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I am Asian and in Asian mythology like epics like Mahabharatha, when some person is going to do something bad then a voice from nowhere comes from background, after a thunder or something, to stop him or to warn him.

A specific case would be (Some one who knows Mahabharatha could relate to it): When Bhisma uses a Powerful arrow against the rival in a competition, a voice comes after a thunder warning him the supernatural arrows should not used for fun and selfish reasons Video clip. Like this, God's voice comes multiple times in this epic. I would like to know the word for it in English.

In Tamil my regional language, it is called "Asariri". But this word is also used in situations where you tell something and the bell rings then it is a confirmation from god or nature accepting the statement.

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  • Just for the record and all, and seeing as how you are a non-native learner and might not have realized this, you should know that in English, you cannot say “a invisibile”; it must be “an invisible”.
    – tchrist ♦
    Commented Sep 13, 2013 at 20:44
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    Morgan Freeman?
    – bib
    Commented Sep 14, 2013 at 2:05

5 Answers 5

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Wikipedia lists akashvani as an English word.

Akashvani / Akashwani, आकाशवाणी (ākāśavāni), means "celestial announcement from sky" or "sky-voice": a word of Sanskrit origin,1 Often in Hindu mythological stories, folk-tales and fables like Panchatantra & Hitopadesh, whenever, Gods wanted to say something an Akashvani occurred. Literally Akash means sky and Vani mean sound/message. i.e. sounds or message coming from the sky.2

Encyclo has an entry that points to the above definition.

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    Wikipedia lists it as a word indeed, but I can't find it in the Oxford Dictionary.
    – ONOZ
    Commented Sep 23, 2013 at 12:15
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    It's a borrowed word, like the French ones, and will eventually be assimilated into the mainstream with use.
    – Kris
    Commented Sep 24, 2013 at 6:51
  • @user49727, yes, quite suitable if it means that what most readers will understand is . . . "and then there was this (blah, blah) voice!" Additionally, I don't see in the OP's question where the voice is coming from the sky, as "Akashvani" is so defined. Interesting word but personally, I would opt for something more mainstream until this word gained some traction.
    – Kristina Lopez
    Commented Oct 9, 2013 at 21:20
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A "disembodied" voice would be one that comes from no apparent person or source.

This phenomena is also used to describe "ghostly" encounters as described in this blog from Micah Hanks on MysteriousUniverse.org excerpt:

"On occasion, strange phenomenon such as this does tend to occur, particularly as one awakes from a sleep state, where disembodied voices can be heard so lucidly as to create the certain impression in one’s mind that they are not alone. And yet, on further inspection, more often than not there actually is no one else with you… thus, could such voices merely be products of the imagination? Or might there be something more to such odd utterances from beyond?"

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    Downvoter, can you give some feedback for your downvote?
    – Kristina Lopez
    Commented Sep 14, 2013 at 12:21
  • In any case, disembodied is an adjective, not a noun. The noun has to be disembodied spirit, a disembodied ghost, and so on. A disembodied voice can be anything lacking an obvious physical source, not necessarily 'god-like', divine or prophetic.
    – Kris
    Commented Sep 25, 2013 at 9:14
  • @Kris, true, but also can just as likely be "god-like', divine or prophetic.
    – Kristina Lopez
    Commented Sep 25, 2013 at 9:50
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Divine - of, from, or like God or a god.

Usage: "Moses had a divine revelation."

OR

"That red light saved us from a car accident, it was like divine intervention."

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People here seem to say that it is translated by:

"oracle in english, also some says heavenly voices."

http://it.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070201065717AAwzu0Z

Not sure why they say "Oracle" though, as it does not seem to match closely your explanation of the meaning.

Same here: http://bengali.indiandictionaries.com/meaning.php?id=2008&lang=Bengali

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  • thanks for the bengali link it has quite a few words that ties to my question
    – Ajax3.14
    Commented Sep 13, 2013 at 21:56
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    +1 because Oracle can be used for the voice alone by extension.
    – user49727
    Commented Sep 14, 2013 at 14:38
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There may not be a one-to-one translation into English. I have a reasonably good vocabulary and am not aware of one, but I'm not much into classical literature or philosophy.

You didn't mention whether you're just curious or are trying to communicate. My experience suggests that if no one can come up with your "one word", then your best answer is to describe it much as you did in your question. If you use words that are very unusual, it's likely that others won't know them.

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