A
Abhiniveśa: attachment to the body and worldly life.
Ācāra: behavior, conduct.
Ācārya: refers to a particular aspect of the guru or spiritual master, especially the one who gives the disciple the sacred thread and instructs him in the Vedas, the laws of sacrifice and religious mysteries. In the Vaiṣṇava terminology the title is used to denote a spiritual master who teaches through his own example and determines the appropriate religious example for all human beings.
Advayatāraka Upaniṣad: one of the 108 Vedic scriptures known as Upaniṣads.
Advaita: "not two." A synonym for "non—duality", rather than a philosophy, this is the experience of the fact that there is no separation between subject and object, between the I and the Whole.
Āgamas: literally — that which is near. Traditional scriptures, usually related to the worship of Śiva and Śakti.
Agni: the fire element or the God of fire.
Ahaṅkāra: ego.
Ahiṁsā: non—violence, one of the five yamas.
Alaṅkāra: ornaments in traditional Sanskrit rhetoric, it means an ornament of sense or sound.
Anāhata chakra: the fourth chakra located in the center of the chest.
Ānanda: absolute transcendental happiness, bliss.
Aṅgas: limbs.
Antaḥkaraṇa: literally — the internal tool, the mind.
Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpa: resolution for something favorable (for the development of devotion to God).
Aparigraha: detachment, refrain from accumulating. One of the five yamas.
Apauruṣeya: whose origin is not human.
Arcana: worship.
Āsana: seat, a place to sit, a posture in haṭha—yoga. Also, the third stage of Aṣṭāṅga—yoga.
Ashram: hermitage or spiritual community.
Asmitā: egoism.
Aṣṭadhā prakṛtis: eight divisions of nature.
Aṣṭāṅga—yoga: the yoga of eight steps outlined by Patañjali Maharṣi in his Yoga—sūtras.
Asteya: refrain from stealing.
Āstika: believer.
Atharva Veda: one of the four sacred Vedas.
Ātma: the Self.
Ātma—nikṣepa: complete surrender to the Lord.
Ātma—nivedana: absolute surrender to the Divine.
Ātmā—sākṣātkāra: realization of the Self.
Ātma—śakti: the power of the Self.
Avadhūta: Mahātmā (great soul), a very spiritually developed soul.
Avidyā: ignorance.
Āyāma: extension and restriction.
B
Bali: offering.
Bandha: energy lock. One of the practices in haṭha—yoga that raises the kuṇḍalinī energy and directs the flow of prāṇa (vital energy) in the body.
Bhagavad—gītā: "The Song of God." The most essential and widely accepted text by all philosophies and paths of Sanātana—dharma. In the form of a conversation between Lord Kṛṣṇa and his disciple Arjuna in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, Kṛṣṇa explains the essence of sādhanā and spiritual knowledge.
Bhagavān: personal aspect of God.
Bhāgavata Purāṇa: also called Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. A scripture of eighteen thousand verses compiled by the sage Vyāsa. The most famous, beautiful and poetic of the eighteen Mahā Purāṇas.
Bhajanam: adoration, also used to describe the intonation of worship songs for the Divine.
Bhakta: a devotee.
Bhakti: devotion, love.
Bhakti—yoga: the yoga of devotion. A process of union with the Divine through the development of love for God and his worship.
Bhāratavarṣa: the name of ancient Vedic India.
Bhoga: materialism.
Bindu: the anuswāra (point) in the sacred syllable Oṁ, or a point of light, a form of Brahman.
Brahmacārya: celibacy.
Brahman: the Supreme and Absolute Consciousness.
Brahma—randhra: the location of Sahasrāra chakra.
Brahma—vidyā: knowledge of the Self.
Brahmacārya: celibacy.
Brahmacāri or Brahmacārin: a person in the state of brahmacārya.
Bṛhaspati: the guru of the devas.
Buddhi: intellect.
C
Caitanya—caritāmṛta: biography of Śrī Caitanya written by Kṛṣṇadās Kavirāj Gosvāmī.
Chakra (in Sanskrit Cakra): literally — a wheel, a circle. The seven centers of prāṇa, or vital energy in the subtle body. The reunion point of the nāḍīs, energy tunnels.
Chela: disciple in Hindi language.
Citta: subconscious mind.
Chāndogya Upaniṣad: one of the ten oldest and most authoritative Upaniṣads.
D
Dakṣiṇācāra: proper conduct.
Dama: control over the senses.
Darśana: literally — vision.
Dāsya: service with devotional attitude.
Deva—nāgarī: Sanskrit script (the writing of the gods).
Devarṣi Nārada: heavenly ṛṣi. One of the greatest devotees of the Lord Viṣṇu.
Devas: gods.
Devī: Divine Mother.
Dhāraṇā: concentration. The sixth stage of aṣṭāṅga—yoga.
Dharma: literally — that which is established. Law, religion, duty, morals.
Dhyāna: meditation. The seventh stage of aṣṭāṅga—yoga.
Dīkṣā: initiation.
Divya: divine.
Divya—deva—sevana: service to the Divine.
Durgā: one of the forms of the Devī, the Divine Mother.
Dveṣa: aversion.
E
Ekāgratā: a concentrated state of mind.
G
Gaṇeśa: God with the head of an elephant, the remover of obstacles.
Garga Muni: spiritual master of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Gautama Ṛṣi: the founder of the Nyāya darśana.
Gheraṇḍa Saṁhitā: "the collection of Gheraṇḍa". Manual of yoga taught by Gheraṇḍa to Canda Kāpālī. One of the three classic texts of haṭha—yoga.
Gopīs: cowherd girls in Vṛndāvana, the divine lovers of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Goptṛtve varaṇa: the acceptance of God as one's only supporter.
Gosvāmī: He who has complete control over his senses. It is also used as an honorary title.
Guṇa: quality or mode.
Guru: literally — big or heavy; master and spiritual guide in Hinduism.
H
Haṭha—yoga: An extremely old yogic system disseminated throughout the world. The word haṭha—yoga literally means "forced yoga." It consists of corporal physical postures (āsanas), relaxation, and breathing exercises (prāṇāyāma), which aims to prepare the body for meditation.
Haṭha—yoga Pradīpikā: a basic classic Sanskrit text about haṭha—yoga. Compiled by Swami Swātmārāma in the fifteenth century.
Havana: invocation, also the act of offering oblations in the sacrificial fire.
Hiraṇyagarbha: the cosmic mind.
I
Iḍā: the left nāḍī.
Indra: the king of the gods.
Īśa: see Īśvara.
Iṣṭa—devatā: a form of God chosen individually for worship and devotion.
Īśvara: Supreme Controller.
Īśvara—praṇidhāna: surrender to God.
J
Jaimini: the founder of the Pūrva Mīmāṁsā darśana.
Jālandhara bandha: the throat lock, one of the bandhas practiced in haṭha—yoga and kuṇḍalinī—yoga.
Japa: repetition of the Holy Name or mantra.
Jñāna: knowledge.
Jñāna—yoga: the yoga of knowledge.
K
Kāla: time.
Kālī: a form of Durgā Devī, the Divine Mother.
Kaṇāda: the founder of the Vaiśeṣika darśana.
Kanda: literally — knot. A center in the astral body from which nadīs come out. Located between the anus and the base of the genitals, under the Mūlādhāra chakra.
Kapila Ṛṣi: the founder of the Sāṅkhya philosophy.
Karma: action.
Karma—yoga: yoga of action.
Kārpaṇya: humility.
Kīrtana: chanting the names and the glories of Lord.
Kleśa: literally — afflictions such as suffering, anguish, pain.
Kriyā: action, effort. In haṭha—yoga, kriyās are exercises for the purification and awakening the kuṇḍalinī.
Kriyā—yoga: the yoga of austerities, study of the Self and surrender to God.
Kṛṣṇa: one of the avatāras of the Lord Viṣṇu.
Kṣipta: unstable and disturbed mental state.
Kulārṇava Tantra: one of the major Tantras.
Kuṇḍalinī: cosmic spiral energy located in the base of the spine of the individual body. Awakens in the process of self—realization.
Kuṇḍalinī—yoga: a yogic system of practice for the awakening of kuṇḍalinī energy.
L
Laghu: light.
Lakṣmī: Goddess of wealth and prosperity. One of the forms of the Devī, the Divine Mother.
Laya—yoga: a Śaivic system of yoga practices based on purification of chakras and the elevation of the kuṇḍalinī energy.
Liṅga—śarīra: astral body.
M
Mādhyamā: a medium. In nāda—yoga, the third stage in the manifestation of sound.
Madya: intoxication, wine.
Mahā—bandha: the greater lock, a joined practice of three bandhas practiced in haṭha and kuṇḍalinī—yoga.
Mahābhārata: the greatest epic that narrates the development of a royal conflict that leads to a huge war, it includes the Bhagavad—gītā. It was composed by Śrīla Vyāsadeva, and is sometimes known as the fifth Veda.
Mahā—mantra: the great mantra: Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare.
Mahārāja: literally — a great king, commonly used as a honorary title for sādhus.
Maithunam: sexual union.
Manana: reflection.
Manas: conscious mind.
Maṇḍala: literally — circle. A division or book Ṛg Veda.
Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad: one of the ten oldest and most authoritative Upaniṣads.
Maṅgala—ārati: morning deity worship.
Maṅgalācaraṇa: auspicious invocation.
Maṇipūra chakra: the third chakra that is located between the navel and the ribs.
Manomaya kośa: the mental body.
Māṁsa: meat.
Mantra: a formula or a mystical sacred word.
Manu Smṛti: book of laws written by Manu.
Matsya: fish.
Māyā: the power of illusion.
Mṛdaṅga: a drum of two heads used in India's classical music.
Mokṣa: liberation.
Mūḍha: a state of dimness and forgetfulness.
Mudrā: literally — seal. Gesture or a position of the hands and fingers, which close and directs the energy flow.
Mūla bandha: a contraction of the perineum. One of the bandhas practiced in haṭha—yoga and kuṇḍalinī—yoga.
Mūlādhāra chakra: the first chakra located at the base of the dorsal spine.
Mumukṣutā: desire for liberation.
Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad: one of the ten oldest and most authoritative Upaniṣads.
N
Nāda: sound.
Nāda Brahman: the eternal divine sound.
Nāda—yoga: the yoga of internal sound.
Nāḍī: the channel through which the prāṇa, the vital energy, flows in the subtle body.
Nāma—rūpa: name and form.
Niddidhyāsana: Vedantic meditation.
Nidrā: sleep.
Nirodha: complete cessation of mental activity.
Niyama: observance, behavior that must be followed for a spiritual and pious life.
Nṛsiṁha Purāṇa: one of the eighteen Mahā Purāṇas. Relates the pastimes of Lord Viṣṇu in his incarnation as half—lion half—human.
Nyāya: one of the six darśanas.
O
Oṁ: the original sound.
Oṁkāra: the syllable Oṁ.
P
Pāda—sevana: render service to the feet.
Pañcāṅga—sevana: sevā (service) of the five members.
Pañca tattva: five principles.
Parā—anurakti: love Supreme.
Paramparā: guru—disciple lineage.
Para—nāda: transcendental sound. In nāda—yoga, the first stage of the manifestation of sound.
Pārvatī: the consort of the Lord Śiva.
Paśu: animal.
Paśyantī: literally — what can be visualized. In nāda—yoga, the second phase in the manifestation of sound.
Patañjali Maharṣi: the compiler of the Yoga—sūtras.
Piṅgalā: the right nāḍī.
Prahlāda Mahārāja: a great devotee of Lord Viṣṇu, the son of Hiraṇyakaśipu.
Prakṛti: nature.
Pramāṇa: right knowledge.
Prāṇa: life energy, vital air.
Prāṇa kriyā: breathing exercises.
Prāṇāyāma: the expansion of individual energy and cosmic energy through breathing exercises. the fourth stage of aṣṭāṅga—yoga.
Praśna Upaniṣad: one of the main Upaniṣads.
Prātikūlyasya varjana: the rejection of everything averse to the surrender to the Lord.
Pratyāhāra: internalization of the senses. The fifth stage of aṣṭāṅga—yoga.
Prema: divine love.
Purāṇas: scriptures which reveal the Vedic message and its values in a simple way, mainly through traditional stories about saints, kings and great devotees.
Pūrṇa—yoga: integral yoga.
Puruṣa: the Supreme Being or internal spirit.
Pūrva Mīmāṁsā: one of the six darśanas.
R
Rāga: attraction or humor, generally used to denote the melodic moods in Indian classical music.
Rāja—yoga: a yogic system focused on the union of individual with the Divine through study of the mind, also called aṣṭāṅga—yoga.
Rajo—guṇa or rajas: the mode of passion, one of the three guṇas — the modes of nature.
Rakṣiṣyatīti viśvāsa: belief that "He [the Lord] will protect."
Rāmāyaṇa: the story of the life and pastimes of the Lord Rāmā and Sitā.
Ṛg Veda: one of the four Vedas.
Ṛṣi: a seer, a self—realized sage.
S
Śabda Brahman: the eternal divine word (the Vedas).
Sadguru (Sat—guru): true guru, master of the Truth.
Sādhanā: spiritual practice.
Sādhu: a virtuous and holy person.
Sādhu—saṅga: association with holy people.
Sahasrāra chakra: the chakra located in the crown.
Śaivism: path within Hinduism that focuses on worship of lord Śiva.
Sakhyam: friendship.
Śakti: power.
Sākṣi—yoga: the yoga of being the witness, awareness. The name selected by Swami Ramakrishnananda for his message.
Śāktism: path within Hinduism that focuses on worship of the Devī, the Divine Mother.
Śama: serenity.
Samādhāna: deep absorption.
Samādhi: full union with the Divine. The last of the eight stages of aṣṭaṅga yoga.
Sama Veda: one of the four Vedas.
Samayācāra: conventional or established practice.
Saṁsāra: the cycle of repeated births and deaths in the relative.
Saṁskāras: impressions stored in the subconscious.
Sanātana—dharma: literally — eternal religion, Hinduism.
Sanatkumāra: one of the sons of Brahmā.
Śaṅkarācārya: The main exponent of the Advaita Vedānta school of philosophy.
Sāṅkhya: one of the six darśanas.
Saṅkīrtana: chanting and glorifying God.
Sannyāsa—āśrama: the renounced order of life.
Sannyāsī: a renounced monk.
Santoṣa: contentment, one of the niyamas.
Śaraṇāgāti: literally — taking refuge. surrender to the Lord
Śāstra: scriptures.
Ṣaṭ Sampat: the treasure of the six virtues, a requirement for the path of jñāna—yoga.
Satsaṅga: association with the Truth.
Sattva—guṇa: mode of goodness and clarity.
Satya: truthfulness, one of the yamas.
Śauca: external and internal cleansing, one of the niyamas.
Saundarya—laharī: a famous collection of hymns written by Śaṅkarācārya describing the beauty of Pārvatī, the consort of the Lord Śiva.
Śava—āsana: posture of the corpse, the relaxation posture in the traditional system of haṭha—yoga.
Sevā: service.
Siddhi: spiritual energy, spiritual powers.
Śikṣā: instruction.
Śiva: the God of destruction.
Śloka: verse.
Smaraṇa: memory.
Smārtism: worship according to the Smṛti scriptures. Includes worship of God in different forms.
Smṛti: memory (function of the mind) and what has been remembered. It also refers to the literature that was not directly revealed by God, but compiled by the sages. It includes the Mahābhārata, Rāmāyaṇa and Purāṇas.
Spanda: vibration, pulse.
Śraddhā: trust, faith.
Śravaṇam: listening, hearing.
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: see Bhāgavata Purāṇa.
Śruti: what was heard. The literature that was revealed directly by God. Includes the four Vedas and the Upaniṣads.
Śuddha—bhakti: pure devotion.
Śuddhi: cleansing, purification.
Sūrya—namaskāra: the Sun salutation. A traditional exercise of haṭha—yoga, comprising a series of dynamic and cyclic positions.
Suṣumnā: the central nāḍī, which connects the Mūlādhāra chakra and Sahasrāra chakra. The kuṇḍalinī energy flows through this nāḍī when it is awakened.
Sūtra: an aphorism that expresses essential knowledge in a minimum of words.
Svetāśvatara Upaniṣad: one of the ten oldest and most authoritative Upaniṣads.
Svādhiṣṭhāna chakra: the second chakra located below the navel.
Svādhyāya: study of scriptures, one of the niyamas.
Swami: who has taken the renounced order of life.
T
Taittirīya Saṁhitā: a recension of the Yajur Veda.
Tāla: rhythm.
Tamo—guṇa or Tamas: the mode of darkness or ignorance. one of the three guṇas, modes of nature.
Tantras: scriptures that teach mystical formulas, usually in the form of dialogues between Śiva and Durgā.
Tapas: austerity, one of the niyamas.
Tarpaṇa: act of satisfying, that is usually expressed in offering water to gods or ancestors.
Tattva Bodha: name of the treatise by Śaṅkarācārya.
Titikṣā: patience.
Tripura Rahasya: the secret of Tripura, one of the principal Śākta Āgamas.
U
Uḍḍiyāna bandha: abdominal lock, one of the bandhas practiced in haṭha and kuṇḍalinī—yoga.
Upadeśāmṛta: The Nectar of Instruction, a book written by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, a disciple of Śrī Caitanya.
Upaniṣads: a conclusive text comprising a portion of the Veda, Vedānta. It presents the goal of the Vedas.
Uparati: withdrawal, renunciation of egoism.
Uttara Mīṁāṁsā: one of the six darśanas.
V
Vaidika dharma: Vedic religion, Hinduism.
Vaikharī: the eternal sound that manifests as speech. In nāda—yoga it is the fourth phase of the manifestation of sound.
Vaikuṇṭha—loka: a plane in the spiritual world. The abode of Lord Nārāyaṇa.
Vairāgya: detachment, renunciation.
Vaiśeṣika: one of the six darśanas.
Vaiṣṇavism: a path within the Hindu religion that focuses on worshipping Lord Viṣṇu.
Vājasaneyi Saṁhitā: a recension of the Yajur Veda.
Vandana: praise, worship.
Vāsanās: subtle and unconscious desires that are manifested in the form of inclinations.
Vedānta: literally — the finalization of the Vedas. The final conclusion, the essence of the Vedas. Also one of the schools of philosophy within the Hindu dharma.
Vedas: ancient scriptures of the sacred Hindu dharma that were heard directly from God (Śruti).
Vedic: linked to the Vedas.
Vicāraṇa: self—inquiry, research into the Self.
Vijñānamaya kośa: the intellectual body. One of the five sheaths covering the Ātma, Self.
Vikalpa: imagination.
Vikṣipta: agitated, disturbed state of mind.
Viparyaya: incorrect knowledge.
Vīra: hero, an ‘adept' in tantra.
Viṣṇu: one of the forms of God. The aspect of God that is responsible for the maintenance.
Viṣṇu Purāṇa: a scripture describing the glories of the Lord Viṣṇu.
Viśuddha chakra: The fifth chakra, located below the throat.
Viveka: discrimination.
Viveka—cūḍāmaṇi: The Jewel of Wisdom, a famous book by Śrī Śaṅkarācārya introducing the Advaita Vedānta philosophy.
Vraja: the area around Vṛndāvan.
Vṛndāvan: the village of Śrī Kṛṣṇa where he spent his childhood, and performed his early pastimes.
Vṛttis: waves of thought, modifications of the mind.
Vyāsadeva: compiler of the Vedas, and most of the Purāṇas. The literary incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu.
Y
Yajña: Vedic sacrifice.
Yajur Veda: one of the four Vedas.
Yama: restraints. Rules or codes of conduct according to the dharma.
Yantra: literally — an instrument. A mystical diagram.
Yoga—sūtras: a fundamental text of rāja—yoga, compiled by Patañjali Maharṣi.
Yogī: a practitioner of yoga.