Glossary of Hindu Terms

ahamkara:
The ego-sense; identification with one's ego

ajap‰japa:
A devotee who has practiced japa for a period of years may experience the grace of ajap‰japa. When this happens, recitation of the mantra continues within the devotee's heart without the devotee feeling as though he is consciously willing this to happen. It is as though the recitation is happening all by itself through the grace of God (cf. Gal. 4:6).

ap‰na:
Vital energy associated with the in-breath.

Atman:
Self; the innermost soul in every creature, which is divine. 
(Upanishads, p. 305)
God-within-the-creature is known in the Sanskrit language as the Atman or Purusha, the real Self... According to the Upanishads and the Gita, the one Atman is present within all creatures. Patanjali, following Sankhya philosophy, believed that each individual creature and object has a separate, but identical, Purusha... 
(How to know God: the Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali)

Bhagavan:
God manifesting Himself as a person; the object of worship of the bhaktas. By worshipping God as a person, devotees are able to assume human-like relationships with God, for example: God as parent, devotee as child; God as Lord, devotee as servant. It is also much easier for many people to develop love toward God when He is regarded as a person. Such love is capable of triggering a spiritual awakening once it is a pure, selfless love.

Bhairava:
Bhairava is the God Shiva in one of his most fearsome, terrifying aspects. In this aspect, He is said to destroy the false self.
When referring to the nondifferentiated essential form of Bhairava or the nondifferentiated Self, Tantric writers are emphasizing the utterly transcendent, uncreated aspect of God. In this aspect God cannot be known intellectually. He is the eternal, witnessing Subject that can never be an object of thought. Although He is the source of those attributes which characterize created objects, He himself cannot be characterized.
The word, Bhairava, can be derived etymologically in two different ways: 

1.	The syllables of the name represent the initial syllables of the Sanskrit words for projecting, maintaining, and withdrawing. In other words, the name Bhairava characterizes God's relationship with the created universe. First He projects it, then He maintains it, and finally He withdraws it back into Himself.

2.	Alternatively, the name may also derive from two Sanskrit words which have been joined together, i.e. the Sanskrit words for light and comprehends. According to Jaideva Singh, this derivation suggests that Bhairava is the Light of consciousness which comprehends the entire universe in His very Self. 
(The Yoga of Delight, Wonder, and Astonishment, p. 119)



bhakta:
A follower of the path of bhakti, divine love; a worshipper of the Personal God. 
(The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, p. 594)

bhakti:
Love of God; single-minded devotion to one's Chosen Ideal. 
My comment: In Hindu religion, it is believed that incarnations of God have repeatedly visited the earth, and that God can assume different forms. The Chosen Ideal represents the form of God which is particulary attractive for a given devotee. 
(The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, p. 594)

brahmajnana:
The Knowledge of Brahman. 
(The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, p. 595)

Brahman:
The supreme Godhead, beyond all distinctions or forms; ultimate Reality [from brih.: that which expands] 
(Upanishads, p. 306)

Brahmarandhra:
This is the tenth chakra through which kundalini may pass as it ascends. Its said to be located at the top of the cranium. When kundalini pierces the Brahmarandhra, the yogi experiences a supernal light. Beyond the Brahmarandhra, there are still two higher chakras.

buddhi:
Depending on the context: 

1.	the intellect, 
2.	the ascertaining intelligence, or 
3.	the intuitive aspect of consciousness by which the Self awakens to truth. 
(The yoga of delight, wonder, and astonishment, p. 156)



cetan‰:
According to Jaideva Singh: 

The word cetan‰ is untranslatable. It is intermediate between citi, the supreme Universal consciousness and citta, the individual, empirical mind. Cetan‰ is the intuitive consciousness which serves as anusandh‰tr” -- that which leads and unites the citta with citi. 
(The Yoga of delight, wonder, and astonishment, p. 137)

dharana:
According to Jaideva Singh: 

In Vijnanabhairava {dharana} is used in the wide sense of fixation or concentration of mind or yoga ... {where} yoga is used both in the sense of communion (with the Divine) and the means (upaya) for that communion. So 112 types of yoga or means of communion with Bhairava have been described in this text. 
(p. xxix of The Yoga of delight, wonder, and astonishment)
In Patanjali, the word {dharana} is uses in a {more} limited sense viz; "fixation of the mind on a particular spot." 
(p. xxix of The Yoga of delight, wonder, and astonishment)

Divine Mother:
A name used to refer to any of the female manifestations of God. She represents Brahman's power or energy, which expresses Itself via the dynamic tension between the various opposites which make up the phenomenal universe.
Also see Shakti.

The doer:
It is believed that ultimately God is responsible for all human activity, and that humans are but His instruments.

empowered mantra:
A mantra becomes empowered through the process of initiation. It is during initiation that a disciple receives his or her mantra from the guru. The mantra is empowered in the sense that the guru acts as a vehicle of God's grace, and it is God's grace that is embodied in the mantra.

enquiry, self-enquiry, or vicara:
To seek an answer to the question "Who am I?", not by intellectual reasoning, but by beholding oneself. To look within.

four states of consciousness:
Ordinary consciousness is characterized by three states: 

1.	the waking state 
2.	the dreaming state 
3.	the state of deep sleep 

However mystics claim that there is a fourth state, called tur”ya, which permeates and transcends the three states of ordinary consciousness. It is said to witness everything that occurs during the ordinary states (cf. Song of Solomon 5:2: I slept but my heart was awake). While the subject of ordinary consciousness is the ego, the witness of the fourth state is said to be the Absolute Subject. When the fourth state is experienced, the yogi is filled with the Light of the Essential Self (cf. Matt. 6:22).

Gita:
This is shorthand for the Bhagavad Gita, possibly the most revered of all Hindu scriptures.

householder:
A lay person, as opposed to a monk.

incarnation:
Within non-dualistic branches of Hinduism, it is quite common to regard an enlightened individual as an incarnation of God. The name used to refer to God will vary (e.g. Shiva or Vishnu).

japa:
A mantra is usually one of God's names, or a brief statement or plea directed toward God; the act of repeating the mantra over and over again is japa. Hence japa is a continual invocation of God.

jiva:
The embodied soul. 
(The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, p. 601)

jivanmukta:
A person who is liberated (enlightened) while living (See videhamukta).

jivan-mukti:
The state of being liberated (enlightened) while alive.

jnanayoga:
The path of knowledge, consisting of discrimination, renunciation, and other disciplines. 
(The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, p. 601)

jnani:
One who follows the path of knowledge and discrimination to realize God; generally used to denote a Non-dualist; wise person. 
(The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, p. 602)

Kali:
Kali is one of the female manifestations of God. She represents the power of time. Her physical appearance is most fearsome and symbolizes her boundless power of destruction. She takes away from us everything that is transitory. As long as we regard what is transitory as all there is, we are of course terrified at this prospect. Nonetheless She protects those who are devoted to Her, and through Her grace they pass from the realm of time to the realm of timelessness.
Note that Ramakrishna uses the terms Kali and Shakti more or less interchangeably.

Krishna:
An incarnation of God. He was the friend and charioteer of Arjuna, a human in ancient India. While waiting on a battlefield prior to the initial battle of a ghastly civil war, Arjuna was overcome with despondency. During this time, Krishna offered his advice to Arjuna and it was while listening to Krishna's council that Arjuna became aware for the first time that his long-time friend was in fact God. Krishna's advice to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra was recorded in the Bhagavad Gita, one of the most cherished of Hindu scriptures. 

Kundalini:
Kundalini is spiritual energy. In the vast majority of individuals, it's said to lie dormant at the base of the spine. When activated through one's spiritual practices, it ascends from one spiritual center (chakra) in the body to another. As Kundalini rises through the three upper spiritual centers (beginning with the Brahmarandhra), the practitioners typically report seeing a supernal light.
As kundalini rises, the yogi also begins to perceive the unstruct sound.

manas:
The empirical mind

maya:
That power which creates and maintains the universe's apparent diversity, or to put it in other words, that which causes the One to appear as many.
According to Jaideva Singh, there are two ways of regarding Maya. 

1.	From the perspective of Vivekaja m‰rga, one's essential Self (i.e. atman or purusha) is affirmed to be real, while the apparent diversity of the universe is rejected as being unreal. This is the viewpoint of Patanjala Yoga and of Vedanta. Thus Vivekaja m‰rga is the path of distinction or discrimination. 
2.	From the perspective of Yogaja m‰rga, both Self (i.e. Bhairava) and the diversity of the universe are affirmed as being real. The universe's diversity is regarded as being an expression of Bhairava's Shakti or spiritual energy, which is not distinct from Bhairava. Consequently Yogaja m‰rga is the path of union in which diversity is re-integrated with and not distinguished from its unitary source. Non-dual Kashmir Shaivism (i.e. Shaiv‰gama) follows this path. 
(The Yoga of delight, wonder, and astonishment, p. xvv)



moksha:
Liberation, enlightenment 

nirvikalpa:
During this state the mystic loses consciousness of his or her surroundings, and is absorbed in concentration on the nondifferentiated aspect of God. 

Non-dualist:
Someone whose ideal is to entirely merge with Brahman, losing all sense of individuality. 

Non-volitional life:
As long as you are pursuing your own self-interest, you are leading a volitional life. However enlightened individuals no longer regard themselves as having a self-interest that stands apart from that of others. Nonetheless they still act. It's just that these actions are unmotivated by selfishness. Such activities are regarded as non-volitional. 

pandita:
One who has self-knowlege; a liberated person.

pr‰na:
Depending on the context: 

1.	Vital energy in general, or 
2.	Vital energy that is specifically associated with the out-breath. 


Rama:
An incarnation of God. The story of His earthly life is told in the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. In this story, Rama's dearly beloved wife is kidnapped by a demon. After much difficulty, Rama eventually succeeds in slaying the demon, rescuing his wife, and restoring her to her former position. Allegorically speaking, this represents God's salvation of the individual soul. 

samadhi:
Turning one's attention away from creation toward that which is uncreated. The individual is ecstatically transported and becomes unaware of his surroundings. In Christian mystical literature, this spiritual state is known as rapture. 

Satchidananda:
Another name for Brahman. It is a combination of the words Sat (being), Chit (consciousness), and Ananda (bliss). Emphasizes the unmanifest aspect of the Absolute; It is perceived as being real, while the phenomenal universe is perceived as unreal and illusory. 

Shiva and Shakti:


1.	Broadly speaking God is referred to as Shiva while His power is referred to as Shakti. For practitioners of Tantra, Shiva is the same as Shakti. God is called Shiva when He is conceived as being inactive and unthinkably transcendent. However if one focuses on His activities in relation to His creation (specifically His acts of creation, preservation, and destruction), then we are talking about His Power, which is called Shakti (i.e. the Goddess, also referred to as the Divine Mother). God is not different from His power, but because of the way our mind works, we make a distinction and give different names. To emphasize the unity between God and His Power, God is sometimes referred to as Shiva-Shakti. 
(see The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, p. 193)
Alternatively Shiva may be thought of as Consciousness as Being, while Shakti represents Consciousness as the Power to Become.
Also see Bhairava.

2.	Narrowly speaking Shiva refers to one member of the Hindu trinity. In this trinity God is seen as manifesting Himself as the Creator (Brahma), the Preserver (Vishnu), and the Destroyer (Shiva).



siddha:
A perfected being.

spanda:
This refers to a state of spiritual vibration that is present within the Heart, which is regarded as the seat of consciousness. A very slow vibration results in unconscious, inert objects (like rocks). A faster vibration results in the consciousness of sentient beings. An infinitely fast vibration characterizes the consciousness of God.

Tantra:
A system of religious philosophy in which the Divine Mother, or Power, is the Ultimate Reality; also the scriptures dealing with this philosopy. 
(The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, p. 613)

unmesa:
Literally, this means unfoldment. God is said to unfold every aspect of the universe from Himself. To become conscious of any particular act of unfoldment is to some extent become conscious of the Source.

unmilana samadhi:
This samadhi permits the individual to see God everywhere.

unstruct sound or an‰hata n‰da:
Kundalini is characterized by three different types of energy as it rises through various spiritual centers (known as chakras). At the beginning the energy is said to be gross, and the yogi's consciousness reflects the seeming diversity of the universe. At the intermediate level the energy is more subtle and the yogi's consciousness becomes attuned to the unity within the diversity. At this stage the yogi begins to hear what are known as unstruct sounds. Among other things, these sounds may resemble that of a handbell, a flute, a buzzing bee... As the kundalini continues to rise, the energy becomes subtler still and it's almost as if the yogi becomes absorbed in the subtlest of sounds, a sound which is no sound. At this point the yogi's consciousness stops perceiving diversity altogether. All that remains is I am.

vaidhi-bhakti:
Devotion to God associated with rites and ceremonies prescribed in the scriptures. 
(The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, p. 613)

vasana, conditioning, tendencies, or self-limitation:
Self-imposed limitations; the general idea is that your true self is unbounded and without attributes, yet most people generate their own bondage and subsequent suffering by faulty identification with that which is less than their true self. These limitations are in essence different forms of attachments, such as attachment to one's: 

*	personal history (memory) 
*	personal strengths and weaknesses 
*	presdispositions 
*	likes and dislikes 
*	habbits 
*	habbitual outlook 
*	opinions 

In short all the things that go into building your individual sense of self or ego. The word vasana is usually translated as mental conditioning or subtle tendencies. 

videhamukta:
A soul who is liberated, but who is without a body due to its death (See jivanmukta). 

visarga:
The visarga is viewed as a rhythmic contraction and expansion. The expansive movement results in the manifestation of the universe; the contractive movement results in a return to the origin, God. When the yogin connects with this contractive motion, he is effortlessly propelled to the original, unbounded consciousness of God. It is this contraction and expansion that produces the vibration known as the spanda.

yoga:
According to Jaideva Singh: 

Unfortunately, no word has been profaned so much in modern times as yoga. Fire-walking, acid-swallowing, stopping the heartbeat, etc. pass for yoga when really speaking they have nothing to do with yoga as such. Even psychic powers are not yoga. Yoga is awareness, transformation of the human consciousness into divine consciousness. 
(The Yoga of delight, wonder, and astonishment, p. xxix)

yogi:
One who practices yoga. 



------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mysticism in World Religions | Hindu Mysticism | ©1999 by D. Platt