Śiṣya
शिष्यपुंल्लिङ्ग (masculine) · √शास् धातु (śās — to instruct, govern) + य प्रत्यय — one who is instructed
śiṣya
Tradition and Teaching
Disciple — a student who places themselves under a guru's guidance
Śiṣya is the disciple — one who seeks knowledge and submits to the discipline of learning from a guru. The guru-śiṣya relationship is sacred in Vedānta. The ideal śiṣya possesses the qualifications (sādhana-catuṣṭaya), is humble, curious, and committed. The Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (1.2.12) describes: the student must approach the guru with firewood in hand (samit-pāṇi), symbolizing receptivity and readiness to learn.
Using this in academic work? Get formal citation
Vishva Vidya (2026). Śiṣya (शिष्य). Vishva Vidya — Vedanta. https://vedanta.com.br/en/glossary/shishya
Vishva Vidya. "Śiṣya (शिष्य)." Vishva Vidya — Vedanta, January 1, 2026, https://vedanta.com.br/en/glossary/shishya.
Vishva Vidya. "Śiṣya (शिष्य)." Vishva Vidya — Vedanta, January 1, 2026. https://vedanta.com.br/en/glossary/shishya.
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