sanskrit dictionary
(work in progress - weekly updates)
abhinivesha: fear of death; self preservation; one of the kleshas abhyasa: [mn] practice (that leads to calming the vrittis) advaita: non-dual; advaita vedanta is the philosophy that states that there is only One Absolute Reality agni: the fire element ¶ that which transforms ¶ digestive faculty ¶ the name of the god of fire ahamkara: the ego principle ahara: food, see pratyahara ahimsa: non-violence; one of the yamas ajna: command ananda: the bliss that surpasse all understanding aparigraha: non-greed, non-possessiveness; one of the yamas asana: lit. seat; the meditative posture; all the physical yoga postures ashtanga yoga: 8 limbs of yoga, as codified by Maharishi Patanjali asteya: non-stealing, one of the yamas asmita: I-am-ness; ego-principle; similar to ahamkara; one of the kleshas atman: the Self; the soul; the eternal within avidya: ignorance (on an individual level); one of the kleshas ayurveda: lit. the science of life; yoga's sister science that is concerned with healing as defined as bringing quality back to life & promoting healthful longevity. baddha padmasana: bound lotus posture balasana: child's posture bharadvajasana: posture of sage Bharadvaja bhuja pidasana: arm pressure posture bhujangasana: cobra posture bandha: lock, in reference to hatha yoga techniques which involve hand gestures, postures and breathing techniques ¶ bondage, in reference to karma bhagavad gita: lit. song of God; considered a Yoga Shastra - an important text on yoga, part of the Mahabharata epic, where Bhagavan Krishna imparts the knowledge of yoga to Arjuna. bhakta: devotee of God; bhakti: devotion to God; divine love. bhakti yoga: Bhakti Yoga is the path of divine ecstasy through devotion, love and total surrender to God. Usually associated with kirtan, but encompasses the more complex systems of puja as well. brahma: the divine force of Creation; creator in the Hindu trinity brahmacharya: lit. to walk in Brahman. Moderation of the senses; often explained as celibacy but it is much more - it is systematic practice that leads one to the realization of Brahman; one of the yamas brahman: the supreme Reality; the highest Truth within & without; the Absolute; the Eternal; the All-Pervading bhastrika: lit. bellows; a pranayama technique involving forceful inhalations and forceful exhalations, moving the lungs powerfully like bellows buddhi: intellect; seat of wisdom chakorasana: greek patridge pose chakra: lit. wheel. The point where more than 3 nadis converge, creating centers of consciousness; seven main chakras from lowest to highest are muladhara, svadhisthana, manipura, anahata, vishuddi, ajna & sahasrara chitta: in yoga philosophy, it refers to the entirety of the mind; the inner instrument that discerns, experiences, analyzes, feels, perceives, and stores all the thoughts and experiences ¶ in vedanta philosophy, it refers to the part of the mind that stores all experiences as memories dandasana: staff posture dandasana utplutih: darshana: lit. glimpse, vision (usu. of a sage) ¶ revelation; philosophy, as in, yoga darshana, ie. yoga philosophy dharana: lit. holding; concentration; focusing the mind on one single object or direction dharma: righteousness; duty; virtue; the eternal law(s) of nature dhi: the third stage of revelation; the ability of the mind to retrieve its stored knowledge dhyana: meditation; advanced state of concentration when the mind flows ceaselessly in one direction / towards one object without interruption; state of supreme one-pointedness diksha: spiritual initiation dosha: defect, blemish drishta: lit. seen; drishti is a point of focus and gazing dvesha: aversion; one of the kleshas dvi pada viparita dandasana eka pada raja kapotasana: one foot royal pigeon posture eka pada sirshasana: one foot headstand gayatri mantra: one of the most sacred and famous Vedic mantras; the mother of the Vedas ¶ Gayatri is a meter of 24 syllables gomukhasana: cow face posture goraksasana: cowherd posture granthi: knot; there are 3 major granthis known as Brahma, Vishnu & Rudra guna: lit. rope; "the intrinsic nature of Prakriti"; the three gunas are sattva, rajas & tamas gupta padmasana: hidden lotus posture guru: spiritual teacher; spiritual preceptor; one who dispels the darkness of ignorance halasana: plough posture hanumanasana: posture of hanuman ¶ splits hatha yoga: the school of yoga that is focused on balancing the opposing energies of ha & tha, solar & lunar, masculine & feminine, prana & apana, etc. through a systematic practice of cleansing practices (shat kriya), asana, pranayama, mudra, bandha & meditation. Prominent texts include Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and Gheranda Samhita ¶ The first 4 limbs of Ashtanga Yoga is known collectively as hatha yoga ¶ Erroneously known today as the generic term for yoga asana. Yoga asana is part of Hatha Yoga, but by no means the only part. Hatha Yoga is in fact, part of Tantra Yoga, and traditionally a path for renunciates. ida: one of the 3 major nadis; terminates in the left nostril & affects the right hemisphere of the brain. ishvara: one who can do what (S)he wants to, not do what (S)he does not want to, and undo everything that has been done; supreme Reality ¶ God the Absolute principle in the Yoga Sutra ishvara Pranidhana: surrender to Ishvara; one of the yamas janu sirshasana: head to knee posture japa: lit. muttering; the practice of mantra repetition jnana: knowledge; jnana yoga is the yoga of knowledge & inquiry kaivalya: the goal of yoga, which is utter liberation, unfettered freedom kali yuga: the present age that we are living in right now, also the last of the 4 yugas, which is a time of darkness, imbalance & chaos kama: desire kapalabhati: lit. skull shining; a pranayama technique involving forceful exhalations & passive inhalations, the correct practice of which leads to a shiny, happy skull that radiates into a happy face karma: lit. action. Karma is neither positive nor negative, it is simply neutral; karma refers to action as well as the fruit of action; karma is the ineffable, inevitable law of cause & effect; "as you sow, so shall you reap" ¶ the 3 categories of karma are: sanchitta, prarabdha & kriyamana ¶ karma yoga is the yoga of action, and selfless service kashyapasana: posture of Kashyapa klesha: affliction: avidya, asmita, raga, dvesha & abhinivesha kosha: lit. sheath, covering. Refers to the 5 layers that veil the true Self - annamaya kosha, pranamaya kosha, manomaya kosha, vijnanamaya kosha, & anandamaya kosha krauncasana: heron or curlew posture kriya yoga: lit. the yoga of technique; the practice of yoga ¶ in the Yoga Sutra, it refers to the collective and complimentary practices of tapas, svadhyaya & ishvara pranidhana; the yoga of purification, refinement & surrender, the approach that integrates karma, jnana & bhakti or "hand, head & heart" ¶ it also refers to a powerful yoga technique first made famous in the West by Paramahansa Yogananda krodha: anger kukkutasana: rooster posture kundalini shakti: lit. serpent power, coiled up energy; dormant power / energy that resides in the base of the spine in the muladhara chakra, the vital spiritual energy that yogic practices are designed to awaken; often depicted as a snake kurmasana: tortoise posture madhyama: lit. "that which is intermediate" ¶ the state of sound that is neither transcendent nor fully manifest & audible; sound at the level of lucid thoughts ready to be articulated mala: lit. garland, necklace ¶ A japa mala is a string of beads, similar to a rosary, usually numbering 108 beads, used to count the number of repetitions during the practice of mantra japa. Different beads are used for different mantras. Rudraksha seeds are generally suitable for any mantra sadhana ¶ a pushpa mala is a garland of flowers ¶ a varna or aksha mala is a garland of Sanskrit letters malasana: garland posture manas: lower mind; the importer of all sensory perceptions from the external world mantra: lit. that which protects when repeated ¶ a sacred syllable or series of syllables, usually in Sanskrit, that was revealed to the rishis in deep meditation, and capable of leading the one who uses it as an object of meditation, to that original state of deep meditation in which the mantra was revealed; Initiation is usually required prior to the practice of mantra meditation ¶ not an affirmation marichyasana A marichyasana C: posture of Marici (one of the seven sages) marichyasana sthiti maya: cosmic illusion; avidya on a universal scale; that because of which we perceive ourselves as limited meru: spine, Mount Kailash, 109th bead of the mala moha: delusion moksha: liberation; nirvana; kaivalya mudra: yogic & tantric gestures usually involving the hands, sometimes the whole body mulabandhasana: root lock posture nada: eternal sound nadi: pranic pathways; energy channels through which prana passes; some scriptures mention 72,000 nadis, others 350,000, of which the ida, pingala & sushumna nadis are the most important namaste: to bow to, to adore, to salute reverently, to pay homage to, to worship; hello!; goodbye!; thank you nidra: sleep niralamba sarvangasana 2: unsupported shoulderstand niyama: observances; the 5 ethical codes of the Yoga Sutra aimed at establishing harmony within an individual: shaucha, santosha, tapas, svadhyaya & Ishvara pranidhana ¶ 10 niyamas are mentioned in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika: hri, santosha, dana, astikya, ishvara pujana, siddhanta shravana, mati, vrata, japa & tapas padma danda namaskara padmasana: lotus posture padangusthasana: big toe posture parighasana: gate posture paripurna navasana: full boat posture parivritta prasarita padottanasana: revolved wide legged forward bend parivritta urdhva yogadandasana: revolved upward yoga staff pose parsvottanasana paschimottanasana: seated forward bend pashasana: noose posture pashyanti: lit. "one who sees" ¶ the subtlest state of sound; transcendental state of sound beyond language, which is the source of all language. patanjali: the great sage that codified the Yoga Sutra pincha mayurasana: feather of the peacock posture pingala: one of the 3 major nadis; terminates in the right nostril & affects the left hemisphere of the brain. prabhu: Lord prakriti: nature; natural state of perfect balance of the gunas prana: life-force; that which animates & nourishes us at all levels; the force which keeps us alive pranayama: a system of yogic techniques involving the gross manipulation of the breath to control and expand pranic energy & the body's ability to assimilate prana pratyahara: withdrawal of the senses from their external objects; a usually forgotten limb of yoga, seldom given more than a cursory mention but without which the higher rungs of yoga would not be possible prajna: the first stage of revelation; divine knowledge; revealed complete knowledge; unadulterated knowledge flowing continuously pratibha: the second stage of revelation; intuitive flash, as opposed to an unbroken flow of knowledge puraka: inhalation purusha: consciousness; individual soul purvottasana raga: passion, attachment; addiction; one of the kleshas raja yoga: royal path; the path of meditation; Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga rajas: the essence of activity; one of the three gunas rechaka: exhalation rishi: seer; a Self-realized sage ruchikasana: posture of Ruchika sadhana: spiritual practice ¶ sadhaka, one who engages in spiritual practices salamba sarvangasana 2 samakonasana: equal or balanced angle posture samakona prishtanjali samadhi: the peaceful, supremely balanced state of mind; mind without vritti; utter spiritual absorption; all consuming focus; state of being established in one's true nature; state when the individual consciousness merges with the supreme consciousness samskara: subtle impressions of the past; all experiences stored as memories in the mind, whether conscious or unconscious, of this lifetime or past lifetimes samyama: the combined states of dharana, dhyana & samadhi; it is through the practice of samyama that siddhis are attained. santosha: contentment; one of the niyamas sarvangasana: lit. all limbs posture; shoulderstand sat: being; truth, light ¶ satsanga is being in the company of the wise satya: truthfulness; one of the yamas sattva: the essence of illumination; one of the three gunas shakti: the power to be & the power to become; the power of consciousness; spiritual power ¶ the Divine Mother; pulsation of consciousness; primordial energy shashankasana shaucha: physical & mental purity; one of the niyamas shatkriya: sometimes referred to as shat karmas. The 6 cleansing actions of hatha yoga: neti, dhauti, basti, trataka, kapalabhati, & nauli shiva: pure consciousness; auspiciousness; destroyer in the Hindu trinity; lord of yogis; the force of transcendence & transformation shraddha: faith; trust in God; conviction; that which gives you peace, holds you safe and nourishes siddhi: supernatural powers; perfections ¶ One who attains siddhis is known as a siddha, an accomplished one, an adept sirshasana: headstand skanda: son of Shiva, Ganesha's brother, also known as Karttikeya and Murugan skandasana: posture of Skanda supta konasana: supine angle posture supta padangusthasana supta padmasana: supine lotus posture surya: sun sushumna: one of the 3 major nadis; the most important nadi, the central channel located in the subtle body, often thought of as running along the length of the spine; the preferred pranic pathway of kundalini shakti svadhyaya: sva is one's inmost self. Svadhyaya is self-study which includes scriptural study, examination of one's own experiences, japa & meditation; one of the niyamas tamas: the essence of heaviness; one of the three gunas tantra: lit. system; to weave; to expand; to spread ¶ Yoga originated from tantra, though tantra is now quickly gaining prominence in the West, giving the impression that it is a recent development; this system includes the use of mantra, yantra, asana, pranayama, visualization, herbs; the philosophy of tantra is that everything & anything, if used in the proper context, with the proper technique, can be a tool for spiritual progress. tapas: lit. heat, glow ¶ Usually translated as austerities or zeal, but refers to any yogic discipline that burns our karmas and makes us glow; technique that engenders transformation; one of the niyamas tittibhasana trivikramasana: three strong steps pose turiya: the fourth state of consciousness; the transcendental state of consciousness beyond waking, sleeping & dreaming. ubhaya padangusthasana upanishad: lit. to sit at the feet of a sage ¶ Scriptures that reveal their true essence only when studied at the feet of a realized master ¶ a collection of 108 scriptures that form the last part of the Vedas upavishta konasana upavishta konasana utplutih: urdhva baddha konasana: upward bound angle posture urdhva dandasana: upward staff posture urdhva dhanurasana: upward bow posture urdhva mukha padmasana urdhva padmasana: upward lotus posture ustrasana: camel posture utthita swastikasana utthita trikonasana vamadevasana: posture of Vamadeva vasishthasana: posture of Vasishtha (one of the seven sages) vatayanasana vaikhari: the grossest state of sound; the level of articulated words vairagya: non-attachment; dispassion vayu: wind, air; prana veda: lit. knowledge; most ancient scriptures of humankind. Believed to be divinely revealed in its entirety to rishis deep in meditation. The 4 Vedas are Atharva, Yajur, Sama & Rig, comprising hundreds of hymns & thousands of mantras vidya: knowledge ¶ the name of the goddess that embodies absolute truth viparita garudasana vishnu: the divine force of nourishment & preservation; the preserver in the Hindu trinity viveka: discrimination vritti: that which spins incessantly like a wheel; that which revolves; movement; thought waves; mental modifications yama: restraint, control; the 5 ethical codes of the Yoga Sutra aimed at establishing a yogic relationship between the yogi and the world: ahimsa, satya, asteya, brahmacharya & aparigraha ¶ hatha yoga pradipika lists ten: ahimsa, satya, asteya, brahmacharya, kshama, dhriti, daya, arjava, mitahara & shaucha yantra: the geometric form of a mantra; a physical locus of divinity yoga: union; state of perfect balance & harmony between thought, speech & action as well as body, mind & soul; the marriage of Shiva & Shakti and all its corresponding pairs of polarities: sun & moon, ida & pingala, active & passive, masculine & feminine, light & shade ¶ Yoga also refers to the system of practices that lead to aforementioned state of union ¶ one of the 6 systems of Vedic philosophy, the most practical of the Indian philosophies, based on Sankhya philosophy yoga dandasana: yoga staff pose yoga mudra: seal of yoga yoni: lit. womb ¶ female genitals; perineum yoni dandasana: staff on perineum posture yuga: age, a division of time:the 1st Satya Yuga is the peak of humanity, and the last Kali Yuga, is the nadir; the 2nd Treta & 3rd Dvapara transition between these two, declining progressively |
mn: masculine noun
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