# श्रुति (śruti)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/shruti

श्रुति (śruti) is a Sanskrit word meaning hearing or listening, the ear or organ of hearing, the diagonal of a tetragon or the hypotenuse of a triangle, sound or noise, an aggregate of sounds forming a word or part of a word, rumour, report, news, intelligence, or hearsay. Its 29 recorded definitions are grouped into 16 contexts, among them Lexicographical overview of multiple meanings, Proper name: Mythological figures, The Vedas, sacred texts, revelation.

- **Roots:** कृ (kṛ), स्था (sthā), श्रु (śru)
- **Etymology:** E. श्रु to hear, क्तिन् aff. Page865 — E. śru to hear, ktin aff. Page865
- **SLP1:** `Sruti`  **IAST:** śruti  **Devanagari:** श्रुति
- **Declensions:** 72 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/shruti/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Lexicographical overview of multiple meanings (9 definitions)
- 1. Hearing or listening. 2. Sound or noise. 3. The ear. 4. A musical interval. 5. Report, news, rumor, or hearsay. 6. A traditional religious precept, sacred text, or the Vedas. 7. Learning.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > श्रुति (śruti) [Printed book page 322-1 ] श्रुति (śruti) śrú-ti, f. V., C. : hearing, listening; sound, noise; C. : ear; musical interval ( there being 22 in the octave ); report, news, of ( —° ); rumour, hearsay; saying, saw; traditional religious precept (regarding, —° ), sacred text ( pl. sacred texts, the Vedas); name, title ( rare ); learning ( v. r. śruta-): śrutim abhinīya, pretending to hear; śrutau sthā, be known by hearsay only; iti śruteḥ, because it is so stated in the scriptures or Veda; -śruteḥ, is prescribed or taught. [ ID=18302 ]
- 1. The Vedas or scripture. 2. An ear. 3. Hearing. 4. Intelligence, news, or rumor. 5. A musical quarter tone or interval. 6. The constellation Shravana.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > श्रु (śru) ति (śruti) [Printed book page 864 ] श्रु (śru) ति (śruti) f. ( - तिः (-tiḥ) ) 1 The Vedas, severally or collectively, scripture, holy writ. 2 An ear. 3 Hearing. 4 Intelligence, news, rumour, report. 5 (In music,) A division of the octave, a quarter tone or interval, of which twenty-two are enumerated; four constituting a major tone, three a minor, and two a semitone: the Śrutis are personified as nymphs. 6 The constellation Śravaṇā. E. श्रु (śru) to hear, क्तिन् (ktin) aff. Page865 [ ID=39242 ]
- 1. The Vedas or scripture. 2. Hearing or the ear. 3. News. 4. A quarter tone.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > श्रुति (śruti) [Printed book page 784-a ] श्रुति (śruti) ( तिः ) ((tiḥ)) 2. f. The Vedas, scripture; hearing; the ear; news; a quarter tone. [ ID=38901 ]
- 1. Hearing or the ear. 2. Rumor or report. 3. A quarter tone or interval in music. 4. Sound. 5. The Veda or a Vedic text. 6. The Shravana constellation.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > श्रुति (śruti) [Printed book page 733-05 ] श्रुति (śruti) f. 1. Hearing, श्रुति (śruti) मभिनयि (śrutimabhinayi) Sak. i.; 2. the ear, विहाय भृंगाः श्रुति (śruti) हारिनिस्वनाः (vihāya bhṛṃgāḥ śrutihārinisvanāḥ) Rt. ii.14; 3. rumour, report, intelligence; 4. a quarter tone or interval (in music), Sis. xi.1; 5. a sound in general; 6. that which was revealed, i.e. the Veda; (see under वेद (veda) ); 7. a Vedic text; 8. the constellation Śrāvaṇa. [ ID=38617 ]
- 1. The Vedas or scripture. 2. An ear. 3. Hearing. 4. Intelligence, news, or report. 5. A musical quarter tone or interval of the octave. 6. A sound. 7. The constellation Shravana.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > श्रु (śru) ति (śruti) [Printed book page 735-b ] श्रु (śru) ति (śruti) f. ( - तिः (-tiḥ) ) 1. The Vedas, severally or collectively, scripture, holy writ. 2. An ear. 3. Hearing. 4. Intelligence, news, rumour, report. 5. (In music,) A division of the octave, a quarter tone or interval, of which twenty-two are enumerated; four constituting a major tone, three a minor, and two a semitone: the Śhrutis are personified as nymphs. 6. A sound in general. 7. The constellation Śravaṇā. E. श्रु (śru) to hear, क्तिन् (ktin) aff. [ ID=41137 ]
- 1. Hearing. 2. An ear. 3. Report. 4. The Vedas or revealed law. 5. A holy text.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > श्रुति (śruti) [Printed book page 0973-a ] श्रुति (śruti) śru + ti, f. 1. Hearing, Indr. 2, 5. 2. An ear, Vikr. d. 56. 3. Report, Johns. Sel. 53, 127. 4. The Vedas, the revealed law, Hit. i. d. 31, M.M.; Pañc. 167, 1. 5. A holy text, Man. 2, 15; 11; 33; Vedāntas. in Chr. 203, 5. — Comp. A-, f. 1. not hearing, Utt. Rāmac. 69, 11. 2. oblivion. Śhakṣuḥśruti, i. e. cakṣus-, m. a snake, Rājat. 5, 1. Pūrṇa- ( vb. pṝ ), adj. having the ears filled. Yathā-, adv. conformable to the precepts of the Vedas, Śāk. d. 152. [ ID=15023 ]
- 1. Hearing, ear, sound, or noise. 2. Report, hearsay, news, or tidings. 3. Sacred utterance, revelation, sacred text, holy writ, or the Veda. 4. Appellation or title.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > श्रुति (śruti) [Printed book page 562 ] श्रुति (śruti) f. hearing, ear, sound, noise, report, hearsay, news, tidings, (sacred) utterance or prescription, revelation, sacred text, holy writ, the Veda; appellation, title. [ ID=33420 ]
- 1. Hearing. 2. The ear. 3. Sound. 4. A report or hearsay. 5. A sacred text or the Veda.  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > श्रुति (śruti) [Printed book page 262-a ] śrúti, f. —1. a hearing; —2. ear; —3. the thing heard; sound; —4. report, hearsay; —5. utterance; esp. a sacred utterance handed down by tradition, a religious prescription, a sacred text, the Veda, 58 18 N.; —6. learning; prob. incorrect for śruta. [ √śru, 1157. 1a.] [ ID=4291 ]
- 1. Hearing, audition, or an ear. 2. Sound, oral account, report, rumour, or intelligence. 3. Revelation or the Veda. 4. Any Vedic or sacred text. 5. The diagonal of a tetragon or hypothenuse of a triangle. 6. A quarter tone or interval in music. 7. The constellation Shravana.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > श्रुति (śruti) [Printed book page 1027-c ] Śruti, is, f. ‘audition,’ hearing; an ear; anything heard, sound, oral account, report, rumour, intelli- gence, news; that which was heard or revealed from the beginning, revelation, the Veda (i. e. sound eternally heard and so differing from smṛti or what is only remembered and handed down by human authors, see Manu II. 10; properly applied to works considered to have been revealed by a deity, and therefore only to the Mantra and Brāhmaṇa portion of the Vedas, but often applied also to the Upaniṣads and other Vedic works); any Vedic or sacred text, ( iti śruteḥ, according to or because of such a śruti or Vedic text); the hearing of a sound, a sound; the diagonal of a tetragon or hypothenuse of a triangle; (in music) a particular division of the octave, a quarter tone or interval, (twenty-two of these are enumerated, four constituting a major tone, three a minor, and two a semitone; they are said to be personified as nymphs); the constellation Śra- vaṇā. —Śruti-kaṭa, as, m. penance, expiation; a snake; (according to Śabda-k.) = prāñcalloha. —Śruti-kaṭu, us, us, u, harsh to the ear, unme- lodious; ( us ), m. a harsh or unmelodious sound, cacophony (a fault in rhetoric). —Śruti-kathita, as, ā, am, mentioned in the Veda, taught or prescribed by the Vedas. —Śruti-kīrtti, is, f., N. of a work. Page1028-a+ 80 —Śruti-codana, am, n. ‘Veda-precept,’ holy pre- cept or injunction, the doctrine of the Vedas. —Śruti- jīvikā, f. a law-book or code of laws. —Śruti-tat- para, as, ā, am, intent on hearing; intent on studying the Veda. —Śruti-dvaidha, am, n. dis- agreement or contradiction of any two passages in the Vedas or of two Vedas. —Śruti-dhara, as, ā, am, ascertaining or perceiving by the ear, hearing; holding or observing the Vedas; ( as ), m., N. of a poet; [cf. śruta-dhara. ] —Śruti-nidarśana, am, n. the evidence of revelation, testimony of the Veda. —Śruti-prasādana, as, ī, am, gratifying the ear, grateful to the ear. —Śruti-prāmāṇyatas, ind. on the authority of the Veda, with the sanction of the Veda. —Śruti-maṇḍala, am, n. ‘ear-circle,’ the outer ear. —Śruti-mat, ān, atī, at, possessed of ears, capable of hearing. —Śruti-mūla, am, n. the root of the ear; the text of the Vedas. —Śruti-mūlaka, as, ā, am, founded on the Veda, springing from the Veda. —Śruti-mṛgya, as, ā, am, to be sought by hearing or by the Vedas (not by sight). —Śruti-var- jita, as, ā, am, devoid of hearing, deaf; ignorant or unread in the Vedas. —Śruti-vipratipanna, as, ā, am, dissenting from revelation, disregarding the doctrine of the Veda. —Śruti-viṣaya, as, m. the object of hearing (i. e. sound, see viṣaya ); subject- matter or doctrine of the Veda, any sacred matter or ordinance; ( as, ā, am ), conversant with sacred matters, familiar with the Veda. —Śruti-viṣaya- guṇa, as, ā, am, ‘having the quality [sound] which is the object of hearing or which is perceptible by the ear,’ epithet of ether. —Śruti-vedha, as, m. the piercing or boring of the ear. —Śruti-sphoṭā, f. a kind of creeper (= karṇa-sphoṭā). —Śruti-smṛti, ī, f. du. the Veda and legal tradition, the Veda and institutes of law. —Śruti-smṛti-viruddha, as, ā, am, opposed to the Vedas and to tra- dition or law. —Śruti-smṛti-vihita, as, ā, am, enjoined by the Vedas and the law. —Śruti-smṛty- udita, as, ā, am, declared or enjoined by the Veda and law. —Śruty-anuprāsa, as, m. repetition of sound, alliteration. —Śruty-ukta or śruty-udita, as, ā, am, said or enjoined by the Vedas. [ ID=47453 ]

### Proper name: Mythological figures (3 definitions)
- Name of a daughter of Atri and wife of Kardama  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of a daughter of Atri and wife of Kardama, Viṣṇu-purāṇa (Title) [ ID=223548 ]
- a son of Uttama Manu  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Śruti (II) — a son of Uttama Manu. Br. II. 36. 40. [ ID=14980 ]
- 1. A daughter of Anasuya and mother of Shankhapada. 2. A wife of Kardama and Pulaha Prajapati.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Śruti (III) — a daughter of Anasūyā and mother of Śankhapadā, wife of Kardama, Pulaha Prajāpati. Vā. 28. 18, 27; Br. II. 11. 22. [ ID=14981 ]

### The Vedas, sacred texts, revelation (3 definitions)
- sacred knowledge orally transmitted from generation to generation, the Veda  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > that which has been heard or communicated from the beginning, sacred knowledge orally transmitted by the Brāhmans from generation to generation, the Veda ( i.e. sacred eternal sounds or words as eternally heard by certain holy sages called Ṛṣis, and so differing from स्मृति (smṛti) or what is only remembered and handed down in writing by human authors See Manu-smṛti (Title) ii, 10; it is properly only applied to the Mantra and Brāhmaṇa portion of the Vedas, although afterwards extended to the Upaniṣads and other Vedic works including the Darśanas; इति श्रुतेः (iti śruteḥ), ‘because it is so taught in the Veda, according to a श्रुति (śruti) or Vedic text’; pl. ‘sacred texts, the Vedas’, also ‘rites prescribed by the Vedas’), Aitareya-brāhmaṇa (Title); Śrauta-sūtra (Literary category); Manu-smṛti (Title); Mahābhārata (Title) &c., Indian Wisdom, by Sir M. Monier-Williams (Title) 144 [ ID=223543 ]
- the Vedas  
  *The Purana Index*
  > श्रुति (śruti) [Printed book page 3-489 ] Śruti (I) — the Vedas: interpreted in two ways in the Dvāpara; 1 the same, Ṛg, Yajus, and Sāma in every manvan- tara though in different redactions; here are four stotras — Dravyastotram, Guṇastotram, Karmastotram, and Abhi- janastotram; above all these is Brahmastotram; mantras were originally five fold; 2 having learnt the Śrauta from their predecessors the seven sages repeated the same. 3 [ Footnote: 1) Br. II. 31. 6, 72; 32, 35; IV. 6. 64; M. 52. 12; 144. 7; Vā. 34. 95; 39. 11; 41. 90; 55. 7; 61. 75; 76. 3; 100. 33; 101. 9, 22, 57.] [ Footnote: 2) M. 145. 58-63.] [ Footnote: 3) Vā. 3. 8; 32. 44; 59. 31.] [ ID=14979 ]
- sacred texts that awaken the Lord after a dissolution  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Śrutis — awaken the Lord sleeping after a pralaya, as bards the emperor from his bed. Śrutigītā on the greatness and glory of Lord. Bhā. V. 87. 1, 12-41; XI. 5. 5. [ ID=14982 ]

### Sound, noise, audible perception (2 definitions)
- sound or noise  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > [Printed book page 1101,3] that which is heard or perceived with the ear, sound, noise &c., Ṛg-veda (Title); Atharva-veda (Title); Prātiśākhya (Literary category); Kathāsaritsāgara (Title); Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title) [ ID=223539 ]
- an aggregate of sounds forming a word or part of a word  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > an aggregate of sounds (whether forming a word or any part of a word), Taittirīya-prātiśākhya (Title) [ ID=223540 ]

### Act or faculty of hearing/listening (1 definition)
- Hearing or listening  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 1101,2] 1. श्रुति (śruti) f. hearing, listening ( श्रुति (śruti) म् अभिनीय (śrutim abhinīya), ‘feigning to hear’; श्रुति (śruti) ं वचो ' नुगां - (śrutiṃ vaco 'nugāṃ-) √ कृ (√kṛ), ‘to listen to a speech’), Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa (Title) &c. &c. [ ID=223536 ]

### Course or path (1 definition)
- course, path  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 1102,1] 2. श्रुति (śruti) f. ( cf. स्रुति (sruti) ) course, path (?), Ṛg-veda (Title) ii, 2, 7; x, 111, 3 [ ID=223668 ]

### Geometrical term: Diagonal or hypotenuse (1 definition)
- the diagonal of a tetragon or the hypotenuse of a triangle  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the diagonal of a tetragon or hypothenuse of a triangle, Golādhyāya (subtitle) [ ID=223538 ]

### Intellect or understanding (as buddhi) (1 definition)
- buddhi  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > = बुद्धि (buddhi), Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=223547 ]

### Learning or scholarship (1 definition)
- learning or scholarship  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > learning, scholarship, Śakuntalā (Title); Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā (Title) ( prob. w.r. for श्रुत (śruta) ) [ ID=223546 ]

### Musical quarter tone or interval (1 definition)
- a quarter tone or musical interval, divisions of the octave personified as nymphs  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (in music) a particular division of the octave, a quarter tone or interval (twenty-two of these are enumerated, four constituting a major tone, three a minor, and two a semitone; they are said to be personified as nymphs), Yājñavalkya (Author); Śiśupāla-vadha (Title); Pañcarātra (Title) [ ID=223544 ]

### Name or title (general) (1 definition)
- a name or title  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a name, title, Kāvyādarśa (Title) ii, 331 [ ID=223545 ]

### Proper name: A king (1 definition)
- an ancient king  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > श्रुति (śruti) [Printed book page 217-1 ] Śruti, an ancient king. § 6 (Anukram.): I, 1 α, 232 (in Sañjaya's enumeration of kings who have died). [ ID=2759 ]

### Proper name: Constellation Śravaṇā (1 definition)
- the constellation Shravana  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the constellation, Śravaṇā, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=223669 ]

### Rumour, report, news, hearsay (1 definition)
- Rumour, report, news, intelligence, or hearsay.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > rumour, report, news, intelligence, hearsay ( श्रुतौ - (śrutau-) √ स्था (√sthā), ‘to be known by hearsay’), Mahābhārata (Title); Kāvya literature (Literary category) &c. [ ID=223541 ]

### Saying, word, utterance (1 definition)
- a saying, saw, or word  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a saying, saw, word, Mahābhārata (Title); Rāmāyaṇa (Title); Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title) [ ID=223542 ]

### The ear (1 definition)
- the ear or organ of hearing  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the ear, organ or power of hearing, Kāvya literature (Literary category); Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā (Title); Kathāsaritsāgara (Title) [ ID=223537 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872); Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Purana Index; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

The Sanskrit Lexicon app for iPhone, iPad and Mac: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sanskrit-lexicon-dictionary/id6746787546