apa kṛṣ

 The Sanskrit term kṛṣ (कृष्) is a root verb (dhātu) with primary meanings related to pulling, drawing, or ploughing. Its semantic range includes:

1. To plough / make furrows: This is its agricultural sense, common in Vedic and classical Sanskrit literature, e.g., preparing land for sowing.
2. To draw or pull toward oneself: This includes dragging, drawing, tearing, or attracting objects or entities.
3. Derived verbal forms:
   • Perfect (past) tense: cakarṣa – “he/she/it drew, pulled”
   • Aorist: akṛkṣat / akārkṣīt – “he/she/it pulled”
   • Future tense: karkṣyati / krakṣyati – “will pull/draw”
   • Infinitive: kraṣṭum – “to pull or draw”

When prefixed with apa, forming apakṛṣ (अपकृष्), the nuance changes slightly depending on context. The prefix apa often conveys away, off, or from. Consequently, apakṛṣ generally means:

• To pull away, withdraw, or remove
• To drag or draw away from something

In classical texts, this can describe either concrete actions (e.g., pulling a plough away from a field) or metaphorical ones (e.g., withdrawing attention or influence). It maintains the root sense of kṛṣ but introduces a directional or separating aspect via apa.

References:

• Sanskritdictionary.com entry for kṛṣ: kṛṣ
• Wisdom Library entry for apakṛṣ: apakṛṣ

Thus, apa-kṛṣ = “to pull or draw away”, aligning with the classical Sanskrit verbal root system.