Glossary

Word	Description
A
Adharma	contrary to what is right; evil.
Aditi	Vedic goddess, the 'mother' of the gods
Adityas	Vedic sun deities, offspring of Aditi
Advaita Vedanta	non-dualistic Vedantic philosophy
Agamas	mystical scriptures pertaining to specific Hindu sects such as Vaisnavaites or Saivites
Agni	fire; sacred fire; fire god
Ahimsa	non-violence
ainism	Aryan teaching emphasizing non-violence
Amma	mother, a compound often used in the names of female goddesses
Amrta	a nectar which was believed to bestow immortality
Ananda	bliss; the bliss of union with Brahman
Ancha Karma	five Ayurvedic purification methods
Anna	food, rice
Aranyaka Vedic	forest texts or writings
Arjun	one of the sons of Pandu and the main (human) character of the Bhagavad Gita
Artha	worldly wealth, pursuit of wealth and social status
Arti	act of worship celebrating light
Aryans	the migrant invaders of India from approximately 1500 b.c; people of spiritual values
Asanas	yogic postures
Asat	non-being, that is to say the unreality of the world as opposed to the true Being (sat) which is Brahman.
Ashram	hermitage, retreat or place of quiet and solitude, often in a forest, where a Hindu sage lives alone or with his disciples
Asramas	the four stages of life in Hinduism
Asvamedha	probably the most prestigious of Vedic sacrificial rites, where a horse is sacrificed in a yajna? by the king whose supremacy has been acknowledged by the neighbouring kings
Atharva Veda	'Knowledge of Incantations', the fourth Veda
Atman	the presence of Brahman as the deepest essence of the self in all entities; the Divine Self, a synonym of Brahman
Aum	the sacred sound and symbol which represents Brahman in its unmanifest and manifest aspects
Avatar	literally 'descents', incarnation of God, usually the incarnations of Visnu and his consort Laksmi
Avidya	ignorance
Ayurveda	Vedic Medicine
B
Bhajans	hymns in praise of a deity
Bhakta	ardent devotee of a deity who expresses loving-devotion to the divine
Bhakti marga	the path of devotion
Bhakti Yoga	Yoga of Devotion
Bhakti	ecstatic loving-devotion to the Almighty
Bhuktis	planetary time periods, minor
Bindi	mark (usually a round, red) worn on the centre of the forehead to show that a woman is married
Brahma	form of the Hindu trinity governing creation or the Creator God
Brahmachari	young boy at the first of the four stages of life, the stage of the student
Brahmacharya	control of sexual energy; state of life of learning and purity
Brahman	the Absolute or ultimate reality
Brahmanas	Vedic ritualistic texts or manuals of instruction on the Vedas
Brahmins	a priest and member of the most privileged of the four social classes of Hinduism
Brihaspati	Vedic God of the ritual, the planet Jupiter
Buddha	the Hindu prince, on whose philosophy Buddhism is founded
Buddhism	non-orthodox form of Vedic / Aryan teaching founded by the Buddha or enlightened one
C
Chakras	nerve centers of the subtle body;
Charvakas	materialistic philosophers of ancient India
Chela	disciple and student of a guru
Cit	the Pure Consciousness equated with moksa when the egoistic self is consort of Vishnu, sometimes called Sri
D
Darsanas	writings of the six philosophical schools of Hindu religious thought
Darshan	literally 'view' or 'sight of' referring to audience with a deity
Dashas	planetary time periods
Deva	male deity; literally 'shining one'
Devi	female deity
Dharana	yogic concentration or attention
Dharma	what is right for the self - moral piety, religion, honor, the clan, karma? or work, society and the universe
Dharma Sastras	Law Books forming part of the scriptures of Hinduism
Dhatus	bodily tissues in Ayurvedic Medicine
Dhyana	meditation
Divali	Hindu festival of lights
Doshas	biological humors of Ayurvedic medicine
Durga	the Goddess as the destroyer of demons, one of the energy forms of Siva
Dussehra	Hindu festival that celebrates the defeat of the demon King Ravan at the hands of Lord Ram (found in the epic Ramayana ). It is also the worship of goddess Durga.
Dvandva	dualities; pairs of opposites
Dvija	twice-born, referring to the Brahmins, (formerly even the Ksatriyas and Vaisyas), who undergo initiation into the Hindu religion at a sacred-thread ceremoni
G
Ganesh Chaturthi	worship of god Ganesha in the month of September
Ganesha	elephant-headed God who takes away all obstacles and is the God of good fortune
Garbagriha	literally 'womb-house', the central part of a temple where the main deity is enshrined
Gauna	the ceremony marking the departure of a bride for the home of her new husband
Gayatri	Vedic chant for awakening the soul
Gopis	cowherdesses (celebrated in the myths of Lord Krishna)
Gramadevatas	village deities
Grihastha	person at the second of the four stages of life, the stage of the householder
Gunas	prime three qualities of nature - sattva (spiritual), rajas (worldly) and tamas (unholy), which constitute all life
Guru	enlightened spiritual teacher
H
Hanuman	deity in the form of monkey, who served Lord Ram
Hanuman Chalisa	the book containing prayers/hymns for the deified monkey God Hanuman
Hatha Yoga	Yoga of the physical body
Havan	an offering of fire in Hindu worship
Hinduism	Vedic knowledge and teachings
Holi	Hindu festival of colours
Homa	Vedic worship, Fire offerings
Hum	great mantra of Agni and Shiva
I
Indra	Vedic God of storm and thunder who was also king of the gods
Ishta-devata	chosen deity
Ishvara or Ishwara	Lord, the term used of God in manifest form; the cosmic Creator
Itihasas	Hindu epics or scriptures which convey historical and mythological sagas and tales
J
Jati	birth and the caste system
Jivatman	the personality self
Jnana Marga	the path of knowledge
Jnana Yoga	Yoga of Knowledge
Jnana	intuitive knowledge
Jutha	the 'left-overs' of food offered to a deity, the deity having extracted the essence of the food
Jyotish	Vedic Astrology
K
Kailash	the world mountain
Kalash	brass pot containing water, representative of a goddess
Kali Yuga	dark or iron age
Kali	the dark form of the Goddess, characterized by ferocious appearance
Kalki	tenth avatar of Vishnu
Kama	pursuit of desire and pleasure, particularly sexual pleasure
Kapha	biological water humor
Kapila	great Hindu sage, founder of the Sankhya system of philosophy
Karakas	planetary significators
Karma Marga	the path of egoless action
Karma Yoga	Yoga of Work or Service
Karma Yogi	person who is selflessly devoted to work
Karma	literally 'action' but also the law of cause and effect; action and reaction
Kashmiri Shaivism	Shaivite philosophy of medieval Kashmir
Katcha	poor quality, impure food
Ketu	south node of the Moon, dragon's tail
Kirtan	hymn in praise of a deity
Krishna	eighth avatar of Vishnu
Krishna-Janamastami	Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna
Kriya Yoga	Yoga of technique
Kshatriya	person belonging to the second of the four Hindu classes of society, traditionally a warrior, ruler or administrator
Kundalini	serpent power, power of subtle body
L
Lakshman	the brother of Lord Ram in the epic Ramayana
Lakshmi	Goddess of prosperity, fortune and beauty;
Lalita	Goddess of bliss
Laya Yoga	Yoga of absorption of sound-current (nada)
Linga	phallic symbol associated with the God Shiva
Lit	person outside the class system of Hinduism who was formerly termed as Untouchable
Loka	place; realm, as the deva loka, the realm of the gods
M
Mahabharata	the epic of Krishna, Pandavas & Kauravas
Mahadeva	'Great God', one of the names of the deity Shiva
Mahadevi	'Great Goddess', the Mother Goddess of Hinduism
Mahashivratri	Hindu festival devoted to Lord Shiva
Mahavakyas	great sayings of Vedantic knowledge
Mahayana	great vehicle, northern school of Buddhism
Manas	mind or emotion
Mandal	Hindu temple which can also be used for socio-cultural purposes
Mandap/mandva	the canopy under which a wedding ceremony takes place
Mandir	a Hindu temple
Mantra	spiritual or sacred syllables or sounds which contain in their essence divine cosmic power
Manu	Vedic original man, founder of human culture
Marmas	sensitive body zones in Ayurvedic treatment
Mata	mother, a compound often used in the names of female goddesses
Maya	illusion, particularly the illusion of the transient, impermanent, phenomenal world
Mayavada	doctrine that the world is unreal
Mehndi	long-lasting pattern made with henna dye on the hands of a woman at her wedding and sometimes at festive occasions
Meru	the poles
Mimamsa	ritualistic form of Vedic philosophy
Moksha	pursuit of liberation from the cycle of reincarnation, loss of the egoistic self, and union with Brahman
Monism	the theory that everything in the cosmos is a unity and is equated with the divine
Monotheism	belief in one personal god or goddess
Murti	the image and representation of a deity in a temple, shrine or in the home
N
Nada	sound current of the subtle body
Nadis	nerves of the subtle body
Namaskar	'I bow to you', the greeting which acknowledges the atman? in another person
Namaste	'I bow to you', the greeting which acknowledges the atman? in another person
Nataraj	Shiva as lord of the cosmic dance
Navaratri	a nine-day Hindu festival devoted to the goddess Durga
Neti Neti	literally 'not this, not this', the expression used to denote that Brahman is beyond all dualities and human thought
Nirakara	'without form', referring to Brahman as Unmanifest
Nirguna	'without gunas', without qualities, referring to Brahman as Unmanifest
Nirvana	liberation, the state of peace
Nitya	'obligatory', referring to aspects of religious practice.
Niyamas	yogic observances
Nyaya & Vaisheshika	Hindu philosophies
P
Panda	a temple priest at a pilgrimage site
Panentheism	the belief that the divine is in all things and unifies all things but is ultimately greater than all things
Pantheism	the belief that the divine is in all things and is equated with the totality of all
Parashurama	sixth avatar of Vishnu
Parvati	goddess, the consort of God Shiva
Patanjali	main teacher of classical Yoga system
Pinda	four balls of rice prepared on the twelfth day after someone has died to symbolize the union of the deceased with his or her forebears
Pitta	biological fire humor
Polytheism	belief in many personal gods and /or goddesses
Prakriti	great Nature, matter
Prana Yoga	Yoga of the life-force
Prana	breath or life-force
Pranayama	yogic control of the breath
Prasad	the grace of the deity given to the worshipper in the form of food after worship: see also jutha
Pratyahara	yogic control of mind and senses
Puja	Hindu honour, respect or worship of a deity, flower offerings
Pujari	temple or shrine priest who performs puja
Pukka	good quality food which is considered ritually pure
Puranas	Hindu mythological texts
Purohit	a family priest or guru
Purusha	literally 'person': the original, primeval being the sacrifice of which was believed to create from its body the phenomenal world, in particular the four classes. It is the pure consciousness, or the spirit which is also synonymous of Brahman and therefore of atman
R
Radha	a cowherdess who was the favourite of Lord Krishna and an incarnation of the Goddess Lakshmi, also a Goddess in her own right
Rahu	north node of the Moon; dragon's head
Raja Yoga	integral or royal yoga path of Patanjali
Raja	a tribal chieftain, local ruler or monarch
Rajas	one of the three gunas? or qualities in existence, associated with the creator God Brahma and representing the active energy or agitation in the universe
Rakhi	a band symbolizing protection which is tied round the wrists of males by girls at the festival of Raksha Bandhan
Raksha Bandhan	Hindu festival of tying Rakhi or band around wrists
Ram Navami	Hindu festival celebrating the birthday of Lord Rama
Rama	seventh avatar of Vishnu and hero of the epic The Ramayana
Ramayana	Hindu epic scripture dealing with the heroic exploits of Lord Rama
Rasayana	Ayurvedic rejuvenation methods
Rig Veda/Rg Veda	'Royal Knowledge', Veda of chant, one of the four Vedas, the major and oldest Aryan Hindu scripture
Rishis	ancient Vedic seers, enlightened men who composed Vedic hymns and Upanishads
Rta	the Vedic cosmic norm which regulated all existence and to which all had to conform
Rudra	terrible or wrathful form of Shiva
S
Sadharana Dharma	what is right in terms of the common duties and obligations to one's fellow human beings
Saguna	manifest, referring to manifest aspects of Brahman
Saivites	devotees of the deity Shiva
Sakara	'with form', referring to the manifest aspects of Brahman
Sakti	the female active energy in the universe
Sama Veda	'Knowledge of Chants', one of the four Vedas
Samadhi	absorption, bliss, trance
Samsara	worldly life or reincarnation
Samskaras	rituals and rites in one's life cycle
Sanatana Dharma	what is right for the universe; it is also synonymous with Hinduism
Sankhya	Vedic philosophy of cosmic principles
Sannyasin/Sannyasa	person at the last of the four stages of life, the stage of the wandering ascetic, stage of life of renunciation and liberation
Sanskrit	Vedic and mantric language
Santana Dharma	the eternal teaching; traditional name for the Hindu religion
Santosi Ma	a modern Hindu goddess of prosperity and wish-fulfilment
Saptapadi	the seven steps taken by a couple during their marriage ceremony symbolizing seven different wishes for the future
Saraswati	Goddess of speech, learning, knowledge and wisdom
Sari	traditional dress for women consisting of a piece of material of five or six metres long which is draped around the body
Sat	the Being, Truth and Reality associated with Brahman as opposed to the non-being (asat) of the phenomenal world
Sati	consort of the God Shiva, also called Uma
Sati	voluntary burning of a widow on her husband's funeral pyre
Sattva	quality of truth or light; one of the three gunas? or qualities in existence, associated with the preserving God Vishnu and representing light and spiritual evolution
Sautrantika	Buddhist philosophy of the momentariness of all things
Savitar	Vedic Sun god as the guide of Yoga
Savitr	Vedic solar deity
Shakti	the power of consciousness and spiritual evolution
Shankara	the great philsopher of non-dualistic Vedanta
Shiva	form of the Hindu trinity governing destruction and transcendence
Shiva	one of the three trinities in Hinduism, the god of Destruction
Shudras	people of sensate values
Shunyavada	Buddhist philosophy that everything is void
Sita	the wife of Rama in the Hindu epic the Ramayana? and an avatar of the Goddess Lakshmi
Skanda	the God of war
Smrti	literally 'memory' or 'remembered': a category of sacred scriptures which contains much popular and devotional literature
So'ham	natural mantric sound of the breath
Soma	Vedic God of bliss or equated also with a potent hallucinogenic drink
Sraddha