Word history

Monier-Williams (1899) records rājaguru with the sense “royal counsellor”. Rājaguru combines rāja, royal or king, with guru, teacher or adviser. Monier-Williams records a king’s minister or counsellor as the compound’s sense. राजगुरु keeps the two recognizable parts together. The dictionary explains an advisory title word; a surname alone does not document an appointment at a historical court. The first part qualifies the advisory noun.

Sources: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899) · headword rājaguru, page 873, column 1, entry L176313

Literal dictionary sense

rājaguru: Royal counsellor.

Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899) · headword rājaguru, page 873, column 1, entry L176313

Native-script forms

राजगुरु · Devanagari

Sources and attribution

Dictionary senses and word histories are selected and adapted. Adapted lexical text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Linked Wiktionary entries provide contributor histories. Source register.