Home › Glossary › Letter V

Vrat

World Religion
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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 religious vow or observance in Hinduism involving fasting, prayer, or ritual on specific days for spiritual or worldly benefits.

Detailed Definition
Vrats are acts of disciplined devotion—like Karva Chauth or Ekadashi—often performed by women for family welfare. They combine austerity with faith, turning daily life into sacred practice. In poetry, vrats appear in domestic and devotional contexts, showing how ordinary people express piety. Poets describe the quiet strength of a woman fasting for her husband’s life or a devotee staying awake chanting God’s name. Vrats symbolize commitment, hope, and the weaving of ritual into the fabric of lived experience.
Example
Example in poetry:
A poet describes religious devotion through "her vrat of silence lasted forty days, words replaced by prayer"; In cultural poetry, "the vrat for Karva Chauth, wives fasting until moon appears"; A contemporary poem explores "keeping vrat not from duty but from love's ancient pull"; Devotional verse captures "her Tuesday vrat for Hanuman, offering vermillion and devotion"; A poet reflecting on discipline writes "the vrat teaches hunger not of body but of spirit"; Traditional poetry depicts "she rose before dawn for her vrat, water untouched till sunset prayers"
Additional Notes
A Vrat is a religious vow or observance in Hinduism, often involving fasting, specific prayers, and rituals performed on certain days of the week or lunar calendar. Vrats can be undertaken for various reasons: to fulfill a desire, to gain spiritual merit, or to honor a particular deity. For poets, a vrat is a rich theme representing discipline, faith, the sanctification of time, and the personal covenant between a devotee and the divine.
Also Known As
Vrata Vow Religious Fast
Skip to main content