Core Glossary
Core Glossary — Mark (English → Nepali)
Purpose
This glossary consolidates every load-bearing theological term identified in 07_semantic_analysis.md across the entire Gospel of Mark (chapters 1–16 plus the core passage, Mark 10:35–45). Terms already established in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json are marked (reuse) and their recorded rendering is carried forward exactly, with no substitution. New terms required specifically by Mark’s narrative content are added here for the first time, with proposed Nepali renderings, risk tiers, and rationale, ready for promotion into an updated translation memory in a later Phase 1 step.
Risk tiers follow the baseline definitions exactly:
- Critical — mistranslation destroys essential doctrine; human theologian review required for every occurrence.
- High — mistranslation creates significant theological confusion or syncretism risk; human theologian review required.
- Medium — mistranslation reduces clarity but preserves essential meaning; native speaker review recommended.
- Low — mistranslation causes minor misunderstanding; automated review sufficient.
A. Christological Titles
| Term | Nepali rendering | Transliteration | Risk | Status | First occurrence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Son of God | परमेश्वरका पुत्र | Parameshwarka Putra | Critical | Reuse | 1:1 | Never देवपुत्र. Full deity, unique eternal Sonship. |
| Son of Man | मानिसका पुत्र | Maniska Putra | Critical | New | 2:10 | Distinct christological title from Son of God; fuses Daniel 7 dominion with Isaiah 53 suffering. Never flattened to generic “a human being.” |
| Beloved Son | प्रिय पुत्र (+ परमेश्वरका पुत्र) | Priya Putra | Critical | New | 1:11; 9:7 | Divine testimonial confirmation of Jesus’ unique Sonship at baptism and Transfiguration. |
| Christ / Messiah | मसीह | Masih | Critical | Reuse | 1:1; 8:29; 14:61; 15:32 | Exclusive OT fulfillment; never one of several avatars/teachers. |
| Lord | प्रभु | Prabhu | Critical | Reuse | throughout | Reserve प्रभु root strictly for Christ’s/God’s own lordship; never for worldly domineering (see “lord it over,” section E). |
| Teacher | गुरु | Guru | High | New | 4:38; 9:5; 10:17,20,35,51; 12:14,19,32 | Natural, warm address; must be anchored to Christ’s unique authority, not read as one guru among a lineage. |
| Son of David | दाऊदका पुत्र | Daudka Putra | High | New | 10:47–48; 11:10 (implicit); 12:35–37 | Builds on baseline “seed of David” (दाऊदको वंश); messianic-royal fulfillment, not a merely political dynastic claim. |
| ”I am” (self-declaration) | म हुँ | Ma Hun | Critical | New | 6:50; 14:62 | Echoes LXX divine self-revelation (Exod 3:14; Isa 43:10); requires explanatory note. |
| King of the Jews | यहूदीहरूका राजा | Yahudiharuka Raja | Medium | New | 15:2,9,12,18,26 | Preserve the ironic double meaning — mockery that is unintentionally true. |
B. Soteriology and Atonement
| Term | Nepali rendering | Transliteration | Risk | Status | First occurrence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salvation | उद्धार | Uddhar | Critical | Reuse | 8:35; 10:26; 13:13 | Never मुक्ति/मोक्ष/निर्वाण. |
| Save / heal (dual sense) | निको हुनु / बचाउनु (physical); उद्धार गर्नु (soteriological) | — | High | New | 5:23,28,34; 10:52 | Context-sensitive; preserve Mark’s deliberate double meaning where possible. |
| Ransom | फिरौती | Phirauti | Critical | New | 10:45 | Doctrinally neutral, economically concrete term; never मुक्तिको मूल्य or any मुक्ति-rooted phrase. |
| In place of / instead of | …को सट्टामा | ko sattama | Medium | New | 10:45 | Preserve substitutionary exchange logic in sentence structure. |
| Many (Isaiah 53 echo) | धेरै | Dherai | Medium | New | 10:45; 14:24 | Do not read as arbitrarily limiting the gospel’s universal scope. |
| Covenant blood | मेरो करारको रगत | mero kararko ragat | Critical | New (combines reuse) | 14:24 | करार reused exactly from baseline; combined with रगत for sacrificial/covenant-inaugurating force. |
| Poured out for many | धेरैका निम्ति बगाइएको | dheraika nimti bagaieko | Critical | New | 14:24 | Must align with 10:45’s substitutionary theology. |
| Imputed righteousness | आरोपित धार्मिकता | aropit dharmikata | Critical | Reuse | (conceptual background; not a distinct Markan term) | Retained for cross-curriculum consistency with Romans. |
| Justification | धर्मी ठहराइने कार्य | dharmi thahraine karya | Critical | Reuse | (conceptual background) | Retained for cross-curriculum consistency. |
| Righteousness | धार्मिकता | dharmikata | Critical | Reuse | (conceptual background) | Never धर्म. |
| Grace | अनुग्रह | Anugraha | High | Reuse | (conceptual background) | Never पुण्य/भाग्य. |
| Sin | पाप | Paap | High | Reuse | 1:4,5; 2:5–10 | Never अकुशल कर्म. |
| Forgive (sins) | क्षमा गर्नु / क्षमा | kshama garnu / kshama | High | New | 2:5–10 | Use क्षमा, not माफी, consistent with baseline’s justification note. |
| Eternal life | अनन्त जीवन | ananta jivan | High | New | 10:17,30 | Distinguish from saṃsāra (endless rebirth); anchor to bodily resurrection hope. |
| Gehenna / hell | गेहेन्ना (primary) / नरक (gloss only) | Gehenna | High | New | 9:43–48 | Avoid नरक’s cyclical, karma-driven rebirth-realm associations. |
C. Pneumatology and the Demonic
| Term | Nepali rendering | Transliteration | Risk | Status | First occurrence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holy Spirit | पवित्र आत्मा | Pavitra Atma | Critical | Reuse | 1:8,10,12; 3:29; 13:11 | Never ब्रह्म/परमात्मा. |
| Unclean spirit / demon | अशुद्ध आत्मा / दुष्ट आत्मा | ashuddha atma / dushta atma | Critical | New | 1:23 | Never भूत/प्रेत/बोक्सी (folk-shamanic vocabulary); guards against jhankri-exorcism framing. |
| Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit | पवित्र आत्माको विरुद्धमा निन्दा | pavitra atmako viruddhama nindā | High | New | 3:28–29 | Defiant, willful rejection of Spirit-attested revelation; the unforgivable sin. |
| Life / soul (ψυχή) | ज्यान | jyan | High | New | 8:35–37; 10:45 | Never आत्मा for this sense — avoid collision with Hindu ātman. |
D. Kingdom, Church, and Covenant
| Term | Nepali rendering | Transliteration | Risk | Status | First occurrence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingdom of God | परमेश्वरको राज्य | Parameshwarko Rajya | Medium | Reuse | 1:15; 4:11,26,30; 9:1,47; 10:14–15,23–25; 12:34 | Not a political/territorial kingdom, especially given Nepal’s former monarchy. |
| Gospel | सुसमाचार | Susamachar | High | Reuse | 1:1,14,15; 8:35; 13:10; 16:15 | Distinguished from generic good news. |
| Covenant | करार | Karar | High | Reuse | 14:24 | Never सम्झौता. |
| Law | व्यवस्था | Vyavastha | High | Reuse | 2:23–28; 7:1–13; 10:1–9; 12:28–34 | Never धर्म. |
| Temple (literal building) | मन्दिर | Mandir | Medium | New | 11:11,15–17 | Accurate here (literal Jerusalem Temple); NOT the same as “church,” which remains मण्डली per baseline. |
| Church | मण्डली | Mandali | Medium | Reuse (not a Markan term per se; noted for cross-reference) | — | Never मन्दिर/गुम्बा; kept distinct from “temple” above. |
| Elect / election | परमेश्वरको छनोट | Parameshwarko chhanot | High | Reuse | 13:20,22,27 | Never भाग्य/किस्मत. |
| Passover | निस्तार-चाड / पास्का | Nistar-chad / Paska | Medium | New | 14:1,12–16 | Retain Exodus-deliverance backdrop. |
| Cornerstone / rejected stone | कुनाको मुख्य ढुङ्गा | kunako mukhya dhungā | Medium | New | 12:10 | Requires Ps 118 background. |
E. Discipleship, Servanthood, and Ethics
| Term | Nepali rendering | Transliteration | Risk | Status | First occurrence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authority | अधिकार | Adhikar | High | New | 1:22,27; 2:10; 11:28–33 | Inherent, divine-sourced authority; central to “Jesus’ Authority over Sickness, Sin, and Nature.” |
| Lord it over (worldly domination) | शासन गर्छन् / हुकुम चलाउँछन् | shasan garchhan / hukum chalauchhan | High | New | 10:42 | Never a प्रभु-rooted word; must remain lexically distinct from Christ’s Lordship. |
| Exercise authority over (negative) | अधिकार जनाउँछन् / हुकुम गर्छन् | — | Medium | New | 10:42 | Distinguish clearly from Jesus’ own legitimate ἐξουσία by verb choice/context. |
| Great / greatness | महान् | Mahan | Medium | New | 9:34; 10:43 | Pair consistently with सेवक to preserve the servanthood-vs-greatness reversal. |
| Servant | सेवक | Sevak | High | New | 9:35; 10:43,45 | Anchor to Christ’s own voluntary, cross-shaped model; guard against bhakti guru-seva or caste-duty readings. |
| Slave | दास | Das | High | New | 10:44 | Present as Jesus’ own voluntary self-description; never analogous to Nepal’s historical caste-linked bonded servitude/slavery. |
| First | पहिलो | Pahilo | Low | New | 9:35; 10:44 | Standard term. |
| Cross / take up the cross | क्रूस / क्रूस बहनु | krus / krus bahnu | Critical | New | 8:34; 15:24–25 | Literal Roman execution instrument; never trivialized into a generic-burden idiom. |
| Deny oneself | आफूलाई इन्कार गर्नु | aaphulai inkar garnu | Medium | New | 8:34 | Reordering of loyalty to Christ, not Buddhist self-dissolution (anatta). |
| Love | प्रेम | Prem | High | New | 12:28–31 | Covenantal, self-giving love; distinguish from bhakti devotional love. |
| Repentance | पश्चाताप | Pashchatap | High | New | 1:4,15 | Inward turning to God; distinguish from ascetic merit-penance (tapasya). |
| Divorce | छोडपत्र दिनु / सम्बन्धविच्छेद | chhodpatra dinu | Medium | New | 10:2–12 | Preserve covenantal “one flesh” union, not merely contractual. |
| Betray / hand over | धोका दिनु / पक्राउमा दिनु | dhoka dinu | High | New | 14:10,18,21,41 | Preserve the dual sense of human treachery within divine providence. |
| Compassion | दया | Daya | High | New | 6:34; 1:41; 8:2 | Prefer over करुणा to avoid Buddhist brahmavihāra (detached meditative virtue) framing. |
| Faith | विश्वास | Vishwas | High | Reuse | 2:5; 4:40; 5:34,36; 9:23–24; 10:52; 11:22–24 | Personal trust in Christ, not श्रद्धा/भक्ति. |
| Unbelief | अविश्वास | Avishwas | High | New | 9:24 | Must share root with विश्वास for the direct antithesis to register. |
| Fear (contrasted with faith) | डर / भय | Dar / Bhaya | Medium | New | 4:41; 5:36; 9:32; 16:8 | Central to “Faith and Discipleship amid Fear.” |
F. Prophetic, Apocalyptic, and Ritual Terms
| Term | Nepali rendering | Transliteration | Risk | Status | First occurrence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parable | दृष्टान्त | Drishtanta | Medium | New | 3:23; 4:2–34; 12:1; 13:28 | Standard term; minor overlap with Nyāya logical usage. |
| Mystery of the kingdom | रहस्य | Rahasya | High | New | 4:11 | Revealed truth meant ultimately for proclamation, not permanent Tantric-style esoteric secrecy. |
| Cleanse / leprosy | शुद्ध पार्नु / कुष्ठरोग | shuddha parnu / kushtharog | Medium | New | 1:40–42 | Correct, deliberate use of ritual-purity vocabulary here (contrast with पवित्र for moral holiness elsewhere). |
| Clean / unclean (tradition) | अशुद्ध / भ्रष्ट | ashuddha / bhrashta | High | New | 7:2,5,15,18–23 | Directly engages Nepal’s historical caste-purity codes (Muluki Ain); Jesus relocates defilement to the heart. |
| Tradition of the elders | पुर्खाका रीतिथिति | purkhaka ritithiti | Medium | New | 7:3,5,8–9,13 | Human custom vs. divine commandment; avoid लineage/guru-parampara vocabulary. |
| Corban | कोरबान | Korban | Low | New | 7:11 | Transliteration with gloss. |
| Beelzebul | बेल्जबूल | Beljeboul | Low | New | 3:22 | Transliteration with gloss (“prince of demons”). |
| Sabbath | शबथ | Shabath | Medium | New | 2:23–28; 3:2–4 | Requires Jewish-calendar background; distinguish from Hindu vrat days. |
| Hosanna | होसाना | Hosana | Medium | New | 11:9–10 | Connect to उद्धार root; note crowd’s likely nationalistic misreading. |
| Abomination of desolation | विनाशको घिनलाग्दो थोक | vinashko ghinlagdo thok | High | New | 13:14 | Requires Daniel background; avoid vague generic rendering. |
| Watch / be alert | जागा रहनु / सतर्क रहनु | jaga rahnu / satark rahnu | Medium | New | 13:33–37 | Distinguish from Buddhist meditative mindfulness (sati/smriti). |
| Tribulation | संकष्ट / कष्ट | sankasht / kasht | Medium | New | 13:19,24 | Standard vocabulary for severe eschatological distress. |
| Transfiguration | रूपान्तरण भयो / महिमामय रूपमा प्रकट हुनुभयो | rupantaran bhayo | High | New | 9:2–3 | Distinguish from avatar-style deity-form change; unveiling, not transformation of essence. |
| Torn temple curtain | मन्दिरको पर्दा | mandirko parda | High | New | 15:38 | God’s own initiative opening access to himself; not an incidental detail. |
| Crucify | क्रूसमा टाँग्नु | krusma tangnu | Critical | New | 15:24–25 | Literal, historical; no softening. |
| Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani | एलोई, एलोई, लमा साबखथानी | Eloi, Eloi, lama sabakhthani | Critical | New | 15:34 | Preserve Aramaic transliteration + gloss; note Psalm 22:1 fulfillment. |
| Talitha cumi | तालिथा कूमी | Talitha kumi | Low | New | 5:41 | Preserve Aramaic transliteration + gloss, per Abba precedent. |
| Resurrection | पुनरुत्थान | Punarutthan | Critical | Reuse | 12:18–27; 16:6 | Never पुनर्जन्म. |
| Signs | चिन्ह | Chinha | Medium | New | 16:17,20 | Standard term; accompany with textual note on Mark 16:9–20’s disputed manuscript status. |
G. Proper Nouns and Transliterated Terms
| Term | Nepali rendering | Transliteration | Risk | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jesus | येशू | Yeshu | Critical | Reuse | Established Nepali Christian standard form. |
| David | दाऊद | Daud | Medium | Reuse | Established proper-name form. |
| Israel | इस्राएल | Israel | Medium | Reuse | Established proper-name form. |
| God | परमेश्वर | Parameshwar | Critical | Reuse | Never भगवान. |
| Father | पिता | Pita | Critical | Reuse | Personal Fatherhood of God. |
| Abba | अब्बा | Abba | Medium | Reuse | Preserve Aramaic transliteration with gloss (Mark 14:36). |
| Golgotha | गल्गथा | Galgatha | Low | New | Transliterated proper noun. |
| Gethsemane | गेतसमनी | Getsemani | Low | New | Transliterated proper noun. |
| Legion | लेजियन | Lejiyan | Low | New | Transliterated proper noun (demon’s self-designation, 5:9). |
| High priest | प्रधान पूजाहारी | pradhan pujahari | Medium | New | Jewish office title; distinguish from Hindu pujari (temple priest) despite phonetic similarity of the loanword पूजाहारी — must remain historically/institutionally specific to the Sanhedrin’s high priest. |
| Sanhedrin | महासभा | Mahasabha | Low | New | Jewish ruling council. |
| Pharisees / Scribes / Sadducees | फरिसी / शास्त्री / सदुकी | Farisi / Shastri / Saduki | Low | New | Transliterated group names; शास्त्री also a general Nepali word for “learned scholar,” context disambiguates. |
Cross-Reference to Baseline Terms Not Restated Above
The following baseline terms occur in Mark and must be reused exactly with no modification; see translation_memory.json and bible_term_registry.json for full definitions: gospel, grace, faith, righteousness, justification, salvation, apostle, called, calling, holy, saints, sanctification, resurrection, lord, son_of_god, peace, thanksgiving, fellowship, church, kingdom_of_god, law, sin, gentiles, glory, power_of_god, messiah, prophet, prophecy, covenant, election, intercession, providence, mission, david, israel, jesus, god, holy_spirit, father, abba, exhort, imputed_righteousness.
Critical Risk Terms
Righteousness
Approved rendering: धार्मिकता
Transliteration: dharmikata
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: धर्म, पुण्य
Original: δικαιοσύνη
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Never धर्म, which carries the caste-code weight of the historic Muluki Ain. Retained for cross-curriculum consistency underlying Mark’s atonement teaching.
Justification
Approved rendering: धर्मी ठहराइने कार्य
Transliteration: dharmi thahraine karya
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: माफी पाउने कार्य
Original: δικαίωσις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Retained for cross-curriculum consistency with the atonement theology underlying Mark 10:45 and 14:24.
Salvation
Approved rendering: उद्धार
Transliteration: uddhar
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: मुक्ति, मोक्ष, निर्वाण
Original: σωτηρία
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Mark uses the cognate verb σῴζω in both physical-healing and full soteriological senses (8:35; 10:26; 13:13); never मुक्ति/मोक्ष/निर्वाण. Reserved for the full soteriological sense; see save_heal_dual_sense for the context-sensitive physical/soteriological split.
Resurrection
Approved rendering: पुनरुत्थान
Transliteration: punarutthan
Doctrine: The Resurrection of Christ
Rejected alternatives: पुनर्जन्म
Original: ἀνάστασις
Category: Eschatology
Inherited from Romans package. Governs the Sadducee debate (12:18-27) and the empty-tomb climax (16:1-8). Never पुनर्जन्म; must be distinguished from Hindu rebirth, the Buddhist karma-driven rebirth cycle held by Nepal’s Newar and Himalayan Buddhist communities, and the tulku reincarnation tradition.
Lord
Approved rendering: प्रभु
Transliteration: prabhu
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: मालिक, ईश्वर
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Reserve the प्रभु root strictly for Christ’s own lordship (e.g. 1:3; 2:28; 5:19; 11:3; 12:36-37); never use a प्रभु-cognate for the worldly domination Jesus condemns in 10:42 (see lord_it_over).
Son Of God
Approved rendering: परमेश्वरका पुत्र
Transliteration: Parameshwarka Putra
Doctrine: Jesus as the Suffering Servant and Son of God
Rejected alternatives: देवपुत्र
Original: υἱὸς θεοῦ
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Frames Mark’s Gospel from title (1:1) through the demons’ confession (3:11; 5:7) to the centurion’s climactic confession (15:39). Never देवपुत्र. Must remain distinct from, and never interchangeable with, मानिसका पुत्र (Son of Man).
Messiah
Approved rendering: मसीह
Transliteration: Masih
Doctrine: Jesus as the Suffering Servant and Son of God
Original: Χριστός / מָשִׁיחַ
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Central to the title (1:1), Peter’s confession (8:29), the high priest’s question (14:61), and the mocking inscription (15:32). Never read as one of several avatars or enlightened teachers.
Jesus
Approved rendering: येशू
Transliteration: Yeshu
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Original: Ἰησοῦς / יֵשׁוּעַ
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Established Nepali Christian standard form throughout Mark.
God
Approved rendering: परमेश्वर
Transliteration: Parameshwar
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: भगवान
Original: θεός / אֱלֹהִים
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Never भगवान, given Nepal’s history as the world’s only constitutionally declared Hindu Kingdom until 2007 and its kings’ former veneration as living avatars of Vishnu until 2008.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: पवित्र आत्मा
Transliteration: Pavitra Atma
Doctrine: The Unforgivable Sin: Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit
Rejected alternatives: ब्रह्म, परमात्मा
Original: πνεῦμα ἅγιον
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Present at Jesus’ baptism (1:8,10,12), in the blasphemy warning (3:29), and the Olivet Discourse (13:11). Never ब्रह्म or परमात्मा. Bare आत्मा must never stand alone without a पवित्र/अशुद्ध/दुष्ट qualifier anywhere in Mark.
Imputed Righteousness
Approved rendering: आरोपित धार्मिकता
Transliteration: aropit dharmikata
Doctrine: The Ransom for Many
Rejected alternatives: आर्जित धार्मिकता
Original: ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Retained for cross-curriculum doctrinal consistency underlying Mark’s ransom/atonement theology (10:45; 14:24).
Incarnation
Approved rendering: देहधारण
Transliteration: dehadharan
Doctrine: Jesus as the Suffering Servant and Son of God
Rejected alternatives: अवतार
Inherited from Romans package. Never अवतार, given the Shah-dynasty avatar-monarchy legacy (until 2008). Retained as theological background for Mark’s Sonship and Transfiguration material, though not a distinct Markan lexical item.
Son Of Man
Approved rendering: मानिसका पुत्र
Transliteration: Maniska Putra
Doctrine: Jesus as the Suffering Servant and Son of God
Rejected alternatives: एक मानव प्राणी (generic ‘a human being’), बोधिसत्व-सरहको प्राणी
Original: ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου
Category: Christology
New for Mark. Fuses Daniel 7’s exalted, dominion-receiving figure with Isaiah 53’s suffering Servant (first at 2:10,28; climactic at 10:45). Must never be flattened to a generic phrase for ‘a human being,’ erasing the Daniel 7 dominion dimension, and must never be absorbed into any bodhisattva-like or enlightened-human category. Distinct from, never interchangeable with, परमेश्वरका पुत्र.
Beloved Son
Approved rendering: प्रिय पुत्र
Transliteration: Priya Putra
Doctrine: Jesus as the Suffering Servant and Son of God
Original: υἱὸς ἀγαπητός
Category: Christology
New for Mark. Used with परमेश्वरका पुत्र (1:11; 9:7). Direct divine testimony to Jesus’ unique, eternal Sonship, spoken by the Father at the baptism and Transfiguration; never softened toward an honorary or adoptive sonship.
I Am Self Declaration
Approved rendering: म हुँ
Transliteration: Ma Hun
Doctrine: Jesus as the Suffering Servant and Son of God
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι
Category: Christology
New for Mark (6:50; 14:62). Grammatically plain in Nepali; the Exodus 3:14/Isaiah 43:10 divine self-revelation echo is not self-evident without a translator’s/teacher’s note. At 14:62 this self-identification grounds the blasphemy charge (14:63-64) and must be flagged in every occurrence.
Ransom
Approved rendering: फिरौती
Transliteration: phirauti
Doctrine: The Ransom for Many
Rejected alternatives: मुक्तिको मूल्य, any मुक्ति-rooted phrase
Original: λύτρον
Category: Salvation
New for Mark (10:45), the theological center of the core passage. Doctrinally neutral, economically concrete commercial/legal term for a hostage/captive ransom, carrying no inherited association with मुक्ति/मोक्ष or निर्वाण. Never substitute a मुक्ति-rooted phrase.
Covenant Blood
Approved rendering: मेरो करारको रगत
Transliteration: mero kararko ragat
Doctrine: The New Covenant Inaugurated in Christ’s Blood
Original: τὸ αἷμα μου τῆς διαθήκης
Category: Covenant
New for Mark (14:24), combining करार (baseline-exact) with रगत to preserve sacrificial, atoning, covenant-inaugurating force. Must never be diluted into a merely symbolic memorial meal devoid of blood-atonement significance.
Poured Out For Many
Approved rendering: धेरैका निम्ति बगाइएको
Transliteration: dheraika nimti bagaieko
Doctrine: The New Covenant Inaugurated in Christ’s Blood
Original: τὸ ἐκχυννόμενον ὑπὲρ πολλῶν
Category: Salvation
New for Mark (14:24). Must be rendered consistently with 10:45’s substitutionary theology even though the Greek preposition differs (ὑπέρ vs. ἀντί); both express Christ’s death on behalf of/in place of the many.
Unclean Spirit
Approved rendering: अशुद्ध आत्मा / दुष्ट आत्मा
Transliteration: ashuddha atma / dushta atma
Doctrine: Jesus’ Authority over Sickness, Sin, and Nature
Rejected alternatives: भूत, प्रेत, बोक्सी
Original: πνεῦμα ἀκάθαρτον / δαιμόνιον
Category: Pneumatology
New for Mark, pervasive throughout the exorcism narratives (1:23-27; 3:11; 5:2-13; 7:25; 9:17-29). Never भूत, प्रेत, or बोक्सी (folk-shamanic vocabulary), which would assimilate Christ’s unique authority into Nepal’s dominant jhankri shamanic-exorcism explanatory framework.
Cross Take Up
Approved rendering: क्रूस / क्रूस बहनु
Transliteration: krus / krus bahnu
Doctrine: The Necessity of the Cross
Rejected alternatives: any generic-burden folk idiom
Original: σταυρός / ἆρον τὸν σταυρόν
Category: Discipleship
New for Mark (8:34; 15:24-25). Safe, transliterated Christian-specific loanword with no indigenous religious collision. Must be taught as a real, historical, shameful Roman execution instrument disciples are called to figuratively take up — never softened into a generic folk-idiom for ‘everyone’s burden in life.‘
Crucify
Approved rendering: क्रूसमा टाँग्नु
Transliteration: krusma tangnu
Doctrine: Crucifixion and Atoning Death
Original: σταυρόω
Category: Salvation
New for Mark (15:24-25), the historical act at the center of ‘The Necessity of the Cross.’ Must remain a plain, literal, historical description of Roman execution; no softening or metaphorical distancing.
Eloi Eloi Lama Sabachthani
Approved rendering: एलोई, एलोई, लमा साबखथानी
Transliteration: Eloi, Eloi, lama sabakhthani
Doctrine: Crucifixion and Atoning Death
Original: Ἐλωΐ Ἐλωΐ λαμὰ σαβαχθανί
Category: Christology
New for Mark (15:34). Preserve the Aramaic transliteration (as with अब्बा) before giving the gloss ‘मेरो परमेश्वर, मेरो परमेश्वर, तपाईंले मलाई किन त्याग्नुभयो?’, and note the Psalm 22:1 quotation explicitly — this is Scripture-fulfillment, not merely an expression of despair.
High Risk Terms
Gospel
Approved rendering: सुसमाचार
Transliteration: susamachar
Doctrine: Gospel
Rejected alternatives: खुशखबरी
Original: εὐαγγέλιον
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. In Mark, this is the announcement Jesus himself preaches (1:1,14,15) and commands be preached to all nations (13:10; 16:15). Must not read as generic good tidings.
Grace
Approved rendering: अनुग्रह
Transliteration: anugraha
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: कृपा, पुण्य, भाग्य
Original: χάρις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Not a distinct lexical item in Mark’s narrative vocabulary but retained for cross-curriculum doctrinal consistency and as background for why Jesus associates with sinners (2:15-17).
Faith
Approved rendering: विश्वास
Transliteration: vishwas
Doctrine: Faith and Discipleship amid Fear
Rejected alternatives: श्रद्धा, भक्ति
Original: πίστις
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Central to Mark’s narrative (2:5; 4:40; 5:34,36; 9:23-24; 10:52; 11:22-24) as personal trust in Christ specifically, contrasted throughout with fear (डर/भय). Never श्रद्धा/भक्ति, which imply one devotional option among several chosen deities.
Called
Approved rendering: बोलाइएका
Transliteration: bolaieka
Doctrine: Divine Calling and Discipleship
Rejected alternatives: निमन्त्रित
Original: καλέω
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Applies to the calling of the first disciples (1:16-20) and Levi (2:14): a sovereign summons, not self-initiated spiritual seeking or karma-determined destiny.
Calling
Approved rendering: बोलावट
Transliteration: bolawat
Doctrine: Divine Calling and Discipleship
Original: κλῆσις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Noun form of God’s summons; used for conceptual consistency with the disciple-call narratives in Mark 1-3.
Holy
Approved rendering: पवित्र
Transliteration: pavitra
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: शुद्ध
Original: ἅγιος
Category: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package. Root of पवित्र आत्मा and of the deliberate contrast with अशुद्ध आत्मा throughout Mark’s exorcism narratives. Note: शुद्ध is deliberately (and correctly) used elsewhere in Mark for literal ritual/physical purity categories (e.g. cleanse_leprosy) — a distinct, non-contradictory usage.
Saints
Approved rendering: पवित्र जन
Transliteration: pavitra jan
Doctrine: Sainthood
Rejected alternatives: सन्त, साधु
Original: ἅγιοι
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Not a distinct Markan narrative term but retained so Mark-based teaching material remains vocabulary-consistent with Romans-based material in the same curriculum.
Sanctification
Approved rendering: पवित्रीकरण
Transliteration: pavitrikaran
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: शुद्धीकरण
Original: ἁγιασμός
Category: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package. Underlies Mark’s repentance and discipleship-formation material (1:4-15; 8:34-38).
Law
Approved rendering: व्यवस्था
Transliteration: vyavastha
Doctrine: Purity Redefined: Defilement of the Heart
Rejected alternatives: धर्म, नियम
Original: νόμος
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Underlies the Sabbath controversies (2:23-28), divorce teaching (10:1-9), and the greatest-commandment discussion (12:28-34). Never धर्म.
Sin
Approved rendering: पाप
Transliteration: paap
Doctrine: Authority to Forgive Sins
Rejected alternatives: अकुशल कर्म
Original: ἁμαρτία
Category: Sin
Inherited from Romans package. Present from John’s preaching (1:4-5) through Jesus’ claim of authority to forgive it (2:5-10). Never अकुशल कर्म.
Glory
Approved rendering: महिमा
Transliteration: mahima
Doctrine: The Transfiguration and the Unveiled Glory of Christ
Rejected alternatives: तेज
Original: δόξα
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. James and John’s request to sit in Christ’s glory (10:37) and the Son of Man’s coming glory (8:38; 13:26). Avoid light-metaphor phrasing that could echo Kathmandu Valley Tantric divine-radiance imagery.
Power Of God
Approved rendering: परमेश्वरको सामर्थ्य
Transliteration: Parameshwarko samarthya
Doctrine: Jesus’ Authority over Sickness, Sin, and Nature
Rejected alternatives: शक्ति
Original: δύναμις θεοῦ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Governs Mark’s miracle narratives (5:30; 6:2,5,14; 9:1). Never शक्ति, given the still-practiced Newar Tantric Shakta tradition and living-goddess (Kumari) cult centered in the Kathmandu Valley.
Covenant
Approved rendering: करार
Transliteration: karar
Doctrine: The New Covenant Inaugurated in Christ’s Blood
Rejected alternatives: सम्झौता
Original: διαθήκη
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Explicit at the Last Supper: ‘my covenant blood’ (14:24, see covenant_blood). Never सम्झौता.
Election
Approved rendering: परमेश्वरको छनोट
Transliteration: Parameshwarko chhanot
Doctrine: Eschatological Watchfulness
Rejected alternatives: भाग्य, किस्मत
Original: ἐκλογή / ἐκλεκτός
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Used of the ‘elect’ in the Olivet Discourse (13:20,22,27). Never भाग्य/किस्मत.
Providence
Approved rendering: परमेश्वरको व्यवस्थापन
Transliteration: Parameshwarko vyavasthapan
Doctrine: Divine Providence in the Passion
Rejected alternatives: भाग्य, कर्मको नियम
Original: πρόνοια (cf. Mark’s use of παραδίδωμι, ‘handed over’)
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Governs the Passion narrative’s dual sense of human betrayal operating within God’s sovereign plan (14:10,18,21,41). Never भाग्य or कर्मको नियम.
Father
Approved rendering: पिता
Transliteration: Pita
Doctrine: Divine Providence in the Passion
Original: πατήρ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Used in the Gethsemane prayer (14:36) and eschatological teaching (13:32).
Seed Of David
Approved rendering: दाऊदको वंश
Transliteration: Daudko vansha
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Original: σπέρμα Δαυίδ
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Underlies Mark’s ‘Son of David’ address to Jesus (10:47-48) and the triumphal entry’s Davidic hope (11:10); background for son_of_david below.
Teacher
Approved rendering: गुरु
Transliteration: guru
Doctrine: Divine Calling and Discipleship
Rejected alternatives: रब्बी (transliteration, rejected as foreign/distancing)
Original: διδάσκαλος / ῥαββί
Category: Christology
New for Mark (4:38; 9:5; 10:17,20,35,51; 12:14,19,32). Natural, warm address, but carries independent weight from the Hindu guru-shishya paramparā and Tibetan Buddhist guru-lama lineage tradition. Every occurrence addressing Jesus as गुरु must be anchored to his unique, ultimate authority, never one master among a lineage.
Son Of David
Approved rendering: दाऊदका पुत्र
Transliteration: Daudka Putra
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Original: υἱὸς Δαυίδ
Category: Christology
New for Mark, building on the baseline’s दाऊदको वंश. Applied to Jesus by Bartimaeus (10:47-48) and debated by Jesus himself (12:35-37); messianic-royal fulfillment, not a merely political dynastic claim, given resonance risk with Nepal’s former monarchy.
Save Heal Dual Sense
Approved rendering: निको हुनु / बचाउनु (physical); उद्धार गर्नु (soteriological)
Transliteration: niko hunu / bachaunu; uddhar garnu
Doctrine: Jesus’ Authority over Sickness, Sin, and Nature
Original: σῴζω
Category: Salvation
New for Mark (5:23,28,34; 10:52). Context-sensitive: physical healing uses निको हुनु/बचाउनु; reserve उद्धार गर्नु for the full soteriological sense. Mark’s deliberate wordplay (is she healed, or saved?) may require a translator’s note where Nepali cannot carry both senses in one word, especially at 10:52 before the Jerusalem approach.
Forgive Sins
Approved rendering: क्षमा गर्नु / क्षमा
Transliteration: kshama garnu / kshama
Doctrine: Authority to Forgive Sins
Rejected alternatives: माफी
Original: ἀφίημι ἁμαρτίας
Category: Salvation
New for Mark (2:1-12). Use क्षमा, not the thinner माफी, consistent with the baseline’s justification note. Jesus’ claim to forgive sins directly is presented as self-evident proof of divine authority, provoking the blasphemy charge.
Eternal Life
Approved rendering: अनन्त जीवन
Transliteration: ananta jivan
Doctrine: Eternal Life and the Cost of Discipleship
Original: ζωὴ αἰώνιος
Category: Eschatology
New for Mark (10:17,30). Must be clearly distinguished from an unending rebirth cycle (saṃsāra) — the very condition Hindu mokṣa and Buddhist nirvāṇa traditions seek escape from — and anchored instead to a definite future bodily पुनरुत्थान.
Gehenna
Approved rendering: गेहेन्ना (primary) / नरक (gloss only)
Transliteration: Gehenna
Doctrine: Eternal Life and the Cost of Discipleship
Rejected alternatives: नरक as standing term
Original: γέεννα
Category: Eschatology
New for Mark (9:43-48). Prefer गेहेन्ना (transliteration) with an explanatory gloss over नरक, which in Nepal’s Hindu/Buddhist cosmology denotes a temporary hell-realm within a cyclical, karma-driven rebirth system, not a final state. नरक may appear only as a one-time explanatory gloss.
Blasphemy Against Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: पवित्र आत्माको विरुद्धमा निन्दा
Transliteration: pavitra atmako viruddhama nindā
Doctrine: The Unforgivable Sin: Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit
Original: βλασφημία εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον
Category: Sin
New for Mark (3:22-30). निन्दा must convey defiant, willful attribution of the Spirit’s own clearly-evidenced work to Satan, not careless or ordinary offensive speech; पवित्र आत्मा must remain sharply distinct from अशुद्ध आत्मा.
Life Soul Psyche
Approved rendering: ज्यान
Transliteration: jyan
Doctrine: The Ransom for Many
Rejected alternatives: आत्मा
Original: ψυχή
Category: Discipleship
New for Mark (8:35-37; 10:45). Never आत्मा for this sense, which must be reserved for पवित्र आत्मा and risks strong resonance with the Hindu Vedantic ātman (the eternal individual self identical with Brahman). ज्यान correctly conveys a real, historical death of the whole person.
Authority
Approved rendering: अधिकार
Transliteration: adhikar
Doctrine: Jesus’ Authority over Sickness, Sin, and Nature
Original: ἐξουσία
Category: Miracles and Authority
New for Mark, foundational to the doctrine of Jesus’ authority over sickness, sin, and nature (1:22,27; 2:10; 11:28-33). Must convey inherent, divine-sourced authority, not merely administrative or scribal permission.
Lord It Over
Approved rendering: शासन गर्छन् / हुकुम चलाउँछन्
Transliteration: shasan garchhan / hukum chalauchhan
Doctrine: Servanthood versus Worldly Greatness
Rejected alternatives: any प्रभु-rooted verb
Original: κατακυριεύω
Category: Discipleship
New for Mark (10:42). Must never use any word built on the प्रभु root reserved for Christ’s own exclusive Lordship; doing so would wrongly imply that oppressive worldly domination and Christ’s Lordship share moral character.
Servant
Approved rendering: सेवक
Transliteration: sevak
Doctrine: Servanthood versus Worldly Greatness
Original: διάκονος
Category: Discipleship
New for Mark (9:35; 10:43,45). सेवा/सेवक carries deep independent devotional resonance in Hindu bhakti tradition (guru-seva, temple seva) and South Asian honor-culture (service owed to a superior). Every occurrence must be anchored to Christ’s own voluntary, cross-shaped model of service (10:45), never merit-generating ritual devotion or caste-linked servile duty.
Slave
Approved rendering: दास
Transliteration: das
Doctrine: Servanthood versus Worldly Greatness
Original: δοῦλος
Category: Discipleship
New for Mark (10:44). Established Nepali Bible term, but Nepal has its own documented history of caste-linked bonded servitude and formal slavery (legally abolished only 1924/1926; kamaiya bonded labor persisted into the late 20th century). Must always be presented as Jesus’ own deliberate, voluntary self-description, never an endorsement of coerced or caste-based servitude.
Love
Approved rendering: प्रेम
Transliteration: prem
Doctrine: The Greatest Commandment: Love of God and Neighbor
Rejected alternatives: भक्ति
Original: ἀγάπη / ἀγαπάω
Category: Discipleship
New for Mark (12:28-31). Must be taught as covenantal, self-giving love modeled on God’s own character and relationship with his people, not devotional bhakti love (भक्ति) toward a chosen personal deity, nor generic romantic/familial प्रेम.
Repentance
Approved rendering: पश्चाताप
Transliteration: pashchatap
Doctrine: Repentance and the Gospel
Rejected alternatives: तपस्या
Original: μετάνοια / μετανοέω
Category: Sanctification
New for Mark (1:4,15). Must denote genuine inward turning to God, not ritual remorse or merit-generating ascetic penance (तपस्या) practiced in Hindu/Buddhist ascetic traditions.
Betray Hand Over
Approved rendering: धोका दिनु / पक्राउमा दिनु
Transliteration: dhoka dinu / pakrauma dinu
Doctrine: Divine Providence in the Passion
Original: παραδίδωμι
Category: God
New for Mark (14:10,18,21,41). Preserve the dual sense: Judas’s real, culpable betrayal (धोका दिनु) versus the Father’s sovereign ‘handing over’ of the Son within his providential plan; do not collapse into a single flattened sense.
Compassion
Approved rendering: दया
Transliteration: daya
Doctrine: Jesus’ Authority over Sickness, Sin, and Nature
Rejected alternatives: करुणा
Original: σπλαγχνίζομαι
Category: Discipleship
New for Mark (1:41; 6:34; 8:2). दया is preferred over करुणा, which in Nepal’s Buddhist communities carries specific technical weight as one of the four brahmavihāra (immeasurables) — a detached, universally-cultivated meditative virtue, not the personal, embodied mercy of God incarnate.
Unbelief
Approved rendering: अविश्वास
Transliteration: avishwas
Doctrine: Faith and Discipleship amid Fear
Original: ἀπιστία
Category: Faith
New for Mark (9:24, ‘I believe; help my unbelief’). Must share the विश्वास root exactly so the faith/unbelief antithesis registers clearly.
Mystery Of Kingdom
Approved rendering: रहस्य
Transliteration: rahasya
Doctrine: Hidden Revelation and the Mystery of the Kingdom
Original: μυστήριον τῆς βασιλείας
Category: Kingdom
New for Mark (4:11). Hindu Tantric and Vajrayana Buddhist tradition also use रहस्य for esoteric teaching permanently restricted to initiates. Must be taught as truth revealed by grace, ultimately meant for proclamation (4:21-22’s lamp), not a permanently withheld initiatory secret. Also underlies The Messianic Secret doctrine’s silencing commands (1:34,44; 3:12; 5:43; 7:36; 8:30; 9:9).
Clean Unclean Tradition
Approved rendering: अशुद्ध / भ्रष्ट
Transliteration: ashuddha / bhrashta
Doctrine: Purity Redefined: Defilement of the Heart
Original: κοινός
Category: Ritual and Purity
New for Mark (7:2,5,15,18-23). Directly intersects Nepal’s own historically codified caste-linked purity/pollution rules (the Muluki Ain, in force until 1963). Jesus’ teaching — defilement originates in the heart, not external contact or ancestry — must be translated with full clarity, not softened.
Abomination Of Desolation
Approved rendering: विनाशको घिनलाग्दो थोक
Transliteration: vinashko ghinlagdo thok
Doctrine: Eschatological Watchfulness
Original: βδέλυγμα τῆς ἐρημώσεως
Category: Apocalyptic
New for Mark (13:14). A vague generic translation (‘a bad thing’) would erase the specific historical-apocalyptic referent from Daniel that anchors this warning; requires the Daniel background to be meaningful.
Transfiguration
Approved rendering: रूपान्तरण भयो / महिमामय रूपमा प्रकट हुनुभयो
Transliteration: rupantaran bhayo
Doctrine: The Transfiguration and the Unveiled Glory of Christ
Original: μετεμορφώθη
Category: Christology
New for Mark (9:2-8). Must be distinguished from any notion of a deity temporarily assuming an altered or alternate form (avatar theology), or the wrathful/peaceful deity-form transformations of Tantric Buddhist iconography present in the Kathmandu Valley. This is a one-time unveiling of Christ’s own eternal glory, not a change of essence.
Torn Temple Curtain
Approved rendering: मन्दिरको पर्दा
Transliteration: mandirko parda
Doctrine: Crucifixion and Atoning Death
Original: τὸ καταπέτασμα τοῦ ναοῦ
Category: Salvation
New for Mark (15:38). Must not be treated as an incidental physical detail; render with the theological weight of God’s own initiative (torn top-to-bottom, i.e. by God, not man) opening access to himself through Christ’s death.
Medium Risk Terms
Apostle
Approved rendering: प्रेरित
Transliteration: prerit
Doctrine: Apostleship
Rejected alternatives: दूत
Original: ἀπόστολος
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Applies to the Twelve (Mark 3:14; 6:30). Distinguish from a generic guru/lama-style teacher.
Peace
Approved rendering: शान्ति
Transliteration: shanti
Doctrine: Peace with God
Rejected alternatives: सुख
Original: εἰρήνη
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Background concept underlying Jesus’ pronouncements of शान्ति after healing/forgiveness (e.g. 5:34).
Church
Approved rendering: मण्डली
Transliteration: mandali
Doctrine: Church as God’s People
Rejected alternatives: मन्दिर, गुम्बा
Original: ἐκκλησία
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Not a Markan narrative term itself but essential to keep distinct from मन्दिर (see temple_literal), which refers only to the literal historical Jerusalem Temple in Mark 11.
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: परमेश्वरको राज्य
Transliteration: Parameshwarko Rajya
Doctrine: The Kingdom of God Breaking In
Original: βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Kingdom
Inherited from Romans package. Central Markan phrase (1:15; 4:11,26,30; 9:1,47; 10:14-15,23-25; 12:34). Distinguish from a political/territorial or dynastic kingdom, especially given Nepal’s own recently-abolished (2008) monarchy and history as a declared Hindu Kingdom until 2007.
Gentiles
Approved rendering: अन्यजाति
Transliteration: anyajati
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
Rejected alternatives: विदेशी
Original: ἔθνη
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Relevant to the Syrophoenician woman’s episode (7:24-30) and the gospel’s proclamation to all nations (13:10; 16:15).
Intercession
Approved rendering: मध्यस्थता
Transliteration: madhyasthata
Doctrine: Divine Providence in the Passion
Original: ἔντευξις (cf. προσεύχομαι ὑπέρ)
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Background concept for Jesus’ Gethsemane prayer offered on behalf of the disciples’ coming trial (14:32-39).
Mission
Approved rendering: सुसमाचार प्रचार
Transliteration: susamachar prachar
Doctrine: The Great Commission and Mission to the Nations
Original: ἀποστολή / πέμπω / κηρύσσω
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Governs the sending of the Twelve (6:7-13) and the Great Commission material (16:15). Sensitive given Nepal’s 2017 Muluki Criminal Code provisions restricting religious conversion/proselytizing.
David
Approved rendering: दाऊद
Transliteration: Daud
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Original: דָּוִד
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Background for the triumphal entry acclamation (11:10) and the ‘Son of David’ debate (12:35-37).
Israel
Approved rendering: इस्राएल
Transliteration: Israel
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
Original: יִשְׂרָאֵל
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Background for the greatest-commandment scene’s Shema quotation (12:29).
Abba
Approved rendering: अब्बा
Transliteration: Abba
Doctrine: Divine Providence in the Passion
Original: אַבָּא
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Preserve the Aramaic transliteration in Mark 14:36 with a brief explanatory gloss, as in the baseline.
King Of The Jews
Approved rendering: यहूदीहरूका राजा
Transliteration: Yahudiharuka Raja
Doctrine: Crucifixion and Atoning Death
Original: ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων
Category: Christology
New for Mark (15:2,9,12,18,26). Preserve the ironic double meaning — mockery that is nonetheless true; connect to परमेश्वरको राज्य as its true fulfillment, not a political throne.
In Place Of
Approved rendering: …को सट्टामा
Transliteration: ko sattama
Doctrine: The Ransom for Many
Original: ἀντί
Category: Salvation
New for Mark (10:45). Standard grammatical construction for substitution/exchange; risk lies in Nepali word order obscuring the exchange logic if not carefully built. Must be distinguished from, yet aligned with, का निम्ति/निम्ति used at 14:24 (see poured_out_for_many).
Many
Approved rendering: धेरै
Transliteration: dherai
Doctrine: The Ransom for Many
Original: πολλῶν
Category: Salvation
New for Mark (10:45; 14:24). Echoes Isaiah 53’s Servant who bears the sin of ‘many.’ Risk is exegetical, not lexical: must never be read as arbitrarily excluding any group, given the curriculum’s concern for the universal scope of the gospel against caste-based limitation.
Temple Literal
Approved rendering: मन्दिर
Transliteration: mandir
Doctrine: Temple Judgment and True Worship
Original: ἱερόν / ναός
Category: Kingdom
New for Mark (11:11,15-17,27; 13:1-3; 14:58; 15:29,38). Accurate here (the literal historical Jerusalem Temple) and must be kept distinct from मण्डली (‘church’); do not conflate the two.
Passover
Approved rendering: निस्तार-चाड / पास्का
Transliteration: Nistar-chad / Paska
Doctrine: The New Covenant Inaugurated in Christ’s Blood
Original: πάσχα
Category: Covenant
New for Mark (14:1,12-16). Retain the Exodus-deliverance backdrop explicitly, since Nepali readers have little independent exposure to the Exodus narrative.
Cornerstone
Approved rendering: कुनाको मुख्य ढुङ्गा
Transliteration: kunako mukhya dhungā
Doctrine: Jesus as the Suffering Servant and Son of God
Original: κεφαλὴ γωνίας
Category: Christology
New for Mark (12:10, parable of the tenants). Requires the Psalm 118 background to land with full force; low independent lexical collision risk.
Exercise Authority Over Negative
Approved rendering: अधिकार जनाउँछन् / हुकुम गर्छन्
Transliteration: adhikar janauchhan / hukum garchhan
Doctrine: Servanthood versus Worldly Greatness
Original: κατεξουσιάζω
Category: Discipleship
New for Mark (10:42). Since अधिकार is also the positive rendering for Jesus’ own legitimate ἐξουσία, translators must select verb phrasing that clearly marks this occurrence as illegitimate self-serving misuse.
Great Greatness
Approved rendering: महान्
Transliteration: mahan
Doctrine: Servanthood versus Worldly Greatness
Original: μέγας
Category: Discipleship
New for Mark (9:34; 10:43). Must be paired consistently with सेवक to preserve the deliberate paradox central to the doctrine.
Deny Oneself
Approved rendering: आफूलाई इन्कार गर्नु
Transliteration: aaphulai inkar garnu
Doctrine: The Necessity of the Cross
Original: ἀπαρνέομαι ἑαυτόν
Category: Discipleship
New for Mark (8:34). Must not be read as self-annihilation/ego-dissolution in the Buddhist anatta sense, but as a decisive reordering of loyalty and priority toward Christ.
Divorce
Approved rendering: छोडपत्र दिनु / सम्बन्धविच्छेद गर्नु
Transliteration: chhodpatra dinu / sambandhabicchhed garnu
Doctrine: Marriage and Covenant Faithfulness
Original: ἀπολύω
Category: Covenant
New for Mark (10:1-12). Must preserve the covenantal, not merely contractual, force of the ‘one flesh’ union Jesus grounds in creation design.
Fear
Approved rendering: डर / भय
Transliteration: dar / bhaya
Doctrine: Faith and Discipleship amid Fear
Original: φόβος
Category: Faith
New for Mark (4:41; 5:36; 9:32; 16:8). Standard vocabulary; doctrinal weight lies in the deliberate fear-faith contrast, not lexical collision risk. भय can carry a positive ‘reverential awe’ sense (as in theophany contexts, 9:6; 16:8) that must not be flattened to ordinary anxiety, nor allowed to blunt the negative, faith-opposing sense elsewhere (4:41; 5:36).
Parable
Approved rendering: दृष्टान्त
Transliteration: drishtanta
Doctrine: Hidden Revelation and the Mystery of the Kingdom
Original: παραβολή
Category: Kingdom
New for Mark (3:23; 4:2-34; 12:1; 13:28). Standard term; minor, non-doctrinal overlap with its use in Hindu Nyāya logical argumentation as an illustrative example.
Cleanse Leprosy
Approved rendering: शुद्ध पार्नु / कुष्ठरोग
Transliteration: shuddha parnu / kushtharog
Doctrine: Jesus’ Authority over Sickness, Sin, and Nature
Original: καθαρίζω / λέπρα
Category: Ritual and Purity
New for Mark (1:40-42). शुद्ध is the correct, deliberate choice here since the passage concerns literal ritual/physical purity categories under the Law — a distinct usage from पवित्र (moral holiness), not an inconsistency.
Tradition Of Elders
Approved rendering: पुर्खाका रीतिथिति
Transliteration: purkhaka ritithiti
Doctrine: Purity Redefined: Defilement of the Heart
Rejected alternatives: गुरु-परम्परा
Original: παράδοσις τῶν πρεσβυτέρων
Category: Covenant
New for Mark (7:3,5,8-9,13). Use vocabulary for ‘ancestral custom,’ not one implying a sacred teaching-lineage, to keep the human/divine contrast Jesus draws intact.
Sabbath
Approved rendering: शबथ
Transliteration: shabath
Doctrine: Purity Redefined: Defilement of the Heart
Original: σάββατον
Category: Covenant
New for Mark (2:23-28; 3:2-4). Requires explanatory context for the Jewish seven-day week structure; must not be conflated with Hindu vrat (votive fasting/observance) days.
Hosanna
Approved rendering: होसाना
Transliteration: Hosana
Doctrine: The Kingdom of God Breaking In
Original: Ὡσαννά
Category: Salvation
New for Mark (11:9-10). Preserve the transliteration with a gloss connecting it to the उद्धार root, while noting the crowd’s likely nationalistic (rather than spiritual) misreading — an early instance of the Messianic Secret’s tension between true and false expectation.
Watch Be Alert
Approved rendering: जागा रहनु / सतर्क रहनु
Transliteration: jaga rahnu / satark rahnu
Doctrine: Eschatological Watchfulness
Rejected alternatives: सति/स्मृति-rooted mindfulness vocabulary
Original: γρηγορέω
Category: Eschatology
New for Mark (13:33-37). Must be distinguished from the self-generated mindfulness (सति/स्मृति) cultivated through Nepali Buddhist meditative discipline; this is watchful hope directed toward Christ’s promised return, not a self-cultivated mental state.
Tribulation
Approved rendering: संकष्ट / कष्ट
Transliteration: sankasht / kasht
Doctrine: Eschatological Watchfulness
Original: θλῖψις
Category: Eschatology
New for Mark (13:19,24). Standard vocabulary for severe eschatological distress; low independent collision risk.
Signs
Approved rendering: चिन्ह
Transliteration: chinha
Doctrine: The Great Commission and Mission to the Nations
Original: σημεῖα
Category: Eschatology
New for Mark’s disputed longer ending (16:17,20). Standard term; must be accompanied in curriculum materials by a textual note that Mark 16:9-20 is absent from the earliest and most reliable manuscripts.
High Priest
Approved rendering: प्रधान पूजाहारी
Transliteration: pradhan pujahari
Doctrine: Crucifixion and Atoning Death
Original: ἀρχιερεύς
Category: Proper Nouns
New for Mark (14:53-65). Must remain historically/institutionally specific to the Sanhedrin’s high priest, distinguished from the Hindu pujari (temple priest) despite phonetic similarity of the loanword पूजाहारी; never used alone without प्रधान.
Low Risk Terms
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: धन्यवाद
Transliteration: dhanyavad
Doctrine: Thanksgiving
Original: εὐχαριστία / εὐχαριστέω
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Present at the Last Supper’s thanksgiving over bread (14:22-23).
Fellowship
Approved rendering: सहभागिता
Transliteration: sahabhagita
Doctrine: Christian Fellowship
Rejected alternatives: मित्रता
Original: κοινωνία
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Background concept for the Twelve’s shared life and mission with Jesus (3:14; 6:7-13).
Prophet
Approved rendering: अगमवक्ता
Transliteration: agamavakta
Doctrine: Inspiration of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: ज्योतिषी
Original: προφήτης
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Applies to popular perceptions of Jesus (6:15; 8:28) and John the Baptist (11:32).
Prophecy
Approved rendering: अगमवाणी
Transliteration: agamavani
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy
Original: προφητεία
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Underlies the Isaiah quotations opening the Gospel (1:2-3) and the Daniel background of the Olivet Discourse (13:14).
Exhort
Approved rendering: उत्साहित पार्नु
Transliteration: utsahit parnu
Doctrine: Mutual Edification
Original: παρακαλέω
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Applies to entreaties made to Jesus for healing throughout the miracle narratives (e.g. 1:40; 5:23; 7:32).
First
Approved rendering: पहिलो
Transliteration: pahilo
Doctrine: Servanthood versus Worldly Greatness
Original: πρῶτος
Category: Discipleship
New for Mark (9:35; 10:44). Standard, unambiguous term.
Corban
Approved rendering: कोरबान
Transliteration: korban
Doctrine: Purity Redefined: Defilement of the Heart
Original: κορβάν
Category: Ritual and Purity
New for Mark (7:11). Requires an explanatory gloss; a technical vow-offering term with no independent collision risk.
Beelzebul
Approved rendering: बेल्जबूल
Transliteration: Beljeboul
Doctrine: The Unforgivable Sin: Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit
Original: Βεελζεβούλ
Category: Pneumatology
New for Mark (3:22). Proper noun; retain transliteration with a brief gloss (‘prince of demons’).
Talitha Cumi
Approved rendering: तालिथा कूमी
Transliteration: Talitha kumi
Doctrine: Jesus’ Authority over Sickness, Sin, and Nature
Original: ταλιθα κουμ
Category: Miracles and Authority
New for Mark (5:41). Preserve Aramaic transliteration with a gloss, per the Abba precedent; an early sign anticipating the resurrection doctrine.
Golgotha
Approved rendering: गल्गथा
Transliteration: Galgatha
Doctrine: Crucifixion and Atoning Death
Original: Γολγοθᾶ
Category: Proper Nouns
New proper noun for Mark (15:22), ‘place of a skull.’ Transliterate per established Nepali Bible convention.
Gethsemane
Approved rendering: गेतसमनी
Transliteration: Getsemani
Doctrine: The Necessity of the Cross
Original: Γεθσημανί
Category: Proper Nouns
New proper noun for Mark (14:32). Transliterate per established Nepali Bible convention.
Legion
Approved rendering: लेजियन
Transliteration: Lejiyan
Doctrine: Jesus’ Authority over Sickness, Sin, and Nature
Original: λεγιών
Category: Proper Nouns
New proper noun for Mark (5:9), the unclean spirit’s self-designation invoking a Roman military unit’s scale. Retain as the demon’s own self-naming, not a generic term for many spirits.
Sanhedrin
Approved rendering: महासभा
Transliteration: Mahasabha
Doctrine: Crucifixion and Atoning Death
Original: συνέδριον
Category: Proper Nouns
New for Mark (14:55; 15:1), the Jewish ruling council before which Jesus was tried.
Pharisees Scribes Sadducees
Approved rendering: फरिसी / शास्त्री / सदुकी
Transliteration: Farisi / Shastri / Saduki
Doctrine: Jesus’ Authority over Sickness, Sin, and Nature
Original: Φαρισαῖοι / γραμματεῖς / Σαδδουκαῖοι
Category: Proper Nouns
New terms for Mark (throughout). Transliterated group names; शास्त्री is also a general Nepali word for ‘learned scholar,’ but context disambiguates its use for the Jewish scribal group.
Referenced passages