Glossary
- List
Sanskrit
Words
A|B|C|D|G|H|I|J|K|L|M|N|O|P|R|S|T|U|V|Y|Z
A
Aaram:
relaxation; rest.
Abhyasa:
practice; discipline.
Adharma:
unrighteousness.
Adwaitha:
non-duality.
Aham:
I
Amrit(h)a:
immortal; divine nectar.
Ananda:
joy; bliss; eternal bliss or peace.
Angavastram:
a cloth, usually brocaded, slung over the
shoulder.
Arati:
to offer a camphor flame before one's guru or
deity.
Artha:
wealth; purpose.
Asana:
posture.
Ashram:
a meeting place or residence for spiritual
aspirants.
Asura:
demon.
Atmanivedanam:
self-surrender.
Ayurveda:
a traditional Indian system of
medicine.
B
Bhadram:
careful; secure; happy; full of joy and
confidence.
Bhajan:
devotional song or hymn.
Bhakti:
devotion; self-surrender.
Bhakti
yoga:
path of devotion.
Bharat:
India.
Bhavan:
Hall.
Bilva:
a sacred tree, associated with Lord
Siva.
Bodhaka:
teacher.
Brahman:
the Absolute; the Creator.
Brahmajnani:
one who has known Brahman.
C
Chakra:
wheel.
Chamatkara:
inexplicable, miraculous act.
Charanamrit:
water sanctified by washing the feet of one's
guru or deity.
Chit(th)a:
consciousness.
D
Daivic:
of or like a god; godly.
Dal:
petal.
Dana:
charity.
Darsan:
the act, by a saint or a revered person, of
giving an audience to devotees.
Deha:
the body.
Dhanya:
grain.
Dharana:
inward concentration; the negation of all
activity.
Dharma:
duty; nature; a code of ethics.
Dhoti:
loin cloth.
Dhyana:
meditation; contemplation.
Dosa:
a South Indian dish.
G
Ghats:
slopes; mountain range.
H
Haldi:
turmeric.
Homa:
rituals that involve making offerings in the
fire alongside a recitation of hymns.
I
Idlies:
a South Indian dish
Iswara:
the Lord.
J
Jala:
water.
Janata:
the people.
Japa:
prayer; meditation; contemplation on the
Divinity.
Japamala:
rosary.
Jaya:
glory; victory, success.
Jhoota:
false; fake.
Jnana:
knowledge; wisdom; knowledge of the
Attributeless.
Jnana
yajna:
a fire ritual performed in search of
knowledge.
Jyoti:
flame.
K
Kaliyuga:
the
last of the four 'ages' as described in the
Puranas.
Kalyana:
well-being; prosperity; success;
freedom.
Kalyana
mantap:
a structure raised for the purpose of an
auspicious occasion or event.
Kama:
fulfilling the legitimate pleasures of
life.
Karma:
action; deed.
Koham:
who am I.
Kshetra:
field; region; place.
Kumkum:
vermillion powder, considered
auspicious.
L
Laddu:
an Indian sweetmeat.
Leela:
miracle; divine sport.
Lingam:
an oval-shaped symbol of the
Absolute.
M
Mahima:
an
expression, a manifestation of divine
glory.
Mala:
rosary; garland
Mai:
mother.
Mandir:
temple.
Mangala:
auspicious; propitious.
Mangala
sutra:
auspicious thread, worn by married
women.
Mantap:
a commemorative structure.
Mantra:
a word or group of words having power to
illumine the mind.
Mata:
mother.
Matha:
a cult; a school of thought.
Mathi:
mind.
Maya:
illusion; ignorance; erroneous perception; the
perceptible world.
Moksha:
liberation; freedom from all bondage.
Mithya:
illusion.
N
Nagarsankirtan:
an early morning chorus of street singers,
usually the residents of that area.
Namaskara:
an Indian way of paying obeisance, by joining
one's hands and lowering one's head.
Namaste:
see namaskara.
Namavali:
a lyrical string of names expressing divine
attributes or the nature of the
Divinity.
Nava:
nine.
Nishkama:
selfless;
without desire.
Nityavadhan:
constant vigilance.
Nirguna:
attributeless;
the Absolute.
Nirvikalpa:
the ultimate stage of mergence with the
Divinity.
Niyama:
self control.
O
Om:
an
Upanishadic symbol which unfolds the
Absolute.
P
Pada:
feet.
Pan:
betel.
Pandal:
an outdoor seating arrangement.
Parabhakti:
absolute devotion; complete
self-surrender.
Paramatman:
the Universal Atman; the Absolute.
Peetha:
base;
a place.
Parinirvana:
total liberation from all bondage.
Paropkara:
service (rendered to others).
Poorna:
full; whole; complete
Pradesh:
region.
Pranamaya:
the vital sheath
Pranayam:
to discipline, have control over one's
breath.
Prasad:
anything received with devotion to
god.
Prasanthi:
perfect peace or bliss.
Pravesh:
entry; advent.
Pratyahara:
withdrawal of the senses
(sense-urges).
Prema:
love; devotion.
Puja:
worship.
Pujari:
priest.
Purusha:
an individual consciousness.
Purushottama:
the Universal Consciousness.
Putra:
son.
R
Raga:
attachment.
Rudra-adhyaya:
a section in the Vedas dealing with the hymns of
Rudra (Siva).
S
Sadhaka:
spiritual aspirants; students or seekers of
spiritual knowledge.
Sadhana:
prayer; spiritual values; spiritual
discipline.
Saguna:
having specifically definable
attributes.
Sakshatkara:
Realization.
Sakhya:
friendship; companionship.
Samadhi:
tomb; absorption in the Absolute.
Sambhasan:
dialogue; discussion; speech.
Samsayatman:
a person (an atman) afflicted with
doubts.
Samsara:
a life of limited existence, of joys and
sorrows; the world.
Samskara:
refinement.
Sanathana:
timeless, eternal.
Sanathana
Dharma:
a way of life followed to discover the Absolute;
another name for Hinduism.
Sankalpa:
will.
Sankirtan:
singing aloud the praises of God.
Santhi:
peace; inner peace.
Sanyas:
(a life of) renunciation or ascetic.
Sanyasin:
a male or female renunciate or
ascetic.
Sakthi:
power; power of creation.
Sarathi:
charioteer.
Sathwic:
pure.
Sath(yam):
truth (absolute)
Savikalpa:
the penultimate stage of mergence with the
Divinity.
Seva:
service, usually that rendered to
others.
Siva(m):
auspiciousness; goodness (absolute)
Sivoham:
I am the Absolute.
Soham:
I am That.
Siddhi:
ascetically acquired power.
Sundara(m):
beauty (absolute)
Swaroopa:
embodiment; essential nature.
Swa-swaroopa:
one's own truth or reality.
T
Tantra:
mystical techniques followed in worship in order
to accomplish a material objective.
Tapas:
spiritual discipline.
Thath:
that.
Thwam:
thou.
Trisul:
trident (usually referred to the one wielded by
Lord Siva)
Tulsi:
basil leaf.
U
Udasina:
a posture of complete relaxation and
detachment.
Upadesh:
teachings; the imparting of spiritual
knowledge.
Upasana:
contemplation upon a limited form of the
Absolute.
V
Vahini:
stream.
Vairagya:
detachment; dispassion.
Vibhuti:
sacred ash; a manifestation of divine
glory.
Vichakshana:
analytical; discriminating.
Vidya:
learning.
Vidya
peeth:
a place where knowledge is imparted.
Viveka:
intelligence.
Y
Yajna:
a fire ritual.
Yama:
self-control; having mastery over the
senses.
Yatra:
journey; trip
Yogasana:
any posture prescribed in yoga.
Z
Zari:
brocade.
