Sanskrit Nature Words — Sky, Water, Earth
प्रकृति शब्दावली — आकाश, जल, पृथ्वी
Sky, Water, Trees, Seasons · NCERT Class 6-8
Key Points to Remember
- ▸Agni (fire) ↔ Latin ignis ↔ English "ignite" — same PIE root
- ▸Candra (moon) → "chandelier" via Latin candela; both mean "shining"
- ▸Phala = fruit AND result — karma-phala (fruit of action) is the same word as tree-fruit
- ▸Sūrya (sun) is addressed in the Gāyatrī Mantra: "bhargo devasya dhīmahi"
Vocabulary List
Sanskrit has a rich vocabulary for nature. The Vedic poets saw the divine in every natural phenomenon — rivers, mountains, forests, storms. These words appear in mantras, shlokas, and NCERT texts.
| Sanskrit | Transliteration | Meaning | Root / Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| आकाश | ākāśa (m./n.) | sky, ether, space | ā + √kāś (to shine) — that which shines all around |
| सूर्य | sūrya (m.) | sun | √svar (light) → sūr → sūrya; the Gāyatrī Mantra is addressed to Sūrya |
| चन्द्र | candra (m.) | moon | √cand — to shine; "chandelier" in English from the same root via Latin |
| तारा | tārā (f.) | star | √tṝ — to cross over; stars that "cross" the sky |
| नदी | nadī (f.) | river | √nad — to make a sound/roar; the roaring river |
| समुद्र | samudra (m.) | ocean, sea | sam (together) + udra (water) — the gathering of waters |
| पर्वत | parvata (m.) | mountain | parva (section/knot) — mountain as the "knotted" earth |
| वन | vana (n.) | forest | van (to desire, to love) — the beloved forest; also related to Latin silva |
| वृक्ष | vṛkṣa (m.) | tree | √vṛk (to tear) — the one that tears through the ground |
| पुष्प | puṣpa (n.) | flower | √puṣ (to nourish) — the nourished one; "pusher" of life |
| फल | phala (n.) | fruit, result, reward | √phal (to burst open) — the fruit bursts from the tree; also used for "result" of action |
| पृथ्वी | pṛthvī (f.) | earth | pṛthu (wide/broad) — the wide one; Pṛthu was a legendary king who "widened" the earth |
| वायु | vāyu (m.) | wind, air | √vā (to blow) — that which blows; Vāyu is the Vedic wind deity |
| अग्नि | agni (m.) | fire | cognate with Latin ignis — "ignite" comes from agni! Also Sanskrit "Agni" = Vedic fire deity |
Exercises (2)
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
Connect Sanskrit to English
1. "Ignite" (to set fire) comes from which Sanskrit word?
Show answer
अग्नि (agni) — cognate with Latin ignis; both from PIE *h1ngnis
2. "Chandelier" in English is related to which Sanskrit word?
Show answer
चन्द्र (candra — moon/shining one) via Latin candela (candle)
3. The Gāyatrī Mantra is addressed to _______ (सूर्य / चन्द्र)?
Show answer
सूर्य (Sūrya — the Sun) as Savitṛ (the life-giver)
4. फल (phala) has two meanings — name them.
Show answer
1. Fruit (the physical fruit of a tree) | 2. Result/reward (the fruit of one's actions — karma-phala)
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct word
1. Which nature word means BOTH "fruit" and "result/reward"?
Show answer
फल (phala)
2. Agni is the Vedic deity of:
Show answer
fire
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