andu

 The Sanskrit word “andu” is spelled अन्दु (also अन्दू) in Devanagari and means primarily a chain, fetter, or an ankle ornament, especially the chain fastened to an elephant’s feet.

✅ Devanagari spellings

The Wisdomlib Sanskrit dictionary lists several closely related forms

Wisdom Library

:

• अन्दु (andu) — feminine noun
• अन्दू (andū) — feminine noun
• Also related masculine forms: अन्दुकः, अन्दूकः (andukaḥ, andūkaḥ)

These are variant derivations of the same root and share the same meanings.

✅ Meanings in Sanskrit

According to the Sanskrit section of the Wisdomlib entry

Wisdom Library

, अन्दु / अन्दू means:

• A chain or fetter (general sense)
• A chain for an elephant’s feet (a common and specific usage)
• An ornament worn around the ankles, comparable to a नूपुर (nūpura)

The entry also notes that the term is derived from the verbal root and-, “to bind,” with an Unādi affix kū

Wisdom Library

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✅ Notes on usage

• The word appears in classical Sanskrit literature, e.g., in Śiśupālavadha 2.51, where the elephant‑chain sense is used

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• Related forms appear in Pali and Marathi with the same meaning (“chain, fetter”), showing continuity across Indo‑Aryan languages

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