Talk:Dakini (Buddhism)

The gloss (lit. Sky Dancer) is given for Dakini. This is inaccurate though very loosely based on the Tibetan translation of the term, mkha'-gro-ma, "she who travels the sky". However, this rendering is based on a false Sanskrit etymology for an Indic word which is probably of Munda origin. It is likely that dakinis were originally tribal shamanesses who chanted, drummed and invoked spirits as suggested by cognate words.--Stephen Hodge 01:19, 25 Apr 2005 (UTC)