Hello!
I have compiled these 10 words whose meanings are generally misunderstood. This will be very useful before you start reading Upanishads and Vedas. It's more often than not that if you know classical Sanskrit (Kalidas, Bhasa or Sayana for example), you'd understand these words differently. For most of them people either know only one tradition's views or are confused.
इन शब्दों के संपूर्ण अर्थ संस्कृत विद्वानों को भी कम ही पता होते हैं । ख़ासकर वेदों और उपनिषदों को पढ़ने से पहले इनको ज़रूर देखें । मैं वैदिक साहित्य का कोई विशेषज्ञ तो नहीं हूँ, पर इतना ग़ौर किया है कि कई शब्द बिना अर्थ जाने, और आधुनिक भारतीय भाषाओं में इनके अर्थ जानने पर भी वैदिक साहित्य में उनका अर्थ अलग हो सकता है । अगर संपूर्णतया अलग नहीं तो कम से कम अंशतः अलग हो सकता है, जिससे कभी-कभी विचारों को ग़लत समझ लिया जाता है ।
जिन शब्दों की नीचे चर्चा होगी उनमें प्रमुख हैं - देव, पुरुष, लिंङ्ग, सोम, योग, यज्ञ इत्यादि । यहाँ उन्हीं शब्दों का ज़िक्र है जिनको हिन्दी, बांङ्गला या कन्नड़ के आधुनिक प्रयोग मात्र से नहीं जाना जा सकता है ।
- Deva (देव) - यानि देवता जिसका विख्यात अर्थ है - divine and God (human-like). However, this actually comes from dad root (giving). Words like दान, देना etc are made from it; which means anything that has been GIVING you. Either material or spiritual force. Like a tree, like a river, sun, moon or a knowledgeable person. In Vedas, a scholar and your senses (nerves) are also called devas. The meaning can be discerned from one of the three dukhas - आधिदैविक and how distinguished it is from आधिभौतिक and आधिआत्मिक - आध्यात्मिक ।
- Purusha (पुरुष) - Atma, Soul. In modern usages this has been linked to males/men. However, in Vedic literature this means the soul. Rigvega 10.190 (Purusha Sukta) is a great example to learn that. Also, Sankhya tradition, preached by sage Kapil use this for that purpose. After Classical Sanskrit the modern Hindi/Kannada meaning changed from there. In other darshan books the same follows. संस्कृत में male के लिए पुंस शब्द का इस्तेमाल होता है जिसका प्रयोग पुंसवन और नपुंसक जैसे शब्दों में होता है ।
- Lingam (लिंङ्गम) - Symbol, sign. Vaisheshik Shastra by Kanada and Nyaya by Gotama use this multiple times and make the meaning very clear. However, in modern Hindi terms, it has only one meaning - human phallus. You may see its use in word Shiva Lingam.
- Indra (इन्द्र) - इस शब्द को आधुनिक लोक-व्यवहार में देवताओं का राजा कहते हैं । लेकिन ध्यान रहे कि देव, जगत की दिव्य शक्तियों को कहा गया है जो हमें शक्ति, सामर्थ्य या चिन्तन प्रदान करती हैं । यानि सूर्य-चांद, विद्वान पुरुष, कोई अच्छी कहावत या कोई लाभकारी आदत इत्यादि सभी देवों के अंतर्गत ही गिने जाएँगे । इन सबका राजा परमात्मा को माना जाता है, अतः इन्द्र शब्द से प्रथमतः ईश्वर का बोध होता है । लेकिन इसके अलावे राजा, बिजली और आत्मा (इन्द्रियों का राजा) इत्यादि को भी इन्द्र कहा गया है । ऋग्वेद के आठवें मंडल में इन्द्र की कई ऋचाएँ हैं ।
- Yajna (यज्ञ) - For many, it means the process of havana or fire sacrifice. However, it actually means sacrifice and spiritual journey. Sacrifice of the material or mental comfort-providing material. If you donate something that makes your life comfortable, its called a yajna. May that havi be your material wealth, or peaceful time to society for something good - but still not for gaining praise as then you are gaining mental comfort than scarifying it.
- Yoga (योग) - In west (and for many Indians) it means just the Asana, Pranayam and Dhyana. For most part, it is misunderstood. Yam, niyam, pratyahar and dharana are other important aspects. And probably it doesn't mean making your soul united with god, they always are. Also, the part of Yama and Niyama is respectively physical and mental. शब्दार्थ के रूप में भी इसका अर्थ बराबर करना, या साथ लगना होता है ।
- Soma (सोम) - Many think it's name of the devata and some think its some kind of a drink/potion made from somalata. However, it actually is any physical or mental thing that makes your life delightful or soumya. Most common example is moon light, hence moon is also called som. However, peaceful light, soft thought, natural beauty or warm temperature are other things that can be defined as som. The indo-european theory links it to Haoma, however I doubt that. Rigveda Mandal 9 is full of Soma mantras.
- Prakrti(प्रकृति) - Means material, not trees and mountains. Things devoid of life. Plants don't fall into Prakriti!
- Ashvins (अश्विन) - Doesn't mean two sons of sun. It also means day and night as two effects coming due to relative motion between Sun and Earth. अशन का अर्थ होता है व्यापन करना । आशु का अर्थ होता है - तेज़ी से व्यापन करना । आशुतोष या आशुकवि जैसे शब्द इस भावना को व्यक्त करते हैं । अश्व का अर्थ होता है 'तेजी से व्यापन होने वाला' (घोड़ा) । वैदिक साहित्य में अश्वः और गौः में कई जगहों पर फर्क किया गया है । गो का अर्थ इर्द-गिर्द चलने वाला, या परिक्रमा करने वाला होता है (जैसे कि पृथ्वी, चाँद) । अश्व का एक अर्थ किरण है जो अत्यधिक तेजी से चलती है, व्याप्त हो जाती है ।
- Hiranya(हिरण्य) - मैं इसको हिरण से जुड़ा हुआ समझता था । इसका सबसे प्रधान अर्थ है चमक, तेज । सोना (धातु) के लिए इसका प्रयोग होता रहा है । ऋग्वेद का प्रसिद्ध हिरण्यगर्भ सूक्त इसका एक अच्छा उदाहरण है ।
(What is Classical Sanskrit? - That started later, after the Vedic Sanskrit era. Some of the words, letters and pronunciation diminished. Some of the words even changed due to their only use of meaning. Longer nouns and less wide meaning is characteristics. However, Kalidas, Jayadev, Kalhan, Bhas, Sayana etc. are most prominent poets/writers of this age.)
