# तन्मात्र (tanmātra)

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

तन्मात्र (tanmātra) is a Sanskrit word meaning consisting of that alone, trika, merely that or only a trifle, a subtle element from which grosser elements are produced, the subtle rudiment of elementary matter, simple matter. Its 13 recorded definitions are grouped into 3 contexts, among them Subtle/Rudimentary Element (Philosophical), Merely that / Only a trifle, Internal Dictionary Reference.

- **Etymology:** E. तत्, and मात्र only, or element. तदेव एवार्थे मात्रच् सा मात्रा यस्य वा । — E. tat, and mātra only, or element. tadeva evārthe mātrac sā mātrā yasya vā
- **SLP1:** `tanmAtra`  **IAST:** tanmātra  **Devanagari:** तन्मात्र
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/tanmatra/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Subtle/Rudimentary Element (Philosophical) (10 definitions)
- consisting of that alone  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3) [Printed book page 434,3] तन् (tan) — मात्र (—mātra) mfn. = ° त्रक (°traka), Mahābhārata (Title) ix, 1806; Pañcat. [ ID=82201 ]
- trika  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > = ° त्रिक (°trika), Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title) iii, 10, 15 [ ID=82202 ]
- a subtle element from which grosser elements are produced  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a rudimentary or subtle element (5 in number, viz. शब्द - (śabda-), स्पर्श - (sparśa-), रूप - (rūpa-), रस - (rasa-), गन्ध - (gandha-), from which the 5 Mahā-bhūtas or grosser elements are produced, cf. Religious Thought and Life in India, also called ’Brāhmanism and Hindūism,’ by Sir M. Monier-Williams (Title) p. 31 and 33 ), Yājñavalkya (Author) iii, 179; Mahābhārata (Title) i, xiii; Sāṃkhyak.; KapS. &c. [ ID=82205 ]
- 1. The subtle rudiment of elementary matter. 2. Merely that.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तन्मात्र (mātra) (tanmātra) [Printed book page 365 ] तन्मात्र (mātra) (tanmātra) n. sub. ( - त्रं (-traṃ) ) The archetype or subtile rudiment of elementary matter. adv. Merely that. E. तद् (tad), and मात्र (mātra) only, or element. [ ID=17017 ]
- 1. Simple matter. 2. Merely that.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तन्मात्र (tanmātra) [Printed book page 322-b ] त - न्मात्र (ta-nmātra) ( त्रं ) ((traṃ)) 1. n. Simple matter. adv. Merely that. [ ID=16489 ]
- 1. Only a trifle. 2. A subtle and primary element in philosophy.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तन्मात्र (tanmātra) [Printed book page 301-02 ] तन्मात्र (tanmātra) n. 1. merely that, i.e. only a trifle; 2. a subtile and primary element (in Phil.). [ ID=15137 ]
- 1. The subtle rudiment of elementary matter. 2. Merely that.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तन्मात्र (mātra) (tanmātra) [Printed book page 304-a ] तन्मात्र (mātra) (tanmātra) n. sub. ( - त्रं (-traṃ) ) The archetype or subtile rudiment of elementary matter. adv. Merely that. E. तत्, (tat,) and मात्र (mātra) only, or element. तदेव (tadeva) एवार्थे मात्र (mātra) च् सा मात्र (mātra) ा यस्य वा । (evārthe mātrac sā mātrā yasya vā.) [ ID=17000 ]
- 1. That only. 2. An atom or rudimentary element. 3. Consisting of atoms.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तन्मात्र (tanmātra) [Printed book page 0352-a ] तन्मात्र (tanmātra) tanmātra, i. e. tad-mātra, I. n. 1. That only, Pañc. i. d. 284. 2. An atom, or rudimentary element, Ve- dāntas. in Chr. 206, 19. II. adj. Con- sisting of atoms, Bhāg. P. 3, 10, 15. [ ID=5708 ]
- 1. Only so much or little. 2. A trifle, atom, or elementary matter.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तन्मात्र (tanmātra) [Printed book page 197 ] तन्मात्र (tanmātra) a. only so much or little. n. a trifle; atom, elementary matter (ph.). [ ID=11950 ]
- subtle elements from which gross elements are produced  
  *The Purana Index*
  > तन्मात्र (tanmātra) [Printed book page 2-004 ] Tanmātra — ‘rudimentary, undifferentiated, subtle ele- ments from which a gross element is produced.’ M. 3. 22-26; Vā. 4. 52. [ ID=5296 ]

### Merely that / Only a trifle (2 definitions)
- merely that or only a trifle  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > तन् (tan) — मात्र (—mātra) n. merely that, only a trifle, Kathāsaritsāgara (Title) v, 15 [ ID=82203 ]
- This entry contains textual citations rather than a standalone definition.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > lxiii, 60; Rājataraṃgiṇī (Title) vi, 1 [ ID=82204 ]

### Internal Dictionary Reference (1 definition)
- See page 361, column 1.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > तन्मात्र (tanmātra) [Printed book page 0362-c ] तन्मात्र (tanmātra) tan-mātra. See p. 361, col. 1. [ ID=20413 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller 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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