सिकता
sikatā/sí.kɐ.tɑː/feminine
The Sanskrit word for sand is सिकता (sikatā). Wiktionary also lists वालुका (vālukā) and शीतला (śītalā).
Meaning: finely ground rock (noun)
Ways to say it
| Sanskrit | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| सिकता | sikatā | /sí.kɐ.tɑː/ (Vedic) /s̪i.kɐ.t̪ɑː/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
feminine |
| वालुका | vālukā | /ʋɑː.lu.kɑː/ (Vedic) /ʋɑː.l̪u.kɑː/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
feminine |
| शीतला | śītalā | feminine | |
| वालक | vālaka | neuter | |
| रेणु | reṇu | /ɾɐi̯.ɳú/ (Vedic) /ɾeː.ɳu/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
masculine |
The words for sand in Sanskrit refer to finely ground rock.
Which one should you use?
The forms सिकता and वालुका are feminine. The form रेणु is masculine and often refers to fine dust or particles of sand. There is also a feminine form रेणुका related to the masculine रेणु, often used to describe fine sand or dust. The form वालक is neuter.
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form सिकता is a feminine noun and must agree with feminine adjectives in a sentence. The form रेणु is masculine, while वालक is neuter.
How do you pronounce it?
sikatā is pronounced /sí.kɐ.tɑː/.
Did you know?
- In classical Sanskrit poetry, the image of रेणु is often used to describe the tiny particles of pollen falling from flowers during the spring.
- The term वालुका is frequently used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine to describe 'sand-like' crystals or deposits found in the body, such as kidney stones.
- The word रेणु which refers to fine sand or dust is also the root of the name रेणुका, the mother of Parashurama in Hindu mythology.
Examples in context
- बालुकायाम् खेलति बालः।The child plays in the sand.
- बालकः सिकतायाः उपरि क्रीडति।bālakaḥ sikatāyāḥ upari krīḍati.The boy plays on the sand.
Example conversation
Aditya and Ananya are walking on a beach.
- आदित्य Adityaअनन्ये, पश्यतु! एषा सिकता कियती श्वेता अस्ति।ananye, paśyatu! eṣā sikatā kiyatī śvetā asti.Ananya, look! This sand is so white.
- अनन्या Ananyaआम्, आदित्य, एषा अतीव सुन्दरी अस्ति।ām, āditya, eṣā atīva sundarī asti.Yes, Aditya, it is very beautiful.
- आदित्य Adityaकिं वयं सिकतायाम् गृहं निर्मास्यामः?kiṃ vayaṃ sikatāyām gṛhaṃ nirmāsyāmaḥ?Shall we build a house in the sand?
- अनन्या Ananyaपश्यतु, वयम् अधुना एव निर्मास्यामः।paśyatu, vayam adhunā eva nirmāsyāmaḥ.Look, we will build it right now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sand” translations and entries सिकता, वालुका, रेणु, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
