nimittaM [ ni-mid-kta Tv. ] 1 A cause, motive, ground, reason; nimittanEmittikayorayaM kramaH Ś. 7. 30. 2 The instrumental or efficient cause ( opp. upAdAna ). 3 Any apparent cause, pretext; nimittamAtraM Bava savyasAcin Bg. 11. 33 ; nimittamAtreRa pAMqavakroDena BavitavyaM Ve. 1. 4 A mark, sign, token. 5 A butt, mark, target - nimittAdaparAdDezorDAnuzkasyeva valgitaM Śi. 2. 27. 6 An omen, prognostic (good or bad); nimittaM sUcayitvA Ś. 1 ; nimittAni ca paSyAmi viparItAni keSava Bg. 1. 31 ; R. 1. 86 ; Ms. 6. 50 ; Y. 1. 203 , 3. 171. ( nimitta is used at the end of comp. in the sense of ‘caused or occasioned by’; kinnimittoyamAtaMkaH Ś. 3. nimittaM, nimittena, ninittAn ‘because of’, ‘on account of.). Comp. — arTaH the infinitive mood (in gram. ). — AvfttiH f. dependence on a special cause. — kAraRaM, -hetuH an instrumental or efficient cause. — kAlaH a specific time. — kft m. a crow. — DarmaH 1 expiation. 2 an occasional rite. — vid a. knowing good or bad omens. ( — m. ) an astrologer.