Meaning of Common Sanskrit Words
For purposes of simplicity, the phonetic of Sanskrit has not been faithfully followed in this work. No accents and other guides have been used.
Aswattama is spelt as also Asvattama, Aswathama, Aswatama etc., all being accepted.
Correctly pronounced, Atma is Aatma; however in the English format a is used both for a and aa, e for e and ee and so on. The letter s as used here can be pronounced as s or ss or sh; for instance Siva is pronounced with a sibilant sound*, neither quite s* nor sh. Many words here spelt with 's' can as well be spelt as 'sh'.
[In the glossary, however, letters have been indicated in brackets to facilitate pronunciation as intended in the Sanskrit text*.]*
This glossary is not meant to be a pronunciation guide, merely an explanatory aid. It is merely a compilation of common words*.*
A(a)bharana: adornment; vastra(a)bharana is adornment with clothes
Abhy(a)asa: exercise; practice
A(a)cha(a)rya: teacher; literally 'one who walks with'
Advaita: concept of non-duality; that individual self and the cosmic SELF are one and the same; as different from the concepts of d*vaita* and v*isishta(a)dvaita,* which consider self and SELF to be mutually exclusive
A(a)ha(a)ra: food; also with reference to sensory inputs as in pratya(a)ha(a)ra
A(a)jna: order, command; the third eye energy centre
A(a)ka(a)sa: space, sky; subtlest form of energy of universe
Amruta, amrit: divine nectar whose consumption leads to immortality
Ana(a)hata: that which is not created; heart energy centre
A(a)nanda: bliss; very often used to refer to joy, happiness etc.
Anjana: collyrium, black pigment used to paint the eye lashes
A(a)pas: water
Aarti: worshipping with a flame, light, as with a lamp lit with oiled wick, or burning camphor
A(a)shirwa(a)d: blessing
Ashta(a)nga yoga: eight fold path to enlightenment prescribed by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutra
A(a)shraya: grounded in reality; a(a)shraya-dosha, defect related to reality
A(a)tma, A(a)tman: individual Self; part of the universal Brahman
Beedi: local Hindu cigarette
Beeja: seed; beeja-mantra refers to the single syllable mantras used to invoke certain deities, e.g., gam for Ganesha.
Bhagava(a)n: literally God; often used for an enlightened master
Bha(a)vana: visualization
Bhakti: devotion; bhakta, a devotee
Brahma: the Creator; one of the Hindu trinity of supreme Gods, the other two being Vishnu, and Shiva
Brahmacha(a)ri: literally one who moves with the true reality, Brahman, one without fantasies, but usually taken to mean a celibate; brahmacharya is the quality or state of being a brahmachaari
Brahman: ultimate reality of the Divine, universal ntelligent energy
Bra(a)hman: person belonging to the class engaged in Vedic studies, priestly class
Buddhi: mind, intelligence; mind is also called by other names, manas, chitta etc.
Buddhu: a fool
Chakra: literally a 'wheel'; refers to energy centres in the mind-body system
Chakshu: eye, intelligent power behind senses
Chanda(a)la: an untouchable; usually one who skins animals.
Chandana: sandalwood
Chitta: mind; also manas, buddhi.
Dakshina(a)yana: Sun's southward movement starting 21st June
Darshan: vision; usually referred to seeing divinity
Dharma: righteousness
Dhee: wisdom.
Deeksha: grace bestowed by the Master and the energy transferred by the Master onto disciple at initiation or any other time, may be through a mantra, a touch, a glance or even a thought
Dosha: defect
Dhya(a)na: meditation
Drishti: sight, seeing with mental eye
Gada: weapon; similar to a mace; also Gada(a)yudha
Gopi, Gopika: literally a cowherd; usually referred to the devotees, who played with Krishna, and were lost in Him
Gopura, gopuram: temple tower
Grihasta: a householder, a married person; coming from the word griha, meaning house
Guna: the three human behavioural characteristics or predispositions; satva, rajas and tamas
Guru: Master; literally one who leads from gu (darkness) to ru (light)
Gurukul, Gurukulam: literally 'tradition of guru', refers to the ancient education system in which children were handed over to a guru at a very young age by parents for upbringing and education
Homa: ritual to Agni, the God of fire; metaphorically represents the transfer of energy from the energy of A(a)ka(a)sa (space), through V(a)ayu (Air), Agni (Fire),
A(a)pas (Water), and Prithvi (Earth) to humans. Also y(a)aga, yagna
Iccha: desire
Ida: along with pingala and sushumna the virtual energy pathways through which pranic energy flows
Ithiha(a)sa: legend, epic, mythological stories; also pura(a)na
Jaati: birth; jaati-dosha, defect related to birth
Ja(a)grata: wakefulness
Japa: literally 'muttering'; continuous repetition of the name of divinity
Jeeva samadhi: burial place of an enlightened Master, where his spirit lives on
Jiva (pronounced as jeeva) means living
Jyotisha: Astrology; jyotishi is an astrologer
Kaivalya: liberation; same as moksha, nirva(a)na
Ka(a)la: time; also maha(a)ka(a)la
Kalpa: vast period of time; Yuga is a fraction of Kalpa
Kalpana: imagination
Karma: spiritual law of cause and effect, driven by va(a)sana and samska(a)ra
Kosha: energy layer surrounding body; there are 5 such layers. These are: annamaya or body, Pra(a)namaya or breath, manomaya or thoughts, vigya(a)namaya or sleep and a(a)nandamaya or bliss koshas
Kriya: action
Kshana: moment in time; refers to time between two thoughts
Kshatriya: caste or varna of warriors
Kundalini: energy that resides at the root chakra 'mula(a)dha(a)ra'(pronounced as moolaadha(a)ra)
Maha(a): great; as in maharshi, great sage; maha(a)va(a)kya, great scriptural saying
Ma(a)la: a garland, a necklace; rudra(a)ksha mala is a garland made of the seeds of the rudra(a)ksha tree
Mananam: thinking, meditation
Manas: mind; also buddhi, chitta
Mandir: temple
Mangala: auspicious; mangal sutra, literally auspicious thread, the yellow or gold thread or necklace a married Hindu woman wears
Mantra: a sound, a formula; sometimes a word or a set of words, which because of their inherent sounds, have energizing properties. Mantras are used as sacred chants to worship the Divine; mantra, tantra and yantra are approaches in spiritual evolution
Ma(a)ya: that which is not, not reality, illusion; all life is ma(a)ya according to advaita
Moksha: liberation; same as nirva(a)na, sama(a)dhi, turiya etc.
Mula(a)dha(a)ra: the first energy centre, moola is root; a(a)dhara is foundation, here existence
Nadi: river
Naadi: nerve; also an energy pathway that is not physical
Na(a)ga: a snake; a na(a)ga-sa(a)dhu is an ascetic belonging to a group that wears no clothes
Namaska(a)r: traditional greeting with raised hands, with palms closed
Na(a)nta: without end
Na(a)ri: woman
Nidhidhy(a)asan: what is expressed
Nimitta: reason; nimitta-dosha, defect based on reason
Nirva(a)na: liberation; same as moksha, sama(a)dhi
Niyama: the second of eight paths of Patanjali's Ashta(a)nga Yoga; refers to a number of day-to-day rules of observance for a spiritual path
Pa(a)pa: sin
Phala: fruit; phalasruti refers to result of worship
Paramahamsa: literally the 'supreme swan'; refers to an enlightened being
Parikrama: the ritual of going around a holy location, such as a hill or water spot
Parivra(a)jaka: wandering by an ascetic monk
Pingala: please see Ida.
Pra(a)na: life energy; also refers to breath; pra(a)na(a)ya(a)ma is control of breath
Pratya(a)hara: literally 'staying away from food'; in this case refers to control of all senses as part of the eight fold ashta(a)nga yoga
Prithvi: earth energy
Purohit: priest
Puja (pronounced as pooja): normally any worship, but often referred to a ritualistic worship
Punya: merit, beneficence
Pura(a)na: epics and mythological stories such as Maha(a)bha(a)rata, Ra(a)ma(a)yana etc.
Purna (prounounced *poorna*): literally 'complete'; refers in the advaita context to reality
Rajas, rajasic: the mid characteristic of the three human guna or behaviour mode, referring to aggressive action
Putra: son; putri: daughter
Rakta: blood
Ra(a)tri: night
Rishi: a sage
Sa(a)dhana: practice, usually a spiritual practice
Sa(a)dhu: literally a 'good person'; refers to an ascetic; same as sanya(a)si
Sahasrana(a)ma: thousand names of God; available for many Gods and Goddesses, which devotees recite
Sahasrara: lotus with thousand petals; the crown energy centre
Sakti: energy; intelligent energy; Para(a)sakti refers to universal energy, divinity; considered feminine; masculine aspect of Para(a)sakti is purusha
Sama(a)dhi: state of no-mind, no-thoughts; literally, becoming one's original state; liberated, enlightened state. Three levels of samadhi are referred to as sahaja, which is transient, savikalpa, in which the person is no longer capable of normal activities, and nirvikalpa, where the liberated person performs activities as before.
Samsaya: doubt
Samska(a)ra: embedded memories of unfulfilled desires stored in the subconscious that drive one into decisions, into karmic action
Samyama: complete concentration
Sankalpa: decision
Sanya(a)s: giving up worldly life; sanya(a)si or sanya(a)sin, a monk, an ascetic
sanya(a)sini, refers to a female monk
Sa(a)stra: sacred texts
Satva, sa(a)tvic: the highest guna of spiritual calmness
Siddhi: extraordinary powers attained through spiritual practice
Sishya: disciple
Simha: lion; Simha-Swapna: nightmare
Shiva: rejuvenator in the trinity; often spelt as Shiva. Shiva also means 'causeless auspiciousness'; in this sense, Shivara(a)tri, the day when Shiva is worshipped is that moment when the power of this causeless auspiciousness is intense
Smarana: remembrance; constantly remembering the divine
Smruti: literally 'that which is remembered'; refers to later day Hindu works which are rules, regulations, laws and epics, such as Manu's works, Puranas etc.
Sraddha: trust, faith, belief, confidence
Sravan: hearing
Srishti: creation, which is created
Sruti: literally 'that which is heard'; refers to the ancient scriptures of Veda, Upanishad and
Bhagavad Gita: considered to be words of God
Stotra: devotional verses, to be recited or sung
Sudra: caste or varna of manual labourers
Sutra: literally 'thread'; refers to epigrams, short verses which impart spiritual techniques
Sunya: literally zero; however, Buddha uses this word to mean reality
Sushumna: Please see 'ida'
Swa(a)dishtha(a)na: where Self is established; the groin or spleen energy centre
Swapna: dream
Swatantra: free
Tamas, taamasic: the lowest guna of laziness or inaction
Tantra: esoteric Hindu techniques used in spiritual evolution
Tapas: severe spiritual endeavour, penance
Thatagata: Buddhahood, state of being such…a pali word
Tirta: water; tirtam is a holy river and a pilgrimage centre
Trika(a)la: all three time zones, past, present and future; trika(a)lajna(a)ni is one who can see all three at the same time; an enlightened being is beyond time and space
Turiya (pronounced tureeya): state of samadhi, no-mind
Upanishad: literally 'sitting below alongside' referring to a disciple learning from the master;
refers to the ancient Hindu scriptures which along with the Veda, form sruti
Uttara(a)yana: Sun's northward movement
Vaisya: caste or varna of tradesmen
Va(a)naprastha: the third stage in one's life, (the first stage being that of a student, and the second that of householder) when a householder, man or woman, gives up worldly activities and focuses on spiritual goals
Varna: literally colour; refers to the caste grouping in the traditional Hindu social system; originally based on aptitude, and later corrupted to privilege of birth
Va(a)sana: the subtle essence of memories and desires, samska(a)ra, that get carried forward from birth to birth
Vastra: clothes
Vastra(a)harana: removal of clothes, often used to refer to Draupadi's predicament in the
Maha(a)bha(a)rata, when she was unsuccessfully disrobed by the Kaurava prince
Va(a)yu: air
Veda: literally knowledge; refers to ancient Hindu scriptures, believed to have been received by enlightened rishi at the being level; also called sruti, along with Upanishad
Vibhuti (pronounced vibhooti): sacred ash worn by many Hindus on forehead; said to remind themselves of the transient nature of life; of glories too
Vidhi: literally law, natural law; interpreted as fate or destiny
Vidya: knowledge, education
Visha(a)da: depression, dilemma etc.
Vishnu: preserver in the trinity; His incarnations include Krishna, Rama etc. in ten incarnations; also means 'all encompassing'
Vishwarupa (pronounced *vishwaroopa)*: universal form
Yama: discipline as well as death; One of the eight fold paths prescribed in Patanjali's
Ashta(a)nga Yoga; refers to spiritual regulations of satya (truth), ahimsa (non violence), aparigraha (living simply); asteya (not coveting other's properties) and brahmacharya (giving up
fantasies); yama is also the name of the Hindu God of justice and death
Yantra: literally 'tool'; usually a mystical and powerful graphic diagram, such as the Sri Chakra, inscribed on a copper plate, and sanctified in a ritual blessed by a divine presence or an enlightened Master
Yoga: literally union, union of the individual self and the divine SELF; often taken to mean
Hatha yoga, which is one of the components of yogasana, relating to specific body postures
Yuga: a long period of time as defined in Hindu scriptures; there are four yugas: satya, treta, dwa(a)para and kali, the present being kali yuga
Invocation Verses
Om paarthaaya pratibodhitaam bhagavataa naaraayanena svayam Vyaasena grathitaam puraanamuninaa madhye mahaabhaaratam Advaitaamrutavarshineem Bhagavateem ashtaadsaadhyaayineem Amba tvaamanusandadhaami bhagavadgeete bhavadveshineem
OM, I meditate upon you, Bhagavad Gita the affectionate Mother, the Divine Mother showering the nectar of non duality and destroying rebirth, (who was) incorporated into the Mahaabhaarata of eighteen chapters by sage Vyasa, the author of the Puraanaas, and imparted to Arjuna by Lord Narayana, Himself.
Vasudeva Sutam Devam Kamsa Chaanura Mardanam Devakee Paramaanandam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum
I salute you Lord Krishna, Teacher to the world, son of Vasudeva and Supreme bliss of Devaki, Destroyer of Kamsa and Chaanura.