Sanskrit Everyday Words Series:Part1

Everyday Sanskrit Words

दिने दिने संस्कृतम् - Sanskrit Everyday

|| पाणिनये नम: ||

(Saluting the great Grammarian of Sanskrit language ‘Panini’)

सर्वेभ्य: नमो नम: | (Hi to all of you)

Let’s start with brief introduction of language and communication, and understand their inter-relation.

When we are going to talk about a language, word language represents the “method of human communication”.

So what’s communication? In simple words it’s the act of transferring or exchanging messages, thoughts, and emotions. Communication has been an integral and very crucial part of human life for thousands of years. Obviously there are different ways of communication. But our primary focus will be on language as a method of communication. Irrespective of the medium of communication it should be correct and precise.

One of the challenges in using any language is obviously the familiarity or knowledge and meaning of words. This is true for any language. Whenever we are communicating using the language, if we don’t know the words and their meanings our communication will be futile. Actually it can’t be called communication if it’s not making any sense.

Today you take any language; it has a mixture of words. Some words are native and some are imported / borrowed to language from other languages. Few words which we use in English are not part of its vocabulary.

Guru, Mantra: From Sanskrit

Entrepreneur: French word

Fest: German word

Glitch: From Yiddish

Plaza: From Spanish

The reason I told you this is we will start with words. We will use the Sanskrit words instead of our native words. That’s the easiest way to learn a new language. One word at a time and slowly we will move to sentences, dialogues etc.

What’s the best place to start other than home where we converse every day?

Let’s see the parts of the house and common rooms and their Sanskrit words.

English Word	Sanskrit Word	Use
Door	द्वारम् dvāram	द्वारम् उद्घाटय। Open the door.
Window	वातायनम्, गवाक्षम् vātāyanam, gavākṣam	वातायना‌‌त् बहि: किं पश्यसि? What do you see out of window?
Room	कक्षा kakṣā	मम गृहे चतस्र: कक्षा: सन्ति। My house has four rooms.
Steps / staircase	सोपानम् / सोपानमार्ग: sopānam / sopānamārgaḥ	सोपाने वामत: चलतु। Keep left on staircase.
Roof	चाल:, छदि: / छदिम् cālaḥ, chadiḥ / chadim	छ्दे: उपरि खग: अस्ति। There is a bird on the roof top.
Wall	भित्ति, भित्तिका bhitti, bhittikā	भित्तिका नीला अस्ति। The wall is blue in colour.
Lock	ताल: tālaḥ	ताल: गृहस्य संरक्षणार्थम् \| Lock is to protect the house.
Key	कुञ्चिका, कीलम् kuñcikā, kīlam	कुञ्चिकां मा विस्मरतु। Do not forget the keys.

Hall / Living room	आसनकक्षा āsanakakṣā	आसनकक्षा विशाला वर्तते। Living room is spacious.
Bed room	शयनकक्षा, निद्राकक्षा śayanakakṣā, nidrākakṣā	शयनकक्षायाम् अहं शयनं करोमि। I sleep in bedroom.
Guest room	अतिथिकक्षा, अभ्यागतकक्षा atithikakṣā, abhyāgatakakṣā	अतिथिकक्षायाम् एक: मञ्च: भवति। In guest room there is a couch.
Study room	पठनकक्षा, अध्ययनकक्षा paṭhanakakṣā, adhyayanakakṣā	पठनकक्षायां नैकानि पुस्तकानि सन्ति। In study room there are many books.
Kitchen	पाकशाला, पाककक्षा pākaśālā, pākakakṣā	अहं पाकशालायां पाकं करोमि। I am cooking in the kitchen.
Bath room	स्नानगृहम्, स्नानकक्षा snānagṛham, snānakakṣā	अहं स्नानगृहे स्नानं करोमि। I am bathing in bathroom.
Toilet	शौचालयः, शौचकक्षा śaucālayaḥ, śaucakakṣā	सः शौचालयं प्रक्षालयति \| He is washing toilet.
Terrace	आलिन्द: ālindaḥ	आलिन्द: रम्य: अस्ति। Terrace is beautiful.

Let’s enter to see items in living room.

English Word	Sanskrit Word	Use
Table Dining Table	पीठिका, उत्पीठिका pīṭhikā, utpīṭhikā भोजनपीठिका bhojanapīṭhikā	पीठिकायां पाक: सिद्ध:। Food is ready on the table.
Chair	आसन्दी, आसन्द āsandī, āsandaḥ:, आसन्दम् āsandam	आसन्दे उपविश। Sit on the chair.
Couch	शय्या, प्रस्तरण:, मञ्च: śayyā, prastaraṇaḥ, mañcaḥ	मञ्च: काष्ठमयः भवति। Couch is wooden.
Curtain	जवनिका, यवनिका, नीशार: javanikā, yavanikā, nīśāraḥ	जवनिका पीता अस्ति। Curtain is yellow.
Television	दूरदर्शनम् dūradarśanam	दूरदर्शनस्य पुरत: न तिष्ठ। Do not stand in front of the television.
Mobile	भ्रमणध्वनि: bhramaṇadhvaniḥ	भ्रमणध्वनि: सम्भाषणार्थम् उपयुक्त:। Mobile is useful to converse.
Telephone	दूरध्वनि: , दूरवाणी dūradhvaniḥ , dūravāṇī	दूरध्वनि: नादं करोति। Telephone rings.
Bag	प्रसेव: prasevaḥ , स्यूत: syūtaḥ	स्यूते किम् अस्ति ? What is there in the bag?
Radio	आकाशवाणी ākāśavāṇī	आकाशवाणी उपयुक्तं संवादमाध्यमम् आसीत् \| Radio was useful means of communication.
Music player	सङ्गीतवादनकम् saṅgītavādanakam	सङ्गीतवादनकेन मधुराणि गीतानि श्रोतुं शक्नोति\| Music player helps to listen to sweet songs.
Compact Disc (CD)	सान्द्रवृत्तकम् , सान्द्रकम् sāndravṛttakam , sāndrakam पिण्ड चक्रिका piṇḍa cakrikā	सङ्गणकस्य समीपे सान्द्रवृत्तकम् अस्ति । Compact disc is near computer.
Computer	सङ्गणक: saṅgaṇakaḥ	सङ्गणक: उत्पीठिकाया: उपरि स्थापित:। Computer is kept on the top of the table.
Fan	व्यजनम् , विद्युत् व्यजनम्, vyajanam , vidyut vyajanam, तालवृन्तम् tālavṛntam	व्यजनं वायुं ददाति। Fan provides air.
Light Tube light	दीप: dīpaḥ दण्डदीप: daṇḍadīpaḥ	दण्डदीप: कक्षां प्रकाशयति\| Tube light illuminates the room.
AC/ cooler	शीतक: śītakaḥ / शीतकयन्त्रम् śītakayantram वायुशीतक: vāyuśītakaḥ	तन्त्रज्ञ: शीतकं सम्यक् करोति\| Technician is repairing cooler.
Heater	उष्णक: / उष्णकयन्त्रम् uṣṇakaḥ / uṣṇakayantram	न शीतलं भासते, उष्णकं निर्वापयतु। It doesn’t feel cold, switch off heater.
Carpet	कुथ: , आस्तरण: , आस्तरणम् kuthaḥ , āstaraṇaḥ , āstaraṇam	कुथ: कक्षाया: शोभां वर्धयति। Carpet improves beauty of the room.

So let’s start using these words in our daily lives and get accustomed to it. Whatever text I have provided here, if it contains any error, please let me know in comments. We will try to rectify it.

For today I will stop here. Stay tuned for part 2.

Credits:
• First of all thanks to Open Pathshala Team for providing this opportunity for sharing this with all of you.
• Spoken Sanskrit website was a great source of inspiration for me to produce this write-up. http://spokensanskrit.org . You also do visit this; it has a humongous collection of words.
• Last but not the least my wife Chinmayee for supporting this activity.

शुभं भवतु

Author: Akshay and Chinmayee Bapaye. Both Akshay and Chinmayee are Sanskrit enthusiasts and are excited to share their knowledge through this blog series!