वृथा

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• ৱৃথা (Assamese script)
• ᬯᬺᬣᬵ (Balinese script)
• বৃথা (Bengali script)
• 𑰪𑰴𑰞𑰯 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀯𑀾𑀣𑀸 (Brahmi script)
• ဝၖထာ (Burmese script)
• વૃથા (Gujarati script)
• ਵ੍ਰਥਾ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌵𑍃𑌥𑌾 (Grantha script)
• ꦮꦽꦡꦴ (Javanese script)
• 𑂫𑃂𑂟𑂰 (Kaithi script)
• ವೃಥಾ (Kannada script)
• វ្ឫថា (Khmer script)
• ວ຺ຣິຖາ (Lao script)
• വൃഥാ (Malayalam script)
• ᠸᡵᡳᡨᠠᢇ (Manchu script)
• 𑘪𑘵𑘞𑘰 (Modi script)
• ᠸᠷᠢᠲᠠ᠋᠎ᠠ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧊𑧖𑦾𑧑 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐰𑐺𑐠𑐵 (Newa script)
• ଵୃଥା (Odia script)
• ꢮꢺꢢꢵ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆮𑆸𑆡𑆳 (Sharada script)
• 𑖪𑖴𑖞𑖯 (Siddham script)
• වෘථා (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩾𑩙𑩬𑩛 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚦𑚚𑚭 (Takri script)
• வ்ரித²ா (Tamil script)
• వృథా (Telugu script)
• วฺฤถา (Thai script)
• ཝྲྀ་ཐཱ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒫𑒵𑒟𑒰 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨭𑨼𑨉𑨚𑨊 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Probably from the instrumental case of an unattested *वृथ (vṛtha, “wish”), a derivative of the root वृ (vṛ, “to choose, select”).

The "in vain" meaning is a semantic extension of the original "at will" meaning, via "at will" > "wantonly" > "aimless, without a plan" > "in vain".

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /ʋr̩.tʰɑː/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈʋr̩.t̪ʰɑː/

Adverb

वृथा • (vṛthā)

1. at will, at pleasure, at random, easily, lightly, wantonly, frivolously
2. in vain, vainly, uselessly, fruitlessly, idly
3. wrongly, falsely, incorrectly, unduly

Descendants

• → Telugu: వృథా (vr̥thā)

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “वृथा”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 1007/3.