gatha

1 9.9

A sacred song or verse in religions like Zoroastrianism, Buddhism and Hinduism

noun
/ˈɡɑːθə/

Literature

: gatha

The monk chanted a beautiful gatha during the morning meditation session.

Examples

Thich Nhat Hanh has helped to popularize another method of individual practice: short poems (gatha) that can prompt us to maintain awareness in daily life.

Academic text (1994)
The ancient gatha expresses deep spiritual insights relevant to Zoroastrian beliefs.
Even the Buddha is sometimes feminized, as in the following gatha by Thich Nhat Hanh:

Academic text (1994)
On the other hand, Zarathustra does not embrace a human-centered philosophy in his poetic gathas or anywhere in the Avesta.

Blog text (9)
If monks are issued babies upon ordination, then sure, but to suggest this would be an endless race to write gathas for every possible mundane activity (keep your baby on the zabuton, to the left, and wash it as if it were... your baby).

Blog text (2)
In her teachings, the author included a gatha that inspired many followers.

Surface Forms

gatha singular

gathas plural

Etymology

Gatha comes from an ancient Avestan and Sanskrit word gāthā, which means 'song' or 'verse'. These words were used for sacred hymns in old religious texts, so a gatha today is a sacred hymn or verse.