Manisha () is a Sanskrit term meaning intelligence and desire.

Usage

Manisha is used as a Hindu female name in India. The Sanskrit term ''Manīṣā'' can be transliterated into English as Manisa or Manisha. The noun Manisha appears as early as the

Rigveda Samhita The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' (, , from ऋच्, "praise" and वेद, "knowledge") is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canonical Hindu texts (''śruti'') known as the V ...

and also in the

Aitareya Upanishad The Aitareya Upanishad (, ) is a Mukhya Upanishad, associated with the Rigveda. It comprises the fourth, fifth and sixth chapters of the second book of Aitareya Aranyaka, which is one of the four layers of Rig vedic text. Aitareya Upanishad di ...

, which is a part of the second book of

Aitareya Aranyaka The ''Aranyakas'' (; ; IAST: ') are a part of the ancient Indian Vedas concerned with the meaning of ritual sacrifice, composed in about 700 BC. They typically represent the later sections of the Vedas, and are one of many layers of Vedic text ...

of Rigveda. And in the Rigveda Samhita, Manisha in most of the places is used to mean, ‘''praise''’. However, both

Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (8th c. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya (, ), was an Indian Vedanga, Vedic scholar, Hindu philosophy, philosopher and teacher (''acharya'') of Advaita Vedanta. Reliable information on Shankara's actual life is scant, and h ...

charya and Sayanacharya have stated that Manisha means "the independence of intellect (mati)’. Therefore, Manisha can be deciphered as "the intelligence which is capable of independent logical reasoning and rational analysis in determining truth or facts". However, in

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

, Manisha is reference given to goddess of wish. While, according to Sanskrit-English dictionary, Manisha has several meanings, some of them are: * Desire, wish; यो दुर्जनं वशयितुं तनुते मनीषाम् ''(yo durjanam vashayitum tanute manisham)'' * Intelligence, wisdom, understanding; अतः साधोऽत्र यत् सारं मनुद्धृत्य मनीषया ''(atah sadhotra yat saaram manuddhartya manishya)''; प्रविभज्य पृथङ्मनीषया स्वगुणं यत्किल तत्करिष्यसि ''(pravibhajya prathamanishya svagunam yatkila tatkarishyasi)'' * In Rigveda as hymn, praise, prayer. * A thoughtfulness, reflection, idea, notion.

References

{{Reflist Sanskrit words and phrases Sanskrit-language names Hindu given names Indian feminine given names Feminine given names