गाथ

Alternative forms

• गाथा (gāthā́)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Aryan *gaHtʰás, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *gaHtʰás. Cognate with Avestan 𐬔𐬁𐬚𐬁‎ (gāθā, “form of strophe, metre, name the collections of Zarathustra's songs”). Same PII root *gaH- gave Sanskrit root गायति (gāyati, “to sing”).

Noun

गाथ • (gāthá) m

1. song
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 1.167.6

     आस्थापयन्त युवतिं युवानः शुभे निमिश्लां विदथेषु पज्राम् ।
     अर्को यद्वो मरुतो हविष्मान्गायद्गाथं सुतसोमो दुवस्यन् ॥

     āsthāpayanta yuvatiṃ yuvānaḥ śubhe nimiślāṃ vidatheṣu pajrām .
     arko yadvo maruto haviṣmāngāyadgāthaṃ sutasomo duvasyan .

     Upon their car the young men set the Maiden wedded to glory, mighty in assemblies,
     When your song, Maruts, rose, and, with oblation, the Soma-pourer sang his hymn in worship.

   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 9.11.4

     बभ्रवे नु स्वतवसेऽरुणाय दिविस्पृशे ।
     सोमाय गाथमर्चत ॥

     babhrave nu svatavase’ruṇāya divispṛśe .
     somāya gāthamarcata .

     Sing a praise-song to Soma brown of hue, of independent might.
     The Red, who reaches up to heaven.

References

• Sir Monier Monier-Williams (1898) A Sanskrit-English dictionary etymologically and philologically arranged with special reference to cognate Indo-European languages, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 0352