सरोवर
sarovaraneuter
The Sanskrit word for lake is सरोवर (sarovara). Wiktionary also lists सलिलभर (salilabhara) and सरस् (saras).
Meaning: body of water (noun)
Ways to say it
| Sanskrit | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| सरोवर | sarovara | neuter | |
| सलिलभर | salilabhara | masculine | |
| सरस् | saras | /sɐ́.ɾɐs/ (Vedic) /s̪ɐ.ɾɐs̪/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
neuter |
| ह्रद | hrada | masculine |
Which one should you use?
While सरोवर often implies a beautiful or large lake, ह्रद is a more general term for a pond or a small lake. Additionally, the word जलाशय is a common synonym meaning 'reservoir' or 'place of water'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The Sanskrit terms for lake vary in grammatical gender: सरोवर and सरस् are neuter, while सलिलभर and ह्रद are masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
sarovara
Did you know?
- The Sanskrit word सरस् shares an ancient root with the Armenian word եղտիւր, both tracing back to a word for 'marsh'.
- Ancient Sanskrit texts often use lakes as metaphors for the human mind, where the 'stillness' of a सरोवर represents a state of meditation.
- In Sanskrit poetry, a सरोवर is rarely mentioned alone and is almost always paired with the lotus flower, as the two are seen as a single aesthetic unit.
Examples in context
- एतत् सरोवरं सुन्दरम् अस्ति।etat sarovaraṃ sundaram asti.This lake is beautiful.
- तत्र विशालं सरोवरं विद्यते।tatra viśālaṃ sarovaraṃ vidyate.There is a large lake there.
- वयं सरोवरस्य समीपं गच्छामः।vayaṃ sarovarasya samīpaṃ gacchāmaḥ.We are going near the lake.
Example conversation
Kavya and Ishan are walking in a park.
- काव्या Kavyaइशान, पश्यतु एतत् सरोवरम्!Īśāna, paśyatu etat sarovaram!Ishan, look at this lake!
- इशान Ishanआम्, एतत् सरोवरं अति रमणीयम्।Ām, etat sarovaraṃ ati ramaṇīyam.Yes, this lake is very pleasant.
- काव्या Kavyaकिं वयं तत्र भ्रमितुं शक्नुमः?Kiṃ vayaṃ tatra bhramituṃ śaknumaḥ?Can we walk there?
- इशान Ishanअस्तु, वयं तत्र गच्छामः।Astu, vayaṃ tatra gacchāmaḥ.Alright, let's go there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lake” translations and entries सरस्, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries सरस्, CC BY-SA 4.0.
