# अवस्था (avasthā)

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

अवस्था (avasthā) is a Sanskrit word meaning to go down into or reach down to, to go away from or be separated from, to abide in a state or condition, to remain or continue doing anything, to be found, exist, or be present, to fall into the possession of. Its 30 recorded definitions are grouped into 16 contexts, among them State or Condition, Verb (Causative): To Position, Halt or Fix, Verb: To Stay, Exist, or Persist.

- **Root:** स्था (sthā)
- **SLP1:** `avasTA`  **IAST:** avasthā  **Devanagari:** अवस्था
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avastha_%28Hindu_astrology%29
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/avastha/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** अवस्थ (avastha)

## Meanings by context

### State or Condition (5 definitions)
- 1. State, condition, situation, or position. 2. Circumstance of age. 3. Stage or degree.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > state, condition, situation (five are distinguished in dramas, Sāhitya-darpaṇa (Title) ), circumstance of age [ Pāṇini (Author) v, 4, 146; vi, 2, 115, &c.] or position, stage, degree [ ID=18393 ]
- State, condition, situation, or circumstance of age or position.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अवस्था (avasthā) [Printed book page 082 ] अवस्था (avasthā) f. ( - स्था (-sthā) ) State, condition, situation, circumstance of age or position. E. अव, स्था (ava, sthā) to stand or stay, अङ् (aṅ) and टाप (ṭāpa) affs. [ ID=3912 ]
- State or condition.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अवस्था (avasthā) [Printed book page 064-a ] अव - स्था (ava-sthā) ( स्था ) ((sthā)) 1. f. State, condition. [ ID=3333 ]
- State, condition, situation, or circumstance of age or position.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अवस्था (avasthā) [Printed book page 068-a ] अवस्था (avasthā) f. ( - स्था (-sthā) ) State, condition, situation, circumstance of age or position. E. अव, स्था (ava, sthā) to stand or stay, अङ् (aṅ) and टाप् (ṭāp) affs. [ ID=3910 ]
- state, condition  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > अवस्था (avasthā) [Printed book page 122-a ] avasthā́, f. state, condition. [ √sthā + ava: for mg, cf. Lat. status w. stāre. ] [ ID=456 ]

### Verb (Causative): To Position, Halt or Fix (4 definitions)
- To place  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अवस्था (avasthā) [Printed book page 0191-c ] 10 To place ( Ved. ) — Caus. ( स्थापयति (sthāpayati) ते (te) ) [ ID=4902 ]
- To cause to stand or stop, station, keep, or place.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अवस्था (avasthā) [Printed book page 0191-c ] 1 To cause to stand or stop, station, keep, place; पश्चादवस्थापितवाहिनीकः (paścādavasthāpitavāhinīkaḥ) Raghuvaṃśa (Bombay) 13. 66; स्कंधावारमवस्थाप्य (skaṃdhāvāramavasthāpya) Daśakumāracarita (Bombay) 174 having encamped; भिक्षापात्रं नागदंतकेऽवस्थाप्य (bhikṣāpātraṃ nāgadaṃtake'vasthāpya) Hitopadeśa (Nirṇaya Sāgara Edition) 1, 3. [ ID=4902 ]
- To fix or settle  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अवस्था (avasthā) [Printed book page 0191-c ] 2 To fix, settle; शक्योऽवस्थापयितुं (śakyo'vasthāpayituṃ) Mudrārākṣasa (Bombay) 1. [ ID=4902 ]
- to take one's stand, remain standing, stay, abide, stop, stand apart, or stand by or near  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > अवस्था (avasthā) [Printed book page 0094-c ] अवस्था (avasthā) ava-sthā, cl. 1. A. -tiṣṭhate,-sthā- tum, to take one's stand, remain standing; to stay, abide, stop, stand apart, stand by or near; Ved. to place: Caus. -sthāpayati or -te, -yitum, to cause to stand or stop, to place, fix, settle, set, array. [ ID=6729 ]

### Verb: To Stay, Exist, or Persist (4 definitions)
- 1. To remain, stay, or abide. 2. To wait.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अवस्था (avasthā) [Printed book page 0191-c ] 1 To remain, stay, abide; तेन सह सुखमवतिष्ठंते (tena saha sukhamavatiṣṭhaṃte) Kādambarī (Bombay) 108; oft. with an adj. or adv.; विलोकयंती (vilokayaṃtī) तावदवतस्थे (tāvadavatasthe) 205; पादौ विष्टभ्य; क्षणं (pādau viṣṭabhya; kṣaṇaṃ) भद्रावतिष्ठस्व (bhadrāvatiṣṭhasva) Bhaṭṭikāvya 8. 11 stay, wait; अनीत्वा पंकतां धूलिमुदकं नावतिष्ठते (anītvā paṃkatāṃ dhūlimudakaṃ nāvatiṣṭhate) Śiśupālavadha 2. 34. [ ID=4902 ]
- To live  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अवस्था (avasthā) [Printed book page 0191-c ] 3 To live; क्षणमप्यवतिष्ठते (kṣaṇamapyavatiṣṭhate) श्वसन् यदि जंतुर्ननु लाभवानसौ (śvasan yadi jaṃturnanu lābhavānasau) Raghuvaṃśa (Bombay) 8. 87. [ ID=4902 ]
- To stand still, halt, or stop.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अवस्था (avasthā) [Printed book page 0191-c ] 4 To stand (still), make a halt, stop; Bhagavadgītā (Bombay) 1. 30, 14. 23; Raghuvaṃśa (Bombay) 2. 31, Kumārasambhava (Bombay) 3. 42, Śiśupālavadha 9. 83. [ ID=4902 ]
- To stand, exist, or chance to be  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अवस्था (avasthā) [Printed book page 0191-c ] 5 To stand, exist, chance to be. [ ID=4902 ]

### Genital Organs (2 definitions)
- membrum virile  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 106,1] अव - स्थ (ava-stha) m. membrum virile, Atharva-veda (Title) vii, 90, 3 ( cf. उप - स्थ (upa-stha) ) [ ID=18390 ]
- the female organs of generation  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > अव - स्था (ava-sthā) ( आस् (ās) ), f. pl. the female organs of generation, Ṛg-veda (Title) v, 19, 1. [ ID=18394 ]

### Legal Appearance (2 definitions)
- appearance in a court of justice  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2B) [Printed book page 106,1] अव - स्था (ava-sthā) b ( आ (ā) ), f. appearance (in a court of justice), Manu-smṛti (Title) viii, 60 [ ID=18391 ]
- 1. State. 2. Condition.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अवस्था (avasthā) [Printed book page 0060-a ] अवस्था (avasthā) ava-sthā, f. 1. State, Pañc. 44, 1. 2. Condition, Rām. 3, 44, 13. — Comp. Tad-, adj., f. thā, being in this state. Antya-, adj. being in the lowest condition, Pañc. iv. d. 76. Kṛta-, adj. brought into court, Man. 8, 60. [ ID=1218 ]

### Stability or Consistence (2 definitions)
- stability, consistence  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > ‘stability, consistence’ cf. अनवस्थ (anavastha) [ ID=18392 ]
- 1. State or condition. 2. Situation or circumstance. 3. Stability. 4. Degree or proportion. 5. Stage or period, such as in life. 6. Appearance in a court of justice.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अवस्था (avasthā) [Printed book page 076-34 ] अवस्था (avasthā) f. 1. State, condition, तुल्यावस्थः स्वसुः कृतः (tulyāvasthaḥ svasuḥ kṛtaḥ) R. xii.80; 2. situation, circumstance, तां तामवस्थां प्रतिपद्यतानम् (tāṃ tāmavasthāṃ pratipadyatānam) R. xiii.5; 3. stability; 4. degree, proportion; 5. stage, period (as of life &c.), वयोऽवस्थां तस्याः (vayo'vasthāṃ tasyāḥ) M.M. ix., अन्तर्मदावस्थ इव द्विपेन्द्रः (antarmadāvastha iva dvipendraḥ) R. ii.7; 6. appearance in a court of justice. [ ID=3923 ]

### Verb: To Reach, Enter, or Devolve Upon (2 definitions)
- To fall to or devolve on  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अवस्था (avasthā) [Printed book page 0191-c ] 6 To fall to, devolve on. [ ID=4902 ]
- To enter, reach, or attain  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अवस्था (avasthā) [Printed book page 0191-c ] 7 To enter; reach, attain to. [ ID=4902 ]

### State (Participial): Being Stationed or Engaged (1 definition)
- appearance in court, state, condition, or circumstance  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अवस्था (avasthā) [Printed book page 030-3 ] अवस्था (avasthā) ava-sthā́, f. appearance in court; state, condition; circumstance; ā-tavya, fp. that must remain; -na, n. appearing; condition, position; dwelling, abiding, stay; stability; -antara, n. changed condition; -pana, n. exposing for sale; -yin, a. staying in; -sthita, pp. (√sthā) stationed; standing; arrayed; engaged in; -sthiti, f. stay, sojourn, abode. [ ID=2844 ]

### Verb (Causative): To Comfort or Console (1 definition)
- To comfort or console  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अवस्था (avasthā) [Printed book page 0191-c ] 5 To comfort, console. [ ID=4902 ]

### Verb (Causative): To Compose or Steady (the mind) (1 definition)
- To compose, collect, steady, or fix  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अवस्था (avasthā) [Printed book page 0191-c ] 4 To compose, collect, steady, fix (as heart &c.); न शक्नोमि हृदयमवस्थापयितुं (na śaknomi hṛdayamavasthāpayituṃ) Uttararāmacarita 4. [ ID=4902 ]

### Verb (Causative): To Establish or Found (1 definition)
- To establish or found.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अवस्था (avasthā) [Printed book page 0191-c ] 3 To establish, found; द्वैराज्यमवस्थापयितुकामोस्मि (dvairājyamavasthāpayitukāmosmi) Mālavikāgnimitra (Bombay) 5. [ ID=4902 ]

### Verb (Causative): To Separate or Divide (1 definition)
- To separate or divide.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अवस्था (avasthā) [Printed book page 0191-c ] 6 To separate, divide. [ ID=4902 ]

### Verb (Passive Causative): To Be Kept Firm (1 definition)
- 1. To go down into or reach down to. 2. To go away from or be separated from. 3. To take one's stand, remain standing, stay, abide, or stop at any place. 4. To abide in a state or condition. 5. To remain or continue doing anything. 6. To be found, exist, or be present. 7. To fall into the possession of. 8. To enter or be absorbed in. 9. To penetrate as sound or fame.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 105,3] अव - (ava-) √ स्था (√sthā) a P. - तिष्ठति (-tiṣṭhati) ( impf. - अतिष्ठत् (-atiṣṭhat); aor. Subj. - स्थात (-sthāta) ् (-sthāt); perf. Ā. 3. sg. - तस्थे (-tasthe); perf. p. P. - तस्थिवस् (-tasthivas) ) to go down into ( acc. ), reach down to ( acc. ), Ṛg-veda (Title); Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa (Title); ( aor. Subj. 2. pl. - स्थात (-sthāta) ), to go away from ( abl. ), Ṛg-veda (Title) v, 53, 8; ( aor. Subj. 1. sg. - स्थाम् (-sthām) ) to be separated from or deprived of ( abl. ), Ṛg-veda (Title) ii, 27, 17 : Ā. ( Pāṇini (Author) i, 3, 22; rarely P., e.g. Bhagavad-gītā (Title) xiv, 23; Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title) &c.) to take one's stand, remain standing, Āśvalāyana-gṛhya-sūtra (Title) &c. to stay, abide, stop at any place ( loc. ), Mahābhārata (Title) &c. to abide in a state or condition ( instr. ), Mahābhārata (Title) i, 5080; Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title) &c. (with ind.p. ) to remain or continue (doing anything), Mahābhārata (Title) i, 5770; iii, 187 ( ed. Bomb. ), &c. to be found, exist, be present, Mahābhārata (Title); Yājñavalkya (Author) i, 272, &c. ( perf. 1. sg. - तस्थे (-tasthe) ) to fall to, fall into the possession of ( dat. ), Ṛg-veda (Title) x, 48, 5; to enter, be absorbed in ( loc. ), Manu-smṛti (Title) vi, 81; to penetrate (as sound or as fame), Mahābhārata (Title) xiii, 1845 : Pass. - स्थीयते (-sthīyate), to be settled or fixed or chosen, Śakuntalā (Title) : Caus. (generally ind.p. - स्थाप्य (-sthāpya) ) to cause to stand or stop (as a carriage or an army &c.), let behind, Mahābhārata (Title) &c. to place upon ( loc. ), fix, set, array, Āśvalāyana-gṛhya-sūtra (Title) &c. to cause to enter or be absorbed in ( loc. ), Mahābhārata (Title) iii, 12502; to render solid or firm, Rāmāyaṇa (Title) v, 35, 36; to establish (by arguments) Comm. on Nyāya (Literary category) : Pass. Caus. - स्थाप्य (-sthāpya) ते (-sthāpyate), to be kept firm [‘to be separated’, Böhtlingk and Roth’s Sanskrit-Wörterbuch (Title) ] Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title) [ ID=18389 ]

### Verb: To Adhere to or Obey (1 definition)
- 1. To abide by. 2. To conform to. 3. To obey.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अवस्था (avasthā) [Printed book page 0191-c ] 2 To abide by, conform to, obey; न शासनेऽवास्थित यो गुरूणां (na śāsane'vāsthita yo gurūṇāṃ) Bhaṭṭikāvya 3. 14. [ ID=4902 ]

### Verb: To Depart, Withdraw, or Be Separated (1 definition)
- To stand apart, go off, or withdraw.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अवस्था (avasthā) [Printed book page 0191-c ] 8 To stand apart, go off, withdraw. [ ID=4902 ]

### Verb: To Descend or Move Downwards (1 definition)
- To descend or go to  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अवस्था (avasthā) [Printed book page 0191-c ] 9 To descend; go to. [ ID=4902 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary; 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.

The Sanskrit Lexicon app for iPhone, iPad and Mac: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sanskrit-lexicon-dictionary/id6746787546