मातृ [ mātṛ ] [ mātṛ́ ]2 f. ( derivation from √ 3. [ mā ] very doubtful ; for 1. [ mā́tṛ ] see p. 804 , col. 2) a mother , any mother (applicable to animals) Lit. RV. (sometimes ifc. e.g. [ kuntī-m ] , having Kuntī for a mother)

du. father and mother , parents Lit. RV. iii , 3 , 33 ; vii , 2 , 5 ( also [ mātárā-pitárā ] , Lit. iv , 6 , 7 , and [ pitárā-mātárā ] Lit. Pāṇ. 6-3 , 33 ; cf. [ mātarapitarau ] , col.2)

the earth (du. heaven and earth) Lit. RV.

( with or scil. [ lokasya ] ) , a cow Lit. MBh.

(du. and pl.) the two pieces of wood used in kindling fire Lit. RV. ( cf. [ dvi-m ] )

(pl.) the waters Lit. RV. ( cf. [ saptam ] and Lit. Naigh. i , 13)

(pl.) the divine mothers or personified energies of the principal deities ( sometimes reckoned as 7 in number , viz. Brāhmī or Brahmāṇī , Māheśvarī , Kaumārī , Vaishṇavī , Vārāhī , Indrāṇī or Aindrī or Māhendrī , Cāmuṇḍā ; sometimes 8 , viz. Brāhmi , Māheśvarī , Kaumārī , Vaishṇavī , Vārāhī , Raudrī , Carma-muṇḍā , Kāla-saṃkarshiṇī ; sometimes 9 , viz. Brahmāṇī , Vaishṇavī , Raudrī , Vārāhī , Nārasiṃhikā , Kaumārī , Māhendrī , Cāmuṇḍā , Caṇḍikā ; sometimes 16 , viz. Gaurī , Padmā , Śacī , Medhā , Sāvitrī , Vijayā , Jayā , Deva-senā , Sva-dhā , Svāhā , Śānti , Pushṭi , Dhṛiti , Tushṭi , 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 Mātṛis were assigned , but later an innumerable number ; also the 13 wives of Kaśyapa are called , [ lokānām mātaraḥ ] ) Lit. MBh. Lit. R. Lit. Pur. Lit. Hcat. ( Lit. RTL. 222 )

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

N. of Lakshmī Lit. Bhartṛ.

of Durgā Lit. L.

of Dākshāyaṇī in certain places Lit. Cat.

accord. to Lit. L. also = a colocynth

Salvinia Cucullata , Nardostachys Jatamansi , Sphaerantus Indicus

air , space

the lower mill-stone

= [ vibhūti ]

= [ -revatī ] ( ( cf. Gk. , 1 , 2 ; Lat. (mater) ; Lith. (mote) ; Slav. (mati) ; Germ. (muotar) , (Mutter) ; Eng. (mother) . ) )