# नैमिषारण्य (naimiṣāraṇya)

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

नैमिषारण्य (naimiṣāraṇya) is a Sanskrit word meaning the Naimisha forest, a sacred wood, name of a sacred forest. Its 5 recorded definitions are grouped into 2 contexts, among them Sacred Naimisha Forest (mythological/religious significance), Naimisha Forest (general identification).

- **Etymology:** E. निमिष a twinkling of an eye, in which the sage GAURAMUKHA destroyed a sort of Asuras, and अण् aff. and अरण्य forest — E. nimiṣa a twinkling of an eye, in which the sage GAURAMUKHA destroyed a sort of Asuras, and aṇ aff. and araṇya forest
- **SLP1:** `nEmizAraRya`  **IAST:** naimiṣāraṇya  **Devanagari:** नैमिषारण्य
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naimi%E1%B9%A3%C4%81ra%E1%B9%87ya_%28forest%29
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/naimisharanya/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** नैमिषारन्य (naimiṣāranya)

## Meanings by context

### Sacred Naimisha Forest (mythological/religious significance) (3 definitions)
- A forest celebrated as the residence of the sages to whom Sauti related the Mahabharata.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > नैमिषारण्य (naimiṣāraṇya) [Printed book page 488 ] नैमिषारण्य (naimiṣāraṇya) n. ( - ण्यं (-ṇyaṃ) ) A wood celebrated as the residence of the Ṛṣis, to whom Sauti related the Mahābhārata. E. निमिष (nimiṣa) a twinkling of an eye, in which the sage GAURAMUKHA destroyed a sort of Asuras, and अण् (aṇ) aff. and अरण्य (araṇya) forest. [ ID=22626 ]
- A sacred wood  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > नैमिषारण्य (naimiṣāraṇya) [Printed book page 435-a ] नैमिषा - रण्य (naimiṣā-raṇya) ( ण्यं ) ((ṇyaṃ)) 1. n. A sacred wood. [ ID=22095 ]
- A forest celebrated as the residence of the Rishis where the Mahabharata was recited.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > नैमिषारण्य (naimiṣāraṇya) [Printed book page 408-b ] नैमिषारण्य (naimiṣāraṇya) n. ( - ण्यं (-ṇyaṃ) ) A wood celebrated as the residence of the Ṛshis, to whom Sautī related the Mahābhārat. E. निमिष (nimiṣa) a twinkling of an eye, in which the sage GAURAMUKHA destroyed a sort of Asuras, and अण् (aṇ) aff. and अरण्य (araṇya) a forest. [ ID=22611 ]

### Naimisha Forest (general identification) (2 definitions)
- the Naimisha forest  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H4) [Printed book page 570,1] नै (nai) — मि ° षा (—mi°ṣā) रण्य (raṇya) n. the N° w°, MW. [ ID=112363 ]
- name of a sacred forest  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > नैमिषारण्य (naimiṣāraṇya) [Printed book page 286 ] नैमिषारण्य (naimiṣāraṇya) n. = prec. n. [ ID=17373 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara 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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