mātrā

mātrā f. measure (of any kind), quantity, size, duration, number, degree &c., RV. &c. &c. (bhūyasyāmātrayā, in a higher degree, Lalit. )

metrical unit, a mora or prosodial instant i.e. the length of time required to pronounce a short vowel (a long vowel contains 2 Mātrā s, and a prolated vowel 3), Prāt.

a minute portion, particle, atom, trifle, ŚBr. &c. &c. (trayā, ind. in small portions, in slight measure, moderately, Daś. ; Suśr. )

2. mātṛ f. (derivation from √ 3. mā very doubtful; for 1. mātṛ See p. 804, col. 2 ) a mother, any mother (applicable to animals), RV. &c. &c. (sometimes ifc. , e.g. kuntīm, having K˚ for a mother)

( pl. ) the divine mothers or personified energies of the principal deities (sometimes reckoned as 7 in number, viz. Brāhmī or Brahmāṇī , Māheśvarī , Kaumārī , Vaiṣṇavī , Vārāhī , Indrāṇī or Aindrī or Māhendrī , Cāmuṇḍā ; sometimes 8, viz. Brāhmi , Māheśvarī , Kaumārī , Vaiṣṇavī , Vārāhī , Raudrī , Carma-muṇḍā , Kāla-saṃkarṣiṇī ; sometimes 9, viz. Brahmāṇī , Vaiṣṇavī , Raudrī , Vārāhī , Nārasiṃhikā , Kaumārī , Māhendrī , Cāmuṇḍā , Caṇḍikā ; sometimes 16, viz. Gaurī , Padmā , Śacī , Medhā , Sāvitrī , Vijayā , Jayā , Deva-senā , Sva-dhā , Svāhā , Śānti , Puṣṭi , Dhṛti , Tuṣṭi , Ātma-devatā and Kula-devatā ; they are closely connected with the worship of Śiva and are described as attending on his son Skanda or Kārttikeya , to whom at first only 7 Mātṛ s were assigned, but later an innumerable number; also the 13 wives of Kaśyapa are called, lokānāmmātaraḥ), MBh. ; R. ; Pur. ; Hcat. ( RTL. 222 &c.)

( pl. ) the 8 classes of female ancestors ( viz. mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, paternal and maternal aunts &c., Saṃskārak. ; but the word ‘mother’ is also applied to other female relatives and in familiar speech to elderly women generally)