# धनिष्ठा (dhaniṣṭhā)

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

धनिष्ठा (dhaniṣṭhā) is a Sanskrit word meaning very swift, very rich, the twenty-fourth lunar mansion, the 24th lunar mansion consisting of four stars, the name of a lunar mansion, a particular lunar mansion. Its 12 recorded definitions are grouped into 4 contexts, among them The Nakṣatra Dhaniṣṭhā: Identity & Characteristics, Adjective: Very Rich, Nakṣatra Dhaniṣṭhā: Cultural & Ritualistic Roles.

- **Root:** 2. धन् (2. dhan)
- **Etymology:** E. धन to produce, (as corn,) affix अच् and मतुप् added, धनवत् again, इष्ठन् added, and मतुप् rejected, fem. affix टाप् — E. dhana to produce, (as corn,) affix ac and matup added, dhanavat again, iṣṭhan added, and matup rejected, fem. affix ṭāp
- **SLP1:** `DanizWA`  **IAST:** dhaniṣṭhā  **Devanagari:** धनिष्ठा
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhanishtha
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/dhanishtha/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** धनिष्ठ (dhaniṣṭha)

## Meanings by context

### The Nakṣatra Dhaniṣṭhā: Identity & Characteristics (7 definitions)
- the twenty-fourth lunar mansion  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2B) [Printed book page 509,1] धनिष्ठा (dhaniṣṭhā) ( आ (ā) ), f. sg. and pl. the more modern N. of the Nakṣatra Śraviṣṭhā or 24th lunar mansion, Śāṅkhāyana-gṛhya-sūtra (Title); Mahābhārata (Title) &c. [ ID=99487 ]
- The twenty-fourth lunar mansion, comprising four stars in Delphinus and figured by a drum  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > धन (dhana) िष्ठा (dhaniṣṭhā) [Printed book page 437 ] धन (dhana) िष्ठा (dhaniṣṭhā) f. ( - ष्ठा (-ṣṭhā) ) The twenty-fourth Nakṣatra or lunar mansion; it comprises four stars, apparently α β γ and δ Delphini, and is figured by a drum or tabor. E. धन (dhana) to produce, (as corn,) affix अच् (ac) and मतुप् (matup) added, धन (dhana) वत् (dhanavat) again, इष्ठन् (iṣṭhan) added, and मतुप् (matup) rejected, fem. affix टाप् (ṭāp). [ ID=20339 ]
- The 24th lunar mansion consisting of four stars.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > धनिष्ठा (dhaniṣṭhā) [Printed book page 390-a ] धनिष्ठा (dhaniṣṭhā) ( ष्ठा ) ((ṣṭhā)) 1. f. The 24th lunar mansion, four stars of Delphini. [ ID=19827 ]
- Name of the twenty-third lunar mansion consisting of four stars.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > [Printed book page 353-06 ] धनिष्ठा (dhaniṣṭhā) f. Name of the twenty-third lunar mansion consisting of four stars. [ ID=18151 ]
- The twenty-fourth lunar mansion or constellation, comprising four stars and figured by a drum.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > धन (dhana) िष्ठा (dhaniṣṭhā) [Printed book page 364-b ] धन (dhana) िष्ठा (dhaniṣṭhā) f. ( - ष्ठा (-ṣṭhā) ) The twenty-fourth Nakshatra or lunar mansion, it comprises four stars, and is figured by a drum or tabor. E. धन (dhana) to produce, (as corn,) affix अच् (ac) and मतुप् (matup) added, धन (dhana) वत् (dhanavat) again, इष्ठन् (iṣṭhan) added, and मतुप् (matup) rejected, fem. affix टाप् (ṭāp). [ ID=20325 ]
- The name of a lunar mansion  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > धनिष्ठा (dhaniṣṭhā) [Printed book page 0430-a ] धनिष्ठा (dhaniṣṭhā) dhaniṣṭhā, f. The name of a Nakṣatra or lunar mansion, MBh. 13, 4266. [ ID=6935 ]
- the later name of the lunar mansion Shravishtha  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > धनिष्ठा (dhaniṣṭhā) [Printed book page 1-388 ] Dhaniṣṭhā (‘very rich’), used in the plural, is the later name 1 of the lunar mansion (Nakṣatra) Śraviṣṭhā. [ Footnote: 1) Sāntikalpa, 13; Śāṅkhāyana Gṛhya Sūtra, i. 26.] [ ID=1425 ]

### Adjective: Very Rich (2 definitions)
- very rich  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > ( fr. धन (dhana) ) very rich, Śāṅkhāyana-śrauta-sūtra (Title) viii, 20, 4 [ ID=99486 ]
- Very rich  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > धनिष्ठ (dhaniṣṭha) ा (dhaniṣṭhā) [Printed book page 353-05 ] धनिष्ठ (dhaniṣṭha) a. (f. ष्ठा (ṣṭhā) ) Very rich, (super. of धनिन् (dhanin) or धनवत् (dhanavat) ). [ ID=18150.1 ]

### Nakṣatra Dhaniṣṭhā: Cultural & Ritualistic Roles (2 definitions)
- a particular lunar mansion  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > धनिष्ठा (dhaniṣṭhā) [Printed book page 240-2 ] Dhaniṣṭhā, sg. or pl., a nakṣatra = Śraviṣṭhā, BR. (v. Su. Si.). § 502 (Manuṣyagrahak.): III, 230, 14463 ( °ādis tato kālo Brahmaṇā parikalpitaḥ, cf. Nīl.).—§ 746 (Ānuśāsanik.): XIII, 64, 3280 (pl., merit of making gifts under the constellation Dh.).—§ 749 (do.): XIII, 89 α, 4266 (sg., merit of performing a śrāddha under the constellation Dh.).—§ 759 (do.): XIII, 110, 5391 (pl., description of the candravrata). [ ID=3372 ]
- 1. The constellation on the Shimshumara in the Dhruva mandala. 2. Good for shraddha offerings. 3. Inauspicious for house-building.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > धनिष्ठा (dhaniṣṭhā) [Printed book page 2-154 ] Dhaniṣṭhā — the constellation on the Simśumāra 1 in the Dhruva maṇḍala; good for śrāddha offering; 2 inauspicious for house-building. 3 [ Footnote: 1) Bhā. V. 23. 6; Vā. 66. 51; 82. 12.] [ Footnote: 2) Br. II. 24. 134; III. 18. 11; Vi. III. 14. 16.] [ Footnote: 3) M. 257. 1.] [ ID=6484 ]

### Adjective: Very Swift (1 definition)
- very swift  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 509,1] धनिष्ठ (dhaniṣṭha) mfn. ( superl. of √ 2. धन् (dhan) ) very swift, Ṛg-veda (Title) x, 73, 1 [ ID=99485 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Benfey 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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