पृथिवी pṛthivī — The Earth

The word पृथिवी pṛthivī (also spelt as पृथ्वी pṛthvī) in Sanskrit refers to the earth. This is not the only word in Sanskrit for the earth. Sanskrit, in fact, has hundreds of words in Sanskrit for the earth, each one expressing a particular quality of the earth. The word पृथिवी pṛthivī amongst all other words, is the most popular one. Have you ever wondered, why the earth is called पृथिवीpṛthivī? What quality of the earth that it represents? For this we need to know the root-sound from which the word पृथिवी pṛthivī has been derived. The root-sound of the word पृथिवी pṛthivī is प्रथ् prath which means ‘to spread, extend, become larger or wider, increase etc.’ Expansion, extension, widening, broadening, enlargement etc. are the root sense of प्रथ् prath. There exists the root पृथ् pṛth also in the same sense. The words like प्रथा prathā meaning ‘the extended or continued tradition’, पृथुल pṛthula meaning ‘fat or large’, पृथुक pṛthuka meaning ‘the rice which is flattened’, प्रथित prathita meaning ‘extended’, पृथक् pṛthak meaning ‘wide apart’ etc. are derived from this root. The earth is called पृथिवी pṛthivī because of its vast stretch of expansion. The word पार्थ pārtha derived from पृथा pṛthā means the child of vastness. पृथा pṛthā is a feminine form of the word पृथ pṛtha which means the stretch of the palm of the hand. Because of this expansion the earth is the foundation, the basis of life and out of which emerges all that exists and on which everything rests. Anything that belongs to the earth is पार्थिव pārthiva or earthly, born from or related to the earth. Man is also पार्थिव pārthiva earthly or of the earth. Earth is not simply nature, is not merely geographical or material; it is part of man himself, so that man can no more live without the earth than he can live without a body. It is the earth that is the foundation for the man to exist. The earth is perhaps the only element in which all other elements (the air, the ether, the water and the fire) exist. The limitless earth is the bearer of all things, the hoard of all treasures, and the sustaining mother of all. To this पृथिवी pṛthivī, the vast and unlimited one, the seers and sages of the past hymned for blessing the humanity with abundance. The भूमिसूक्त bhūmisūkta of the Atharva Veda (12.1) is one of the finest hymns in which one finds the utmost respect that is given to the Earth. It is from this hymn that we have the famous line: माता भूमिः पुत्रोऽहं पृथिव्याः mātā bhūmiḥ putro’haṁ pṛthivyāḥ — The earth is my Mother and I am the child of that vastness and expansion called पृथिवी pṛthivī.

Here are few other words for the Earth in Sanskrit:

भूःbhūḥ, भूमिः bhūmiḥ— Root — भू bhū (सत्तायां sattāyāṃ) to be: That on which everything exists

धराdharā, धरित्रीdharitrī, धरणीdharaṇī — Root — धृdhṛ (धरणेdharaṇe) to bear: That which carries everything

स्थिराsthirā — Root — स्थाsthā (गतिनिवृत्तौ gatinivṛttau) to stand: That which is stable even though it’s always on move (चला पृथ्वी स्थिरा भातिcalā pṛthvī sthirā bhāti)

अचला acalā— Root — चलcala (कम्पनेkampane) to tremble: That which does not (अa) move or tremble (चल cala)

अनन्ता anantā— Endless / vast stretch of expansion

विश्वंभरा viśvaṃbharā— Root — भृ bhṛ (भरणेbharaṇe) to bear: That which carries everything (विश्व viśva) within itself

वसुधा vasudhā/ वसुन्धरा vasundharā— That which holds (धाdhā/धराdharā)and protects all riches (वसुvasu)

सर्वंसहा sarvaṃsahā— Root — षह ṣaha(मर्षणेmarṣaṇe) to bear or to forgive or to endure: That which endures (सहतेsahate) everything (सर्वंsarvaṃ)

ऊर्वी ūrvī— Root — ऊर्ण ūrṇa (आच्छादनेācchādane) to cover: That which encompasses everything (because of its vastness — उरुताurutā)

मेदिनी medinī— That which is huge and fertile (मेदmeda)

मही mahī— That which is great, huge, large and vast (because of its महत्ता mahattā or greatness).

अवनिः avaniḥ— Root — अवava (रक्षणेrakṣaṇe) to protect: That which protects everything or that which is protected by all.