what is the sanskrit word for war

There are two Sanskrit words for war: "Yuddha" and "Gavisti". "Yuddha" is the more commonly used word for war in Sanskrit. On the other hand, "Gavisti" literally translates to "desire for more cows". This comes from the pastoral period of the Vedic society, during which cattle were a main source and symbol of wealth. During this time, many inter-clan wars were fought over getting and keeping cattle, and the warrior class of the society, known as Kshatriyas, were largely responsible for stealing cattle from other clans, and protecting their own clans cattle.