Ananda
/əˈnɑːndə/noun
A Sanskrit term meaning bliss, joy, or spiritual happiness, also used as a personal name.
Did you know?In Hindu philosophy, ānanda appears in the phrase sat-cit-ānanda—often translated as “being, consciousness, bliss,” a description of ultimate reality.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-Iranian, before 1000 BCE
Proto-Indo-Iranian
*nand-
“A reconstructed root associated with joy or delight; its deeper Indo-European origin is uncertain.”
Vedic Sanskrit, c. 1500–500 BCE
Sanskrit
ānanda
“Joy, happiness, delight, or bliss; formed from the Sanskrit root nand-, “to rejoice.””
Classical Sanskrit, c. 500 BCE–500 CE
Sanskrit
ānandaḥ
“Bliss, pleasure, spiritual happiness, or supreme joy.”
Buddhist Sanskrit and Pali, c. 3rd century BCE onward
Sanskrit/Pali
Ānanda / Ānanda
“Bliss or joy; Ānanda also became the personal name of one of the Buddha’s chief disciples.”
19th–20th Century
English loanword
ananda
“A Sanskrit-derived term used in English religious, philosophical, and yoga contexts for spiritual bliss.”
Modern English
English
Ananda
“A personal name and spiritual term referring to bliss, joy, or transcendental happiness.”