As a Hindi name
राजा · masculine
a male given name, Raja, from Sanskrit
राजा · masculine
king, monarch, sovereign, ruler; king
a Hindi word, a tatsama: the Sanskrit word borrowed unchanged into Hindi राजा॑ — per Wiktionary’s etymology record
“Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h₃rḗǵs Sanskrit राज॑न् (rā́jan) Sanskrit राजा॑ (rā́jā)bor. Hindi राजा Borrowed from Sanskrit राजा॑ (rā́jā), from राज॑न् (rā́jan), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃rḗǵs, from *h₃reǵ- + *-s. Doublet …” — per Wiktionary’s etymology record
As a Sanskrit word
Meaning
(nom. rāṭ) a king, sovereign, chief (in later language only ifc.), &c. &c.
Verified derivationMultiple readings (5)Why this matches what you typed
The spelling you confirmed, राज्, is itself a dictionary headword — no grammatical transformation stands between what you typed and the meaning above.
Gender counterpart
The kosha attests this stem in the feminine, the masculine, and the neuter — the same name serves without alteration.
Dictionary citations
1. rāj (prob. originally two roots; cf. √ raj, √ rañj, √ ṛñj) cl. 1. P. Ā. (Dhātup. xix, 74) rājati, ˚te (Ved. also rāṣṭi, rāṭ; pf. rarāja; rarāje or reje, 2. sg. P. rarājitha or rejitha, MBh. &c.; aor. arājiṣuḥ, RV.; arājiṣṭa Gr.; fut. rājitā, rājiṣyati, ib.; inf. rājase, RV.), to reign, be king or chief, rule over (gen.), direct, govern (acc.), RV. &c. &c.; to be illustrious or resplendent, shine, glitter, ib.; to appear as or like (iva), Kum. vi, 49 : Caus. rājayati, ˚te (aor. ararājat), to reign, rule, AV.; MBh.; to illuminate, make radiant (cf. rājita) : Desid. rirājiṣati, ˚te Gr.: Intens. rārājyate, rārāṣṭi, ib. [For cognate words, see under rājan.]
2. rāj mfn. (ifc.) shining, radiant &c.
rāj (rāj), m. (nom. rāṭ) a king, sovereign, chief (in later language only ifc.), RV. &c. &c.
anything the best or chief of its kind (cf. śaṅkha-r˚)
N. of an Ekāha, ŚrS.
Alternative readings
More than one analysis survives full verification. That ambiguity is real, so we show every reading rather than pick one silently.
Caveats
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