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 (mahiṣá)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	महिषः mahiṣáḥ	महिषौ / महिषा¹ mahiṣaú / mahiṣā́¹	महिषाः / महिषासः¹ mahiṣā́ḥ / mahiṣā́saḥ¹
Vocative	महिष máhiṣa	महिषौ / महिषा¹ máhiṣau / máhiṣā¹	महिषाः / महिषासः¹ máhiṣāḥ / máhiṣāsaḥ¹
Accusative	महिषम् mahiṣám	महिषौ / महिषा¹ mahiṣaú / mahiṣā́¹	महिषान् mahiṣā́n
Instrumental	महिषेण mahiṣéṇa	महिषाभ्याम् mahiṣā́bhyām	महिषैः / महिषेभिः¹ mahiṣaíḥ / 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
Notes	¹Vedic

Feminine ī-stem declension of महिषी (máhiṣī)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	महिषी máhiṣī	महिष्यौ / महिषी¹ máhiṣyau / máhiṣī¹	महिष्यः / महिषीः¹ máhiṣyaḥ / máhiṣīḥ¹
Vocative	महिषि máhiṣi	महिष्यौ / महिषी¹ máhiṣyau / máhiṣī¹	महिष्यः / महिषीः¹ máhiṣyaḥ / máhiṣīḥ¹
Accusative	महिषीम् máhiṣīm	महिष्यौ / महिषी¹ máhiṣyau / máhiṣī¹	महिषीः máhiṣīḥ
Instrumental	महिष्या máhiṣyā	महिषीभ्याम् máhiṣībhyām	महिषीभिः máhiṣībhiḥ
Dative	महिष्यै máhiṣyai	महिषीभ्याम् máhiṣībhyām	महिषीभ्यः máhiṣībhyaḥ
Ablative	महिष्याः / महिष्यै² máhiṣyāḥ / máhiṣyai²	महिषीभ्याम् máhiṣībhyām	महिषीभ्यः máhiṣībhyaḥ
Genitive	महिष्याः / महिष्यै² máhiṣyāḥ / máhiṣyai²	महिष्योः máhiṣyoḥ	महिषीणाम् máhiṣīṇām
Locative	महिष्याम् máhiṣyām	महिष्योः máhiṣyoḥ	महिषीषु máhiṣīṣu
Notes	¹Vedic ²Brāhmaṇas

Neuter a-stem declension of महिष (mahiṣá)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	महिषम् mahiṣám	महिषे mahiṣé	महिषाणि / महिषा¹ mahiṣā́ṇi / mahiṣā́¹
Vocative	महिष máhiṣa	महिषे máhiṣe	महिषाणि / महिषा¹ máhiṣāṇi / máhiṣā¹
Accusative	महिषम् mahiṣám	महिषे mahiṣé	महिषाणि / महिषा¹ mahiṣā́ṇi / mahiṣā́¹
Instrumental	महिषेण mahiṣéṇa	महिषाभ्याम् mahiṣā́bhyām	महिषैः / महिषेभिः¹ mahiṣaíḥ / 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
Notes	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 (mahiṣá)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	महिषः mahiṣáḥ	महिषौ / महिषा¹ mahiṣaú / mahiṣā́¹	महिषाः / महिषासः¹ mahiṣā́ḥ / mahiṣā́saḥ¹
Vocative	महिष máhiṣa	महिषौ / महिषा¹ máhiṣau / máhiṣā¹	महिषाः / महिषासः¹ máhiṣāḥ / máhiṣāsaḥ¹
Accusative	महिषम् mahiṣám	महिषौ / महिषा¹ mahiṣaú / mahiṣā́¹	महिषान् mahiṣā́n
Instrumental	महिषेण mahiṣéṇa	महिषाभ्याम् mahiṣā́bhyām	महिषैः / महिषेभिः¹ mahiṣaíḥ / 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
Notes	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