Glossary of Hinduism Terms - S

S

• Shachī (शची): Wife of Indra, king of the gods on whom Nahusha's evil eye fell. Through the help of Brihaspati, she caused Nahusha's downfall and restored Indra as the leader of the Devas. She was also known as Indrani.
• Sadhana (साधना): Spiritual exercise by a Sadhu or a Sadhaka to attain moksha, which is liberation from the cycle of birth and death (Samsara), or a particular goal such as blessing from a deity.
• Sagara (सगर): King Sagar is one of the greatest kings of Suryavansha in the Satya Yuga. He was king of Ayodhya, ancestor to King Dasharatha. He had two wives Keshini and Sumati. Asamanja was his son from Keshini.
• Sahadéva (सहदेव): Youngest of the Pandava princes who offered the first honors to Krishna at the Rajasuya sacrifices.
• Saibya (सैब्‍य): A ruler friendly to the Pandavas.
• Sairandhri (सैरंध्री): A maid servant or female attendant employed in royal female apartments.
• Saindhava (सैंधव): Jayadratha.
• Śakra (सक्र): Śakra is identified with the Vedic deity Indra. Śakra is sometimes named as one of the twelve Ādityas.
• Shakuni (शकुनि): Shakuni was the brother of Gandhari. He was very fond of his nephew Duryodhana. He won the Pandavas' half of the kingdom for his nephew, as a wager in a rigged game of dice.
• Salva (सल्‍व): Friend of Sisupala, who besieged Dwaraka Sri Krishna's kingdom to avenge Sisupala's death at the latter's hand.
• Shalya (शल्‍य): Ruler of Madradesa and brother of Madri and uncle of the Pandavas who because of having received hospitality from Duryodhana went over to his side.
• Samādhi (समाधि): A term used in yogic meditation. Samadhi is also the Hindi word for a structure commemorating the dead.
• Sambu (सम्बु): Sambu was son of Krishna, who married Lakshmana, daughter of Duryodhana.
• Sāmkhya (सांख्य): A school of philosophy emphasising a dualism between Purusha and Prakrti, propounded by sage Kapila.
• Sampāti (सम्पाति): Sampati was one of the two sons of Aruna, elder brother of Jatayu. Sampati lost his wings when he was a child.
• Samsaptaka (संसप्‍तक): One who has taken a vow to conquer or die, and never to retreat. The Samsaptakas were suicide-squads, vowed to some desperate deed of daring.
• Samsara (संसार): Means wandering, The tree worlds constitute Samsara. Refers to the concept of reincarnation or rebirth in Indian philosophical traditions.
• Samvarta (संवर्त): Brihaspati's younger brother, a person of great learning.
• Samba (संब): A Yadava youngster dressed as a woman who gave birth to a mace, as foretold by rishis.
• Samudra manthan (समुद्र मन्थन): Samudra manthan or The churning of the ocean of milk is one of the most famous episodes in the Puranas and is celebrated in a major way every twelve years in the festival known as Kumbha Mela.
• Sanga (संग): Son of Virata. When king Virata was wounded, he had to get into Sanga's chariot, having lost his chariot, horses and charioteer
• Sanjaya (संजय): The narrator who tells blind Dhritarashtra the progress of the war from day to day. He told the king that a victim of adverse fate would first become perverted and loses his sense of right and wrong. Time would destroy his reason and drive him to his own destruction.
• Sanjīvanī (संजीवनी):Sanjeevani is a magical herb (Selaginella bryopteris) mentioned in the Ramayana when, Lakshmana is badly wounded and is nearly killed by Ravana. Hanuman was called upon to fetch this herb from the mount Dronagiri a.k.a. Mahodaya in the Himalayas. Sushena took the life-giving plant and made Lakshman to smell its savour, so that he rose up whole and well.
• Sankula Yuddha (संकुल युद्ध): A melee, confused fight, a soldiers battle as distinguished from the combats of heroes.
• Santā (संता): Daughter of Dasharatha, Wife of sage Rishyasringa.
• Sāntanu (सांतनु): King of Hastinapura, father of Bhishma.
• Sanyāsin (सन्यासिन): One who has renounced the world and its concerns.
• Saran (सारण): The spy of Ravana, Mentioned in Ramayana Yuddha Kanda/Sarga 26, who tells Ravana about strength of the army of vanaras.
• Sarasana (सरसन): One of the Kaurava brothers who died in the war.
• Sharmishtha (सरमिष्‍ठा): Princess and daughter of asura king Vrishaparva, wife of Yayati, who got angry with Devayani and slapped and pushed her into a dry well. Sarmishtha gave birth to Druhyu, Anu, and Puru.
• Saraswati (सरस्वती): Saraswati is the first of the three great goddesses of Hinduism, the other two being Lakshmi and Durga. Saraswati is the consort of Lord Brahmā, the Creator.
• Sarayū (सरयू): Sarayu was an ancient Indian river, sometimes thought of at probably today's Ghaghara river, and sometimes as a tributary. The river where Lakshamana practices austerities.
• Satanika (सतनिक): Virata's son whose bead was severed by Drona.
• Satī (सती): One of name of Dākshāyani, Dākshāyani is the consort of Shiva. Other names for Dākshāyani include Gaurī, Umā, Aparnā, Lalithā, Sivakāmini etc. Sati is also the term for the immolation of a widow on her husband's pyre in Hinduism.
• Satyajit (सत्यजित): A Panchala prince, a hero who stood by Yudhishthira to prevent his being taken prisoner by Drona, while Arjuna was away answering a challenge by the Samsaptakas (the Trigartas).
• Satyaki (सत्यकि): A Yadava warrior, friend of Krishna and the Pandavas who advocated collecting their forces and defeating the unrighteous Duryodhana.
• Satya Nārāyana (सत्य नारायण): Vishnu, Embodiment as Krishna.
• Satyavān (सत्यवान): Meaning the truth-speaker, husband of Savitri. The oldest known version of the story of Savitri and Satyavan is found in "The Book of the Forest" of the Mahabharata.
• Satyavatī (सत्यवती): A fisherman's daughter who possessed uncommon beauty and emanated a divinely sweet fragrance and king Santanu became enamored of her, married her and made her his queen. The wife of Bhishma's father, Shantanu.
• Satyavrata (सत्यव्रत): Warrior on the Kaurava side.
• Saugandhika (सौगंधिका): A plant that produced a very beautiful and fragrant flower that Bhima went to get for Draupadi.
• Sāvitrī (सावित्री): Wife of Satyavan.
• Savyasachi (सव्‍यसाचि): Ambidexter, one who can use both hands with equal facility and effect. A name of Arjuna who could use his bow with the same skill with either hands.
• Shakti (शक्‍ती): An aspect of Devi and a personification of God as the Divine Mother who represents the active, dynamic principles of feminine power.
• Shaktism(शाक्तं): Lit., "doctrine of power" or "doctrine of the Goddess") is a denomination of Hinduism that focuses worship upon Shakti or Devi – the Hindu Divine Mother – as the absolute, ultimate Godhead. It is, along with Shaivism and Vaisnavism, one of the three primary schools of Hinduism.
• Shakuntalā (शकुन्‍तला): Shakuntala was mother of Emperor Bharata and the wife of Dushyanta. Shakuntala was born of Vishvamitra and Menaka.
• Shālwa (शाल्व): The King with whom Ambā was secretly in love.
• Shankara (शंकर): A name of Shiva; A great magician, friend of Chand Sagar.
• Śankha (शंख): Shankha is the divine Counch or sea shell, which is one of the insignia in the Hindu God Vishnu's hands. The sound emitted from Shankha when blown, is too divine, that is used for regular rituals for Vishnu. Śankha was also the name of one of sons of King Virata who was killed in Mahabharata.
• Shantanu (शान्‍तनु): Shantanu was a king of Hastinapura, father of Bhishma. Shantanu weds Satyavati, a ferryman's daughter.
• Shatrughna (शत्रुघ्‍न): One of Dasharatha's four sons, King of Madhu.
• Śatapatha brāhmaṇa (शतपथ ब्राह्मण): Shatapatha Brahmana ("Brahmana of one-hundred paths"), abbreviated ŚB) is one of the prose texts describing the Vedic ritual, associated with the White Yajurveda.
• Shaivism (शैव धर्म): Shaivism names the oldest of the four sects of Hinduism. Followers of Shaivism, called "Shaivas", and also "Saivas" or "Saivites", revere Shiva as the Supreme Being.
• Śeṣa (शेष): Shesha is a naga that takes human birth through Devaki, one of the primal beings of creation. Equivalent-Ananta or Atī-sheshan. In the Puranas, Shesha is said to hold all the planets of the universe on his hoods and to constantly sing the glories of Vishnu from all his mouths.
• Shiva (शिव): A form of Ishvara or God in Shaivism. Śiva is commonly known as "the destroyer" and is the third god of the Trimurti.
• Shikhandi (शिखण्डी): Daughter-son of Drupada, A girl turned man, warrior on the Pandava side. He had been born in an earlier lifetime as a woman named Amba, who was rejected by Bhishma for marriage.
• Shishupāla (शिषुपाल): Shishupala was son of Damaghosha, king of Chedi, by Srutadeva, sister of Vasudeva; he was therefore cousin of Krishna, but he was Krishna's implacable foe, because Krishna had carried off Rukmini, his intended wife. Shishupāla was Identical with Hiranyakashipu who was slain by Krishnaat the time of Dharmaputra's Rajasuya sacrifice.
• Shiva (शिव): Shiva is a form of Ishvara or God in the later Vedic scriptures of Hinduism. Shiva is the supreme God in Shaivism, one of the major branches of Hinduism practiced in India.
• Shivi (शिवि): Shivi was a great, powerful and generous king. Indra and Agni once tested his generosity by becoming birds when the king gave flesh from his body to fulfil his duty.
• Shri (श्री): Another name of Lakshmi, a goddess, the delight of Vishnu.
• Shri Krishna (श्री कृष्‍ण): See Krishna.
• Shrutkīrti (श्रुत्‍कीर्ति): Daughter of Kushadhwaja; bestowed on Shatrughna.
• Shudra (शुद्र): One of the four castes in Hindu tradition, consisting of artisans, cleaners and labourers.
• Shukracharya (शुक्राचार्य): Shukracharya was a guru in Hindu mythology. Known as the guru of the Asuras, he is also associated with the planet Shukra (Venus) which is named after him. He was born as the son of Rishi Brighu and his wife Ushana.
• Siddhāshrama (सिद्धाश्रम): The Shiva's hermitage, Where Rama and Vishvamitra sacrifice for many days.
• Simhanada (सिंहनाद): A lion-note or roar; a deep roar of defiance or triumph which warriors were wont to utter to inspire confidence in their friends, of terror in their enemies.
• Sindhu (सिन्धु): The Indus River, Urdu دریائے سندھ; Tibetan: Sengge Chu ('Lion River'); Persian: Hindu; Greek: Sinthos; Pashto: Abaseen ("The Father of Rivers"); Mehran (an older name)) is the longest and most important river in Pakistan. Originating in the Tibetan plateau in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar.
• Sinhikha (सिंहिख): The grim rakshasi who rose from the sea and caught Hanumana, when he coursed through the air like Garuda in search of Sita.
• Sini (सिनि): One of the suitors to Devaki's hand. A kinsman of the Kauravas.
• Sītā (सीता): Sita was the wife of Rama, and is esteemed an exemplar of womanly and wifely virtue. Sita was herself an avatāra of Lakshmi, Vishnu's eternal consort, who chose to reincarnate herself on Earth as Sita, and endure an arduous life, in order to provide humankind an example of such virtues.
• Sloka (श्‍लोक): A verse of lines in Sanskrit, typically recited as a prayer.
• Smarta (स्‍मर्त): A Hindu denomination, which follows Advaita philosophy and considers that all gods are manifestations of Ishvar.
• Śruti (श्रुति): A canon of Hindu scriptures. Shruti is believed to have no author; rather a divine recording of the "cosmic sounds of truth", heard by rishis.
• Soma (सोम): A ritual drink of importance among Hindus. It is frequently mentioned in the Rigveda, which contains many hymns praising its energizing or intoxicating qualities.
• Somadutta (सोमदत्त): One of the suitors to Devaki's hand. A kinsman of the Kauravas.
• Sthūṇa (स्थूण): A Yaksha, follower of Kubera, who exchanges his identity with Shikhandin, A rakshasa who helps disturb Vishvamitra's sacrifices.
• Subahu (सुबाहु): King of Kulinda in the Himalayas, ally of the Kauravas, Subahu was a demon who tried to interrupt Viswamitra's yaga. He was slain by Lord Rama. King of Chedi.
• Subhadra (सुभद्रा): Wife of Arjuna, sister of Sri Krishna and mother of Abhimanyu.
• Subrahmaniam (सुब्रहमण्यम): The southern mountain deity.
• Sudakshina (सुदक्षिण): A warrior on the Kaurava side.
• Sudarsana (सुदर्सण): A warrior on the Kaurava army.
• Sudarshana Chakra (सुदर्शन चक्र): Sudarshan Chakra is a spinning disc like weapon with very sharp edge, which is one of the weapons in the Hindu God Vishnu's hands.
• Sudeshna (सुदेषणा): Queen of King Virata whom Sairandhri (Draupadi) served.
• Sudeva (सुदेव): A Brahman who traced Damayanti in Chedi and later helps Damayanti in her quest to find Nala. He was friend of Damayanti's brother.
• Sugrīva (सुग्रीव): Monkey-king, friend of Sri Rama, and brother of mighty Vali whom Sri Rama killed.
• Sujata (सुजाता): Daughter of Sage Uddalaka and wife of Kagola, his disciple who had virtue and devotion but not much of erudition, mother of Ashtavakra.
• Śuka (सुक): A sage, son of Vyasa, who related the Bhagavata Purana to King Parikshit, grandson of Arjuna.
• Sukanyā (सुकन्‍या): Meaning - Fair-maid, The wife of Chyavana whom the Ashvins beheld at her bath, bare of any garment.
• Sumān (सुमन): Son of Asamanja.
• Sumatī (सुमती): Wife of Sagara.
• Sumitra (सुमित्र): Abhimanyu's charioteer.
• Sumitrā (सुमित्रा): One of Dasharatha's three wives; mother of Lakshamana and Shatrughna.
• Sunda (सुन्‍द): Sunda and Upasunda were two brave and poerful asura princes who performed austerities to please Brahma,who besowed them the boon that nobody else would slay them, other than each other. Later Brahma created a beautiful apsara Tilottama to creat differences within and destroyed them mutually.
• Sunitī (सुनिती): Mother of Dhruva.
• Supārshwa (सुपार्शव): One of Ravana's counsellors.
• Surabhi (सुरभि): The wish-bestowing cow that came first from the sea in the process of churning of the Ocean by gods and daityas.
• Surpankhā (सुर्पण्खा): A rākshasī; sister of ravana; desires Rama; seeks to become Lakshamana's wife who attempts to slay Sita.
• Supratika (सुप्रतिक): Name of King Bhagadatta's elephant.
• Sūrya (सूर्य): A solar deity who is one of the three main Vedic Gods.
• Susarma (सुसर्म): King of Trigarta, a supporter of the Kauravas who backed the proposal to invade Matsya, Virata's country.
• Sushena (सुषेन): A monkey chief ; at siege of Lanka.
• Sushruta Samhita (सुश्रुतसंहिता): Suśruta Saṃhitā is a Sanskrit redaction text on all of the major concepts of ayurvedic medicine with innovative chapters on surgery, attributed to Sushruta, likely a historical sage physician of 6th century BC.
• Sūtra (सूत्र): Sūtra refers to an aphorism or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a book or text. 'Sutras' form a school of Vedic study, related to and somewhat later than the Upanishads.
• Suvarna (सुवर्ण): A soldier on the Kaurava side.
• Sri Rama (श्रीराम): Also knew as Rama, Ramachandra or Sri Rama. Hanumana tells Bhima how he was deeply thrilled when he happened to touch Rama's body. This king of Ayodhya was banished to the forest for fourteen years, killed Ravana the king of Lanka who abducted his wife, Sita.
• Srinjayas (श्रीन्‍जय): Pandava supporters.
• Srutayu (श्रुतायु), Astutayu (अस्‍तुतायु): Two brothers fighting on the Kaurava side attacked Arjuna but were killed.
• Srutayudha (श्रुतायुद्घ): A Kaurava warrior whose mace hurled at Krishna rebounded fiercely, killing Srutayudha himself. Her mother Parnasa had obtained that gift from Varuna who had specified that the mace should not be used against one who does not fight, else it would kill the person who hurls it.
• Swarga (स्‍वर्ग): An Olympian paradise, a place where all wishes and desires are gratfied, The heaven of Indra where mortals after death enjoy the results of their good deeds on earth.
• Sveta (स्‍वेत): A son of King Virata who fell in battle to Bhishma's arrow.
• Swayamvara (स्‍वयं‍वर): Meaning - Own-choice, Swayamvara, in ancient India, was a practice of choosing a life partner, among a list of suitors by a girl of marriageable age.
• Syala (स्याल): A Yadava prince who insulted the sage Gargya, and was the cause of his becoming the father of Kalayavana, a great foe of Krishna and the Yadava family.