anvābhakta

 The Sanskrit word anvābhakta is written in Devanagari as अन्वाभक्त

Anvābhakta refers to something taken up again, repeated, or applied 

subsequently, and its precise meaning depends on the Sanskrit 

discipline—grammar, ritual studies, or classical commentary.

Core Meaning

The word anvābhakta is formed from anu (“after, following”) + ābhakta (“divided, 

portioned, applied”).
Together they convey the idea of a portion or action that follows after an initial

one, often implying repetition, continuation, or secondary application.

In Vedic Ritual (Śrauta and Gṛhya Contexts)

In ritual literature, anvābhakta describes:

• A repeated offering or act performed after the main one.
• A secondary portion of food, oblation, or recitation that follows the 
• primary portion.
• A subsequent performance of a rite that mirrors or completes the first.

Examples of how the term appears in ritual contexts:

• A priest may perform an anvābhakta homa—a follow‑up oblation after the
• principal offering.
• A chant or recitation may be labeled anvābhakta if it repeats or extends a
• previous verse.
• In some Śrauta procedures, the term marks the “after‑portion” of a sacrificial
• sequence.

The underlying idea is continuity: something done again, or done after, to 

complete or reinforce the main act.

In Sanskrit Grammar (Vyākaraṇa)

In grammatical commentaries, anvābhakta can describe:

• A grammatical element that is carried over from a previous rule or statement.
• A term implicitly repeated in a subsequent sūtra.
• A syntactic or semantic continuation of a prior expression.

Pāṇinian commentators sometimes use anvābhakta to explain that a word or 

rule is understood again in the next sūtra even if not explicitly restated.

This is similar to the idea of anuvṛtti (“carrying forward”), but anvābhakta 

emphasizes repetition of a portion, not the full rule.

In Classical Sanskrit Usage

Outside technical literature, anvābhakta can simply mean:

• Repeated,
• Done again,
• Following after,
• Subsequent,
• Divided into successive portions.

For example, a poet might describe anvābhakta-bhoga—pleasure enjoyed again

and again, or in successive parts.

How It Differs from Related Terms

• Abhakta — “undivided, not portioned”; the opposite of ābhakta.
• Anuvāka / Anuvākya — refer to recitations or explanatory statements, not 
• to repeated portions.
• Anuvṛtti — “carrying forward” in grammar; broader than anvābhakta, which
• focuses on repeated or subsequent portions.

Summary

Anvābhakta is a versatile Sanskrit term whose core idea is a repeated or 

subsequent portion or action.

• In ritual texts, it marks follow‑up offerings or recitations.
• In grammar, it signals repeated or carried‑over elements.
• In general Sanskrit, it means “repeated” or “done afterward.”