Sarira
/səˈriːrə/noun
A Buddhist relic, especially a pearl-like or crystal-like object believed to remain after the cremation of a highly venerated practitioner.
Did you know?In Buddhist traditions, sarira may appear as bead-like relics after cremation, but their formation is understood religiously rather than established as a supernatural scientific phenomenon.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sker-
“To cut or divide; a proposed ancient root connected with the idea of bodily substance.”
Proto-Indo-Iranian
PII
*śarīram
“Body or bodily substance; the reconstructed source of the Indo-Iranian term.”
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
śarīra
“Body, physical frame, or bodily remains.”
Pali
Pali
sarīra
“Body; bodily remains, especially relics associated with the Buddha or saints.”
Medieval Buddhist Usage
Sanskrit/Pali
śarīra / sarīra
“Sacred bodily relics preserved, distributed, or enshrined after cremation.”
Modern English
English
sarira
“A Buddhist relic, often described as a pearl-like or crystalline remnant of cremation.”