# निष्ठा (niṣṭhā)

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

निष्ठा (niṣṭhā) is a Sanskrit word meaning to fix in, to give forth, emit, or yield, state, condition, or position, firmness or steadiness, attachment or devotion, application, skill, or familiarity. Its 18 recorded definitions are grouped into 11 contexts, among them Adjective: Excelling, Situated, Devoted, Skilled, Decision, Judgement, End, Conclusion, Termination.

- **Root:** स्था (sthā)
- **SLP1:** `nizWA`  **IAST:** niṣṭhā  **Devanagari:** निष्ठा
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nishtha
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/nishtha/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** निष्ठ (niṣṭha)

## Meanings by context

### Adjective: Excelling, Situated, Devoted, Skilled (4 definitions)
- excelling, eminent  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3) [Printed book page 563,2] 2. नि - (ni-) ° ष्ठा (°ṣṭhā) ( Padap. निः - ष्ठा (niḥ-ṣṭhā) ) mfn. excelling, eminent, RV. [ ID=110940 ]
- 1. Being or situated in or on. 2. Depending, resting, referring, or relating to. 3. Devoted or intent on. 4. Skilled in. 5. Believing in.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > निष्ठ (niṣṭha) ा (niṣṭhā) [Printed book page 392-26 ] निष्ठ (niṣṭha) a. (f. ष्ठा (ṣṭhā) ) (generally at the end of compounds) 1. Being in or on, situated on, e.g. कार्यनिष्ठ (niṣṭha) (kāryaniṣṭha); 2. depending or resting on, referring or relating to; 3. devoted to, intent on; 4. skilled in; 5. believing in, e.g. धर्मनिष्ठ (niṣṭha) (dharmaniṣṭha). [ ID=20099.1 ]
- excelling, leading  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > निष्ठा (niṣṭhā) [Printed book page 280 ] निष्ठा (niṣṭhā) a. excelling, leading. [ ID=17054 ]
- 1. Excelling, eminent, or leading. 2. Staying or being in. 3. A leader or guide. 4. A station or position.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > निष्ठा (niṣṭhā) [Printed book page 0508-b ] 2. ni-ṣṭhā, ās, ās, am ( ni for nis ), Ved. excel- ling, eminent, leading; staying or being in (= ni-ṣṭha); (ās), m. a leader, guide; (Sāy.) station, position. [ ID=26050 ]

### Decision, Judgement (2 definitions)
- decision about  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > decision about ( gen. ), Rājat. [ ID=110926 ]
- decisive sentence, judgement  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > decisive sentence, judgement, Gaut.; Āp. [ ID=110927 ]

### End, Conclusion, Termination (2 definitions)
- conclusion, end, termination, or death  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > [Printed book page 563,2] conclusion, end, termination, death ( ifc. ‘ending with’), MBh.; Kāv. &c. [ ID=110929 ]
- the end or catastrophe  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (in dram. ) the end or catastrophe, W. [ ID=110933 ]

### Proper Name / Specific Textual Reference (2 definitions)
- an epithet of Vishnu  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > निष्ठा (niṣṭhā) [Printed book page 520-1 ] Niṣṭhā = Viṣṇu (1000 names). [ ID=7744 ]
- 1. A specific verse in the Panigrahana mantra. 2. Known to Satyavrata.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > निष्ठा (niṣṭhā) [Printed book page 2-254 ] Niṣṭhā — in the Pāṇigrahaṇa mantra in the seventh Pāda; known to Satyavrata. Vā. 88. 97. [ ID=7274 ]

### State, Position, Basis (2 definitions)
- state, condition, or position  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3) [Printed book page 563,1] 1. नि - (ni-) ° ष्ठा (°ṣṭhā) f. ( ifc. f( आ (ā) ). ) state, condition, position, Bhag. [ ID=110924 ]
- 1. Position, condition, or basis. 2. Steadiness or fixity. 3. Devotion or attachment. 4. Excellence or perfection. 5. Faith. 6. Conclusion or end. 7. The catastrophe of a drama. 8. Accomplishment or confirmation. 9. Death or destruction. 10. Certainty. 11. Trouble or distress.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > [Printed book page 392-27 ] निष्ठा (niṣṭhā) f. 1. Position, condition, basis, foundation; 2. fixity, steadiness, मनो निष्ठा (niṣṭhā) शुन्यं भ्रमति च किमप्यालिखति च (mano niṣṭhāśunyaṃ bhramati ca kimapyālikhati ca) M.M. i.; 3. devotion, attachment; 4. excellence, skill, perfection; 5. faith, Bg. iii.3; 6. conclusion, end, termination, अत्यारूढिर्भवति महतामप्यपभ्रंशनिष्ठा (niṣṭhā) (atyārūḍhirbhavati mahatāmapyapabhraṃśaniṣṭhā) Sak. iv.; 7. the catastrophie of a drama; 8. accomplishment, confirmation, M. viii.227; 9. death, destruction; 10. certain knowledge, certainty; 11. trouble, distress, anxiety. [ ID=20100 ]

### Asking, Begging (1 definition)
- asking, begging  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > asking, begging, L. [ ID=110930 ]

### Completion, Perfection, Excellence (1 definition)
- completion, perfection, or extreme point  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > completion, perfection, culminating or extreme point, Mn.; Āp.; MBh. &c. [ ID=110928 ]

### Firmness, Devotion, Faith (1 definition)
- 1. Firmness or steadiness. 2. Attachment or devotion. 3. Application, skill, or familiarity. 4. Certain knowledge.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > firmness, steadiness, attachment, devotion, application, skill in, familiarity with, certain knowledge of ( loc. ), MBh.; Kāv.; Pur. [ ID=110925 ]

### Grammatical Term: Niṣṭhā Affixes (1 definition)
- the past participle suffixes ta and tavat  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (in gram. ) N. of the p.p. affixes त (ta) and त (ta) वत (ta) ् (tavat) [ ID=110932 ]

### Trouble, Distress (1 definition)
- trouble, distress  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > trouble, distress, L. [ ID=110931 ]

### Verbal Root: To Fix, Emit, Yield (1 definition)
- 1. To fix in. 2. To give forth, emit, or yield.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 563,1] नि - ष्ठा (ni-ṣṭhā) a (√ स्था (sthā); aor. न्य् - अष्ठात् (ny-aṣṭhāt) pf. नि - तस्थौ (ni-tasthau), Vop. ) : Caus. ( aor. न्य् - अतिष्ठिपत् (ny-atiṣṭhipat) ) to fix in ( loc. ), ŚBr.; to give forth, emit, yield, HPariś. [ ID=110919 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872); Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); The Purana Index; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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