Merdeka is a word in the Indonesian and Malay language meaning independent or free. It is derived from the Sanskrit "maharddhika" (महर्द्धिक) meaning "rich, prosperous and powerful". In the Malay archipelago, this term had acquired the meaning of a freed slave.
The Sanskrit translated to English contains 3 distinct statements to describe the word.
These 3 derived statements in the translation are, in accordance with the statement, "rich, powerful, and prosperous."