aniṣṭa

 The Sanskrit term Aniṣṭa (अनिष्ट) primarily means “undesired,” “unfavourable,” or “harmful,” and is used to denote bad, unlucky, or inauspicious things in various contexts.

General Definition

In classical Sanskrit, Aniṣṭa is an adjective that conveys something 

unwished, undesirable, disagreeable, or evil. It can refer to misfortune,

disadvantage, calamity, wrong, or ominous events

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The word is often contrasted with iṣṭa (desired or auspicious).

Grammatically, Aniṣṭa can be masculine, feminine, or neuter, with 

the feminine form sometimes referring to the plant 

Sida alba

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Contextual Uses in Literature

• Hinduism and Nāṭyaśāstra: Aniṣṭa represents an unfavourable 
• mind or situations in performing arts and dramaturgy, denoting 
• emotions or circumstances to be depicted as unpleasant or 
• undesirable 

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• Vyakarana (Sanskrit Grammar): Aniṣṭa signifies an undesired 
• consequence or result in grammatical and logical analysis 

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• Purāṇa and Itihāsa: The term is used for bad omens or portents, 
• indicating misfortune or calamitous events in epic narratives 

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• Ayurveda: In texts like Mātaṅgalīlā, Aniṣṭa refers to undesirable 
• conditions or harmful factors, including those in relation
• to elephants 

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Etymology and Related Terms

Aniṣṭa derives from the prefix an- (not) and iṣṭa (desired, wished),

literally meaning ‘not desired’ or ‘undesirable’. A related term is

Aniṣṭatā (अनिष्टता), which signifies undesirability or the quality

of being unfavourable 

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. In Prakrit and Pali, it appears 

as aṇiṭṭha or aniṭṭha.

Modern Extensions

• Hindi and Marathi Dictionaries: Aniṣṭa means harm, calamity, 
• undesirable or disadvantageous

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• Kannada and Nepali: It can describe something not auspicious, 
• causing misfortune, harmful, or evil

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In summary, Aniṣṭa fundamentally denotes unwanted, harmful, or

inauspicious qualities or events, with applications across philosophical,

religious, grammatical, and medical contexts in classical 

Sanskrit literature 

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