# रात्रि (rātri)

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

रात्रि (rātri) is a Sanskrit word meaning night, or the darkness and stillness of night, ati-rātra, an epithet of Shiva, one of the four bodies of Brahma, turmeric, the authoress of a hymn in the Rig-veda. Its 22 recorded definitions are grouped into 7 contexts, among them Night (General Concept and Characteristics), Grammatical Forms and Lexicographical Notes, Rātri in Mythology and Cosmology.

- **Roots:** रम् (ram), रा (rā)
- **Etymology:** E. रा to give, (pleasure or rest,) त्रिप् Uṇādi aff., ङीप् optionally added — E. rā to give, (pleasure or rest,) trip Uṇādi aff., ṅīp optionally added
- **SLP1:** `rAtri`  **IAST:** rātri  **Devanagari:** रात्रि
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratri
- **Declensions:** 72 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/ratri/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** रात्री (rātrī)

## Meanings by context

### Night (General Concept and Characteristics) (8 definitions)
- night, or the darkness and stillness of night  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 876,1] रा (rā) त्रि (rātri) f( इ (i) or ई (ī) ). or (older) रा (rā) त्री (rātrī) ( prob. ‘bestower’, fr. √ रा (rā); or ‘season of rest’, fr. √ रम् (ram) ) night, the darkness or stillness of night (often personified), RV. &c. &c. ( ° त्रौ (°trau) ind. or ° त्र्याम् (°tryām) ind. at n°, by n°; रा (rā) त्रौ शयनम् (rātrau śayanam), a festival on the 11th day of the first half of the month Āṣāḍha, regarded as the night of the gods, beginning with the summer solstice, when Viṣṇu reposes for four months on the serpent Śeṣa) [ ID=177050 ]
- night  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रात्रि (rātri) [Printed book page 254-1 ] रात्रि (rātri) rā́-tr-i, f. ( only ī in RV., which later became shortned ), night; abbreviation for rātri-paryāya: -ka, a. nocturnal: —° after a numeral, staying or lasting ( so and so many ) nights; -kara, m. (night-maker), moon; -cara, m. (night-walker), watchman; Rākṣasa; -caryā, f. night-wandering; nocturnal ceremony; -jāgara, m. wakefulness at night; -devata, a. having the night as a deity; -nātha, m. lord of night, moon; -ṃ diva, n. night and day: -m, ā, ad. by night and by day; -paryāya, m. the three ritual turns in the Atirātra ceremony; -bhujaṃga, m. moon; -m-aṭa, m. (night-rover), demon; -maya, a. nocturnal; -rakṣaka, m. watchman; -vāsas, n. night-dress; -śeṣa, m. remainder or last part of the night; -sūkta, n. hymn to night ( designation of the hymn interpolated after RV. X, 127 ). [ ID=15189 ]
- Night  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रा (rā) त्रि (rātri) [Printed book page 703 ] रा (rā) त्रि (rātri) f. ( - त्रिः - त्री (-triḥ-trī) ) Night. E. रा (rā) to give, (pleasure or rest,) त्रिप् (trip) Uṇādi aff., ङीप् (ṅīp) optionally added. [ ID=32227 ]
- Night  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रात्रि (rātri) [Printed book page 628-b ] रात्रि (rātri) ( त्रिः - त्री ) ((triḥ-trī)) 2. 3. f. Night. [ ID=31796 ]
- Night  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रात्रि (rātri) [Printed book page 610-11 ] रात्रि (rātri)( त्री ) (rātri(trī)) f. Night, the darkness of night, नाता रात्रि (rātri) ः क्षण इव मया सार्धमिच्छारतैर्या (nātā rātriḥ kṣaṇa iva mayā sārdhamicchāratairyā) Megh. ii.26. [ ID=32042 ]
- Night, the darkness of night  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रा (rā) त्रि (rātri) [Printed book page 603-a ] रा (rā) त्रि (rātri) f. ( - त्रिः - त्री (-triḥ-trī) ) Night, the darkness of night. E. रा (rā) to give, (pleasure or rest,) त्रिप् (trip) Unādi aff., ङीप् (ṅīp) optionally added. [ ID=33555 ]
- Night  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रात्रि (rātri) [Printed book page 0767-b ] रात्रि (rātri) and रात्री (rātrī) rātrī, probably ram + tṛ + ī, f. Night, Hit. pr. d. 24, M.M. — Comp. Kāla-, f. 1. the last night of a Kalpa, in which the universe is destroyed by Kāla, Rām. 5, 47, 26. 2. Durgā, Hariv. 3269. 3. = bhīma- rathī, see ratha. Yakṣa-rātri, f. the night of full moon in the month Kārt- tika. Śiva-rātri, f. a festival in honour of Śiva. Śeṣa-rātri, f. the last watch of the night. [ ID=12069 ]
- 1. Night or the darkness and stillness of night. 2. Night personified. 3. Turmeric.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > रात्रि (rātri) [Printed book page 0841-c ] रात्रि (rātri) rātri, is, or rātrī, f. (in the older language generally rātrī; probably fr. rt. ram ), night, the darkness or stillness of night [cf. rāma ]; Night personified, ( rātrau, at night, by night; rā- trau śayanam, a festival on the eleventh day of the first half of the month Āṣāḍha, regarded as the night of the gods beginning with the summer solstice, when Viṣṇu reposes for four months on the serpent Śeṣa); = ati-rātra; = rātri-paryāya; = rātri- sāman; one of the four bodies of Brahmā, (in this and the following senses only rātri ); = haridrā, turmeric; Rātri bhāradvājī, f., N. of the authoress of the hymn Ṛg-veda X. 127. —Rātri-kara, as, m. ‘night-maker,’ the moon. —Rātri-kāla, as, m. night-time. —Rātri-cara, as, ī, am, night-wander- ing, prowling or roaming at night; ( as ), m. a night- rover, night-prowler, thief, robber; a night-watcher, watchman, guard, patrol; a Rākṣasa; a goblin, ghost, fiend, evil spirit; ( ī ), f. a Rākṣasa female. —Rātri-caryā, f. night-roving, roaming about at night; a nightly act or ceremony. —Rātri-ja, as, ā, am, produced at night, appearing by night, noc- turnal; ( am ), n. a star, constellation. —Rātri-jala, am, n. ‘night-water,’ dew, mist, fog. —Rātri-jā- gara, as, m. night-watching, wakefulness at night; ( as, ā, am ), watching at night, sitting up at night; ( as ), m. a dog. —Rātri-jāgaraṇa, am, n. the act of sitting up all night. —Rātrijāgara-da, as, ā, am, causing waking or wakefulness at night, keeping awake at night; ( as ), m. a gnat, musquito. —Rā- triñ-cara = rātri-cara above. —Rātri-tarā, f. (com- par. of rātri ), the depth or dead of night. —Rātri- tithi, is, f. a lunar night. —Rātri-divam = rātrin- divam below. —Rātri-nāśana, as, m. ‘night- destroyer,’ the sun. —Rātrin-diva, am, n. a night and day, day and night; (am, ā), ind. by night and day. —Rātri-pada-vicāra, as, m., N. of a work. —Rātri-pariśiṣṭa, am, n. = rātri-sūkta. —Rātri-paryāya, as, m., Ved. the three recurring sentences in the recitation of the Ati-rātra. —Rātri- puṣpa, am, n. ‘night-flower,’ a lotus-flower which opens during the night. —Rātri-pūjā, f. night-wor- ship, the nocturnal worship of a deity. —Rātri-bala, as, ā, am, powerful by night, manifesting power at night; ( as ), m. a Rākṣasa. —Rātri-bhojana, am, n. night-eating, the act of taking food at night. —Rātribhojana-niṣedha, as, m., N. of a work. —Rātrim-aṭa, as, m. = rātry-aṭa. —Rātri-maṇi, is, m. ‘night-jewel,’ the moon. —Rātri-māraṇa, am, n. night-killing, a murder committed in the night. —Rātrim-manya, as, ā, am, thinking it night; being regarded as night, appearing like night. —Rātri-yoga, as, m. night-fall, the coming on of night. —Rātri-rakṣaka, as, m. a night-guard, watchman, night-watcher. —Rātri-rāga, as, m. ‘the colour of night,’ darkness, obscurity. —Rātri- lagna-nirūpaṇa, am, n., N. of a treatise ascribed to Kālidāsa. —Rātri-vāsas, as, n. a night-garment, night-dress; the garment of night, i. e. darkness, obscurity. —Rātri-vigama, as, m. departure of night, break of day, dawn, day-light. —Rātri-viśle- ṣa-gāmin, ī, inī, i, going apart at night, separating at night; ( ī ), m. the ruddy goose, Anas Casarca. —Rātri-veda, as, or rātri-vedin, ī, m. ‘night- knower,’ a cock. —Rātri-ṣāman or rātri-sāman, a, n. a Sāman belonging to the Ati-rātra. —Rātri- sattra, am, n., Ved. a night sacrifice, night cere- mony. —Rātri-sūkta or rātrī-sūkta, am, n. epithet of certain hymns on Night appended to Ṛg-veda X. 127. —Rātri-hāsa, as, m. ‘laughing, i. e. opening in the night,’ the white lotus. —Rātri-hiṇḍaka, as, m. ‘moving about at night,’ a guard of the women's apartments. —Rātrī-daivodāsa or rātrī-hava-dai- Page0842-a+ 79 vodāsa, am, n., N. of a Sāman. —Rātry-aṭa, as, m. ‘night-moving,’ a Rākṣasa, goblin; a ghost; a night-walker; a thief. —Rātry-andha, as, ā, am, night-blind, unable to see by night. —Rātryandha- tā, f. night-blindness. —Rātry-ahanī, n. du. night and day. —Rātry-āgama, as, m. the coming on or approach of night; [cf. ahar-āgama. ] —Rātry- āndhya, am, n. night-blindness. [ ID=39368 ]

### Grammatical Forms and Lexicographical Notes (3 definitions)
- at night  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1C) [Printed book page 876,1] रात्रौ (rātrau) ind., at n°, by n°; रात्रौ (rātrau) शयनम् (rātrau śayanam), a festival on the 11th day of the first half of the month Āṣāḍha, regarded as the night of the gods, beginning with the summer solstice, when Viṣṇu reposes for four months on the serpent Śeṣa [ ID=177050.7 ]
- at night  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > रात्र्याम् (rātryām) ind., at n°, by n° [ ID=177050.8 ]
- night  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > रात्रि (rātri) [Printed book page 448 ] रात्रि (rātri) v. रात्री (rātrī). [ ID=26912 ]

### Rātri in Mythology and Cosmology (3 definitions)
- one of the four bodies of Brahma  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (only रात्रि (rātri) ) one of the 4 bodies of Brahmā, VP. [ ID=177050.4 ]
- 1. Parameshvara. 2. Pralaya or the destruction at the end of which creation recurs.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Rātri (III) — Pārameśvara; pralaya or destruction at the end of which recurs the creation of the universe. Vā. 5. 2 and 6. [ ID=11602 ]
- 1. Night that came into being when the Asuras were born to Prajapati. 2. The period of the bright fortnight for the Pitris. 3. That which enters water in the morning.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Rātri (IV) — when the Asuras were born to Prajāpati night came into being; ety.; three yāmas of the night are full of darkness — Triyāmikā; then Prajāpati took another guise and created the devas; āsuri of tamas quality; 1 no Page3-071+ 30 night for the region to the north of Meru and south of Lokā- loka as the sun is far removed and the earth is surrounded by the lekha; 2 for the Pitṛs is Suklapakṣa; 3 enters water in the morning. 4 [ Footnote: 1) Vā. 9. 6-15; Br. II. 13. 14.] [ Footnote: 2) Vā. 50. 108.] [ Footnote: 3) Ib. 51. 11; 57. 9.] [ Footnote: 4) Ib. 53. 14.] [ ID=11603 ]

### Rātri in Specific Rituals (3 definitions)
- ati-rātra  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > = अति - रात्र (ati-rātra), ŚBr. [ ID=177050.1 ]
- night  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > = रात्रि - पर्याय (rātri-paryāya), ib. [ ID=177050.2 ]
- an epithet of Shiva  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > = रात्रि - सामन् (rātri-sāman), Lāṭy. [ ID=177050.3 ]

### Night Personified or as a Deity (2 definitions)
- Night personified  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > रात्रि (rātri) [Printed book page 595-1 ] Rātri (“Night,” personif.). § 135 (Śakuntalop.): I, 74, 3017.—§ 555 (Indravijaya): V, 13, 425 ( devīṃ ).—§ 615 u (Skanda): IX, 45 γ, 2517 ( °y-ahanī, came to the investiture of Skanda). Cf. Niśā 2. [ ID=9026 ]
- a shakti  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Rātri (II) — a Śakti. Br. IV. 44. 75. [ ID=11601 ]

### Rātri as a Proper Noun (Non-Deity) (2 definitions)
- the authoress of a hymn in the Rig-veda  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (with the patr. भारद्वाजी (bhāradvājī) ) N. of the authoress of Ṛg-veda (Title) x, 127; Anukr. [ ID=177050.6 ]
- a region in Krauñcadvīpa  
  *The Purana Index*
  > रात्रि (rātri) [Printed book page 3-070 ] Rātri (I) — a R. in Krauñcadvīpa. Br. II. 19. 75; M. 122. 88; Vā. 49. 69; Vi. II. 4. 55. [ ID=11600 ]

### Rātri meaning Turmeric (1 definition)
- turmeric  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > = हरिद्रा (haridrā), turmeric, MBh.; Suśr. [ ID=177050.5 ]

## 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 (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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