As a deity name
Name 43 of the Vishnu Sahasranāma — Mahabharata (Anushasana Parva), as taught by Bhishma to Yudhishthira on his deathbed
As a Hindi name
धाता · noun · masculine
ब्रह्मा · विष्णु · शिव । महादेव — Śabdasāgara
धाता · adj
पालक । पालनेवाला · रक्षक । रक्षा करनेवाला · धारण करनेवाला — Śabdasāgara
धाता · dhātā · s.m.
One who places or lays, a founder, maker, creator, originator, author; supporter, maintainer, preserver, sustainer, nourisher, parent; name of Brahmā; name of one of the Ádityas — Platts (1884), digital edition courtesy DSAL, University of Chicago, p. 537
Cited formation "धाता" is धात + -आ: धात means "A mineral, fossil, metal, ore, &c. (see dhātu)", and the suffix -आ forms abstract, agent, action or instrumental nouns (masc.); also past participles. CHD Basic Grammar App. I §8(3) — cited from the extracted rule table — base gloss: Platts (1884), digital edition courtesy DSAL, University of Chicago
Cited formation "धाता" is धात + -आ: धात means "A mineral, fossil, metal, ore, &c. (see dhātu)", and the suffix -आ forms 'having' (adjectives). CHD Basic Grammar App. I §9(1) — cited from the extracted rule table — base gloss: Platts (1884), digital edition courtesy DSAL, University of Chicago
As a Sanskrit word
Meaning
establisher, founder, creator, bearer, supporter (cf. vasu-), orderer, arranger, &c. &c.
Scripturally attested Verified derivationMultiple readings (4)Why this matches what you typed
M1 · same meaning "dhātā" is the nominative of "dhātṛ" — the same word in a different grammatical case.
Dictionary citations
dhātṛ m. establisher, founder, creator, bearer, supporter (cf. vasu-), orderer, arranger, RV. &c. &c.
N. of a divine being who personifies these functions (in Vedic times presiding over generation, matrimony, health, wealth, time and season, and associated or identified with Savitṛ, Prajā-pati, Tvaṣṭṛ, Bṛhaspati, Mitra, Aryaman, Viṣṇu &c., RV. x; AV.; TS.; ŚBr. &c.; later chiefly the creator and maintainer of the world = Brahmā or Prajā-pati, MBh.; Kāv.; Pur.; in ep. one of the 12 Ādityas and brother of Vi-dhātṛ and Lakṣmī, son of Brahmā, MBh.; or of Bhṛgu and Khyāti, Pur.; Fate personified, Kāv.)
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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