Ativisa, Ativisā, Ativiṣā, Ativisha: 16 definitions
Introduction
Introduction:
Ativisa means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Buddhism, Pali, Marathi. 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.
The Sanskrit term Ativiṣā can be transliterated into English as Ativisa or Ativisha, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Hinduism
Rasashastra (chemistry and alchemy)
Source: Wisdom Library: Rasa-śāstraAtiviṣā (अतिविषा):—One of the sixty-eight Rasauṣadhi, very powerful drugs known to be useful in alchemical processes related to mercury (rasa), according to Rasaprakāśa-sudhākara (chapter 9).

Rasashastra (रसशास्त्र, rasaśāstra) is an important branch of Ayurveda, specialising in chemical interactions with herbs, metals and minerals. Some texts combine yogic and tantric practices with various alchemical operations. The ultimate goal of Rasashastra is not only to preserve and prolong life, but also to bestow wealth upon humankind.
Ayurveda (science of life)
Source: Wisdom Library: Āyurveda and botanyAtiviṣā (अतिविषा) is a Sanskrit word referring to “Indian aconite”, a herb from the Ranunculaceae (buttercup/crowfoot) family of plants., and is used throughout Ayurvedic literature such as the Caraka-saṃhitā. The official botanical name of the plant is Aconitum heterophyllum and is commonly known as the “atis root” among others. It grows in the alpine and sub-alpine regions of the Himilaya mountain range. The literal translation of Ativiṣā is “counteracting poison” which is derived from Ativiṣa, or, “exceedingly poisonous”.
The plant Ativiṣā is also mentioned as a medicine used for the treatment of all major fevers, as described in the Jvaracikitsā (or “the treatment of fever”) which forms the first chapter of the Sanskrit work called Mādhavacikitsā. In this work, the plant is also known as Viṣā, which is a Sanskrit word derived from Viṣa (translating to “poisonous”).
Source: Ancient Science of Life: Yogaśataka of Pandita VararuciAtiviṣā (अतिविषा) refers to a medicinal plant known as Aconitum heterophyllum Wall., and is mentioned in the 10th century Yogaśataka written by Pandita Vararuci.—The Yogaśataka of Pandita Vararuci is an example of this category. This book attracts reader by its very easy language and formulations which can be easily prepared and have small number of herbs (viz., Ativiṣā). It describes only those formulations which are the most common and can be used in majority conditions of diseases.
Source: Ancient Science of Life: Botanical identification of plants described in Mādhava CikitsāAtiviṣā (अतिविषा) refers to the medicinal Aconitum heterophyllum Wall. Ex. Royle, and is used in the treatment of atisāra (diarrhoea), according to the 7th century Mādhavacikitsā chapter 2. Atisāra refers to a condition where there are three or more loose or liquid stools (bowel movements) per day or more stool than normal. The second chapter of the Mādhavacikitsā explains several preparations [including Ativiṣā] through 60 Sanskrit verses about treating this problem.
Source: Shodhganga: Edition translation and critical study of yogasarasamgrahaAtiviṣā (अतिविषा) refers to the medicinal plant known as “Aconitum heterophylum Wall. Ex Royle” and is dealt with in the 15th-century Yogasārasaṅgraha (Yogasara-saṅgraha) by Vāsudeva: an unpublished Keralite work representing an Ayurvedic compendium of medicinal recipes. The Yogasārasaṃgraha [mentioning ativiṣā] deals with entire recipes in the route of administration, and thus deals with the knowledge of pharmacy (bhaiṣajya-kalpanā) which is a branch of pharmacology (dravyaguṇa).

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.
Languages of India and abroad
Pali-English dictionary
Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English DictionaryAtivisā, (f.) (Sk. ativiṣā) N. of a plant Vin. I, 201; IV, 35. (Page 21)

Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionaryativiṣa (अतिविष).—n ativiṣā f S pop. ativikha n A tree used in medicine. The bark is employed in dyeing. It is white, red, and black. (Atis or Betula.) As. Res. Vol. 6th 573.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishativiṣa (अतिविष).—n Aconitum heterophyllum.
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
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryAtiviṣa (अतिविष).—a.
1) Very poisonous.
2) Counteracting poison.
-ṣā Name of a poisonous yet highly medicinal plant (Mar. ativiṣa or ativikha) Aconitum Ferox.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryAtiviṣa (अतिविष).—(1) adj. (= Pali ativisa), very poisonous: Jātakamālā 229.17; (2) nt., a plant, according to Tibetan boṅ ṅa dkar po, said to mean white wolfsbane; compare Pali ativisa, a medicinal plant, and Sanskrit ativiṣā, identified as one or more varieties of Aconitum: Mahāvyutpatti 5821.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryAtiviṣa (अतिविष).—mfn.
(-ṣaḥ-ṣā-ṣaṃ) Antidote, exceeding or subduing poison. f.
(-ṣā) A tree used in medicine, the bark is also employed in dyeing; it is of three kinds; white, red, and black. (Atis or Betula.) E. ati overcoming, and viṣa poison.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Ativiṣa (अतिविष):—[=ati-viṣa] [from ati] mfn. exceedingly poisonous, counteracting poison
2) Ativiṣā (अतिविषा):—[=ati-viṣā] [from ati-viṣa > ati] f. the plant Aconitum Ferox
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Goldstücker Sanskrit-English DictionaryAtiviṣa (अतिविष):—I. m. f. n.
(-ṣaḥ-ṣā-ṣam) 1) [bahuvrihi compound] Very poisonous.
2) [tatpurusha compound] Exceeding or subduing poison. Ii. [tatpurusha compound] (or [bahuvrihi compound]) f.
(-ṣā) The name of a most poisonous plant growing in Nepal used in medicine as an antidote and also against disorders produced by bilious fevers, dysentery, sickness, preternatural parturition &c. Its bark is also employed in dying; it is of three kinds, white, red and black. The root is employed by the natives of India and Nepal to poison the barbs of arrows (Aconitum ferox). E. [bahuvrihi compound] ati and viṣa; [tatpurusha compound] ati (sc. krānta) and viṣa (in the sense of the accusative).
[Sanskrit to German] (Deutsch Wörterbuch)
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Böhtlingk and Roth Grosses Petersburger WörterbuchAtiviṣa (अतिविष):—(ati + viṣa)
1) adj. a) überaus giftig. — b) das Gift bezwingend. —
2) f. ṣā Name eines Baumes, eine Art Birke, [Amarakoṣa 2, 4, 3, 18.] [Trikāṇḍaśeṣa 3, 3, 119. 221.] [Suśruta 1. 139, 5. 14. 142, 4. 2, 93, 20. 132, 2.] Nach [WALLICH]: Aconitum ferox, eine überaus giftige Pflanze, mit deren Wurzel die Pfeile vergiftet werden, [Haughton], a Dict. Beng. and S. — Vgl. viṣā, prativiṣā, upaviṣā .
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.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with: Ativisamshthula, Ativisarin, Ativishama.
Ends with: Civarapativisa, Pashupatavrativisha, Prativisha.
Full-text (+19): Trikarshika, Kashmiraja, Upavisha, Atvikha, Bhangura, Samvisha, Visha, Shvetakanda, Ghunavallabha, Pittavallabha, Prativisha, Shyamakanda, Shvetavaca, Shuklakanda, Virupa, Caturbhadra, Phalatrikadi, Aushadha, Bhringa, Rasaushadhi.
Relevant text
Search found 9 books and stories containing Ativisa, Ativisā, Ativiṣā, Ativisha, Ativiṣa, Ati-visha, Ati-viṣa, Ati-visa, Ati-viṣā; (plurals include: Ativisas, Ativisās, Ativiṣās, Ativishas, Ativiṣas, vishas, viṣas, visas, viṣās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Sushruta Samhita, Volume 5: Kalpasthana (by Kaviraj Kunja Lal Bhishagratna)
Chapter VII - Description and preparation medicated drums
Chapter III - Description of Jangama (animal) poisons
Rasa Jala Nidhi, vol 3: Metals, Gems and other substances (by Bhudeb Mookerjee)
Part 24 - Usage of poisons < [Chapter XXX - Visha (poisons)]
Part 6 - Process of preparing Sarva-kshara < [Chapter XXVIII - Kshara (akalis)]
Part 11 - Semi-poison (11): Ativisha < [Chapter XXXI - Upavisha (semi-poisons)]
Rasa Jala Nidhi, vol 4: Iatrochemistry (by Bhudeb Mookerjee)
Treatment for fever (124): Tryahikari rasa < [Chapter II - Fever (jvara)]
Part 67 - Treatment for chronic diarrhea (39): Piyusavalli rasa < [Chapter III - Jvaratisara fever with diarrhoea]
Part 18 - Treatment for diarrhea (9): Vishvanatha rasa < [Chapter III - Jvaratisara fever with diarrhoea]
Sushruta Samhita, volume 4: Cikitsasthana (by Kaviraj Kunja Lal Bhishagratna)
Chapter XXII - The affections of the mouth
Chapter XV - The medical/surgical treatment of the fetus
Chapter XXXVII - The treatment with an Anuvasana-vasti and an Uttara-vasti
Indian Medicinal Plants (by Kanhoba Ranchoddas Kirtikar)
16. Aconitum heterophyllum. Wall. < [Ranunculaceae (buttercup family)]
Sushruta Samhita, Volume 6: Uttara-tantra (by Kaviraj Kunja Lal Bhishagratna)
Chapter XL - Symptoms and treatment of Diarrhea (Atisara) < [Canto III - Kaya-chikitsa-tantra (internal medicine)]
Chapter XXIV - Symptoms and treatment of Catarrh < [Canto I - Shalakya-tantra (ears, eyes, nose, mouth and throat)]
Chapter LV - Symptoms and Treatment of repression of natural urging (Udavarta) < [Canto III - Kaya-chikitsa-tantra (internal medicine)]