शत्रु
śatru/ɕɐ́t.ɾu/masculine
In Sanskrit, the word for enemy is शत्रु (śatru). Wiktionary also lists अरि (ari) and विपक्ष (vipakṣa).
Meaning: someone who is hostile to, feels hatred towards, opposes the interests of, or intends injury to someone else (noun)
Ways to say it
| Sanskrit | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| शत्रु | śatru | /ɕɐ́t.ɾu/ (Vedic) /ɕɐt̪.ɾu/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
masculine |
| अरि | ari | /ɐ.ɾí/ (Vedic) /ɐ.ɾi/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
masculine |
| विपक्ष | vipakṣa | /ʋi.pɐk.ʂɐ/ (Classical Sanskrit) | masculine |
The words for enemy in Sanskrit describe someone who is hostile, feels hatred, opposes interests or intends injury to another person.
Which one should you use?
While शत्रु refers to a hostile enemy, विपक्ष is used to denote an opponent or someone on the opposing side of a debate or a political matter. The form अरि is a poetic way to denote an enemy.
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form शत्रु is an oblique stem in many declensions, which means its appearance may change depending on the grammatical case used in a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of śatru is /ɕɐ́t.ɾu/.
Did you know?
- In classical Sanskrit literature, an 'enemy' is often categorized as either an external foe or an internal enemy, such as lust or anger.
- The word विपक्ष literally describes someone on the 'opposite wing', as पक्ष refers to a wing of a bird or a side of an army.
- The word शत्रु may be a distant relative of the English word 'strife' via a common root shared with the German 'Hader' and Irish 'cath'.
Examples in context
- सः मम शत्रुः अस्ति।saḥ mama śatruḥ asti.He is my enemy.
- अयं शत्रुः बलवान् अस्ति।ayaṃ śatruḥ balavān asti.This enemy is strong.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a conflict with someone.
- इशान Ishanकाव्ये, किं सः तव शत्रुः अस्ति?Kāvye, kiṃ saḥ tava śatruḥ asti?Kavya, is he your enemy?
- काव्या Kavyaआम्, सः मम महान् शत्रुः।ām, saḥ mama mahān śatruḥ.Yes, he is my great enemy.
- इशान Ishanकिं त्वं तस्मै क्षमा करोषि?kiṃ tvaṃ tasmai kṣamā karoṣi?Do you forgive him?
- काव्या Kavyaन, अहं तं न जानामि।na, ahaṃ taṃ na jānāmi.No, I do not know him.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “enemy” translations and entries शत्रु, अरि, विपक्ष, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries अरि, विपक्ष, शत्रु, CC BY-SA 4.0.
