A
adhridha: not strong
adhyaropa: superimposition
adhyasika: superimposed
advaita: a system of thought and a vedantist sect founded by Shankara that emphasizes non-duality
adya: original
adyatmika sakti: power of the individual soul or can refer to power of God
agami: actions of the present life expected to bear out in future lives
agni: fire (in Ayurveda, also related to digestive system as in “digestive fire”)
aham: the ego; soul; the sense of “I”
aham Brahmasmi: I am spirit
aham Spuhrana: the pulsation of bliss in the heart
aham svarupa: one’s authentic nature
aham vritti: the ‘I’ thought
ahankara: I’ sense; ego-self, ‘the doer’
ahimsa: non-violence (the first jewel of the Yamas or restraints) the foundation to all guidelines to live; do what you want without causing harm to others.
ajna: an order; a direction
ajnana: a form of ignorance, or the false apprehension of reality that keeps the soul from attaining release; it is a form of mistaken knowledge.
ajnani: one who was not realized the Self; unenlightened
akara: form or shape; the first of the five material elements of which the physical universe is composed; also used to designate “inner” space, that is, the space of consciousness (called cid-akasha)
akasha: ether, space
alayavijnana: pure consciousness in buddhism
amrita: immortality; referred to as the drink of the gods (such as nectar or ambrosia) which grants them immortality.
amrianadi: the pathway or channel for the flow of consciousness from the Heart (Source) to the mind; the path by which it travels is termed archis
anadi: without beginning
ananda: bliss, happiness, joy
anandatman: the self in the bliss state
ananta: infinite, without end
anartha: evil; worthless
anatman: non-Self
anava: limitation
Anga: limb
anichcha: involuntary
anitya: temporary, fleeting, transitory
antah (antar): internal
antah karanam: the thinking power, means of perception
antardhana: disappearance from sight
antarmukkah drishti: gaze directed inward
antarmukti: mind direct inward
anu: atom
anubhava: experience, realization
anusthana: practice, conscious study, attainment of higher knowledge
anuttara samyak sambodhi: see samyak sambodhi
ap: water
apana: (“the air that moves away”) Apana’s energy moves primarily in the lower abdomen and the navel to the floor of the pelvis; this energy is waste-eliminating
apara: lower, inferior
aparoksha: direct experience (as opposed to sensory experience)
apavada: removal
arati: divine service performed in the early morning or at dusk, descended from the ancient concept of fire rituals.
archis: see amritanadi
Arjuna: (“White”)disciple of the supreme personality of Godhead Krishna whose teachings can be found in the Bhagavad Gita
artha: money, currency
arudha: attainment
aruna: red
arupa: formless
asamsakti: non attachment; one of the seven stages of enlightenment
asamskrta: not pertaining to the impermanent
asana: yogic posture, literally the seat of (a pose)
asat: unreal
asesha sakshi: witness of all
ashram: traditionally, a spiritual hermitage located in natural surroundings. contemporary usage does not necessarily require natural settings – and may relate to any community of practitioners, such as a studio or a dojo.
Ashrama: stage of life, such as brahmacharya, householder, forest dweller, and complete renouncer (samnyasin)
ashtanga yoga: Patanjali’s eight-limbed path, also called Raja Yoga. This yoga contains or should contain eight components, morality, ethics, posture, breath control, sense control, concentration, meditation, and absorption. Also the “brand” name for the style of yoga developed by Sri. K Pattabhi Jois with set sequence of yoga posture that take a student from A-Z in asana.
Asmita: (“I am spirit”): a concept of Patanjali’s eight-limbed yoga, roughly synonymous with ahamkara
asrama: one of the four life-stages of a spiritual seeker; dwelling of a sage and his followers
asraya: the floor of reality (as opposed to movement), the shelter
asthira: not steady, opposite of sthira
asuddha: bliss
asukavi: one who can spontaneously speak/compose verse
asura: demon; similar to a fallen angel
ati jagrat: beyond waking
ati sunya: beyond the void
atiasrama: beyond the four stages of life
atita: beyond
atma (atman): The self, soul or spirit
atma dhyana: contemplation of the soul
atma jnani: one who has realized the Self
atma prajna: Awareness of the soul
atma sakti: power of the soul
atma siddhi: Self Realization
atma vichara: inquiry into the Self
atma vidya: knowledge of the Self
atmasakshatkara: self-realization-enlightenment
Atman: (“self”): the transcendental Self, or Spirit, which is eternal and superconscious; our true nature or identity; There is a distinction between the atman the individual soul and the parama-atman the transcendental supereme Godhead.
Avadhuta: (“he who has shed [everything”) a radical type of renouncer (samnyasin)
Avidya: (“ignorance”) the root cause of suffering (duhkha)
Ayurveda: (“life science”): one of India’s traditional systems of medicine, the other being South India’s Siddha medicine. This ancient practice is known throughout the world as alternative medicine.
B
bahir pranayamam: external breath regulation
bahir mukha drishti: outward turned consciousness
bahir mukhi manas: letting the mind go out of the Heart; externalization
bahudaka: a sannyasin who wanders about
bahya: external
bala: child
bandha: bondage, also refers to lock (as in udiyana bandha, jalandara bandha, and mula bandha) or muscle locking/contraction, which focuses energy in the body and is closely tied to the breath.
bandha hetu: cause of bondage
Bhagavad-gita: (“Lord’s Song”) the oldest full-fledged yoga book found embedded in the Mahabharata and containing the teachings on karma yoga (the path of self-transcending action), samkhya yoga (the path of discerning the principles of existence correctly), and bhakti yoga (the path of devotion), as given by the God-man Krishna to Prince Arjuna on the battlefield 3,500 years or more ago
bhagavan: God; the Lord; one who has realized his true identity (the soul) and who God is.
Bhagavata-Purana: (“Ancient [Tradition] of the Bhagavatas”) a voluminous tenth-century scripture held sacred by the devotees of Vishnu.
bhajan (bhajana): worship (of the Lord); singing God’s praises, esp. in chorus
bhakta: devotee; disciple; the love of the bhakta toward the Divine or the guru
bhakti : devotion; love (of God)
bhakti marga: path of devotion
Bhakti-Sutra: (“Aphorisms on Devotion”) an aphoristic work on devotional yoga authored by Sage Narada
Bhakti Yoga: (“Yoga of devotion”): a major branch of yoga where the practicioner attains enlightenment through love and devotion to God.
bharata: shining soul
bhashyakara: commentator
bhavana: contemplation of a personified deity with great emotion
bheda: difference; differentiation
bhikshu: Buddhist monk, literally beggar
bhoga: enjoyment
bhogya vasta: child
bhogyam: that which is enjoyed
bhokta: enjoyer
bhuma: all-comprehensive; the Absolute
bhumika: stage
bhutatathata: the Absolute viewed as the universal womb
bija: seed; source
bija-mantra: a one-word seed-mantra or exclamation of power
Bindu: (“seed/point”) the creative potency of anything where all energies are focused; the dot (also called tilaka) worn on the forehead as indicative of the third eye
bodha: knowledge; Truth
bodhi: (“enlightenment”); full illumination; the opposite of avidya, the state of the awakened master, or buddha
bodhikaya: the body of the Absolute viewed as the fruit of enlightenment
Brahma: the Creator of the universe
brahmachari: a celibate; student stage of life; the discipline of chastity, which produces ojas
brahmacharya: celibacy
Brahmajnana: Knowledge of brahman
Brahmajnani: one who has realized brahman
Brahman: (“that which has grown expansive”) God aura; the white light. Done through Kundalini yoga, Brahman is the “white light realization” and the first aspect of God realization.
Brahmin: a member of the highest social class of traditional Indian society
Brahmanishta: one who is established in Brahman
Brahmarandhra: Brahma-aperature; opening in the crown of the head; fontanelle;
Brahmavid: one who has realized Brahman
Buddha: one who is aware
Buddha: (“awakened”) a designation of the person who has attained enlightenment (bodhi) and therefore inner freedom; honorific title of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, who lived in the sixth century B.C.E.
buddhi: the higher mind, which is the seat of wisdom
C
chaitanya: Incarnation of God with the bodily color of gold.
chakra: wheel; part of the subtle body, corresponds to parts of the physical body. in Buddhist yoga, five such centers are known, while in Hindu yoga often seven or more such centers are mentioned: mula-adhara-cakra (muladhara-cakra) at the base of the spine, svadhishthana-cakra at the genitals, manipura-cakraat the navel, anahata-cakra at the heart, vishuddha-cakra or vishuddhi-cakra at the throat, ajna-cakra in the middle of the head, and sahasrara-cakra at the top of the head
chakshus: eye
chanchala: changing, fickle
chandrayana: atonement in the form of fasting in Hinduism
chela: student; disciple
chidabhasa: reflected consciousness
chidakash: consciousness
chidananda: One who is in bliss
chidvyoman (chitt vyoman): expanse of consciousness
chinmaya: full of consciousness
chinta: thought, idea
chintamani: wish-fulfilling gem
chit: Absolute Intelligence, universal consciousness; the superconscious ultimate Reality (see atman, brahman)
Citta (“that which is conscious”): ordinary consciousness, the mind, as opposed to cit
chitakasa: Mental ether (all-pervading)
chit jada granthi: the knot between pure consciousness and the insentient body; the ego
chitta: memory aspect of mind; the mental mode turned towards objects
chitta nirodha: control of mind
chitta suddhi: purity of mind
chitta vilasa: play of mind
chittaikograta: one-pointedness of mind
Chin-mudra: (“consciousness seal”): a common hand gesture (mudra) in meditation (dhyana), which is formed by bringing the tips of the index finger and the thumb together, while the remaining fingers are kept straight.
D
dahara vidya: contemplation of the Lord in the heart
dana: gift; alms; relinquishment
darsan(a): An opportunity to see a diety or spiritual teacher and to be seen by them.
dasi: courtesan
deha(m): body; existence
dehatma buddhi: I-am-the-body
dehavasana: attachment to the body
Deva: (“he who is shining”) a male deity, such as Shiva
devakanya: a class of minor female divinity
devata: a goddess
Devi: (“she who is shining”): a female deity such as Parvati or Lakshmi
dharana: “holding” concentration of mind; the sixth limb of Patanjali’s eight limbed stages of Raja Yoga
Dharma (“bearer”): a term of numerous meanings; often used in the sense of “lawfulness,” “virtue,” “righteousness,” “norm,” “way or path,” “virtuous deeds”
Dharmadhatu: the Absolute, i.e. the Dharma-Realm
Dharma Raja: the Buddha
dharma sastri: one well-versed in the scriptures relating to dharma
dhatu(s): humors; constituent elements of the body
dhriti: steadfastness
dhyana: meditation; contemplation;the seventh limb (anga) of Patanjali’s eight-limbed yoga
dhyana siddhi: successful meditation
dikpalas: gods who protect the various quarters
diksha: in traditional yoga, the initiation into a particular lineage of teachers for spiritual enlightenment
divya chakshus: divine eye
drashta: seer
dridha: firm
drik: he who sees; the subject
drishti: yogic gazing (for example, the tip of the nose or between the eyebrows)
drishti srishti: simultaneous creation
drisya: that which is seen; the object
drisya vilaya: disappearance of the objective world
drisyanuviddha: associated with something seen
Duhkha: In Buddhism, the belief that all things are suffering, due to the desire to seek permanence in material life
dvaita: duality
dvandva: pair of opposites
dvividha: two-fold
E
eka: one
ekagrata: concentration
ekanta vasa: free from mental concepts; “dwelling in mental solitude”
G
Ganapati: the elder son of Siva, the remover of obstacles; same as Ganesha, the chief of Siva’s hosts
ganja: a narcotic; hashish
ganapati: consciousness
ganesan: darkness
gate: gone
gatha: a verse, usually of a sacred kind
Gayatri: a sacred Vedic mantra
Gayatri-mantra: a famous Vedic mantra recited particularly at sunrise:
Gheranda-Samhita: (“[Sage] Gheranda’s Compendium”) one of three major manuals of classical hatha yoga, composed in the seventeenth century
gita: song
gnana: see jnana
gnani: see jnani
gopuram: monumental tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of any temple, especially in Southern India. They function as gateways through the walls that surround the temple complex.
Goraksha: (“Cow Protector”) traditionally said to be the founding adept of hatha yoga, a disciple of Matsyendra
gatha: a verse, usually of a sacred kind
Gayatri: a sacred Vedic mantra
Gayatri-mantra: a famous Vedic mantra recited particularly at sunrise:
Gheranda-Samhita: (“[Sage] Gheranda’s Compendium”) one of three major manuals of classical hatha yoga, composed in the seventeenth century
gita: song
gnana: see jnana
gnani: see jnani
gopuram: monumental tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of any temple, especially in Southern India. They function as gateways through the walls that surround the temple complex.
Goraksha: (“Cow Protector”) traditionally said to be the founding adept of hatha yoga, a disciple of Matsyendra
Granthi:(“knot”) any one of three common blockages in the central pathway (sushumna-nadi) preventing the full ascent of the serpent power (kundalini-shakti); the three knots are known asbrahma-granthi (at the lowest psychoenergetic center of the subtle body), the vishnu-granthi (at the heart), and the rudra-granthi (at the eyebrow center)
granthi nasam: destruction of the knot (of ignorance)
grihastha: householder
grihini: housewife
Guna: (“quality,” “positive attributes,” or “virtues,” “phase,” “mode”) a term that has numerous meanings. In the context of Bhagavad-gita and Sankhya philosophy there are three gunas of matter, or constituents of nature (prakriti): tamas (the principle of inertia), rajas (the dynamic principle), and sattva (the principle of lucidity) The word guna also means a rope or thread and it is sometimes said that beings are “roped” or “tied” into matter by the three gunas of material nature.
gunatita : one who has transcended the Gunas
Guru: a spiritual teacher
Guru-bhakti: (“teacher devotion”)a disciples love of the guru
Guru-Gita: (“Guru’s Song”)a text in praise of the guru, often chanted in ashramas
guru kripa: guru’s grace
Guru-Yoga: (“Yoga [relating to] the teacher”) a yogic approach that makes the guru the fulcrum of a disciple’s practice; all traditional forms of yoga contain a strong element of guru-yoga
J
jada: insentient
jaganmaya: the mystery of the world
jagat: world; changing
jagrat: waking state
jagrat sushupti: aware or awake while asleep; being aware but not concerned
jai: victory
Jaina: (sometimes Jain) pertaining to the jinas (“conquerors”), the liberated adepts of Jainism; a member of Jainism, the spiritual tradition founded by Vardhamana Mahavira, a contemporary of Gautama the Buddha
jala: water
janma: birth
Japa: (“muttering”) the recitation of mantras; repetition of a sacred word or syllable or name of God
japa karta: one who does japa
jirna: decayed
jiva: pure individual spirit soul
jivanmukta: (“he who is liberated while alive”) a realized soul; an adept who, while still embodied, has attained liberation (moksha)
jivanmukti: liberation while alive; the state of liberation while being embodied
jivatman: the individual soul
jivatman (“individual self”): the individuated soul, as opposed to the individual supersoul (parama-atman)
jnana(m): knowledge of the Absolute; enlightenment; Supreme Knowledge; Self-realization
jnana bhumika(s): stages of knowledge (seven)
jnana chakshus: eye of wisdom
jnana drishti: wisdom-insight
jnana grantha: Vedantic works
jnana lakshana: sign of wisdom
jnana marga: path of knowledge
jnana vichara: inquiry regarding knowledge
Jnana-Yoga: (“Yoga of wisdom”) the path to liberation based on wisdom, or the direct intuition of the transcendental soul (atman) through the steady application of discernment between the Real and the unreal and renunciation of what has been identified as unreal
jnanagni: fire of wisdom
jnanameva chakshus: All-seeing eyes
jnanendriya: sense organ
jnani : sage; one who has realized the Self
jothi: light; radiance (“auspicious flame”)
I
ichcha: wish, desire; will
idam: a Sansksrit pronoun, “this”
Ida-nadi: a subtle energy stream, Ida Nadi is associated with lunar or feminine energy, and has a cooling or calming effect on the mind when activated. Ida Nadi controls all mental processes. Originates in the right testicle and ends in the left nostril.
Indra: Lord of the devas; first student of Brahma vidya, the god of rain and thunder
indriya(s): senses, often refers to physical strength or ability.
Isa: Supreme Lord Isa is one of the words used for God as the supreme controller. The word is also used to refer to any being or personality who is in control.
ishta devata: the god one likes to worship
Ishvara (“ruler”): the Lord; referring to the Creator
Ishvara anugraha: God’s grace
Isvara drishti: seeing God
Isvara prasada: God’s grace
Ishvara-pranidhana: (“dedication to the Lord”) in Patanjali’s eight-limbed yoga one of the practices of self-restraint (niyama); see also bhakti yoga; surrendering to God, a “big picture” in a yoga practice.
Isvara svarupa: the true form of God
Iynegar Yoga: Iyengar Yoga created by B.K.S. Iyengar is a form of yoga known for its use of props, such as belts and blocks, as in aids in performing asanas (postures). This style of yoga is extremely alignment based and the asanas are often practiced individually.
H
Hanuman: a powerful demi-god, son of the Wind god; great devotee of Sri Rama; famous monkey who helped Rama in his fight with Ravana (monkey god). In hatha yoga, The yogi pushes one leg forward and one leg backwards until they are in the splits position as in hanumanasana, dedicated to the Monkey god.
Hamsa: (“swan/gander”) apart from the literal meaning, this term also refers to the breath (prana) as it moves within the body; the individuated consciousness (jiva) propelled by the breath; see jiva-atman; see also parama-hamsa
hamsa: advanced sannyasi
hasta: hand
Hatha Yoga: (“Forceful Yoga”) Major branch of yoga, developed by Kaplia and other adepts emphasizing the physical postures (asana) and breath control (pranayama). These exercises are designed to have a salutary effect on posture, flexibility, and strength and are intended ultimately to prepare the body to remain still for long periods of time as in mediation.
Hatha yoga has also been translated as ha meaning “sun” and tha meaning “moon” balancing the masculine and feminine aspects of the practice.
Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika: (“Light on Hatha Yoga”) one of three classical manuals on hatha yoga, authored by Svatmarama Yogendra in the fourteenth century
hetu: cause, reason
hinayana: one of the two major divisions of Buddhism; prevalent in Southeast Asia
hiranyagarbha: (“golden womb” or “golden germ”) The creator
homa: sacrifice in fire
hridaya(m): heart; spiritual center of the body
hridaya granthi: knot of the heart; the idea that one is one’s body
hrit: heart
hrit pundarika: the heart lotus
K
Kailas: a mountain in the Himalayas said to be the home of Siva
Kaivalya: is the ultimate goal of yoga and means “solitude” or “detachment” is one of the synonyms of moksha, as are apavarga, mukti, nirvana, and yogakṣema.
Kali:A Demi-Goddess embodying the fierce
kali yuga: the last of the four ages of the world; the dark age of spiritual and moral decline, said to be current now
kalpana: idea; imagination of the mind; creation
Kama: (“desire”) the appetite for sensual pleasure blocking the path to true bliss (ananda); the only desire conducive to freedom is the impulse toward liberation, called mumukshutva
kantha: throat
kanthabharana: neck ornament
kanya: virgin
Kapila: (“He who is red”): Originator of Sankhya yoga; is a Yuga avatar (which means this avatar appears in the beginning of every Satya Yuga)
kara: a combining form meaning achieved or achievement
karana: cause
karana sarira: causal body; generally refers to the highest or innermost subtle body that veils the true soul.
karma: work; deeds; also the result of action or activity of any kind, including ritual acts.The total effect of a person’s actions and conduct during the successive phases of the person’s existence, regarded as determining the person’s destiny.In Hinduism and Buddhism, the sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences.
karma marga: path of ritual, religious duties, and action
karma samya: good and bad actions in equal proportions
karma traya: the three kinds of karma, namely sanchita, agami and prarabdha
Karma Yoga: (“Yoga of action”) the liberating path of self-transcending action
karmendriya : organ of action
karpura arati: the waving of lighted camphor during puja
karta: he who does an act; doer
kartrtva: doership
Karuna: compassion
kashaya: latent impurity or passions, these are aspects of a person that can be gained during his or her worldly life. According to the Jaina religion as long as a person has Kashayas, they will not escape the cycle of life and death. There are four different kind of Kashayas, each being able to gain their own kinds of intensity.The four kasaya are: krodha (anger), lobha (greed), mana (ego) and maya (deceit).
Kasaya: ochre-colored garment; the robes of Buddhist monks and nuns, named after a brown or saffron dye
kayakalpa: medicinal preparation for prolonging life
kayasiddhi : making the body proof against injury
kendra: center; heart
kartrtva buddhi: sense of being the doer
kevala kumbhaka: retention of breath leading to stilling of the mind
kevala nirvikalpa: the state of remaining without concepts; bliss
khanda: division
Khecari-mudra: (“space-walking seal”) the Tantric practice of curling the tongue back against the upper palate in order to seal the life energy (prana)
khyati: theory
kirtan: call and response chanting
klesa: a defilement, passion etc.
kousalam: skill
kosha: (“sheath” or “casing”) Levels of awareness; stages of individual growth to whole societies. There are five “casings” surrounding the transcendental soul(atman) anna-maya-kosha (“casing made of food,” the physical body), prana-maya-kosha (“casing made of life force”), mano-maya-kosha (“casing made of mind”),vijnana-maya-kosha (“casing made of consciousness”), and ananda-maya-kosha (“casing made of bliss”); traditions regard the last kosha as the souls true state
krama mukti: liberation by degrees
krama srishti: gradual creation
krida: pastime
Krishna: (“All attractive”) the supreme personality of Godhead whose teachings can be found in the Bhagavad Gita and the Bhagavata-Purana.
kritopasaka: one who has done upasana or meditation
kriya physical action
krodha: anger
kshanti: patience, forbearance and forgiveness. It is one of the practices of perfection (paramita) of both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism.
kshetra: temple; or place of pilgrimage
Kshetrajna: the conscious principle (Knower) in the field of the body; the absolute witness of the three states of the self – waking, dream and sleep
kshipta: active
kumbha: pot used for keeping water
kumbhaka: retention of breath
kumkuma: vermilion powder applied to the forehead
Kundalini: primordial cosmic energy located in the individual; mystic circle of three and a half coils situated in the umbilical region; yogic principle of serpent power
Kundalini-shakti: (“coiled power”) according to Tantra and hatha yoga, the serpent power or subtle energy, which exists in potential form at the lowest psycho-energetic center of the body (i.e., the mula-adhara-cakra) and which must be awakened and guided to the center at the crown (i.e., the sahasrara-cakra) for full brahman enlightenment to occur
Kundalini-Yoga: the yogic path focusing on the kundalini process as a means of liberation
kutichaka: a sannyasin who lives permanently in a hut
kuvasana: bad tendency
L
Laya Yoga: (“Yoga of dissolution”) is also called Kundalini Yoga; an advanced form or process of Tantric yoga by which the various psycho-energetic centers of the subtle body are gradually dissolved through the ascent of the serpent power (kundalini-shakti)
laghu: light; easy
lakshana: sign; definition
lakshya: aim; target; goal; attention
lakshyartha: implied meaning
laya: dissolution; cling;
lila: Pastime
Linga: (“mark”) the phallus as a principle of creativity; a symbol of the demi-god Shiva
linga sarira: subtle body
loka: world; that which is seen
loukika: worldly
M
madhya: center; mixed; middling
madhyama: one who is in an intermediate position
mahadakash: the entire universe; world of action
maha: great
Mahabharata : (“Great Bharata”) one of India’s two great ancient epics telling of the great war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas and serving as a repository for many spiritual and moral teachings
Maha Rishi: great rishi or sage
mahaparinirvana: ultimate Nirvana (Nirvana can be achieved in this lifetime; ultimate Nirvana then follows at death)
mahasunya: great void
mahat: intellectual principle as source of ahankara
mahat tattva (mahattava): when God manifest the unmanifested world
Mahatma: (from maha-atman, “great soul”) an honorific title bestowed on particularly meritorious individuals, such as Gandhi
mahavakya(s): The great sayings
Mahayana: (“Great Vehicle”) is one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophers and practice. Mahayana Buddhism originated in India and some scholars believe that it was initially associated with one of the oldest historical branches of Buddhism, the Mahasamghika
Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra: also commonly known as the Nirvana Sutra.
chronicles the final moments of Buddha’s life through narrative.
Mahesvara: Another name for shiva
malaparipaka: complete removal of impurity
malina: impure
manana: constant thinking over what has been heard; reflection; meditation; the second of the three stages of Vedantic realization
manas: mind, reason, mentality; also used for the aggregate of chitta, buddhi, manas and ahankara
Manas: (“mind”) the lower mind, which is bound to the senses and yields information (vijnana) rather than wisdom (jnana, vidya)
Mandala (“circle”): a circular design symbolizing the cosmos and specific to spiritual ritual. These symbols are popular in almost every religion. The basic form of most mandalas is a square with four gates containing a circle with a center point. Each gate is in the general shape of a T.
mani: jewel
manolaya: (temporary) subsidence of the mind; dissolution of the mind into its cause
manomaya kosa: sheath of mind
manonasa: extinction of the mind
manonigraha: rendering the mind quiescent
manta: thinker
Mantra: (from the verbal root man “mind” tra “freedom from”) a sacred sound or phrase, such as om, hum, that has a transformative effect on the mind of the individual reciting it.
mantra japa: repetition of a mantra (can include chanting on prayer beads for example) as a means of liberation through meditation
marana: causing death through supernatural powers
marga: path
Marman (“lethal [spot]”): in Ayurveda and yoga, a vital spot on the physical body where energy is concentrated or blocked.
maru marichika: mirage seen in a desert
math (mutt): meeting place; abode of Sadhus
mati: thinking power
Matsyendra: (“Lord of Fish”) the seated revolving twist posture in yoga.
mauna: see mouna
maya: (”Illusion”or”she who measures”) illusion by which the world is seen as our ultimate singular reality and not the spiritual world.
maya vada: the doctrine of maya
Mayavadi: impersonalists- we are all one
mayasakti: the power of maya
medha: intellect
mitha: non-existent
mithya: the false; unreal
moda: joy which is higher than priya
Moksha: (“release”) the condition of freedom from ignorance (avidya) and the binding effect of karma; also called mukti, kaivalya Liberation; freedom from transmigration
moodha: dull
moola: root; source
mooladhara: one of the yogic centers of the body
mouna (mauna): Silence
mouna diksha: initiation by silence
mriga trishna: water of a mirage
Mudra: (“seal”)a hand gesture (such as cin-mudra) or whole-body gesture (such as viparita-karani-mudra)
mukta: one who is liberated
mukti: Liberation
mula: origin; root; base
mulavidya: primal ignorance
mumukshu: one who aspires to Liberation; the first stage, when the seeker feels that there is something beyond this material universe but is still identified with his body-mind; the next stage is that of the sadhaka
mumukshutva: desire for Liberation
muni: (“he who is silent”) a sage; austere person
murti: idol
N
na medhaya: not by the intellect
nada: the inner sound, as it can be heard through the practice of nada yoga or kundalini yoga
nadasvaram: the pipe of the South Indian piper
nadi(s):; main ones are Ida, Pingala and Sushumna
Nadi: (“conduit”) yogic nerves, or channels through which life-force (prana) circulates. Of over 72,000 subtle channels the three most important ones are the Ida-nadi, pingala-nadi, and sushumna-nadi
Nadi-shodhana: (“channel cleansing”) the practice of purifying the conduits, especially by means of breath control (pranayama)
naham: I am not
naishtika brahmacharya: lifelong celibacy
nama: name; the name of God
nama japa: repetition of the name of God
nama sankirtan: singing the names of God
nama smarana: remembering and repeating the name of God
namarupa: name and form; the nature of the world
namaskar(a): homage; prostration before God or Guru
nana: diversity
Narada: a great sage associated with music, who taught bhakti yoga and is attributed with the authorship of one of two Bhakti-Sutras
naraka: hell
nasa: destruction
Natha: (“lord”)
nava: new
neti-neti: “not this, not that”
nididhyasana: the last of the three stages of vedantic realization; uninterrupted contemplation
nijananda: true bliss
nirasa: desirelessness
nirguna: without attributes
Nirgunabrahman: the impersonal aspect of God
nirguna upasana: meditation on the impersonal aspect of God
nirodha: (“control” or “restriction”): in Patanjali’s eight-limbed yoga, the very basis of the process of concentration, meditation, and ecstasy; in the first instance, the restriction of the “whirls of the mind” (citta-vritti)
nirvana: Liberation; the final state into which beings enter when, becoming Enlightened, they are no longer bound by the consciousness of an illusory ego; release from samsara
nirvikappa: without the modifications of the mind
nisarga: nature
nischala bhava: steadfastness; Eternity
nishkama: without desire
nishkama karma: acts performed without a motive
nishta: steadiness, devotion (often related to mediation)
nitya: eternal
nitya siddha: ever present
nivritti: destruction; cessation of activity
nivritti marga: path of renunciation
Niyama: (“self-restraint”) the second limb of Patanjali’s eightfold path, which consists of purity (saucha), contentment (samtosha), austerity (tapas), study (svadhyaya), and dedication to the Lord (ishvara-pranidhana)
Nyasa: (“placing”) This is a concept that involves sending awareness to specific body parts. The practice may involve reciting mantra and is thought to infuse body parts with prana.
Ojas (“vitality”): the subtle energy produced through practice, especially the discipline of chastity (brahmacharya)
Om: a sacred sound, the original mantra used in contemplation of the ultimate Reality. Often chanted at the commencement and close of a hatha yoga practice.
owpacharika: in a worldly sense
P
padarthabhavini: absolute non-perception of objects
padmasana: the ‘lotus’ yogic posture
panchakshari: a mantra of five syllables sacred to Siva
pandit: learned man; scholar; man of wisdom
para: higher; supreme; other; in Tantricism, unmanifest sound
para bhakti: supreme devotion
para nadi: a yogic nerve
para vibhuti: superior vibhuti
parabraham: the Absolute
Parabrahman: the Supreme Absolute
param: transcendental
paramahamsa: (“Supreme Swan”) a spiritual teacher or sannyasin who has attained Self-realization
paramakash: the Absolute
paramapada: Supreme state
paramarthika: Absolute; true Self
paramarthika satyam (p. satyan): absolute reality
paramatma(n) or Parama-atman: (“supreme soul”): the transcendental supreme personality of Godhead, which is singular that exists in countless numbers next to the jiva atam in all living beings
paramahansa or Parama-hamsa: (“supreme swan”) an honorific title given to great yogis
paramita: a means of crossing to the further shore, thereby entering Nirvana
paranchi khani: outgoing
parantapa: Arjuna, as ‘he who destroys his enemy’
pareccha: by another’s will
parinama vada: Transformation of energy
parinirvana: beyond nirvana; used to indicate that the concept of nirvana as the blissful opposite of samsara doesn’t point to the final realization
paripurnam: the perfect state
pasaka: meditator; layman who lives according to certain strict rules
paroksha: hearsay; indirect
Patanjali: compiler of the Yoga Sutra, who lived c. 150 C.E, sometimes regarded as the founder of Yoga
phala: fruit; the result of an act
phala chaitanyam: knowledge
phala data: dispenser of the results of our acts
phala sruti: description of the result of an act
Pingala-nadi: (“reddish conduit”): the prana current or arc ascending on the right side of the central channel (sushumna-nadi) and associated with the sympathetic nervous system and having an energizing effect on the mind when activated
pisacha(s): demon(s)
pradakshina: going around a sacred person or place
pradeepta: shining brightly
prajna: consciousness; awareness; highest wisdom, transcendent wisdom
Prajna: (“wisdom”) the opposite of spiritual ignorance (ajnana, avidya)
prajnana: full consciousness
prajnana ghana: Immutable Knowledge
Prakriti: (“creatrix” )nature, nature; primal substance out of which all things are created
Prakriti-laya: (“merging into Nature”) a high-level state of existence that falls short of actual liberation (kaivalya)
pralaya: Dissolution
pramada: swerving from abidance in the Absolute
pramana: means of valid knowledge
pramata(r): knower
pramoda: joy
prana: Prana (“the forward moving air”) is the life energy which keeps the body alive and healthy
pranasakti: the power of the vital forces
pranava: another term for Om
pranava japa: incantation of Om
pranayama: breath control
Pranayama: (from prana and ayama, “life/breath extension”): breath control, the fourth limb (anga) of Patanjali’s eigthfold path, consisting of conscious inhalation (puraka) retention (kumbhaka) and exhalation (recaka); at an advanced state, breath retention occurs spontaneously for longer periods of time
prapatti: surrender
prapti: attainment
prarabdha: the part of one’s karma (destiny) to be worked out in this life
prasad(a): divine blessing; food which has been offered to God and afterwards distributed among the devotees
Prasada: (“grace/clarity”) divine grace; mental clarity
prasthana traya: the threefold canon of Vedanta (Upanishads, Brahma Sutras, and Bhagavad Gita)
pratibhasika satya: illusory reality as it appears to an individual
pratikam: symbol
pratikriya: remedy
pratyabhijna: recognition
pratyahara: withdrawal of senses from objectivity; fifth rung in the Raja Yoga ladder
Pratyahara: sensory inhibition, the fifth limb (anga) of Patanjali’s eightfold path
pratyaksha: direct, immediate
Pratyeka-Buddha: one who achieves Enlightenment on his own and who does not then go forth to preach the Dharma
pravritti: pursuing what is desirable
pravritti marga: path of action
prayaschitta: a rite for expiating sin
prayatna: proper and adequate effort
prema divine love [for God]
preta: a hungry, tantalized ghost, led by evil karma into that sad but temporary state of existence
prithvi: earth
priya: joy; dear
punya: merit
puraka: inhalation
purana: old; eighteen ancient books of stories embodying religious symbolism, attributed to Vyasa
purushottama: Supreme Divine Being
puriashtaka: subtle body consisting of eight phases
puri: city
purna: full; infinite; complete
Puraka: (“filling in”) inhalation, an aspect of breath control (pranayama)
Purana (“Ancient [History]”): a type of popular encyclopedia dealing with royal genealogy, cosmology, philosophy, and ritual; there are eighteen major and many more minor works of this nature. Any of a class of Sanskrit writings not included in the Vedas, characteristically recounting the birth and deeds of gods, God and the creation, destruction, or recreation of the universe
Purusha (“male”): the transcendental Self (atman) or Spirit, a designation that is mostly used in Samkhya and Patanjali’s yoga-darshana Within Samkhya philopsophy, the dualism of two realities, one is Purusha (consciousness) and prakrti (realm of matter).
purushakara: personal effort
purushartha: human ends; objectives worthy of human pursuit (dharma, artha, kama and moksha)
Puja (“worship”): ceremonial worship with flowers, water, etc, which is an important aspect of many forms of yoga, notably bhakti yoga
purva: previous
purva paksha: arguments advanced by the opponent
purva samskara: latent tendencies
R
Radha: the supreme Godhead Krishna’s spouse; a name of the divine Mother
Raja Yoga: (“Royal Yoga”)the principal system of Yoga as taught by Patanjali
rajas: one of the three primal qualities – described as red, the principle of activity; energy; passion; restlessness
rajju-sarpa: rope-snake; a rope looking like a snake in a dim light
Rama: an incarnation of God Vishnu preceding Krishna; the principal hero of the Ramayana
Ramayana: (“Rama’s life”) one of India’s two great national epics telling the story of Rama
randhra: aperture
rasa: bliss
rasasvada: taste of bliss in the absence of thoughts
ravi marga: path of the sun
rechaka: exhalation or expulsion; an an aspect of breath control (pranayama)
Rig-Veda: see Veda
Rishi: (“seer”) a category of Vedic sage; an honorific title of certain venerated masters
Rudra: Siva in his aspect as Destroyer
rupa: beautiful form
S
sabdanuviddha: associated with sound
sad guru: true guru
Sada Siva: Siva as eternal goodness
sadhak(a): a spiritual aspirant
Sadhana: the method of spiritual discipline
sadhana-chatushtaya : the four qualifications expected in an aspirant. These include: Discrimination (viveka), Non-attachment (vairagya), Longing (mumukshutva), plus Six virtues (shat sampat) related to training the mind.
sadhu: (“good man”) an ascetic, a wandering monk. Though the majority of sadhus are yogis, not all yogis are sadhus. Dedicated to achieving liberation through mediation and contemplation. Sadhus often wear saffron-colored clothing, symbolizing their sanyasa (renunciation). For a woman who adopts this lifestyle, she is called a sadhvi (“good woman”)
sadhu seva: service rendered to sages
sadhya: thing to be accomplished
sadsisya: true disciple
sadyomukti: immediate Liberation
saguna: with attributes
saguna upasana: meditation on the supreme person
nirguna-Upasana – meditation on the formless and attributeless Brahman)
Sagunabrahman: the Absolute with form and qualities
Sahaja: Cheap imitator
sahasradala: the thousand petalled lotus; center of illumination in crown of the head
sahasrara: the highest yogic center located in the brain
sajatiya: of the same kind
sakama: with desire
sakshat: here and now
sakshatkaram: direct realization
sakshi(n): witness
sakti (shakti): power; energy; force
sakti pata: descent of divine power on a person
sama [sum]: equal, common
samadhi: (“spiritual bliss”) the advanced or ecstatic state of meditation in which the meditator becomes perfectly connected to God; the eighth and final limb (anga) of Patanjali’s eightfold path.
samana: one of the ten vital airs
samanya: common, general, ordinary
samasta: whole
samatva: equality, evenness; the mental condition of harmony, balance
sambodhi: Supreme Enlightenment
sambogakaya: the body in which Enlightened Beings can appear to other beings in insubstantial form
samjna: discernment
samjnana: awareness; perception
samkalpa(s): fancies
samrajya: empire
samsara (“confluence”) the finite world of change; the process of worldly life; the bondage of life, death and rebirth
samskara(s): karmic inheritance of mental and emotional patterns through which we cycle over and over again during our lives, can be positive or negative
samskrta: the impermanent; Chinese wu wei in Buddhism Things that are conditioned or brought into being by contributory causes.
samvid: true awareness
samvit : consciousness; knowledge
samyak-sambodhi: Supreme Enlightenment
samyamana: one-pointedness of mind
sanchita (s. karma): is one of the three kinds of karma. sanchita karma is the accumulation of all karma – good and bad, from one’s past lives that follow through to the next life and still remains to be experienced
sandeha: doubt
sanga: association; brotherhood
sangsara: see samsara
sankalpa : an intention or call to awakening; over time a personal sankalpa can shift one’s samskaras (tendencies and attachments)
Samkhya (“Number”): Founded by the great sage Kapila, one of the oldest Indian philosophies.
Samnyasa (“casting off”): the disciple of renunciation, which is the fourth and final stage of life (see ashrama) and consisting primarily in an inner turning away from all l involvement in all worldly pursuits and seeks only the attainment of Self-realization.
Samyama: (“constraint”) the combined practice of concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana), and ecstasy (samadhi) in regard to the same object
Samnyasin: (“he who has cast off”) a renouncer
sannidhi: presence
sannyasa (sanyasa): asceticism, renunciation
sannyasasrama: the last of the four stations of life
sannyasi(n): an ascetic; one who belongs to the fourth stage of life
santi: peace
santodanta: one who is calm and self-controlled
sanyasin: see sannyasin
sarira: body
sariri: dweller in the body
sarira traya: the three bodies, namely the physical, subtle and causal
sarupa : with form; having form
sarva: all
sarvajna: omniscient
sarvajnatvam : omniscience
Sarvesvara the supreme Lord
sastra (shastra) : scripture; science; a sacred treatise or a commentary on a sutra
Sat being/reality/truth
sat-chit-ananda: Eternal, knowledge and bliss
Sat-sanga: (“company of Truth” or “association with the wise”) The practice of frequenting the good company of saints, sages, Self-realized adepts, and their disciples, in whose company the ultimate Reality can be felt more palpably
sattva: purity; one of the three primal qualities of prakriti – described as white
Satya: (“truth/truthfulness”): truth, a designation of the ultimate Reality; also the practice of truthfulness, which is an aspect of moral discipline (yama)
sattvapatti: realization
sattvic: pure
satya : Truth
sayujya: Union; identity
shadadhara: the six yogic centers
Shakti: Power
Shakti-pata: (“descent of power”) Transferring of benign spiritual “energy” upon one person by another. Conferred by an advanced or even enlightened adept (siddha) to a disciple, by awakening disciple’s shakti – initiating process of liberation
Shankara: (“He who is benevolent”) the eighth-century adept who was responsible for the decline of Buddhism in India
shastra: see sastra
Shishya: (“student/disciple”)the initiated disciple of a guru
Shiva: He who is eternal or pure
Shiva-Sutra: (“Shiva’s Aphorisms”) like the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, a classical work on yoga, as taught in the Shaivism of Kashmir; authored by Vasugupta (ninth century C.E.)
Shodhana: (“cleansing/purification”) a fundamental aspect of all yogic paths; a category of purification practices in hatha yoga
Shraddha: (“faith”) an essential disposition on the yogic path, which must be distinguished from mere belief
Shuddhi: (“purification/purity”) the state of purity; a synonym of shodhana
sthula: gross
sthula sarira: physical body
stotram: hymn of praise
stuti: devotional singing
subhechcha: desire for enlightenment
suddha: pure
suddha sattva: essentially pure
suddha sattva svarupaL the form of purity
sukha: happiness
sukha asana: sweet, easy, and comfortable sitting posture
sukshma: subtle
sukshma sarira: subtle body
sunya: blank; the Void
sunyavadin: nihilist
Sushumna-nadi: (“very gracious channel”): one of the primary yogic nerves, through which the kundalini rises
sushupti (susupti): dreamless sleep
Sutra: (“thread” or “string”) sacred writings such as Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra
suvasana: good tendency
Svadhyaya: (“one’s own going into”) self-study; an important aspect of the yogic path, listed among the practices of self-restraint (niyama) in Patanjali’s eightfold yoga
svagata: within itself
svami: see swami
svapna: dream; dreaming state
svarga: heaven
svaroopa (swarupa): essential nature; true nature of Being; real form, unconditioned by rajas (activity) and tamas (inertia)
svarupa nishta: abidance in the soul
swami : mystic or yogi; one who is in control of himself
swaraj: independence
swatantra: independence
swechcha: of one’s own will
siddha: (“one who is accomplished”) Meaning varies depending on tradition, but essentially means a perfected Yogi or an adept.
Siddhi: paranormal ability, of which the yoga tradition knows many kinds
sila: the moral precepts observed by Buddhism
sishya: disciple; fit student
sloka: a stanza in Sanskrit; a verse of praise
Skanda: younger son of Shiva; leader of the divine hosts
skandha: one of the five components (skandhas) of personality; inherited tendencies, physical and mental
smriti: memory; scriptures other than the Vedas
Spanda: vibration
sparsa: touch
sphurana (sphurna): manifestation; throbbing or breaking; bursting forth; vibration
sraddha: faith; earnestness
sravaka: one who approaches the Dharma as a result of hearing it preached
sravana: hearing of the Truth, from the Guru
srishti drishti: gradual creation
srota: hearer
srotra: ear
sruti: sacred text; Vedas, heard by sages in their transcendental state and transmitted to disciples by word of mouth
sthitaprajna: one established in wisdom
sthiti: being; existing
T
tadakaranilai: abiding in the form of God
taijasa: the individual being in dream; brilliance
tamas: (“indifference”) In the Samkhya school of philosophy tamas is one of three gunas (or primal qualities), the other two being rajas (passion and activity) and sattva (purity and goodness). Tamas is associated with darkness, ignorance, sloth, inertia or resistance to action.
tanha: (“thirst”) a craving or desire to stay with positive experiences and be removed from painful or unpleasant experiences. In the first teaching of the Buddha on the Four Noble Truths, the Buddha identified tanha as a main force in the arising of dukkha (suffering, anxiety, dissatisfaction).
tanmatra(s) : elements in their subtle forms (sound feel, aspect, taste, smell)
tanmaya: Absorbed
tanmaya nishta: abidance with God
tanumanasa: Attenuation of mental activities
Tantra: (“Loom”) a type of Sanskrit text that contains esoteric teachings; tantric literature is focuses on the shakti side of spiritual life and originated in the early post-Christian era and achieved its classical features around 1000 C.E. Tantrism has a “right-hand” (dakshina) or conservative and a “left-hand” (vama) or unconventional/antinomian branch, with the latter utilizing, among other things, sexual rituals for raising one kundalini.
Tapas: (“heat” or “ardour”) an ascetic practice in order to achieve spiritual purification. Contemporary usage often associated with yogic discipline towards moksha. Included in these physical austerities are activities such as fasting, the holding of difficult and often painful bodily postures, vigils kept in the presence of fires or extreme cold, and breath control.
tapobhrashta: one who has fallen away from his austerities
tapta-aya-pindavat: like a red-hot iron ball
Tat: That; Brahman
Tathagata: (“one who has thus come”) a word that the Buddha uses when referring to himself
tathata: (“thusness” or “suchness”), a central concept of Buddhism, particularly important in Zen; “suchness” is often related in the seemingly simple or ordinary
tattva: truth; essence of a thing conceived as an aspect of deity
tattva bhoda: knowledge of the Truth
tattva jnana: knowledge of God
tattvam: Reality; Truth
tejas: radiance
tejo rupa: of the form of light
tejomaya: full of light
tirtha: (“a shallow part of a body of water that may be easily crossed”) a pilgrimage site; crossing this ford represents crossing over from worldly engagement to nirvana.
Tripitaka: earliest collection of Buddhist teachings that make up the Buddhist canon;the Tripitaka was handed down orally, then written down in the third century B.C.E; translates to “three baskets” from the way it was originally recorded on long interwoven leaves; comprised of three parts: Vinaya Pitaka (Discipline Basket), Sutra Pitaka (Discourse Basket), and Abhidharma Pitaka (Higher Knowledge or Special Teachings Basket)
triputi : triad like seer, seen and seeing
turavu: renunciation
turiya: the fourth state beyond waking, dreaming and deep sleep; ever present and unchanging witness-Consciousness
turiyatita: beyond the fourth state; the Self
turyaga: beyond words; one of the seven stages of enlightenment
tyaga: renunciation
U
udana prana: ascending energy that flows from the heart to the head and brain
udasinam: indifference
upadesa: instruction or guidance of a Guru
upadhi: body-related
Upanisad(s): (“sitting near”) philosophical writings forming part of the Vedas
upasana: meditation; contemplation
upasana sthana: seat of meditation
Upaya: (“means”) in Buddhist yoga, the practice of compassion (karuna)
uttama: highest grade
V
vac (vak): speech
vachyartha: literal meaning
vada: theory; disputation
vaikhari: audible sound
Vaikunth: the abode of Vishnu
Vairagya: (“dispassion”): the attitude non-attachment in particular towards the pains and pleasures of the material world (maya)
Vaishnavite (Vaishnav): worshipper of Vishnu
vajra: symbolic ritual object that symbolizes both the indestructible nature of a diamond and the irresistible force of a thunderbolt
Vajrayana: the school of Mahayana Buddhism prevalent in Tibet and Mongolia, commonly called Lamaism in the West
varistha: the most excellent
varnasrama dharma: dharma of the various castes and stages of life
vasana: karmic imprint; behavioural predisposition and mental habits which influences one’s present behaviour and outlook; a technical term in Dharmic traditions, particularly Buddhist philosophy and Advaita Vedanta
vasana kshaya: discontinuation of vasanas
vastu: substance; reality
vastutah: in reality
Vasudeva: Krishna as the son of Vasudeva, the Lord who created the world
vayu: air; vital breath; the Wind god
Veda: sacred knowledge; scriptures revealed through the Rishis (Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva Vedas)
vedana: reception of sensation
Vedanta: absolute Truth as established by the Upanishads, Brahma Sutras, and Bhagavad Gita as interpreted by Vyasa; the end or consummation of the Vedas
veena: a stringed instrument
vibhakti: separation
vibhuti: sacred ashes made of dried wood, worn by devoteesof gods or the supreme God; worn on forehead and other parts of the body
vichara: inquiry into the true nature of the Self
vichara marga: spiritual path of inquiry
vicharana: inquiry; one of the seven stages of enlightenment
videha mukti: (“liberation without the body”) signifies moksha (liberation) attained after death
vidya: knowledge (of Brahman)
vijatiya: of a different kind
vijnana: consciousness; the mind
vijnanamaya kosa: envelope of the intellect
vijnanatma: the ignorant self
vijnata: knower
vikalpa(s): doubt(s)
vikshepa: diversity
vikshipta: distracted
vinaya: monastic discipline practiced by the Buddhist community
viparita: inverted
virat: macrocosm; totality of gross beings; the physical world
virya: zeal; vitality
visesha: particular; special
vishaya: object
Vishnu: The supreme personality of Godhead worshipped as the protector and preserver of the world and restorer of Dharma.
vishya vasana(s): predisposition toward sense enjoyments
visishta : qualified
visranti: repose
visva: the individual being in the waking state
visvarupa (v. darsana): All form
vivechana: discrimination
viveka: wisdom; discrimination between the Real and the unreal
viyoga: separation; giving up
vritti: turning of the mind
vyakta: manifested
vyakti: manifested entity
vyana: one of the five major Pranas; responsible for blood circulation and nervous system coordination.
vyaptam: pervaded
Vyasa: the great sage who wrote the Brahma Sutras
vyashti: individual
vyavahara: (“doubt removal”) a type of empirical proceeding within Hinduism; can range from everyday transactions to more formal legal procedures such as a trial
yaga: ritualistic sacrifice
Y
yajna: sacrifice
yama: “restraint” or guidelines of yogic living, which include nonviolence, truthfulness, nonstealing, nonexcess and nonposessiveness
yoga: to yoke with G-d
yoga marga(s): yogic path(s)
yoga maya: the mystical, inner potency of Lord Krishna.
yogabhrashta: one who has slipped from yoga
yogarudha: one who has freed their attachments to sense objects and rid themselves of their desires and possesses a steady and tranquil
yogi: a practitioner of yoga
Yogiraja: title of the Lord Shiva meaning “King of Yoga”
yugapat srishti: simultaneous creation