Sri (Devanagari: , IAST; r ), also transliterated as Shri or Shree or shre is a word of Sanskrit origin, used in the Indian subcontinent as polite form of address equivalent to the English "Mr." in written and spoken language, or as a title of veneration for deities (usually translated as "Holy").
Etymology
Sri has the root meaning of radiance, or diffusing light, much like the English word "illuminate".[1][2] In Sanskrit grammar, Sri has the feminine gender. It is gender-specific in Sanskrit, but the assumption that it is masculine has resulted in the titles of Shrimati (abbreviated Smt) for married women and Sushri for women (independent of marital status).
Usage
Sri (also Sree, Shri, Shree, shre, ) polite form of address equivalent to the English "Mr."[2] The title is derived from Sanskrit ( r m n). This use may stem from the Puranic conception of prosperity.
r is also frequently used as an epithet of some Hindu gods, in which case it is often translated into English as Holy.
Sri Devi (or in short Sri, another name of Lakshmi, consort of Vishnu) is the devi (goddess) 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 as the supreme goddess, while "Sri" or "Shri" is used to address humans.
r is one of the names of Ganesha, the Hindu god of prosperity.
Sri may be repeated up to five times, depending on the status of the person, see Sri Sri. E.g. king Birendra of Nepal was addressed as Sri paats (sri x5) as in Sri paats ko sarkaar (His majesty's government).
Other languages
South and Southeast Asia
ri is used in most languages of the Indian subcontinent and Seri is used in most of the languages of southeast Asia:
Place names
The honorific is incorporated into many place names. A partial list:
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Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya (), formal name of city and province of Ayutthaya
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Nakhon Si Thammarat () city and province
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Sisaket () city and province
Other current usage
Sri, along with the forms Srimati and Susri, is often used by Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains as a respectful affix to the names of celebrated or revered persons.
Nepalese currency with the honorific Shri on the very top
There is a common practice of writing r as first word centralised in line at the beginning of a document.
Another usage is as an emphatic compound (which can be used in multiple: sri sri, or sri sri sri, etc.) in princely styles, notably in Darbar Sri, Desai Shri, and Thakur Sri or as in Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a Hindu spiritual Guru and leader or Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, the founder of the social and spiritual movement Ananda Marga (the Path of Bliss).
The honorific can also be applied to objects and concepts that are widely respected, such as the Sikh religious text, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Similarly, when the Ramlila tradition of reenacting the Ramayana is referred to as an institution, the term Sri Ramlila is frequently used.
Indian Music
Its usage is common as a raga name, either as a prefix or postfix. Some examples are Sree, Bagesree, Dhanasree, Malasree, Jayantasree, Ragesree, and Sree Ranjani.
Software
Siri (software) (pronounced / s ri/) is an intelligent personal assistant and knowledge navigator which works as an application for Apple's iOS.
References
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