anāśvas

 

In Sanskrit, "Anāśvas" (अनाश्वस्) is an adjective meaning

"not having eaten" or "fasting," derived from the negation

"an-" and the root related to eating, āśvas.

Definition and Etymology

Anāśvas comes from the combination of an- (negative prefix

meaning "not") and āśvas (from the verb root aś, meaning "to eat"). 

Hence, the literal meaning is "not consumed" or

"not eaten" 

Wisdom Library+1

. It is used to describe someone 

who is fasting or abstaining from food. The word functions as

an adjective in Sanskrit grammar and can be applied to masculine, 

feminine, or neuter forms depending on the context 

Wisdom Library

.

Usage in Classical Sanskrit Literature

The term appears in important Sanskrit texts such as:

• Kirātārjunīya (12.2) and Śiśupālavadha (14.49), where it describes
• characters who are abstaining from food or engaged in fasting 
• for a spiritual or ceremonial purpose

  2

   .
• Taittirīya-saṃhitā and Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa, where it appears 
• as part of ritual prescriptions, emphasizing the idea of voluntary
• abstention from eating 

  1

  .
• 

  

  3 Sources
• 
  

Grammatical Notes

• Part of Speech: Adjective (a.)
• Forms: It can be declined according to gender, number, and case.
• Compound Forms: Sometimes used in tatpurusha compounds 
• in classical texts to indicate someone characterized by fasting 
• or having not eaten 

  1

  .
• 

  1 Source
• 
  

Summary

Anāśvas captures the idea of fasting, not having eaten, or abstention 

from food. It has significance in both spiritual practices and 

classical Sanskrit literature, highlighting the importance of

controlled eating or self-restraint in ritual or ethical contexts 

Wisdom Library+2

.

This word reflects the precise and nuanced way Sanskrit expresses 

abstinence and ritual observances through specific adjectives.