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Amrita (Sanskrit: अमृत, IAST: amṛta), Amrit or Amata in Pali, (also called Sudha, Amiy, Ami) is a Sanskrit word that means "immortality". It is a central concept within Indian religions and is often referred to in ancient Indian texts as an elixir.[1] Its first occurrence is in the Rigveda, where it is considered one of several synonyms for soma, the drink of the devas.[2] Amrita plays a significant role in the Samudra Manthana, and is the cause of the conflict between devas and asuras competing for amrita to obtain immortality.[3]
Amrita has varying significance in different Indian religions. The word Amrit is also a common first name for Sikhs and Hindus, while its feminine form is Amritā.[4] Amrita is cognate to and shares many similarities with ambrosia; both originated from a common Proto-Indo-European source.[5][6]
- ^ "amrita | Hindu mythology | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
- ^ "Soma: The Nectar of the Gods". History of Ayurveda. 20 April 2018. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
- ^ Pattanaik, Devdutt (February 27, 2016). "Good deva-bad asura divide misleading". The Times of India. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
- ^ "BBC - Religions - Sikhism: Amrit ceremony". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
- ^ Walter W. Skeat, Etymological English Dictionary
- ^ "Ambrosia" in Chambers's Encyclopædia. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 1, p. 315.