Sharmishtha (śarmiṣṭhā, शर्मिष्ठा)

[Nityānanda Miśra]

I was recently asked, “What is the etymology of the name Sharmishtha? Sharma seems to be related to shelter and protection, but what is Sharmishtha?” Below is my answer.

The name is ‘śarmiṣṭhā’ (शर्मिष्ठा). Śarmiṣṭhā is the name of the daughter of Vṛṣaparvan and one of the wives of Yayāti as per the Mahābhārata and the Purāṇas. As she is the daughter of Vṛṣaparvan, she is also known as ‘Vārṣaparvaṇī’ (वार्षपर्वणी), her patronym.

The word ‘śarman’ (शर्मन्) means “pleasure, delight, happiness, prosperity, auspiciousness” in Sanskrit. From this word, by adding the suffix ‘vat’, we get the word ‘śarmavat’ (शर्मवत्) whose feminine form is ‘śarmavatī’ (शर्मवती). The word ‘śarmavatī’ (शर्मवती) means “pleased, delighted, happy, auspicious”. This is also a name for girls and is cited as an example of an auspicious femininine name in Medhātithi’s commentary on Manusmṛti 2.33 (more on this later).

The comparative form of ‘śarmavatī’ (शर्मवती) is ‘śarmīyasī’ (शर्मीयसी) and the superlative form is ‘śarmiṣṭhā’ (शर्मिष्ठा). When we apply the comparative and superlative suffixes  ‘īyasun’ and ‘iṣṭhan’ to a word which has the suffix ‘vat’ (like ‘śarmavatī’), the ‘vat’ suffix is elided by the rule ‘vinmatorluk’ (विन्मतोर्लुक्, 5.6.55) of the Aṣṭādhyāyī. Hence, we get ‘śarmīyasī’ (शर्मीयसी) = “more pleased, more delighted, more happy, more auspicious” and ‘śarmiṣṭhā’ (शर्मिष्ठा) = “most pleased, most delighted, most happy, most auspicious”. In Sanskrit, we say सर्वा इमाः शर्मवत्यः, इयमासामतिशयेन शर्मवती शर्मिष्ठा, उभे इमे शर्मवत्यौ, इयमनयोरतिशयेन शर्मवती शर्मीयसी, इयमस्याः शर्मीयसी. Thus, the name ‘śarmiṣṭhā’ (शर्मिष्ठा) means “most pleased, most delighted, most happy, most auspicious”.

Interestingly, both the names ‘śarmavatī’ (शर्मवती) and ‘śarmiṣṭhā’ (शर्मिष्ठा) are mentioned in Medhātithi’s commentary (Manubhāṣya) on Manusmṛti 2.33. The verse in the Manusmṛti says (translation by Ganganath Jha): “That (=name) of women should be easily pronounceable, not harsh, of plain meaning, heart-captivating and auspicious; it should end in a long vowel and contain a benedictory term.” On this, Medhātithi comments (translation by Ganganath Jha): “‘Easily pronouncible’;—that which can be easily pronounced; the name of women should be such as can be uttered, with ease, even by women and children. It is mostly women and children that have got to deal with women; and the woman’s organ of speech being not very efficient, she cannot pronounce each and every Sanskrit word; hence the Text lays stress upon this pronounceability in the case of feminine names. This however does not mean that the masculine names may be unpronounceable. As examples of ‘pronounceable’ names we have, ‘Maṅgala-devī,’ ‘Chārudati,’ ‘Suvadanā,’ etc., and as counter-examples (i.e., of unpronounceable names), ‘Śarmiṣṭhā,’ ‘Suśliṣṭāṅgī,’ and the like. ... ‘Auspicious,’—such as ‘Śarmavatī’; of the contrary kind is the name ‘Abhāgā,’ ‘Mandabhāgā.’” As per P. V. Kane, Medhātithi wrote his commentary after 820 CE and before 1050 CE. This was a time when probably women and young children did not learn Sanskrit and women were largely involved in managing domestic affairs. His comment on the name Śarmiṣṭhā being unpronounceable (i.e., “difficult to pronounce”) for women and children has to be seen in this light. In the Vedic and Mahābhārata times, we find many examples of women and children steeped in Sanskrit learning and hence the name Śarmiṣṭhā was not out of place for the daughter of Vṛṣaparvan. Today’s times are again different. I do not think Śarmiṣṭhā is difficult to pronounce for women and children in India today, and so the name may be given to girls. It has a beautiful meaning.

[Siddharth Wakankar]

Dear Nityanand ji,

Excellent explanation.Congrats.

Prof.Siddharth Y.Wakankar

Vadodara.9427339942.

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[Kushagra Aniket]

साधुवादाः। महानामार्णवे पोतवद् भवतां लेखनी।  

Kushagra Aniket

Economist and Management Consultant

Columbia University'21

Cornell University'15

New York, NY, U.S.A.

ka...@cornell.edu

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[Hemant Dave]

Dear Nityanand ji,

My daughter's name is धृता. She was born some five months after her elder मौसी's daughter, who was named माया. After a week or so when we took her to the hospital, nurses and helpers asked her name. When we told them her name they were apparently lost and one of them quickly said, why didn't you choose a simple name like छाया, माया's sister.

Best regards,

Hemant

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