Krishi, Kṛṣi: 22 definitions
Introduction:
Krishi means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, 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.
The Sanskrit term Kṛṣi can be transliterated into English as Krsi or Krishi, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
Alternative spellings of this word include Krashi.
Images (photo gallery)
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Kṛṣi (कृषि).—The pursuit of agriculture, a duty of the Vaiśya; introduced by Pṛthu.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 7. 162; Vāyu-purāṇa 79. 71; Viṣṇu-purāṇa I. 13. 84.
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)
Kṛṣi (कृषि) refers to “agriculture”, as taught by Kaśyapa-Ṛṣi: and ancient Sage and traditional author of various texts. Kāśyapa, the legendary sage was an accomplished scholar in the Vedas, Āyurveda, Dharmaśāstra, Śilpaśāstra, Kṛṣi-vijñāna (Agricultural Science; also: Kṛṣiśāstra), Saṅgītaṣāstra and so on.
Unclassified Ayurveda definitions
Kṛṣi (कृषि, “agriculture”) is frequently mentioned in India’s ancient literature. Apart from mentions scattered in various texts, it has a large body of specialized literature as well. The texts that have survived include Kṛṣiparāśara, Kauṭilya’s Arthaśāstra, the Sangam literature of early Tamils, Manusmṛti, Varāhamihira’s Bṛhatsaṃhitā, Amarakoṣa, Kaśyapiyakṛṣisukti, and Surapāla’s Vṛkṣāyurveda. These texts provide information about agriculture (kṛṣi), horticulture, arboriculture and plant biodiversity. In addition, treatises on horses by Śālihotra and on elephants by Pālakāpya are also available. We get a wealth of information on agricultural practices from such texts.
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.
Vedanta (school of philosophy)
Kṛṣi (कृषि) or Kṛṣigītā refers to one of the sixty-four Gītās commonly referred to in Hindu scriptures.—Gītā is the name given to certain sacred writings in verse (often in the form of a dialogue) which are devoted to the exposition of particular religious and theosophical doctrines. Most of these Gītās [i.e., Kṛṣi-gītā] originate from the Mahābhārata or the various Purāṇas.
Vedanta (वेदान्त, vedānta) refers to a school of orthodox Hindu philosophy (astika), drawing its subject-matter from the Upanishads. There are a number of sub-schools of Vedanta, however all of them expound on the basic teaching of the ultimate reality (brahman) and liberation (moksha) of the individual soul (atman).
Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)
Kṛṣi (कृषि) refers to “farming”, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 16) (“On the planets—graha-bhaktiyoga”), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “The Sun presides over the people of the western half of the Narmadā, and over the people living on the banks of the Ikṣumatī. He also presides over hill-men, quick-silver, deserts, shepherds, seeds, pod-grains, bitter flavour, trees, gold, fire, poison and persons successful in battle; over medicines, physicians, quadrupeds, farmers (kṛṣi-kara), kings, butchers, travellers, thieves, serpents, forests and renowned and cruel men”.
Jyotisha (ज्योतिष, jyotiṣa or jyotish) refers to ‘astronomy’ or “Vedic astrology” and represents the fifth of the six Vedangas (additional sciences to be studied along with the Vedas). Jyotisha concerns itself with the study and prediction of the movements of celestial bodies, in order to calculate the auspicious time for rituals and ceremonies.
Dharmashastra (religious law)
Kṛṣi (कृषि) refers to one of the topics dealt with in the (reconstructed) Devalasmṛti, a lost text dealing with Dharmaśāstra authored by Devala—one of the most famous personalities in the ancient Sanskrit literature renowned as a Vedic Seer and a highly celebrated sage.—The original and complete text of Devalasmṛti, is no longer existing. About 2500 prose and verse quotations, of the reconstructed text were thus collected, from numerous printed and manuscript works on Dharmaśāstra. In a separate appendix (pariśiṣṭam-devaloktam jyotiṣam), the quotations of Devala, found in the digests and commentaries on Dharmaśāstra and Jyotiṣa, dealing with some topics of Jyotiṣa, are incorporated. They are sub-divided into the four prakaraṇas namely (1) Saṃskārāḥ (2) Kṛṣiḥ [e.g., kṛṣiprakaraṇa] (3) Grahacaraḥ (4) Ariṣṭāni in accordance with the subject matter treated in them.
Dharmashastra (धर्मशास्त्र, dharmaśāstra) contains the instructions (shastra) regarding religious conduct of livelihood (dharma), ceremonies, jurisprudence (study of law) and more. It is categorized as smriti, an important and authoritative selection of books dealing with the Hindu lifestyle.
In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Kṛṣi (कृषि, “farming”).—Having set up a system of law and order and prevention of crime, king Vṛṣabhanātha made a plan for his subjects to become self-sufficient in the affairs of the karmabhūmi (the mundane world of action). For the welfare of subjects he trained them in asi (art of government / military occupation), masi (writing) and kṛṣi (farming) and a hundred crafts.
He taught asi, masi and kṛṣi to the human society, thus saving them from consuming the inedible / inconsumable, leading a sātvika (pure) life and explained to them that if necessity led them to take up a faulty vocation, in that case, knowing it to be sin, their aim should be to move towards a virtuous life this was indeed samyak-darśana (right view of reality / true spiritual path).
Kṛṣi (कृषि, “agriculture”) refers to a type of “civilized people who indulge in activities with attachment” (sāvadhyakarma-ārya), which itself is a division of karmārya: one of the classes of āryas without extraordinary powers (ṛddhi). These Ārya (civilized people) represent one of the two classes of human beings, according to the 2nd-century Tattvārthasūtra 3.46. What is meant by agricultural (kṛṣi) activities? To develop expertise in plough and other instruments for agriculture to produce food and other useful material is called agricultural (kṛṣi) activities.
Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
kṛṣi (कृषि).—f (S) kṛṣikarma n (S) Husbandry or agriculture. 2 Ploughing, tilling, cultivating the soil.
kṛṣi (कृषि).—f kṛṣikarma n Husbandry or agricul- ture. Ploughing, tilling.
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
Kṛṣi (कृषि).—f. [kṛṣ-ik; cf. P.III.3.18 Vārt.8]
1) Ploughing.
2) Agriculture, husbandry; चीयते बालिशस्यापि सत्क्षेत्रपतिता कृषिः (cīyate bāliśasyāpi satkṣetrapatitā kṛṣiḥ) Mu.1.3; कृषिः क्लिष्टाऽवृष्ट्या (kṛṣiḥ kliṣṭā'vṛṣṭyā) Pañcatantra (Bombay) 1.11; Manusmṛti 1.9,3.64,1.79; Bhagavadgītā (Bombay) 18.44.
3) The harvest (kṛṣiphala); Y.1.276.
4) The earth; Mahābhārata (Bombay) 5.
Derivable forms: kṛṣiḥ (कृषिः).
Kṛṣi (कृषि).—f.
(-ṣiḥ) 1. Husbandry, agriculture. 2. Ploughing, cultivating the soil, &c. E. kṛṣ to plough, ik Unadi aff.
Kṛṣi (कृषि).—[kṛṣ + i] (kṛṣī kṛṣī, Mahābhārata 1, 7207), f. 1. Ploughing, [Lassen, Anthologia Sanskritica.] 76, 18. 2. Agriculture, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 1, 90.
Kṛṣi (कृषि).—[feminine] ploughing, agriculture, husbandry; field (also kṛṣī); harvest.
1) Kṛśī (कृशी):—[from kṛśa > kṛś] a f. [gana] gaurādi ([ib. 45])
2) [from kṛś] b ind. in [compound] for śa.
3) Kṛṣi (कृषि):—[from kṛṣ] f. (exceptionally [plural] [Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā iv, 10; Subhāṣitāvali]) ploughing, cultivation of the soil, agriculture (one of the Vṛttis of a Vaiśya, [Viṣṇu-smṛti, viṣṇu-sūtra, vaiṣṇava-dharma-śāstra]), [Ṛg-veda; Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā] etc.
4) [v.s. ...] the cultivation of the soil personified, [Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa xi]
5) [v.s. ...] the harvest, [Yājñavalkya i, 275; Dhūrtasamāgama]
6) [v.s. ...] the earth (= bhū), [Mahābhārata v, 2563.]
7) Kṛṣī (कृषी):—[from kṛṣ] f. (= ṣi) field, [Mahābhārata i, 7207.]
Kṛṣi (कृषि):—(ṣiḥ) 2. f. Ploughing; husbandry, agriculture.
[Sanskrit to German]
Kṛṣi (कृषि) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Kisi.
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
Kṛṣi (कृषि) [Also spelled krashi]:—(nf) agriculture; farming, cultivation; —[karma] farming, cultivation; ~[kāra] farmer, cultivator; ~[jīvī] a professional farmer, one who earns his livelihood through farming; —[vijñāna/śāstra] (science of) Agriculture.
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Kṛṣi (ಕೃಷಿ):—
1) [noun] the science and art of farming; work of cultivating the soil, producing crops; farming.
2) [noun] raising of livestock, bees, etc.
3) [noun] ಕೃಷಿ ಉಪಕರಣ [krishi upakarana] kṛṣi upakaraṇa any of the implements used in agriculture; an agricultural implement.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Kṛṣi (कृषि):—n. farming; agriculture;
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)
Starts with (+16): Krishi-utpaadan, Krishi-utpadana, Krishibala, Krishibhagin, Krishibhu, Krishidvishta, Krishigai, Krishigita, Krishigrama, Krishijivi, Krishijivin, Krishika, Krishika-krishivala, Krishikara, Krishikarana, Krishikari, Krishikarma, Krishikarman, Krishikarmanta, Krishikri.
Full-text (+123): Krishijivin, Krishiphala, Krishikara, Krishikarman, Krishikrit, Krishidvishta, Krishisamgraha, Krishibala, Krishigrama, Krishikri, Krishiseva, Krishikarmanta, Krishirata, Krishibhagin, Krishiloha, Krishisamshita, Krishivijnana, Krishi-utpadana, Krishikrita, Krishibhu.
Relevant text
Search found 71 books and stories containing Krishi, Kṛṣi, Krsi, Kṛśī, Kṛṣī; (plurals include: Krishis, Kṛṣis, Krsis, Kṛśīs, Kṛṣīs). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Discovery of Sanskrit Treasures (seven volumes) (by Satya Vrat Shastri)
7. Etymologies in the Devibhagavata-Purana < [Volume 1 - Grammer and Linguistics]
Dictionaries of Indian languages (Kosha)
Page 97 < [Hindi-English-Nepali (1 volume)]
Page 36 < [English-Gujarati-Hindi (1 volume)]
Page 37 < [English-Gujarati-Hindi (1 volume)]
Rig Veda (translation and commentary) (by H. H. Wilson)
Rig Veda 10.34.13 < [Sukta 34]
Yavanajataka by Sphujidhvaja [Sanskrit/English] (by Michael D Neely)
Verse 7.7 < [Chapter 7 - Planets in Exaltation Mūlatrikoṇa]
Verse 74.1 < [Chapter 74 - Result of the Lagna on Military Expeditions]
Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi (by Ganganatha Jha)
Verse 10.83 < [Section IX - Variations in the Functions of the Brāhmaṇa due to Abnormal Conditions]
Verse 10.84 < [Section IX - Variations in the Functions of the Brāhmaṇa due to Abnormal Conditions]
Verse 10.116 < [Section XIV - Sources of Income (vittāgama)]
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts, Madras (by M. Seshagiri Sastri)