Pranagnihotra Upanishad: (Sanskrit) A minor Upanishad which explains how to transform the external ritual of the fire sacrifice into pranagnihotra, "the sacrifice offered in the prana fire" of one's own being.

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pramukha: (Sanskrit) "Turning the face toward." Head; foremost." Leader, guide; such as the family head, kutumba pramukha.

See: joint family.

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prana: (Sanskrit) Vital energy or life principle. Literally, "vital air," from the root pran, "to breathe."

Prana in the human body moves in the pranamaya kosha as five primary life currents known as vayus, "vital airs or winds." These are prana (outgoing breath), apana (incoming breath), vyana (retained breath), udana (ascending breath) and samana (equalizing breath). Each governs crucial bodily functions, and all bodily energies are modifications of these. Usually prana refers to the life principle, but sometimes denotes energy, power or the animating force of the cosmos.

See: kosha, tattva.

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pranamaya kosha: (Sanskrit) "Life-energy sheath."

See: kosha, prana.

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yoga pada: (Sanskrit) The third of the successive stages in spiritual unfoldment in Saiva Siddhanta, wherein the goal is Self Realization.

See: pada, yoga.

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prapatti: (Sanskrit) "Throwing oneself down."

Bhakti - total, unconditional submission to God, often coupled with the attitude of personal helplessness, self-effacement and resignation. A term especially used in Vaishnavism to name a concept extremely central to virtually all Hindu schools. In Saiva Siddhanta, bhakti is all important in the development of the soul and its release into spiritual maturity.

The doctrine is perhaps best expressed in the teachings of the four Samayacharya saints, who all shared a profound and mystical love of Siva marked by

1)    deep humility and self-effacement, admission of sin and weakness;

2)    total surrender in God as the only true refuge and

3)    a relationship of lover and beloved known as bridal mysticism, in which the devotee is the bride and Siva the bridegroom.

The practice of yoga, too, is an expression of love of God in Saiva Siddhanta, and it is only with God's grace that success is achieved. Rishi Tirumular states: "Unless your heart melts in the sweet ecstasy of love - my Lord, my treasure-trove, you can never possess" (Tirumantiram 272). It is in this concept of the need for self-effacement and total surrender, prapatti, that the members of all sects merge in oneness, at the fulfillment of their individual paths. Similarly, they all meet in unity at the beginning of the path with the worship of Lord Ganesha.

See: bhakti, grace, pada, surrender.

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Yoga Sampradaya: (Sanskrit) A term for Siddha Siddhanta.

See: Saivism.

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prakriti: (Sanskrit) "Primary matter; nature."

In the 25- tattva Sankhya system - which concerns itself only with the tangible spectrum of creation - prakriti, or pradhana, is one of two supreme beginningless realities: matter and spirit, prakriti and purusha, the female and male principles. Prakriti is the manifesting aspect, as contrasted with the quiescent unmanifest - purusha, which is pure consciousness.

In Shaktism, prakriti, the active principle, is personified as Devi, the Goddess, and is synonymous with Maya. Prakriti is thus often seen, and depicted so in the Puranas, as the Divine Mother, whose love and care embrace and comfort all beings. In Saivite cosmology, prakriti is the 24th of 36 tattvas, the potentiality of the physical cosmos, the gross energy from which all lower tattvas are formed. Its three qualities are sattva, rajas and tamas.

See: odic, purusha, tattva.

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pralaya: (Sanskrit) "Dissolution, reabsorption; destruction; death."

A synonym for samhara, one of the five functions of Siva. Also names the partial destruction or reabsorption of the cosmos at the end of each eon or kalpa. There are three kinds of periods of dissolution:

1)    laya, at the end of a mahayuga, when the physical world is destroyed;

2)    pralaya, at the end of a kalpa, when both the physical and subtle worlds are destroyed; and

3)    mahapralaya at the end of a mahakalpa, when all three worlds (physical, subtle and causal) are absorbed into Siva.

See: cosmic cycle, mahapralaya.

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pranama: (Sanskrit) "Obeisance; bowing down." Reverent salutation in which the head or body is bowed.

-       ashtanga pranama: "Eight-limbed obeisance." The full prostration for men, in which the hands, chest, forehead, knees and feet touch the ground. (Same as shashtanga pranama.) -

-       panchanga pranama: "Five-limbed obeisance." The woman's form of prostration, in which the hands, head and legs touch the ground (with the ankles crossed, right over the left).

A more exacting term for prostration is pranipata, "falling down in obeisance."

See: bhakti, namaskara, prapatti.

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Pratyabhijna Sutra (Sutras): (Sanskrit) A foundational Kashmir Saiva scripture, 190 sutras.

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Primal Soul: The uncreated, original, perfect soul - Siva Parameshvara - who emanates from Himself the inner and outer universes and an infinite plurality of individual souls whose essence is identical with His essence. God in His personal aspect as Lord and Creator, depicted in many forms: Nataraja by Saivites, Vishnu by Vaishnavites, Devi by Shaktas.

See: Nataraja, Parameshvara.

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Primal Sound: In Hinduism, sound is the first manifestation, even before light, in the creative scheme of things. The Primal Sound is also known as Pranava, the sound of the mula mantra, "Aum."

See: sound, Healing sound, vibrational healing

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prevail: To be strong and victorious; overcome all obstacles. To exist widely.

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Pretaloka: (Sanskrit) "World of the departed."

The realm of the earth-bound souls. This lower region of Bhuvarloka is an astral duplicate of the physical world.

See: loka.

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preservation: The act of maintaining or protecting. One of the five cosmic powers.

See: Nataraja.

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yantra: (Sanskrit) "Restrainer," "limiter."

A mystic diagram composed of geometric and alphabetic figures - usually etched on small plates of gold, silver or copper. Sometimes rendered in three dimensions in stone or metal.

The purpose of a yantra is to focus spiritual and mental energies according to computer-like yantric pattern, be it for health, wealth, childbearing or the invoking of one God or another. It is usually installed near or under the temple Deity. Psychically seen, the temple yantra is a magnificent three-dimensional edifice of light and sound in which the devas work. On the astral plane, it is much larger than the temple itself.

Sri Chakra: The most well known yantra and a central image in Shakta worship. Consisting of nine interlocking triangles, it is the design of Siva-Shakti's multidimensional manifestations. Yantras are also used for meditation and sadhana, especially in the Shakta tradition. Installing them beneath Deities is a fairly modern practice, while the Agamas prescribe the placement of precious gems. For Saivites the Tiru-ambala chakra, representing Lord Nataraja, is most sacred.

See: murti.

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Primal Substance: The fundamental energy and rarified form from which the manifest world in its infinite diversity is derived.

See: Parashakti.

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principle: An essential truth, law or rule upon which others are based.

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prohibit (prohibition): To forbid or prevent by authority.

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prominent: Conspicuous, noticeable at once. Widely known.

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progeny: Offspring, children; descendants.

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