Ganesha: the elephant god of great wisdom and strength who is worshiped first in any ritual or new enterprise. He is invoked to remove obstacles in the practical matters of success in worship or in worldly endeavors, or to remove obstructions in spiritual practices done to attain enlightenment.

(See also: Ganesha, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

Ganga: a river flowing from the high Himalayas, said to originate in the heavens. It has sustained a flourishing civilization along its banks for several millenium. (Mispronounced “Ganges” by the British.)

(See also: Ganga, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

Gangotri: one of the four great Himalayas pilgrimage centers. It is near the source of the Ganga.

(See also: Gangotri, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

Buddha [one of true wisdom]: Buddha is a title bestowed on an enlightened master. The Buddha in the present cycle is Siddhartha Gautama (563 BC) who was born in a small kingdom in present day Nepal. After a renunciation of his kingdom and a long period of asceticism, he became enlightened and began teaching. His sermons form the school of philosophy called Buddhism.

(See also: Buddha, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

caste: There are four castes, each with its own duties, rules, regulations and hierarchy. Within each caste there are hundreds of subcastes, variations and hierarchies.

Varna (caste) is usually translated as “community”; by Indians, for it means much more than a single category. It means where one is from, how one dresses, what one eats, the language one speaks.

Traditionally, there was flexibility in the caste system, according to one's talent. For example, Mahatma Gandhi's father, from the grocer-Vaishya caste, served as a counselor to a king, the traditional role served by a Brahman (a).

On the other hand, J. Nehru was a Kashmir Brahman (considered a lower status in the Brahman caste hierachy); however, he and his father were attorneys, a Kshatriaya caste function.

Having had to withstand the foreign invasions of religious fanatics, both Moslem and Christian, for some 1,000 years, the Indian system has continued to crystallize and become rigid in order to protect the culture and religion.

The highest caste is the Brahman (a), or priest, teacher, scholar, advisor group. By virtue of their position in the society, they have more duties and are accorded heavier punishments than the other castes. For example, in the Mahabharata, a group of men had committed a crime. The Brahman (a) was given the death sentence, while the ones of lower castes were given sentences in prison, varying according to their caste.

The Kshatriya caste is referred to as the warrior caste. This caste includes everyone from the king to the foot soldier, their wives and children. In modern times, they have been court judges and administrators. Only Kshatriyas went to war, leaving the rest of the population free to carry on with their respective duties.

The third caste is the Vaishya, or merchant and farmer category. In general, this has been the wealthiest caste.

The fourth caste is the Shudra, or service caste. Anyone who performs services in the community, such as office executives, clerks, secretaries and persons in banking, communication and medical services.

(See also: caste, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

Champak: a tree of the magnolia tree with small cream-colored blossoms that are very fragrant. A mature tree can reach 30 feet in height.

(See also: Champak, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

chandala: untouchable; one outside of the caste system. The outcastes were generally of the aboriginal native tribes.

(See also: chandala, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

Chandrakaladhara, Lord [moon + small part + ornament]: During the churning of the milky ocean by the gods and the demons, “Chandrakala” emerged on the day of the new moon. The gods prayed to Lord Shiva to wear this crescent moon on his head as an ornament with the hope that it would help cool his destructive anger.

(See also: Chandrakaladhara, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

Cochin: port city on the Malabar cost of the Arabian Sea; also the pre-independence kingdom that included the cities of Cochin, Ernakulam and Trichur.

(See also: Cochin, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

Congress (Indian National Congress): Organized in 1885 with the assistance of Allan Hume, a retired British civil servant, for the purpose of giving Indians more voice in public affairs. Congress was the principal political organ in India's struggle for independence and remains the major political force in modern India.

(See also: Congress, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

dal: dried beans that have had the outer husk removed. Any bean or pea may be made into a dal. Also, any soup or curry that is made from a dal.

(See also: dal, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

darshan: to see or view, usually used in the context of “beholding”a holy person or an idol.

(See also: darshan, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

bhakti/bhakta: devotion/devotee. Bhakti Yoga is the path to enlightenment through devotion to God, the Truth, or a holy teacher.

(See also: bhakti, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

Bharata: India, the traditional name the Indians call their countr. The home of the ancient clan of Bharatis, or “Sons of Light,”which was held together by a strong cultural and religious bond based on the Sanskrit Vedas. The area is believed to have extended from present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan on the west to Burma on the east, from the Himalayas to the Indian Ocean on the north and south. Note: Bharat in Hindi; Bharata in Sanskrit.

(See also: Bharata, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

bhiksha: food obtained by begging or asking for alms. Also, the meal served when a sadhu is invited into the home.

(See also: bhiksha, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

Brahma (masculine gender): the deity of the Hindu trinity who is the creator of the universe. Do not confuse with Brahman, see below.

(See also: Brahma, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

Brahman (neuter gender): the impersonal God, devoid of all qualities; the Omnipresent, All-pervading, Transcendent Reality. This supreme Reality is called Brahman when regarded as transcendent, and Atman when regarded as the Life Principle in the individual person. [Brahman is written in plain letters in the text.]

(See also: Brahman, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

Brahman (Brahamana): the highest of the four Hindu castes. The priestly caste consists of many sub-castes depending on the area the priest comes from and the duties he performs, such as temple priest, family priest, astrologer, teacher, cook, etc. [Brahman is written in italicized letters in the text.]

(See also: Brahman, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

Brahma (n) Sutras: one of the three authoritative books of Hinduism in which Sri Vyasa encapsulated the principles of Vedanta in 551 terse statements. These short verses were originally intended for ease of memorization, thereby ensuring their availability for mental reflection on the great truths of the Upanisads at any time or place.

(See also: Brahma, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

Brahma (n) vichar: continually thinking on the nature of Brahman, the eternal Truth.

(See also: Brahma, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

brahmachari (m), brahmacharini (f): One who moves in Brahman; that is, one who continually fixes the mind on the eternal Truth. The more common meaning is student, or one who practices spiritual discipline and celibacy.

(See also: brahmachari, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

Harijan: children of God; a term coined by Mahatma Gandhi for the Untouchables.

(See also: Harijan, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)