श्रेष्ठ

Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit श्रेष्ठ (śréṣṭha). Doublet of सेठ (seṭh).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /ʃɾeːʂʈʰ/

Adjective

श्रेष्ठ • (śreṣṭh) (indeclinable)

1. excellent, high-quality, best

Derived terms

• श्रेष्ठता (śreṣṭhatā)

Nepali

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [sres̠t̠ʰʌ]
• Phonetic Devanagari: स्रेस्ठ

Adjective

श्रेष्ठ • (śreṣṭha)

1. excellent, first-class

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• শ্ৰেষ্ঠ (Assamese script)
• ᬰ᭄ᬭᬾᬱ᭄ᬞ (Balinese script)
• শ্রেষ্ঠ (Bengali script)
• 𑰫𑰿𑰨𑰸𑰬𑰿𑰙 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀰𑁆𑀭𑁂𑀱𑁆𑀞 (Brahmi script)
• ၐြေၑ္ဌ (Burmese script)
• શ્રેષ્ઠ (Gujarati script)
• ਸ਼੍ਰੇਸ਼੍ਠ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍇𑌷𑍍𑌠 (Grantha script)
• ꦯꦿꦺꦰ꧀ꦜ (Javanese script)
• 𑂬𑂹𑂩𑂵𑂭𑂹𑂘 (Kaithi script)
• ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ (Kannada script)
• ឝ្រេឞ្ឋ (Khmer script)
• ຨ຺ເຣຩ຺ຐ (Lao script)
• ശ്രേഷ്ഠ (Malayalam script)
• ᡧᡵᡝᢢᡱᠠ (Manchu script)
• 𑘫𑘿𑘨𑘹𑘬𑘿𑘙 (Modi script)
• ᠱᠷᠧᢔᢍᠠ᠋ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧋𑧠𑧈𑧚𑧌𑧠𑦹 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐱𑑂𑐬𑐾𑐲𑑂𑐛 (Newa script)
• ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ (Odia script)
• ꢯ꣄ꢬꢾꢰ꣄ꢝ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆯𑇀𑆫𑆼𑆰𑇀𑆜 (Sharada script)
• 𑖫𑖿𑖨𑖸𑖬𑖿𑖙 (Siddham script)
• ශ්‍රෙෂ‍්ඨ (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩿 𑪙𑩼𑩔𑪀 𑪙𑩧 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚧𑚶𑚤𑚲𑚶𑚕 (Takri script)
• ஶ்ரேஷ்ட² (Tamil script)
• శ్రేష్ఠ (Telugu script)
• ศฺเรษฺฐ (Thai script)
• ཤྲེ་ཥྛ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒬𑓂𑒩𑒹𑒭𑓂𑒚 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨮𑩇𑨫𑨄𑨯𑩇𑨕 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Iranian *ćráyHištʰas (“most beautiful”). Cognate with Avestan 𐬯𐬭𐬀𐬉𐬱𐬙𐬀 (sraēšta, “most beautiful”).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /ɕɾɐ́.jiʂ.ʈʰɐ/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈɕɾeːʂ.ʈʰɐ/

Adjective

श्रेष्ठ • (śréṣṭha) stem (metrical Vedic śráyiṣṭha)

1. most beautiful, most splendid
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 4.36.7:

     श्रेष्ठं वः पेशो अधि धायि दर्शतं स्तोमो वाजा ऋभवस्तं जुजुष्टन ।

     śreṣṭhaṃ vaḥ peśo adhi dhāyi darśataṃ stomo vājā ṛbhavastaṃ jujuṣṭana.

     To you the most beautiful ornament has been assigned, the hymn of praise: Vājas and Ṛbhus, take joy therein!

2. best, chief, most excellent

   Synonym: वसिष्ठ (vásiṣṭha)

   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 1.43.5:

     यः शुक्र इव सूर्यो हिरण्यमिव रोचते ।
     श्रेष्ठो देवानां वसुः ॥

     yaḥ śukra iva sūryo hiraṇyamiva rocate.
     śreṣṭho devānāṃ vasuḥ.

     He (Rudra) shines in splendour like the Sun, refulgent as bright gold is he,
     The excellent, the best among the Gods.

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of श्रेष्ठ (śréṣṭha)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	श्रेष्ठः śréṣṭhaḥ	श्रेष्ठौ / श्रेष्ठा¹ śréṣṭhau / śréṣṭhā¹	श्रेष्ठाः / श्रेष्ठासः¹ śréṣṭhāḥ / śréṣṭhāsaḥ¹
Vocative	श्रेष्ठ śréṣṭha	श्रेष्ठौ / श्रेष्ठा¹ śréṣṭhau / śréṣṭhā¹	श्रेष्ठाः / श्रेष्ठासः¹ śréṣṭhāḥ / śréṣṭhāsaḥ¹
Accusative	श्रेष्ठम् śréṣṭham	श्रेष्ठौ / श्रेष्ठा¹ śréṣṭhau / śréṣṭhā¹	श्रेष्ठान् śréṣṭhān
Instrumental	श्रेष्ठेन śréṣṭhena	श्रेष्ठाभ्याम् śréṣṭhābhyām	श्रेष्ठैः / श्रेष्ठेभिः¹ śréṣṭhaiḥ / śréṣṭhebhiḥ¹
Dative	श्रेष्ठाय śréṣṭhāya	श्रेष्ठाभ्याम् śréṣṭhābhyām	श्रेष्ठेभ्यः śréṣṭhebhyaḥ
Ablative	श्रेष्ठात् śréṣṭhāt	श्रेष्ठाभ्याम् śréṣṭhābhyām	श्रेष्ठेभ्यः śréṣṭhebhyaḥ
Genitive	श्रेष्ठस्य śréṣṭhasya	श्रेष्ठयोः śréṣṭhayoḥ	श्रेष्ठानाम् śréṣṭhānām
Locative	श्रेष्ठे śréṣṭhe	श्रेष्ठयोः śréṣṭhayoḥ	श्रेष्ठेषु śréṣṭheṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Feminine ā-stem declension of श्रेष्ठा (śréṣṭhā)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	श्रेष्ठा śréṣṭhā	श्रेष्ठे śréṣṭhe	श्रेष्ठाः śréṣṭhāḥ
Vocative	श्रेष्ठे śréṣṭhe	श्रेष्ठे śréṣṭhe	श्रेष्ठाः śréṣṭhāḥ
Accusative	श्रेष्ठाम् śréṣṭhām	श्रेष्ठे śréṣṭhe	श्रेष्ठाः śréṣṭhāḥ
Instrumental	श्रेष्ठया / श्रेष्ठा¹ śréṣṭhayā / śréṣṭhā¹	श्रेष्ठाभ्याम् śréṣṭhābhyām	श्रेष्ठाभिः śréṣṭhābhiḥ
Dative	श्रेष्ठायै śréṣṭhāyai	श्रेष्ठाभ्याम् śréṣṭhābhyām	श्रेष्ठाभ्यः śréṣṭhābhyaḥ
Ablative	श्रेष्ठायाः / श्रेष्ठायै² śréṣṭhāyāḥ / śréṣṭhāyai²	श्रेष्ठाभ्याम् śréṣṭhābhyām	श्रेष्ठाभ्यः śréṣṭhābhyaḥ
Genitive	श्रेष्ठायाः / श्रेष्ठायै² śréṣṭhāyāḥ / śréṣṭhāyai²	श्रेष्ठयोः śréṣṭhayoḥ	श्रेष्ठानाम् śréṣṭhānām
Locative	श्रेष्ठायाम् śréṣṭhāyām	श्रेष्ठयोः śréṣṭhayoḥ	श्रेष्ठासु śréṣṭhāsu
Notes	¹Vedic ²Brāhmaṇas

Neuter a-stem declension of श्रेष्ठ (śréṣṭha)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	श्रेष्ठम् śréṣṭham	श्रेष्ठे śréṣṭhe	श्रेष्ठानि / श्रेष्ठा¹ śréṣṭhāni / śréṣṭhā¹
Vocative	श्रेष्ठ śréṣṭha	श्रेष्ठे śréṣṭhe	श्रेष्ठानि / श्रेष्ठा¹ śréṣṭhāni / śréṣṭhā¹
Accusative	श्रेष्ठम् śréṣṭham	श्रेष्ठे śréṣṭhe	श्रेष्ठानि / श्रेष्ठा¹ śréṣṭhāni / śréṣṭhā¹
Instrumental	श्रेष्ठेन śréṣṭhena	श्रेष्ठाभ्याम् śréṣṭhābhyām	श्रेष्ठैः / श्रेष्ठेभिः¹ śréṣṭhaiḥ / śréṣṭhebhiḥ¹
Dative	श्रेष्ठाय śréṣṭhāya	श्रेष्ठाभ्याम् śréṣṭhābhyām	श्रेष्ठेभ्यः śréṣṭhebhyaḥ
Ablative	श्रेष्ठात् śréṣṭhāt	श्रेष्ठाभ्याम् śréṣṭhābhyām	श्रेष्ठेभ्यः śréṣṭhebhyaḥ
Genitive	श्रेष्ठस्य śréṣṭhasya	श्रेष्ठयोः śréṣṭhayoḥ	श्रेष्ठानाम् śréṣṭhānām
Locative	श्रेष्ठे śréṣṭhe	श्रेष्ठयोः śréṣṭhayoḥ	श्रेष्ठेषु śréṣṭheṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Related terms

• श्रेयस् (śreyas)

Descendants

• Pali: seṭṭha
  • → Khmer: សេដ្ឋ (seetthaʼ)
  • → Thai: เศรษฐ (sèet-tà-)
• → Bengali: শ্রেষ্ঠ (sreśṭho)
• → Hindi: श्रेष्ठ (śreṣṭh)
• → Kannada: ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ (śrēṣṭha)
• → Punjabi: ਸ੍ਰੇਸ਼ਠ (sreśaṭh)