Nasya, Nashya, Nāśya, Nāsya: 22 definitions
Introduction:
Nasya means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, 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 Nāśya can be transliterated into English as Nasya or Nashya, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Hinduism
Ayurveda (science of life)
Veterinary Medicine (The study and treatment of Animals)
Nasya (नस्य) refers to the “errhines”, according to sections on the treatment of Horses (Gajāyurveda or Aśvāyurveda) in the Garuḍapurāṇa.—In certain afflictions when nasya (errhines) become necessary either the juice of Mātuluṅga (Citrus medica) or that of Māṃsī (Nardostachys jatamansi) should be used for that purpose. The first day's dosage is two pala (48gms) weight. Every day it has to be increased by a pala. The maximum for a first class horse is eighten pala. In the average class it is fourteen and for the lowest class of horse it is eight pala weight. Errhines are not to be administered in autumn or summer seasons.
Toxicology (Study and Treatment of poison)
Nasya (नस्य) refers to “nasal spray” and represents one of the modes of treatment for the venom (viṣa) of snakes, as taught in the Viṣacikitsā of the Kāśyapa Saṃhitā: an ancient Sanskrit text from the Pāñcarātra tradition dealing with both Tantra and Viṣacikitsā. The Viṣacikitsā teaches both general first aid as well as specialised treatment and regimen for the different varieties of snakes. The Kāśyapa Saṃhitā deals exclusively and extensively with the symptoms and the corrective herbal treatment for poisonous bites of snakes. Various modes of treatment like are recommended in different prakaraṇas [e.g., nasya or nasal spray].
Kalpa (Formulas, Drug prescriptions and other Medicinal preparations)
Nasya (नस्य) refers to one of the topics discussed in the Madhumatī, a Sanskrit manuscript ascribed to Nṛsiṃha Kavirāja collected in volume 12 of the catalogue “Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (second series)” by Mahamahopadhyaya Haraprasad Shastri.—The Madhumatī manuscript, consisting of 5,586 ślokas (metrical verses), is housed in Dhaka with Babu Bhagavancandra Dasa Kaviraja. It seemingly addresses topics related to Medicinal, Herbal, and Iatrochemical preparations. The catalogue includes the term—Nasya-vidhi in its ‘subject-matter list’ or Viṣaya (which lists topics, chapters and technical terms). The complete entry reads—tatra nasyadhūmaraktamokṣaṇādividhiḥ.
Unclassified Ayurveda definitions
The term Nasya, in the specific sense, is particularly used with reference to the snuffing of any Sneha (oleaginous substance) with a view to make up the deficient oily matter in the brain in the case of a patient complaining of a sense of void or emptiness in the head or to impart tone to the nerves and muscles of the neck, shoulders and chest, or to invigorate the eye-sight.
Nasya (नस्य) refers to “sternutatories”, as mentioned in verse 5.26 of the Aṣṭāṅgahṛdayasaṃhitā (Sūtrasthāna) by Vāgbhaṭa.—Accordingly, “[...] among the (different kinds of milk [viz., payas]), [...] Human milk [viz., mānuṣa] (is) destructive of eye-diseases (coming) of wind, choler, blood, and injury, (and that) in the form of refreshments and instillations (as well as) sternutatories [viz., nasya]”.
Nasya (intranasal drug administration) is one of the therapeutic procedures part of Pañcakarma which acts both at local and systemic levels. It is the practitioner's prime duty to consider the patient's fitness prior to any Pañcakarma treatment, as these treatments are similar to any operative procedures used in allopathic medicine.
Nasya (नस्य) refers to “errhine therapy”, and is dealt with in the 17th-century Vaidyavallabha (chapter 1) written by Hastiruci.—The Vaidyavallabha is a work which deals with the treatment and useful for all 8 branches of Ayurveda. The text Vaidyavallabha (mentioning nasya) has been designed based on the need of the period of the author, availability of drugs during that time, disease manifesting in that era, socio-economical-cultural-familial-spiritual-aspects of that period Vaidyavallabha.
Nasya (नस्य) refers to “nasal administration”, and is used in the treatment of poison (viṣa), according to the 20th century Prayogasamuccaya (one of the most popular and widely practised book in toxicology in Malayalam).—The author has given a detailed description of types of [snake-] bite mark and the corresponding causes and prognosis. [...] Fume therapy using certain drugs can help regain consciousness. The first dung of a calf is ground in the urine of a goat and a suppository is made which is used for dhūmapāna (fume inhalation). This chapter also includes many nasya (nasal administration), añjana (collyrium), lepa (external ointment/liniment), pāna (drink) with simple drugs mentioned.
Chapter four explains rājila-viṣa (krait family) treatment. Vegānusāra-cikitsā (stage wise treatment), symptoms and treatment of 13 types of rājila snakes are mentioned. [...] Nasya and añjana to revive a person from unconsciousness have been described.
Nasya (नस्य):—Administration of drugs by nasal route, all drugs and measures introduced through nose spread throughout the head and its constituent drugs may influence all the doshas, poisons and disease situated in these parts.
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.
Yoga (school of philosophy)
Nasya (नस्य) refers to “snorting (water)”, according to the Haṭhapradīpikā 3.96-98.—Accordingly, “Having discarded the first flow of water because of its excessive heat and the last flow because it is worthless, [the Yogin] should use the middle flow [which is] cool. In the Khaṇḍakāpālika sect, this is [called] Amarolī. If he regularly drinks the [middle flow called] Amarī; snorts (nasya) [it] everyday and correctly practices Vajrolī Mudrā [in order to draw it up his urethra], it is called Amarolī. He should mix the lunar fluid which is emitted because of [this] practice, with ashes and [then,] put it on the upper body (i.e., the head, eyes, shoulders, throat, chest, arms and so on). [As a result], divine sight arises”.
Yoga is originally considered a branch of Hindu philosophy (astika), but both ancient and modern Yoga combine the physical, mental and spiritual. Yoga teaches various physical techniques also known as āsanas (postures), used for various purposes (eg., meditation, contemplation, relaxation).
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
nasya (नस्य).—a S Relating to the nose, nasal.
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nasya (नस्य).—n S Snuff &c. or any medicine administered through the nose, an errhine.
nasya (नस्य).—a Relation to the nose, nasal.
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nasya (नस्य).—n Snuff &c. or any medicine ad- ministered through the nose.
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
Nasya (नस्य).—a. [nāsikāyai hitaṃ tatra bhavaṃ vā yat nasādeśaḥ] Nasal.
-syam 1 The hairs in the nose.
2) A sternutatory; कुरुते मूढ एवं हि यः श्रेयो नाधिगच्छति । धूपैरञ्जनयोगैश्च नस्यकर्मभि- रेव च (kurute mūḍha evaṃ hi yaḥ śreyo nādhigacchati | dhūpairañjanayogaiśca nasyakarmabhi- reva ca) || Mahābhārata (Bombay) 12.14.34.
-syā 1 The nose.
2) The string through the nose of an animal; नस्यागृहीतोऽपि धुवन्विषाण- योर्युगम् (nasyāgṛhīto'pi dhuvanviṣāṇa- yoryugam) Śiśupālavadha 12.1.
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Nāśya (नाश्य).—a. Destructible.
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Nāsya (नास्य).—A nose-cord, the rein of a draught-ox (passed through the septum of the nostrils); Manusmṛti 8.291.
Derivable forms: nāsyam (नास्यम्).
Nasya (नस्य).—mfn.
(-syaḥ-syā-syaṃ) Nasal, relating or belonging to the nose. n.
(-syaṃ) A sternutatory, snuff. f.
(-syā) The nose. E. nasā the nose, yat aff.
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Nāsya (नास्य).—n.
(-syaṃ) The rein of an ox passed through the septum of the nostrils. E. nāsā the nose, śarīrāvayavatvāt yat aff. nāsāyāṃ bhavam .
Nasya (नस्य).—[nas + ya], n. 1. A sternutatory, [Suśruta] 2, 235, 21. 2. f. yā, A nosebridle.
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Nāsya (नास्य).—i. e. nāsā + ya, n. 1. A nose-cord, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 8, 291. 2. A multitude of noses (?), [Harivaṃśa, (ed. Calc.)] 15996.
Nasya (नस्य).—[adjective] being in the nose; [feminine] ā the string through the nose of an animal (cf. [preceding]); [neuter] a sternutatory.
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Nāśya (नाश्य).—[adjective] to be removed or destroyed.
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Nāsya (नास्य).—[neuter] nose-cord (cf. nasya).
1) Nasya (नस्य):—[from nas] mfn. belonging to or being in the nose (as breath), [Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa]
2) Nasyā (नस्या):—[from nasya > nas] f. n°-cord, [Yājñavalkya [Scholiast or Commentator]] (cf. nāsya)
3) [v.s. ...] the nose, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
4) Nasya (नस्य):—[from nas] n. the hairs in the n°, [Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā]
5) [v.s. ...] a sternutatory, errhine, [Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa; Suśruta]
6) Nāśya (नाश्य):—[from nāśa] mfn. liable to be destroyed or removed or banished, [Bhāṣāpariccheda; Kapila] (-tva n.)
7) Nāsya (नास्य):—[from nās] n. the nose-cord (of a draught-ox etc.), [Manu-smṛti viii, 291]
8) [v.s. ...] ([probably]) an errhine (in next).
1) Nasya (नस्य):—[(syaḥ-syā-syaṃ)] 1. a. Nasal. f. (syā) The nose. n. Snuff.
2) Nāsya (नास्य):—(syaṃ) 1. n. An ox nose-rein.
Nasya (नस्य):—(von 1. nas) [Pāṇini’s acht Bücher 6, 1, 63, Vārttika von Kātyāyana. 2. 3.]
1) adj. in der Nase befindlich: prāṇa [The Śatapathabrāhmaṇa 12, 3, 1, 8.] —
2) f. ā a) Nase [Trikāṇḍaśeṣa 2, 6, 28.] [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 120.] (naṃsyā). — b) der Strick, welcher dem Zugvieh durch die Nase gezogen wird, [Mitākṣarā] [?II,91,b,3 v. u.] (nach [STENZLER]; das Werk steht uns nicht zu Gebote). Am Ende eines adj. comp.: chinnanasyena yānena [Yājñavalkya’s Gesetzbuch 2, 299.] Vgl. nāsya . —
3) n. a) die Härchen in der Nase (nach [Mahīdhara]) [Vājasaneyisaṃhitā 19, 90.] — b) Niesemittel, Errhinum überh. [Ratnamālā im Śabdakalpadruma] auṣadhamauṣadhasiddho vā sneho nāsikābhyāṃ dīyata iti nasyam [Suśruta 2, 235, 21. 236, 1. fgg. 1, 176, 7. 181, 11. 182, 9.] vidhi [10, 7.] [Weber’s Verzeichniss No. 929. 958.] lakṣmaṇāya dadau nasyaṃ suṣeṇaḥ paramauṣadhīm . sa tasyā gandhamāghrāya viśalyaḥ samapadyata .. [Rāmāyaṇa 6, 71, 24. 83, 55.] dhūpairañjanayogaiśca nasyakarmabhireva ca . bheṣajaiḥ sa cikitsyaḥ syāt [Mahābhārata 12, 417.]
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Nāśya (नाश्य):—(vom caus. von 1. naś) adj. zu vertreiben, zu entfernen, zu Nichte zu machen: nāśya (Schol. = nirvāsyaḥ zu verbannen) āryaḥ [MÜLLER, SL. 207, Nalopākhyāna 2.] karmanāśājalasparśādinā nāśyastvasau (dharmaḥ) mataḥ [Bhāṣāpariccheda 161.]
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Nāsya (नास्य):—(von nāsā) gaṇa saṃkāśādi zu [Pāṇini’s acht Bücher 4, 2, 80.] n. der dem Zugvieh durch die Nase gezogene Zügel [Manu’s Gesetzbuch 8, 291.] — Viell. coll. Nasen in der Stelle: nāsyagrāsaṃ cakāra saḥ (rākṣasaḥ) [Harivaṃśa 15996.] — Vgl. nasya .
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Nasya (नस्य):—
3) b) oṣadhīrasa [Kathāsaritsāgara 123, 46.] — Vgl. pūti .
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Nāsya (नास्य):—[Z. 3] die neuere Ausg. ca kārakaḥ st. cakāra saḥ; [Nīlakaṇṭha] : nāsayā attuṃ yogyaṃ nāsyamiva grasitveti nāsyagrāsaṃ śvāsocchvāso na (lies śvāsocchvāsena) mahiṣo maśakāniva nāsāmārgeṇa manuṣyāṃsaṃjahāretyarthaḥ .
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Nāśya (नाश्य):—zu verbannen [Āpastamba 2, 26, 21. 27, 8.]
Nasya (नस्य):——
1) Adj. in der Nase befindlich. —
2) f. nasyā — a) der Strick , welcher dem Zugvieh durch die Nase gezogen wird , [Mitākṣarā 2,91,a,3] v.u. chinnanasya Adj. — b) *Nase. —
3) n. — a) Pl. die Härchen in der Nase. — b) Niesemittel , Errhinum überh.
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Nāśya (नाश्य):—Adj. —
1) zu verbannen , aus dem Lande zu verweisen. —
2) zu Nichte zu machen. Nom.abstr. tva n. [The Sankhya Philosophy 6,14.]
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Nāsya (नास्य):—n. —
1) der dem Zugvieh durch die Nase gezogene Zügel. —
2) etwa Niesemittel , Errhinum in grāsam.
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.
Kannada-English dictionary
Naśya (ನಶ್ಯ):—
1) [noun] any kind of medicinal powder, taken by inhaling.
2) [noun] a preparation of tobacco, either powdered and taken into the nostrils by inhalation or ground and placed between the cheek and gum; snuff.
3) [noun] ನಶ್ಯ ಏರಿಸು [nashya erisu] naśya ērisu = ನಶ್ಯ ಹಾಕು [nashya haku]; ನಶ್ಯ ಹಾಕು [nashya haku] naśya hāku to draw in snuff through the nostril; to inhale snuff.
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Naśya (ನಶ್ಯ):—
1) [noun] that which is not permanent; impermanence.
2) [noun] the quality or fact of being impermanent.
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Nasya (ನಸ್ಯ):—
1) [noun] anything that is related to the nose.
2) [noun] the act or process of making a person inhale a medicinal powder, snuff, etc. through nostrils.
3) [noun] a kind of medicinal powder, taken by inhaling.
4) [noun] a preparation of tobacco, either powdered and taken into the nostril by inhalation or ground and placed between the cheek and gum; snuff.
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Nāśya (ನಾಶ್ಯ):—[noun] that may or is liable to be ruined, spoiled; that may perish; perishable.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Nāsya (नास्य):—adj. 1. of/relating to the nose; 2. nasal;
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: Nashyamgeyyu, Nashyat, Nashyatita, Nashyatprasuti, Nashyatprasutika, Nashyatva, Nasyabhairava, Nasyadhikara, Nasyadhumanjanadishu, Nasyagrasam, Nasyakarman, Nasyamga, Nasyamgudu, Nasyami, Nasyanjana, Nasyasedu, Nasyavere, Nasyavidhi.
Full-text (+92): Anashya, Vinasya, Chinnanasya, Putinasya, Nasyakarman, Nasyagrasam, Nashyatva, Nasyavidhi, Nasyabhairava, Pancakarma, Nashyatita, Vinashyatva, Pratimarshanasya, Nasikarajju, Nasyasedu, Nasyota, Apanash, Nasyamga, Veganashyanashakabhavartharahasya, Yesh.
Relevant text
Search found 93 books and stories containing Nasya, Nashya, Nāśya, Nāsya, Nasyā, Naśya; (plurals include: Nasyas, Nashyas, Nāśyas, Nāsyas, Nasyās, Naśyas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
To study pratimarshya nasya and its health benefits – a review < [2017: Volume 6, April issue 4]
Concept of mukhdushika in ayurveda < [2021: Volume 10, September issue 11]
Review article on conceptual study of nasya karma and its pharmacodynamics < [2021: Volume 10, August issue 10]
International Ayurvedic Medical Journal
Management of chronic sinusitis patient – a case report < [2016, Issue III March]
Conceptual study of nasya karma in panchakarma w.s.r. to brihattrayi < [2014, Issue III May-June]
Probable mode of action of nasya – an overview < [2016, Issue III March]
Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine
Efficacy of Mathulungadi Nasyam in preventing COVID-19: A study < [Volume 13 (issue 3), Jul-Sep 2022]
Management of Nasya-induced fever in a migraine patient: a case report < [Volume 14 (issue 6), Nov-Dec 2023]
Effects of Triphaladi oil enema and nasal drops on obesity: Pilot study < [Volume 11 (issue 2), Apr-Jun 2020]
Dictionaries of Indian languages (Kosha)
Page 451 < [Kannada-English-Malayalam (1 volume)]
Page 562 < [Malayalam-English-Kannada (1 volume)]
Page 245 < [English-Malayalam (1 volume)]
Journal of Ayurveda and Integrated Medical Sciences
Management of Vishwachi w.s.r. to Cervical Spondylosis with Dashmoola Kawath... < [Vol. 9 No. 6 (2024)]
An Ayurvedic treatment protocol on Temporomandibular Joint Osteoarthritis - A... < [Vol. 10 No. 4 (2025)]
Yoga and Ayurveda based conceptual study on role of Neti Karma in Eye Diseases < [Vol. 2 No. 04 (2017)]
Study of Kustha (Saussurea lappa) in Brihattrayi and Laghuttrayi. < [Volume 3, issue 1: Jan- Feb 2016]
Diabetic retinopathy and its interpretations through ayurved < [Volume 6, Issue 2: March - April 2019]
Contribution of vangasena in the field of panchakarma < [Volume 3, issue 3: May- June 2016]
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