रक्षा

See also: रक्ष्

Hindi

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit रक्षा (rakṣā).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /ɾək.ʂɑː/, [ɾɐk.ʃäː]

Noun

रक्षा • (rakṣā) f (Urdu spelling رکشا)

1. protection
2. safety
3. defence
4. support

Declension

Declension of रक्षा (fem ā-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	रक्षा rakṣā	रक्षाएँ rakṣāẽ
oblique	रक्षा rakṣā	रक्षाओं rakṣāõ
vocative	रक्षा rakṣā	रक्षाओ rakṣāo

Synonyms

• (protection) हिफ़ाज़त (hifāzat)
• (protection) मुहाफ़िज़त (muhāfizat)
• (safety) सलामती (salāmtī)

Derived terms

• रक्षक (rakṣak)

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• ৰক্ষা (Assamese script)
• ᬭᬓ᭄ᬱᬵ (Balinese script)
• রক্ষা (Bengali script)
• 𑰨𑰎𑰿𑰬𑰯 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀭𑀓𑁆𑀱𑀸 (Brahmi script)
• ရက္ၑာ (Burmese script)
• રક્ષા (Gujarati script)
• ਰਕ੍ਸ਼ਾ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌰𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌾 (Grantha script)
• ꦫꦏ꧀ꦰꦴ (Javanese script)
• 𑂩𑂍𑂹𑂭𑂰 (Kaithi script)
• ರಕ್ಷಾ (Kannada script)
• រក្ឞា (Khmer script)
• ຣກ຺ຩາ (Lao script)
• രക്ഷാ (Malayalam script)
• ᡵᠠᡬᢢᠠᢇ (Manchu script)
• 𑘨𑘎𑘿𑘬𑘰 (Modi script)
• ᠷᠠᢉᢔᠠ᠋᠎ᠠ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧈𑦮𑧠𑧌𑧑 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐬𑐎𑑂𑐲𑐵 (Newa script)
• ରକ୍ଷା (Odia script)
• ꢬꢒ꣄ꢰꢵ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆫𑆑𑇀𑆰𑆳 (Sharada script)
• 𑖨𑖎𑖿𑖬𑖯 (Siddham script)
• රක්‍ෂා (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩼𑩜 𑪙𑪀𑩛 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚤𑚊𑚶𑚭 (Takri script)
• ரக்ஷா (Tamil script)
• రక్షా (Telugu script)
• รกฺษา (Thai script)
• ར་ཀྵཱ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒩𑒏𑓂𑒭𑒰 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨫𑨋𑩇𑨯𑨊 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

From रक्ष् (rakṣ), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂lek- (“to defend”), same source as Ancient Greek ἀλέξω (aléxō, “I defend”). Other cognates include Old Armenian երաշխիք (erašxikʻ), and Old English ealgian (“to protect, defend”).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /ɾɐk.ʂɑː/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈɾɐk.ʂɑː/

Noun

रक्षा • (rakṣā) stem, f

1. the act of protecting or guarding, protection, care, preservation, security Mn. MBh. &c.
2. a guard, watch, sentinel Mṛicch. Kām.
3. any preservative, (esp.) a sort of bracelet or amulet, any mysterious token used as a charm BhP. Suṡr.
4. a tutelary divinity (cf. महा-र्°)
5. ashes (used as a preservative) L.
6. a piece of thread or silk bound round the wrist on partic. occasions (esp. on the full moon of श्रावण, either as an amulet and preservative against misfortune, or as a symbol of mutual dependence, or as a mark of respect) MW.

Declension

Feminine ā-stem declension of रक्षा (rakṣā)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	रक्षा rakṣā	रक्षे rakṣe	रक्षाः rakṣāḥ
Vocative	रक्षे rakṣe	रक्षे rakṣe	रक्षाः rakṣāḥ
Accusative	रक्षाम् rakṣām	रक्षे rakṣe	रक्षाः rakṣāḥ
Instrumental	रक्षया / रक्षा¹ rakṣayā / rakṣā¹	रक्षाभ्याम् rakṣābhyām	रक्षाभिः rakṣābhiḥ
Dative	रक्षायै rakṣāyai	रक्षाभ्याम् rakṣābhyām	रक्षाभ्यः rakṣābhyaḥ
Ablative	रक्षायाः / रक्षायै² rakṣāyāḥ / rakṣāyai²	रक्षाभ्याम् rakṣābhyām	रक्षाभ्यः rakṣābhyaḥ
Genitive	रक्षायाः / रक्षायै² rakṣāyāḥ / rakṣāyai²	रक्षयोः rakṣayoḥ	रक्षाणाम् rakṣāṇām
Locative	रक्षायाम् rakṣāyām	रक्षयोः rakṣayoḥ	रक्षासु rakṣāsu
Notes	¹Vedic ²Brāhmaṇas

Descendants

• → Hindustani:

  Hindi: रक्षा (rakṣā)

  Urdu: رکشا (rakṣā)

• Kashmiri: رٲچھ (rạ̄ch)
• → Old Javanese: rakṣa (“guarding, protecting; protection”)
  • > Javanese: ꦉꦏ꧀ꦱ (reksa), ꦫꦏ꧀ꦱ (raksa) — archaic (inherited)
    • → Indonesian: reksa (“police; guard”)
  • → Balinese: ᬭᬓ᭄ᬱ (raksa)

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “रक्षा”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 860, column 1.