GLOSSARY OF SANSKRIT TERMS
Adhvā: literally: "course"; specifically the six courses, which is the Śaiva concept of how creation manifests. For a detailed explanation of this concept, go here
Advaita: non-dual, without duality; peerless, sole
Āgama: sacred text considered to come directly from Śiva
Ahaṁkāra: literally: "I-making"; the making of self, ego, the conception of self, self-conceit
Anāhata: unbeaten, produced without striking
Ānanda: bliss
Antaḥkaraṇa: literally: "inner organ"; mind consisting of thinking mind (manas) ego (ahaṁkāra) and intellect (buddhi); the seat of thought and feelings
Anunāsika: The nasal sound designated by the crescent and dot as in the word Oṁ
Apāna: inhalation; vital air or energy associated with elimination
Asamprajñāta: without cognitive knowledge
Āsana: posture for meditation
Asmitā: the sense of I-ness; egoism; I-sense; one of the mental afflictions
Aṣṭāṁga: literally: "eight limbs"; eight divisions or aspects; eightfold
Ātman: Self; mind; nature
Avidyā: ignorance; mistaking non-self for the Self
Bhairava: The Highest Reality, Śiva, God
Bhairavī: Śaktī; the energy, manifestation, and I-consciousness of Bhairava
Brahmacarya: the lifestyle of a spiritual or religious student; celibacy
Brahmā: God as the creator; one of the three major Hindu deities
Brahman: The Absolute Reality; God
Buddhi: intellect; spiritual wisdom; insight, reason; the first evolute of Prakṛti
Caitanya: absolute consciousness; being-awareness
Cakra: literally: "wheel"; centers of prāṇic energy located along the center channel (suṣumnā)
Cit: pure awareness; consciousness; intelligence
Dharma: righteousness, ethical conduct; virtue; duty; law; practice; religion
Deva: divine; celestial; effulgent; a god or supreme being
Dvādaśānta: literally: "end of 12"; the length equal to the width of 12 fingers. Dvādaśānta is a point of concentration, usually one of three: the chest, between the eyebrows, and the crown of the head
Guṇa: characteristic, quality; one of the three constituents of physical nature: Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas
Guru: teacher, guide; a venerable person
Hari: Viṣṇu, God
Hiraṇyagarbha: literally: "the golden womb"; the Vedic source of the universe; cosmic mind
Hṛdaya: the heart center; the seat of consciousness; the Self
Indriyas: five cognitive functions: seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, and smelling and the five active functions: speaking, handling, locomotion, excreting, and procreating - making ten in all
Īśvara: lord, master; God, supreme being
Japa: literally: "whispering"; repetition of prayer, mantra, or sacred text
Jīva: individual soul or person; limited being
Jñāna: knowledge, wisdom
Jñānendriya: organ or function of knowledge: sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell
Kaivalya: complete detachment; discrimination between non-self and Self; liberation
Karma: action; work, labor, activity; a religious act or rite; consequences of one’s actions; fate
Karmendriya: organ or function of action: speech, handling, locomotion, elimination, and procreation
Kleśa: literally: "affliction", "pain"; mental fluctuations that lead to bondage and hinder spiritual growth
Kośa: sheath, cover; one of the five sheaths (Food, Prāṇa, Mental, Knowledge, and Bliss) that surround the Self.
Kṛṣṇa: literally: "black"; the teacher of the Bhagavad Gītā, considered to be an incarnation of Viṣṇu
Kuṇḍalinī: creative energy that rests at the base of the spine like a coiled snake. Through certain Yoga practices, this energy unfolds, energizing the cakras, as it rises to the point at the crown of the head
Mahat: intellect; the first evolute of Prakṛti; (usually Mahat is macro and Buddhi is micro)
Mala: impurity; limitation
Mantra: literally: "instrument of thought"; speech; a sacred formula; mystical verse; incantation; prayer; hymn
Māyā: illusion, the veiling and projecting power of Brahman
Mokṣa: liberation, freedom; spiritual emancipation
Mudra: Yoga posture used to aid concentration and bring about higher levels of consciousness
Nāda: to sound, bellow, thunder; the divine sound
Nāda-bindu: literally: "seed sound"; the primal sound; Oṁ
Nāḍī: a subtle channel through which prāṇa flows
Netra Tantra: Agama that describes nine mantras that correspond to the nine elemental principles from Śiva to Prakṛti
Nirvāṇa: blown or put out, as in a lamp or fire; extinguished; liberated from existence; extreme joy, bliss
Nirvikalpa: literally: "without vikalpa" (see below); freedom from difference or dichotomizing thoughts
Niyama: observance
Oṁ: the sound form of Brahman, pronounced "AUM" with nasal "m"
Para: higher, superior; supreme
Parādevi: literally: "supreme goddess"; Śakti
Paramātma: the Supreme Self
Prājña: literally: "consciousness"; the Self in the state of deep sleep
Prakṛti: matter; physical nature; the unmanifest universe
Prāṇa: breath, vital air; life force; exhalation; specific vital air or energy associated with respiration
Prāṇāyāma: the Yoga practice of controlling the breath
Prārabdha: literally: "destiny"; that portion of one's karma that is currently bearing fruit
Puruṣaḥ: the Self; soul; spirit
Rajas: passion, activity, restlessness; one of the three constituents of physical nature
Rudra: literally: "Howler"; God as the destroyer (of the ego and the world at the end of time); Śiva
Sadāśiva: Śiva as divine grace and goodness. The third of 36 tattvas in the Shaivite system; Sadāśiva tattva which is dominated by willpower and I-consciousness
Sādhanā: spiritual or devotional practice
Samādhi: absorption concentration; the state of union of mind and Self
Samāna: vital air or energy associated with digestion and assimilation
Saṁkalpa: conception, idea, or notion formed in the mind; will, volition; desire; purpose; intention
Sāṁkhya: literally: "calculation" or "discrimination"; wisdom; one of the three major philosophical systems in classical India
Saṁnyāsa: renunciation; throwing down; abandonment
Saṁnyāsin: one who renounces all worldly concerns; an ascetic, religious mendicant
Saṁprajñāta: with cognitive knowledge
Saṁsāra: transmigratory existence; the cycle of birth, growth, death, and rebirth
Saṁskāra: latent mental impressions of thoughts, words, and actions
Saṁyama: literally: "bound together"; Integrated Meditation; the practice of concentration, meditation, and samādhi on a single object
Sat: being, existence; truth
Satcitānanda: Being-Awareness-Bliss; the nature of Brahman
Sattva: reality, goodness, purity, harmony; one of the three constituents of physical nature
Savikalpa: with vikalpa (see below)
Siddha: perfected; accomplished; a sage or holy person; a mystic or magician; a semi-divine being
Siddhi: perfection; attainment; supernatural or mystic power attained through Yoga practice
Suṣumnā: channel in the center of the spine in which prāṇa flows
Sūtra: string, thread, line; aphorism, precept; rule, decree
Śaiva: literally: "pertaining to Śiva"; Shaivism, the system or worship of Śiva
Śakti: literally: "power", "energy"; dynamic form and I-consciousness of the Absolute
Śambhu: Granter of Happiness; Śiva
Śaṅkara: the giver of happiness or prosperity; Śiva
Śāntā: appeased, pacified; tranquil, undisturbed; peaceful
Śiva: Auspicious One; God; static form of the Absolute; one of the three major Hindu deities
Śrī: splendor; beauty; prosperity; majesty; an honorific prefix to names of deities and eminent persons
Taijasa: literally: "bright"; the Self in the dream state
Tamas: darkness; inertia, stupor; one of the three constituents of physical nature
Tanmātra: the five subtle elements: sound as-such, touch as-such, color as-such, flavor as-such, and odor as-such
Tantra: scripture or sacred text; doctrine, science; system
Tat: that, often used to refer to the Supreme Reality
Tattva: literally: "thatness"; truth; reality; nature; a fundamental element of both the cosmos and the individual
Trika: non-dual Śaiva philosophy. Name means threefold, referring to the trinity of Śiva, Śakti, and Nara (human)
Tripura: literally: "three cities"; the three states of consciousness: wakefulness, dream, and deep sleep
Triśirobhairava Tantra: Tantric scripture that summarizes manifestation under three categories: Śiva, Śakti, and Nara (human)
Turīya: literally: "fourth"; the fourth state of consciousness, the state of Being-Awareness-Bliss of the Self
Turya: same as "Turīya" above
Udāna: vital air or energy associated with speech
Upādhi: an ajunct, substitute; phantom; limitation; deception
Upaniṣad: literally: "to sit down near"; teaching, especially secret or mystical teachings; Vedic scriptures that expound the unity of Brahman and the Self
Vaiśvānara: literally: "universal"; universal consciousness, the Self in the wakeful state
Varṇa: letter; the practice of listening to Nāda (divine sound)
Vāsanā: subliminal impressions of experiences that create latent tendencies
Vāsudeva: (vāsu: the spirit within all beings; deva: divine) Divine Self
Veda: name of the four scriptures that form the basis for Hindu beliefs and practices
Vedānta: literally: "end of the Vedas"; the philosophy of the Upaniṣads
Vicāra: subtle thought; thought without words; perception; intuition; distinction
Vijñāna: comprehending, understanding; realized knowledge; science
Vikalpa: difference in perception; distinction; an idea as different from another, dichotomizing thought; thought-construct; imagination, fantasy
Virāṭ: the macrocosm; the universal body; the physical universe personified
Visarga: literally: "sending forth"; the sanskrit character "ḥ" or ":" at the end of a word or mantra and pronounced as a short aspiration
Viṣṇu: God as the maintainer and protector; one of the three major Hindu deities
Vitarka: gross though; thought with words; argument, reasoning; inference; conjecture
Vyāna: vital air or energy associated with circulation
Yama: restraint; self control
Yoga: literally: "union"; to yoke, join; the system by which the individual self is united with the Absolute
Advaita: non-dual, without duality; peerless, sole
Āgama: sacred text considered to come directly from Śiva
Ahaṁkāra: literally: "I-making"; the making of self, ego, the conception of self, self-conceit
Anāhata: unbeaten, produced without striking
Ānanda: bliss
Antaḥkaraṇa: literally: "inner organ"; mind consisting of thinking mind (manas) ego (ahaṁkāra) and intellect (buddhi); the seat of thought and feelings
Anunāsika: The nasal sound designated by the crescent and dot as in the word Oṁ
Apāna: inhalation; vital air or energy associated with elimination
Asamprajñāta: without cognitive knowledge
Āsana: posture for meditation
Asmitā: the sense of I-ness; egoism; I-sense; one of the mental afflictions
Aṣṭāṁga: literally: "eight limbs"; eight divisions or aspects; eightfold
Ātman: Self; mind; nature
Avidyā: ignorance; mistaking non-self for the Self
Bhairava: The Highest Reality, Śiva, God
Bhairavī: Śaktī; the energy, manifestation, and I-consciousness of Bhairava
Brahmacarya: the lifestyle of a spiritual or religious student; celibacy
Brahmā: God as the creator; one of the three major Hindu deities
Brahman: The Absolute Reality; God
Buddhi: intellect; spiritual wisdom; insight, reason; the first evolute of Prakṛti
Caitanya: absolute consciousness; being-awareness
Cakra: literally: "wheel"; centers of prāṇic energy located along the center channel (suṣumnā)
Cit: pure awareness; consciousness; intelligence
Dharma: righteousness, ethical conduct; virtue; duty; law; practice; religion
Deva: divine; celestial; effulgent; a god or supreme being
Dvādaśānta: literally: "end of 12"; the length equal to the width of 12 fingers. Dvādaśānta is a point of concentration, usually one of three: the chest, between the eyebrows, and the crown of the head
Guṇa: characteristic, quality; one of the three constituents of physical nature: Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas
Guru: teacher, guide; a venerable person
Hari: Viṣṇu, God
Hiraṇyagarbha: literally: "the golden womb"; the Vedic source of the universe; cosmic mind
Hṛdaya: the heart center; the seat of consciousness; the Self
Indriyas: five cognitive functions: seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, and smelling and the five active functions: speaking, handling, locomotion, excreting, and procreating - making ten in all
Īśvara: lord, master; God, supreme being
Japa: literally: "whispering"; repetition of prayer, mantra, or sacred text
Jīva: individual soul or person; limited being
Jñāna: knowledge, wisdom
Jñānendriya: organ or function of knowledge: sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell
Kaivalya: complete detachment; discrimination between non-self and Self; liberation
Karma: action; work, labor, activity; a religious act or rite; consequences of one’s actions; fate
Karmendriya: organ or function of action: speech, handling, locomotion, elimination, and procreation
Kleśa: literally: "affliction", "pain"; mental fluctuations that lead to bondage and hinder spiritual growth
Kośa: sheath, cover; one of the five sheaths (Food, Prāṇa, Mental, Knowledge, and Bliss) that surround the Self.
Kṛṣṇa: literally: "black"; the teacher of the Bhagavad Gītā, considered to be an incarnation of Viṣṇu
Kuṇḍalinī: creative energy that rests at the base of the spine like a coiled snake. Through certain Yoga practices, this energy unfolds, energizing the cakras, as it rises to the point at the crown of the head
Mahat: intellect; the first evolute of Prakṛti; (usually Mahat is macro and Buddhi is micro)
Mala: impurity; limitation
Mantra: literally: "instrument of thought"; speech; a sacred formula; mystical verse; incantation; prayer; hymn
Māyā: illusion, the veiling and projecting power of Brahman
Mokṣa: liberation, freedom; spiritual emancipation
Mudra: Yoga posture used to aid concentration and bring about higher levels of consciousness
Nāda: to sound, bellow, thunder; the divine sound
Nāda-bindu: literally: "seed sound"; the primal sound; Oṁ
Nāḍī: a subtle channel through which prāṇa flows
Netra Tantra: Agama that describes nine mantras that correspond to the nine elemental principles from Śiva to Prakṛti
Nirvāṇa: blown or put out, as in a lamp or fire; extinguished; liberated from existence; extreme joy, bliss
Nirvikalpa: literally: "without vikalpa" (see below); freedom from difference or dichotomizing thoughts
Niyama: observance
Oṁ: the sound form of Brahman, pronounced "AUM" with nasal "m"
Para: higher, superior; supreme
Parādevi: literally: "supreme goddess"; Śakti
Paramātma: the Supreme Self
Prājña: literally: "consciousness"; the Self in the state of deep sleep
Prakṛti: matter; physical nature; the unmanifest universe
Prāṇa: breath, vital air; life force; exhalation; specific vital air or energy associated with respiration
Prāṇāyāma: the Yoga practice of controlling the breath
Prārabdha: literally: "destiny"; that portion of one's karma that is currently bearing fruit
Puruṣaḥ: the Self; soul; spirit
Rajas: passion, activity, restlessness; one of the three constituents of physical nature
Rudra: literally: "Howler"; God as the destroyer (of the ego and the world at the end of time); Śiva
Sadāśiva: Śiva as divine grace and goodness. The third of 36 tattvas in the Shaivite system; Sadāśiva tattva which is dominated by willpower and I-consciousness
Sādhanā: spiritual or devotional practice
Samādhi: absorption concentration; the state of union of mind and Self
Samāna: vital air or energy associated with digestion and assimilation
Saṁkalpa: conception, idea, or notion formed in the mind; will, volition; desire; purpose; intention
Sāṁkhya: literally: "calculation" or "discrimination"; wisdom; one of the three major philosophical systems in classical India
Saṁnyāsa: renunciation; throwing down; abandonment
Saṁnyāsin: one who renounces all worldly concerns; an ascetic, religious mendicant
Saṁprajñāta: with cognitive knowledge
Saṁsāra: transmigratory existence; the cycle of birth, growth, death, and rebirth
Saṁskāra: latent mental impressions of thoughts, words, and actions
Saṁyama: literally: "bound together"; Integrated Meditation; the practice of concentration, meditation, and samādhi on a single object
Sat: being, existence; truth
Satcitānanda: Being-Awareness-Bliss; the nature of Brahman
Sattva: reality, goodness, purity, harmony; one of the three constituents of physical nature
Savikalpa: with vikalpa (see below)
Siddha: perfected; accomplished; a sage or holy person; a mystic or magician; a semi-divine being
Siddhi: perfection; attainment; supernatural or mystic power attained through Yoga practice
Suṣumnā: channel in the center of the spine in which prāṇa flows
Sūtra: string, thread, line; aphorism, precept; rule, decree
Śaiva: literally: "pertaining to Śiva"; Shaivism, the system or worship of Śiva
Śakti: literally: "power", "energy"; dynamic form and I-consciousness of the Absolute
Śambhu: Granter of Happiness; Śiva
Śaṅkara: the giver of happiness or prosperity; Śiva
Śāntā: appeased, pacified; tranquil, undisturbed; peaceful
Śiva: Auspicious One; God; static form of the Absolute; one of the three major Hindu deities
Śrī: splendor; beauty; prosperity; majesty; an honorific prefix to names of deities and eminent persons
Taijasa: literally: "bright"; the Self in the dream state
Tamas: darkness; inertia, stupor; one of the three constituents of physical nature
Tanmātra: the five subtle elements: sound as-such, touch as-such, color as-such, flavor as-such, and odor as-such
Tantra: scripture or sacred text; doctrine, science; system
Tat: that, often used to refer to the Supreme Reality
Tattva: literally: "thatness"; truth; reality; nature; a fundamental element of both the cosmos and the individual
Trika: non-dual Śaiva philosophy. Name means threefold, referring to the trinity of Śiva, Śakti, and Nara (human)
Tripura: literally: "three cities"; the three states of consciousness: wakefulness, dream, and deep sleep
Triśirobhairava Tantra: Tantric scripture that summarizes manifestation under three categories: Śiva, Śakti, and Nara (human)
Turīya: literally: "fourth"; the fourth state of consciousness, the state of Being-Awareness-Bliss of the Self
Turya: same as "Turīya" above
Udāna: vital air or energy associated with speech
Upādhi: an ajunct, substitute; phantom; limitation; deception
Upaniṣad: literally: "to sit down near"; teaching, especially secret or mystical teachings; Vedic scriptures that expound the unity of Brahman and the Self
Vaiśvānara: literally: "universal"; universal consciousness, the Self in the wakeful state
Varṇa: letter; the practice of listening to Nāda (divine sound)
Vāsanā: subliminal impressions of experiences that create latent tendencies
Vāsudeva: (vāsu: the spirit within all beings; deva: divine) Divine Self
Veda: name of the four scriptures that form the basis for Hindu beliefs and practices
Vedānta: literally: "end of the Vedas"; the philosophy of the Upaniṣads
Vicāra: subtle thought; thought without words; perception; intuition; distinction
Vijñāna: comprehending, understanding; realized knowledge; science
Vikalpa: difference in perception; distinction; an idea as different from another, dichotomizing thought; thought-construct; imagination, fantasy
Virāṭ: the macrocosm; the universal body; the physical universe personified
Visarga: literally: "sending forth"; the sanskrit character "ḥ" or ":" at the end of a word or mantra and pronounced as a short aspiration
Viṣṇu: God as the maintainer and protector; one of the three major Hindu deities
Vitarka: gross though; thought with words; argument, reasoning; inference; conjecture
Vyāna: vital air or energy associated with circulation
Yama: restraint; self control
Yoga: literally: "union"; to yoke, join; the system by which the individual self is united with the Absolute
