View source for Religion:Sri

[[File:Shri-symbol.svg|thumb|''Shri'' in Sanskrit]]

'''Sri''' (Devanagari: श्री, IAST: ''Śrī'', {{IPA-all|ʃɹiː, ɕɹiː|}}, {{lang-ta|ஸ்ரீ}}, {{lang-si|ශ්‍රී}},{{lang-kn|ಶ್ರೀ}} also transliterated as '''Sree''', '''Shri''', '''Shree''', '''Si''' or '''Seri''' is a word of [[Social:Sanskrit|Sanskrit]] origin, used in the [[Earth:Indian subcontinent|Indian subcontinent]] as a polite form of address equivalent to the English "Mr." or "Ms." in written and spoken language, but also as a title of [[Religion:Veneration|veneration]] for deities. It is also widely used in other South and [[Social:Classification schemes for Southeast Asian languages|Southeast Asian languages]] such as in [[Social:Indonesian language|Indonesian]], [[Social:Javanese language|Javanese]], [[Social:Balinese language|Balinese]] and [[Social:Malay language|Malay]].

==Etymology==
''Sri'' has a core meaning of "diffusing light or radiance", related to the root ''śrā'' "to cook, boil", but as a feminine abstract noun, it has received a general meaning of "grace, splendour, beauty; wealth, affluence, prosperity".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Turner |first=Sir Ralph Lilley |author2=Dorothy Rivers Turner |title=A comparative dictionary of the Indo-Aryan languages. |url=http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/contextualize.pl?p.4.soas.198140 |accessdate=22 April 2010 |origyear=1962 |date=January 2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press, |location=London |page=736 |quote='''śhrīˊ''' 12708 '''śhrīˊ''' feminine ' light, beauty ' R̥gveda, ' welfare, riches ' Avestan (Iranian) Pali Prakrit ''sirī'' &ndash; feminine, Prakrit ''sī'' &ndash; feminine ' prosperity '; Marāṭhī &ndash; ''s'' honorific affix to names of relationship (e.g. āj̈ā &ndash; ''s'', ājī &ndash; ''s'') Jules Bloch ''La Formation de la Langue Marathe'' Paris 1920, page 412. &ndash; Sinhalese ''siri '' ' health, happiness ' (Wilhelm Geiger ''An Etymological Glossary of the Sinhalese Language'' Colombo 1941, page 180) a loanword from Pali <-> See addendum śrḗyas &ndash;, śrḗṣṭha &ndash; . See Addenda: śrīˊ &ndash; occurring for the first time in Addenda : śrīparṇī &ndash; . |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://archive.is/20121215020900/http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/contextualize.pl?p.4.soas.198140 |archivedate=15 December 2012 |df= }}</ref><ref name=Apte>{{cite book|last=Apte|first=Vaman Shivaram|title=Revised and enlarged edition of Prin. V. S. Apte's The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary|year=1957–59|publisher=Prasad Prakashan|page=1575|quote=1 Wealth, riches, affluence, prosperity, plenty; ... -2 Royalty, majesty, royal wealth;... -3 Dignity, high position, state;... -4 Beauty, grace, splendour, lustre;... -5 Colour, aspect; ... -6 The goddess of wealth, Lak-ṣmī, the wife of Viṣṇu;... -7 Any virtue or excellence. -8 Decoration. -9 Intellect, understanding. -1 Super- human power. -11 The three objects of human existence taken collectively (धर्म, अर्थ and काम). -12 The Sarala tree. -13 The Bilva tree. -14 Cloves. -15 A lotus. -16 The twelfth digit of the moon. -17 N. of Sarasvatī, (the goddess of speech). -18 Speech. -19 Fame, glory. -2 The three Vedas (वेदत्रयी);... -m. N. of one of the six Rāgas or musical modes. -a. Splendid, radiant, adorning. (The word श्री is often used as an honorific prefix to the names of deities and eminent persons; श्रीकृष्णः, श्रीरामः, श्रिवाल्मीकिः, श्रीजयदेवः; also celebrated works, generally of a sacred character; श्रीभागवत, श्रीरामायण)&c.; it is also used as an auspicious sign at the commencement of letters, manuscripts &c}}</ref>

Derived forms of address are ''Shrimati'' (abbreviated Smt) for married women and ''Sushri'' for women (regardless of marital status).

==Spelling and pronunciation==

In Devanagari script for Sanskrit, Hindi and other languages, the word {{angle bracket|श्री}} is spelled with three conjoined letters: श (śa / sha) – र (ra) – ी (ī, long i).  These are distinct from स (sa) and ि (short i).  The strict [[Social:Devanagari transliteration|transliteration]] is ''śrī'' or ''shrii''.  (Other forms include Hunterian ''zrI''.) 

Some other Indian languages do not distinguish {{IPA|/ʃ/}} (''sh'' in English) from {{IPA|/s/}} in speech or for native words, but do retain distinct spelling for loanwords.  For example, Sinhalese and Tamil respectively have: (ශ, ஶ், ''śa'') versus (ස, ஸ், ''sa'').  In these cases, the spelling generally reflects Sanskrit ''śrī'' ("shri"), though the pronunciation may be "sri", "seri", or "si".

{{See below|pre=For further information|Other languages}}

==Usage==
[[File:Ravi Varma-Lakshmi.jpg|thumb|Sri is also the avatar of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth.]]
''Sri'' is a [[Social:Honorific|polite form of address]] equivalent to the English "Mr." or "Ms."<ref name="Measures1962">{{cite book|author=Howard Measures|title=Styles of address: a manual of usage in writing and in speech|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zfg9AAAAYAAJ|accessdate=19 January 2011|year=1962|publisher=Macmillan|pages=136, 140}}</ref> The title is derived from [[Social:Sanskrit|Sanskrit]] श्रीमान् (śrīmān). This use may stem from the Puranic conception of prosperity.

''Shri'' is also frequently used as an epithet of some Hindu [[Religion:God|god]]s, in which case it is often translated into English as ''Holy''. Also in language and general usage, ''Shri'' if used by itself and not followed by any name then it refers to the supreme consciousness i.e. God.

''Shri Devi'' (or in short Shri, another name of [[Religion:Lakshmi|Lakshmi]], consort of [[Religion:Vishnu|Vishnu]]) is the [[Religion:Devi|devi]] (goddess) of wealth according to Hindu beliefs.  Among today's orthodox Vaishnavas, the English word "Shree" is a revered syllable and is used to refer to Lakshmi as the supreme goddess, while "Sri" or "Shri" is used to address humans.

''Shri'' is one of the names of [[Biology:Ganesha|Ganesha]], the Hindu god of prosperity.

''Shri'' is also used as a title of the Hindu deities [[Biology:Rama|Rama]], [[Religion:Krishna|Krishna]], [[Religion:Saraswati|Saraswati]], [[Religion:Radha|Radha]] (used as Shrimati Radharani), and sometimes [[Religion:Durga|Durga]].

===Repetition===
''Shri'' may be repeated depending on the status of the person.

* Sri: for anybody
* Sri 2: e.g. [[Biography:Ravi Shankar (spiritual leader)|Ravi Shankar]]
* Sri 3: Title used by former Maharaja of Lamjung and Kaski and PMs of Nepal (e.g; Shrī Tīn Jung Bahadur Kunwar Ranaji)
* Sri 5: Title used by former King of Nepal (e.g. ''Shri pānch ko sarkār'' (His Majesty's Government) 
* Sri 108: Used by spiritual leaders
* Sri 1008: Used by spiritual leaders (e.g.:  [[Religion:Satyatma Tirtha|Sri 1008 Satyatma Tirtha]])

==Sridevi==
Sridevi is a form of [[Religion:Lakshmi|Lakshmi]]. She killed Demon Jambasura.

==Other current usage==
''Shri'', along with the forms ''Shrimati'' (for married women, equivalent to English Mrs.) and ''Sushri'', is often used by Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains as a respectful affix to the names of celebrated or revered persons.

There is a common practice of writing ''Shri'' as the first word centralised in line at the beginning of a document.

On Vidyāraṃbhaṃ ceremony, the mantra "Om hari '''sri''' ganapataye namah" is written on sand or in a tray of rice grains by the child, under the supervision of [[Biography:Guru|Guru]] or [[Religion:Priest#Hinduism|Priest]].

Another usage is as an emphatic compound (which can be used several times: ''shri shri'', or ''shri shri shri'', etc.) in princely styles, notably in Darbar Sri, Desai Shri, and Thakur Sri or Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, the founder of the  social and spiritual movement [[Organization:Ananda Marga|Ananda Marga]] (the Path of Bliss).

The honorific can also be applied to objects and concepts that are widely respected, such as the Sikh religious text, the [[Biography:Guru Granth Sahib|Shri Guru Granth Sahib]]. Similarly, when the Ramlila tradition of reenacting the [[Biology:Ramayana|Ramayana]] is referred to as an institution, the term Shri Ramlila is frequently used.

===Indian music===
Its usage is common in the names of [[Biology:Raga|raga]]s (musical motifs), either as a prefix or postfix. Some examples are Shree, Bageshree, Dhanashree, Malashree, Jayantashree, Rageshree, and Shree ranjani.

==Other languages==

=== South and Southeast Asia ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Language/Script !! Sri written as !! Notes
|-
| [[Social:Assamese language|Assamese]] || শ্রী ||
|-
| [[Social:Bengali language|Bengali]] || শ্রী || 
|-
| [[Social:Burmese language|Burmese]] || {{lang|my|သီရိ}} (thiri) || See [[Social:Tamil language|Tamil]] below.
|-
| Devanagari || श्री ||
|-
| [[Social:Gujarati language|Gujarati]] || શ્રી ||
|-
| [[Social:Indonesian language|Indonesian]] || ''Sri'' || Often used as a title of veneration, however "Sri" also the name of ancient Java rice goddess [[Biology:Dewi Sri|Dewi Sri]] and also for royal usage such as "Sri Bhaginda", etc. "Sri" is also likely to be used as a person's name usually by Javanese people, such as "Sri Rahayu", "Ibu Sri" (Mrs. Sri), "Sri Agung", "Sri Rahayu", "Sri Padma Kenchana", etc
|-
| [[Social:Javanese language|Javanese]] || {{Jav|ꦱꦿꦶ}} (''sri'') alternatively written as {{Jav|ꦯꦿꦶ}} or {{Jav|ꦯꦿꦷ}} || Often used to adress royal or venerated figures, such as as "Sri Bhaginda" (equivalent to "your majesty), and names of deities, such as the ancient Java rice goddess [[Biology:Dewi Sri|Dewi Sri]]. In modern [[Social:Javanese language|Javanese language]], it is a common part proper names. For example, the name of former Indonesian finance minister, Sri Mulyani Indrawati. "Sri" is also used as names for other things other than people, such as the Indonesian bus company "Sri Rahayu" and "Sri Padma Kenchana". 
|-
| [[Social:Kannada|Kannada]] || {{lang|kn|ಶ್ರೀ}} ||
|-
| [[Social:Khmer language|Khmer]] || {{lang|km|ស្រី}} (''Srey'') and  {{lang|km|សេរី}} (''Serey'') ||
|-
| [[Social:Lao language|Lao]] || {{lang|lo|ສີ}} (''Si'') and  {{lang|lo|ສຣີ}} (''Sri'') ||
|-
| [[Social:Malay language|Malay]] ||  سري (''Seri'')|| Used for honorific titles in Malay kingdoms and sultanates. Such as the honorific title for the Sultan of Brunei: ''Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka '''Seri''' Baginda Sultan'' Hassanal Bolkiah. Sanskrit influence to South East Asia is very strong since its effect to the people inhabiting [[Place:Nusantara|Nusantara]] (Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapore), although mainly of them are Muslim.  
|-
| [[Social:Malayalam|Malayalam]] || ശ്രീ ||
|-
| [[Social:Odia language|Odia]] || ଶ୍ରୀ ||
|-
| [[Social:Punjabi language|Punjabi]] || ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ||
|-
| [[Social:Sinhala language|Sinhala]] || ශ්‍රී (''Sri'') also ශ්රී (''Sri'' or "Shree") or සිරි (''Siri'')|| Meaning "resplendent", as in ''Sri Lanka'', "Resplendent Island".
|-
| Sylheti || ꠍꠤꠞꠤ (''siri'') ||
|-
| [[Social:Tamil language|Tamil]] || ஸ்ரீ (''Shre'' or ''Shree'') || Its Tamil equivalent (Thiru) is also used.
|-
| [[Social:Telugu language|Telugu]] || శ్రీ ||
|-
| [[Social:Thai language|Thai]] || {{lang|th|ศิริ}} (''Siri'') and  {{lang|th|ศรี}} (''Sri'' or ''Si'') || Thai place names below.
|-
| [[Social:Cham language|Vietnamese/Cham]] || ''Chế'' || Vietnamese transcription of honorific name prefix used among the Cham ethnic minority.
|}

===Place names===
The honorific is incorporated into many place names. A partial list:
*Srimangal, Bangladesh
*Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh, a [[Religion:Shiva|Siva]] temple, also one of the holiest places of worship for Hindus.
*Srikakulam, a town in northern Andhra Pradesh.
*Sri City an integrated township located in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu border.
*Shri Khetra Name of the [[Place:Puri|Puri]] [[Religion:Jagannath|Jagannath]] Dham, Odisha. one of the four Dham in Hindu religion.
* Sree Mandira ({{lang-or|ଶ୍ରୀମନ୍ଦିର}}) is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to [[Religion:Jagannath|Jagannath]] ([[Religion:Krishna|Krishna]]) and located in the coastal town of [[Place:Puri|Puri]] in Odisha.
* Sri Lanka, an [[Earth:Island country|island country]] at the south tip of {{wipe|India}}.
* Sri Perumbudur, a town in the State of Tamil Nadu
* Sri Rangam, an island zone in the city of Tiruchirapalli, in Tamil Nadu.
* Sri Nagar where ''nagar'' means a city is the capital of the northernmost state of Jammu and Kashmir
* Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte the administrative capital of Sri Lanka.
* Srivijaya, a former kingdom centered on Sumatra, Indonesia.
* Sri ({{lang|th|ศรี}}), pronounced and usually transliterated ''Si'' in Thailand place names:
:''Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya'' ({{lang|th|พระนคร''ศรี''อยุธยา}}), formal name of city and province of Ayutthaya
:Nakhon ''Si'' Thammarat ({{lang|th|นคร''ศรี''ธรรมราช}}) city and province
:Sisaket ({{lang|th|''ศรี''สะเกษ|italic=unset}}) city and province
* Wat ''Si'' Saket in Vientiane, Laos.
* [[Place:Bandar Seri Begawan|Bandar ''Seri'' Begawan]], the capital of Brunei.
* Seri Menanti, the royal town of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Philosophy:Indian honorifics|Indian honorifics]]
* Thai honorifics
* Thai royal and noble titles
* Malay styles and titles
* Filipino styles and honorifics
* Indonesian honorifics
* Sinhala honorifics
* [[Social:Greater India|Greater India]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
<references />
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[[Category:Hindu texts]]

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