Murti
/ˈmʊər.ti/noun
A sacred image or icon representing a Hindu deity and used in worship.
Did you know?In many Hindu traditions, a murti becomes a worshipful focus through consecration rituals, after which it is treated as a living embodiment of the deity rather than an ordinary statue.
Etymological Timeline
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
mūrti
“Form, shape, embodiment, or manifested appearance”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
mūrti
“An image, bodily form, or visible manifestation—especially of a deity”
Middle Indo-Aryan period
Prakrit
mūi / mūrti
“Developed vernacular forms referring to an image or representation”
Medieval period
Hindi and other Indo-Aryan languages
mūrti / mūrti
“A sacred icon or image of a Hindu deity”
19th Century
English
murti
“A Hindu sacred image or idol, borrowed through descriptions of Indian religion”
Modern English
English
murti
“A consecrated image or icon used as a focus of Hindu worship”
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