Ways to say it
| Sanskrit | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| गज | gaja | /ɡɐ.d͡ʑɐ/ (Vedic) /ɡɐ.d͡ʑɐ/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
masculine |
| इभ | ibha | /í.bʱɐ/ (Vedic) /i.bʱɐ/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
masculine |
| हस्तिन् | hastin | /ɦɐs.tín/ (Vedic) /ɦɐs̪.t̪in̪/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
masculine |
| नाग | nāga | /nɑː.ɡɐ́/ (Vedic) /n̪ɑː.ɡɐ/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
masculine |
| वारण | vāraṇá | masculine, poetic |
In Sanskrit, there are several masculine nouns used to refer to the elephant, ranging from common terms to poetic ones.
What does it mean word for word?
The word हस्तिन् is derived from hasta (hand), and literally means 'one with a hand', which refers to the elephant's trunk.
Which one should you use?
While नाग often means 'snake' in many contexts, it is used as a synonym for elephant when referring to large animals. The term वारण is a specific poetic version of the word.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
गज is the most common and standard term for an elephant. The form वारण is used in poetic or literary contexts rather than in everyday speech. For more formal applications, गजः is the preferred way to say elephant.
How does it change in a sentence?
All provided forms are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The word गज is pronounced /ɡɐ.dʑɐ/ (gaja).
Examples in context
- तत्र एकः गजः वर्तते।tatra ekaḥ gajaḥ vartate.There is an elephant there.
- गजः विशालकायः अस्ति।gajaḥ viśālakāyaḥ asti.The elephant is huge.
Example conversation
Aditya and Mira are visiting a zoo.
- आदित्य Adityaमीरा, तत्र गजं पश्य।mīrā, tatra gajaṃ paśya.Mira, look at the elephant there.
- मीरा Miraआदित्य, गजः अति सुन्दरः अस्ति।āditya, gajaḥ ati sundaraḥ asti.Aditya, the elephant is very beautiful.
- आदित्य Adityaकिम् एषः गजः फलानि खादति?kim eṣaḥ gajaḥ phalāni khādati?Is this elephant eating fruits?
- मीरा Miraआम्, गजः फलानि खादति।ām, gajaḥ phalāni khādati.Yes, the elephant is eating fruits.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “elephant” translations and entries गज, इभ, हस्तिन्, नाग, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
