nauhasta

Nauhasta is a Sanskrit term that appears as a compound meaning “nine-handed” or “having nine hands.” The word is formed from nau (nine) or nava and hasta (hand, arm). The attested use of nauhasta is sparse, and there is no widely recognized, standalone definition in standard Sanskrit lexica.

In usage, nauhasta is typically a descriptive epithet rather than a proper name. When it occurs, it is often employed in poetry or iconographic descriptions to signal extraordinary power or divine attributes by alluding to a figure with multiple arms. Because multi-armed figures are a common motif in Hindu and Buddhist imagery, compounds with hasta are used to indicate limbs, weapons, or symbolic strength; however nauhasta is not among the common canonical descriptors.

In practice, the precise sense of nauhasta depends on its source and context. It is not a standardized term in religious iconography or philology, and its interpretation may vary across manuscripts or regional traditions. The term can be contrasted with more familiar multi-armed descriptors such as ashtabhuja (eight-armed) to illustrate how Sanskrit compounds convey limb count or symbolic attributes.

See also: Hasta, Ashtabhuja, Navagraha, Sanskrit compounds.