| Word |
Description |
| Adharma |
contrary to what is right; evil. Cf. dharma |
| Aditi |
Vedic goddess, the 'mother' of the gods |
| Adityas |
Vedic sun deities, offspring of Aditi |
| Advaita Vedanta |
non-dualistic Vedantic philosophy |
| Agamas |
mystical scriptures pertaining to specific Hindu sects such as Vaisnavaites or Saivites |
| Agni |
fire; sacred fire; fire god |
| Ahimsa |
non-violence |
| ainism |
Aryan teaching emphasizing non-violence |
| Amma |
mother, a compound often used in the names of female goddesses |
| Amrta |
a nectar which was believed to bestow immortality |
| Ananda |
bliss; the bliss of union with Brahman |
| Ancha Karma |
five Ayurvedic purification methods |
| Anna |
food, rice |
| Anuman |
the monkey God, protagonist in Ramayana |
| Aranyaka Vedic |
forest texts or writings |
| Arjun |
one of the sons of Pandu and the main (human) character of the Bhagavad Gita |
| Artha |
worldly wealth, pursuit of wealth and social status |
| Arti |
act of worship celebrating light |
| Aryans |
the migrant invaders of India from approximately 1500 b.c; people of spiritual values |
| Asanas |
yogic postures |
| Asat |
non-being, that is to say the unreality of the world as opposed to the true Being (sat) which is Brahman. |
| Ashram |
hermitage, retreat or place of quiet and solitude, often in a forest, where a Hindu sage lives alone or with his disciples |
| Asramas |
the four stages of life in Hinduism |
| Asvamedha |
probably the most prestigious of Vedic sacrificial rites, where a horse is sacrificed in a yajna by the king whose supremacy has been acknowledged by the neighbouring kings |
| Atharva Veda |
'Knowledge of Incantations', the fourth Veda |
| Atman |
the presence of Brahman as the deepest essence of the self in all entities; the Divine Self, a synonym of Brahman |
| Aum |
the sacred sound and symbol which represents Brahman in its unmanifest and manifest aspects |
| Avatar |
literally 'descents', incarnation of God, usually the incarnations of Visnu and his consort Laksmi |
| Avidya |
ignorance |
| Ayurveda |
Vedic Medicine |
| Bhajans |
hymns in praise of a deity |
| Bhakta |
ardent devotee of a deity who expresses loving-devotion to the divine |
| Bhakti marga |
the path of devotion |
| Bhakti Yoga |
Yoga of Devotion |
| Bhakti |
ecstatic loving-devotion to the Almighty |
| Bhuktis |
planetary time periods, minor |
| Bindi |
mark (usually a round, red) worn on the centre of the forehead to show that a woman is married |
| Brahma |
form of the Hindu trinity governing creation or the Creator God |
| Brahmachari |
young boy at the first of the four stages of life, the stage of the student |
| Brahmacharya |
control of sexual energy; state of life of learning and purity |
| Brahman |
the Absolute or ultimate reality |
| Brahmanas |
Vedic ritualistic texts or manuals of instruction on the Vedas |
| Brahmins |
a priest and member of the most privileged of the four social classes of Hinduism |
| Brihaspati |
Vedic God of the ritual, the planet Jupiter |
| Buddha |
ninth avatar of Vishnu |
| Buddhism |
non-orthodox form of Vedic / Aryan teaching founded by the Buddha or enlightened one |
| Chakras |
nerve centers of the subtle body; |
| Charvakas |
materialistic philosophers of ancient India |
| Chela |
disciple and student of a guru |
| Cit |
the Pure Consciousness equated with moksa when the egoistic self is consort of Vishnu, sometimes called Sri |
| Darsanas |
writings of the six philosophical schools of Hindu religious thought |
| Darshan |
literally 'view' or 'sight of' referring to audience with a deity |
| Dashas |
planetary time periods |
| Deva |
male deity; literally 'shining one' |
| Devi |
female deity |
| Dharana |
yogic concentration or attention |
| Dharma |
what is right for the self - moral piety, religion, honor, the clan, karma or work, society and the universe |
| Dharma Sastras |
Law Books forming part of the scriptures of Hinduism |
| Dhatus |
bodily tissues in Ayurvedic Medicine |
| Dhyana |
meditation |
| Divali |
Hindu festival of lights |
| Doshas |
biological humors of Ayurvedic medicine |
| Durga |
the Goddess as the destroyer of demons, one of the energy forms of Siva |
| Dussehra |
Hindu festival that celebrates the defeat of the demon King Ravan at the hands of Lord Ram (found in the epic Ramayana ). It is also the worship of goddess Durga. |
| Dvandva |
dualities; pairs of opposites |
| Dvija |
twice-born, referring to the Brahmins, (formerly even the Ksatriyas and Vaisyas), who undergo initiation into the Hindu religion at a sacred-thread ceremoni |
| Ganesh Chaturthi |
worship of god Ganesha in the month of September |
| Ganesha |
elephant-headed God who takes away all obstacles and is the God of good fortune |
| Garbagriha |
literally 'womb-house', the central part of a temple where the main deity is enshrined |
| Gauna |
the ceremony marking the departure of a bride for the home of her new husband |
| Gayatri |
Vedic chant for awakening the soul |
| Gopis |
cowherdesses (celebrated in the myths of Lord Krishna) |
| Gramadevatas |
village deities |
| Grihastha |
person at the second of the four stages of life, the stage of the householder |
| Gunas |
prime three qualities of nature - sattva (spiritual), rajas (worldly) and tamas (unholy), which constitute all life |
| Guru |
enlightened spiritual teacher |
| Hanuman Chalisa |
the book containing prayers/hymns for the deified monkey God Hanuman |
| Hatha Yoga |
Yoga of the physical body |
| Havan |
an offering of fire in Hindu worship |
| Hinduism |
Vedic knowledge and teachings |
| Holi |
Hindu festival of colours |
| Homa |
Vedic worship, Fire offerings |
| Hum |
great mantra of Agni and Shiva |
| Indra |
Vedic God of storm and thunder who was also king of the gods |
| Ishta-devata |
chosen deity |
| Ishvara or Ishwara |
Lord, the term used of God in manifest form; the cosmic Creator |
| Itihasas |
Hindu epics or scriptures which convey historical and mythological sagas and tales |
| Jati |
birth and the caste system |
| Jivatman |
the personality self |
| Jnana Marga |
the path of knowledge |
| Jnana Yoga |
Yoga of Knowledge |
| Jnana |
intuitive knowledge |
| Jutha |
the 'left-overs' of food offered to a deity, the deity having extracted the essence of the food |
| Jyotish |
Vedic Astrology |
| Kailash |
the world mountain |
| Kalash |
brass pot containing water, representative of a goddess |
| Kali Yuga |
dark or iron age |
| Kali |
the dark form of the Goddess, characterized by ferocious appearance |
| Kalki |
tenth avatar of Vishnu |
| Kama |
pursuit of desire and pleasure, particularly sexual pleasure |
| Kapha |
biological water humor |
| Kapila |
great Hindu sage, founder of the Sankhya system of philosophy |
| Karakas |
planetary significators |
| Karma Marga |
the path of egoless action |
| Karma Yoga |
Yoga of Work or Service |
| Karma Yogi |
person who is selflessly devoted to work |
| Karma |
literally 'action' but also the law of cause and effect; action and reaction |
| Kashmiri Shaivism |
Shaivite philosophy of medieval Kashmir |
| Katcha |
poor quality, impure food |
| Ketu |
south node of the Moon, dragon's tail |
| Kirtan |
hymn in praise of a deity |
| Krishna |
eighth avatar of Vishnu |
| Krishna-Janamastami |
Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna |
| Kriya Yoga |
Yoga of technique |
| Kshatriya |
people of political values, belonging to the second of the four Hindu classes of society, traditionally a warrior, ruler or administrator |
| Kundalini |
serpent power, power of subtle body |
| Lakshman |
the brother of Lord Ram in the epic Ramayana |
| Lakshmi |
Goddess of prosperity, fortune and beauty; |
| Lalita |
Goddess of bliss |
| Laya Yoga |
Yoga of absorption of sound-current (nada) |
| Linga |
phallic symbol associated with the God Shiva |
| Lit |
person outside the class system of Hinduism who was formerly termed as Untouchable |
| Loka |
place; realm, as the deva loka, the realm of the gods |
| Mahabharata |
the epic of Krishna, Pandavas & Kauravas |
| Mahadeva |
'Great God', one of the names of the deity Shiva |
| Mahadevi |
'Great Goddess', the Mother Goddess of Hinduism |
| Mahashivratri |
Hindu festival devoted to Lord Shiva |
| Mahavakyas |
great sayings of Vedantic knowledge |
| Mahayana |
great vehicle, northern school of Buddhism |
| Manas |
mind or emotion |
| Mandal |
Hindu temple which can also be used for socio-cultural purposes |
| Mandap/mandva |
the canopy under which a wedding ceremony takes place |
| Mandir |
a Hindu temple |
| Mantra |
spiritual or sacred syllables or sounds which contain in their essence divine cosmic power |
| Manu |
Vedic original man, founder of human culture |
| Marmas |
sensitive body zones in Ayurvedic treatment |
| Mata |
mother, a compound often used in the names of female goddesses |
| Maya |
illusion, particularly the illusion of the transient, impermanent, phenomenal world |
| Mayavada |
doctrine that the world is unreal |
| Mehndi |
long-lasting pattern made with henna dye on the hands of a woman at her wedding and sometimes at festive occasions |
| Meru |
the poles |
| Mimamsa |
ritualistic form of Vedic philosophy |
| Moksha |
pursuit of liberation from the cycle of reincarnation, loss of the egoistic self, and union with Brahman |
| Monism |
the theory that everything in the cosmos is a unity and is equated with the divine |
| Monotheism |
belief in one personal god or goddess |
| Murti |
the image and representation of a deity in a temple, shrine or in the home |
| Nada |
sound current of the subtle body |
| Nadis |
nerves of the subtle body |
| Namaskar |
'I bow to you', the greeting which acknowledges the atman in another person |
| Namaste |
'I bow to you', the greeting which acknowledges the atman in another person |
| Nataraj |
Shiva as lord of the cosmic dance |
| Navaratri |
a nine-day Hindu festival devoted to the goddess Durga |
| Neti Neti |
literally 'not this, not this', the expression used to denote that Brahman is beyond all dualities and human thought |
| Nirakara |
'without form', referring to Brahman as Unmanifest |
| Nirguna |
'without gunas', without qualities, referring to Brahman as Unmanifest |
| Nirvana |
liberation, the state of peace |
| Nitya |
'obligatory', referring to aspects of religious practice. |
| Niyamas |
yogic observances |
| Nyaya & Vaisheshika |
Hindu philosophies |
| Panda |
a temple priest at a pilgrimage site |
| Panentheism |
the belief that the divine is in all things and unifies all things but is ultimately greater than all things |
| Pantheism |
the belief that the divine is in all things and is equated with the totality of all |
| Parashurama |
sixth avatar of Vishnu |
| Parvati |
goddess, the consort of God Shiva |
| Patanjali |
main teacher of classical Yoga system |
| Pinda |
four balls of rice prepared on the twelfth day after someone has died to symbolize the union of the deceased with his or her forebears |
| Pitta |
biological fire humor |
| Polytheism |
belief in many personal gods and /or goddesses |
| Prakriti |
great Nature, matter |
| Prana Yoga |
Yoga of the life-force |
| Prana |
breath or life-force |
| Pranayama |
yogic control of the breath |
| Prasad |
the grace of the deity given to the worshipper in the form of food after worship: see also jutha |
| Pratyahara |
yogic control of mind and senses |
| Puja |
Hindu honour, respect or worship of a deity, flower offerings |
| Pujari |
temple or shrine priest who performs puja |
| Pukka |
good quality food which is considered ritually pure |
| Puranas |
Hindu mythological texts |
| Purohit |
a family priest or guru |
| Purusha |
literally 'person': the original, primeval being the sacrifice of which was believed to create from its body the phenomenal world, in particular the four classes. It is the pure consciousness, or the spirit which is also synonymous of Brahman and therefore of atman |
| Radha |
a cowherdess who was the favourite of Lord Krishna and an incarnation of the Goddess Lakshmi, also a Goddess in her own right |
| Rahu |
north node of the Moon; dragon's head |
| Raja Yoga |
integral or royal yoga path of Patanjali |
| Raja |
a tribal chieftain, local ruler or monarch |
| Rajas |
one of the three gunas or qualities in existence, associated with the creator God Brahma and representing the active energy or agitation in the universe |
| Rakhi |
a band symbolizing protection which is tied round the wrists of males by girls at the festival of Raksha Bandhan |
| Raksha Bandhan |
Hindu festival of tying Rakhi or band around wrists |
| Ram Navami |
Hindu festival celebrating the birthday of Lord Rama |
| Rama |
seventh avatar of Vishnu and hero of the epic The Ramayana |
| Ramayana |
Hindu epic scripture dealing with the heroic exploits of Lord Rama |
| Rasayana |
Ayurvedic rejuvenation methods |
| Rig Veda/Rg Veda |
'Royal Knowledge', Veda of chant, one of the four Vedas, the major and oldest Aryan Hindu scripture |
| Rishis |
ancient Vedic seers, enlightened men who composed Vedic hymns and Upanishads |
| Rta |
the Vedic cosmic norm which regulated all existence and to which all had to conform |
| Rudra |
terrible or wrathful form of Shiva |
| Sadharana Dharma |
what is right in terms of the common duties and obligations to one's fellow human beings |
| Saguna |
manifest, referring to manifest aspects of Brahman |
| Saivites |
devotees of the deity Shiva |
| Sakara |
'with form', referring to the manifest aspects of Brahman |
| Sakti |
the female active energy in the universe |
| Sama Veda |
'Knowledge of Chants', one of the four Vedas |
| Samadhi |
absorption, bliss, trance |
| Samsara |
worldly life or reincarnation |
| Samskaras |
rituals and rites in one's life cycle |
| Sanatana Dharma |
what is right for the universe; it is also synonymous with Hinduism |
| Sankhya |
Vedic philosophy of cosmic principles |
| Sannyasin/Sannyasa |
person at the last of the four stages of life, the stage of the wandering ascetic, stage of life of renunciation and liberation |
| Sanskrit |
Vedic and mantric language |
| Santana Dharma |
the eternal teaching; traditional name for the Hindu religion |
| Santosi Ma |
a modern Hindu goddess of prosperity and wish-fulfilment |
| Saptapadi |
the seven steps taken by a couple during their marriage ceremony symbolizing seven different wishes for the future |
| Saraswati |
Goddess of speech, learning, knowledge and wisdom |
| Sari |
traditional dress for women consisting of a piece of material of five or six metres long which is draped around the body |
| Sat |
the Being, Truth and Reality associated with Brahman as opposed to the non-being (asat) of the phenomenal world |
| Sati |
consort of the God Shiva, also called Uma |
| Sati |
voluntary burning of a widow on her husband's funeral pyre |
| Sattva |
quality of truth or light; one of the three gunas or qualities in existence, associated with the preserving God Vishnu and representing light and spiritual evolution |
| Sautrantika |
Buddhist philosophy of the momentariness of all things |
| Savitar |
Vedic Sun god as the guide of Yoga |
| Savitr |
Vedic solar deity |
| Shakti |
the power of consciousness and spiritual evolution |
| Shankara |
the great philsopher of non-dualistic Vedanta |
| Shiva |
form of the Hindu trinity governing destruction and transcendence |
| Shiva |
one of the three trinities in Hinduism, the god of Destruction |
| Shudras |
people of sensate values |
| Shunyavada |
Buddhist philosophy that everything is void |
| Sita |
the wife of Rama in the Hindu epic the Ramayana and an avatar of the Goddess Lakshmi |
| Skanda |
the God of war |
| Smrti |
literally 'memory' or 'remembered': a category of sacred scriptures which contains much popular and devotional literature |
| So'ham |
natural mantric sound of the breath |
| Soma |
Vedic God of bliss or equated also with a potent hallucinogenic drink |
| Sraddha |
ceremonies for the deceased in the twelve days following cremation |
| Srauta |
official sacrificial ritual of the Vedic period |
| Sri |
the Goddess Lakshmi, consort of Lord Vishnu |
| Srotas |
channel systems used in Ayurvedic medicine |
| Sruti |
category of sacred scriptures which are 'heard' or cognized by the ancient seers |
| Sudra |
the fourth of the Hindu four classes, traditionally the servant class |
| Surya |
Vedic Sun God or god of the enlightened mind |
| Svadharma |
what is right for an individual |
| Tamas |
one of the three gunas or qualities in existence, associated with the dissolver God Shiva and representing the quality of darkness and inertia in existence |
| Tantra |
medieval yogic and ritualistic Indian texts; esoteric, mystical teachings |
| Tara |
the Goddess in her role as savior |
| Tat Tvam Asi |
'That art thou', the equating of the atman and every being in total identity with That, which is Brahman |
| Theism |
belief in a personal god, goddess, gods or goddesses |
| Tilak |
the mark (usually vertical) placed on the forehead of a devotee during ritual worship |
| Trimurti |
literally 'three-form',the Hindu trinity of three deities, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, the Creator, the Preserver and the Destroyer, respectively |
| Ugadi |
Hindu festival |
| Uma |
consort of the male deity Shiva |
| Upanayama |
ceremony of the sacred thread undertaken by the top three classes of the Hindu society |
| Upangas |
literature concerned with ritual and logical thought |
| Upanishads |
Vedic philosophical texts or scriptures occuring at the end of the Vedas characterised by mystical and philosophical speculation on the nature of the self and ultimate Reality |
| Upavedas |
additions to the Vedic scriptures |
| Ushas |
Vedic goddess of dawn |
| Vaishnavites |
devotees of the deity Vishnu |
| Vaishyas |
person belonging to the third of the four Hindu classes of society, traditionally an artisan or skilled labourer, people of commercial values |
| Vak |
Divine Word, the Goddess |
| Vanaprastha |
person at the third of the four stages of life, hermitage or forest-dweller stage of life |
| Varna |
literally 'colour', the word for the four social values or class system in Hinduism, |
| Varnasramadharma |
what is right for class and stage of life |
| Varuna |
Vedic deity of cosmic order |
| Vata |
biological air humor |
| Veda |
knowledge |
| Vedangas |
rules on ritual, astronomy, morals, grammar and phonetics |
| Vedanta |
Vedic philosophy of Self-knowledge |
| Vedas |
the four Vedic ancient scriptures of India, namely the Rg, Sama, Yajur and Atharva |
| Vedic Science |
integral spiritual science of the Vedas |
| Vidya |
knowledge |
| Vijnana |
intelligence |
| Vijnanavada |
Buddhist philosophy that consciousness alone exists |
| Vishnu |
God or form of the Hindu trinity governing preservation |
| Yajna |
sacrifice, sacred ritual |
| Yajur Veda |
'Knowledge of Sacrificial Ritual', one of the four Vedas |
| Yama |
God of Death; ruler of the realm of the dead the 'Land of the Fathers': he was the first man to die and therefore the welcomer of others to his realm |
| Yamas |
yogic attitudes |
| Yantra |
geometrical meditation designs |
| Yatra |
pilgrimage |
| Yoga Sutras |
classical text of Patanjali on Yoga |
| Yoga |
techniques of developing and integrating energy; discipline or 'yoking' of the senses and the ego more... |
| Yogi |
practitioner of yoga |
| Yugas |
world-ages |
