तन्त्र

See also: तन्त्री

Sanskrit

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Aryan *tántram, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *tántram, from Proto-Indo-European *téntlom, from *ten- (“to stretch, extend”). Cognate with Persian تار‎ (târ), Latvian tìkls.

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /tɐ́n.tɾɐ/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈt̪ɐn̪.t̪ɾɐ/

Noun

तन्त्र • (tántra) stem, n

1. a loom.
2. the warp.
3. the leading or principal or essential part, main point, characteristic feature, model, type, system, framework.
4. doctrine, rule, theory, scientific work, chapter of such a work.
5. a class of works teaching magical and mystical formularies (mostly in the form of dialogues between शिव and दुर्गा and said to treat of 5 subjects, 1. the creation, 2. the destruction of the world, 3. the worship of the gods, 4. the attainment of all objects, especially of 6 superhuman faculties, 5. the 4 modes of union with the supreme spirit by meditation.
6. a spell.
7. oath or ordeal.
8. N. of a सामन् (also called ‘ that of विरूप ’).
9. an army.
10. a row, number, series, troop.
11. a means which leads to two or more results, contrivance.
12. a drug (esp. one of specific faculties).
13. wealth.
14. a house.
15. happiness.

Declension

Neuter a-stem declension of तन्त्र (tántra)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	तन्त्रम् tántram	तन्त्रे tántre	तन्त्राणि / तन्त्रा¹ tántrāṇi / tántrā¹
Vocative	तन्त्र tántra	तन्त्रे tántre	तन्त्राणि / तन्त्रा¹ tántrāṇi / tántrā¹
Accusative	तन्त्रम् tántram	तन्त्रे tántre	तन्त्राणि / तन्त्रा¹ tántrāṇi / tántrā¹
Instrumental	तन्त्रेण tántreṇa	तन्त्राभ्याम् tántrābhyām	तन्त्रैः / तन्त्रेभिः¹ tántraiḥ / tántrebhiḥ¹
Dative	तन्त्राय tántrāya	तन्त्राभ्याम् tántrābhyām	तन्त्रेभ्यः tántrebhyaḥ
Ablative	तन्त्रात् tántrāt	तन्त्राभ्याम् tántrābhyām	तन्त्रेभ्यः tántrebhyaḥ
Genitive	तन्त्रस्य tántrasya	तन्त्रयोः tántrayoḥ	तन्त्राणाम् tántrāṇām
Locative	तन्त्रे tántre	तन्त्रयोः tántrayoḥ	तन्त्रेषु tántreṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Borrowed terms

• English: tantra
• → Malay: tentera
• → Indonesian: tentara
• Telugu: తంత్రము (tantramu)

Descendants

• Assamese: তাঁত (tãt)

References

• Monier William's Sanskrit-English Dictionary, 2 nd Ed. 1899