# अनुष्टुभ् (anuṣṭubh)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/anushtubh

अनुष्टुभ् (anuṣṭubh) is a Sanskrit word meaning to praise after or follow in praising, following in praise or invocation, a class of meters consisting of four times eight syllables, the number eight, speech, Sarasvati, stubh. Its 22 recorded definitions are grouped into 6 contexts, among them A Poetic Metre, Act of Praising (Verbal) or Adjective 'Praising', Speech, Praise, or Goddess Sarasvatī (Nominal).

- **Root:** स्तुभ् (stubh)
- **Etymology:** E. अनु, and ष्टुभ् to stop, क्विप् aff — E. anu, and ṣṭubh to stop, kvip aff
- **SLP1:** `anuzwuB`  **IAST:** anuṣṭubh  **Devanagari:** अनुष्टुभ्
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anu%E1%B9%A3%E1%B9%ADubh
- **Declensions:** 72 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/anushtubh/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### A Poetic Metre (11 definitions)
- a kind of metre consisting of four quarter-verses of eight syllables each  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a kind of metre consisting of four Pādas or quarter-verses of eight syllables each (according to the Daivata-brāhmaṇa (Title), quoted in Nirukta, by Yāska (Title) vii, 12, so called because it अनुष्टोभति (anuṣṭobhati) i.e. follows with its praise the Gāyatrī, which consists of three Pādas), Ṛg-veda (Title) x, 130, 4, &c. [ ID=7474.1 ]
- a class of meters consisting of four times eight syllables  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (in later metrical systems, the Anuṣṭubh constitutes a whole class of metres, consisting of four times eight syllables) [ ID=7474.2 ]
- 1. A class of metres consisting of four quarters of eight syllables each. 2. A general name for any metre with eight syllables in each foot.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अनुष्टुभ् (anuṣṭubh) f. [ अनु निरंतरं स्तुभ्यतेऽनया (anu niraṃtaraṃ stubhyate'nayā) अनुष्टुप् वाक् (anuṣṭup vāk) ] 3 N. of a class of metres consisting of four Pādas of 8 syllables each, the whole stanza consisting of 32 syllables (so called because it follows with its praise i. e. अनुष्टोभति (anuṣṭobhati) the gāyatrī, which has 3 Pādas), अनुष्टोभनादनुष्टुप् (anuṣṭobhanādanuṣṭup). In later metrical systems it stands as a general name for all metres which have 8 syllables in each foot (the highest possible number being computed to be 256); पंचमं लघु सर्वत्र सप्तमं द्विचतुर्थयोः । (paṃcamaṃ laghu sarvatra saptamaṃ dvicaturthayoḥ.) गुरु षष्ठं च पादानां शेषेष्वनियमो मतः ॥ (guru ṣaṣṭhaṃ ca pādānāṃ śeṣeṣvaniyamo mataḥ..) which rule is sometimes violated. [ ID=1966 ]
- 1. Shouting after. 2. A song of praise. 3. A poetic metre of four times eight syllables.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अनुष्टुभ् (anuṣṭubh) [Printed book page 017-1 ] अनुष्टुभ् (anuṣṭubh) anu-ṣṭúbh, a. shouting after; f. song of praise; a metre 4×8 syllables. [ ID=1714 ]
- 1. A verse meter consisting of thirty-two syllables. 2. A name of Sarasvati.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अनु (anu) ष्टुभ् (ṣṭubh) (anuṣṭubh) [Printed book page 036 ] अनु (anu) ष्टुभ् (ṣṭubh) (anuṣṭubh) f. ( - ष्टुप् (-ṣṭup) ) 1 A measure of verse, the stanza consisting four lines of eight syllables each, or three lines of eight, twelve, and twelve, making, in either case, thirty-two. 2 A name of SARASVATI. E. अनु (anu), and ष्टुभ् (ṣṭubh) to stop, क्विप् (kvip) aff. [ ID=1675 ]
- Heroic verse  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अनुष्टुभ् (anuṣṭubh) [Printed book page 029-a ] अनु - ष्टुभ् (anu-ṣṭubh) ( ष्टुप् ) ((ṣṭup)) 5. f. Heroic verse. [ ID=1384 ]
- 1. A poetic metre consisting of four quarters of eight syllables each. 2. Speech. 3. A name of Sarasvati.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अनुष्टुभ् (anuṣṭubh) [Printed book page 027-13 ] अनुष्टुभ् (anuṣṭubh) f. 1. A kind of metre consisting of four pādas of eight syllables each (See App. I.); 2. speech; 3. a name of Sarasvatī. [ ID=1540 ]
- 1. A verse meter consisting of thirty-two syllables. 2. A name of Saraswati.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अनुष्टुभ् (ṣṭubh) (anuṣṭubh) [Printed book page 030-b ] अनुष्टुभ् (ṣṭubh) (anuṣṭubh) f. ( - ष्टुप् (-ṣṭup) ) 1. A measure of verse, the stanza consisting four lines of eight syllables each, or three lines of eight, twelve, and twelve, making, in either case, thirty-two. 2. A name of SARASWATI. E. अनु, (anu,) and ष्टुभ् (ṣṭubh) to stop, क्विप् (kvip) aff. [ ID=1673 ]
- 1. Shouting after. 2. A shout or praise. 3. A specific poetic meter.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अनुष्टुभ् (anuṣṭubh) [Printed book page 022 ] अनुष्टुभ् (anuṣṭubh) a. shouting after. f. shout, praise; N. of a metre. [ ID=1541 ]
- 1. Speech in general. 2. A name of Sarasvati. 3. A class of Vedic and classical meters consisting of thirty-two syllables.  
  *Goldstücker Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अनुष्टुभ् (anuṣṭubh) [Printed book page 106-a ] अनुष्टुभ् (anuṣṭubh) Tatpur. f. ( - ष्टुप् (-ṣṭup) ) 1 Speech, in general. 2 A name of Page106-b+ 56 Sarasvatī. 3 The name of a class of metres which consists of 32 syllables and, in the Vedas, is regulated by the number of syllables only, in classical poetry by number and quantity. In the Vedas the 32 syllables are distributed either in Te- trastichs of 8 syllables in each line, or in Triplets of either 12 + 8 + 12 or 12 + 12 + 8 or 8 + 12 + 12 syllables. For the varieties of the Anuṣṭubh in the classical poetry see चित्र - (citra-) पदा, विद्युन्माला, माणवक (padā, vidyunmālā, māṇavaka) or माणवकाक्रीडा, हंसरुत, प्रमा - (māṇavakākrīḍā, haṃsaruta, pramā-) णिका (ṇikā) or नगस्वरूपिणी (nagasvarūpiṇī) or मतल्लिका, समानिका (matallikā, samānikā) or मल्लिका, (mallikā,) वितान, तुङ्गा, कमल, हंसपदी, मातङ्गी, रम्भा (vitāna, tuṅgā, kamala, haṃsapadī, mātaṅgī, rambhā) and the metre which is most in use but the quantity of which is not so in- variable as that of the named varieties viz. the श्लोक (śloka). In a vaidik hymn the Anuṣṭubh is represented as one of the primitive creations, that originated together with the moon; according to some Purāṇas it was created from the northern mouth of the four-headed Brahman (m.) together with the Atharvaveda, a portion of the Sāmaveda and some hymns as well as the Āptoryāma portion of the Jyotiṣṭoma sacri- fice; accord. to another Purāṇa from the tendons of Brahman. (The Kāsikā considers the vaidik अनुष्ट्या (anuṣṭyā) equivalent to the classical instrum. अनुष्टुभा; (anuṣṭubhā;) but अनुष्ट्या (anuṣṭyā) is probably an er- roneous reading for अनुष्ट्या (anuṣṭyā) q. v.) E. स्तुभ् (stubh) with अनु, (anu,) kṛt aff. क्विप्, (kvip,) so called according to the Nirukta ‘because it follows in praise ( अनुष्टोभति (anuṣṭobhati) ) with its fourth Pāda the Gā- yatrī metre which consists only of three Pādas or stanzas’. [ ID=3426 ]
- 1. Following in praise or invocation, or speech. 2. Sarasvati. 3. A poetic metre consisting of four quarters of eight syllables each.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > 2. anu-ṣṭubh, p. f. following in praise or invocation; speech; Sarasvatī; a kind of metre consisting of four Pādas or quarter-verses of eight syllables each (so called because it anuṣṭobhati follows with its praise the Gāyatrī, which consists of three Pādas); in later metrical systems, the Anuṣṭubh constitutes a whole class of metres, consisting of four times eight syllables. Page0040-c+ 73 —Anuṣṭub-garbhā, f. a metre in the Vedas of the class Uṣṇih. [ ID=2702 ]

### Act of Praising (Verbal) or Adjective 'Praising' (4 definitions)
- to praise after or follow in praising  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 40,1] 1. अनु - ष्टुभ् (anu-ṣṭubh) (√ स्तुभ् (stubh) ) to praise after, to follow in praising, Nirukta, by Yāska (Title) [ ID=7473 ]
- praising  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > अनु - ष्टुभ् (anu-ṣṭubh) mfn. praising, Ṛg-veda (Title) x, 124, 9. [ ID=7474.5 ]
- To praise after or follow in praising.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अनुष्टुभ् (anuṣṭubh) [Printed book page 0083-c ] अनुष्टुभ् (anuṣṭubh) 1 P. ( ° स्तुभ् (°stubh) ) To praise after, follow in praising. [ ID=1965 ]
- to praise after or follow in praising  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > अनुष्टुभ् (anuṣṭubh) [Printed book page 0040-b ] अनुष्टुभ् (anuṣṭubh) 1. anu-ṣṭubh (-stubh), cl. 1. P., Ved. -ṣṭobhati, -bhitum, to praise after, to follow in praising. [ ID=2701 ]

### Speech, Praise, or Goddess Sarasvatī (Nominal) (4 definitions)
- following in praise or invocation  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 40,1] 2. अनु - ष्टुभ् (anu-ṣṭubh) f. प् (p) ( nom. ° ष्टुक् (°ṣṭuk), Taittirīya-saṃhitā (Title) ) following in praise or invocation [ ID=7474 ]
- speech, Sarasvati  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > speech, Sarasvatī, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=7474.4 ]
- 1. Following in praise. 2. Speech.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अनुष्टुभ् (anuṣṭubh) f. [ अनु निरंतरं स्तुभ्यतेऽनया (anu niraṃtaraṃ stubhyate'nayā) अनुष्टुप् वाक् (anuṣṭup vāk) ] 1 Following in praise; speech. [ ID=1966 ]
- Sarasvati  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अनुष्टुभ् (anuṣṭubh) f. [ अनु निरंतरं स्तुभ्यतेऽनया (anu niraṃtaraṃ stubhyate'nayā) अनुष्टुप् वाक् (anuṣṭup vāk) ] 2 Sarasvatī. [ ID=1966 ]

### An Epithet of Viṣṇu (1 definition)
- Vishnu  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > अनुष्टुभ् (anuṣṭubh) [Printed book page 061-1 ] Anuṣṭubh = Viṣṇu (1000 names). [ ID=699 ]

### Cross-Reference (1 definition)
- see 2. stubh  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > [Printed book page 1312,2] see 2. स्तुभ् (stubh) ( p. 1259) [ ID=7474.51 ]

### The Number Eight (1 definition)
- the number eight  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > hence the number eight [ ID=7474.3 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Goldstücker Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872); Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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