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सीतानाथसामारम्भां रामानन्दार्यमध्यमाम्।
अस्मदाचार्यपर्यन्तां वन्दे गुरुपरम्पराम्॥

On the occasion of #GuruPurnima, here are thirty-three meanings of the Sanskrit word ‘guru’ as explained in various texts. With praṇāma‑s to all our guru‑s.

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Meaning #1: “one who swallows ignorance”

Meaning #2: “one who teaches ‘dharma’ and scriptures like Veda‑s”

Meaning #3: “one who is praised by gods, ‘gandharva’‑s, humans, etc.”

Meaning #4: “one who destroys darkness with brilliance”

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Meaning #5: “one who removes the disease of worldly existence”

Meaning #6: “one who is beyond [three] qualities and form”

Meaning #7: “one who releases from the bondage of ‘māyā’”

Meaning #8: “Brahmā (the creator)”

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Meaning #9: “Viṣṇu ”

Meaning #10: “Śiva”

Meaning #11: “Supreme Brahman”

Meaning #12: “Bṛhaspati, the teacher of the gods”

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Meaning #13: “Prabhākara, the teacher of Mīmāṃsā philosophy”

Meaning #14: “Droṇa, the teacher of the Pāṇḍava and Kauravas”

Meaning #15: “one who performs ‘niṣeka’ rituals (garbhādhāna etc.)”

Meaning #16: “one who gives a mantra”

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Meaning #17: “the father” (the mother is ‘gurvī’, feminine form of ‘guru’)

Meaning #18: “any of eleven male elders” (the corresponding female elders are ‘gurvī’s)

Meaning #19: “any of the elders”

Meaning #20: “one who is great”

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Meaning #21: “one who is ageless”

Meaning #22: “one who is large”

Meaning #23: “one who is powerful”

Meaning #24: “one who is honourable”

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Meaning #25: “one whose speech has profound meaning”

Meaning #26: “heavy”

Meaning #27: “Śiva, who grants ‘siddhi’s and burns sins”

Meaning #28: “the illuminator of truth who bestows oneness with Śiva for the attainment of ‘jñāna’”

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Meaning #29: “abundance”

Meaning #30: “a long syllable”

Meaning #31: “the ‘puṣya’ constellation”

Meaning #32: “the velvet bean creeper (‘Mucuna pruritus’)”

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Meaning #33: “the foxtail millet grass (‘Panicum italicum’)”

There are many more. We will stop at 33 as there are 33 ‘devatā’s and the #guru is the embodiment of all ‘devatā’s.

गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुर्गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः।
गुरुरेव परब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः॥

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More from @MisraNityanand

Jun 22, 2022
Forty words for/related to kissing in Sanskrit

अधरपानम्—drinking the lips

अधररसपानम्—drinking nectar from the lips

अनुघ्राणम्—smelling (=kissing) repeatedly

अभिचुम्बनम्—touching with the face (=lips) on both sides

अवघ्रः—an act of smelling (=kissing) with determination

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अवघ्राणम्—smelling (=kissing) with determination

आघ्राणम्—smelling (=kissing) all around

आचुम्बनम्—touching with the face (=lips) all around

आरेहणम्—licking all around

आस्यन्धयः/आस्यन्धयी—he/she who drinks from the mouth (=a kisser)

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उपघ्राणम्/उपशिङ्घनम्—smelling (=kissing) up-close

उपाघ्राणम्—smelling (=kissing) up-close from all sides

चुम्बनदानम्—the gift of a kiss

चुम्बनम्—touching with the face (=lips)

दशनोच्छिष्टम्/वदनोच्छिष्टम्—the act in which something (=saliva) is left from the teeth/mouth

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Read 9 tweets
Apr 1, 2022
On All Fools’ day, learn ten #Sanskrit words for a fool

‘ajna’ (अज्ञ): “one who does not know”

‘astadhi’ (अस्तधी): “one who has thrown away their intellect”, “or one whose intellect has set [like the sun at night]”

‘devanampriya’ (देवानाम्प्रिय): “dear to the gods”

1/n
‘balisha’ (बालिश): “one associated with a fish-hook”, i.e. one who can be deceived like fish are by a fish-hook

‘mudha’ (मूढ): “one who has been confused/bewildered”

‘murkha’ (मूर्ख): “one who is confused/bewildered [easily]”

2/n
‘yathajata’ (यथाजात): “one who has not grown beyond being a newborn”

‘vivekavishranta’ (विवेकविश्रान्त): “one whose discrimination is on rest/sleeping”

‘vaidheya (वैधेय): “one who follows rules ‘vidhi’s [without thinking]”

‘hasra’ (हस्र): “one who laughs [unnecessarily]”

3/n
Read 5 tweets
Dec 16, 2021
[Thread]

What does it mean when elders bless us in Sanskrit as “āyuṣmān bhava” (आयुष्मान् भव, for a male) or “āyuṣmatī bhava” (आयुष्मती भव, for a female)?

The commonly understood meaning is “may you have a long life”.

1/n
This is correct, for the primary meaning of ‘āyuṣmat’ (आयुष्मत्), from which ‘āyuṣmān’ and ‘āyuṣmatī’ are derived, is “long-lived” (Apte).

However, this is not the only meaning.

The suffix ‘-mat’ in ‘āyuṣmat’ also has the sense of praise.

2/n
Hence, another meaning of “āyuṣmān bhava” or “āyuṣmatī bhava” is “may you have a praiseworthy (=noble) life”.

This meaning, “having a praiseworthy/noble life”, is not listed in Sanskrit dictionaries. However, it is as per the rules of Sanskrit grammar.

3/n
Read 6 tweets
Dec 13, 2021
‘काशी’ नाम का अर्थ

Meaning of the name ‘Kashi’

[Hindi video]

YouTube link: 

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Read 4 tweets
Dec 6, 2021
Derivation and meaning of ‘nididhyāsana’

‘निदिध्यासन’ की व्युत्पत्ति और अर्थ

[Video in Hindi]

Full video link: 

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Read 5 tweets
Nov 20, 2021
नूतनगृहप्रवेशकर्म।

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२/६
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Read 6 tweets

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