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Wikipedia describes samadhi as

Samadhi (Sanskrit: समाधि, Hindi pronunciation: [səˈmaːd̪ʱi]), also called samāpatti, in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools refers to a state of meditative consciousness. It is a meditative absorption or trance, attained by the practice of dhyāna. In samādhi the mind becomes still. It is a state of being totally aware of the present moment; a one-pointedness of mind.

But I've heard the word samadhi being used for graves in south Indian languages (especially Kannada). I'm not sure if the same word is used in other Indian languages too.

Other than the word samadhi's usage in yoga, is it also an exact Sanskrit translation for a grave?

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    samadhi, as you said, means being still, or 'at peace'. in west, they say a respectable term like 'he rests in peace', instead of 'dead'.
    – mar
    Jan 22, 2018 at 23:58
  • vedic life dont sanction burial though ... its later development
    – Rakesh Joshi
    Jan 23, 2018 at 0:37

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It is used for the similar purpose in Bengali too.

Actually, a Sanskrit word can have as many as 30 different meanings.

You can find from here, the different meanings that the word Samadhi has.

intense contemplation of any particular object, trance, intense application or fixing the mind on, sanctuary or tomb of a saint

... etc.

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  • Yes, but @Arkaprabha Majumdar thinks this is a wrong word for burials. He's a Bengali too.
    – user9969
    Jan 23, 2018 at 14:22
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    You can show him this. Ask him to hear the song :D @SuryaKantaBoseChowdhury
    – Rickross
    Jan 23, 2018 at 14:45
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Samadhi is defined as

The highest stage in meditation, in which a person experiences oneness with the universe.

Now you are talking about the term in Hinduism called Maha-samadhi.

In Sanskrit Maha = Great, and Samadhi is the last state of meditation in which a Yogi or enlightened person merges with Para-Brahma or ParaMatma.

Enlightened Yogis take Maha-Samadhi, which is last part of their spiritual practice (Astanga Yoga). During this, yogis cast off their physical bodies to merge with Brahman.

This yogic death is different from a normal physical death; here this act is determined, conscious and with intention.

The term Mahasamadhi may also refer to the shrine of a great yogi. Such shrines are generally placed close to the location where the yogi entered mahasamadhi.

For example you can read about Saint Dnyaneshwar who is a great yogi, taking Sanjeevan samadhi (while still alive). Afterwards the temple and a structure of specific shape was built upon the chamber in which he took Samadhi. The place is also called "Dnyaneshwar Samadhi Mandir" which is a Samadhi Shrine.

Also here we can read more about the topic of Samadhi Shrine.

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