All the Sanskrit Words Appropriated by American Startups (So Far)
Is there anything trendier than naming your startup after a Sanskrit word pulled ad hoc from the Internet?
Some of the best of the bunch have already been claimed, but fear not: Sanskrit has upwards of 5 lakh (500,000) words — possibly even an infinite number of words, depending on whom you ask.
Still, if you’re looking to repurpose an ancient Hindu religious concept to serve you in your quest for personal gain, you should probably be extra careful not to double-dip. To that end, please consult this list prior to naming your startup after a Sanskrit word pulled ad hoc from the Internet.
Asana — what was once a yoga posture aimed at facilitating meditation is now a popular cloud-based work management tool. Much as yoga placates the body and eases the mind’s path toward the unitive state, Asana makes it easier to track project deadlines and assign sub-tasks to your coworkers.
Brahmin —a term originally referring to the priesthood atop the Hindu caste system, and likewise an alternate spelling of Brahman, “the ultimate reality underlying all phenomena,” Brahmin is now an eCommerce company specializing in “designer leather handbags, wallets, & accessories.” It is unclear whether Brahmin has any practicing Hindus on its payroll. Perhaps some would object to Brahmin’s habit of selling products fashioned from the skins of sacred cows, but then again, perhaps not.
Guru — this word is so entrenched in our culture that it’s easy to forget its Sanskrit origins. Today, self-proclaimed “gurus” offer to instruct us in every conceivable subject related to betterment — fitness, nutrition, self-esteem, creativity, what have you. Many of them can be found right here on Medium! Guru is also the name of at least two startups, one of which had to settle for www.getguru.com — sucks to suck.
Musk — yeah, that’s right. Tesla’s playboy founder stole his own last name from the Sanskrit word for “testicle.” What a douche!
Prana —this word means “breath” or “life force” in Sanskrit. I don’t really have any gripes with prAna, the lifestyle company and Columbia subsidiary that seems to be borrowing the term (but that also differentiates itself by capitalizing the first ‘a,’ for mysterious reasons). I did purchase a prAna t-shirt a while back but I’m not sure what became of it. It wasn’t an especially stylish or form-fitting t-shirt and it didn’t boost my blood oxygen level, but it was comfortable enough, I guess.
Samsāra — “the cycle of death and rebirth to which life in the material world is bound.” More recently, the name of an industrial IoT startup which at one point was on the verge of liquidation following the departure of one or more of its founders but which managed to pull through courtesy of an eleventh-hour injection of venture capital (at least, this is what I remember a Samsara employee telling me over a charcuterie platter at a bar in Oakland around a year ago). Much as a phoenix rises from its ashes, and much as a lowly maggot shall regorge from the grain-sized soul of the soon-to-be-late Harvey Weinstein, Samsara was reborn as a startup on its second wind, toting the sacred word of a near-forgotten tradition, minus its native diacritic and any metaphysical connotations.
I know what you’re thinking. That’s all? That leaves, like, hundreds of thousands of words up for grabs! Well, it’s still early days. If by chance I missed anything, please comment below so that I may add it and ensure this list is as up-to-date as possible.
