Word history
Monier-Williams (1899) records dharmādhikārin with the sense “officer of justice”. Dharmādhikārin combines the vocabulary of law or duty with authority over a matter. The dictionary records an administrator of law, judge or magistrate and separately a censor of morals. धर्माधिकारी preserves the longer title. These are historical dictionary senses of an office word, rather than evidence of a present-day legal appointment.
Sources: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899) · headword dharmādhikārin, page 512, column 2, entry L100393 · Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899) · headword dharmādhikārin, page 512, column 2, entry L100394
Literal dictionary sense
dharmādhikārin: Officer of justice.
Native-script forms
Sources and attribution
- Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899) · headword dharmādhikārin, page 512, column 2, entry L100393
- Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899) · headword dharmādhikārin, page 512, column 2, entry L100394
Dictionary senses and word histories are selected and adapted. Adapted lexical text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Linked Wiktionary entries provide contributor histories. Source register.