# रंभा (raṃbhā)

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

रंभा (raṃbhā) is a Sanskrit word meaning a plantain or banana tree, an epithet of Gauri, a harlot, sounding, roaring, the lowing of cows, a kind of rice. Its 7 recorded definitions are grouped into 5 contexts, among them Mythological Female Figures, Sounds or Vocalizations, A harlot.

- **SLP1:** `raMBA`  **IAST:** raṃbhā  **Devanagari:** रंभा
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rambha_%28apsara%29
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/rambha/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** रांभ (rāṃbha), राम्भ (rāmbha), रम्भा (rambhā), रम्भ (rambha)

## Meanings by context

### Mythological Female Figures (2 definitions)
- an epithet of Gauri  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रंभा (raṃbhā) [Printed book page 0905-a ] रंभा (raṃbhā) 2 N. of Gaurī
- An apsaras, wife of Nalakubara, considered the most beautiful woman in Indra's paradise.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रंभा (raṃbhā) [Printed book page 0905-a ] रंभा (raṃbhā) 3 Naiṣadhacarita of an apsaras, wife of Nalakūbara and considered as the most beautiful woman in the paradise of Indra; तरुमूरुयुगेन सुंदरी (tarumūruyugena suṃdarī) किमु रंभा (raṃbhā) ं परिणाहिना परम् । तरुणीमपि (kimu raṃbhāṃ pariṇāhinā param. taruṇīmapi) जिष्णुरेव तां धनदापत्यतपःफलस्तनीं ॥ (jiṣṇureva tāṃ dhanadāpatyatapaḥphalastanīṃ..) Naiṣadhacarita 2. 37

### Sounds or Vocalizations (2 definitions)
- Sounding, roaring  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रंभा (raṃbhā) [Printed book page 0905-a ] रंभा (raṃbhā) 5 Sounding. roaring
- The lowing of cows  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रंभा (raṃbhā) [Printed book page 0905-a ] रंभा (raṃbhā) 6 The lowing of cows

### A harlot (1 definition)
- A harlot  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रंभा (raṃbhā) [Printed book page 0905-a ] रंभा (raṃbhā) 4 A harlot

### A type of rice (1 definition)
- A kind of rice  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रंभा (raṃbhā) [Printed book page 0905-a ] रंभा (raṃbhā) 7 A kind of rice

### Plantain tree and related imagery (1 definition)
- A plantain or banana tree.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रंभा (raṃbhā) [Printed book page 0905-a ] रंभा (raṃbhā) 1 A plantain tree; विजितरंभमूरुद्वयं (vijitaraṃbhamūrudvayaṃ) Gītagovinda 10; पिबोरुरंभा (raṃbhā) तरु पीवरोरु (piboruraṃbhātaru pīvaroru) Naiṣadhacarita 22. 43, 2. 37

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical 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