ओषधि

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• ওষধি (Assamese script)
• ᬑᬱᬥᬶ (Balinese script)
• ওষধি (Bengali script)
• 𑰌𑰬𑰠𑰰 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀑𑀱𑀥𑀺 (Brahmi script)
• ဩၑဓိ (Burmese script)
• ઓષધિ (Gujarati script)
• ਓਸ਼ਧਿ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌓𑌷𑌧𑌿 (Grantha script)
• ꦎꦰꦣꦶ (Javanese script)
• 𑂋𑂭𑂡𑂱 (Kaithi script)
• ಓಷಧಿ (Kannada script)
• ឱឞធិ (Khmer script)
• ໂອຩຘິ (Lao script)
• ഓഷധി (Malayalam script)
• ᠣᢢᠠᢡᡳ (Manchu script)
• 𑘌𑘬𑘠𑘱 (Modi script)
• ᠣᠸᠠᢔᠠᢑᠾᠢ (Mongolian script)
• 𑦬𑧌𑧀𑧒 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐌𑐲𑐢𑐶 (Newa script)
• ଓଷଧି (Odia script)
• ꢐꢰꢤꢶ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆏𑆰𑆣𑆴 (Sharada script)
• 𑖌𑖬𑖠𑖰 (Siddham script)
• ඔෂධි (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩐𑩕𑪀𑩮𑩑 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚈𑚜𑚮 (Takri script)
• ஓஷதி⁴ (Tamil script)
• ఓషధి (Telugu script)
• โอษธิ (Thai script)
• ཨོ་ཥ་དྷི (Tibetan script)
• 𑒍𑒭𑒡𑒱 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨀𑨆𑨯𑨜𑨁 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Of unclear origin. The latter component, धि (dhi), is likely derived from the root धा (dhā, “to put, place”). The former component, ओष् (oṣ), has been subject to vigorous debate and multiple competing theories:

• Related to अवस् (avas, “favor, protection”) and अवस (avasa, “refreshment, food, provisions”).
• Derived from the root उष् (uṣ, “to burn”).
• Related to Gothic 𐌹𐌿𐍃𐌹𐌶𐌰 (iusiza, “better”) or Lithuanian auštis (“to refresh, revive”).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /ɐ́w.ʂɐ.dʱi/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈoː.ʂɐ.d̪ʱi/

Noun

ओषधि • (óṣadhi) stem, f

1. an herb, plant, especially a medicinal herb
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 5.83.5:

     यस्य॑ व्र॒ते पृ॑थि॒वी नन्न॑मीति॒ यस्य॑ व्र॒ते श॒फव॒ज्जर्भु॑रीति।
     यस्य॑ व्र॒त ओष॑धीर्वि॒श्वरू॑पा॒: स न॑: पर्जन्य॒ महि॒ शर्म॑ यच्छ॥

     yásya vraté pṛthivī́ nánnamīti yásya vraté śaphávajjárbhurīti.
     yásya vratá óṣadhīrviśvárūpā: sá na: parjanya máhi śárma yaccha.

     Do you, Parjanya, through whose function the earth is bowed down; through whose function hoofed cattle thrive; through whose function plants assume all kinds of forms, grant us great felicity.

2. an annual plant or herb (which dies after becoming ripe)
3. a remedy in general

Declension

Feminine i-stem declension of ओषधि (óṣadhi)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ओषधिः óṣadhiḥ	ओषधी óṣadhī	ओषधयः óṣadhayaḥ
Vocative	ओषधे óṣadhe	ओषधी óṣadhī	ओषधयः óṣadhayaḥ
Accusative	ओषधिम् óṣadhim	ओषधी óṣadhī	ओषधीः óṣadhīḥ
Instrumental	ओषध्या / ओषधी¹ óṣadhyā / óṣadhī¹	ओषधिभ्याम् óṣadhibhyām	ओषधिभिः óṣadhibhiḥ
Dative	ओषधये / ओषध्यै² / ओषधी¹ óṣadhaye / óṣadhyai² / óṣadhī¹	ओषधिभ्याम् óṣadhibhyām	ओषधिभ्यः óṣadhibhyaḥ
Ablative	ओषधेः / ओषध्याः² / ओषध्यै³ óṣadheḥ / óṣadhyāḥ² / óṣadhyai³	ओषधिभ्याम् óṣadhibhyām	ओषधिभ्यः óṣadhibhyaḥ
Genitive	ओषधेः / ओषध्याः² / ओषध्यै³ óṣadheḥ / óṣadhyāḥ² / óṣadhyai³	ओषध्योः óṣadhyoḥ	ओषधीनाम् óṣadhīnām
Locative	ओषधौ / ओषध्याम्² / ओषधा¹ óṣadhau / óṣadhyām² / óṣadhā¹	ओषध्योः óṣadhyoḥ	ओषधिषु óṣadhiṣu
Notes	¹Vedic ²Later Sanskrit ³Brāhmaṇas

Descendants

• → Old Javanese: oṣadhi
  • → Balinese: ᬑᬱᬥᬶ (osadi)

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “ओषधि”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 236/1.
• Mayrhofer, Manfred (1992) Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen‎^[1] (in German), volume 1, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 282
• Mayrhofer, Manfred (1956) Kurzgefasstes Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen‎^[2] (in German), volume 1, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 133