विष
viṣa/ʋi.ʂɐ́/neuter
The Sanskrit word for poison is विष (viṣa).
विष is used to refer to a substance that is harmful to a living organism.
Meaning: substance harmful to a living organism (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
विष is a neuter noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word consists of two syllables: vi-ṣa. The pronunciation is /ʋi.ʂɐ́/.
Did you know?
- In Hindu mythology, the god Shiva is often depicted with a blue throat because he swallowed the विष created during the churning of the ocean to save the universe.
- The Sanskrit word विष is a distant linguistic relative of the English word 'virus'.
- In the context of yoga and tantra, some practitioners seek to transform विष into nectar, symbolizing the transmutation of suffering into enlightenment.
Examples in context
- पाकमध्ये विषं न युञ्जीतDo not mix poison in the food.
- सर्पस्य विषं भयंकरं अस्ति।sarpasya viṣaṃ bhayaṅkaraṃ asti.The snake's poison is dangerous.
- एतत् विषं न खादितव्यम्।etat viṣaṃ na khāditavyam.This poison should not be eaten.
Example conversation
Mira and Aditya are reading a book about nature.
- मीरा Miraकिम् एतत् विषं अस्ति?kim etat viṣaṃ asti?Is this poison?
- आदित्य Adityaआम्, एतत् विषं अस्ति।ām, etat viṣaṃ asti.Yes, this is poison.
- मीरा Miraतर्हि एतत् सावधानं रक्ष।tarhi etat sāvadhānaṃ rakṣa.Then handle this carefully.
- आदित्य Adityaअहं सावधानः अस्मि, मीरे।ahaṃ sāvadhānaḥ asmi, mīre.I am careful, Mira.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “poison” translations and entries विष, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries विष, CC BY-SA 4.0.
