महिष

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• মহিষ (Assamese script)
• ᬫᬳᬶᬱ (Balinese script)
• মহিষ (Bengali script)
• 𑰦𑰮𑰰𑰬 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀫𑀳𑀺𑀱 (Brahmi script)
• မဟိၑ (Burmese script)
• મહિષ (Gujarati script)
• ਮਹਿਸ਼ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌮𑌹𑌿𑌷 (Grantha script)
• ꦩꦲꦶꦰ (Javanese script)
• 𑂧𑂯𑂱𑂭 (Kaithi script)
• ಮಹಿಷ (Kannada script)
• មហិឞ (Khmer script)
• ມຫິຩ (Lao script)
• മഹിഷ (Malayalam script)
• ᠮᠠᡥᡳᢢᠠ (Manchu script)
• 𑘦𑘮𑘱𑘬 (Modi script)
• ᠮᠠᠾᠢᢔᠠ᠋ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧆𑧎𑧒𑧌 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐩𑐴𑐶𑐲 (Newa script)
• ମହିଷ (Odia script)
• ꢪꢲꢶꢰ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆩𑆲𑆴𑆰 (Sharada script)
• 𑖦𑖮𑖰𑖬 (Siddham script)
• මහිෂ (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩴𑪂𑩑𑪀 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚢𑚩𑚮 (Takri script)
• மஹிஷ (Tamil script)
• మహిష (Telugu script)
• มหิษ (Thai script)
• མ་ཧི་ཥ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒧𑒯𑒱𑒭 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨢𑨱𑨁𑨯 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *meǵh₂s-ó-s, from *méǵh₂s (“big, great”). See महत् (mahat) for more.

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /mɐ.ɦi.ʂɐ́/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈmɐ.ɦi.ʂɐ/

Adjective

महिष • (mahiṣá) stem (comparative महीयस्, superlative महिष्ठ)

1. great, powerful
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 2.22.1:

     त्रिक॑द्रुकेषु महि॒षो यवा॑शिरं तुवि॒शुष्म॑स्तृ॒पत्सोम॑मपिब॒द्विष्णु॑ना सु॒तं यथाव॑शत्।
     स ईं॑ ममाद॒ महि॒ कर्म॒ कर्त॑वे म॒हामु॒रुं सैनं॑ सश्चद्दे॒वो दे॒वं स॒त्यमिन्द्रं॑ स॒त्य इन्दु॑:॥

     tríkadrukeṣu mahiṣó yávāśiraṃ tuviśúṣmastṛpátsómamapibadvíṣṇunā sutáṃ yáthā́vaśat.
     sá īṃ mamāda máhi kárma kártave mahā́murúṃ saínaṃ saścaddevó deváṃ satyámíndraṃ satyá índu:.

     At the Trikadrukas the Great and Strong hath drunk drink blent with meal. With Visnu hath he quaffed the poured out Soma juice, all that he would.
     That hath so heightened him the Great, the Wide, to do his mighty work.

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of महिष

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	महिषः (mahiṣáḥ)	महिषौ (mahiṣaú) महिषा¹ (mahiṣā́¹)	महिषाः (mahiṣā́ḥ) महिषासः¹ (mahiṣā́saḥ¹)
vocative	महिष (máhiṣa)	महिषौ (máhiṣau) महिषा¹ (máhiṣā¹)	महिषाः (máhiṣāḥ) महिषासः¹ (máhiṣāsaḥ¹)
accusative	महिषम् (mahiṣám)	महिषौ (mahiṣaú) महिषा¹ (mahiṣā́¹)	महिषान् (mahiṣā́n)
instrumental	महिषेण (mahiṣéṇa)	महिषाभ्याम् (mahiṣā́bhyām)	महिषैः (mahiṣaíḥ) महिषेभिः¹ (mahiṣébhiḥ¹)
dative	महिषाय (mahiṣā́ya)	महिषाभ्याम् (mahiṣā́bhyām)	महिषेभ्यः (mahiṣébhyaḥ)
ablative	महिषात् (mahiṣā́t)	महिषाभ्याम् (mahiṣā́bhyām)	महिषेभ्यः (mahiṣébhyaḥ)
genitive	महिषस्य (mahiṣásya)	महिषयोः (mahiṣáyoḥ)	महिषाणाम् (mahiṣā́ṇām)
locative	महिषे (mahiṣé)	महिषयोः (mahiṣáyoḥ)	महिषेषु (mahiṣéṣu)

• ¹Vedic

Feminine ī-stem declension of महिषी

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	महिषी (máhiṣī)	महिष्यौ (máhiṣyau) महिषी¹ (máhiṣī¹)	महिष्यः (máhiṣyaḥ) महिषीः¹ (máhiṣīḥ¹)
vocative	महिषि (máhiṣi)	महिष्यौ (máhiṣyau) महिषी¹ (máhiṣī¹)	महिष्यः (máhiṣyaḥ) महिषीः¹ (máhiṣīḥ¹)
accusative	महिषीम् (máhiṣīm)	महिष्यौ (máhiṣyau) महिषी¹ (máhiṣī¹)	महिषीः (máhiṣīḥ)
instrumental	महिष्या (máhiṣyā)	महिषीभ्याम् (máhiṣībhyām)	महिषीभिः (máhiṣībhiḥ)
dative	महिष्यै (máhiṣyai)	महिषीभ्याम् (máhiṣībhyām)	महिषीभ्यः (máhiṣībhyaḥ)
ablative	महिष्याः (máhiṣyāḥ) महिष्यै² (máhiṣyai²)	महिषीभ्याम् (máhiṣībhyām)	महिषीभ्यः (máhiṣībhyaḥ)
genitive	महिष्याः (máhiṣyāḥ) महिष्यै² (máhiṣyai²)	महिष्योः (máhiṣyoḥ)	महिषीणाम् (máhiṣīṇām)
locative	महिष्याम् (máhiṣyām)	महिष्योः (máhiṣyoḥ)	महिषीषु (máhiṣīṣu)

• ¹Vedic
• ²Brāhmaṇas

Neuter a-stem declension of महिष

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	महिषम् (mahiṣám)	महिषे (mahiṣé)	महिषाणि (mahiṣā́ṇi) महिषा¹ (mahiṣā́¹)
vocative	महिष (máhiṣa)	महिषे (máhiṣe)	महिषाणि (máhiṣāṇi) महिषा¹ (máhiṣā¹)
accusative	महिषम् (mahiṣám)	महिषे (mahiṣé)	महिषाणि (mahiṣā́ṇi) महिषा¹ (mahiṣā́¹)
instrumental	महिषेण (mahiṣéṇa)	महिषाभ्याम् (mahiṣā́bhyām)	महिषैः (mahiṣaíḥ) महिषेभिः¹ (mahiṣébhiḥ¹)
dative	महिषाय (mahiṣā́ya)	महिषाभ्याम् (mahiṣā́bhyām)	महिषेभ्यः (mahiṣébhyaḥ)
ablative	महिषात् (mahiṣā́t)	महिषाभ्याम् (mahiṣā́bhyām)	महिषेभ्यः (mahiṣébhyaḥ)
genitive	महिषस्य (mahiṣásya)	महिषयोः (mahiṣáyoḥ)	महिषाणाम् (mahiṣā́ṇām)
locative	महिषे (mahiṣé)	महिषयोः (mahiṣáyoḥ)	महिषेषु (mahiṣéṣu)

• ¹Vedic

Noun

महिष • (mahiṣá) stem, m

1. buffalo
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 9.33.1:

     प्र सोमा॑सो विप॒श्चितो॒ऽपां न य॑न्त्यू॒र्मयः॑ ।
     वना॑नि महि॒षा इ॑व ॥

     prá sómāso vipaścítoʼpā́ṃ ná yantyūrmáyaḥ.
     vánāni mahiṣā́ iva.

     The intelligent Soma juices rush along like waves of water, like buffaloes to the forests.

2. (poetic) sun
   • c. 1200 BCE – 1000 BCE, Atharvaveda

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of महिष

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	महिषः (mahiṣáḥ)	महिषौ (mahiṣaú) महिषा¹ (mahiṣā́¹)	महिषाः (mahiṣā́ḥ) महिषासः¹ (mahiṣā́saḥ¹)
vocative	महिष (máhiṣa)	महिषौ (máhiṣau) महिषा¹ (máhiṣā¹)	महिषाः (máhiṣāḥ) महिषासः¹ (máhiṣāsaḥ¹)
accusative	महिषम् (mahiṣám)	महिषौ (mahiṣaú) महिषा¹ (mahiṣā́¹)	महिषान् (mahiṣā́n)
instrumental	महिषेण (mahiṣéṇa)	महिषाभ्याम् (mahiṣā́bhyām)	महिषैः (mahiṣaíḥ) महिषेभिः¹ (mahiṣébhiḥ¹)
dative	महिषाय (mahiṣā́ya)	महिषाभ्याम् (mahiṣā́bhyām)	महिषेभ्यः (mahiṣébhyaḥ)
ablative	महिषात् (mahiṣā́t)	महिषाभ्याम् (mahiṣā́bhyām)	महिषेभ्यः (mahiṣébhyaḥ)
genitive	महिषस्य (mahiṣásya)	महिषयोः (mahiṣáyoḥ)	महिषाणाम् (mahiṣā́ṇām)
locative	महिषे (mahiṣé)	महिषयोः (mahiṣáyoḥ)	महिषेषु (mahiṣéṣu)

• ¹Vedic

Derived terms

• महिषासुर (mahiṣāsura)

Descendants

• Prakrit: 𑀫𑀳𑀺𑀲 (mahisa)
  • Konkani: म्हस (mhas)
  • Old Marathi: 𑘦𑘿𑘮𑘺𑘭𑘰 (mhaisā)
    • Marathi: म्हैसा (mhaisā)
• → Tamil: மகிஷம் (makiṣam), மகிடம் (makiṭam)

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “महिष”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 803/1.
• Mayrhofer, Manfred (1996) Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎^[1] (in German), volume 2, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 340