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Sword

World Religion
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A weapon symbolizing divine judgment, spiritual discrimination, truth, and the cutting of ignorance or ego.

Detailed Definition
The sword appears in numerous religious contexts: the "Sword of the Spirit" in Ephesians 6:17, the flaming sword guarding Eden, the Khanda in Sikhism, and the sword of Manjushri Buddha that cuts through delusion. In poetry, it is a powerful ambivalent symbol. It can represent righteous wrath, martyrdom, and the violent separation of truth from falsehood. It also signifies the inner, discerning intellect that must "slay" the attachments of the ego to achieve liberation, making it a stark image of both destruction and necessary spiritual surgery.
Example
Example in poetry:
In biblical poetry, Sword is divine judgment: “Two-edged Sword—Word of God pierces heart’s deceit”; In Sufi verse, Sword is discernment: “Sharpen your mind—Sword that cuts illusion’s knot”; In Sikh poetry, Sword (kirpan) symbolizes justice: “Wear the Sword—not for war, but to protect the weak”; Contemporary poets use Sword for truth: “Her testimony—Sword that shattered silence of abuse.”
Additional Notes
The sword appears across religious texts as both a literal and symbolic instrument: in Christianity, it represents the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17) or Christ’s word that “divides soul and spirit” (Hebrews 4:12); in Islam, it may signify jihad as spiritual struggle; in Hindu epics like the Mahabharata, divine swords embody dharma; poets use the sword to evoke decisive truth, moral clarity, or the painful severance required for spiritual awakening.
Other Meanings of “Sword”
Also Known As
Flaming Sword Sword of Justice Sword of the Spirit glaive bilbo blade Cutlass broadsword rapier
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