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 Learning Sanskrit - Writing - 1

Learning Sanskrit - Writing: Words to practice


 Introduction

Common words in Sanskrit for you to practice writing. Have Sanskrit Alphabet and Conjuncts at hand always. If you did not print these documents, do it right now if you can. They will prove very useful, no doubt.

Well, I am sure you will be happy with this document. Have fun and learn Sanskrit!

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 Word samples

Śiva Sadāśiva Śakti Yoga Mantra
Dhyāna Āsana Guru Saṁskṛta Trika
Mudrā Bandha Paramaśiva Prakāśa Vimarśa
Īśvara Yantra Upaniṣat Veda Tantra
Mahābhārata Rāmāyaṇa      

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 Word samples: Solutions and Translations

And now the words fully written along with their translations (elementary translations obviously, because each word has a lot of translations according to the context):

शिव Śiva Auspicious, etc.
सदाशिव Sadāśiva Ever-Auspicious, etc.
शक्ति Śakti Power, etc.
योग Yoga Union; uniting, etc.
मन्त्र Mantra Advise; sacred sound, etc.
ध्यान Dhyāna Meditation, etc.
आसन Āsana Posture, etc.
गुरु Guru Heavy; one who dissipates darkness by means of his light, etc.
संस्कृत Saṁskṛta Sanskrit (lit. polished, refined, etc.)
त्रिक Trika An epithet of Non-dual Shaivism of Kashmir (lit. triple, threefold, forming a triad)
मुद्रा Mudrā Seal, parched or fried grain, etc.
बन्ध Bandha Bondage, bond, lock, etc.
परमशिव Paramaśiva The Supreme Auspicious, the Highest Śiva
प्रकाश Prakāśa Visible, clear, manifest, splendour, brightness, etc.
विमर्श Vimarśa Examination, knowledge, intelligence, etc.
ईश्वर Īśvara Lord, master, one who is able to, etc.
यन्त्र Yantra Any instrument for holding or restraining or fastening, support, machine, engine, mystical diagram, etc.
उपनिषत् Upaniṣat Esoteric doctrine, secret doctrine, the celebrated and well-known philosophical writings, etc.
वेद Veda Sacred knowledge, the famous and well-known four books which constitute the basis of Hinduism, etc.
तन्त्र Tantra Loom, the leading or principal or essential part, framework, doctrine, rule, the celebrated books which constitute the basis of many philosophical systems (e.g. Trika), etc.
महाभारत Mahābhārata The great war of the Bhārata-s. Name of the great epic poem describing the acts and contests of the sons of the two brothers Dhritarāṣṭra and Pāṇḍu
रामायण Rāmāyaṇa The Vālmīki's celebrated poem, describing the "goings" of Rāma and his wife Sītā

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 More words for you to practice

And now a list of words for you to practice. The solutions and translations come later.

Tattva Ṛgveda Yajurveda Sāmaveda Atharvaveda
Ahaṅkāra Śivasūtra Spandakārikā Pratyabhijñā Utpaladeva
Arjuna Kṛṣṇa Rāma Buddha Vasugupta
Kallaṭa Kṣemarāja Vasiṣṭha Buddhi Manaḥ
Indriya Jñāna Kriyā Icchā Sadvidyā
Māyā Kañcuka Karma Mahābhūta Tanmātra
Kuṅkuma Agni Vāyu Ākāśa Pṛthivī
Apaḥ Puruṣa Prakṛti Kaṇṭhya Tālavya
Mūrdhanya Dantya Oṣṭhya Antastha Svara
Mahāprāṇa Ūṣma Kūṭabīja Ācārya Deva

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 More words for you to practice: Solutions and Translations

तत्त्व Tattva Thatness, category of Manifestation
ऋग्वेद Ṛgveda "Hymn-Veda" or "Veda of praise". It is the most ancient sacred book of the Hindus
यजुर्वेद Yajurveda "The sacrificial Veda", the collective body of sacred Mantra-s or texts which constitute the Yajurveda
सामवेद Sāmaveda "Veda of chants". It contains a number of verses or stanzas nearly all of which (except about 78) occur in the Ṛgveda
अथर्ववेद Atharvaveda Name of the fourth Veda, which is said to have been composed by the sage Atharvā
अहङ्कार Ahaṅkāra Ego, false I-sense. Tattva 15 according to Trika (Non-dual Shaivism of Kashmir)
शिवसूत्र Śivasūtra "The aphorisms of Śiva". A very important scripture in Trika (Non-dual Shaivism of Kashmir) --It came directly from Śiva, the Supreme Being--
स्पन्दकारिका Spandakārikā "The aphorisms of Supreme Vibration". Another crucial scripture belonging to Trika, but its author is a human being.
प्रत्यभिज्ञा Pratyabhijñā Recognition. According to Trika, Śiva is not to be known but reconognized. He is not an object to be known but the Highest Subject.
उत्पलदेव Utpaladeva A great Trika master . He wrote "Īśvarapratyabhijñā", a very celebrated scripture of Trika
अर्जुन Arjuna "White". One of the Bhārata brothers. See Mahābhārata above.
कृष्ण Kṛṣṇa "Black". Even though He was God Himself, He played the role of Arjuna's charioteer in the Mahābhārata. See Arjuna and Mahābhārata above.
राम Rāma God Himself playing the role of a prince in the Rāmāyaṇa
बुद्ध Buddha "Awakened, awake". It is also the name of the sage who was born at Kapilavastu about the year 500 B.C. Śākyamuni was his familiar name.
वसुगुप्त Vasugupta The sage who practically founded Trika. He received the Śivasūtra-s from Śiva.
कल्लट Kallaṭa A celebrated disciple of Vasugupta. He is said to have composed the Spandakārikā, but according to the sage Kṣemarāja, Vasugupta was the real author.
क्षेमराज Kṣemarāja The great sage who was a disciple of Abhinavagupta. He wrote many important commentaries on Trika's scriptures: e.g. Śivasūtravimarśinī, Spandanirṇaya, etc.
वसिष्ठ Vasiṣṭha Name of a celebrated Vedic sage. He was the Rāma's guru.
बुद्धि Buddhi Intellect, intelligence, the power of forming and retaining conceptions and general notions. It is the tattva 14 in Trika.
मनः Manaḥ Mind. It is the tattva 16 in Trika.
इन्द्रिय Indriya Power, force, power of the senses, etc.
ज्ञान Jñāna Knowledge
क्रिया Kriyā Activity, action
इच्छा Icchā Will
सद्विद्या Sadvidyā Pure knowledge. Name of the tattva 5 in Trika.
माया Māyā Illusion, deception, unreality, etc. Name of the sixth tattva in Trika.
कञ्चुक Kañcuka Cover, envelope, the skin of a snake, etc. "Sheath of ignorance" (tattva-s 7 to 11 in Trika)
कर्म Karma Action, act, rite, etc.
महाभूत Mahābhūta Gross element. There are 5 Mahābhūta-s: ether, air, fire, water and earth.
तन्मात्र Tanmātra Subtle element. There are 5 Tanmātra-s.
कुङ्कुम Kuṅkuma Saffron
अग्नि Agni Fire. The third Mahābhūta-s. See above.
वायु Vāyu Air. The second Mahābhūta. See above.
आकाश Ākāśa Ether, space. The first Mahābhūta. See above
पृथिवी Pṛthivī Earth. The fifth Mahābhūta. See above.
अपः Apaḥ Water. The fourth Mahābhūta. See above.
पुरुष Puruṣa Person, individual soul, etc. Name of the tattva 12 in Trika.
प्रकृति Prakṛti The original or natural form or condition of anything, original or primary substance, cause, original source, etc. Name of the tattva 13 in Trika.
कण्ठ्य Kaṇṭhya Guttural
तालव्य Tālavya Palatal
मूर्धन्य Mūrdhanya Cerebral
दन्त्य Dantya Dental
ओष्ठ्य Oṣṭhya Labial
अन्तस्थ Antastha Semivowel
स्वर Svara Vowel
महाप्राण Mahāprāṇa Aspirate or hard breathing (heard in the utterance of certain letters, specially consonants: kha, gha, tha, etc.)
ऊष्म Ūṣma Sibilant
कूटबीज Kūṭabīja Esoteric name of "kṣa" (क्ष) conjunct
आचार्य Ācārya Spiritual guide or teacher, etc.
देव Deva God

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 Concluding Remarks

In the second Appendix more and more words will be available for you to practice. My best wishes and... keep practicing!

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 Further Information

Gabriel Pradīpaka

This document was conceived by Gabriel Pradīpaka, one of the two founders of this site, and spiritual guru conversant with Sanskrit language and Trika philosophy.

For further information about Sanskrit, Yoga and Indian Philosophy; or if you simply want to comment, ask a question or correct a mistake, feel free to contact us: This is our e-mail address.