jyotisha: (Sanskrit) From jyoti, "light." "

The science of the lights (or stars)." Hindu astrology, the knowledge and practice of analyzing events and circumstances, delineating character and determining auspicious moments, according to the positions and movements of heavenly bodies.

In calculating horoscopes, jyotisha uses the sidereal (fixed-star) system, whereas Western astrology uses the tropical (fixed-date) method.

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

Jabala Upanishad: (Sanskrit) Belongs to the Atharva Veda. This short scripture teaches of knowledge attained in renunciation.

See: Upanishad.

(See also: Jabala Upanishad, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

jnana pada: (Sanskrit) "Stage of wisdom."

According to the Saiva Siddhanta rishis, jnana is the last of the four successive padas (stages) of spiritual unfoldment. It is the culmination of the third stage, the yoga pada. Also names the knowledge section of each Agama.

See: jnana, pada.

(See also: Jnana pada, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

jnana shakti: (Sanskrit) "Power of wisdom."

One of Siva's three primary shaktis. Also a name for Lord Karttikeya's vel.

See: Karttikeya. shakti, trishula.

(See also: Jnana shakti, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

jnana yoga: (Sanskrit) "Union of knowledge."

Describes the esoteric spiritual practices of the fully enlightened being, or jnani. An alternative meaning, popularized by Swami Vivekananda, is the quest for cognition through intellectual religious study, as one of four alternate paths to truth, the other three being bhakti yoga, karma yoga and raja yoga.

See: jnana, yoga.

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

Jaiminiya Brahmana Upanishad: (Sanskrit) A philosophical discourse of the Sama Veda dealing with death, passage to other worlds and reincarnation.

See: Upanishad.

(See also: Jaiminiya Brahmana Upanishad, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

joint family: Kutumba or kula.

The Hindu social unit consisting of several generations of kindred living together under the same roof or in a joining compound. Traditionally, joint families live in a large single home, but in modern times accommodations are often in individual, nuclear homes within a shared compound. The joint family includes the father and mother, sons, grandsons and great-grandsons with their spouses, as well as the daughters, granddaughters and great-granddaughters until they are married - thus often comprising several married couples and their children.

The head of the joint family, called kutumba mukhya (also mukhya or kartri), is the father, supported by the mother, and in his absence, the elder son, guided by his mother and supported by his spouse. From an early age, the eldest son is given special training by his father to assume this future responsibility as head of the family. In the event of the father's death, sacred law does allow for the splitting of the family wealth between the sons.

Division of family assets may also be necessary in cases where sons are involved in different professions and live in different towns, when there is an inability for all to get along under one roof, or when the family becomes unmanageably large. The main characteristics of the joint family are that its members 1) share a common residence, 2) partake of food prepared in the same kitchen, 3) hold their property in common and, 4) ideally, profess the same religion, sect and sampradaya. Each individual family of husband, wife and children is under the guidance of the head of the joint family. All work together unselfishly to further the common good. Each joint family extends out from its home to include a second level of connections as an "extended family (brihatkutumba or mahakutumba)."

See: extended family, grihastha dharma.

(See also: Joint family, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

jyotisha shastri: (Sanskrit) "Astrologer." A person well versed in the science of jyotisha.

See: jyotisha.

(See also: Jyotisha shastri, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Jyotisha Vedanga: (Sanskrit) "Veda-limb of celestial science (astronomy-astrology)."

Ancient texts giving knowledge of astronomy and astrology, for understanding the cosmos and determining proper timing for Vedic rites. (Jyoti means light [of the sun, fire, etc.])

See: jyotisha, Vedanga.

(See also: Jyotisha Vedanga, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

A dictionary from A-J of most common spiritual words in Hinduism. Also see these links: Hinduism, Spirituality, Enlightenment, Spiritual Dictionary and Hinduism Dictionary.

J - Letter J - The tenth letter in the English and Hebrew alphabet, in the latter of which it is equivalent

to y, and i, and is numerically number 10, the perfect number (See Jodh and Yodh), or one. (See also "I".)

(See also: J - Letter J, Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary, )

Ragon, J. M. A French Mason, a distinguished writer and great symbologist, who tried to bring Masonry back to its pristine purity. He was born at Bruges in 1789, was received when quite a boy into the Lodge and Chapter of the "Vrais Amis", and upon removing to Paris founded the Society of the Trinosophes. it is rumoured that he was the possessor of a number of papers given to him by the famous Count de St. Germain, from which he had all his remarkable knowledge upon early Masonry. He died at Paris in 1866, leaving a quantity of books written by himself and masses of MSS., which were bequeathed by him to the "Grand Orient". Of the mass of his published works very few are obtainable, while others have entirely disappeared. This is due to mysterious persons (Jesuits, it is believed) who hastened to buy up every edition they could find after his death. In short, his works are now extremely rare.

(See also: Ragon, J, Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary, )

Cardan, Jérome. An astrologer, alchemist, kabbalist and mystic, well known in literature. He was born at Pavia in 1501, and died at Rome in 1576.

(See also: Cardan, Jérome, Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary, )

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