Ashwin

What does Ashwin mean?

Ashwin comes from Sanskrit aśvin, ‘possessing horses’ or ‘mounted on horseback’. Wiktionary records the related divine name for the Ashvins, the twin physicians of the gods. A separate derived form, āśvina, names a Hindu lunar month associated with the lunar mansion Ashvini. The name therefore connects with horses, the Vedic twins and the calendar, but these are not identical dictionary senses of a single spelling. The month's name has a longer opening vowel.

Source: Wiktionary, अश्विन्. How we use sources.

Spelling and pronunciation

अश्विन is approximately ash-win, in two syllables. Ashvin and Aswin are other Roman spellings. The v may sound between English v and w. The Sanskrit headword अश्विन् ends explicitly in n; the month आश्विन begins with a long aa. Ashwini is a separate name.

Also spelled Ashvin, Aswin.

Ashwin in tradition and story

The Rigveda invokes the Ashvins at dawn as healers and rescuers. In the Mahabharata, the twins Nakula and Sahadeva are their sons. The lunar month Ashvin falls around September and October and includes the autumn Navaratri and Dussehra festivals.