साक्षी (saakshii)
noun
A noun meaning 'witness' -- someone who has personally seen or observed an event, especially used in legal, formal, or reflective contexts. Related to साक्ष्य (saakshy, 'evidence/testimony').
Sense
1
:
witness (a person who observes or testifies)
noun, masculine/feminine
Synonyms: गवाह (gavaah)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: In courtroom Hindi (as heard in countless Bollywood trial scenes), the judge or lawyer says साक्षी (saakshii) rather than गवाह (gavaah) when the register is meant to sound official. Outside the courtroom, you will also meet it in phrases like मैं साक्षी हूँ (main saakshii hoon, 'I am a witness/I can testify to this'), used almost poetically to mean 'I have seen this happen with my own eyes.'
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often default to गवाह (gavaah) for every context, but साक्षी (saakshii) is the word you will see in courtroom drama, formal writing, and set phrases like साक्षी देना (saakshii denaa, 'to give testimony') where गवाह (gavaah) sounds slightly more everyday. 2) साक्षी (saakshii) is grammatically m/f but often appears unmarked in the singular regardless of the referent's gender in more formal registers -- do not assume it always inflects like a typical feminine noun ending in ई.
Sample Sentences:
वह इस हादसे का इकलौता साक्षी है।
He is the only witness to this accident.
(vah is haadse kaa iklautaa saakshii hai।)
अदालत ने साक्षी को बयान देने के लिए बुलाया।
The court summoned the witness to give a statement.
(adaalat ne saakshii ko bayaan dene ke lie bulaayaa।)
मैं साक्षी हूँ, मैंने अपनी आँखों से सब कुछ देखा है।
I am a witness -- I have seen everything with my own eyes.
(main saakshii hoon, mainne apnii aankhon se sab kuchh dekhaa hai।)
जज साहब ने पूछा, "क्या आप इस मामले में साक्षी हैं?"
The judge asked, "Are you a witness in this case?"
(jaj saahab ne poochhaa, "kyaa aap is maamle men saakshii hain?")
कृपया साक्षी को अदालत के सामने पेश करें।
Please produce the witness before the court.
(kripyaa saakshii ko adaalat ke saamne pesh karen।)
अगर वह साक्षी होता, तो सच सामने आ जाता।
If he had been a witness, the truth would have come out.
(agar vah saakshii hotaa, to sach saamne aa jaataa।)
साक्षी की गवाही से पूरा मामला बदल गया।
The whole case changed because of the witness's testimony.
(saakshii kii gavaahii se pooraa maamlaa badal gayaa।)
शायद कोई साक्षी इस झगड़े के दौरान वहाँ मौजूद रहा हो।
Perhaps some witness was present there during this quarrel.
(shaayad koii saakshii is jhagde ke dauraan vahaan maujood rahaa ho।)
साक्षी को अदालत में झूठ बोलने की इजाज़त नहीं है।
A witness is not allowed to lie in court.
(saakshii ko adaalat men jhooth bolne kii ijaazat nahiin hai।)
पुलिस साक्षी की सुरक्षा सुनिश्चित करेगी।
The police will ensure the witness's protection.
(pulis saakshii kii surakshaa sunishchit karegii।)
साक्षी द्वारा दिया गया बयान अदालत में पढ़ा गया।
The statement given by the witness was read out in court.
(saakshii dvaaraa diyaa gayaa bayaan adaalat men padhaa gayaa।)
Sense
2
:
witnessing/testimony (abstract, spiritual sense of bearing witness)
noun, masculine/feminine Used in reflective or spiritual registers, often in the phrase साक्षी भाव (saakshii bhaav, 'the witness attitude' -- observing without judgment or attachment).
Synonyms: साक्ष्य (saakshy, formal)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: In yoga and meditation contexts, साक्षी भाव (saakshii bhaav) describes the practice of observing your own thoughts and feelings like a neutral witness, rather than reacting to them -- a concept you will hear discussed in spiritual discourses and self-help writing across Delhi-NCR's many yoga and wellness circles.
Sample Sentences:
योग की इस परंपरा में साक्षी भाव को सबसे ऊँची अवस्था माना जाता है।
In this tradition of yoga, the state of witnessing is considered the highest state.
(yog kii is parampraa men saakshii bhaav ko sabse oonchii avasthaa maanaa jaataa hai।)
गुरु जी ने समझाया कि साक्षी भाव में रहकर हम अपने विचारों से दूरी बना सकते हैं।
The guru explained that by staying in a state of witnessing, we can create distance from our thoughts.
(guru jii ne samjhaayaa ki saakshii bhaav men rahkar ham apne vichaaron se doorii banaa sakte hain।)
अपने मन को साक्षी भाव से देखना शुरू में बहुत कठिन लगता है।
Watching one's own mind with a witnessing attitude feels very difficult at first.
(apne man ko saakshii bhaav se dekhnaa shuroo men bahut kathin lagtaa hai।)
अगर तुम क्रोध के समय साक्षी भाव अपनाते, तो इतना नुकसान न होता।
If you had adopted a witnessing attitude in that moment of anger, so much harm would not have happened.
(agar tum krodh ke samay saakshii bhaav apnaate, to itnaa nuksaan n hotaa।)
साक्षी भाव में जीना सीखो, ताकि सुख-दुख तुम्हें विचलित न करें।
Learn to live in a state of witnessing, so that joy and sorrow do not disturb you.
(saakshii bhaav men jiinaa siikho, taaki sukh-dukh tumhen vichlit n karen।)
ध्यान की गहराई में साक्षी भाव स्वयं ही जाग उठता है।
In the depths of meditation, the state of witnessing awakens on its own.
(dhyaan kii gahraaii men saakshii bhaav svayan hii jaag uthtaa hai।)
शायद साक्षी भाव ही वह कुंजी हो जो हमें भीतर की शांति तक ले जाए।
Perhaps witnessing itself is the key that might lead us to inner peace.
(shaayad saakshii bhaav hii vah kunjii ho jo hamen bhiitar kii shaanti tak le jaae।)
उस साधु ने अपना पूरा जीवन साक्षी भाव की खोज में लगा दिया।
That ascetic devoted his whole life to the search for the state of witnessing.
(us saadhu ne apnaa pooraa jiivan saakshii bhaav kii khoj men lagaa diyaa।)
सत्संग में स्वामी जी बार-बार साक्षी भाव की महिमा बताते रहे।
In the satsang, the swami kept describing the glory of witnessing again and again.
(satsang men svaamii jii baar-baar saakshii bhaav kii mahimaa bataate rahe।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m/f.direct):
साक्षी
(saakshii)
(sg.m/f.oblique):
साक्षी
(saakshii)
(pl.m/f.direct):
साक्षियाँ
(saakshiyaan)
(pl.m/f.oblique):
साक्षियों
(saakshiyon)