how colorful is your life? - colors in sanskrit

The word for color in Sanskrit is 'varNa' (वर्ण) and it actually signifies quality, one of them being color. It is also used for the letter of the alphabet (quality of sound), the alphabet being called varNa-mAlA (वर्ण-माला, letter-garland). Gold is called su-varNa (सुवर्ण, सु=good, beautiful; वर्ण=color, quality ). The four personality types are called वर्ण as well - ब्राह्मण, क्षत्रिय, वैश्य, शूद्र (brAhmaNa, kShatrIya, vaishya, shUdra) which are the thinkers, administrators, business and working class of a society by professions, but they are based originally on personality types, qualities of a person.
 
There is very nice example of pun and the many meanings of सुवर्ण in Hindi:

सुबिरन को ढूँढत-फिरत कवि, व्यभिचारी, चोर
  subirana ko DhoonDhata-phirata kavi, vyabhichArI, chora


subirana (hindi) = suvarNa (sanskrit)
kavi = poet
vyabhichArI = licentious person (one whose conduct is wanton)
chora (hindi) = chaura (sanskrit) = thief

So the saying goes, all of them are looking for सुवर्ण - the poet (looking for good letters/words/sounds), the wanton man (for the fairer complexion, women) and the thief (for gold).

Here are names of some of the colors as in Sanskrit. These are in masculine form. Most feminine are made by changing the last -aH to -aa, and neutral by changing it to -am like, श्वेत, श्वेता, श्वेतम् (shvetaH, shvetA, shvetam) or रक्तः, रक्ता, रक्तम् (raktaH, raktA, raktam).

श्वेतः	shvetaH	white
धवलः	dhavalaH	white
अर्जुनः	arjunaH	white
कृष्णः	kRiShNa	black
श्यामः	shyAmaH	black
रक्तः	raktaH	red
पीतः	pItaH	yellow
हरितः	haritaH	green
नीलः	nIlaH/neelaH	indigo
पाटलः	pATalaH	pink
शोणः	shoNaH	purple
कपिलः	kapilaH	brown
अरुणः	aruNaH	reddish brown
कषायः	kaShAyaH	yellowish red
कापोत	kApotaH	dull white grey

And the rainbow is called 'इन्द्र-धनुष' (indra-dhanuSha) or the bow of 'indra' - the king of the gods.




(c) Shashikant Joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।

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