English

Meaning

A
a
acharya
adhyasa
Advaita

agamin

aham
aham vritti

ahankara

ajati
anadi
ananda
anandamaya
kosha
annamaya kosha
antakarana

apaurusheya

arjavamarga
artha
asat
Astavakra

as a prefix to another word, it changes it into the negative.

e.g. vidya - knowledge, avidya - ignorance.
a spiritual guide or teacher. See shankaracharya.
used to refer to the 'mistake' that we make when we
'superimpose' a false appearance upon the reality or mix
up the real and the unreal.
not (a) two (dvaita).
That type of sanskara which is generated in reaction to
current situations and which will not bear fruit until
sometime in the future. It literally means 'impending',
'approaching' or 'coming'. Also called kriyamANa, which
means 'being done'. See prarabdha, sanchita, sanskara.
I am.
the thought 'I am' as opposed to thoughts about objects,
feelings etc. - idam vritti. See vritti.
the making, kara (kAra), of the utterance 'I', aham (aham) this is the equivalent of what we would call the 'ego' but
specifically refers to the identification or attachment of our
true Self with something else - see antakarana.
a - no or not; jAti - creation; the principle that the world
and everything in it, including these mind-body
appearances were never created or 'brought into existence'.
without any beginning, often used to refer to 'ignorance'.
'true' happiness; usually called 'bliss' to differentiate it
from 'ordinary' happiness because this is a an aspect of
our true nature. See sat, chit and satchidananda.
the sheath of bliss, i.e. the samadhi of deep meditation the last of the five sheaths (kosha) with which we identify.
the sheath made of food, i.e. the gross material body - the
first of the five sheaths (kosha) with which we identify.
used to refer to the overall functions of mind; the seat of
thought and feeling. It consists of a number of separate
functions - see manas, buddhi, chitta and ahankara.
literally 'not coming from men'; used to refer to the shruti scriptural texts passed on verbatim from generation to
generation since their original observation by realised
sages. - see shruti.
direct path (teaching). Arjava - honest, sincere, directness;
mArga - track of a wild animal, any road or path.
acquisition of wealth. See purushartha.
non-existent. See sat.
the eponymous Sage of the Astavakra Gita (or Samhita).
The word literally means 'twisted' (vakra) in 'eight' (aShTan)
ways. Astavakra was so called because he was born
severely deformed after being cursed in the womb by his
father (because the unborn child had criticised him for
making mistakes whilst reading the scriptures!). Later in
life, after he had secured his father's release through

atmabodha
atman
atmavicara
avacheda-vada
avarana
avidya
B
badha

Bhagavad
Bhagavad Gita
bhakta
bhakti
bhashya
Brahma

brahmacharya

Brahman

Brahma Sutra

defeating the court philosopher in debate, his father

blessed him and, after swimming in a sacred river, he was
cured. See gita, samhita.
knowledge of Self; a book ascribed to Shankara (though
this is disputed by modern scholars).
the Self. Usually used to refer to one's true (individual)
nature or consciousness - see jiva.
vicAra in this context means reflection or examination
upon the Atman, the Self. See atman.
theory that the Self is limited by ignorance in the forms of
upadhis. See upadhi.
the 'veiling' power of maya. See maya, vikshepa.
ignorance (in a spiritual sense) - see also maya.
sublation or subration - the process by which an accepted
point of view or understanding is superseded by a totally
different one when some new information is received.
in the context of Bhagavad Gita, it refers to the God,
Krishna and Bhagavad Gita means Krishna's Song.
(Bhagavat means prosperous, happy etc.) See gita.
the scriptural text forming part of the Hindu epic, the
Mahabarata. See Bhagavad, smriti.
one who practises bhakti yoga. See bhakti yoga.
devotion or worship as a means to enlightenment. See
karma, jnana.
commentary on some other scriptural document.
God as the creator of the universe in Hindu mythology (the
others are Vishnu, viShNu, the preserver and Shiva, shiva,
the destoyer). N.B. Not to be confused with Brahman!
the first stage of the traditional Hindu spiritual path, in
which the Brahman begins his life as an unmarried,
religious and chaste student (charya means 'due
observance of all rites and customs'). See also grihasta,
sanyasa, vanaprastha.
the universal Self, Absolute or God. There is only
Brahman. It derives from the Sanskrit root bRRih,
meaning to grow great or strong and could be thought of as
the adjective 'big' made into a noun, implying that which is
greater than anything. See also atman, Brahma, jiva,
jivatman, paramatman.
a book (in sutra form, which is terse verse!) by Vyasa. This
book is the best known of the third accepted source of
knowledge (nyaya prasthana). Effectively, it attempts to
summarise the Upanishads. The three main philosophical
branches of Indian thought, Dvaita, Advaita and
Vishishtadvaita have provided commentaries, or bhashyas
(brahmasUtrabhAShya). The proponents of each school
state that it substantiates their beliefs. That for Advaita
was written by Shankara and provided extensive
arguments against any other interpretation. See bhashya,
nyaya prasthana, sruti, smriti.

Brihadaranyaka
buddhi
C
chaitanya
chakra
Chandogya
charvaka
chaturta
chatushpad
chatushtaya
sampatti
chetana
chidabhasa
chintana
chit
chitta
chodya
D
dakshina

daksina

dama

darshana
deha
dehatmavada
desha
desika
deva
devadatta

one of the major Upanishads. See Upanishad.

the organ of mind responsible for discrimination and
judgement. See also, ahankara, antakarana, manas and
chitta.
consciousness, universal soul or spirit.
literally "circle" or "wheel"; one of the points in the spine
through which energy is supposed to flow in kundalini
yoga.
one of the major Upanishads. See Upanishad.
materialist philosopher, and the system named after him.
fourth.
four-step, four-part etc.
the fourfold pre-requisites specified by Shankara as needed
by a seeker before he can achieve Self-realisation.
chatuShTaya means "fourfold"; sampatti means success or
accomplishment.
See
sadhana,
vairagya,
viveka,
mumukshutvam.
consciousness, intelligence etc.
false appearance or reflection (AbhAsa) of consciousness
(chit) - i.e. the ego.
thinking or reflecting upon; consideration.
pure thought or Consciousness. See ananda, sat,
satchidananda.
the organ (part) of mind responsible for memory. See
antakarana, ahankara, buddhi, manas.
goal motivated, impelled or incited.
the offering that is made at a sacrifice or the collection of
those offerings. guru dAkShiNa is the payment made by a
student to his teacher on completion of his studies (not in
money but usually as a task or special gift).
right (as opposed to left); south, southern; straightforward,
candid, sincere. guru dakShiNa is the fee, present, gift or
donation made to the guru from the disciple for teaching.
self-restraint but understood as control over the senses;
one of the six qualities that form part of Shankara's
chatushtaya sampatti. See chatushtaya sampatti, shamAdi
shhaTka sampatti.
audience or meeting (with a guru); viewpoint; one of the six
classical Indian philosophical systems (purvamimamsa,
uttaramimamsa, nyaya, vaisheshika, samkhya, yoga).
person, individual, outward form or appearance (body).
materialism.
space.
a guide (someone familiar with a place); more specifically, a
spiritual teacher or guru.
(pl. noun) the gods; (adj.) heavenly, divine.
fellow, common noun for "man" used in philosophy;
literally "god-given."

Devanagari
dharana

dharma

dharmaraja
dhuma
dhyana
dipa
dirgha
dosha
dravya
drg-drsya-viveka
drishtanta
drishti-srishtivada
dukha
dvaita
dvaya
dvesha
dvitiya
E
eka
ekagra
eva
G
gandha

the script used in Sanskrit representation. The word

literally means "city of the Gods" (deva - gods; nAgara belonging or relating to a town or city).
concentration of the mind. The sixth step of Raja yoga.
customary practice, conduct, duty, justice and morality.
One of the four puruShArtha-s. The favored meaning of
most traditional teachers is, however, "nature, character,
essential quality," which they often translate as "essence."
Our own dharma (svadharma) is what we ought to do with
our lives in order to dissolve our accumulation of
saMskAra. See sanskara, karma.
a just or righteous king (dharma + rAja); any king or
prince.
smoke.
meditation, usually in the sense of the mechanical act
using a mantra as opposed to nididhyAsana.
light, lamp, lantern. In the advaita bodha dIpika, it
provides the 'knowledge of advaita' through its
illumination.
a long vowel in Sanskrit (sounded for 2 mAtrA-s or
measures); literally long, high, tall.
defect, fault; offence, transgression; harm.
substance.
"Discrimination between the Seer and the Seen" - a work
attributed to Shankara. dRRik is the seer or perceiver and
dRRishya that which is seen or which can be objectified.
the end or aim of what is seen, example or instance.
the theory that our mistaken view of the world arises from
a mental image (based on memory and sense data)
superimposed upon the reality. dRRiShTi means "seeing";
sRRiShTi means "creation"; vAda means "thesis" or
"doctrine." See also adhyasa, ajati, srishti-drishti-vada.
pain, sorrow, trouble.
duality, philosophy of dualism; belief that God and the
atman are separate entities. Madhva is the scholar most
often associated with this philosophy.
two things; twofold nature; dualistic.
hatred, dislike.
second.
one, alone, single, solitary, the same, identical. As opposed
to nAnA - differently, variously, distinctly, separately; or
(used as an adjective) different, distinct from.
one-pointed, fixing one's attention on one point. ekAgratA intentness in the pursuit of one object.
just so, indeed, truly; most frequently used to strengthen
the meaning of the associated word - exactly, same, even,
only etc.
smell (one of the tanmAtra-s or five subtle senses).

Gaudapada
ghana

gita

gocara
grahana

grantha

grihasta

guna

guru

The author of the commentary (kArikA) on the Mandukya

Upanishad. He is said to have been the teacher of
Shankara's teacher. See karika, Mandukya, Upanishad.
compact mass or substance.
a sacred song or poem but more usually refers to
philosophical or religious doctrines in verse form (gIta
means "sung"). The most famous are the Bhagavad Gita
and Astavakra Gita. If the word is used on its own, it will
be referring to the former. See Bhagavad, Astavakra.
(literally) perceptible by the senses but also regarded as
seen by the mind, inferred etc..
literally seizing, catching etc; perceiving, understanding,
comprehension; agrahaNa means non-comprehension or
non-perception.
tying, binding; knot -Ramana Maharshi referred to the
'knot' in the heart that must be 'untied' in order for
realization to occur. It also refers to a verse composition or
treatise.
this is the second stage of the traditional Hindu spiritual
path, called the period of the householder, in which the
Brahman performs the duties of master of the house and
father of a family. See also brahmacharya, grihasta,
sanyasa, vanaprastha.
According to classical sAMkhya pholosophy, creation is
made up of three "qualities," sattva, rajas and tamas.
Everything - matter, thoughts, feelings - is "made up of"
these three in varying degrees and it is the relative
proportions that determine the nature of the thing in
question. See sattwa, rajas and tamas for more details.
literally "heavy"; used to refer to one's elders or a person of
reverence but more commonly in the West to indicate one's
spiritual teacher.

halanta

hani

hatha

hetu

a consonant that is not sounded with a vowel after it. It is

marked as such by the use of a virAma. The term derives
from the pratyAhAra "hal," which refers to "any
consonant," and anta, which means "end," since such
consonants normally occur at the end of a word.
abandonment, relinquishment; damage, loss; insufficiency.
E.g. an advaita hAni is a statement that is against the
fundamental tenets of advaita and, if true, would mean
that advaita was invalid.
haTha yoga refers to the physical aspects of Raja yoga, i.e.
Asana-s and prANayAma. It literally means "violence, force
or obstinacy," "absolute necessity" and stems from the idea
of "forcing the mind" to withdraw from objects. MonierWilliams has the additional words: "performed with much
self-torture , such as standing on one leg , holding up the
arms , inhaling smoke with the head inverted etc.."
cause or reason; the logical reason or argument in a
syllogism.

hrasva
hridaya
I
iccha
idam vritti
iha
indriya

Isha Upanishad
ishta
Isvara
J
jada
jagat
jagrat

jalpa
janana
janma
japa
jara
jati
jijnasa
jiva

jivanmukti

jivatman
jnana (yoga)

a short vowel in Sanskrit; literally, short, small, dwarfish,

weak etc.
heart, seat of feelings and sensations; heart or essence of
something; true or divine knowledge.
wish, desire, inclination.
thoughts of objects, concepts, feelings etc., as opposed to
aham vRRitti - the thought "I am." See vritti.
in this world; now. (iha loka as opposed to para loka, in the
'next world', i.e. after death).
the number five symbolizing the five senses. The five sense
organs are called j~nAnendriya-s and the five "organs" of
action are the karmendriya-s.
also known as the Isavasya Upanishad, because its first
verse begins: OM IshA vAsyamidam{\m+} sarvaM.
IshAvAsya means "pervaded by the lord."
wished, desired, liked, beloved.
the Lord; creator of the phenomenal universe; wielder of
the force of mAyA. See saguna Brahman.
inert, lifeless.
the world (earth), mankind etc.
the waking state of consciousness. The "waker ego" is
called vishva. See also, sushupti, svapna, turiya.
talk, speech, discourse; disputation with 'overbearing and
disputed rejoinder'; arguing for the sake of winning,
irrespective of who is right. (Three types of disputation:
jalpa, vitaNDa, vAda.)
birth.
birth.
the simple repetition of a mantra; usually associated with
the initial stage of meditation. See mantra.
old age.
birth, the form of existence (as man, animal etc.); genus or
species.
the desire to know (oneself). One who desires to know
oneself; a seeker is called a jij~nAsu.
the identification of the Atman with a body and mind;
sometimes spoken of as "the embodied Atman." See atman.
(mukta is the adjective - liberated; mukti is the noun liberation) the emotional benefits of Self-knowledge; the
'secondary' gain of enlightenment (dependent upon
whether the seeker was fully qualifies according to
sAdhana chatuShTaya sampatti. A jIvanmukta is one is
both enlightened and who lives with these benefits, which
manifest in outward love and compassion.
another word for Atman, to emphasise that we are referring
to the Atman in this 'embodied state', as opposed to the
paramAtman, the "supreme Self." See atman.
yoga based on the acquisition of true knowledge (j~nAna

jnana kanda
jnana nishta
jnanendriya

jnani or jnanin

jnatri
jneya
jyotis
K
Kailssa
kaivalya
kala
Kali yuga
kalpa
kalpita

kama

kamya

kanda

means "knowledge") i.e. knowledge of the Self as opposed

to mere information about the world of appearances
(vidyA). See also bhakti, karma.
those sections of the Vedas concerned with knowledge, i.e.
the Upanishads.
the full and final knowledge that this Self is all that there
is.
an organ of perception (eye, ear, nose, tongue, skin), plural
j~nAnendryAni.
literally, one who is endowed with knowledge or
intelligence; a sage; often used to refer to one who is
enlightened. (j~nAnin is the prAtipadika j~nAnI is the
nominative singular pada.) See jnana (yoga).
one who knows or understands; also sometimes used
interchangeably with sAkShin (witness).
heart, seat of feelings and sensations; heart or essence of
something; true or divine knowledge.
light (of sun, dawn, lightning etc.); fire; light as the divine
principle of life, intelligence.
fabled paradise of Shiva in the Himalayas.
absolute unity, detachment of the soul from further
transmigration, leading to eternal happiness or
emancipation.
time
the present and final age (Iron age) in a cycle of creation
(followed by dissolution - pralaya -and start again). See
kalpa.
one day in the life of Brahma, the Creator; equal to 994
cycles of ages and 4,320,000,000 years.
made, fabricated, artificial; invented; supposed; inferred.
desire, longing; one of the four puruShArtha-s. Shankara
differentiates this from rAga: rAga is attachment to
something one already has whereas kAma is wanting
something one doesn't have. (Not to be confused with
karma.) See purushartha.
desirable, agreeable; more usually encountered in the
context of 'action' - kAmya karma means actions prompted
by desire or the wish for personal benefit, as opposed to
nitya karma, done out of a sense of duty.
part or section, division of a work or book, especially
relating to the Vedas.

L
lakshana
lakshya
lakshyartha
laukika

pointer; indicating or expressing indirectly; accurate

description or definition.
that which is to be characterized, defined, indicated or
expressed.
implied or indirectly expressed meaning (as opposed to
vAchyArtha).
worldly, belonging to or occurring in ordinary life. laukika

laya

lesha

lila

linga
loka
M
Madhva
madhyama
mahabhuta

mahaprana

mahashaya
mahat
mahatman

mahavakya
maheshvara
mamakara

manana
manas

anumAna is inference by scientific reasoning, based on

observation.
literally "dissolution" (and the last stage in the cycle of
creation, preservation and destruction of the universe).
Also used to refer to the four-stage process for dissolving
ignorance described in the aShTAvakra gItA. See
Astavakra, Gita.
trace, small part or portion.
literally "play," "amusement" or "pastime"; the idea that the
apparent creation is a diversion for a creator - a means for
Him to enjoy Himself. He plays all the parts in such a way
that they are ignorant of their real nature and believe
themselves separate.
sign, mark or badge; evidence. Sometimes used as li~Nga
sharIra to describe the subtle body.
world, universe, sky or heaven etc. (adjective laukika).
founder of the school of dvaita philosophy.
middle, intermediate. madhyamA - mediating; the third
stage in the production of sound; the "medium" in which
something is expressed.
gross element (ether, air, fire, water, earth).
In Sanskrit, describes a consonant that is sounded with
additional expelling of air. It means "with much breath."
Specifically, it is used for those consonants on the 2nd and
4th rows of the main groups, namely kh, Ch, Th, th, ph
and gh, jh, Dh, dh, bh.
respectable person, noble, magnanimous; 'Sir' as a form of
address.
great, important, distinguished.
high-minded, noble; exceedingly wise; distinguished; the
supreme spirit, great soul of the universe.
maha means "great"; vAkya means "speech, saying or
statement." The four "great sayings" from the Vedas are: "Consciousness is Brahman," "That thou art," "This Self is
Brahman" and "I am Brahman."
a great lord.
interesting oneself about anything; (more usually) the
notion that 'this is mine', c.f. ahaMkAra.
the clearing of doubts by asking questions on what has
been heard (shravaNa) from the guru. This is the second
stage of the classical spiritual path. See also samshaya,
shravana, nididhyasana.
the "organ" of mind acting as intermediary between the
senses and the intellect (buddhi) on the way in and the
intellect and the organs of action on the way out. These are
its primary functions and "thinking" ought to consist only
of the processing of data on behalf of the intellect.
Unfortunately, it usually tries to take on the role of the
intellect itself and this is when thinking becomes a

Mandukya

manisha
manolaya
Manomayakosha

mantra

mantravid
marana
marga
mata
math or
matha
matra
matrika
English
N
naimittikaa karma
neti

nididhyasana

nirguna
nirvikalpa
nishkama karma

problem. See ahankara, antakarana, buddhi and chitta.

One of the major Upanishads and possibly the single most
important, when considered in conjunction with the
kArikA written by gauDapAda. (In many versions of this
Upanishad, there is no distinction made between the
original and the additions made by gauDapAda and there
is some argument over which is which.) See Gaudapada,
karika, Upanishad.
thought, reflection, consideration, wisdom, intelligence.
(adj. manIShaya)
loss of consciousness; used to indicate an intense 'spiritual
experience'.
the mental sheath (one of the "five Coverings" that
surround our true essence).
a group of words (or sometimes only one or more syllables),
traditionally having some mystical significance, being in
many religions an actual 'name of God' or a short prayer.
Often used in meditation (always in Transcendental
Meditation). See japa.
someone who just knows 'about' Atman rather than
knowing Atman directly (an Atmavid).
death.
path, track, way. vichAra mArga is translated as "Direct
Path," referring to the particular method of teaching
Advaita.
belief (also thought, idea, opinion, sentiment, doctrine).
Also used in the sense of a 'philosophy'.
(religious) college or temple.
a measure of any kind. In Sanskrit, the short vowel is said
to be 1 mAtrA and the long vowel 2, i.e. sounded for twice
the length.
In Sanskrit, refers to the 14 vowels, together with the
anusvAra and visarga
Meaning
occasional, special duties.
not this (na - not; iti - this). Used by the intellect whenever
it is thought that the Self might be some 'thing' observed
e.g. body, mind etc.
meditating upon the essence of what has now been
intellectually understood until there is total conviction. The
third stage of the classical spiritual path. See also
shravana and manana.
'without qualities'; usually referring to Brahman and
meaning that it is beyond any description or thought. See
Brahman, saguna, Isvara.
(referring to samadhi) 'without' doubts about one's identity
with the one Self. See savikalpa, samadhi, vikalpa.
desireless or 'right' action; the manner in which one ought

nitya karma
nyaya prasthana

to act so as not to incur any karmaphala.

ordinary, usual, obligatory duties.
refers to logical and inferential material based upon the
Vedas, of which the most well known is the Brahmasutra
of Vyasa (nyaya means method, axiom, logical argument
etc.). See pramana, prasthana-traya, smriti, sruti.

P
Panchadashi

pandita

papa
paramatman
paramartha
(noun);
paramarthika
(adj.)
parampara

prajna

prajna

pralaya
prakriti

pramana

prana
pranamaya kosha
pranayama

literally means 'fifteen' because it has this many chapters a book written by Vidyaranya (vidyAraNya), based upon
the Upanishads.
literally 'wise' as an adjective or 'scholar, teacher,
philosopher' as a noun and used in this way in the
scriptures. However, it has come to mean someone who
knows a lot of theory but does very little practice.
literally 'bad' or 'wicked' but used in the sense of the 'sin'
that accrues (according to the theory of karma) from
performing selfish actions. See also punya.
the 'supreme Self' as opposed to the atman in the
embodied state, the jivatman. See atman.
the highest truth or reality; the noumenal as opposed to
the phenomenal world of appearances (vyavaharika). See
pratibhasika and vyavaharika.
literally 'proceeding from one to another'; 'guru parampara'
refers to the tradition of guru - disciple passing on wisdom
through the ages. See also sampradaya.
(verb) to know or understand, find out, perceive or learn;
(noun) wisdom, intelligence, knowledge. Not to be confused
with prAj~na below.
the 'deep sleep ego' in the deep sleep state of
consciousness, sushupti. Literally, 'wise, clever' (adj.) or 'a
wise man' or 'intelligence dependent on individuality'. See
also visva, taijasa.
the destruction of the world at the end of a kalpa. See
kalpa.
literally the original or natural form or condition of
anything; generally used to refer to what we would call
'nature'.
valid means for acquiring knowledge. There are 6 of these
in Vedanta: - perception (pratyaksha), inference
(anumAna), scriptural or verbal testimony (shabda or
Agama shruti), analogy (upamAna), presumption
(arthApatti) and non-apprehension (anupalabdhi). The first
three are the major ones referred to by Shankara.
literally the 'breath of life'; the vital force in the body with
which we identify in the 'vital sheath'.
the sheath made of air or breath, i.e. the 'vital life' of the
body - the second of the five sheaths (kosha) with which we
identify.
the practice of controlling the breath; one of the techniques

prarabdha

prasthana-traya
pratibhasa (noun)
pratibhasika (adj.)
pratibimba-vada
punya

purushartha
English
R

raja yoga

rajas

of Ashtanga or Raja Yoga in Patanjali's system.

this literally means 'begun' or 'undertaken'. The fruit of all
of our past action that is now having its effect. This is one
of the three types of sanskara. See agamin, sanchita,
sanskara.
prasthAna means 'system' or 'course' in the sense of a
journey; traya just means 'threefold'. It refers to the three
sources of knowledge of the Self: nyaya prasthana, sruti
and smriti.
'appearing or occurring to the mind', 'existing only in
appearance', an illusion. See paramartha, vyavahara.
the theory that the jiva is a reflection of the atman, similar
to a the reflection of an object in a mirror.
literally 'good' or 'virtuous'; used to refer to the 'reward'
that accrues to us (according to the theory of karma)
through the performing of unselfish actions. See also papa.
The general meaning of this term is 'any object of human
pursuit' but it is used here in the sense of human (i.e. self)
effort to overcome 'fate', the fruit of one's past actions. See
karma, sanskara.
Meaning
Raja Yoga (rAja = king, i.e. royal) is the yoga of Patanjali, as
written about in 'The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali'. It is defined
as 'the system of concentration and meditation based on
ethical discipline'. It is also called ashtanga (aShTanga)
yoga, meaning 'eightfold'.
the second of the three guna. Associated with animals and
activity, emotions, desire, selfishness and passion.
Adjective - rajassic or rajassika.. See guna.

S
sadguru
sadhana

saguna

sahaja sthiti

sakshibhava
sakshin
samadhana

the ultimate guru - one's own Self (sat = true, real). See
guru.
literally 'leading straight to a goal'; refers to the spiritual
disciplines followed as part of a 'path' toward Selfrealisation. See also chatushtaya sampatti.
'with qualities', usually used to refer to Brahman
personified as the creator, Iswara, to symbolise the most
spiritual aspect of the world of appearances. See Brahman,
Isvara, nirguna.
Once Self-realisation has been attained, there is full and
lasting knowledge of the Self. 'sahaja' means 'state' but
this stage of samadhi is not a state - it is our true nature.
It is permanent (sthiti meaning 'steady' or 'remaining'),
unlike the earlier stages of samadhi. See nirvikalpa,
samadhi, savikalpa, vikalpa.
'being or becoming' (bhAva) a 'witness' (sAkshin).
seeing, observing, a 'witness', ego or subject.
concentration; one of the 'six qualities' that form part of
Shankara's chatushtaya sampatti. See chatushtaya

samadhi
samhita
sampradaya
samsara
samshaya

sanatana

sanchita

sanskara

sanyasa

sat
satchitananda
satsanga

sattva

sattvapati

savikalpa
shabda
shama

sampatti.
the state of total peace and stillness achieved during deep
meditation - see vikalpa, savikalpa samadhi, nirvikalpa
samadhi and sahaja sthiti.
a philosophical or religious text constructed according to
certain rules of sound. See Astavakra, gita.
the tradition or established doctrine of teaching from
master to pupil through the ages.
the continual cycle of death and rebirth, transmigration
etc. to which we are supposedly subject in the phenomenal
world until we become enlightened and escape.
uncertainty, irresolution, hesitation or doubt. See manana.
literally 'eternal' or 'permanent'; in conjunction with
dharma, this refers to our essential nature. The phrase
'sanatana dharma' is also used to refer to the traditional
Hindu practices or as a synonym for 'Hinduism'. See
dharma.
one of the three types of sanskara, literally meaning
'collected' or 'piled up'; that sanskara, which has been
accumulated from past action but has still not manifest.
See agamin, prarabdha, sanskara.
Whenever an action is performed with the desire for a
specific result (whether for oneself or another), sanskara is
created for that person. These accumulate and determine
the situations with which we will be presented in the
future and will influence the scope of future actions. See
agamin, karma, prarabdha, sanchita and karma.
the final stage of the traditional Hindu spiritual path;
involves complete renunciation. The word literally means
'putting or throwing down, laying aside'; i.e. becoming a
professional ascetic. One who does so is called a sanyasin
(saMnyAsin). See brahmacharya, grihasta, vanaprastha.
existence, reality, truth. See ananda, chit, satchitananda.
the oft used word to describe our true nature, translated
as being-consciousness-bliss.
association with the good; keeping 'good company'; most
commonly used now to refer to a group of people gathered
together to discuss (Advaita) philosophy.
the highest of the three guna. Associated with stillness,
peace, truth, wisdom, unselfishness and spirituality.
Adjective - sattwic or sattvika. See guna.
the (4th) stage on a spiritual path, after which there is no
longer any need for effort to be made (so-called because
there is now an abundance of sattva). Apatti means
'entering into a state or condition'.
(referring to samadhi) still 'with' doubts about one's
identity with the one Self. See nirvikalpa, samadhi,
vikalpa.
scriptural or verbal testimony. See pramana, nyaya
prasthana, prasthana-traya, sruti, smriti.
literally tranquillity, absence of passion but more usually

Shankara
Shankaracharya

shraddha

shravana

shruti

shubhecha

smriti

srishti-drishtivada

sthitaprajna

sushupti
svadharma
svapna
English
T
tadatmya
taijasa
Taittiriya
tamas

translated as mental discipline or self-control; one of the

'six qualities' that form part of Shankara's chatushtaya
sampatti. See chatushtaya sampatti.
8th Century Indian philosopher responsible for firmly
establishing the principles of Advaita.
The title given to one of the four teachers (see acharya)
following the tradition in India established by Shankara
(see Shankara).
faith, trust or belief (in the absence of direct personal
experience); one of the 'six qualities' that form part of
Shankara's chatushtaya sampatti. See chatushtaya
sampatti.
hearing the truth from a sage or reading about it in such
works as the Upanishads. See manana, nididhyasana.
refers to the Vedas, incorporating the Upanishads. Literally
means 'hearing' and refers to the belief that the books
contain orally transmitted, sacred wisdom from the dawn
of time. See nyaya prasthana, pramana, smriti.
'good desire'; the initial impulse that start us on a spiritual
search. shubha means 'auspicious', 'good (in a moral
sense)' and ichChA means 'wish', 'desire'.
refers to material 'remembered' and subsequently written
down. In practice, it refers to books of law (in the sense of
guidance for living) which were written and based upon the
knowledge in the Vedas, i.e. the so-called dharma-shAstras
- Manu,Yajnavalkya, Parashara. In the context of nyaya
prasthana, it is used to refer to just one of these books the Bhagavad Gita. See pramana, nyaya prasthana, sruti.
the theory that the world is separate from ourselves,
having been created (by God or big-bang) and evolving
independently of ourselves. See also adhyasa, drishtisrishti-vada.
meaning one 'standing' (sthita) in 'wisdom' (praj~nA); a man
of steadiness and calm, firm in judgement, contented. The
name given by the Bhagavad Gita to one who is Selfrealised.
the deep-sleep state of consciousness. The 'sleeper ego' is
called prajna (prAj~na). See jagrat, prajna, svapna, turiya.
one's own dharma. See dharma.
'sleep' in general, but more specifically the dream state of
consciousness. The 'dreamer ego' is called taijasa. See also,
jagrat, sushupti, taijasa, tuiriya.
Meaning
sameness, identity of nature or character.
the individual "dreamer ego" in the dream state of
consciousness, svapna. See also visva, prajna.
one of the principal Upanishads. (taittirIya was one of the
schools of the Yajur Veda.)
the "lowest" of the three guna. Associated with matter and

tanmatra

tantra
tapas
tarka
tarkika
tarpana

tatastha

tatratatra
tejas
tikka
tikshna
titiksha
trikala
trikalatita
tripti
triputi
tritiya
tucha

turiya

carrying characteristics such as inertia, laziness,

heedlessness and death. It literally means "darkness" or
"gloom." Adjective - tamasic (Eng.); tAmasa or tAmasika
(Sansk.). See guna.
subtle element, of which there are five: shabda (sound,
speech), sparsha (touch), rUpa (form), rasa (taste) and
gandha (smell). (The gross elements are the mahAbhUta-s:
ether, air, fire, water and earth.)
main or essential point. (Also doctrine or theory and the
body of scriptures relating to attaining mystical union with
the divine through meditation.)
austerity, living a simple life without comforts. One of the
five niyama-s in Raja yoga.
reasoning, speculation, philosophical system or doctrine.
(adj. from tarka) related to or belonging to logic; (noun, less
common) logician or philosopher.
satiating, refreshing, process of pleasing (esp. of gods via
appropriate ceremony).
a property distinct from the nature of the body and yet that
by which it is known. An example would be telling someone
that the house they are referring to in the street ahead is
the one with the crow on the chimney. The house is what
the listener is interested in but the crow is a taTastha
lakShaNa, i.e. that by which it is known.
everywhere (tatra on its own means 'there, in that place,
thither, on that occasion).
fire (or light) - one of the five elements or pa~nchabhUta.
Associated with sight.
commentary, esp on another commentary, e.g. that by
Anandagiri on Shankara's commentary on Gaudapada's
kArikA.
sharp (of the intellect - buddhi).
forbearance or patience; one of the "six qualities" that form
part of Shankara's chatuShTaya sampatti. See chatushtaya
sampatti, shamadi shatka sampatti.
the three times or tenses (past, present and future).
that which transcends past, present and future (describing
the Self).
contentment, satisfaction.
threefold (noun) used of knower-known-act of knowing,
seer-seen-act of seeing etc; (tripuTa is the adjective)
third.
empty, vain, trifling, little; also used in the sense of 'totally
unreal', c.f. prAtibhAsika.
literally the "fourth" [state of consciousness]. It refers to
the non-dual reality, the background against which the
other states (waking, dream and deep sleep) arise. It is our
true nature. The other three states are mithyA. (If defined
merely as the highest "state" then Ramana Maharshi calls
our true nature 'turiyatita' but this word is not
encountered in the scriptures.)

tyaga
U
ubhaya
uchita
udaharana
udana
upadana
upadesha
Upadesha Sahasri

upadhi

upahita
upamana

upanishad

uparama or
uparati
upasaka
upasana
upashama
upaya
ushman
utkarsha
uttama

renunciation.
literally both, in both ways, of both kinds; having
intermediary status.
sufficient, required. As in uchita desha kAla - (every object
requires a certain amount of space and duration for it to
be 'real' ).
example, instance, illustration.
one of the five "vital airs," associated with the throat. More
generally relates to the understanding that has been
gained from past experience.
literally "the act of taking for oneself"; used to refer to the
"material cause" in logic (upAdAna karaNa).
instruction or teaching.
"A Thousand Teachings" - book attributed to Shankara
(with more certainty than most). sAhasrika means
"consisting of a thousand."
Literally, this means something that is put in place of
another thing; a substitute, phantom or disguise. In
Vedanta, it is commonly referred to as a "limitation" or
"limiting adjunct" i.e. one of the "identifications" made by
ahaMkAra that prevents us from realizing the Self.
depending upon; connected with.
comparison, resemblance, analogy.
one of the (108+) books forming part (usually the end) of
one of the four Vedas. The parts of the word mean: to sit
(Shad) near a master (upa) at his feet (ni), so that the idea
is that we sit at the feet of a master to listen to his words.
Monier-Williams (Ref. 5) states that, "according to native
authorities, upanishad means "setting at rest ignorance by
revealing the knowledge of the supreme spirit." See
Vedanta.
desisting from sensual enjoyment; "revelling" in that which
is "near" i.e. one's own Self; also translated as following
one's dharma or duty; one of the "six qualities" that form
part of Shankara's chatushtaya sampatti. See chatushtaya
sampatti, shamadi shatka sampatti.
worshipper, follower, seeker.
worship, homage, waiting upon; literally the act of sitting
or being near to; sometimes used in the sense of
"meditation."
cessation, stopping, becoming quiet.
[prapa~nchopashamam in the Ma. U.]
another term for "path" (see marga) - that by which one
reaches one's aim, a means or expedient, way.
The Sanskrit term for the sibilants, sh, Sh and s, together
with h. The word itself literally means "heat, steam or
vapour."
superior, eminent.
uppermost, excellent, highest.

Uttara Mimamsa

V
vacharambhana or
vagalambana
Vachaspati
vachyartha

vada

vaidarmya
vaidharmya
vaikhari
vaikuntha
vairagya

vaisheshika

vaishvanara

vaishya
vaitathya
vak
Vakyapadiya
valli

vanaprastha

the Vedanta philosophy, based on the latter (uttara) part of

the Vedas rather than the earlier (pUrva). Its founder was
Badarayana, who authored the Brahmasutras. There are
three main schools within this - dvaita, advaita and
vishiShTAdvaita. See Brahmasutras, mimamsa,
purvamimamsa, veda.
depending on mere words or some merely verbal difference.
name of one of the two schools of Advaita, after the
philosopher vAchaspati mishra. It is also called the
bhAmatI school. The other school is the vivaraNa school.
the directly expressed meaning (literal description), as
opposed to lakShyArtha.
speech, proposition, discourse, argument, discussion,
explanation or exposition (of scriptures etc.); dispute with
the aim of reaching the right conclusion, irrespective of
who 'wins'. (Three types of disputation: jalpa, vitaNDa,
vAda).
difference, heterogeneity.
having different nature or qualities; heterogeneity.
speech; the fourth stage in the production of sound.
heaven.
detachment or dispassion; indifference to the pleasure that
results from success or the disappointment that results
from failure. Literally to be "deprived of" (vai) "passion or
desire" (rAga). See sadhana, chatushtaya sampatti.
one of the six classical Indian Philosophies, a later
development of nyAya by the theologian, Kanada; named
after the nine "essentially different substances" believed to
constitute matter. See darshana, vishesha.
the gross physical condition, or waking state of man (more
usually known as vishva, the waker). brahman "located in"
the bodily form. Literally means "relating to or belonging to
all men, universal." The word is also used for the
macrocosmic level, virAj or virAT.
a working man, trader or farmer - the third of the
traditional four castes in India.
falseness. Equivalent to mithyAtva. Used in second chapter
of Gaudapada's kArikA-s on Ma. U. to explain meaning of
prapa~nchopashamam in 7th mAntra.
speech, language sound; speech personified as the
Goddess, wife of prajApati (lord of creatures).
book on Sanskrit grammar, written by bhartRRihari.
relating to the sections of particular Upanishads.
the third stage of the traditional Hindu spiritual path, in
which the Brahman retires from life and becomes a "forest
dweller," living as a hermit. Traditionally speaking, "a
properly initiated dvija or twice-born." See also
brahmacharya, grihasta, sanyasa.

vandya putra

vasana

Vasishta
vastava
vastu

vastu-tantra
vayu
veda

Vedanta

Vedantasara
vesha

vibhu

vibhuti

literally 'son of a barren woman'; used in general to refer to

anything that is imaginary or impossible.
literally "desiring" or "wishing" - latent behavioral tendency
in one's nature brought about through past action (karma)
and the saMskAra that resulted from this. See karma,
sanskara.
eponymous sage of the "Yoga Vasishta" one of the classical
works of Advaita.
substantial, real, true.
a thing that exists, object, subject matter. Strictly
speaking, there is only one vastu - Atman. Everything else
is incidental - it comes and goes. Only Consciousness is
always there, intrinsic.
objective, governed by reality (as opposed to kartRRi-tantra
or puruSha-tantra, the result of 'doing').
air (or wind) - one of the five elements or pa~nchabhUta.
Associated with touch.
knowledge, but the word is normally only used to refer to
one of the four Vedas (see Vedanta) and vidyA is used for
knowledge per se. See vidya.
literally "end" or "culmination" (anta) of knowledge (veda)
but veda in this context refers to the four Vedas, the Hindu
equivalents of the Christian bible (called Rig, RRig veda;
Sama, sama veda; Atharva, atharva veda; Yajur, yajur
veda). Traditionally, the last part of the vedas (i.e. "end") is
devoted to the Upanishads. See upanishad.
literally "essence of Vedanta"; a treatise on Vedanta by
Sadananda Yogindra.
dress, apparel, exterior, assumed appearance etc.; used in
the sense of the disguise or outward appearnace that
conceals one's true nature.
all-pervading, omnipresent, eternal; mighty, powerful; lord,
ruler, soveriegn (also applied to Brahma, Vishnu and
Shiva).
(Adj.) pervading, abundant, powerful. (Noun) plenty,
abundance, superhuman power, splendor, glory,
magnificence; the ashes of cow dung, smeared on the
forehead. (In devotional ceremonies, a small ball of cow
dung, together with a flower is used to represent the god
gaNesha to protect the house. A new ball is used each day
and these are collected and then burnt to produce the
ash.)

V
vichara
videha
vidhi
vidya

consideration, reflection, deliberation, investigation.

vichAra mArga is translated as "Direct Path".
bodiless, incorporeal, dead; videha mukti is deliverance by
release from the body (death).
formula, injunction, rule, precept, law; any prescribed act,
rite or ceremony; mode of conduct or behavior.
knowledge, science, learning, philosophy (as opposed to
j~nAna, which rather refers to direct self-knowledge. Atma

Vidyaranya
vijati

vijnana

vijnanamayakosha
vikalpa
vikara
vikarma
vikshepa
vilakshana
viparita
viparyasa
viparyaya
viraj or virat

virama

virodha

visarga

vishaya
vishesha

j~nAna). Atma-vidyA or brahma-vidyA is the objective

knowledge of the Self taught by the scriptures and guru.
author of the Panchadashi.
literally belonging to another caste or tribe; dissimilar or
heterogeneous.
discerning, understanding, comprehending; "right
apprehension" in the case of nididhyAsana as opposed to
dhyAna. vij~nAna vAda is the philosophical theory of
Idealism.
the intellectual sheath (one of the five "coverings" that
surround our true essence).
doubt, uncertainty or indecision.
transformation, modification, change of form or nature.
Also vikAratva - the state of change; and vikAravat undergoing changes.
prohibited, unlawful - actions that must be avoided.
the "projecting" power of mAyA. In the rope-snake
metaphor, this superimposes the image of the snake upon
the rope. See avarana, maya.
different from; not admitting of exact definition.
reversed, inverted, perverse, wrong; contrary; false, untrue.
viparIta lakShaNa is using a word in the opposite sense, i.e
sarcasm.
imagining what is unreal or false to be real or true; error
backed by ignorance; self-ignorance plus self-delusion.
error, misapprehension, mixing up the nature of one thing
with another or mistaking something to be the opposite of
what it actually is (literally reversed, inverted).
gross, macrocosmic equivalent of vishva (vaishvAnara) at
the level of creation.
In Sanskrit, the diagonal mark underneath a consonant to
indicate that it is not to be sounded with a vowel after it.
The literal meaning is "cessation, termination or end." (All
consonants are sounded with 'a' by default, unless
indicated otherwise.) A consonant with such a mark is
called a halanta consonant. (The term also refers to the
single vertical mark to indicate the end of a sentence or
single line of a verse of poetry.)
opposition hostility; a (logical) contradiction or
inconsistency.
this literally means "sending out" or "emission." In
Sanskrit, it is represented as aH but is not actually a letter
and does not occur on its own. Its effect is to add a brief,
breathing out sound after the vowel sound associated with
a consonant; represented by two dots placed to the right of
the associated letter.
object of sensory perception; any subject or topic; the
subject of an argument. (not to be confused with vishaya,
with a palatal 'sh', meaning 'doubt or uncertainty).
Adjective - viShayika.
literally "distinction" or "difference between"; particular or

(noun);visheshana
(adj)

visheshya
vishishta
vishishtadvaita
vishvarupa
visva

vitanda

vivarana
vivarta
V
vivarta vada
viveka

Vivekachudamani

vritti
vyakhya
vyakhyata
vyakta
vyakti
vyana
vyanjana

specific. The Vaisheshika philosophy believes that the

material universe is made up of nine substances, each of
which is "essentially different" from any other. See
Vaisheshika.adjective - distinguishing, specifying,
qualifiying.
(noun) that which is to be distinguished (from something
else).
distinguished, particular, excellent (as in yoga vashiShTa).
qualified non-dualism; belief that God and the Atman are
distinct but not separate. Ramanuja is the scholar most
often associated with this philosophy. See advaita, dvaita.
manifold, various.
the "waker ego" in the waking state of consciousness,
jagrat. Also sometimes referred to as vaishvAnara. See also
taijasa, prajna.
cavil, fallacious controversy, perverse or frivolous
argument, criticism; argument purely for the sake of
winning the point (three types of disputation: jalpa,
vitaNDa, vAda).
literally "explanation" or "interpretation"; name of one of
the two schools of Advaita. The other school is the
vAcaspati or bhAmati school.
an apparent or illusory form; unreality caused by avidyA.
the theory that the world is only an apparent projection of
Ishvara (i.e. an illusion).
discrimination; the function of buddhi, having the ability
to differentiate between the unreal and the real. See
sadhana, chatushtaya sampatti.
the title of a book attributed to Shankara. chUDAmaNi is
the name given to the jewel worn on top of the head. An
English version of the book is called "The Crest Jewel of
Discrimination."
in the context of Vedanta, this means a mental disposition.
In general, it can mean a mode of conduct or behaviour,
character or disposition, business or profession etc. See
aham vritti and idam vritti.
(v) to explain in detail; (n) explanation, gloss, comment.
name given to the successors of Shankara, who
commented on his interpretations and (often) gave other
interpretations.
manifested, apparent, visible, perceptible to the senses as
opposed to avyakta - transcendental.
visible appearance or manifestation; specific appearance,
distinctness; an individual (as opposed to jAti, the genus).
one of the five "vital airs," concerned with the circulatory
system. More generally, alludes to the discriminatory
faculties, evaluating and judging etc.
Sanskrit term for a consonant, meaning a "decoration" (of
the basic vowel sound).

vyapti
vyashti
vyatireka
vyatirikta
vyavahara
(noun)vyavaharika
(adj.)
Y
yagna
yama
yatrayatra

yoga

yuga
yugapat-srishti
yukti
yuta

inseparable presence of one thing in another, invariable

concomitance (as in e.g. no smoke without fire).
the individual or "individuality" as opposed to the totality,
samaShTi.
distinction, difference, separateness, separation, exclusion;
a separate or particular existence. Logical discontinuance
(in 'anvaya vyatireka').
separate, different or distinct from.
the relative, practical, or phenomenal world of
appearances; the normal world in which we live and which
we usually believe to be real; as opposed to pAramArthika
(reality) and prAtibhAsika (illusory). See paramarthika and
pratibhasika.
worship, devotion, sacrifice, offering.
restraint. Literally, rein or bridle. There are five of these
forming the first step of Raja yoga - ahiMsA, satyam,
brahmacharya, asteya and aparigraha.
wherever (yatra on its own means 'where, wherein, to
which place, whither').
literally "joining" or "attaching" (our word "yoke" derives
from this). It is used generally to refer to any system whose
aim is to "join" our "individual self" back to the "universal
Self." The Yoga system pedantically refers to that specified
by Patanjali. See bhakti, jnana, karma.
one of the four ages in the cycle of creation. See kalpa, kali
yuga.
instantaneous creation, i.e. simultaneous with the
perception of it. yugapad means "together, at the same
time."
reasoning, argument, induction, deduction (as opposed to
intuition - anubhava).
united, combined, joined; connected with, concerning,
associated with.