Murti
(मूर्ति)Literal Meaning
Embodiment, form, idol
Etymology & Sanskrit Root
From Sanskrit 'murt' — to take shape, to become solid — a consecrated image or statue understood not as the deity itself but as a form through which the formless divine can be approached.
Spiritual Insight & Context
Through the Prana Pratishtha ceremony, a Murti is ritually 'brought to life' as a channel for divine presence — after which it is treated not as stone or metal but as a living guest to be woken, bathed, fed, and put to rest daily.