Sraddha

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A devotee's faith or trust in a higher power or spiritual belief system, often associated with religious practices or rituals
2. A deep-seated conviction or devotion that guides an individual's spiritual or ethical actions and choices
3. The sincerity and commitment one exhibits towards their beliefs, often manifesting in religious or philosophical contexts

Etymology: In Sanskrit, the word combines "śrat," a root tied to the heart or to trust, with "dhā," meaning "to place" or "to set." Its literal sense is closer to "placing one's heart in something." The idea of committed trust appears early in the Vedic texts, including the Rigveda, where a hymn addresses Śraddhā as a deity. The most striking shift came in later Hindu ritual. In rites for ancestors, the term came to name the offerings made to the dead during a funeral or memorial ceremony. A word for inner trust thus also named a specific material offering, and the ritual sense is the one many English speakers now encounter in the Śrāddha ceremonies performed for deceased relatives.

Synonyms: faith, devotion, belief

Antonyms: doubt, skepticism, disbelief