Semantic Analysis

Semantic Analysis: The Gospel of John (Koine Greek → Maithili)

Methodology Note

This analysis proceeds in two parts:

Core passage (John 3:1-21) — full verse-by-verse treatment of every load-bearing term.
Whole-book chapter-by-chapter study (John 1-21) — every chapter is reviewed; chapters that introduce no new theological vocabulary beyond what has already been catalogued state this explicitly. Chapters with dense doctrinal content (1, 4-6, 8, 10-11, 14-17, 19-20) receive fuller term tables; narrative chapters with lighter doctrinal freight (2, 7, 9, 12-13, 18, 21) receive focused tables of only their load-bearing terms.

Every term already recorded in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json is reused exactly as recorded there (e.g. उद्धार, अनुग्रह, विश्वास, महिमा, पवित्र आत्मा, प्रभु, परमेश्वरक पुत्र, देहधारण, पुनरुत्थान, मसीह, परमेश्वरक राज्य, व्यवस्था, पाप, इस्राएल, दाऊद, यीशु, परमेश्वर, पिता). Where John introduces new theological vocabulary, this document proposes a first rendering and flags the risk tier for the doctrine risk registry to be updated in Step 2.

Two systemic risks specific to expanding into John are flagged up front, since they recur across many terms below:

वचन vs. वाचा collision: Romans established वाचा (vācā) for “covenant.” John’s central term Λόγος (“Word,” John 1:1,14) is naturally rendered वचन (vacan) — a different word, but visually and phonetically close enough to वाचा that careless typesetting, oral teaching, or non-native proofreaders could confuse the two. Both terms must appear side by side in glossary training material with explicit disambiguation.
संसार vs. जगत् for κόσμος (“world”): संसार is the standing Hindu/Maithil technical term for the cycle of worldly/samsaric existence — the very cycle मोक्ष/मुक्ति (already forbidden in the Romans package) promises release from. Using संसार for κόσμος would quietly re-import the forbidden cosmology through the back door. This analysis recommends जगत् throughout and flags संसार as a forbidden substitution for John, parallel to the Romans salvation-term prohibitions.

PART 1: CORE PASSAGE — John 3:1-21 (Verse-by-Verse)

John 3:1

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
Φαρισαῖος	Pharisaios	Pharisee	A member of a Jewish lay-renewal movement stressing Torah observance and oral tradition	Pharisee	Nicodemus’s party affiliation signals a teacher deeply invested in Torah-righteousness, heightening the shock of his need for a wholly new kind of birth	Transliterate: फरीसी. Low-Medium risk; no natural Maithili equivalent exists, so transliteration is safest — resist mapping onto a regional priestly/pandit category, which would import Panjikaran-linked lineage-purity associations already flagged in the Romans package under “apostle.”
ἄρχων (τῶν Ἰουδαίων)	archōn (tōn Ioudaiōn)	ruler, one who holds first place	Civic/religious leader; member of the Sanhedrin	ruler, leader	Establishes Nicodemus’s high social and religious authority — the “teacher of Israel” (v.10) coming secretly to a rejected rabbi	नेता / अधिकारी. Medium risk — avoid a term implying royal/dynastic rulership (which would evoke Mithila’s own Janak-dynasty royal memory); “council-member/leader” sense preferred.

John 3:2

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
νυκτός	nyktos	by night	Night, darkness (genitive of time)	at night, by night	Likely signals fear/secrecy, and thematically anticipates John’s light/darkness contrast (cf. 3:19-21)	राति (raati) — literal, Low risk on its own, but translator note should flag the intentional echo forward to vv.19-21’s light/darkness theme so it is not translated as a throwaway time marker.
ῥαββί	rhabbi	my great one / my teacher	Honorific address to a Jewish teacher of the law	Rabbi, Teacher	Nicodemus’s polite, human-category address — ironically inadequate for who Jesus actually is	Transliterate: रब्बी. Medium-High risk — do NOT default to गुरु, which carries the full weight of Mithila’s guru-shishya devotional tradition (reinforced by Vidyapati-linked bhakti guru veneration) and would collapse a specific Jewish honorific into a regional devotional category. Retain रब्बी as a proper-noun-like title; गुरु may be used only as a generic descriptive gloss alongside it, never standing alone for Jesus.
διδάσκαλος	didaskalos	teacher, instructor	One who teaches, instructs authoritatively	teacher	Reinforces the same point as ῥαββί; used again in v.10 for Nicodemus himself	शिक्षक. Medium risk — keep distinct from रब्बी (title) and गुरु (avoided devotional term); शिक्षक is a neutral functional descriptor.
σημεῖα	sēmeia	signs	Miraculous acts functioning as evidentiary pointers to identity/authority	signs, miracles	Not mere wonders but revelatory acts pointing to who Jesus is — a major Johannine category (cf. 2:11, 4:54, 20:30-31)	चिन्ह (chinh). High risk if rendered चमत्कार (miracle) instead — चमत्कार centers the spectacular act itself, while चिन्ह centers what the act signifies; John’s theology requires the latter. See glossary entry “sign.”

John 3:3

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι	amēn amēn legō soi	truly, truly, I say to you	Solemn double asseveration unique to Jesus’s speech in John, marking an authoritative pronouncement	truly truly I tell you / verily verily	Signals Jesus is about to state something of foundational, non-negotiable importance	सत्य सत्य हम अहाँके कहैत छी। Low-Medium risk; keep the doubled आमीन-root construction (reuse आमीन from baseline transliteration standard) rather than flattening to a single “सुनू” (listen) — the doubling itself is theologically weighty solemnity-marking.
γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν	gennēthē anōthen	be born from above / be born again	γεννάω = to be born/begotten; ἄνωθεν = from above (spatial) AND again (temporal) — the Greek deliberately holds both senses, which is the very ambiguity Nicodemus stumbles over in v.4	born again, born from above, born anew	THE central doctrinal term of the passage and the curriculum’s “New Birth and Regeneration” doctrine: a divinely originated re-creation of the person, not a moral improvement or ritual repetition	CRITICAL. Proposed: ऊपरसँ नव जन्म (literally “new birth from above”), preserving both senses via a compound phrase since Maithili has no single lexeme spanning “again” and “from above” the way ἄνωθεν does. Absolutely never पुनर्जन्म — Maithili’s ordinary word for reincarnation within the cycle of रोकल-मुक्ति/samsara, already forbidden in the Romans package for “resurrection” and even more directly at risk of collision here, since English “born again” sounds, on its face, like a paraphrase of rebirth doctrine. A translator note must accompany every occurrence distinguishing this from reincarnation: this is a one-time, Spirit-wrought re-creation, not a repeatable cycle.
βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ	basileia tou theou	kingdom of God	God’s reign/rule; also the sphere of that reign	kingdom of God	Only in John’s Gospel here and v.5 (John elsewhere prefers “eternal life” for the same reality) — new birth is the precondition for participation in God’s reign	परमेश्वरक राज्य — reuse baseline exactly. Medium risk per baseline notes (sensitive given Mithila’s own historic Janak-kingdom identity); no change needed.

John 3:4

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
γέρων	gerōn	old man	An elderly person	old man	Nicodemus’s literalistic misunderstanding of ἄνωθεν as merely “a second time”	बूढ़ मनुष्य. Low risk.
κοιλίαν τῆς μητρὸς	koilian tēs mētros	mother’s womb	Physical womb	mother’s womb	Underscores that Nicodemus hears only the biological sense, missing the spiritual/spatial “from above”	माएक गर्भ. Low risk; standard term, no theological ambiguity.
δεύτερον	deuteron	a second time	Numerically repeated occurrence	again, a second time	Nicodemus assumes a repeatable biological event, exactly the reading the passage must guard against for γεννηθῆναι ἄνωθεν	दोसर बेर. Low risk on its own but reinforces the Critical flag above — translators must ensure Nicodemus’s misunderstanding reads as a misunderstanding, not as a legitimate parallel option in Maithili.

John 3:5

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ὕδατος	hydatos	of water	Physical water; by extension ritual washing, or in some interpretive traditions birth-waters	water	Debated referent (John’s baptism, ritual cleansing/Ezekiel 36:25-27, or natural birth) but functions with πνεῦμα as a single “water-and-Spirit” complex marking a definitive, God-wrought cleansing-and-recreation	पानि. High risk not in the word itself but in how it is paired with पवित्र आत्मा — must not read as mere ritual purification (a live category in Mithila via संस्कार life-cycle rites and Panjikaran-linked purity concerns, already flagged in the baseline for “holy” and “sanctification”). Translator note should anchor this to Spirit-wrought inner cleansing, not ritual water.
πνεύματος	pneumatos	of Spirit	God’s Spirit; also ordinary “wind,” “breath” (see v.8)	Spirit	The divine agent who accomplishes the new birth	पवित्र आत्मा — reuse baseline exactly (even though the Greek article is anarthrous here, context makes the referent the Holy Spirit, consistent with v.6,8). Critical per baseline; never ब्रह्म/परमात्मा.

John 3:6

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
σάρξ	sarx	flesh	Physical body/human nature; also (in Paul, less so in John) sinful human nature in its fallenness	flesh	What is merely humanly-generated remains merely human — natural birth cannot produce spiritual life; sets up the flesh/Spirit contrast central to the passage	देह. High risk — must be distinguished contextually from the incarnational सारने (“Word became flesh,” John 1:14, covered by देहधारण doctrine) where flesh is assumed by the Word in a unique positive act. Here, by contrast, “flesh” marks a limitation (what flesh cannot do). Same Greek word, opposite theological valence — flag for translator note in both places.
πνεῦμα	pneuma	Spirit/spirit	Divine Spirit; also the regenerated human spirit produced by the Spirit’s work	Spirit, spirit	What the Spirit generates shares the Spirit’s own nature — spiritual, not merely biological, life	आत्मा (in this clause, “born of the Spirit is spirit” — the second occurrence may refer to the believer’s renewed spiritual nature, not directly पवित्र आत्मा the Person). Medium-High risk requiring translator note to avoid conflating the Person of the Spirit with the resulting regenerate nature.

John 3:7

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
θαυμάσῃς	thaumasēs	you marvel / be astonished	Wonder, astonishment, sometimes with an edge of incredulity	marvel, be surprised	Jesus anticipates and forestalls Nicodemus’s incredulity at a categorically new spiritual reality	अचरज करब. Low-Medium risk.
δεῖ	dei	it is necessary, one must	Impersonal verb of divine necessity	must, is necessary	Marks new birth as a non-optional, universal requirement — not a special path for spiritual elites	जरूरी छैक / अनिवार्य छैक. High risk theologically (though the word itself is simple) — must retain the force of necessity for everyone, resisting any softening that would make new birth appear optional or reserved for a devout subset (echoing the universal-scope concerns already flagged in Romans for “all have sinned,” 3:23).

John 3:8

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
τὸ πνεῦμα…πνεῖ	to pneuma…pnei	the wind/Spirit blows	πνεῦμα doubles as “wind” and “Spirit”; πνέω = to blow	the wind blows / the Spirit works	The single Greek word’s double meaning is the entire point of the analogy: the Spirit’s regenerating work is real, perceptible in effect, yet sovereign and untraceable in origin	Critical translator-note requirement: Maithili, like English, has no single word spanning both “wind” and “Spirit” (हवा vs. पवित्र आत्मा are two separate words). The wordplay itself will be lost in translation. A footnote must explain that the Greek text uses one word (pneuma) for both “wind” and “Spirit,” and that this is the basis of the analogy — otherwise Maithili readers will experience v.8 as an unmotivated non-sequitur rather than Jesus’s deliberate pun.
ἀκούεις τὴν φωνὴν	akoueis tēn phōnēn	you hear the sound/voice	Audible sound generally, or a personal voice	sound, voice	The Spirit’s activity is perceivable even though its origin and destination remain beyond human tracing/control	अवाज सुनैत छी. Low risk.

John 3:9-10

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
πῶς δύναται ταῦτα γενέσθαι	pōs dynatai tauta genesthai	how can these things become/happen	Expression of continued bafflement	how can this be	Nicodemus, a recognized religious authority, remains unable to grasp a truth accessible only by the Spirit’s own work, not by human learning	ई कोना भ’ सकैत अछि? Low risk; the theological weight lies in the doctrine already flagged above, not in this phrase itself.
ὁ διδάσκαλος τοῦ Ἰσραήλ	ho didaskalos tou Israēl	THE teacher of Israel	Definite article marks Nicodemus as a recognized, prominent authority, not merely “a” teacher	the teacher of Israel	Heightens the irony: Israel’s leading biblical scholar fails to recognize a truth latent in his own Scriptures (cf. Ezekiel 36:25-27)	इस्राएलक शिक्षक — reuse इस्राएल from baseline exactly; शिक्षक per v.2 above. Medium risk in that the definite article’s force (“the,” not “a”) must be preserved in Maithili phrasing to retain the irony.

John 3:11

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
μαρτυροῦμεν	martyroumen	we testify/bear witness	Formal, first-hand attestation, often with legal/evidentiary force	testify, witness, bear witness	Jesus speaks with the authority of firsthand divine knowledge — a major Johannine epistemic category (cf. John the Baptist’s witness in ch.1, the Spirit’s witness in ch.15-16)	गवाही देब. Medium risk; keep consistent across the book (see glossary) — do not vary between गवाही and साक्ष्य within a single translated document, per the Romans package’s cross-document consistency rule.
μαρτυρίαν	martyrian	testimony	The content/act of witness-bearing	testimony, witness	Same root noun form; the Jewish leaders’ rejection of Jesus’s testimony previews the unbelief theme developed through vv.18-21	गवाही. Medium risk, same as above.

John 3:12

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
τὰ ἐπίγεια	ta epigeia	earthly things	Matters accessible within ordinary human/earthly experience (here, the new-birth teaching itself, framed as the “easier” category)	earthly things	If Nicodemus cannot grasp truths illustrated from within human experience (birth, wind), he certainly cannot grasp the “heavenly” realities Jesus is about to disclose (his own heavenly origin and mission)	पार्थिव बात. Medium risk; keep distinct from स्वर्गीय बात below — the contrast is the entire rhetorical point.
τὰ ἐπουράνια	ta epourania	heavenly things	Matters belonging to the heavenly, divine realm — here, Christ’s own origin, descent, and saving mission	heavenly things	Introduces the following verses’ disclosure of the Son of Man’s unique heavenly origin and saving purpose	स्वर्गीय बात. Medium risk, paired with पार्थिव बात above.

John 3:13

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ἀναβέβηκεν…καταβάς	anabebēken…katabas	has ascended…having descended	Movement up to heaven / down from heaven	ascended / descended	Asserts Christ’s unique heavenly origin and pre-existence — only the one who came down from heaven can speak with authority about heavenly things (directly serving the curriculum’s “Deity and Pre-existence of Christ” doctrine)	उठल…उतरल (ascend/descend verbs). Critical — this verse is a direct pre-existence claim; must not be softened into a merely visionary/prophetic ascent (as with OT figures like Elijah) but must convey a unique two-directional movement proper to one whose home is heaven. Requires a translator note tying it to the देहधारण (Incarnation) doctrine already Critical in the baseline.
ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου	ho huios tou anthrōpou	the Son of Man	A messianic self-designation drawn from Daniel 7:13-14, combining humility/humanity with end-time authority to judge and reign	Son of Man	Jesus’s favored self-title in all four Gospels; in John it is bound up with his “lifting up” (v.14, 8:28, 12:34) — his path to glory runs through the cross	मनुष्यक पुत्र. Critical/High — must not be flattened to a generic phrase meaning merely “a human being” (which would erase the Daniel 7 authority-and-glory dimension) nor confused with परमेश्वरक पुत्र (Son of God); the two titles operate together but are not interchangeable. See glossary entry.

John 3:14

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ὕψωσεν…ὄφιν	hypsōsen…ophin	lifted up…the serpent	Physical elevation on a pole (Numbers 21:8-9); ὑψόω also carries the sense of exaltation/glorification elsewhere in John	lifted up…serpent	Typological link between the bronze serpent (physical means of healing for those who merely looked in faith) and Christ’s crucifixion as the means of eternal life for those who believe	उठाओल…साँप. Critical for ὑψόω/hypsoō — this verb carries John’s signature double meaning of “lifted up on the cross” AND “exalted in glory” (cf. 8:28, 12:32-34); a flat translation risks losing the paradox that Christ’s crucifixion IS his glorification. A consistent Maithili rendering and translator note are required at every occurrence (see glossary entry “lifted up”).
δεῖ ὑψωθῆναι	dei hypsōthēnai	must be lifted up	Same δεῖ of necessity as v.7, applied now to the cross itself	must be lifted up	The cross is not tragedy but divine necessity, foreordained means of salvation	उठाओल जाएब जरूरी छैक। High risk; must preserve the note of necessity, not accident or defeat.

John 3:15

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
πιστεύων	pisteuōn	believing / the one who believes	Present participle of πιστεύω — trust placed in a person, here “in him”	believes, has faith, trusts	The verb-only form of “faith” that dominates John’s Gospel (note: John never uses the noun πίστις at all — see Part 2 chapter notes for a whole-book observation on this)	विश्वास करैत (participle form of विश्वास करब) — reuse विश्वास root from baseline exactly. High risk; must always specify or contextually imply the object as Christ specifically, never generalized religious devotion/भक्ति.
ζωὴν αἰώνιον	zōēn aiōnion	eternal life / life of the age (to come)	Not mere unending duration but a qualitatively new, God-given life beginning now and continuing forever	eternal life, everlasting life	John’s signature term for the salvation Jesus brings — used interchangeably in John with “entering the kingdom of God” (cf. v.3,5) and with “salvation”	अनन्त जीवन. Critical — must not be assimilated to मोक्ष/मुक्ति (liberation from the rebirth cycle), the very substitutions already forbidden in the Romans package for “salvation.” अनन्त जीवन names a relational, personal, unending life received now through trust in Christ, not an escape from embodied existence into an impersonal absorption or cessation of rebirth.

John 3:16

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ἠγάπησεν	ēgapēsen	loved (aorist)	Deliberate, self-giving love, distinguished in Greek (though not always sharply) from φιλέω’s warmer affection	loved	God’s love for the world is not sentiment but a decisive act culminating in the gift of the Son — the anchor verse for the curriculum’s “God’s Love for the World” doctrine	प्रेम कएलनि (honorific verb form for God’s action). High risk — must convey deliberate, costly, self-giving love, not mere emotional fondness; avoid language that would suggest God’s love is provoked by human merit or devotional achievement (paralleling the Romans package’s caution against merit-framed grace).
τὸν κόσμον	ton kosmon	the world	The whole created order, and especially humanity in its fallenness/estrangement from God (John’s usage of κόσμος is frequently negative elsewhere, e.g. 1:10, 15:18-19, making this verse’s positive object of love striking)	the world, humankind, all people	God’s love is not limited to Israel or to the religiously devout (like Nicodemus) but extends to the whole of estranged humanity — grounds the universal scope of the gospel invitation	जगत्. Critical/High — see systemic risk note above: reject संसार (samsaric cycle of rebirth) entirely; जगत् (the created, ordered world) is required. This is one of the highest-value new terms introduced by John, recurring dozens of times through the book.
τὸν υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ	ton huion ton monogenē	the only-begotten Son / the one-of-a-kind Son	μονογενής = unique, one-of-a-kind, only (of its kind) — not primarily about biological generation despite the traditional English “begotten”	only begotten Son, one and only Son, unique Son	Stresses Christ’s absolutely unique Sonship — there is no other of his kind; grounds the “Deity and Pre-existence of Christ” doctrine together with 1:14,18	परमेश्वरक एकलौता पुत्र, building on baseline’s परमेश्वरक पुत्र with एकलौता (only/unique) added. Critical — must not read as merely “a beloved son” among others (which would flatten this to adoptive/honorific sonship, already flagged Critical in the Romans doctrine registry’s “sonship_of_christ” entry) nor as “only child” in the mundane family sense that एकलौता carries in everyday Maithili speech about ordinary families; a translator note anchoring this to unique divine Sonship is required at every occurrence.
ἔδωκεν	edōken	gave	Deliberate act of giving, here the costliest possible gift	gave, gave up	The gift of the Son to death is the concrete content of God’s love	दैलनि. High risk in context — must not be softened to a lesser sense of “sent” or “allowed,” which would understate the costliness of the gift.
μὴ ἀπόληται	mē apolētai	might not perish	ἀπόλλυμι = to be destroyed, ruined, lost — the negative alternative to eternal life	perish, be lost, be destroyed	The real, personal alternative to eternal life is not a lesser rebirth-station but genuine loss/ruin before God	नष्ट नहि होएब। High risk; must convey a real, serious, personal loss (not merely a return to samsaric cycling, nor annihilation framed as neutral) — see glossary entry “perish.”

John 3:17

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ἀπέστειλεν	apesteilen	sent (aorist)	Commissioned dispatch with delegated authority and purpose	sent	God the Father’s sending of the Son grounds both the Incarnation and the church’s own sending in mission (cf. 20:21)	पठौलनि (honorific verb for God’s action). High risk — connects directly to baseline’s “apostle” (प्रेरित, one sent with delegated authority) and to “mission” (सुसमाचार प्रचार); the Son’s sentness is the theological root of all later Christian sending.
κρίνῃ…σωθῇ	krinē…sōthē	might judge…might be saved	κρίνω = to judge/condemn; σῴζω = to save/rescue — deliberately contrasted purposes	judge / be saved	Clarifies that the Son’s first coming has a saving, not condemning, purpose — judgment is a real but secondary consequence of unbelief, not Christ’s primary mission	न्याय करय…उद्धार होय। Critical for σωθῇ — reuse उद्धार from baseline exactly; never मुक्ति/मोक्ष. न्याय (judgment) is High risk — must convey personal divine judgment tied to one’s response to Christ, not impersonal karmic reckoning.

John 3:18

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
οὐ κρίνεται	ou krinetai	is not judged/condemned	Present passive — a settled, current status	is not judged, is not condemned	The believer’s present, settled acquittal — anticipates Romans’ “no condemnation” (8:1) theme now transposed into John’s Gospel	दोषी नहि ठहरैत छथि। High risk; must convey present, settled non-condemnation, not merely future hope.
ἤδη κέκριται	ēdē kekritai	is already judged/condemned	Perfect tense — an already-accomplished, settled state, not a future contingency	already stands condemned	Unbelief itself, not merely future sins, is what condemns — the person’s relationship to Christ’s name is the decisive factor already, in the present	पहिनहिये दोषी ठहरल छथि। High risk — the perfect tense’s “already settled” force must not be lost by rendering this as a future possibility; unbelief’s condemnation is a present reality in John’s theology.
τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ μονογενοῦς υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ	to onoma tou monogenous huiou tou theou	the name of the only-begotten Son of God	”Believing into the name” is a Johannine idiom for personal trust placed in the full identity/authority the name represents, not mere assent to a title	the name of God’s only Son	Salvation/condemnation turns on one’s relationship to Christ’s own person and identity, not on generic religious sincerity	परमेश्वरक एकलौता पुत्रक नाओं (reusing एकलौता पुत्र established at v.16). Critical, same considerations as v.16.

John 3:19

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ἡ κρίσις	hē krisis	the judgment / the verdict	Can mean the act of judging, the process, or (as here) the case/verdict itself	the judgment, the verdict	Names the precise nature of the judgment just described in v.18: it consists in humanity’s own preference for darkness over the light that has come	न्याय / निर्णय। High risk — must communicate “verdict/case” (this IS what the judgment consists of), not merely “trial in progress.”
τὸ φῶς…τὸ σκότος	to phōs…to skotos	the light…the darkness	Light = revelation, truth, God’s own self-disclosure in Christ (cf. 1:4-9, 8:12); darkness = moral and spiritual estrangement, willful rejection of that revelation	light / darkness	The universal human tendency to prefer moral/spiritual concealment over exposure to God’s revealed truth in Christ	प्रकाश…अन्धकार। High risk for प्रकाश (light) — must reject ज्योति, which carries strong Puranic/astrological (ज्योतिष) associations already flagged in the baseline under “prophet”; प्रकाश is the safer, more neutral term for this theological light/darkness contrast, kept consistent across all of John’s light-sayings (1:4-9, 8:12, 9:5, 12:35-36,46).
πονηρὰ τὰ ἔργα	ponēra ta erga	evil/wicked deeds	Morally corrupt actions	evil deeds, wicked works	Grounds the light/darkness preference in actual moral conduct, not abstract belief alone	बेजाय काज / दुष्ट काज। Medium risk — see glossary entry “works,” which flags काज over कर्म throughout John to avoid importing karma-merit theology.

John 3:20

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
μισεῖ τὸ φῶς	misei to phōs	hates the light	Active, willful hostility, not mere avoidance	hates the light	Rejection of Christ’s revelation is not passive ignorance but active hostility rooted in a desire to keep one’s deeds hidden	प्रकाशसँ घृणा करैत अछि। Medium risk.
ἐλεγχθῇ	elenchthē	might be exposed/convicted/reproved	To bring wrongdoing to light, expose, reprove, convict — same verb root reused significantly at 16:8 for the Spirit’s convicting work	be exposed, be convicted, be reproved	The person avoiding the light fears the exposure of wrongdoing that genuine encounter with Christ would bring — anticipates the Spirit’s convicting ministry in ch.16	उजागर होएब / दोषी ठहराओल जाएब। Medium-High risk — flag for cross-reference consistency with John 16:8’s “convict the world concerning sin,” since both use ἐλέγχω; the Maithili rendering should be the same root in both places for whole-book term consistency (see glossary).

John 3:21

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ποιῶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν	poiōn tēn alētheian	doing the truth	A Hebraic idiom (cf. 1 John 1:6) meaning to live/act faithfully and honestly, not merely to hold correct beliefs	does what is true, lives by the truth, practices the truth	Genuine faith issues in a life open to scrutiny — coming to the light rather than avoiding it; connects to the “obedience of faith” doctrine already established in the Romans package	सत्यक अनुसार चलब / सत्य पर चलब। High risk — must not be rendered merely as “speaking true things” (a narrower, verbal-only sense); this is holistic faithful living, and must be kept distinct from ideas of duty-bound conduct (कर्तव्य पालन), already flagged as a risk for “obedience of faith” in the Romans package.
φανερωθῇ…ἐν θεῷ…εἰργασμένα	phanerōthē…en theō…eirgasmena	might be manifested…having been worked in God	φανερόω = to reveal/make evident; ἐν θεῷ = “in God,” marking the true source/sphere of the deeds; ἐργάζομαι = to work, perform (same root family as ἔργα, “works,” in v.19-20)	might be shown to have been done in/through God	Good deeds that stand up to the light’s scrutiny are not self-generated achievements but works enabled by God — an early Johannine anticipation of grace-enabled, not self-achieved, righteous living	परमेश्वरमे कएल गेल काज प्रकट होय। High risk — must convey that such deeds are God-enabled, not self-generated merit, preserving the same grace/merit distinction the Romans package requires around अनुग्रह; reuse काज (not कर्म) for consistency with vv.19-20.

PART 2: WHOLE-BOOK CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER STUDY

John 1 — Prologue, Witness of the Baptist, First Disciples

The single richest chapter in the book for new vocabulary; establishes the Christological and epistemological vocabulary the rest of the Gospel depends on.

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ὁ Λόγος	ho Logos	the Word	Reasoned utterance, discourse; in Hellenistic-Jewish thought also the personified, active self-expression of God (cf. Genesis’s creative “and God said,” and Wisdom literature)	the Word	The eternal, personal, divine self-expression who was “with God” and “was God” (1:1) and who “became flesh” (1:14) — foundational term for the curriculum’s “Deity and Pre-existence of Christ” doctrine	वचन (vacan). Critical. See systemic risk note above regarding collision with बासलाइन’s वाचा (covenant) — these are two distinct terms and must never be conflated in training material or oral teaching. वचन must be introduced with an explicit note: this names the eternal, personal Son, existing before creation and himself fully God, NOT an impersonal divine principle (avoid any drift toward ब्रह्म, already forbidden for Holy Spirit and equally unsuitable here) and NOT one of the qualified, contingent divine “words”/utterances familiar from Puranic cosmogony.
θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος	theos ēn ho Logos	the Word was God	Anarthrous θεός here functions qualitatively — “what God was, the Word was” — full deity without collapsing the Word’s distinct personhood from “God” (ὁ θεός) in the preceding clause	the Word was God	The clearest one-clause deity-of-Christ statement in the NT; foundational for “Deity and Pre-existence of Christ”	वचन परमेश्वर छलाह। Critical — reuse परमेश्वर exactly from baseline; the honorific verb छलाह must be used, per the package’s requirement of highest honorific verb agreement for references to God/Christ throughout.
μονογενής	monogenēs	only-begotten, unique, one-of-a-kind	See discussion at 3:16, 18 above	only begotten, one and only, unique	1:14 “glory as of the only begotten from the Father” and 1:18 “the only begotten God/Son” are foundational statements of unique divine Sonship	एकलौता (as established at 3:16). Critical, same considerations.
χάρις καὶ ἀλήθεια	charis kai alētheia	grace and truth	A word pair echoing the OT’s covenant description of God (Exodus 34:6, “steadfast love and faithfulness”) now embodied in Christ, contrasted with the law given through Moses	grace and truth	Christ as the personal fulfillment and surpassing of the Mosaic law-covenant — the Word does not abolish grace but IS its full historical arrival	अनुग्रह आ सत्य — reuse अनुग्रह exactly from baseline; सत्य established above. High risk in the pairing: must not suggest law itself lacked grace (a supersessionist overreading) — translator note recommended per John 1:17’s careful “law…through Moses; grace and truth…through Jesus Christ” construction.
ἡ δόξα	hē doxa	glory	See baseline entry — reused exactly	glory	”We have seen his glory” (1:14) — the incarnate Word’s glory is visible, historical, witnessed	महिमा — reuse baseline exactly. High risk per baseline notes on avoiding light-imagery collisions with Puranic divine-radiance descriptions.
ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ	ho amnos tou theou	the Lamb of God	Sacrificial imagery drawing on the Passover lamb (Exodus 12) and/or Isaiah 53’s suffering servant “led like a lamb to slaughter”	the Lamb of God	John the Baptist’s identification of Jesus as the one whose death removes sin — grounds the curriculum’s “Christ’s Substitutionary Death” doctrine from the Gospel’s very first chapter	परमेश्वरक मेमना (memnā, lamb). High risk — a region with active Shakta goddess-worship traditions (Durga/Kali, including animal sacrifice/बलि at regional shrines such as Ugratara, already noted in the baseline under “power_of_god”) makes sacrificial-lamb imagery vulnerable to being heard through the frame of बलि offered to appease a deity, rather than as God’s own initiative to remove sin through a willing, unique, once-for-all substitute. A translator note distinguishing the biblical Lamb from regional बलि practice is required at first occurrence.
αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν	airōn tēn hamartian	taking away/bearing the sin	αἴρω = to lift up, carry away, remove	takes away the sin, bears the sin	The Lamb’s function: removal of sin, not merely covering or managing it	पापके दूर करैत छथि / पापके उठा लैत छथि। High risk; reuse पाप exactly from baseline.
υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ	huios tou theou	Son of God	See baseline “son_of_god”	Son of God	John the Baptist’s and Nathanael’s confessions (1:34, 49) — the Gospel opens with this title already stated as its climax will restate it (20:31)	परमेश्वरक पुत्र — reuse baseline exactly. Critical.
πνεῦμα ἅγιον	pneuma hagion	Holy Spirit	See baseline “holy_spirit”	Holy Spirit	The Spirit’s descent and remaining on Jesus (1:32-33) marks him as the one who baptizes with the Spirit	पवित्र आत्मा — reuse baseline exactly. Critical.
μαθηταί	mathētai	disciples	Learners/followers who attach themselves to a teacher	disciples	The first disciples’ call narrative (1:35-51) begins the pattern of discipleship John develops throughout	शिष्य। Medium risk — a standard, acceptable term across North Indian Bible translation, but flag the guru-shishya devotional resonance in Mithila’s Vidyapati-linked bhakti tradition; ensure Jesus’s unique divine authority (not merely elevated-guru status) remains clear alongside this term through consistent use of प्रभु and परमेश्वरक पुत्र nearby.
Μεσσίας	Messias	Messiah	Transliterated Hebrew/Aramaic term meaning “Anointed One”	Messiah, Christ	1:41 — Andrew’s exclamation “we have found the Messiah” — one of only two places in the NT (also 4:25) where the Hebrew term itself, rather than its Greek translation Χριστός, is used	मसीह — reuse baseline exactly. Critical; never assimilated to Ram/Krishna avatar-figures.
Ραββί	Rhabbi	Rabbi	See discussion at 3:2	Rabbi, Teacher	The first disciples’ initial address to Jesus (1:38)	रब्बी (transliterate). Medium-High, as at 3:2.

John 2 — Wedding at Cana; Cleansing of the Temple

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
σημεῖον	sēmeion	sign	See discussion at 3:2	sign	The Cana miracle is explicitly called the “beginning of signs” (2:11) revealing his glory and producing belief in the disciples — establishes the sign-belief-glory pattern that structures the whole first half of John’s Gospel	चिन्ह — as established at 3:2. Medium risk, consistency required across all of John’s sign-narratives (2:11, 4:54, 6:14, 9:16, 12:18, 20:30).
ἐφανέρωσεν τὴν δόξαν	ephanerōsen tēn doxan	manifested/revealed his glory	φανερόω = to make visible/evident; δόξα = glory, see baseline	manifested his glory	The sign’s purpose is not merely utilitarian relief (more wine) but revelatory — glory made visible in an act of abundant, undeserved provision	महिमा प्रकट कएलनि। High risk, महिमा reused from baseline; प्रकट (make evident) new but low-risk supporting verb.
ὁ ναός (τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ)	ho naos (tou sōmatos autou)	the temple (of his body)	ναός = the sanctuary/inner shrine (as distinct from ἱερόν, the wider temple precinct); here used metaphorically of Jesus’s own body	temple, sanctuary	Jesus reinterprets the Jerusalem temple typologically: his own body, raised on the third day, becomes the true meeting-place between God and humanity — an early resurrection prediction (2:19-22)	मन्दिर (of the physical Jerusalem building) vs. देह (शरीर, of “his body” as temple). High risk — मन्दिर must be used carefully in this narrower architectural/institutional sense only, distinguished from the baseline’s rejection of मन्दिर for “church” (मण्डली); here मन्दिर correctly names the literal Jerusalem building, while “temple of his body” requires the separate word देह/शरीर plus explanatory apposition so readers do not think Jesus’s literal body is a Hindu temple structure.
ζῆλος	zēlos	zeal	Passionate devotion/indignation	zeal	”Zeal for your house will consume me” (2:17, citing Psalm 69:9) — explains the temple-cleansing action as an expression of holy jealousy for God’s honor, not mere anger	जोश / उत्साह। Low-Medium risk.

John 3 (remainder, vv. 22-36) — John the Baptist’s Final Testimony

Core doctrinal vocabulary for 3:1-21 is treated fully above. The chapter’s remainder introduces the following additional load-bearing terms:

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ὁ νυμφίος	ho nymphios	the bridegroom	The groom in a wedding	bridegroom	John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the bridegroom and himself as the “friend of the bridegroom” (3:29) who rejoices at the bridegroom’s voice — a joyful, self-effacing image of pointing away from oneself to Christ	दुल्हा। Low-Medium risk — a warm, natural image; no significant cultural collision, though translators should avoid overlaying it with the specific Sita-Ram wedding narrative (Vivah Panchami) already flagged as a risk in the baseline under “covenant.”
ἐκεῖνον δεῖ αὐξάνειν, ἐμὲ δὲ ἐλαττοῦσθαι	ekeinon dei auxanein, eme de elattousthai	he must increase, but I must decrease	αὐξάνω = to grow/increase; ἐλαττόω = to diminish/become less	he must increase, I must decrease	John the Baptist’s programmatic statement of humble, self-effacing witness — a model for all subsequent gospel-pointing ministry (cf. curriculum’s implicit call to imitate this posture)	ओ बढ़य, हम घटी। Low risk.
ὁ ὢν ἐκ τῆς γῆς…ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐρχόμενος	ho ōn ek tēs gēs…ho ek tou ouranou erchomenos	he who is of the earth…he who comes from heaven	Contrast of earthly and heavenly origin, echoing vv.12-13	one from the earth…one from heaven	Reinforces the chapter’s central pre-existence/heavenly-origin Christology	पृथ्वीसँ…स्वर्गसँ आएल। High risk, consistent with the “ascended/descended” treatment at v.13 above.

John 4 — The Samaritan Woman; the Nobleman’s Son

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ὕδωρ ζῶν	hydōr zōn	living water	Naturally flowing (as opposed to stagnant) water; metaphorically, Spirit-given life that continually satisfies	living water	Jesus’s self-offer as the source of eternal, ever-satisfying spiritual life, contrasted with the woman’s need to keep returning to Jacob’s well	जीवनदायी जल (life-giving water). High risk — must be distinguished from the “water and Spirit” of 3:5 (new birth) though thematically related; also must avoid overlap with regional sacred-river/tirtha purification associations (the Ganga and other rivers carry strong ritual-purity significance in North Indian Hindu practice).
προσκυνέω	proskyneō	worship	To bow down, do obeisance, render homage — the physical posture-word that becomes the standard NT term for worship of God	worship	”True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth” (4:23-24) — worship is relocated from a fixed sacred place (Gerizim or Jerusalem) to a spiritual, truthful relationship with God through Christ	आराधना करब। Critical — must never be rendered पूजा, the standard Hindu term for ritual worship of an image/deity at a shrine or home altar, a live daily practice across Mithila’s Vaishnava and Shaiva households. आराधना (adoration/worship in the biblical sense) must be used consistently for all NT worship-language across John (also relevant at 9:38, 12:20).
πνεῦμα καὶ ἀλήθεια	pneuma kai alētheia	spirit and truth	Not “the Holy Spirit” specifically here but the manner of worship: inward, sincere (πνεῦμα, in the human spirit) and grounded in revealed truth (ἀλήθεια), rather than tied to a physical location	in spirit and truth	Defines true worship as internal sincerity aligned with God’s self-revelation in Christ, not ritual correctness of location/procedure	आत्मा आ सत्यमे। Medium-High risk — care needed not to conflate this “spirit” (human sincerity) with पवित्र आत्मा (the Person of the Holy Spirit); context should disambiguate, supported by a translator note.
σωτὴρ τοῦ κόσμου	sōtēr tou kosmou	Savior of the world	σωτήρ = one who rescues/delivers; τοῦ κόσμου = of the world	Savior of the world	The Samaritan villagers’ climactic confession (4:42) — salvation’s scope extends beyond Israel to the whole world, anticipating 3:16’s universal love	जगतक उद्धारकर्ता — reuse उद्धार root exactly from baseline; जगत् as established at 3:16. High risk, combining two Critical/High terms.
ζῇ ὁ υἱός σου	zē ho huios sou	your son lives	ζάω = to live	your son lives	The nobleman’s son’s healing (4:46-54), called a “sign,” previews the life-giving authority Jesus exercises fully in the raising of Lazarus (ch.11)	अहाँक बेटा जीबैत छथि। Low-Medium risk.

John 5 — Healing at Bethesda; the Son’s Authority

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ἴσον ἑαυτὸν ποιῶν τῷ θεῷ	ison heauton poiōn tō theō	making himself equal to God	ἴσος = equal, on par with	making himself equal with God	The Jewish leaders’ own (accurate) perception of Jesus’s claim in calling God “my own Father” (5:18) — the narrator does not correct this as a misunderstanding, confirming it as true	अपना आपके परमेश्वरक बराबर बनाबैत छथि। Critical — this is a direct deity-of-Christ statement; translators must render it so that it reads as an accurate description of Jesus’s true claim (which the narrative affirms), not merely as a hostile accusation to be softened.
ἀνάστασις ζωῆς…ἀνάστασις κρίσεως	anastasis zōēs…anastasis kriseōs	resurrection of life…resurrection of judgment	Two future bodily resurrections with opposite outcomes	resurrection of life / resurrection of judgment	5:28-29 — a final judgment scene in which all the dead are bodily raised, some to life, some to condemnation	पुनरुत्थान (reuse baseline exactly) जीवनक हेतु…न्यायक हेतु। Critical for पुनरुत्थान; High for the judgment pairing — must retain both a real future bodily resurrection and a real double outcome, without softening the judgment half.
μαρτυρία	martyria	testimony	See 3:11	testimony	Ch.5 assembles a fourfold legal case for Jesus’s identity: John the Baptist’s testimony, Jesus’s own works, the Father’s testimony, and Scripture’s testimony (5:31-47)	गवाही — as established at 3:11. Medium risk.
ἐρευνᾶτε τὰς γραφάς	ereunate tas graphas	search the Scriptures	γραφή = writing, Scripture	search the Scriptures	5:39 — the Scriptures themselves testify about Christ; ties to the curriculum’s implicit doctrine of Scripture’s Christ-centered witness	शास्त्र खोजू / शास्त्रक जाँच करू। Medium risk; शास्त्र is the standard Sanskrit-derived term for sacred writings — flag that it must be understood here as the OT canon testifying to Christ, not conflated with the broader Hindu category of शास्त्र (Vedic/Puranic sacred texts), an important distinction given the same root word’s much wider religious currency in the region (cf. baseline’s “inspiration_of_scripture” doctrine entry).

John 6 — Bread of Life Discourse

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς	egō eimi ho artos tēs zōēs	I am the bread of life	The first of John’s seven “I am” predicate statements	I am the bread of life	Jesus as the sole, sufficient, life-giving sustenance for the soul, surpassing the manna of the Exodus	हम जीवनक रोटी छी। High risk — the predicate “I am” statements (as distinct from the absolute “I am” of 8:58) must still consistently carry the highest honorific verb form (छी) established for divine self-reference; reuse जीवन (life) as established. See glossary entry “I Am statements.”
φαγεῖν…τὴν σάρκα…πιεῖν…τὸ αἷμα	phagein…tēn sarka…piein…to haima	to eat…the flesh…to drink…the blood	Startlingly literal-sounding language (6:53-56) widely understood as figurative for participatory, believing reception of Christ’s atoning death, and/or as anticipating the Lord’s Supper	eat my flesh, drink my blood	The most demanding statement in the discourse (“a hard saying,” 6:60) — union with Christ through faith is as vital and intimate as eating and drinking	मांस खाएब…लहू पिबाब। High risk — requires a translator note clarifying the figurative, faith-participatory meaning (cf. 6:63, “the words I have spoken to you are spirit and life”), to prevent either a crude literalistic misunderstanding or an unintended collision with regional सत्तू/प्रसाद-type ritual food-sharing customs.
ὁ ἅγιος τοῦ θεοῦ	ho hagios tou theou	the Holy One of God	A messianic confession (Peter, 6:69)	the Holy One of God	Peter’s confession after the “hard saying” causes many disciples to leave — affirms Jesus’s unique holy identity as the reason to remain	परमेश्वरक पवित्र जन — reuse पवित्र जन from baseline (there used corporately for believers; here applied uniquely to Christ himself, requiring a translator note on the distinct singular application). Medium-High risk given this dual usage across the corpus.
γογγύζω	gongyzō	murmur, grumble	Muttered complaint/discontent, echoing Israel’s wilderness grumbling (Exodus 16)	murmur, grumble	The crowd’s grumbling response to Jesus’s hard teaching deliberately echoes Israel’s wilderness unbelief	बड़बड़ाएब / गुनगुनाएब। Low risk.

John 7 — Feast of Tabernacles

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ποταμοὶ ὕδατος ζῶντος	potamoi hydatos zōntos	rivers of living water	Extends the “living water” image (ch.4) to a promise of the Spirit’s future outpouring	rivers of living water	7:38-39 explicitly identifies this with the Spirit, “which was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” — links the Spirit’s coming to Christ’s glorification (death/resurrection/ascension)	जीवनदायी जलक नदी — reuse जीवनदायी जल from ch.4. High risk; the explicit narrator’s gloss identifying this with the Spirit (7:39) must be preserved clearly.
δικαίαν κρίσιν κρίνετε	dikaian krisin krinete	judge righteous judgment	δίκαιος = righteous/just; κρίσις/κρίνω, judgment/judge — cognate construction	judge with right judgment	Contrasts superficial judgment “by appearances” with judgment grounded in true righteousness	धार्मिकतासँ न्याय करू — reuse धार्मिकता exactly from baseline (Critical term). High risk in combination.
ὁ προφήτης	ho prophētēs	the Prophet	The definite “Prophet” expected on the basis of Deuteronomy 18:15	the Prophet	Popular speculation about whether Jesus is “the Prophet” (7:40) alongside “the Christ” — reflects messianic expectation categories active in first-century Judaism	भविष्यद्वक्ता — reuse baseline exactly. Low risk per baseline, though note the definite-article “the Prophet” (a specific end-time figure) versus the generic office; a translator note distinguishing these is useful.

John 8 — Light of the World; “Before Abraham Was, I Am”

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου	egō eimi to phōs tou kosmou	I am the light of the world	Second “I am” statement	I am the light of the world	Jesus as the sole source of revelatory truth and moral illumination for humanity, in contrast to the darkness of unbelief established in 3:19-21	हम जगतक प्रकाश छी। High risk — reuse प्रकाश and जगत् as established; consistent honorific verb छी required.
ἡ ἀλήθεια ἐλευθερώσει ὑμᾶς	hē alētheia eleutherōsei hymas	the truth will free you	ἐλευθερόω = to set free, liberate	the truth will set you free	8:31-36 — freedom from slavery to sin, available to “the Son’s” disciples who continue in his word	सत्य अहाँके स्वतंत्र करत। Critical new risk — the natural Maithili/Hindi word-family for “free/liberate” is मुक्त/मुक्ति, precisely the term-family already forbidden in the Romans package for “salvation” because of its मोक्ष/rebirth-liberation associations. This analysis recommends स्वतंत्र/स्वतंत्रता (independence/freedom, a more neutral legal-relational term) as the primary rendering, and flags मुक्त as forbidden unless tightly qualified (e.g. “पापसँ मुक्त,” explicitly anchored to freedom from sin, never standing alone). This is a new, John-specific forbidden-substitution risk that should be added to the doctrine risk registry in Step 2.
δοῦλος τῆς ἁμαρτίας	doulos tēs hamartias	slave of sin	Total bondage to sin’s mastery	slave of sin	The condition from which Christ’s truth liberates — grounds why “freedom” language is needed at all	पापक दास। Medium risk; पाप reused exactly from baseline.
τέκνα τοῦ διαβόλου	tekna tou diabolou	children of the devil	Spiritual paternity, not physical descent	children of the devil	Jesus’s severe pronouncement to hostile interlocutors who claim Abrahamic descent as spiritual security — spiritual parentage is revealed by one’s conduct and response to truth, not ancestry	शैतानक सन्तान। Medium-High risk — must not be misapplied polemically to any ethnic or caste group; keep tightly bound to the passage’s own logic (response to Christ’s word), consistent with the baseline’s insistence on non-lineage-based spiritual categories (cf. “unity_of_jews_and_gentiles”).
πρὶν Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι ἐγὼ εἰμί	prin Abraam genesthai egō eimi	before Abraham came into being, I am	The climactic absolute “I am,” deliberately echoing the divine name revealed in Exodus 3:14 (LXX ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν)	before Abraham was, I am	The clearest single self-claim to eternal, divine pre-existence and identity with YHWH in the Gospel — the crowd’s response (picking up stones) confirms they heard this as a claim to deity	हम पहिनहिये सँ छी / अब्राहमक पहिनहि हम छी। Critical — the highest-stakes single phrase in the whole book for the “Deity and Pre-existence of Christ” doctrine. Must retain the timeless present tense “I am” (not “I was” or “I existed”), rendered with the highest honorific verb register, and must carry an explicit translator note connecting it to the divine name of Exodus 3:14, since this connection is invisible without OT literacy (which the baseline package already flags Maithili audiences as generally lacking).

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ἵνα φανερωθῇ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ θεοῦ	hina phanerōthē ta erga tou theou	that the works of God might be displayed	See φανερόω at 3:21; ἔργα, “works,” as at 3:19-21	that God’s works might be displayed	Reframes suffering: the man’s blindness is occasion not for assigning blame (whose sin?) but for God’s own works to be made visible through Christ	परमेश्वरक काज प्रकट होय। Medium-High risk; काज reused (not कर्म) per the whole-book convention established at 3:19-21.
ἀποσυνάγωγος	aposynagōgos	put out of the synagogue	Formal expulsion from synagogue membership/fellowship	put out of the synagogue, excommunicated	The social cost of confessing Jesus in a hostile religious environment (9:22, cf. 12:42, 16:2) — a live pastoral concern for a Maithili convert audience facing social/family costs of confessing Christ	सभासँ बहिष्कार कएल जाएब। Medium risk — a highly relevant pastoral parallel for converts from Hindu family/caste structures facing social exclusion; no direct cultural collision, but should be handled with pastoral sensitivity in teaching notes.

John 10 — The Good Shepherd; “I and the Father Are One”

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ θύρα	egō eimi hē thyra	I am the door	Third “I am” statement	I am the door	Sole means of access to salvation/the sheepfold	हम दरबाजा छी। High risk (I AM series); reuse conventions established at 6:35, 8:12.
ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός	egō eimi ho poimēn ho kalos	I am the good shepherd	Fourth “I am” statement; καλός here = noble/model/excellent, not merely morally good	I am the good shepherd	Christ’s sacrificial, personally-invested care for his own, contrasted with a hired hand’s self-interest	हम नीक चरवाहा छी। High risk.
τίθημι τὴν ψυχήν μου	tithēmi tēn psychēn mou	I lay down my life/soul	ψυχή = life, soul, self; τίθημι = to lay down, place	I lay down my life	Voluntary, sacrificial self-giving death, given and taken up again by the shepherd’s own authority (10:17-18) — directly grounds the curriculum’s “Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection” doctrine	हम अपन प्राण दैत छी। High risk — must convey voluntary, authoritative self-giving (10:18, “no one takes it from me… I have authority to lay it down and to take it up again”), not a passive victimhood narrative.
ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν	egō kai ho patēr hen esmen	I and the Father are one	ἕν (neuter “one thing/one reality,” not εἷς masculine “one person”) — unity of nature/essence and purpose, while the Father and Son remain distinct persons	I and the Father are one	The clearest single statement of the Father-Son unity doctrine; the hostile hearers’ response (attempting to stone him for blasphemy, “making yourself God,” 10:33) confirms this was heard as a claim to full deity	हम आ पिता एक छी। Critical — anchors the curriculum’s “Unity of the Father and the Son” doctrine. The neuter ἕν (essential unity) versus masculine εἷς (a single person) distinction should be preserved in translator notes even though Maithili एक does not grammatically mark this gender distinction — the surrounding context and catechetical material must clarify this is unity of nature/purpose between two distinct Persons, not modalism (the Father and Son collapsing into a single person) nor mere agreement of will between two separate beings. Requires the highest honorific verb (छी) applied jointly.

John 11 — Raising of Lazarus

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή	egō eimi hē anastasis kai hē zōē	I am the resurrection and the life	Fifth “I am” statement	I am the resurrection and the life	Jesus does not merely perform resurrections but IS, in his own person, the source and guarantee of resurrection life for all who believe — the climactic sign of the first half of the Gospel	हम पुनरुत्थान आ जीवन छी — reuse पुनरुत्थान exactly from baseline (Critical). Critical — the highest-value combination of the “I am” series with the resurrection doctrine; must never drift toward पुनर्जन्म-adjacent language; the raising of Lazarus itself (a return to ordinary mortal life, later to die again) must be distinguished in translator notes from Christ’s own resurrection (bodily, glorified, never to die again, ch.20) to avoid conflating the two kinds of “raising” under one flattened term.
ἐνεβριμήσατο τῷ πνεύματι…ἐδάκρυσεν	enebrimēsato tō pneumati…edakrysen	was deeply moved/indignant in spirit…wept	ἐμβριμάομαι = a strong, visceral emotional reaction (anger, distress, or deep agitation); δακρύω = to shed tears (distinct from κλαίω, loud weeping, used of Mary and the mourners)	was deeply moved, groaned in spirit…wept	The fully human emotional depth of Christ’s grief at death’s reality, even as he is about to overturn it — grounds both the “humanity of Christ” doctrine already in the baseline and the pastoral warmth this curriculum calls for	गहीरासँ व्याकुल भेलाह…आँसू खसौलनि। Medium-High risk — must preserve real, visceral human emotion (not a stoic or merely ceremonial gesture), while keeping the honorific verb register appropriate to referring to Christ.
ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἐρχόμενος	ho huios tou theou ho eis ton kosmon erchomenos	the Son of God who is coming into the world	Martha’s confession (11:27), echoing 20:31’s summary purpose statement	the Son of God, who comes into the world	A full messianic/divine-sonship confession from an ordinary disciple, framing the raising of Lazarus as revelation, not mere favor	जगतमे अबैबला परमेश्वरक पुत्र — reuse परमेश्वरक पुत्र and जगत् exactly as established. Critical.

John 12 — Anointing at Bethany; the Hour Has Come

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ἐλήλυθεν ἡ ὥρα ἵνα δοξασθῇ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου	elēlythen hē hōra hina doxasthē ho huios tou anthrōpou	the hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified	ὥρα = the appointed, decisive time (not merely “an hour” of clock-time); δοξάζω = to glorify	the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified	The turning point of the Gospel’s structure — everything from ch.13 onward unfolds within “the hour,” Christ’s path to glory through suffering	घड़ी आबि गेल जे मनुष्यक पुत्र महिमान्वित होथि। Critical — घड़ी (appointed hour) must carry the weight of a divinely fixed, climactic moment, not a mere clock-reference; महिमान्वित होथि reuses महिमा exactly and pairs it paradoxically with the cross, per the “lifted up” discussion at 3:14 and 8:28.
ὁ κόκκος τοῦ σίτου… ἀποθάνῃ…πολὺν καρπὸν φέρει	ho kokkos tou sitou…apothanē…polyn karpon pherei	the grain of wheat…if it dies…bears much fruit	Agricultural metaphor for death producing multiplied life	a grain of wheat…dies…bears much fruit	Christ’s own death as the necessary and fruitful pattern also required of any disciple who would truly “keep” their life (12:24-25)	गहूमक दाना…मरय…बहुत फर होय। Low-Medium risk; a naturally resonant agrarian image for a Maithili farming context.
ἦν γὰρ ἐν αὐτοῖς…πεπωρωμένη ἡ καρδία	ēn gar en autois…pepōrōmenē hē kardia	their heart was hardened	Citation and application of Isaiah 6:9-10 to Jewish unbelief despite the many signs performed	their heart was hardened	Explains persistent unbelief despite abundant evidence — a fulfillment-of-prophecy passage (already flagged High risk in the baseline for its cyclical-vs-linear-fulfillment risk) directly relevant here	हृदय कठोर भ’ गेल छल। High risk per baseline’s “fulfillment_of_prophecy” entry — the OT citation’s linear, historical fulfillment logic must not be assimilated to the region’s own cyclical yuga-restoration narrative pattern.

John 13 — Foot Washing; the New Commandment

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ἐντολὴν καινήν	entolēn kainēn	a new commandment	καινός = new (in kind/quality, not merely chronologically recent)	a new commandment	”Love one another as I have loved you” — Christ’s own sacrificial love (about to be enacted on the cross) becomes both the content and the standard/measure of Christian love	नव आज्ञा। Medium risk; must convey new in kind (Christ’s own self-giving love as the standard), not merely a fresh rule added to existing Torah commandments (व्यवस्था, reused from baseline).
ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους καθὼς ἠγάπησα ὑμᾶς	agapate allēlous kathōs ēgapēsa hymas	love one another as I have loved you	See ἀγαπάω discussion at 3:16	love one another as I have loved you	The defining mark of authentic discipleship (13:35)	एक दोसराके प्रेम करू, जेना हम अहाँ सभके प्रेम कएलहुँ। High risk; प्रेम as established, honorific verb for Christ’s action.

John 14 — The Way, the Truth, the Life; the Counselor Promised

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή	egō eimi hē hodos kai hē alētheia kai hē zōē	I am the way, and the truth, and the life	Sixth “I am” statement; ὁδός = way/path (also the earliest self-designation of Christian faith itself, Acts 9:2)	I am the way, the truth, and the life	Exclusive claim: Christ alone is the means, the content, and the goal of access to the Father (14:6, “no one comes to the Father except through me”)	हम मार्ग, सत्य आ जीवन छी। Critical — this is the single clearest exclusivity claim in the Gospel, directly relevant to a religiously plural context with multiple established paths to the divine (Vaishnava bhakti-marg, Shaiva paths, etc.); must be translated without softening the exclusivity (“except through me”), while pastoral material may separately address how to present this exclusivity graciously.
ὁ παράκλητος	ho paraklētos	the Counselor/Advocate/Helper	Legal-forensic term for one called alongside to help, defend, comfort, or advocate on another’s behalf; also translated Comforter, Advocate, Helper	Counselor, Comforter, Advocate, Helper	The Holy Spirit as a distinct, personal, divine Helper who continues Christ’s own presence and ministry after his departure — directly grounds the curriculum’s “Holy Spirit as Counselor” doctrine	सहायक (helper). High risk — must convey a distinctly personal, legal-advocate/comforting presence (the Spirit as “another Counselor,” 14:16, implying Jesus himself was the first) rather than an impersonal force or energy; consistent with the baseline’s Critical guard on पवित्र आत्मा against ब्रह्म/परमात्मा. Always pair सहायक with पवित्र आत्मा at first mention in each new chapter (14, 15, 16) so the term is anchored to the already-established Holy Spirit vocabulary, not treated as a separate being.
τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας	to pneuma tēs alētheias	the Spirit of truth	Another Johannine title for the same Counselor/Holy Spirit	the Spirit of truth	Stresses the Spirit’s role in disclosing and guiding believers into truth (culminating at 16:13)	सत्यक पवित्र आत्मा — reuse पवित्र आत्मा exactly; सत्य as established. High risk.
εἰρήνην ἀφίημι ὑμῖν… οὐ καθὼς ὁ κόσμος δίδωσιν	eirēnēn aphiēmi hymin… ou kathōs ho kosmos didōsin	peace I leave with you… not as the world gives	εἰρήνη — see baseline “peace”	peace I leave with you, not as the world gives	Christ’s peace is not the mere absence of trouble the world offers but a settled relational peace grounded in his own presence and accomplished work	शान्ति अहाँके दैत छी…जगत् जेना दैत अछि, ओहन नहि। Medium risk; शान्ति reused exactly from baseline; जगत् as established — note the baseline’s existing caution against conflating “peace” with the Sita-Ram domestic-harmony ideal applies equally here.

John 15 — The True Vine

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή	egō eimi hē ampelos hē alēthinē	I am the true vine	Seventh and final “I am” statement; ἀληθινή = genuine/real, as opposed to a merely apparent or inferior counterpart	I am the true vine	Echoes OT imagery of Israel as God’s vine (Isaiah 5, Psalm 80) now fulfilled and relocated in Christ himself — union with him is the sole source of spiritual fruitfulness	हम सत्य दाखलता छी। Medium-High risk — दाखलता (vine, from दाख, “grape,” an established North Indian Bible-translation term) should be retained rather than substituted with a generic “लता” (creeper/vine) to preserve consistency with existing regional Bible tradition; “true” here (ἀληθινή) must convey “the genuine, real fulfillment” of Israel’s vine-imagery, not merely “truthful” in a moral sense.
μείνατε ἐν ἐμοί	meinate en emoi	abide/remain in me	μένω = to remain, dwell, stay, continue in relationship	abide in me, remain in me	The central relational demand of the passage: ongoing, dependent union with Christ as the sole condition of fruitfulness (“apart from me you can do nothing,” 15:5)	हमरामे बनल रहू। High risk; μένω recurs over 40 times across John and 1 John — must be rendered with a single consistent Maithili verb throughout the whole book (see glossary), conveying continuous relational dependence, not mere physical proximity or passive waiting.
μείζονα ταύτης ἀγάπην οὐδεὶς ἔχει	meizona tautēs agapēn oudeis echei	no one has greater love than this	Comparative superlative statement of self-sacrificial love	greater love has no one than this	15:13, directly anticipating the cross — defines the standard of Christian love introduced at 13:34	एहिसँ बेसी प्रेम केओ नहि रखैत अछि। High risk; प्रेम as established.

John 16 — The Spirit’s Ministry; “I Have Overcome the World”

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ἐλέγξει τὸν κόσμον περὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ περὶ δικαιοσύνης καὶ περὶ κρίσεως	elenxei ton kosmon peri hamartias kai peri dikaiosynēs kai peri kriseōs	he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment	ἐλέγχω — see 3:20; a threefold convicting ministry of the Spirit	he will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment	The Spirit’s ongoing forensic/evidentiary work exposing the world’s true moral-spiritual condition relative to Christ — reuses δικαιοσύνη (righteousness) in a context distinct from, but consonant with, its Pauline forensic-justification sense	जगतके पाप, धार्मिकता आ न्यायक विषयमे दोषी ठहराओत। Critical/High combination — reuse पाप, धार्मिकता (Critical per baseline), जगत्, and न्याय (as established at 3:19) exactly; दोषी ठहराओत should match the same root used at 3:20’s ἐλέγχω for whole-book consistency.
ὁδηγήσει ὑμᾶς εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν	hodēgēsei hymas eis pasan tēn alētheian	he will guide you into all the truth	ὁδηγέω = to guide, lead the way	he will guide you into all truth	The Spirit’s positive teaching ministry, continuing and completing Christ’s own revelation (16:13-15) — grounds ongoing doctrinal instruction under the Spirit’s guidance	सत्यक सम्पूर्ण मार्गमे लऽ जेतथि। Medium-High risk; सत्य reused.
νενίκηκα τὸν κόσμον	nenikēka ton kosmon	I have overcome the world	νικάω = to conquer, be victorious; perfect tense = a settled, completed victory	I have overcome the world	Christ’s confident declaration of victory before the crucifixion has even occurred — the cross, not despite but through suffering, is already, in God’s reckoning, a triumph	हम जगतपर विजय पाबि लेने छी। Medium-High risk; जगत् reused; the perfect-tense “already accomplished” sense (as at 3:18’s κέκριται) should be preserved.

John 17 — The High Priestly Prayer

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
δόξασόν σου τὸν υἱόν	doxason sou ton huion	glorify your Son	δοξάζω — see 12:23	glorify your Son	Jesus’s opening petition, initiating the prayer that surveys the whole scope of his mission and its fruit in the disciples	अपन पुत्रके महिमान्वित करू। Critical; महिमा reused.
τῇ δόξῃ ᾗ εἶχον πρὸ τοῦ τὸν κόσμον εἶναι παρὰ σοί	tē doxē hē eichon pro tou ton kosmon einai para soi	the glory I had with you before the world existed	A direct pre-existence and pre-temporal-glory statement	the glory I had with you before the world was	One of the clearest single statements of Christ’s eternal pre-existence, complementing 1:1-3 and 8:58	जगतक होएबासँ पहिनहिये अहाँक संग जे महिमा हमरा छल। Critical — anchors “Deity and Pre-existence of Christ” alongside 1:1 and 8:58; जगत् and महिमा reused exactly.
ἵνα ὦσιν ἕν καθὼς ἡμεῖς ἕν	hina ōsin hen kathōs hēmeis hen	that they may be one as we are one	ἕν, as at 10:30 — essential/relational unity, the model for believers’ unity extended from, and grounded in, the Father-Son unity	that they may be one as we are one	Believers’ unity is not merely organizational but is patterned after, and derived from, the ontological unity of Father and Son — a direct extension of the “Unity of the Father and the Son” doctrine into ecclesiology	ओ सभ एक होथि, जेना हम सभ एक छी। Critical — must preserve the “as we are one” comparison intact, since it grounds the believers’ unity in the divine, not merely urging cooperative agreement; reuse एक as established at 10:30.
ἁγίασον αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ	hagiason autous en tē alētheia	sanctify them in/by the truth	ἁγιάζω — see baseline “sanctification” (πवित्रीकरण)	sanctify them in the truth	The Spirit’s sanctifying work operates through God’s revealed truth (17:17, “your word is truth”)	ओ सभके सत्यमे पवित्र करू — reuse पवित्र root from baseline exactly; सत्य as established. High risk.

John 18 — Betrayal and Arrest; Before Pilate

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ἐγώ εἰμι	egō eimi	I am (he)	The absolute “I am” recurs dramatically here (18:5-6), causing the arresting party to fall backward	I am he	A momentary, involuntary theophanic reaction from Jesus’s captors — even in the act of his arrest, his divine self-identification produces an unmistakable, if brief, manifestation of authority	हम छी। Critical — same rendering and honorific verb as at 8:58; translator note should flag the narrative detail (soldiers falling back) as evidence this is meant as the same weighty divine self-identification, not a mundane “yes, that’s me.”
ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου	hē basileia hē emē ouk estin ek tou kosmou toutou	my kingdom is not of this world	βασιλεία — see baseline “kingdom_of_god”	my kingdom is not of this world	Clarifies before Pilate that Christ’s kingship is not a political/territorial threat to Rome, yet is nonetheless real and universal in scope — highly relevant given Mithila’s own historic Janak-kingdom self-identity already flagged in the baseline	हमर राज्य एहि जगतक नहि अछि — reuse परमेश्वरक राज्य’s राज्य root and जगत्. Medium-High risk.
μαρτυρήσω τῇ ἀληθείᾳ	martyrēsō tē alētheia	I might testify to the truth	μαρτυρέω, ἀλήθεια — both established	to testify to the truth	Jesus states the purpose of his coming into the world in his own words to Pilate, just before Pilate’s cynical “what is truth?” (18:38)	सत्यक गवाही देब। Medium risk; both terms reused.

John 19 — Crucifixion

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων	ho basileus tōn Ioudaiōn	the King of the Jews	The titulus placed on the cross, ironically true	King of the Jews	Even in mockery, Pilate’s inscription (in three languages, 19:19-20) publicly and permanently declares Christ’s true kingship at the very moment of his apparent defeat	यहूदीक राजा। Medium risk — standard, no special new risk beyond what “kingdom” already carries.
τετέλεσται	tetelestai	it is finished / it has been accomplished	Perfect tense of τελέω = to complete, bring to its intended goal — a commercial/legal term often used of a debt fully paid or a task fully completed	it is finished, it is accomplished, paid in full	Christ’s climactic declaration from the cross: his atoning work is not interrupted or incomplete but wholly, finally accomplished — the theological anchor of “Christ’s Substitutionary Death” as a completed, once-for-all act	पूरा भ’ गेल / सिद्ध भ’ गेल। Critical — the perfect tense’s sense of a completed, sufficient, once-for-all accomplishment (not “I am finished/defeated” and not an ongoing process needing supplementation by human merit or ritual) must be preserved; directly parallels the baseline’s concern (under “imputed_righteousness” and “grace”) that Christ’s finished work must never be presented as needing to be completed or supplemented by human effort.
αἷμα καὶ ὕδωρ	haima kai hydōr	blood and water	The flow from Jesus’s pierced side (19:34), widely read as confirming genuine physical death and/or carrying sacramental symbolic resonance	blood and water	Physical confirmation of real death (countering docetic denial of Christ’s true humanity) and traditionally linked typologically to cleansing/sacrifice themes already present in John (1:29, 3:5, 6:53-56)	लहू आ पानि। Medium risk; both terms already established.

John 20 — Resurrection Appearances

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ἠγέρθη…ἀνάστασιν	ēgerthē…anastasin	was raised…resurrection	ἐγείρω = to raise up; ἀνάστασις — see baseline “resurrection”	he was raised, the resurrection	The empty tomb and appearances confirm the bodily, historical resurrection already anticipated at 2:19-22 and 11:25	पुनरुत्थान भेल — reuse baseline exactly. Critical; the baseline’s mandatory distinguishing note from पुनर्जन्म/reincarnation applies with full force at this chapter, the Gospel’s climactic resurrection narrative.
λάβετε πνεῦμα ἅγιον	labete pneuma hagion	receive the Holy Spirit	λαμβάνω = receive; πνεῦμα ἅγιον — baseline term	receive the Holy Spirit	The risen Christ’s commissioning breath upon the disciples (20:22), a proleptic anticipation/enactment of the fuller Pentecostal outpouring	पवित्र आत्मा ग्रहण करू — reuse baseline exactly. Critical.
μακάριοι οἱ μὴ ἰδόντες καὶ πιστεύσαντες	makarioi hoi mē idontes kai pisteusantes	blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed	μακάριος = blessed, fortunate, favored by God	blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe	Jesus’s word to Thomas extends the blessing of authentic faith to all future believers (including this curriculum’s Maithili readers) who trust without having witnessed the resurrection firsthand	जे बिना देखने विश्वास कएलनि, ओ धन्य छथि। High risk; विश्वास reused exactly from baseline.
ἵνα πιστεύσητε ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ…ζωὴν ἔχητε ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ	hina pisteusēte hoti Iēsous estin ho Christos ho huios tou theou…zōēn echēte en tō onomati autou	that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God…and have life in his name	The Gospel’s own explicit statement of purpose (20:30-31)	that you may believe…and have life in his name	The stated purpose of the entire Gospel of John, tying together every major term treated in this analysis: belief, Christ/Messiah, Son of God, life, name	ई सभ एहि हेतु लिखल गेल जे अहाँ सभ विश्वास करू जे यीशु मसीह, परमेश्वरक पुत्र छथि…आ अहाँके ओहिनाओंमे जीवन भेटय। Critical — this verse functions as the interpretive key to the whole book; every reused term (विश्वास, मसीह, परमेश्वरक पुत्र, जीवन) must appear here in its already-established form for maximal whole-curriculum consistency.

John 21 — Epilogue: Restoration of Peter

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Maithili rendering & risk
ἀγαπᾷς με…φιλῶ σε	agapas me…philō se	do you love me (agapaō)…I love/am fond of you (phileō)	Two distinct Greek love-verbs used across Jesus’s threefold questioning of Peter (21:15-17); scholars differ on how sharply distinguished the two verbs are in this passage, but the deliberate variation is stylistically marked	do you love me / I love you (with two different verbs)	Peter’s threefold restoration after his threefold denial (18:15-27), matching the number if not precisely the intensity of the original failure	प्रेम करैत छी (for both, since Maithili — like most languages — has no natural two-tier love-verb distinction matching agapaō/phileō exactly). High risk requiring a mandatory translator note: the Greek text uses two different verbs across this exchange; Maithili’s single प्रेम-based verb will necessarily flatten this nuance, so a footnote explaining the alternation is required for any teaching material engaging this passage closely (a similar accommodation to the “wind/Spirit” pun at 3:8).
βόσκε τὰ ἀρνία μου…ποίμαινε τὰ πρόβατά μου	boske ta arnia mou…poimaine ta probata mou	feed my lambs…shepherd/tend my sheep	βόσκω = feed/nourish; ποιμαίνω = to shepherd, tend, govern as a shepherd — echoes the “Good Shepherd” imagery of ch.10 now delegated to Peter	feed my lambs, tend my sheep	Peter’s restoration is immediately given pastoral content: caring for Christ’s own flock, in continuity with, and under, the Good Shepherd himself	मोर मेमनाके खुआउ…मोर भेड़िक रखवारी करू। Medium risk; reuse नीक चरवाहा imagery established at 10:11 as background context.
ἀληθής ἐστιν ἡ μαρτυρία αὐτοῦ	alēthēs estin hē martyria autou	his testimony is true	See μαρτυρία, ἀλήθεια, as established	his testimony is true	The Gospel’s closing authentication of the Beloved Disciple’s eyewitness testimony as the basis of the whole book	ओकर गवाही सत्य अछि। Low-Medium risk; both terms already established.

This document, together with analysis/08_core_glossary.md, forms the Step 1 deliverable for the John curriculum and must be loaded alongside the Romans-derived translation_memory.json, bible_term_registry.json, and doctrine_risk_registry.json before any Phase 2 term-registry or doctrine-risk-registry updates for John are drafted in Step 2.

Library content is free and openly licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — share and adapt it for non-commercial use, with attribution to tri-bible.ai.