Search the scriptures
search_textsSearch the Vedaword library of Sanskrit scripture by meaning as well as by wording, so a paraphrased question works and a Sanskrit term reaches passages written in another script. This is the first thing to call for any factual question about what the scriptures say.
Start here when you have words: a question, a phrase, a term. When you already have a verse and want its parallels, use find_similar_verses instead; to read a known verse whole, use get_verse; to read a chapter or a book in order, use browse_work.
Returns passages with an exact citation, a URL and the version hash of the text quoted.
Read confidence before using the results. "none" means the library has no answer and the result list is empty — report that to the user instead of reaching for something related. "low" means the passages are leads, not answers. matched_by says how each was found: a passage found only by "vector" shares no words with the query.
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| limit | No | Passages to return. Default 8. | |
| parts | No | Which part of a verse to search: `verse` is the Sanskrit source text, `translation` the literary translation, `word_by_word` the gloss table, `commentary` Vedaword's own exposition, `bhashya` an ācārya's original commentary. Omit to search all. | |
| query | Yes | A question, a phrase, a Sanskrit term, or a citation such as "BG 2.47". Any language, and Sanskrit in Devanāgarī or IAST. Quote the string to require the exact wording. | |
| works | No | Restrict to these works by slug — see list_works. Omit to search all. | |
| language | No | Preferred language of the translations returned. Not a filter: works that exist only in Russian are returned in Russian, and each result says which language it is actually in. Default: en. | |
| full_text | No | Return each passage whole instead of an excerpt. Use when you intend to quote; excerpts are for deciding what to quote. |