About Vanvas

Vanvas is a Sanskrit term meaning residence (vās) in a forest (van). While it can be undertaken voluntarily, it usually carries a connotation of forced exile as a punishment. It commonly figures as a harsh penalty in ancient Hindu epics set in a time, thousands of years ago, when much of the Indian subcontinent was a wilderness.
Rigveda (padapatha) manuscript in Devanagari, early 19th century

Glossary of Sanskrit words & phrases

6
Aug
2017
Buddhism, Hinduism
The following list consists of notable concepts that are derived from Hindu and Buddhist cultures and associated traditions, which are expressed as words in Sanskrit or other Indic languages and Dravidian languages. The main purpose of this list is to make it easy for one to find specific concepts, and to provide a guide to unique concepts of and all in one place. Many Sanskrit concepts have an Indian secular meaning as well as .
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