Download Hinduism Glossary - Vishva Shakti Durga Mandir

Hinduism Glossary
Common Sanskrit Terms & Their Meaning
Here is a glossary of Sanskrit terms generally used in Hindu teachings.
<A>
TERM
MEANING
Adharma
contrary to what is right; evil. Cf. dharma
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
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
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>
TERM
MEANING
Bhagavad Gita Hindu scripture of the avatar Krishna
dated to approximately the first two
centuries b.c
Bhajans
hymns in praise of a deity
Bhakta
ardent devotee of a deity who
expresses loving-devotion to the
divine
Bhakti
ecstatic loving-devotion to the
Almighty
Bhakti marga
the path of devotion
Bhakti Yoga
Yoga of Devotion
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
ninth avatar of Vishnu
Buddhism
non-orthodox form of Vedic / Aryan
teaching founded by the Buddha or
enlightened one
<C>
TERM
MEANING
Chakras
nerve centers of the subtle body;
non-dualistic Vedantic philosophy
Charvakas
materialistic philosophers of ancient
India
Chela
disciple and student of a guru
Cit
the Pure Consciousness equated with
moksa when the egoistic
<D>
TERM
MEANING
Dalit
person outside the class system of
Hinduism who was formerly termed as
Untouchable
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
ceremony
<G>
TERM
MEANING
Ganesha
elephant-headed God who takes away
all obstacles and is the God of good
fortune
Ganesh
Chaturthi
worship of god Ganesha in the month of
September
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>
TERM
MEANING
Hanuman
the monkey God, protagonist in
Ramayana
Hanuman
Chalisa
the book containing prayers/hymns for
the deified monkey God Hanuman
Havan
an offering of fire in Hindu worship
Hatha Yoga
Yoga of the physical body
Hinduism
Vedic knowledge and teachings
Holi
Hindu festival of colours
Homa
Vedic worship, Fire offerings
Hum
great mantra of Agni and Shiva
<I>
TERM
MEANING
Indra
Vedic God of storm and thunder who was
also king of the gods
Ishtadevata
chosen deity
Ishvara or Lord, the term used of God in manifest
Ishwara
form; the cosmic Creator
Itihasas
Hindu epics or scriptures which convey
historical and mythological sagas and tales
<J>
TERM
MEANING
Jainism
Aryan teaching emphasizing non-violence
Jati
birth and the caste system
Jivatman
the personality self
Jnana
intuitive knowledge
Jnana
Marga
the path of knowledge
Jnana
Yoga of Knowledge
Yoga
Jutha
the 'left-overs' of food offered to a deity, the
deity having extracted the essence of the
food
Jyotish
Vedic Astrology
<K>
TERM
MEANING
Kailash
the world mountain
Kalash
brass pot containing water,
representative of a goddess
Kali
the dark form of the Goddess,
characterized by ferocious appearance
Kali Yuga
dark or iron age
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
literally 'action' but also the law of cause
and effect; action and reaction
Karma Marga
the path of egoless action
Karma Yoga
Yoga of Work or Service
Karma Yogi
person who is selflessly devoted to work
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
KrishnaJanamastami
Hindu festival celebrating the birth of
Lord Krishna
Kriya Yoga
Yoga of technique
Kshatriya
people of political values, 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>
TERM
MEANING
Lakshman the brother of Lord Ram in the epic
Ramayana
Lakshmi
Goddess of prosperity, fortune and beauty;
consort of Vishnu, sometimes called Sri
Lalita
Goddess of bliss
Laya
Yoga
Yoga of absorption of sound-current (nada)
Linga
phallic symbol associated with the God Shiva
Loka
place; realm, as the deva loka, the realm of
the gods
<M>
TERM
MEANING
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>
TERM
MEANING
Nada
sound current of the subtle body
Nadis
nerves of the subtle body
Namaskar
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>
TERM
MEANING
Pancha Karma five Ayurvedic purification methods
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
breath or life-force
Pranayama
yogic control of the breath
Prana Yoga
Yoga of the life-force
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>
TERM
MEANING
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
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
Raja Yoga
integral or royal yoga path of Patanjali
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
Rama
seventh avatar of Vishnu and hero of
the epic The Ramayana
Ramayana
Hindu epic scripture dealing with the
heroic exploits of Lord Rama
Ram Navami
Hindu festival celebrating the birthday
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>
TERM
MEANING
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
Samadhi
absorption, bliss, trance
Sama Veda
'Knowledge of Chants', one of the
four Vedas
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
voluntary burning of a widow on
her husband's funeral pyre
Sati
consort of the God Shiva, also
called Uma
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 nondualistic Vedanta
Shiva
form of the Hindu trinity
governing destruction and
transcendence
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
Shiva
one of the three trinities in
Hinduism, the god of Destruction
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
ceremonies for the deceased in
the twelve days following
cremation
Srauta
official sacrificial ritual of the
Vedic period
Sri
the Goddess Lakshmi, consort of
Lord Vishnu
Srotas
channel systems used in
Ayurvedic medicine
Sruti
category of sacred scriptures
which are 'heard' or cognized by
the ancient seers
Sudra
the fourth of the Hindu four
classes, traditionally the servant
class
Surya
Vedic Sun God or god of the
enlightened mind
Svadharma
what is right for an individual
<T>
TERM
MEANING
Tamas
one of the three gunas or qualities in
existence, associated with the dissolver God
Shiva and representing the quality of
darkness and inertia in existence
Tantra
medieval yogic and ritualistic Indian texts;
esoteric, mystical teachings
Tara
the Goddess in her role as savior
Tat Tvam
Asi
'That art thou', the equating of the atman
and every being in total identity with That,
which is Brahman
Theism
belief in a personal god, goddess, gods or
goddesses
Tilak
the mark (usually vertical) placed on the
forehead of a devotee during ritual worship
Trimurti
literally 'three-form',the Hindu trinity of three
deities, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, the
Creator, the Preserver and the Destroyer,
respectively
<U>
TERM
MEANING
Ugadi
Hindu festival
Uma
consort of the male deity Shiva
Upanayama ceremony of the sacred thread undertaken
by the top three classes of the Hindu
society
Upangas
literature concerned with ritual and logical
thought
Upanishads Vedic philosophical texts or scriptures
occuring at the end of the Vedas
characterised by mystical and philosophical
speculation on the nature of the self and
ultimate Reality
Upavedas
additions to the Vedic scriptures
Ushas
Vedic goddess of dawn
<V>
TERM
MEANING
Vaishnavites
devotees of the deity Vishnu
Vaishyas
person belonging to the third of
the four Hindu classes of society,
traditionally an artisan or skilled
labourer, people of commercial
values
Vak
Divine Word, the Goddess
Vanaprastha
person at the third of the four
stages of life, hermitage or forestdweller stage of life
Varna
literally 'colour', the word for the
four social values or class system
in Hinduism,
Varnasramadharma what is right for class and stage of
life
Varuna
Vedic deity of cosmic order
Vata
biological air humor
Veda
knowledge
Vedangas
rules on ritual, astronomy, morals,
grammar and phonetics
Vedas
the four Vedic ancient scriptures of
India, namely the Rg, Sama, Yajur
and Atharva
Vedanta
Vedic philosophy of Self-knowledge
Vedic Science
integral spiritual science of the
Vedas
Vidya
knowledge
Vijnana
intelligence
Vijnanavada
Buddhist philosophy that
consciousness alone exists
Vishnu
God or form of the Hindu trinity
governing preservation
<Y >
TERM
MEANING
Yajna
sacrifice, sacred ritual
Yajur
Veda
'Knowledge of Sacrificial Ritual', one of the
four Vedas
Yama
God of Death; ruler of the realm of the dead
the 'Land of the Fathers': he was the first
man to die and therefore the welcomer of
others to his realm
Yamas
yogic attitudes
Yantra
geometrical meditation designs
Yatra
pilgrimage
Yoga
techniques of developing and integrating
energy; discipline or 'yoking' of the senses
and the ego more...
Yoga
Sutras
classical text of Patanjali on Yoga
Yogi
practitioner of yoga
Yugas
world-ages