visha

Visha is a term from Sanskrit and many Indian languages that generally means poison. In Sanskrit, viṣa denotes toxic substances, venom, or anything capable of causing harm. The word is widely used in ancient and medieval texts to refer to natural poisons, chemical toxins, and harmful agents, as well as to metaphorical poisons such as moral corruption.

In Hindu mythology and related literature, viṣa is used to describe deadly venom. The most famous instance is the poison that arose during the churning of the ocean (samudra manthan); according to myth, the poison was so potent that Lord Shiva drank it to save the world, turning his throat blue, earning the epithet Neelkanth.

In modern usage, Visha appears in transliteration of the same term and can be used as a personal name in some communities. In academic contexts, viṣa is used when discussing toxicology, pharmacology, and medical texts translated from Sanskrit. The term has also influenced many Indian languages, where words derived from viṣa appear in vocabulary related to poisoning, venom, or harmful substances.

Because Visha can refer to multiple ideas depending on context, clarification is often required to determine whether the reference is linguistic, mythological, medical, or personal-name related.