Giridurga, Giri-durga: 15 definitions
Introduction:
Giridurga means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
In Hinduism
Dharmashastra (religious law)
Source: Wisdom Library: Dharma-śāstraGiridurga (गिरिदुर्ग) refers to type of “fort”, characterised as being situated on top of a mountain. It is used throughout Dharmaśāstra literature such as the Manusmṛti.
Source: Google Books: Manusmṛti with the ManubhāṣyaThe Giridurga (गिरिदुर्ग) is erected either on the summit of a mountain, or in a tract of land surrounded by hills. (See the Manubhāṣya verse 7.70)
Dharmashastra (धर्मशास्त्र, dharmaśāstra) contains the instructions (shastra) regarding religious conduct of livelihood (dharma), ceremonies, jurisprudence (study of law) and more. It is categorized as smriti, an important and authoritative selection of books dealing with the Hindu lifestyle.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana IndexGiridurga (गिरिदुर्ग).—The best of six hill fortresses.*
- * Matsya-purāṇa 217. 7.
The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.
Arthashastra (politics and welfare)
Source: Shodhganga: Kakati Ganapatideva and his times (artha)Giridurga (गिरिदुर्ग) refers to forts build on the tops of slopes of hills, and represents one of the four kinds of forts (durga) specified in the Nītīsara. All these forts to which ever category belong must have special attālakas (rooms) over the gopuras (getes) fitted with sundry wooden contrivances (machines) guarded by warriors adepts in military exercises and the use of sundry missiles and weapons of warfare and well stocked with money and grain.
Arthashastra (अर्थशास्त्र, arthaśāstra) literature concerns itself with the teachings (shastra) of economic prosperity (artha) statecraft, politics and military tactics. The term arthashastra refers to both the name of these scientific teachings, as well as the name of a Sanskrit work included in such literature. This book was written (3rd century BCE) by by Kautilya, who flourished in the 4th century BCE.
Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)
Source: Wisdom Library: Brihat Samhita by VarahamihiraGiridurga (गिरिदुर्ग) refers to “citadels fortified by hills”, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 16) (“On the planets—graha-bhaktiyoga”), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “The Moon presides over citadels fortified by hills (giridurga) or by water, over Kosala, Bharukaccha, the sea, the city of Roma, the country of Tuṣāra, dwellers in forests, the islands of Taṅgaṇa, Hala and Strīrājya in the big seas. She presides over sweet juice, flowers, fruits, water, salt, gems, conch shells, pearls, creatures of water, paddy, barley, medicinal plants, wheat, Somayajis, kings attacked in the rear, and Brāhmaṇas. [...]”
Jyotisha (ज्योतिष, jyotiṣa or jyotish) refers to ‘astronomy’ or “Vedic astrology” and represents the fifth of the six Vedangas (additional sciences to be studied along with the Vedas). Jyotisha concerns itself with the study and prediction of the movements of celestial bodies, in order to calculate the auspicious time for rituals and ceremonies.
India history and geography
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical GlossaryGiri-durga.—(ASLV), hill fort. Note: giri-durga is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.
The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryGiridurga (गिरिदुर्ग).—a hill-fort, any stronghold among mountains; नृदुर्गं गिरिदुर्गं वा समाश्रित्य वसेत्पुरम् (nṛdurgaṃ giridurgaṃ vā samāśritya vasetpuram) Manusmṛti 7.7,71.
Derivable forms: giridurgam (गिरिदुर्गम्).
Giridurga is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms giri and durga (दुर्ग).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryGiridurga (गिरिदुर्ग).—n.
(-rgaṃ) A hill fort or any stronghold amongst mountains. E. giri, and durga a place of difficult access.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryGiridurga (गिरिदुर्ग).—adj. Almost inaccessible on account of surrounding mountains, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 7, 70.
Giridurga is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms giri and durga (दुर्ग).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryGiridurga (गिरिदुर्ग).—[adjective] hill-fort.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Giridurga (गिरिदुर्ग):—[=giri-durga] [from giri > gir] n. ‘of difficult access as being surrounded by mountains’, a hill-fort, [Manu-smṛti vii, 70 f.; Mahābhārata]
2) [v.s. ...] Name of a locality, [Romakasiddhānta]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryGiridurga (गिरिदुर्ग):—[giri-durga] (rgaṃ) 1. n. A hill fort.
[Sanskrit to German]
Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusGiridurga (ಗಿರಿದುರ್ಗ):—[noun] a fort on the top of a mountain and having a very difficult road for entering into it.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Full-text: Durga, Abdurga, Dhanudurga, Bahugunya, Pura.
Relevant text
Search found 8 books and stories containing Giridurga, Giri-durga; (plurals include: Giridurgas, durgas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
The Matsya Purana (critical study) (by Kushal Kalita)
Part 2 - Fort (durga) architecture in the Matsyapurāṇa < [Chapter 7 - Art and Architecture in the Matsyapurāṇa]
Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi (by Ganganatha Jha)
Verse 7.71-72 < [Section VI - Fortification (durga)]
Verse 7.70 < [Section VI - Fortification (durga)]
Vastu-shastra (2): Town Planning (by D. N. Shukla)
Forts (Durga) in ancient Indian town-planning < [Chapter 2 - Villages, Towns and Forts in General]
Shishupala-vadha (Study) (by Shila Chakraborty)
Knowledge of Arthaśāstra in the Śiśupālavadha < [Introduction]
Sapta-prakṛti < [Chapter 2b - Activities of Minister (Amātya)]
Shukra Niti by Shukracharya (by Benoy Kumar Sarkar)
Vastu-shastra (1): Canons of Architecture (by D. N. Shukla)
(v,3) Vāstu in Buddhist Literature (Jātakas and Pali Canons) < [Chapter 4 - An outline History of Hindu Architecture]