Sanskrit dictionary (beta)

[अम्ब्-घञ्] (Vocative अम्बे Vedic; अम्ब in later Sanskṛit)

1. A mother; also used as an affectionate or respectful mode of address; 'good woman', 'good mother'; किमम्बाभिः प्रेषितः; अम्बानां कार्यं निर्वर्तय Ś.2; कृताञ्जलिस्तत्र यदम्ब सत्यात् R.14.16.
2. Name of a plant (अम्बष्ठा d.).
3. Name of Durgā, wife of Śiva.
4. Name of an Apsaras; of a sister of Pāṇḍu's mother, a daughter of Kāśīrāja. [She and her two sisters were carried off by Bhīṣma to be the wives of Vichitravīrya who had no issue. Ambā, however, had been previously betrothed to a king of Śālva and Bhīṣma sent her to him; but the latter rejected her because she had been in another man's house. So she came back to Bhīṣma and prayed him to accept her; but he could not break his vow of life-long celibacy, and being enraged she returned to the forest and practised austere penance to revenge herself on Bhīṣma. Śiva favoured her and promised her the desired vengeance in another birth. Afterwards she was born as Śikhaṇḍinī, daughter of Drupada, who came to be called Śikhaḍin and became the cause of Bhīṣma's death.]
5. A term in astrology to denote the fourth condition. Compare Dravid Amma; German Amme; old German Amma.

1. feminine (Vedic or Veda vocative case /अम्बे [VS.] or अम्ब [fg-veda], in later Sanskrit अम्ब only, sometimes a mere interjection A1s3vS3r.), a mother, good woman (as a title of respect)
2. feminine Name of a plant
3. feminine Name of Durga1 दुर्गा (the wife of S3iva शिव)
4. feminine Name of an Apsaras अप्सरस् Lexicographers
5. feminine Name of a daughter of a king of Ka1s3i1 काशी MBh.
6. feminine Name of one of the seven Kr2ttika1s कृत्तिका s TS. Ka1t2h. TBr.
7. feminine a term in astrology (to denote the fourth condition which results from the conjunction of planets?). In the South Indian languages, अम्बा is corrupted into अम्मा, and is often affixed to the names of goddesses, and females in general [German Amme, a nurse; Old German amma, Them. ammo7n, ammU7n]