# अश्विनी (aśvinī)

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

अश्विनी (aśvinī) is a Sanskrit word meaning possessed or consisting of horses, mounted on horseback, a cavalier, horse-tamer, the two divine horsemen and physicians of heaven, the name of the nakshatra presided over by the Ashvins. Its 23 recorded definitions are grouped into 8 contexts, among them The Nakṣatra Aśvinī, Related to Horses or Horsemen, The Goddess Aśvinī.

- **Etymology:** E. अश्व a horse, इन् and ङीप् affix; the symbol of the Nakṣatra is a horse's head, figured by three stars in the head of ARIES — E. aśva a horse, in and ṅīp affix; the symbol of the Nakṣatra is a horse's head, figured by three stars in the head of ARIES
- **SLP1:** `aSvinI`  **IAST:** aśvinī  **Devanagari:** अश्विनी
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashvini
- **Declensions:** 72 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/ashvini/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** आश्विनी (āśvinī)

## Meanings by context

### The Nakṣatra Aśvinī (10 definitions)
- the name of the nakshatra presided over by the Ashvins  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a N. of the Nakṣatra presided over by the Aśvins, Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā (Title) [ ID=20138 ]
- the head of Aries or the first of the twenty-eight Nakshatras  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the head of Aries or the first of the 28 Nakṣatras, Jyotiṣa (Literary category); Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā (Title) [ ID=20142 ]
- shortened for the sake of metre  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > ( अश्विनि (aśvini), shortened for the sake of metre), Sūryasiddhānta (Title) [ ID=20143 ]
- The first of the 27 lunar mansions  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अश्विनी (aśvinī) [Printed book page 0205-b ] अश्विनी (aśvinī) [ अश्वस्तदुत्तमांगाकारोऽस्त्यस्य (aśvastaduttamāṃgākāro'styasya) इनि ङीप् (ini ṅīp) ] 1 The first of the 27 Nakshatras or lunar mansions (consisting of three stars)
- 1. The first constellation in the moon's path. 2. A mythological nymph personifying this asterism. 3. The wife of Surya in the form of a mare.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अश्व (aśva) िनी (aśvinī) [Printed book page 091 ] अश्व (aśva) िनी (aśvinī) f. ( - नी (-nī) ) 1 The first of the twenty-eight Nakṣatras or constellations in the moon's path, hence considered its mansions. 2 In mythology, a nymph, the asterism personified. 3 The wife of SŪRYA, who concealed herself in the form of a mare. E. अश्व (aśva) a horse, इन् (in) and ङीप् (ṅīp) affix; the symbol of the Nakṣatra is a horse's head, figured by three stars in the head of ARIES. [ ID=4377 ]
- 1. The first lunar mansion. 2. A nymph, wife of the sun.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अश्विनी (aśvinī) [Printed book page 071-a ] अश्विनी (aśvinī) ( नी ) ((nī)) 3. f. The first lunar mansion; a nymph, wife of the sun. [ ID=3754 ]
- 1. The first constellation in the moon's path. 2. A mythological nymph personifying this asterism. 3. The wife of Surya who took the form of a mare.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अश्व (aśva) िनी (aśvinī) [Printed book page 075-a ] अश्व (aśva) िनी (aśvinī) f. ( - नी (-nī) ) 1. The first of the twenty-eight Nakshatras or constellations in the moons path, hence considered its mansions. 2. In mythology, a nymph, the asterism personified. 3. The wife of SURYA, who concealed herself in the form of a mare. E. अश्व (aśva) a horse, इन् (in) and ङीप् (ṅīp) affixes; the symbol of the Nakshatra is a horse's head, figured by three stars in the head of ARIES. [ ID=4375 ]
- a lunar mansion  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > अश्विनी (aśvinī) [Printed book page 012-2 ] Aśvinī 1, a nakṣatra, the first of the younger series, the twenty-seventh of the older, beginning with Kṛttikā (see Whitney to Sū° Si°, VIII, 9; VP. II, ch. 8, vol. ii, p. 261 ff.; junction-star β Arietis).—§ 746 (Ānuśāsanik.): XIII, 64, 3285 (he who under A. gives a carriage yoked with horses is reborn in a family that is rich in elephants, horses, and carriages).—§ 749 (do.): 89, 4268 (plur.: °ṣv aśvān vindeta, obtains horses; of the result of bringing a śrāddha “aśvinīyoge” ).—§ 759 (do.): 110, 5390 ( °yāṃ sakthinī caiva, cf. Aśleṣāḥ).—Cf. Aśvinī 2. [ ID=127 ]
- 1. A constellation. 2. A presiding deity of musical melody.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Aśvinī (II) — a nakṣatra; as part of Nāgavithī; 1 effect of Śrāddha, performed in; 2 as the presiding deity of musical melody Aśvakrantā. 3 [ Footnote: 1) Vā. 66. 48.] [ Footnote: 2) Ib. 82. 14.] [ Footnote: 3) Ib. 86. 64.] [ ID=1034 ]
- See Nakshatra  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > अश्विनी (aśvinī) [Printed book page 1-045 ] Aśvinī. See Nakṣatra. [ ID=182 ]

### Related to Horses or Horsemen (5 definitions)
- possessed or consisting of horses  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 116,1] अश्विन् (aśvin) mfn. possessed of horses, consisting of horses, Ṛg-veda (Title) [ ID=20133 ]
- mounted on horseback  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > mounted on horseback, Mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇa (Title) [ ID=20134 ]
- a cavalier  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > अश्विन् (aśvin) ( ई (ī) ), m. a cavalier [ ID=20135 ]
- horse-tamer  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > horse-tamer, Ṛg-veda (Title) [ ID=20136 ]
- richness in horses  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2B) [Printed book page 116,1] अश्विन् (aśvin) ( इ (i) ), n. (= अश्व - वत् (aśva-vat) n. q.v. ) richness in horses, Ṛg-veda (Title) i, 53, 4. [ ID=20144 ]

### The Goddess Aśvinī (3 definitions)
- the wife of the two Ashvins  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2B) [Printed book page 116,1] अश्विनी (aśvinī) ( इनी (inī) ), f. N. of the wife of the two Aśvins (who in later times was considered as their mother; cf. अश्विनी (aśvinī)- पुत्रौ (aśvinī-putrau) below), Ṛg-veda (Title) v, 46, 8 [ ID=20141 ]
- A mythological nymph considered the mother of the Ashvins and wife of the sun, who concealed herself in the form of a mare.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अश्विनी (aśvinī) [Printed book page 0205-b ] अश्विनी (aśvinī) [ अश्वस्तदुत्तमांगाकारोऽस्त्यस्य (aśvastaduttamāṃgākāro'styasya) इनि ङीप् (ini ṅīp) ] 2 A nymph considered in later times as the mother of the Aśvins, the wife of the sun, who concealed herself in the form of a mare. ( pb )
- 1. A nymph considered as the mother of the Ashvins. 2. The first lunar mansion consisting of three stars.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अश्विनी (aśvinī) [Printed book page 082-14 ] अश्विनी (aśvinī) f. 1. A nymph considered as the mother of the Aśvins; 2. the first lunar mansion consisting of three stars. [ ID=4241 ]

### Aśvinī as a Tīrtha (1 definition)
- a sacred bathing place  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > Aśvinī 2, a tīrtha (?). § 733 (Ānuśās.): XIII, 25, 1708 ( °yām : then a man acquires beauty and glory— rūpavar- caskam —after death). [ ID=128 ]

### Other Individuals Named Aśvinī (1 definition)
- the wife of Akrura and mother of thirteen sons  
  *The Purana Index*
  > अश्विनी (aśvinī) [Printed book page 1-130 ] Aśvinī (I) — the wife of Akrūra, and mother of thirteen sons. M. 45. 32-3. [ ID=1033 ]

### Sons of Aśvins/Aśvinī (Nakula and Sahadeva) (1 definition)
- the two sons of the Ashvins, Nakula and Sahadeva  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (for अश्वि - सुतौ (aśvi-sutau) ) the two sons of the Aśvins, viz. Nakula and Sahadeva, Mahābhārata (Title) v, 1816 [ ID=20140 ]

### The Divine Twins (Aśvins) (1 definition)
- the two divine horsemen and physicians of heaven  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > अश्विन् (aśvin) ( इना (inā) or इनौ (inau) ), m. du. ‘the two charioteers’, N. of two divinities (who appear in the sky before the dawn in a golden carriage drawn by horses or birds; they bring treasures to men and avert misfortune and sickness; they are considered as the physicians of heaven), Ṛg-veda (Title) &c. [ ID=20137 ]

### The Number Two (1 definition)
- the number two  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the number, ‘two’, in the same place [Cologne Addition] (Title); Sūryasiddhānta (Title) [ ID=20139 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Purana Index; The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects; 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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