Sanskrit Tattoo Designs

What is Sanskrit?

If you've never encountered Sanskrit, you don't know what you're missing. This ancient language is as important to the people of India as Latin and Greek are to scholars of other ancient societies and religions. It is the root language for the modern Indian dialects.

Design Ideas for Sanskrit Tattoos

Consider using both words and images in your Sanskrit tats.

Spiritual Quotes and Other Passages

For the most part, people like to use Sanskrit tattoos to display their favorite spiritual quotes from Buddhism, Hinduism and other ancient eastern works. These quotes often reflect a personal philosophy they ascribe to. The fact that Sanskrit is written in verse form gives it added artistry and attraction.

Here are a few worthy verses paraphrased from the Bhagavad Gita.

• The wise lament neither for the living or the dead.
• No one can destroy the imperishable soul.
• For the soul, there is no birth or death.
• Charity, self-control, sacrifice

With over 700 verses, you'll likely find something that speaks to your soul in the words of Krishna. That said, don't limit yourself. Almost any name or phrase can be converted to Sanskrit and turned into a tattoo.

Combining Sanskrit with Other Tattoo Images

Once you've chosen your verse, pair it with a coordinating theme.

Consider images of:

• Buddha, the wise teacher
• The symbol for the Ohm
• Lotus flowers; the color and stage of the bloom also carries meaning
• Krishna, a Hindu deity that is pictured alternately as a baby, a flute playing boy and a youthful prince
• Other Hindu gods and goddesses like Ganesh and Lakshmi
• Mandalas, intricate wheels that represent the universe

Placement

Where you choose to place your Sanskrit tattoos really depends on the size of the design. A simple Ohm would look nice on an upper arm or outer ankle. Due to the somewhat chain-link look of Sanskrit writing, phrases can make very nice wrist or ankle bracelets.

Larger works that include full passages of verse accompanied by enhancing designs often work best as chest or back tattoos. This allows the artist enough room to space out the writing so it is more legible to anyone familiar with the language.

Ink or Henna

Indian tattoos are typically done in henna, a type of strong brown vegetable dye that eventually fades away. However, it's completely acceptable to have your design created using permanent tattoo ink, as well as any colors you like. Regardless of the genre, modern tattooing is always about personal expression.

Finding Translations

• Ectaco Electronic Translators: This website sells dictionaries (both hardbound and electronic) and software programs to translate any language into Sanskrit. They are also members of the Better Business Bureau Online.
• FreeTranslationBlog: This website offers free but limited translations into Sanskrit.
• Tattoos by Design: Have your favorite phrases translated into Sanskrit for $10.00 each.
• Metta.org: Metta offers a list of popular Sanskrit translations for various English words. The translations give you the correct word, but not the actual Sanskrit writing of it. Still, you can take this to a specialty tattoo artist who should be able to write it in Sanskrit for you.

You Can Never Be Too Careful...

Sanskrit is undoubtedly beautiful to look at, and it seems to add a deeper spirituality to any tattoo design you incorporate it into. However, there is always a risk to getting a tat in a language that is not your own. If you choose a particular word or phrase to use, be sure to cross check it with more than one translation source to make sure it carries the meaning you want it to. It is possible for an individual website or artist to make a mistake.

Sanskrit tattoos may seem like the latest fad in tattoo design, but this truly isn't the case. Easter cultures have used this language in their body art for many centuries. It is only now becoming popular in the Western world as multi-culturalism takes hold.