependence, or as a mark of respect), MW. [ ID=173093 ]
- a protective thread or silk band tied around the wrist on special occasions  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2B) [Printed book page 860,1] रक्षी (rakṣī) f. a piece of thread or silk bound round the wrist on partic. occasions ( esp. on the full moon of Śrāvaṇa, either as an amulet and preservative against misfortune, or as a symbol of mutual dependence, or as a mark of respect), MW. [ ID=173093.1 ]
- A protective thread or amulet fastened around the wrist on special occasions.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रक्षा (rakṣā) [Printed book page 0900-b ] रक्षा (rakṣā) [ रक्ष् - भावे अ टाप् (rakṣ-bhāve a ṭāp) ] 7 A piece of silk or thread fastened round the wrist on particular occasions, especially on the full-moon day of Śrāvaṇa, as an amulet or preservative; ( रक्षी (rakṣī) also in this sense)

### Ashes (as preservative) (2 definitions)
- ashes used as a preservative  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > ashes (used as a preservative), L. [ ID=173092 ]
- Ashes  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रक्षा (rakṣā) [Printed book page 0900-b ] रक्षा (rakṣā) [ रक्ष् - भावे अ टाप् (rakṣ-bhāve a ṭāp) ] 6 Ashes

### Protective object, amulet, preservative (2 definitions)
- 1. A preservative. 2. A bracelet or amulet used as a charm.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > any preservative, ( esp. ) a sort of bracelet or amulet, any mysterious token used as a charm, BhP.; Suśr. [ ID=173090 ]
- An amulet or charm used as a preservative  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रक्षा (rakṣā) [Printed book page 0900-b ] रक्षा (rakṣā) [ रक्ष् - भावे अ टाप् (rakṣ-bhāve a ṭāp) ] 4 An amulet or mystical object used as a charm, any preservative: as in रक्षा (rakṣā) करंड (rakṣākaraṃḍa) q. v. below

### Tutelary deity (2 definitions)
- a tutelary divinity  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a tutelary divinity ( cf. महा - र् (mahā-r) ° (°) ) [ ID=173091 ]
- A tutelary deity  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रक्षा (rakṣā) [Printed book page 0900-b ] रक्षा (rakṣā) [ रक्ष् - भावे अ टाप् (rakṣ-bhāve a ṭāp) ] 5 A tutelary deity

### Guardian, watchman, protective official (1 definition)
- a guard, watch, or sentinel  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a guard, watch, sentinel, Mṛcch.; Kām. [ ID=173089 ]

### Lac (1 definition)
- Lac  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रक्षा (rakṣā) [Printed book page 0900-b ] रक्षा (rakṣā) [ रक्ष् - भावे अ टाप् (rakṣ-bhāve a ṭāp) ] 8 Lac

### Proper name (mythological) (1 definition)
- sister of Riksha, wife of Prajapati, and mother of Jambavan  
  *The Purana Index*
  > रक्षा (rakṣā) [Printed book page 3-042 ] Rakṣā (I) — the sister of Ṛkṣa; wife of Prajāpati and mother of Jāmbavan. Br. III. 7. 299-300. [ ID=11384 ]

### Protective places, practices, or ceremonies (1 definition)
- the use of amulets to protect against evil  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Rakṣā (II) — the use of amulets to protect children and others from evils. Vi. V. 5. 13. [ ID=11385 ]

### Species of tree (in compound name) (1 definition)
- a species of birch tree  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — पत्रः (patraḥ) a species of birch tree

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872); Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); The Purana Index; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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