Vajra
/ˈvʌdʒ.rə/noun
A Sanskrit term for a thunderbolt weapon and diamond-like ritual symbol, especially in Hinduism and Buddhism.
Did you know?In Vedic mythology, the vajra is the weapon of Indra, forged from the bones of the sage Dadhichi to defeat the serpent-demon Vritra.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-Indo-European, reconstructed
PIE
*weg-
“To be strong, lively, or vigorous; a proposed deeper root connected with the Sanskrit verbal base behind vajra.”
Proto-Indo-Iranian, reconstructed
PII
*vajra-
“A powerful weapon or thunderbolt; the reconstructed ancestor of Sanskrit vajra.”
Vedic Sanskrit, c. 1500–500 BCE
Sanskrit
vajra
“Indra’s thunderbolt weapon; also something hard or adamantine.”
Classical Sanskrit, c. 500 BCE–500 CE
Sanskrit
vajra
“Thunderbolt, diamond, adamant, or a weapon associated with divine power.”
Pali, c. 3rd century BCE onward
Pali
vajira
“Thunderbolt or diamond-like object; a term used in Buddhist religious vocabulary.”
Tibetan Buddhism, from c. 8th century CE
Tibetan
rdo rje
““Adamantine stone” or “diamond”; the Tibetan equivalent of vajra and the source of the ritual object’s common translation as dorje.”
Modern English, 19th century onward
English
vajra
“A Buddhist or Hindu ritual thunderbolt symbolizing indestructibility, spiritual force, and awakened power.”