Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v1.c3.s20.606

v1.c3.s20.606

Niṣtya means in the Rigveda¹ and later² an outsider or stranger. Hence the constellation usually known as Svāti (see Nakṣatra) is named Niṣtyā in the Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa,³ because it occupies a position markedly away from the ecliptic.