anya puṣṭa

 In Sanskrit, anya‑puṣṭa means “reared by another,” and is a standard epithet for the cuckoo (kokila/koel), believed to be raised by crows.

anya puṣṭa is written in Devanagari as अन्य पुष्ट

In Sanskrit, anya‑puṣṭa means “nourished/reared by another”, and it is commonly used as an epithet for the cuckoo (kokila), believed to be raised by crows.

Literal meaning

• anya = “other, another”

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• puṣṭa = “nourished, fed, reared” (from √puṣ, “to nourish”)
  Together, anya‑puṣṭa literally means “one who is nourished by another.”
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Lexical definition

According to Sanskrit dictionaries and traditional literature, anyapuṣṭa is:

• “the koil / Indian cuckoo, supposed to be reared by the crow”

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• The feminine form anyapuṣṭā is also attested

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This reflects the long‑standing Indian belief that the cuckoo lays its eggs in the nests of crows, who then raise the young cuckoo.

Usage in classical literature

• The term appears in poetic works such as Kumārasambhava, where the cuckoo is described as anyapuṣṭā (“reared by another”)

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• Ayurvedic and animal‑science texts (e.g., Mṛgapakṣiśāstra, Mātaṅgalīlā) also use anyapuṣṭa to denote the cuckoo and describe its cry

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Summary

anya‑puṣṭa / anyapuṣṭa = “reared by another”, especially referring to the cuckoo, which is traditionally believed to be raised by crows.

Literal meaning

• anya = “other, another”

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• puṣṭa = “nourished, reared” (from √puṣ, “to nourish”)
  Together, anya‑puṣṭa literally means “nourished by another.”
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Lexical definition

Multiple Sanskrit dictionaries and traditional sources define anyapuṣṭa / anya‑puṣṭā as:

• “The cuckoo (kokila), supposed to be reared by the crow.”

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This meaning appears consistently across:

• Classical Sanskrit lexicons

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• Ayurvedic/veterinary texts such as the Mātaṅgalīlā, which refer to the cuckoo’s cry as anyapuṣṭa‑ninada (“having the cry of the anya‑puṣṭa bird”).

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Cultural background

The epithet reflects a long‑standing Indian belief that the cuckoo lays its eggs in the nests of crows, who then raise the young—hence “reared by another.”
This idea is also expressed in related Sanskrit compounds such as anyabhṛta (“borne/raised by another”) and kākapuṣṭa (“reared by a crow”).

Wisdom Library

Summary

• anya puṣṭa / anyapuṣṭa = “reared by another”
• Conventional meaning: the cuckoo (koel)
• Based on the traditional belief that the cuckoo is raised by crows.