# श्रद्धा (śraddhā)

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

श्रद्धा (śraddhā) is a Sanskrit word meaning having faith, trusting, or believing, faith, trust, or belief, to have faith, confidence, or belief, to credit and consider something true, to consent, assent to, or approve, faith, trust, confidence, or loyalty. Its 37 recorded definitions are grouped into 9 contexts, among them Faith, Trust, Belief, Confidence, Desire, Longing, Wish, Curiosity, Appetite, Śraddhā as a Proper Noun (Deity, Mythological Figure, Authoress).

- **Roots:** धा (dhā), गम् (gam)
- **SLP1:** `SradDA`  **IAST:** śraddhā  **Devanagari:** श्रद्धा
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/shraddha/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Faith, Trust, Belief, Confidence (11 definitions)
- Having faith, trusting, or believing.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 1095,3] श्रद् - ध (śrad-dha) mfn. having faith, believing in, trusting, faithful, having confidence, Kāṭhaka (Literary category); Taittirīya-saṃhitā (Title) [ ID=222327 ]
- 1. To have faith, confidence, or belief. 2. To credit and consider something true. 3. To consent, assent to, or approve.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 1095,3] श्रद् - (śrad-) √ धा (√dhā) b P. Ā. - दधाति (-dadhāti), - धत्ते (-dhatte) ( pr. p. श्रद्दधत् (śraddadhat), श्रद् - (śrad-) दधान (na) (śrad-dadhāna); Ved. inf. श्रद्धे (śraddhe) cf. श्रत् (śrat) above), to have faith or faithfulness, have belief or confidence, believe, be true or trustful (with न (na), ‘to disbelieve’ &c.), Ṛg-veda (Title) &c. &c. to credit, think anything true (two acc. ), Mahābhārata (Title); Kāvya literature (Literary category) &c. to believe or have faith in or be true to (with dat., and in later language with gen. of thing or person, or with loc. of thing), Ṛg-veda (Title) &c. &c. to expect anything ( acc. ) from ( abl. ), Mahābhārata (Title); to consent, assent to, approve, welcome (with acc.; with न (na), ‘to disapprove’), Kathāsaritsāgara (Title); to be desirous of ( acc. ), wish to ( inf. ), in the same place [Cologne Addition] (Title); Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title) : Caus. - धापयति (-dhāpayati), to make faithful, render trustful, inspire confidence, Ṛg-veda (Title) x, 151, 5. [ ID=222332 ]
- Faith, trust, confidence, or loyalty  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > श्रद्धा (śraddhā) c f. faith, trust, confidence, trustfulness, faithfulness, belief in ( loc. or comp.; श्रद्धया - (śraddhayā-) √ गम् (√gam), ‘to believe in’, with gen. Divyāvadāna (Title) ), trust, confidence, loyalty (Faith or Faithfulnesses is often personified and in Ṛg-veda (Title) x, 151 invoked as a deity; in Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa (Title) she is the daughter of Prajā-pati, and in Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa (Title) of the Sun; in Mahābhārata (Title) she is the daughter of Dakṣa and wife of Dharma; in Mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇa (Title) she is the mother of Kāma, and in Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title) the daughter of Kardama and wife of Aṅgiras or Manu), Ṛg-veda (Title) &c. &c. [ ID=222333 ]
- To confide, believe, or put faith in  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > श्रद्धा (śraddhā) [Printed book page 1058-b ] श्रद्धा (śraddhā) 3 Uttararāmacarita To confide, believe, put faith in (with acc. of thing); कः श्रद्धा (śraddhā) स्यति भूतार्थं (kaḥ śraddhāsyati bhūtārthaṃ) Mṛcchakaṭikā 3. 24; कामिन्यः श्रदधुरनार्जवं नरेषु (kāminyaḥ śradadhuranārjavaṃ nareṣu) Śiśupālavadha 8. 11, 9. 69; Uttararāmacarita 7. 6; श्रद्दये त्रिदशगोपमात्रके (śraddaye tridaśagopamātrake) दाहशक्तिमिव कृष्णवर्त्मनि (dāhaśaktimiva kṛṣṇavartmani) Raghuvaṃśa (Bombay) 11. 42. [ ID=28350 ]
- Trust, faith, or confidence  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > श्रद्धा (śraddhā) 1 Trust, faith, belief, confidence. [ ID=28352 ]
- Religious faith and belief in divine revelation  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > श्रद्धा (śraddhā) 2 Belief in divine revelation, religious faith; श्रद्धा (śraddhā) वित्तं विधिश्चेति त्रितयं तत्समागतं (vittaṃ vidhiśceti tritayaṃ tatsamāgataṃ) Śakuntalā (Bombay) 7. 29; Raghuvaṃśa (Bombay) 2. 16; Bhagavadgītā (Bombay) 6. 37; 17. 3. [ ID=28352 ]
- 1. Trusting or putting faith in. 2. Confidence, trust, faith, belief, faithfulness, or sincerity. 3. Desire or longing. 4. Curiosity.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > श्रद्धा (śraddhā) [Printed book page 320-1 ] श्रद्धा (śraddhā) śrad-dhā́, a. putting faith in, trusting ( d.; V. ); f. confidence, trust, faith, belief, in ( lc., —° ), faithfulness, sincerity ( V., C. ); desire, longing, for ( lc., prati, inf., or gnly. —°; C. ); curiosity ( V., C. ): -m ākhyāhi nas tāvat, pray satisfy our curiosity and tell us. [ ID=18242 ]
- 1. Faith, belief, or confidence. 2. Composure of mind. 3. Belief in divine revelation. 4. Respect or reverence. 5. Vehement desire.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > श्रद्धा (śraddhā) [Printed book page 731-05 ] श्रद्धा (śraddhā) f. 1. Faith, belief, confidence; 2. composure of mind; 3. belief in divine revelation, श्रद्धेव साक्षाद्विधिनोपपन्ना (śraddheva sākṣādvidhinopapannā) R. ii.16, Bg. vi.37; 4. respect, reverence; 5. vehement desire, प्राणानाम् सततं प्रयाणपटहश्रद्धा (śraddhā) न विश्राम्यति (prāṇānām satataṃ prayāṇapaṭahaśraddhā na viśrāmyati) Vikr.Ch. xviii.106. [ ID=38478 ]
- 1. Trusting or faithful. 2. Trust, faith, belief, fidelity, or sincerity. 3. Wish, desire, longing, curiosity, whim, or appetite.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > श्रद्धा (śraddhā) [Printed book page 559 ] श्रद्धा (śraddhā) a. trusting, faithful ( dat. ). — f. आ (ā) trust, faith, belief in ( loc. or —°); fidelity, sincerity (also personif.); wish, desire, longing for ( loc., acc. w. प्रति (prati), infin., or —°); curiosity, whim, appetite. [ ID=33262 ]
- 1. Trust or faith. 2. Desire.  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > श्रद्धा (śraddhā) [Printed book page 260-b ] śraddhā́, f. trust, faith; desire. [see śrád: 1147. ] [ ID=4275 ]
- 1. To place confidence in, have faith in, trust, or believe. 2. To respect.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > श्रद्धा (śraddhā) [Printed book page 1024-a ] Śrad-dhā (cf. perhaps cred-o for cred-do), cl. 3. P. A. -dadhāti, -dhatte, -dhātum, to place con- fidence in, have faith in, trust, believe, ( śraddhātum arhaḥ, worthy to be believed, trustworthy); to respect. [ ID=47339 ]

### Desire, Longing, Wish, Curiosity, Appetite (7 definitions)
- wish, desire, longing for  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > wish, desire ( श्रद्धया (śraddhayā) ind. ‘willingly, gladly’), longing for ( loc. acc. with प्रति (prati) inf., or comp. ), Mahābhārata (Title); Kāvya literature (Literary category) &c. [ ID=222334 ]
- desire of eating  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > desire of eating, appetite, Suśruta (Title) [ ID=222335 ]
- the longing of a pregnant woman  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the longing of a pregnant woman, Carakasaṃhitā (Title) [ ID=222336 ]
- curiosity  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > curiosity ( श्रद्धाम् आख्याहि नस् तावत् (śraddhām ākhyāhi nas tāvat), ‘just satisfy our curiosity and tell us’), Kathāsaritsāgara (Title) [ ID=222337 ]
- Willingly, gladly  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2C) [Printed book page 1095,3] श्रद्धया (śraddhayā) ind., ‘willingly, gladly’ [ ID=222344.1 ]
- Strong or vehement desire  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > श्रद्धा (śraddhā) 6 Strong or vehement desire; तथापि वैचिव्यरहस्यलुब्याः (tathāpi vaicivyarahasyalubyāḥ) श्रद्धा (śraddhā) ं विधास्यंति सचेतसोऽत्र (śraddhāṃ vidhāsyaṃti sacetaso'tra) Vikramāṅkadevacarita (Bombay) 1. 13, युद्धश्रद्धा (śraddhā) पुलकित इव प्राप्तसख्यः (yuddhaśraddhāpulakita iva prāptasakhyaḥ) करेण (kareṇa) Mudrārākṣasa (Bombay) 6. 18. [ ID=28352 ]
- The longing of a pregnant woman.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > श्रद्धा (śraddhā) 7 The longing of a pregnant woman. [ ID=28352 ]

### Śraddhā as a Proper Noun (Deity, Mythological Figure, Authoress) (7 definitions)
- the authoress of the Rig-veda  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (with कामायनी (kāmāyanī) ) N. of the authoress of Ṛg-veda (Title) x, 151 ( cf. above) [ ID=222343 ]
- faith  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > श्रद्धा (śraddhā) [Printed book page 214-2 ] Śraddhā 1 (‘Faith’), daughter of Dakṣa and wife of Dharma. § 115 (Aṃśāvat.): I, 66, 2578. [ ID=2683 ]
- daughter of Vivasvat  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > Śraddhā 2 (do.), daughter of Vivasvat. § 680 b (Tulādhāra- Jājali-saṃv.): XII, 265, 9449 ( Vaivasvatī Sūryasya duhitā Sāvitṝ, cf. the allegoric explanation of Nīl.), 9450. [ ID=2684 ]
- A daughter of Kardama married to Angirasa and mother of several children including Sinivali, Kuhu, Raka, Anumati, Utathya, and Brihaspati.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > श्रद्धा (śraddhā) [Printed book page 3-474 ] Śraddhā (I) — a daughter of Kardama married to An- girasa. Mother of four daughters — Sinīvālī, Kuhū, Rākā and Anumatī and sons Utathya and Bṛhaspati. Bhā. III. 24. 22; IV. 1. 34 and 35. [ ID=14857 ]
- 1. A daughter of Daksha and wife of Dharma. 2. The mother of Shubha and Kama.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Śraddhā (II) — a daughter of Dakṣa and wife of Dharma; mother of Śubha and Kāma. Bhā. IV. 1. 49-50; Br. II. 9. 49 and 58; Vā. 10. 25, 35; Vi. I. 7. 23 and 28. [ ID=14858 ]
- a wife of Shraddhadeva and mother of ten sons  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Śraddhā (III) — a wife of Śrāddhadeva and mother of ten sons; observed payovrata and wanted the birth of a daughter. Ilā was born. Bhā. IX. 1. 11, 14-16. [ ID=14859 ]
- one of the wives of Vasudeva and mother of Gaveshavan  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Śraddhā(devī) (IV) — one of the wives of Vasudeva and mother of Gaveṣavān. M. 46. 20. [ ID=14860 ]

### Grammatical Information / Cross-references (4 definitions)
- faith, trust, or belief  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2B) [Printed book page 1095,3] श्रद् - धा (śrad-dhā) a ( आ (ā) ), f., see below [ ID=222328 ]
- faith, trust, or belief  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > श्रद् - ध (śrad-dha) n. = श्रद्धा (śraddhā), Horace H. Wilson, author of first Sanskrit-English dictionary in 1819 (Author) [ ID=222329 ]
- a term for feminine nouns ending in a  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a term for the fem. nouns in आ (ā), Kātantra (Title) [ ID=222342 ]
- See page 1095, column 3.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 1096,1] श्रद्धा (śraddhā) d, श्रद् - दधान (śrad-dadhāna) &c. See p. 1095, col. 3. [ ID=222399 ]

### Intimacy, Familiarity (2 definitions)
- intimacy  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > intimacy, in the same place [Cologne Addition] (Title) [ ID=222341 ]
- Intimacy or familiarity  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > श्रद्धा (śraddhā) 4 Intimacy, familiarity. [ ID=28352 ]

### Mental Calmness, Composure (2 definitions)
- calmness or composure of mind  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > calmness or composure of mind, Monier-Williams’ Sanskrit-English Dictionary, 1st edition with marginal notes (Title) [ ID=222340 ]
- Sedateness and composure of mind  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > श्रद्धा (śraddhā) 3 Sedateness, composure of mind. [ ID=28352 ]

### Respect, Reverence (2 definitions)
- respect, reverence  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > respect, reverence, Horace H. Wilson, author of first Sanskrit-English dictionary in 1819 (Author) [ ID=222339 ]
- Respect, reverence  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > श्रद्धा (śraddhā) 5 Respect, reverence. [ ID=28352 ]

### Name of Specific Chants (Sāmans) (1 definition)
- the name of two Samans associated with Prajapati  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > du. (with प्रजा - पतेः (prajā-pateḥ) ) N. of two Sāmans, Ārṣeya-brāhmaṇa (Title) [ ID=222344 ]

### Purity (1 definition)
- purity  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > purity, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=222338 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical 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); The Purana Index; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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