Siddhartha: List 1

by Hermann Hesse
In this translation from German by Hilda Rosner, a young man named Siddhartha, not entirely satisfied with the religious ways of his Brahmin family and Gotama the Buddha, decides to seek his own path to spiritual enlightenment.

This list covers Part One from "The Brahmin's Son"–"With the Samanas."

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. brahmin
    a member of the highest, or priestly, class among the Hindus
    In the shade of the house, in the sunshine on the river bank by the boats, in the shade of the sallow wood and the fig tree, Siddhartha, the handsome Brahmin’s son, grew up with his friend Govinda.
  2. ablution
    the act of washing oneself, as for ritual purposes
    The sun browned his slender shoulders on the river bank, while bathing at the holy ablutions, at the holy sacrifices.
  3. contemplation
    a calm, lengthy, intent consideration
    Siddhartha had already long taken part in the learned men’s conversations, had engaged in debate with Govinda and had practiced the art of contemplation and meditation with him.
  4. supple
    moving and bending with ease
    There was pride in his mother’s breast when she saw him walking, sitting down and rising: Siddhartha—strong, handsome, supple-limbed, greeting her with complete grace.
  5. lofty
    having or displaying great dignity or nobility
    Love stirred in the hearts of the young Brahmins' daughters when Siddhartha walked through the streets of the town, with his lofty brow, his king-like eyes and his slim figure.
  6. ardent
    characterized by intense emotion
    He loved everything that Siddhartha did and said, and above all he loved his intellect, his fine ardent thoughts, his strong will, his high vocation.
  7. avaricious
    immoderately desirous of acquiring something
    Govinda knew that he would not become an ordinary Brahmin, a lazy sacrificial official, an avaricious dealer in magic sayings, a conceited worthless orator, a wicked sly priest, or just a good stupid sheep amongst a large herd.
  8. atonement
    the act of making amends for sin or wrongdoing
    Wandering along the rosy paths of the fig garden, sitting in contemplation in the bluish shade of the grove, washing his limbs in the daily bath of atonement, offering sacrifices in the depths of the shady mango wood with complete grace of manner, beloved by all, a joy to all, there was yet no joy in his own heart.
  9. emanate
    proceed or issue forth, as from a source
    Dreams and a restlessness of the soul came to him, arising from the smoke of the sacrifices, emanating from the verses of the Rig-Veda, trickling through from the teachings of the old Brahmins.
  10. discontent
    a longing for something better than the present situation
    Siddhartha had begun to feel the seeds of discontent within him.
  11. suffice
    be adequate, either in quality or quantity
    He had begun to feel that the love of his father and mother, and also the love of his friend Govinda, would not always make him happy, give him peace, satisfy and suffice him.
  12. supplication
    a prayer asking God's help as part of a religious service
    The sacrifices and the supplication of the gods were excellent—but were they everything?
  13. transient
    lasting a very short time
    Were not the gods' forms created like me and you, mortal, transient?
  14. sage
    a mentor in spiritual and philosophical topics
    There was wonderful wisdom in these verses; all the knowledge of the sages was told here in enchanting language, pure as honey collected by the bees.
  15. successive
    following in order without gaps
    No, this tremendous amount of knowledge, collected and preserved by successive generations of wise Brahmins could not be easily overlooked.
  16. profound
    showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth
    But where were the Brahmins, the priests, the wise men, who were successful not only in having this most profound knowledge, but in experiencing it?
  17. esteem
    the condition of being honored
    Siddhartha knew many worthy Brahmins, above all his father—holy, learned, of highest esteem.
  18. insatiable
    impossible to fulfill, appease, or gratify
    Was he not also a seeker, insatiable?
  19. discourse
    an extended communication dealing with some particular topic
    Did he not go continually to the holy springs with an insatiable thirst, to the sacrifices, to books, to the Brahmins’ discourses?
  20. endeavor
    attempt by employing effort
    Why must he, the blameless one, wash away his sins and endeavor to cleanse himself anew each day?
  21. unflinching
    showing courage and determination in the face of danger
    ”Om is the bow, the arrow is the soul,
    Brahman is the arrow’s goal
    At which one aims unflinchingly.”
  22. ascetic
    someone who practices self denial as a spiritual discipline
    Wandering ascetics, they were three thin worn-out men, neither old nor young, with dusty and bleeding shoulders, practically naked, scorched by the sun, solitary, strange and hostile—lean jackals in the world of men.
  23. undeviating
    steady in adhering to values or principles
    Govinda blanched as he heard these words and read the decision in his friend’s determined face, undeviating as the released arrow from the bow.
  24. resignation
    acceptance of an unpleasant but inevitable situation
    As quick as lightning he read Govinda’s soul, read the anxiety, the resignation.
  25. seemly
    according with custom or propriety
    It is not seemly for Brahmins to utter forceful and angry words, but there is displeasure in my heart.
  26. disillusionment
    freeing from false belief
    If you find bliss in the forest, come back and teach it to me. If you find disillusionment, come back, and we shall again offer sacrifices to the gods together.
  27. contempt
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    His glance became icy when he encountered women; his lips curled with contempt when he passed through a town of well-dressed people.
  28. dismember
    divide into pieces
    A dead jackal lay on the sandy shore and Siddhartha’s soul slipped into its corpse; he became a dead jackal, lay on the shore, swelled, stank, decayed, was dismembered by hyenas, was picked at by vultures, became a skeleton, became dust, mingled with the atmosphere.
  29. onerous
    burdensome or difficult to endure
    Although Siddhartha fled from the Self a thousand times, dwelt in nothing, dwelt in animal and stone, the return was inevitable; the hour was inevitable when he would again find himself, in sunshine or in moonlight, in shadow or in rain, and was again Self and Siddhartha, again felt the torment of the onerous life cycle.
  30. appraise
    estimate the nature, quality, ability or significance of
    You will become a great Samana, Siddhartha. You have learned each exercise quickly. The old Samanas have often appraised you.
  31. palliative
    remedy that alleviates pain without curing
    What is meditation? What is abandonment of the body? What is fasting? What is the holding of breath? It is a flight from the Self, it is a temporary escape from the torment of Self. It is a temporary palliative against the pain and folly of life.
  32. folly
    foolish or senseless behavior
    It is a temporary palliative against the pain and folly of life.
  33. respite
    a relief from harm or discomfort
    But that I, Siddhartha, only find a short respite in my exercises and meditation, and am as remote from wisdom, from salvation, as a child in the womb, that, Govinda, I do know.
  34. nirvana
    the beatitude that transcends the cycle of reincarnation
    He is sixty years old and has not attained Nirvana. He will be seventy and eighty years old, and you and I, we shall grow as old as he, and do exercises and fast and meditate, but we will not attain Nirvana, neither he nor we.
  35. austere
    practicing great self-denial
    "How could it be that amongst so many learned men, amongst so many Brahmins, amongst so many austere and worthy Samanas, amongst so many seekers, so many devoted to the inner life, so many holy men, none will find the right way?”
  36. venerable
    profoundly honored
    Think, what meaning would our holy prayers have, the venerableness of the Brahmins, the holiness of the Samanas, if, as you say, there is no learning? Siddhartha, what would become of everything, what would be holy on earth, what would be precious and sacred?
  37. illustrious
    widely known and esteemed
    Once, when both youths had lived with the Samanas about three years and shared their practices, they heard from many sources a rumor, a report. Someone had appeared, called Gotama, the Illustrious, the Buddha. He had conquered in himself the sorrows of the world and had brought to a standstill the cycle of rebirth.
  38. afflicted
    grievously affected especially by disease
    Just as when a country is ravaged with the plague and a rumor arises that there is a man, a wise man, a learned man, whose words and breath are sufficient to heal the afflicted, and as the report travels across the country and everyone speaks about it, many believe and many doubt it.
  39. idle
    not in action or at work
    His enemies and doubters, however, said that this Gotama was an idle fraud; he passed his days in high living, scorned the sacrifices, was unlearned and knew neither practices nor mortification of the flesh.
  40. disclose
    make known to the public information previously kept secret
    But tell me, how can the teachings of Gotama disclose to us its most precious fruit before we have even heard him?
Created on Sat Mar 23 21:15:48 EDT 2013 (updated Tue Jul 18 18:03:52 EDT 2023)

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