bhakti yoga: n (Sanskrit) "Union through devotion." Bhakti yoga is the practice of devotional disciplines, worship, prayer, chanting and singing with the aim of awakening love in the heart and opening oneself to God's grace. Bhakti may be directed toward God, Gods or one's spiritual preceptor.

Bhakti yoga seeks communion and ever closer rapport with the Divine, developing qualities that make communion possible, such as love, selflessness and purity. Saint Sambandar described bhakti as religion's essence and the surest means to divine union and liberation. He advised heartfelt worship, unstinting devotion and complete surrender to God in humble, committed service. From the beginning practice of bhakti to advanced devotion, called prapatti, self-effacement is an intricate part of Hindu, even all Indian, culture.

Bhakti yoga is embodied in Patanjali's Yoga Darshana in the second limb, niyamas (observances), as devotion (Ishvarapranidhana). Bhakti yoga is practiced in many Hindu schools, and highly developed in Vaishnavism as a spiritual path in itself, leading to perfection and liberation. In Saiva Siddhanta, its cultivation is the primary focus during the kriya pada (stage of worship).

See: bhakti yoga, prapatti, sacrifice, surrender, yajna.

(See also: Bhakti yoga , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

death: Death is a rich concept for which there are many words in Sanskrit, such as: mahaprasthana, "great departure;" samadhimarana, dying consciously while in the state of meditation; mahasamadhi, "great merger, or absorption," naming the departure of an enlightened soul.

Hindus know death to be the soul's detaching itself from the physical body and continuing on in the subtle body (sukshma sharira) with the same desires, aspirations and occupations as when it lived in a physical body. Now the person exists in the in-between world, the subtle plane, or Antarloka, with loved ones who have previously died, and is visited by earthly associates during their sleep.

Hindus do not fear death, for they know it to be one of the most glorious and exalted experiences, rich in spiritual potential. Other terms for death include panchatvam (death as dissolution of the five elements), mrityu (natural death), prayopavesha (self-willed death by fasting), marana (unnatural death, e.g., by murder).

See: reincarnation, suicide, videhamukti.

(See also: Death , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

chakra: (Sanskrit) "Wheel."

Any of the nerve plexes or centers of force and consciousness located within the inner bodies of man. In the physical body there are corresponding nerve plexuses, ganglia and glands.

The seven principal chakras can be seen psychically as colorful, multi-petaled wheels or lotuses. They are situated along the spinal cord from the base to the cranial chamber.

Additionally, seven chakras, barely visible, exist below the spine. They are seats of instinctive consciousness, the origin of jealousy, hatred, envy, guilt, sorrow, etc. They constitute the lower or hellish world, called Naraka or patala. Thus, there are 14 major chakras in all.

The seven upper chakras, from lowest to highest, are:

1)    muladhara chakra (base of spine): memory, time and space;

2)    svadhishthana chakra (below navel): reason;

3)    manipura chakra (solar plexus): willpower;

4)    anahata chakra (heart center): direct cognition;

5)    vishuddha chakra (throat): divine love;

6)    ajna chakra (third eye): divine sight;

7)    sahasrara chakra (crown of head): illumination, Godliness.

The seven lower chakras, from highest to lowest, are

1)    atala chakra (hips): fear and lust;

2)    vitala chakra (thighs): raging anger;

3)    sutala chakra (knees): retaliatory jealousy;

4)    talatala chakra (calves): prolonged mental confusion;

5)    rasatala chakra (ankles): selfishness;

6)    mahatala chakra (feet): absence of conscience;

7)    patala chakra (located in the soles of the feet): murder and malice.

See: pradakshina, Naraka, chakra, chakras

(See also: Chakra , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Brahmanda: (Sanskrit) "Egg of God," or "Cosmic egg." The cosmos; inner and outer universe. See: loka, three worlds, world.

(See also: Brahmanda , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

adharma: "Unrighteousness."

Thoughts, words or deeds that transgress divine law in any of the human expressions of dharma. It brings the accumulation of demerit, called papa, while dharma brings merit, called punya.

• Varna adharma is violating the ideals of social duty, from disobeying the laws of one's nation to squandering family wealth.
• Ashrama adharma is failure to fulfill the duties of the stages of life.
• Sva-adharma is understood as not fulfilling the patterns of dharma according to one's own nature. The Bhagavad Gita states (18.47), "Better one's svadharma even imperfectly performed than the dharma of another well performed. By performing the duty prescribed by one's own nature (svabhava) one incurs no sin (kilbisha)."

See: punya, papa, purity-impurity, varna dharma.

(See also: Adharma , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

delusion: Moha. False belief, misconception.

(See also: Delusion , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Deity: "God." Can refer to the image or murti installed in a temple or to the MahŒdeva the murti represents. See: murti, puja.

(See also: Deity , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Bhogarishi: nu (Sanskrit) One of the 18 siddhas of Saiva tradition, an alchemist and tantrika yogi, associated with the Palani Hills Murugan temple in South India, who created the Dandayuthapaniswami murti from nine poisonous metals. He is thought by some to still reside there in a cave. Chinese historical records suggest that he came from China. See: siddha, siddhi, tantric.

(See also: Bhogarishi , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

bestow: To offer as a gift. See: dana.

(See also: Bestow , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

bhrityachara: n (Sanskrit) "Servant's way." One of the five Vira Saiva codes of conduct. See: Panchachara, Vira Saivism.

(See also: Bhrityachara , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

brahmacharya: (Sanskrit) "Path to God," or "moving in God." Sexual purity. See: yama-niyama.

(See also: Brahmacharya , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

darshana: (Sanskrit) "Vision, sight."

Seeing the Divine. Beholding, with inner or outer vision, a temple image, Deity, holy person or place, with the desire to inwardly contact and receive the grace and blessings of the venerated being or beings. Even beholding a photograph in the proper spirit is a form of darshana. Not only does the devotee seek to see the Divine, but to be seen as well, to stand humbly in the awakened gaze of the holy one, even if for an instant, such as in a crowded temple when thousands of worshipers file quickly past the enshrined Lord.

Gods and gurus are thus said to "give" darshana, and devotees "take" darshana, with the eyes being the mystic locus through which energy is exchanged. This direct and personal two-sided apprehension is a central and highly sought-after experience of Hindu faith. Also: "point of view," doctrine or philosophy.

See: shad darshana, sound.

(See also: Darshana , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

bond (bondage): See: evolution of the soul, mala, pasha.

(See also: Bondage , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

brahminical tradition: The hereditary religious practices of the Vedic brahmins, such as reciting mantras, and personal rules for daily living.

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bhumika: n (Sanskrit) "Earth; ground; soil." Preface; introduction to a book. From bhu, "to become, exist; arise, come into being."

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boon: Varadana. A welcome blessing, a gracious benefit received. An unexpected benefit or bonus. See: blessing, grace.

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dhyana: (Sanskrit) "Meditation." See: internalized worship, meditation, raja yoga.

(See also: Dhyana , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Batara: A name of Siva used in Indonesia. See: Siva.

(See also: Batara , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

dissolution: Dissolving or breaking up into parts. An alternative term for destruction. See: absorption, mahapralaya, Nataraja.

(See also: Dissolution , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

bewilder: To baffle or confuse through something complicated or involved.

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benign: Good, kindly, doing no harm. See: ahimsa.

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