Shri, also transliterated as Shree, Sri or Sree, is an Indian word denoting wealth and prosperity, primarily used as an honorific. In Devanagari script for Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi and other languages, the word is combination of three sounds: श्, र् and ई. There are two conventions in India to transliterate the syllable श with the inherent vowel अ ; श् + अ ) to English. Some use the convention of sa, although incorrect, for transcribing श as in Sri Lanka and Srinagar, while others use the convention of sha for transcribing श as in Shimla and Shimoga. Similarly, री is also transliterated to English in two different ways as ri and ree, although the latter is non-standard. Hence, in English, the spelling of this word श्री varies from Shri to Shree through Sri and Sree. Whatever be the transliteration, the pronunciation is the same. Sanskrit is written in many Indian scripts as well, in which case there are corresponding letters which have the exact same values as the Devanagari, so the Sanskrit pronunciation remains the same regardless of script. The word is widely used in South and Southeast Asian languages such as IndonesianJavanese, Balinese, Sinhala, Thai, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada and Malay. It is transliterated as Sri, Sree, Shri, Si or Seri based on the local convention for transliteration. Hindus use a popular "yantra", or mystical diagram, called Shri Yantra, to worship the goddess of wealth. The term is also used in Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia as a polite form of address equivalent to the English "Mr." or "Ms." in written and spoken language, but also as a title of veneration for deities; for example, the Hindu goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, is also known as Sree.
Etymology
Monier-Williams Dictionary gives the meaning of the root verb śrī as "to cook, boil, to burn, diffuse light", but as a feminine abstract noun, it has received a general meaning of "grace, splendour, beauty; wealth, affluence, prosperity". The word śrī may also be used as an adjective in Sanskrit, which is the origin of the modern use of shri as a title. From the noun, is derived the Sanskrit adjective “śrīmat”, by adding the suffix indicating possession, literally “radiance-having”. This is used in modern vernacular as form of addressShrimati for married women, while Sushri,, can be used for women in general.
Usage
Shri is a polite form of address equivalent to the English "Mr." or "Ms.". Shri is also frequently used as an epithet of some Hindu gods, 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, refers to the supreme consciousness, i.e. God. Shri Devi is the devi 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, while "Sri" or "Shri" is used to address humans. Shri is one of the names of Ganesha, the Hindu god of prosperity. Shri is also used as a title of the Hindu deitiesRama, Krishna, Saraswati and sometimes Durga.
Repetition
Shri may be repeated depending on the status of the person.
There is a common practice of writing Shri as the first word centralised in line at the beginning of a document. During the Vidyāraṃbhaṃ ceremony, the mantra "Om hari shri ganapataye namah" is written in sand or in a tray of rice grains by a child, under the supervision of a Guru or Priest. Another usage is as an emphatic compound in princely styles, notably in Darbar Shri, Desai Shri and Thakur Shri or Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, the founder of the social and spiritual movement Ananda Marga. The honorific can also be applied to objects and concepts that are widely respected, such as the Sikhreligious text, the Shri Guru Granth Sahib. Similarly, when the Ramlila tradition of reenacting the Ramayana is referred to as an institution, the term Shri Ramlila is frequently used.
Indian music
The use of the term is common in the names of ragas, either as a prefix or postfix. Some examples are Shree, Bageshree, Dhanashree, Malashree, Jayantashree, Rageshree and Shree ranjani.
Other languages
South and Southeast Asia
Place names
The honorific is incorporated into many place names. A partial list follows:
