वज्र
vajra/ʋɐ́d͡ʑ.ɾɐ/masculine
The Sanskrit word for diamond is वज्र (vajra).
In Sanskrit, वज्र is used both to describe the physical gemstone and the indestructible weapon of the deity Indra.
Meaning: gemstone (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word वज्र literally means 'thunderbolt' or 'diamond-hard'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine noun वज्र has several forms depending on its role in a sentence: the genitive singular form वज्रस्य is used to indicate 'of the diamond', while the neuter plural form वज्राणि is used to refer to 'diamonds'.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is vajra (/ʋɐ́dʑ.ɾɐ/). It consists of 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In Buddhist traditions, the 'Vajrayana' school of Buddhism derives its name from वज्र, signifying the 'Diamond Vehicle' or 'Thunderbolt Vehicle'.
- In Hindu mythology, the वज्र used by Indra was crafted from the bones of a sage, making it the most indestructible object in the universe.
- The Sanskrit वज्र has a direct linguistic relative in the Avestan word vazra, which refers to a 'mace' or the main weapon of the deity Mithra. Both words share a common ancestral meaning related to striking power.
Examples in context
- एषः वज्रः अस्ति।eṣaḥ vajraḥ asti.This is a diamond.
- वज्रः अति सुन्दरः अस्ति।vajraḥ ati sundaraḥ asti.The diamond is very beautiful.
Example conversation
Aditya shows a piece of jewelry to Ananya.
- अनन्या Ananyaआदित्य, एतत् किं अस्ति?āditya, etat kiṃ asti?Aditya, what is this?
- आदित्य Adityaएतत् एकं लघु वज्रम् अस्ति।etat ekaṃ laghu vajram asti.This is a small diamond.
- अनन्या Ananyaएतस्य प्रभा अतीव उज्ज्वला अस्ति।etasya prabhā atīva ujjvalā asti.Its glow is very bright.
- आदित्य Adityaआम्, वज्रं सर्वेभ्यः कठोरतरं भवति।ām, vajraṃ sarvebhyaḥ kaṭhorataraṃ bhavati.Yes, a diamond is the hardest of all.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “diamond” translations and entries वज्र, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries वज्र, CC BY-SA 4.0.
