ABHIMANA:
Ego-centred attachment.
ABHYASA: Spiritual practice. Refers to
constant practice over a long period of time. Has been prescribed by the great
sage Patanjali Maharishi in his Yoga Sutras and by
Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita as an essential
means to control the mind together with Vairagya.
ADHISHTHANA: Substratum.
ADHYASA: Mutual identification or superimposition.
ADHYATMIC: Spiritual.
ADVAITA: Non-duality.
AHANKARA: Ego. One of the four elements
of the mind or Antakharana.
AHIMSA: Non-violence. The first of the
five 8 limbs
of Raja Yoga
AMARA: Immortal.
AMARA-PURUSHA: Immortal being.
ANAHATA: Mystic sound heard by Yogis.
ANANDA: Bliss.
ANTAHKARANA: Internal instrument
such as mind, intellect, ego and the subconscious mind.
ANTARATMAN: Inner Self.
ANTARYAMIN: Inner witness.
ANUBHAVA: Experience.
APTA: Realized.
ARHATA: A perfected Soul.
ASAMPRAJNATA: Highest superconscious
state where the mind is completely annihilated and Reality experienced.
ASANA: A bodily pose or posture. See page
on Yogic exercises
ASHRAM: A hermitage; monastery. See list
of the Sivananda Ashrams
ASHTANGA: Eight limbs. See page on the
8 limbs of Ashtanga Yoga.
ASURIC: Demoniacal.
ATMA-JNANA: Knowledge of the Self.
ATMA-SVARUP: The essential nature
of the Self.
ATMAN: The Self.
AVADHUTA: A naked sage.
AVARANA: Veil of ignorance.
AVIDYA: Ignorance.
AYURVEDA: The ancient Indian science
of medicine.
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BENARES:
A holy pilgrimage centre of Hindus, now called Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, India.
BHAGAVAD-GITA: A scripture containing
Lord Krishna's teachings.
BHAGAVATA: Name of a Purana
(sacred work dealing with the doctrines of creation, etc.)
BHAJAN: Devotional song
BHAKTA: Devotee of God
BHAKTI: Devotion. Bhakti is one of the
four paths of Yoga. See page on the four paths
BHARATAVARSHA: India.
BHAVA(NA): Feeling; mental attitude.
BHAYANAKA-SABDA: A fear inducing
sound.
BHOGI: Enjoyer.
BHUMA: The Unconditioned, the Great Infinite,
Brahman.
BHUTA-SIDDHI: A psychic power by
which mastery is gained over the elements.
BODHISATTVA: A being who, having
developed the Awakening Mind (a mind infused with the aspiration to attain the
state of Buddhahood), devotes his life to the task of achieving
Buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings.
BRAHMA-CHINTANA: Constant thinking
of Brahman.
BRAHMA-JNANA: Direct Knowledge of
Brahman.
BRAHMA-NISHTHA: One who is established
in the Knowledge of Brahman.
BRAHMA-SROTRI: One who has knowledge
of the Vedas and the Upanishads.
BRAHMA-SUTRAS: Classical Vedantic
scripture.
BRAHMA-TEJAS: Spiritual halo.
BRAHMA-VIDYA: The science of Brahman.
BRAHMACHARYA: Practice of celibacy.
Purity in thought, word and deed. The third of the five Yamas.
See page on the 8 limbs of Raja Yoga
BRAHMAMUHURTA: Period from 4 a.m.
to 6 a.m. The most auspicious time for the practice of meditation and other
spiritual practices.
BRAHMAN: The Absolute Reality; God.
BRIHADARANYAKA: Name of an Upanishad.
BUDDHA: One who is totally purified from
all defilements and who has realized all that can be known.
BUDDHI: Intellect. One of the four elements
of the mind or Antakharana.
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CHAKRAS:
Centres of energy in the human system. See our Shockwave interactive Chakra
animation
CHANDOGYA: Name of an Upanishad.
CHELA: Disciple.
CHIRANJIVI: One who has gained eternal
life.
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DAIVIC:
Divine.
DAMA: Control of senses.
DARSHAN: Vision.
DAYA: Mercy.
DEHA: Body.
DHARANA: Concentration. The sixth limb
of the Ashtanga or Raja Yoga system. Please see page on the
8 limbs.
DHARMA: Duty; characteristics, righteousness.
DHYANA: Meditation.The seventh limb of
the Ashtanga or Raja Yoga system. Please see pages on the
8 limbs and on meditation.
DIVYA-DRISHTI: Divine perception.
DVESHA: Repulsion; hatred; dislike.
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EKADASI:
Eleventh day of the Hindu lunar fortnight.
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GANGA:
River Ganges.
GAYATRI: One of the most sacred Vedic
Mantras; goddess.
GITA: Renowned sacred text "Bhagavad-Gita".
GUNA: Quality born of nature. See page on
the three Gunas.
GURU: Teacher; preceptor. Read more about
Guru
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HAVAN:
Sacred oblations.
HIRANYAGARBHA: Cosmic intelligence;
the supreme lord of the universe; cosmic mind.
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INDRA:
The Lord of gods; the ruler of heaven.
INDRIYAS: Senses.
ISHVARA: Lord; God.
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JAPA:
Repetition of the Lord's Name or Mantra.
JIVA: Individual Soul.
JIVANMUKTA: One who is liberated in
this life.
JNANA: Wisdom. Knowledge of the Self. Jnana
is one of the four paths of Yoga. See page on the four
paths
JNANA-INDRIYAS: Organs of knowledge
or perception.
JNANI: (Pronounced Nyani) A wise person
who is endowed with Jnana.
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KAIVALYA:
Emancipation; state of absolute independence.
KARMA: Action. The law of action and reaction.
the fruits of the action. See pages on the law
of Karma & on reincarnation.
KARMA-INDRIYAS: Organs of action
- tongue, hands, feet, genital organ and anus.
KARMA-KANDI: One who observes strictly
the duties ordained in the scriptures.
KARMASRAYA: Receptacle of actions.
KARUNA: Compassion
KASHAYA: Hidden desires.
KIRTAN: Singing devotional songs.
KRIYA: A type of of exercise in Hatha Yoga.
KSHAMA: Forgiveness.
KUNDALINI: The primordial cosmic energy
located in the individual.
KUTIR: A small cottage; hut.
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LAYA:
Merging; dissolution.
LINGA-SARIRA: The subtle body, the
astral body.
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MAHA:
Great.
MAHABHARATA: A Hindu epic.
MAHANT: Great sage
MAHAPURUSHA: A great soul.
MAHARISHI: Great sage
MAHASAMADHI: The departure of a Self-realized
saint from his mortal coil.
MAHATMA: Great soul
MAITRI: Friendship.
MANONASA: Destruction of mind.
MANTRA: Sacred syllable or word, or set
of words through the repetition and reflection of which one attains perfection.
MAYA: The illusive power of God.
MOHA: Infatuation.
MOKSHA: Liberation.
MOUNA: Vow of silence.
MOUNI: One who observes silence.
MUKTI: Liberation.
MUMUKSHU: One who aspires after moksha
or liberation.
MUNI: An ascetic.
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NADA:
Mystic sound.
NIRVANA: Liberation; final emancipation.
NIRVIKALPA-SAMADHI: Superconscious
state where there is no mind or Triputi.
NITYA-SIDDHA: A liberated soul of
marvellous powers who is ever present on the astral plane.
NIVRITTI: Renunciation.
NIYAMA: The second step in Raja Yoga,
observance - purity, contentment, austerities, etc.
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OJAS:
Spiritual energy.
OM: The sacred monosyllable which symbolizes
Brahman.
OORDHVARETA: A Yogi
who has stored up the seminal energy in the brain after sublimating the same
into spiritual energy (Ojas).
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PARIVRAJAKA:
Wandering monk.
PARAM-DHAMA: Supreme abode.
PARAMAHAMSA: The highest class of
Sannyasins.
PASU-SVABHAVA: Animal nature; bestial
nature.
PATANJALI: The author of Yoga-Sutras,
the foremost scripture on Raja Yoga, the Yoga of mind control..
PRAKRITI: Mother Nature, causal matter.
PRANA: Vital energy; life-breath.
PRANAVA: The sacred monosyllable Om.
PRANAYAMA: Practice of breath-control.
See page on proper breathing.
PRATYAHARA: Abstraction or withdrawal
of the senses; fifth step in Raja Yoga.
PREMA: Divine Love.
PRITHVI: Earth.
PURANA: Hindu myths and legends.
PURUSHA: The Supreme Being.
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RAGA:
Attachment.
RAJA: King.
RAJAS: One of the three Gunas
or qualities of Prakriti which generates passion and restlessness.
See page on the three Gunas.
RAJA-YOGA: A system of Yoga generally
taken to be the one propounded by Patanjali Maharishi, i.e., Ashtanga Yoga.
One of the four paths of Yoga. See page on the four paths
RAJASUYA-YAJNA: A sacrifice performed
by a monarch as a mark of his subduing all other kings.
RAMAYANA: A holy narative of Lord Rama.
RASASVADA: Tasting the bliss of lower
Samadhi.
RISHI: Sage.
RISHIKESH: A sacred place in the Himalayas.
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SADHAKA:
Spiritual aspirant.
SADHANA: Spiritual practice.
SADHU: Pious man; Sannyasin.
SAHASRANAMA: The thousand Names of
the Lord.
SAKTI: Power; the feminine aspect of Divinity.
SAKTI-SANCHAR: Transference of
power by a developed Yogi.
SAMA: Serenity; control of mind.
SAMADHI: The state of superconsciousness.
SAMSARA: The process of worldly life.
SAMSKARAS: Impressions in the subconscious
mind.
SAMYAMA: Concentration, meditation and
Samadhi practiced at one and the same time.
SANKARA: The well known teacher of Vedanta philosophy.
SANKIRTAN: Singing of divine songs.
SANNYASINS: Those who have embraced
the life of complete renunciation.
SATCHIDANANDA: Existence absolute(Sat),
Knowledge absolute(Chid), Bliss absolute(Ananda).
SATSANG: Association with the wise.
SATTVA: Purity-one of the three qualities
of nature or Gunas. See page on the three
Gunas
SIDDHI: Psychic power.
SIVA: Lord Siva - bestower of auspiciousness
on His devotees.
SLOKA: Verse.
SRADDHA: Faith.
SRI: Auspiciousness-a name is qualified by
putting "Sri" before it as a mark of courtesy and auspiciousness.
STOTRA: Hymn.
SUDDHA: Pure.
SUSHUMNA: The chief among astral tubes
in the human body running inside the spinal column.
SUTRA: Aphorism.
SVADHYAYA: Study of scriptures.
SVARUPA: Essential nature; Reality.
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TAMAS:
One of the three qualities of nature (Gunas) which generates
inertia, laziness, dullness and infatuation.
TAPAS: Austerity. The third Niyama
of the Ashtanga Yoga system. See page on the 8 limbs.
TAPASCHARYA: Practice of austerity.
TATTVA: Essence; principle.
TEHSILDAR: Revenue officer.
TRIPUTI: The triad-seer, sight and seen.
TRISHNA: Sense-hankering.
TURIYA: The state of superconsciousness,
the fourth state transcending the waking, dreaming and deep sleep states.
TYAGA: Renunciation (of egoism, desires
and the world).
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UDDALAKA:
A great sage of yore.
UPADESA: Spiritual advice.
UPANISHADS: Revelation; text dealing
with Ultimate Truth and Its Realization.
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VAIRAGYA:
Dispassion. Detachment from worldly attachments. Has been prescribed by the
great sage Patanjali Maharishi in his Yoga Sutras and
by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita as an essential
means to control the mind together with Abhyasa.
VASANA-KSHYA: Desireless.
VASANAS: Subtle desires.
VEDANTA: The school of Hindu thoughts
(based primarily on the Upanishads).
VEDANTIN: One who follows the path of
Vedanta
VEDAS: The highest authority among the
Aryans of India.
VEERYA: Seminal energy.
VETTA: Knower.
VICHARA: Enquiry into the nature of Brahman.
VIKSHEPA: The tossing of mind.
VISHAYA: Sense-objects.
VIVEKA: Discrimination.
VRITTI: A wave in the mind-lake.
VYAVAHARA: (Worldly) activity.
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YAJNAVALKYA:
A great sage of yore.
YAMA: First limb of Raja Yoga; Eternal vows
- non-violence, truthfulness, etc. See page on the 8 limbs.
YOGA: Union; union with the Supreme Being
- any course that makes for such union. See page on Yoga.
YOGI (N): One who practices Yoga; one who
is established in Yoga.
YONI: Source.
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ZAMINDAR:
A rich landlord.
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