Asadhya, Asādhya, Asādhyā: 15 definitions
Introduction:
Asadhya means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi, Hindi. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
Alternative spellings of this word include Asadhy.
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Asādhya (असाध्य) refers to “that which cannot be achieved”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.15 (“The penance and reign of Tārakāsura”).—Accordingly, as Tāraka said to Brahmā: “O Pitāmaha, if you are glad and ready to grant me the boon what is it that cannot be achieved [i.e., asādhya] by me? Hence I request you for this boon. Please listen. O lord of gods, if you are pleased and if a boon is to be given to me, be kind enough to grant me two boons. O great lord, there should certainly be no man equal to me in strength in this entire universe created by you. [...]”.
The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.
Ayurveda (science of life)
Toxicology (Study and Treatment of poison)
Asādhya (असाध्य) refers to “that (snake-bite) which is impossible to cure”, as taught in the Damśarūpa (“aspects of snake-bites”) section of the Kāśyapa Saṃhitā: an ancient Sanskrit text from the Pāñcarātra tradition dealing with both Tantra and Viṣacikitsā, which represents the Ayurvedic study on Toxicology (Agadatantra or Sarpavidyā).—The author discusses conditions under which snakes bite, types of fangs and bites, vital spots of bite which can be fatal, stages of envenomation and astrological considerations for snake-bite effect. Where there are two straight bites, caused due to enmity and one of them is curved, treatment is impossible (asādhya).
Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद, ayurveda) is a branch of Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millenium BC. Literature is commonly written in Sanskrit using various poetic metres.
Shyanika-shastra (the science of Hawking and Hunting)
Asādhya (असाध्य) refers to “that which cannot be performed”, according to the Śyainika-śāstra: a Sanskrit treatise dealing with the divisions and benefits of Hunting and Hawking, written by Rājā Rudradeva (or Candradeva) in possibly the 13th century.—Accordingly, [while discussing the treatment of hawks]: “Hawks like good students are apt to receive readily any training. Well-trained hawks are like great men capable of great achievements. There is nothing impracticable for them, nor is there anything worth attempting which they cannot perform (asādhya)”.
Shyanika-shastra (श्यैनिकशास्त्र, śyainikaśāstra) deals with ancient Indian skill of hawking/falconry (one of the ways of hunting) which were laid down in a systematic manner in various Sanskrit treatises. It also explains the philosophy behind how the pleasures derived from sense-experience could lead the way to liberation.
In Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Asādhya (असाध्य) refers to “incurable”.—(cf. Madhyamakakārikā, p. 247)—If something of non-emptiness existed, there would indeed be an emptiness (by virtue of the law of interdependence of opposites); but since there is nothing that is non-empty, how could emptiness exist? Śūnyatā thus does not exist: it is valid only as a method of argumentation and not as a philosophical principle:—“The Buddhas have said that śūnyatā is the exit (niḥsaraṇa) of all views, but those who believe in śūnyatā are incurable (asādhya).”
Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
asādhya (असाध्य).—a S asādhanīya a S Impracticable or impossible; not to be accomplished or attained. 2 In medicine. Incurable; immedicable.
asādhya (असाध्य).—a Impracticable; incurable.
Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.
Sanskrit dictionary
Asādhya (असाध्य).—a.
1) Not to be accomplished or completed, not proper, easy, or capable of being accomplished; नास्ति असाध्यं नाम मनोभुवः (nāsti asādhyaṃ nāma manobhuvaḥ) K.157.
2) Not capable of being proved; (see com. on Y.2.6.)
3) Incurable, irremediable (as a disease or patient); असाध्यः कुरुते कोपं प्राप्ते काले गदो यथा (asādhyaḥ kurute kopaṃ prāpte kāle gado yathā) Śiśupālavadha 2.84; असाध्य इति वैद्येनातुर इव (asādhya iti vaidyenātura iva) V.3; Mv.4.23; भिषजामसाध्यम् (bhiṣajāmasādhyam) R.8.93.
4) Not to be overpowered or mastered.
See also (synonyms): asādhanīya.
Asādhya (असाध्य).—nfn.
(-dhyaḥ-dhyā-dhyaṃ) 1. Not to be effected, not proper or able to be accomplished. 2. Incurable, irremediable. 3. Not susceptible of proof. E. a neg. sādhya to be done.
Asādhya (असाध्य).—[adjective] not to be overcome, impracticable, incurable, irremediable; not susceptible of proof. Abstr. tā [feminine], tva [neuter]
1) Asādhya (असाध्य):—[=a-sādhya] [from a-sādhana] mfn. not to be effected or completed, not proper or able to be accomplished, [Yājñavalkya ii, 196; Harivaṃśa] etc.
2) [v.s. ...] incurable, irremediable, [Mahābhārata iv, 395; Suśruta] etc.
3) [v.s. ...] not to be overpowered or mastered, [Pañcatantra; Kāmandakīya-nītisāra]
4) [v.s. ...] not susceptible of proof [commentator or commentary] on [Yājñavalkya ii, 6.]
Asādhya (असाध्य):—[a-sādhya] (dhyaḥ-dhyā-dhyaṃ) a. Impracticable.
Asādhya (असाध्य):—Adj. mit dem oder womit man nicht fertig wird ; —
1) nicht in seine Gewalt zu bringen , mit dem man nicht zurechtkommen kann , nicht zu bemeistern [Indische sprüche 774.fg.] —
2) nicht wieder gut zu machen , unheilbar [217,10.218,7.] —
3) nicht zu Stande zu bringen [1818,28.] —
4) nicht zu ermitteln , — constatiren , — beweisen [215,17.20,21.]
Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.
Hindi dictionary
Asādhya (असाध्य) [Also spelled asadhy]:—(a) incurable; impracticable, unfeasible; hence ~[tā] (nf); -[sādhana] performing the impracticable, achieving a miracle.
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Kannada-English dictionary
Asādhya (ಅಸಾಧ್ಯ):—[adjective] impossible a) that cannot be done, achieved or accomplished; not capable of being done; b) not capable of happening.
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Asādhya (ಅಸಾಧ್ಯ):—
1) [noun] an extraordinary man.
2) [noun] a man difficult to deal with.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
1) Asādhya (असाध्य):—adj. 1. incurable; 2. very much; excessive;
2) Asādhyā (असाध्या):—n. incorrigibility; incurability;
Nepali is the primary language of the Nepalese people counting almost 20 million native speakers. The country of Nepal is situated in the Himalaya mountain range to the north of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches (+0): Sadhya, A.
Starts with (+0): Acatyakatanam, Asadhyarupa, Asadhyata, Asadhyate, Asadhyatva.
Full-text (+48): Asadhyata, Asadhyatva, Asadhaniya, Asadu, Asadhyarupa, Vidhana, Prabhava, Baladhruva, Asuraha, Cittaharya, Brihatkanti, Havishya, Yana, Asadhy, Ranaji, Suparvana, Vitti, Vinirbhaya, A tat xa, Acatyakatanam.
Relevant text
Search found 51 books and stories containing Asadhya, A-sadhya, A-sādhya, Asaadhya, Asādhya, Asādhyā; (plurals include: Asadhyas, sadhyas, sādhyas, Asaadhyas, Asādhyas, Asādhyās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Journal of Ayurveda and Integrated Medical Sciences
Gouty Tophi Excision: Bridging Modern Surgery and Ayurvedic Wisdom < [Vol. 10 No. 3 (2025)]
A review on Vrischika Visha and its Chikitsa in classics < [Vol. 8 No. 2 (2023)]
Leads of review of literature in Ayurveda Samhita < [Vol. 7 No. 2 (2022)]
International Ayurvedic Medical Journal
Importance of ashtavidha pariksha – as a diagnostic tool < [2021, Issue 5, May]
Pathological conditions of pharynx (kantha) - a review study < [2020, Issue 6, June]
Study on raktapitta w.s.r to haematemesis < [2018, Issue V, May]
World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
Jataharini related to stri roga in kashypa samhita < [2022: Volume 11, February issue 2]
Conceptual study of “dooshivisha” with special reference to bruhatrayee < [2017: Volume 6, September issue 10]
Conceptual study of luta visha and its management < [2023: Volume 12, July issue 11]
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts, Madras (by M. Seshagiri Sastri)
Shishupala-vadha (Study) (by Shila Chakraborty)
Knowledge of Āyūrveda in the Śiśupālavadha < [Introduction]
Vakyapadiya of Bhartrihari (by K. A. Subramania Iyer)
Verse 3.8.11 < [Book 3 - Pada-kāṇḍa (8): Kriyā-samuddeśa (On Action)]
Verse 3.8.20 < [Book 3 - Pada-kāṇḍa (8): Kriyā-samuddeśa (On Action)]
Verse 3.8.12 < [Book 3 - Pada-kāṇḍa (8): Kriyā-samuddeśa (On Action)]