anūḍha

 The Sanskrit adjective अनूढ (anūḍha) primarily means "not borne or carried" and is also used to describe an unmarried woman.

Definitions in Sanskrit

Not borne or carried: The term अनूढ is derived as a tatpurusha compound,

formed from an- (negation) and √vah (to carry, to bear). In this sense,

it signifies something that has not been carried, borne, or maintained

in a literal or figurative context

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Unmarried (of a woman): When applied to persons, especially in classical

texts, अनूढ refers to an unmarried woman. The feminine form 

is अनूढा (anūḍhā), used in Vedic and later texts to denote a girl who 

has not yet undergone marriage rituals

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. For example, the 

phrase परिवेत्तानुजोऽनूढे ज्येष्ठे दारपरिग्रहात् describes an unmarried

daughter in familial or legal context

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Derived or related nuances: Scholarly sources also note that 

compounds such as -मान after अनूढ can describe attributes like

bashfulness or modesty, aligning with social contexts of unmarried 

women in classical literature

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Usage in Texts

• Vedic literature: The word occurs in Sanskrit commentaries and
• ritual texts, often describing daughters or women in rites of passage, 
• highlighting social norms around marriage

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• Classical Sanskrit: It appears as an adjective emphasizing the 
• unmarried status or the uncarried/unborne characteristic, sometimes
• figuratively in poetry or narrative texts

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• Grammatical forms: अनूढ is an adjective that has masculine (m.),
• feminine (f. अनूढा), and neuter (n.) forms, declinable according
• to standard Sanskrit rules (Monier-Williams). It can modify nouns
• across all genders based on context

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Summary

• Word: अनूढ (anūḍha)
• Primary meanings:
  1. Not borne, not carried
  2. Unmarried (of a woman)
• Feminine form: अनूढा (anūḍhā)
• Derived connotations: Modesty or bashfulness in social context
• Sources/Usage: Vedic texts, classical Sanskrit dictionaries, law
• texts (Dharmashastras), and ritual references

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Understanding अनूढ helps in interpreting social, ritualistic, and literary 

contexts in classical Sanskrit works, particularly concerning women’s

marital status and related cultural practices.