samana means an ascetic, (especially) an ascetic monk who ignores the Vedas in Buddhist and Indian contexts. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 84 out of 100.
samana is pronounced /səˌmɑːnə/.
Why “samana” is a great word
SAMANA — [Noun] An ascetic renouncer in ancient Indian traditions like Buddhism or Jainism, who abandons conventional society and ritual in pursuit of spiritual liberation through rigorous discipline. From Pali samaṇa, from Sanskrit श्रमण (śramaṇa, "one who labours, an ascetic"), from the root श्रम् (śram, "to exert effort, toil"). Unlike a brahmin, whose authority flows from priestly lineage and Vedic ritual, or a shaman, whose power derives from ecstatic communion with spirits, a samana is defined by solitary, grinding exertion of the will. It is the calloused soles on the hot dust of a roadside, the hollowed bowl that receives only alms-given gruel, the mind honed to a sharp point by relentless meditation—a life pared down to the sheer, unworlding labour of becoming.
noun
- An ascetic, (especially) an ascetic monk who ignores the Vedas in Buddhist and Indian contexts.
- An ascetic monk, a Buddhist hermit.