Sanskritstudy: anāvṛṣṭi

Anāvṛṣṭi (अनावृष्टि) in Sanskrit means “drought” or “want of rain,” and it appears across Hinduism and Sanskrit literature as a term denoting prolonged periods without precipitation.

Meaning and Etymology

The word Anāvṛṣṭi is a feminine noun in Sanskrit, formed from the

negation an- (not) and āvṛṣṭi (rain). Literally, it translates to “no rain”

or “lack of rainfall,” denoting drought conditions. It is documented in

classical sources like the Mahābhārata and Pañcatantra, as well as

in later Sanskrit dictionaries

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. Variants of the

term include Anavrsti, Anavrishti, and Anavrashti

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Usage in Hinduism

In Shaktism, Anāvṛṣṭi is mentioned in the Ṣaṭsāhasrasaṃhitā

(Kubjikāmatatantra) as a situation requiring ritual interventions,

such as sacrifices or protective rites during droughts, famine, or

other calamities

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In Shaivism, according to the Netratantra, rituals and mantras are

prescribed to avert natural disasters including Anāvṛṣṭi, along with

catastrophic events like earthquakes and pest infestations

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In Jyotisha (Vedic astrology), Varāhamihira's Bṛhatsaṃhitā references

Anāvṛṣṭi as a phenomenon to predict through solar observations,

indicating periods of drought when certain solar qualities appear

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Other Language Contexts

The term also appears in Indian regional languages such as Marathi

and Hindi, where it retains the meaning of prolonged absence of

rain or drought

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. Kannada and Nepali dictionaries

similarly define Anāvṛṣṭi as a sustained dry spell or want of rain.

Summary

Sanskrit Form: अनावृष्टि (Anāvṛṣṭi)
Meaning: Drought, want of rain, no rainfall
Contexts:
- Hinduism: Used in rituals during famine or calamities (Shaktism,
- Shaivism)
- Jyotisha: Astrological prediction of drought
- Regional Languages: Marathi, Hindi, Kannada, Nepali – denotes
- drought
Feminine noun and used in classical literature with ritual or
environmental implications