aranyaka
|a-ra-nya-ka|
/ɑːˈraɳjəkə/
forest-related Vedic text
Etymology
'aranyaka' originates from Sanskrit, specifically the word 'āraṇyaka', where 'aranya' meant 'forest' and the suffix '-ka' meant 'belonging to' or 'pertaining to'.
'aranyaka' developed within Vedic and Classical Sanskrit as the term for texts associated with forest-dwelling ascetics; the word entered English scholarly usage through Sanskrit studies in the 18th–19th centuries and was borrowed into English as 'aranyaka' without major change.
Initially it meant 'belonging to the forest' (literally), and over time it came to denote specifically the Vedic 'forest' texts and the body of teachings intended for forest hermits; the core idea of 'forest-related' remains.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a category of Vedic texts (literally 'forest treatises') attached to or following the Brahmanas, intended for hermits and forest-dwellers; these works discuss ritual symbolism, meditative practices and provide a transition to the Upanishads.
Scholars study the aranyaka to understand the symbolic meaning of ritual and the transition to Upanishadic thought.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
relating to the forest or to teachings intended for forest-dwelling ascetics; 'aranyaka' in the sense of being suited to hermits or to a forest setting.
Those ritual instructions had an aranyaka character, meant for ascetics living in the forest.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/02 01:18