अन्धस्

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Aryan *Hándʰas, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hándʰas, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éndʰos (“blooming flower, herb, sprout”). Cognate with Ancient Greek ἄνθος (ánthos, “flower”), Old Irish ainder (“young lady, maiden”), Albanian end (“to bloom”) and Old Armenian անդ (and, “field”).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /ɐ́n̪.d̪ʱɐs̪/
• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈɐn̪.d̪ʱɐs̪/

Noun

अन्धस् • (ándhas) n (Vedic)

1. the Soma plant
2. any herb
3. Soma juice
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 9.58.1

     तरत् स मन्दी धावति धारा सुतस्यान्धसः।
     तरत् स मन्दी धावति॥

     tarat sa mandī dhāvati dhārā sutasyāndhasaḥ.
     tarat sa mandī dhāvati.

     Swift runs this giver of delight, even the stream of flowing juice:
     Swift runs this giver of delight.

4. grassy ground
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 7.96.2

     उभे यत् ते महिना शुभ्रे अन्धसी अधिक्षियन्ति पूरवः।
     सा नो बोध्यवित्री मरुत्सखा चोद राधो मघोनाम्॥

     ubhe yat te mahinā śubhre andhasī adhikṣiyanti pūravaḥ.
     sā no bodhyavitrī marutsakhā coda rādho maghonām.

     When in the fulness of their strength the Pūrus dwell, Beauteous One, on thy two grassy banks,
     Favour us thou who hast the Maruts for thy friends: stir up the bounty of our chiefs.

References

• Sir Monier Monier-Williams (1898) A Sanskrit-English dictionary etymologically and philologically arranged with special reference to cognate Indo-European languages, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 45