Difference in meanings of dhara and dhaara

[Prathibha Sharangapani]

Respected members,

I am a beginner in learning sanskrit. I have some basic doubts regarding the use of dhara and dhaara. Do they both mean 'wear"? If so is 'sUtradhara' same as 'sUtradhaara'? But I have never heard anybody using the word 'giridhara' and 'giridhaara' interchangeably.

Please help me!

Thanks

Prathibha

[Prathibha]

[Taff Rivers]

Prathibha,

"doubts regarding the use of dhara and dhaara"

Use. By whom?

"Do they both mean 'wear'"

Both words?

There are at least three dhaara's ... 

Surely you are able to resolve your doubts yourself, by availing yourself of a dictionary.

e.g.

sūtra-dhara
• mfn. wearing a string of (comp.), MBh.
• m. one versed in the Sūtras, L. = next, L. [1242,1]

sūtra-dhāra
• m. 'rule or thread-holder', an architect, carpenter, MBh. VarBṛS.
• a stage-manager (or principal actor who superintends the whole performance; accord. to some he was originally so called from holding the strings of puppets.
• his assistants are the pāripārśvika and sthāpaka, qq. vv.), Bhar. Sāh. &c.
• N. of Indra, L.
• (ī), f. the wife of a stagemanager (also called gṛhiṇī), Mṛcch. Mudr.
• mf(ī)n. being the chief or leading person at any performance (comp.), Bālar.
• -maṇḍana m. (also simply called Maṇḍana) N. of an author (son of Śrīkṣetra and client of Kumbha-karṇa, king of Medapāṭa) Cat. [1242,1]

Taff Rivers

[Prathibha Sharangapani]

Sir,

I had a doubt because Meera bhajans have the word giridhaari. And we know Krishna is called giridhara. And there is a song "gOvardhana giridhaara" by a famous composer. I wanted to know how they all mean the same.

Thanks

Prathibha

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[Dipak Ashar]

Perhaps in my humble opinion, these are two verbs

धर = धरणं करोति इति ,

As per the legendary story Lord Krishna lifted Govardhan mountain to protect the people . Therefore, he is called Goovardhan giridhaari

गोवर्धन = the Mountain , गिरि = mountain  धर = one who holds

and धारा  i e = dhaara = is like a flow , thread or strings which connect

I am not a scholar, i may be wrong, request to correct my understanding

regards

dipak ashar

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[Subrahmanian R]

I have noticed a similar variation with regard to कर  and   कार. Generally for divinities, kara is used and for human beings kaara. As in

दिनकर and  कुम्भकार. Similarly

गङ्गाधर but वस्त्रधारणम्. Giridhaari in Meera Bhajan and other such exceptions could be due to regional variations.

R Subrahmanian

[Pradyumna Achar]

Meera bhajans are not in Sanskrit, so my guess is that गिरधारी (Eg: in the context of कान्हा बनसरी बजाय गिरधारी) is a तद्भव form of the Sanskrit गिरिधर
I have no idea of Sanskrit grammar, though. So this's just my gut feeling.
Regards,
Pradyumna

[Prathibha Sharangapani]

Thanks all for the inputs.

Prathibha

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