GLOSSARY OF SANSKRIT WORDS

ACHĀRA: Right conduct.

ACHĀRYA: A spiritual guide, one who has mastered the codes of āchāra (right conduct), observes them himself and makes others observe them properly.

ADHARMA: Conduct opposed to Dharma; action prohibited by the Śāstras.

ADHAVĀ: A woman without husband.

ADHIKĀRA: Competency, necessary qualification requisite for a particular course of study or practice.

ADITYA: The Sun God, son of Aditi.

ADRISHṬA: Literally, unseen. Particularly applied to the unseen store of past Karma which is beyond our vision till it manifests itself.

ADVAITA: Literally, non-dual. The name is applied to the system of thought known as non-dualism propounded in the. Upanishads and expounded by Śrī Śankarāchārya.

AGNIHOTRA· The daily sacrifice in fire enjoined by the Vedas

ĀNANDA: Bliss.

ANTARYĀMI: The inner Ruler. The name applied to the Godhead when conceived of as controlling the entire universe from within.

ANUMĀNA: The process of reasoning, inference.

ANVAYA: The method of reasoning by which we deduce the relationship of cause and effect between two things by perceiving that the existence of one of them is invariably preceded by the existence of the other.

ĀSTIKA: One who grants the existence of 1. God, 2. Other regions of experience and 3. Other births than the present one.

ĀSTIKYAM: The state of being an Āstika, a believer.

BHAJANA: Generally, worship. Particularly applied to a set of devotional exercises usually accompanied by music.

BHAKTA: A devotee.

BHAKTI: Devotion.

BHRAMA: Misconception, illusion, wrong knowledge.

BHASMA: Sacred ashes.

BRAHMĀ: The name given to the Absolute when viewed as the creator of the universe. He is conceived of in devotional literature as having his special abode in the region known as Satya Loka.

BRAHMACHARYA: Studentship, primarily for the study of the Vedas.

BRAHMAN: The Ultimate Reality whose essential characteristics are absolute existence, absolute consciousness and absolute bliss and which transcends all limitations.

BRĀHMAṆA: A member of the class of that name among the four main classes into which Hindu society is classified in the Śāstras, namely Brāhmana, Kshatriya, Vaiśya and Śūdra.

BRĀHMAṆYAM: The spiritual status of a Brāhmaṇa.

BRAHMĀNANDA: The bliss of the Absolute Self.

CHARVĀKA: Literally, sweet-tongued. A materialist according to whom this body is the Self, its gratification the goal of life and its dissolution salvation.

CHIT: Consciousness, intelligent principle.

CHIT-ŚAKTI: Consciousness-energy, in elligence cum force.

DEVA: Literally, a shining one, a celestial being (masculine).

DEVATĀ: Same as Deva or Devī.

DEVĪ: Literally, a shining one, a celestial being (feminine).

DHARMA: The essential or ordained function, duty as enjoined in the Scriptures. Generally, the law governing or regulating conduct.

DHĀRMĪKA: One who conforms to Dharma in his conduct.

DVIBHĀSHĪ: Literally, able to speak two languages. Corrupted into Dubāsh. A person who can act as an interpreter between two persons who do not understand each other’s language.

GAṆEŚA: The God of learning.

GOPICHANDANA: A special kind of light yellow mud, sacred to Vishṇu.

HIRAṆYAGARBHA: The name given to the first born, that is, the being that comes into existence at the beginning of creation and who enlivens and ensouls the entire universe.

ĪŚWARA: The Absolute Reality viewed in its relative aspect as the Lord of the universe.

JĪVA: The individual soul by whose presence the body is said to live.

JNĀNA: Knowledge. Particularly, the knowledge of the Absolute Reality leading to freedom from phenomenal life.

KALIYUGA: The present Hindu era, said to have begun about 3100 B.C.

KĀMA: Desire. Particularly, desire for sense gratification.

KANYĀ: An unmarried girl.

KARMA: Action. Specially, responsible action, good or evil. The name is also applied to the unseen effect of action already done which is awaiting manifestation.

KĀRMIC: Pertaining to Karma.

LOBHA: Miserliness. Disinclination to part with what one has, sometimes used also to signify the longing for what one has not. Greed.

LOKA: Region of experience, a world.

LOUKIKA: A worldly person.

MĀYĀ: The inscrutable power of Brahman responsible for all diversity. The differentiating principle conceived of as the power inherent in the Absolute.

MOKSHA: Literally, release. Freedom from all bondage, that is, final liberation leading to the state of unlimited existence, unlimited consciousness and unlimited bliss.

MAṬHA: A place where a sannyāsin (recluse) resides. A monastery in general.

NĀSTIKA: One who denies the existence of all the following 1. God, 2. Other regions of experience and 3. Other births than the present one.

NIRGUṆA: Free from attributes.

NISHKĀMA-KARMA: Action without desire for a particular effect.

OUPANISHADA: Enunciated only in the Upanishads.

PRADHĀNA: Prime material substance which is said to have been the cause of the universe.

PRAMA: Right perception.

PRAMĀṆA: The means of right knowledge.

PRATYAKSHA: Direct perception by the senses.

RISHI: A sage who has attained the power to visualise the past and the future.

ŚABDA: Literally, sound. The word is used to denote the means of knowledge other than direct perception and reasoning. The authoritative word and, particularly, the Vedas and the Holy Scriptures dependent thereon.

SAGUṆA: With attributes.

ŚAKTA: One who has power.

ŚAKTI: Power.

SAMĀNYA: Ordinary, general.

SAMIT: Sacred twigs used for sacrifices.

SAMSKĀRA: Spiritual purification. Sacramental ceremony. Purificatory rite.

SANĀTANA: Ever-existing, eternal.

SANDHYĀ: Literally, what is in the junction. Usually applied to 1. Dawn, the junction between night and day, 2. Noon, the junction between forenoon and afternoon, 3. Sunset, the junction between day and night. The word is derivatively applied to the oblations, prayers and worships which have to be offered at these times.

SARIT: A flowing stream.

ŚĀSTRA: Literally, that which enjoins or commands. The name is applied to the Holy Scriptures which prescribe duties.

SASYA: That which is commanded.

ŚIVA: The name given to the Absolute when viewed as the dissolver of the universe. He is conceived of in devotional literature as having his special abode in the region known as Kailāsa.

SMRITI: Code of laws promulgated by the ancient sages for the guidance of mankind in accordance with the Vedas.

SOMA: A special kind of herb used for extracting juice for oblation in Vedic sacrifice.

SOMA YĀGA: The Vedic sacrifice in which Soma predominates.

ŚRADDHĀ: Faith. Belief in the truth of the Holy Scriptures and the words of the Spiritual Guru (Master).

SUBRAHMAṆYA: The God in commandment of the armies of the Gods.

ŚULKA: Money or money’s worth paid as a fee.

SŪRYA: The Sun God.

SVABHĀVA: One’s nature. The resultant of past deeds and tendencies carried over to this life at birth itself.

SVADHARMA: The duty enjoined on one’s self by the Śāstras.

TARKA: The science of logic.

TĀRKIKA: A logician.

UPANAYANA: Literally, taking near. The initiation ceremony done for the boys of the twice-born castes among the Hindus to qualify them for the study of the Vedas.

UPANISHAD: The last portion of the Vedas generally dealing with the ultimate truth of things.

UPĀSANĀ: Literally, sitting near. One-pointed devotion.

UPĀSYA: The object of devotion.

UPĀSYA DEVATĀ: The particular God who is the object of devotion.

VAIDIKA: One who has studied the Vedas and regulates his conduct according to them.

VARA: A bridegroom.

VARA-ŚULKA: The fee paid to secure a bridegroom.

VĀSANĀ: The resultant tendency left by an action or an experience which generates the taste for or facilitates further action or experience of the same sort. Facility or taste.

VĀSANĀ-SARIT: A stream of tendencies.

VEDA: The primary Holy Scriptures of the Hindus believed to be eternal.

VEDĀNTA: Literally, the last portion of Vedas namely the Upanishads. Derivatively, the philosophy enunciated therein.

VIDHAVĀ: A woman who has lost her husband.

VIDYĀ: Knowledge.

VIŚESHA: Special, particular.

VISHṆU: The name given to the Absolute when viewed as the sustainer of the universe. He is conceived of in devotional literature as having his special abode in the region known as Vaikuntha.

VIVĀHA: Sacrament of marriage.

VYATIREKA: The method of reasoning by which we deduce the relationship of cause and effect between two things by perceiving that the non-existence of the one is invariably preceded by the non-existence of the other.

YĀGA: Sacrificial worship ordained in the Śāstras.