guna: (Sanskrit) "Strand; quality." The three constituent principles of prakriti, primal nature. The three gunas are as follows.

• sattva: Quiescent, rarified, translucent, pervasive, reflecting the light of Pure Consciousness.
• rajas: "Passion," inherent in energy, movement, action, emotion, life. -
• tamas: "Darkness," inertia, density, the force of contraction, resistance and dissolution. The gunas are integral to Hindu thought, as all things are composed of the combination of these qualities of nature, including ayurveda, arts, environments and personalities.

See: ayurveda, prakriti, tattva.

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

Gurkha: (Sanskrit) A Rajput people of the mountains of Nepal; famed warriors.

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

guru: (Sanskrit) "Weighty one," indicating an authority of great knowledge or skill.

A title for a teacher or guide in any subject, such as music, dance, sculpture, but especially religion.

For clarity, the term is often preceded by a qualifying prefix. Hence, terms such as

• kulaguru (family teacher),
• vinaguru (vina teacher) and
• satguru (spiritual preceptor).

In Hindu astrology, guru names the planet Jupiter, also known as Brihaspati. According to the Advayataraka Upanishad (1418), guru means "dispeller (gu) of darkness (ru)."

See: guru-shishya system, satguru.

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

guru bhakti: (Sanskrit) Devotion to the teacher.

The attitude of humility, love and loyality held by a student in any field of study. In the spiritual realm, the devotee strives to see the guru as his higher Self.

By attuning himself to the satguru's inner nature and wisdom, the disciple slowly transforms his own nature to ultimately attain the same peace and enlightenment his guru has achieved.

Guru bhakti is expressed through serving the guru, meditating on his form, working closely with his mind and obeying his instructions.

See: guru, satguru, guru-shishya system, Kularnava Tantra.

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

Gautama: (Sanskrit) The name of the founder of the Nyaya school of Saivism, author of the Nyaya Sutras. Also, the Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama).

See: Buddha, Buddhism, shad darshana.

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

gay: Homosexual, especially a male homosexual, though may also refer to females.

See: Hinduism and Homosexuality, bisexual, homosexual, heterosexual, sexuality.

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

gayatri: (Sanskrit) According with the gayatri verse form, an ancient meter of 24 syllables, generally as a triplet (tercet) with eight syllables each. From gaya, "song." -

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

Gayatri: The Vedic Gayatri Mantra personified as a Goddess, mother of the four Vedas.

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

Gayatri Mantra: (Sanskrit)

1) Famous Vedic mantra used in puja and personal chanting. Om (bhur bhuvah svah) tat savitur varenyam, bhargo devasya dhimahi, dhiyo yo nah prachodayat. "(O Divine Beings of all three worlds,) we meditate upon the glorious splendor of the Vivifier divine. May He illumine our minds." (Rig Veda 3.62.10 VE). This sacred verse is also called the Savitri Mantra, being addressed to Savitri, the Sun as Creator, and is considered a universal mystic formula so significant that it is called Vedamatri, "mother of the Vedas."

2) Any of a class of special tantric mantras called Gayatri. Each addresses a particular Deity. The Siva Gayatri Mantra is: Tryambakam yajamahe sugandhim pushtivardhanam, urvarukamiva bandhanan mrtyormukshiya mamrtat. "We adore the fragrant three-eyed one who promotes prosperity. May we be freed from the bondage of death as a cucumber from its stalk, but not from immortality." This is a famous verse of the Yajur Veda (from Rudranamaka, or Sri Rudram), considered an essential mantra of Siva worship used in all Siva rites.

(See also: Gayatri Mantra, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

germinate: To sprout. To begin to develop.

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

ghanta: (Sanskrit) "Bell." Akin to ghant, "to speak." An important implement in Hindu worship (puja), used to chase away asuras and summon devas and Gods.

See: puja.

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

ghee: (Sanskrit) Hindi for clarified butter; ghrita in Sanskrit. Butter that has been boiled and strained. An important sacred substance used in temple lamps and offered in fire ceremony, yajna. It is also used as a food with many ayurvedic virtues.

See: yajna.

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

Gheranda Samhita: i (Sanskrit) A Vaishnava manual on hatha yoga (ca 1675), still influential today, presented as a dialog between Sage Gheranda and a disciple.

See: hatha yoga.

(See also: Gheranda Samhita, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

gloom: Darkness. Deep sadness or despair.

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

go: (Sanskrit) The cow, considered especially sacred for its unbounded generosity and usefulness to humans. It is a symbol of the earth as the abundant provider. For the Hindu, the cow is a representative of all living species, each of which is to be revered and cared for.

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

Goddess: Female representation or manifestation of Divinity; Shakti or Devi.

Goddess can refer to a female perception or depiction of a causal-plane being (Mahadeva) in its natural state, which is genderless, or it can refer to an astral-plane being residing in a female astral body.

To show the Divine's transcendence of sexuality, sometimes God is shown as having qualities of both sexes, e.g., Ardhanarishvara, "Half-woman God;" or Lord Nataraja, who wears a feminine earring in one ear and a masculine one in the other.

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

Godhead: God; Divinity.

A term describing the essence or highest aspect of the Supreme Being.

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

Gods: Mahadevas, "great beings of light."

In Dancing with Siva, the plural form of God refers to extremely advanced beings existing in their self-effulgent soul bodies in the causal plane.

The meaning of Gods is best seen in the phrase, "God and the Gods," referring to the Supreme God- Siva- and the Mahadevas who are His creation.

See: Mahadeva.

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

God's power:

See: Shakti.

(See also: God's power, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

gopura: (Sanskrit) South Indian temple entrance tower, often quite tall with ornate carvings.

See: balipitha, temple.

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

Gorakshanatha: (Sanskrit) Profound siddha yoga master of the Adinatha Sampradaya (ca 950). Expounder and foremost guru of Siddha Siddhanta Saivism. He traveled and extolled the greatness of Siva throughout North India and Nepal where he and his guru, Matsyendranatha, are still highly revered.

See: hatha yoga, Siddha Siddhanta, Siddha Siddhanta Paddhati.

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