Bhagavad Gītā Decoded🔗

Abhaya — complete protection

Ābharaṇa — adornment

Abhin — an opium variant

Abhiṣeka — water rituals involving pouring of water on the deity

Abhaya hasta — the hand of the deity showing protection and grace

Abhyāsa yoga — practise of yoga of holding the mind in a state of union with divinity

Āditya — the Sun

Advaita — non-duality; the space of experiencing oneness, infinity with Cosmos where each one is infinitely powerful and infinitely intelligent. Advaita truth integrates the Self and Creator into one non-dual entity, where everything is ‘you’ and ‘you’ are everything.

Advaita anubhava — Non-duality experience where you experience everything animate and inanimate as ‘you.’

Añjana — collyrium, black pigment used to paint the eye lashes

Aśraya doṣa — defect related to reality

Āśirvāda — blessing

Aṣṭāṇga Yoga — eight fold path to enlightenment prescribed by Patañjali, the founding father of yoga, in his Yoga Sūtra Āgāmya karma: karma we accumulate in the present birth Agarbathis: incense Sticks Agni: fire, also ‘god of fire’ Aham: me Ahaṁkāra: the Outer image—the identity or image or ego you project to others and the world Āhāra: food Āhāra śuddhi: purity of food Ahimsā: non-violence Ahirbudhnya: one of the Rudras or the celestial beings Airāvata: the elephant of Indra, king of celestial beings Aja: one of the Rudras or the celestial beings Ājñā cakra: the sixth energy center located between the eyebrows. Means ‘command’ or ‘will’ in Saṃskṛit. This cakra is blocked by one’s own ego. Ākāśa: space, sky; subtlest form of energy of universe Akṣaram: imperishable Ālvārs: Tamil poet saints of south India who lived between the sixth and ninth centuries and espoused emotional devotion or bhakti to Viṣṇu-Kṛṣṇa in their songs of longing, ecstasy and service. Amānitvam: humility Ambā: the eldest daughter of King of Kāśi Amṛta dhāra: flow of nectar Amṛta: divine nectar whose consumption leads to immortality Amṛtatva: immortality Anāhata cakra: subtle energy center in the heart region related to love.

Ānanda Gandha — literally means ‘the fragrance of bliss.’ Ānanda Gandha is a nāḍi, a subtle cosmic energy center just below the heart center (anahata cakra) and above the stomach center (maṇipuraka cakra), which is rarely awakened only by the initiation of an Incarnation. Paramahamsa Nithyananda initiates participants of the Inner Awakening program into the sacred Ānanda Gandha, by which they become the channels of pure cosmic energy as Nithya Spiritual Healers, transmitting healing energy to the world

Ānanda sabha — meditation hall at Nithyananda Ashram, Bidadi

Ānanda spuraṇa — fountain of bliss

Ānandamaya kośa — the fifth and final energy layer in the five layers known as kośas. A meditative journey through the five kośas.

Anantavijaya — Yudhiṣṭhira’s conch

Anasūyanto — without enemy

Anitya — transient

Annadāna — donation of food

Annapūrna Devi — Cosmic Mother, Devi who is ‘giver of food and nourishment.’ She is embodiment of completion with food and supreme welfare. Avatar (incarnation) of Devi Pārvati, Cosmic Mother, divine consort of Lord Śiva. She is the presiding Goddess of the city of Kāshi (Varanasi).

Annāmalai Swamigal — enlightened disciple and personal assistant of enlightened Master Bhagavān Ramaṇa Mahaṛṣi

Annamaya kośa — food or Physical sheath, the first of the five kośas or energy sheaths.

Antarikṣa — space

Anubhūti — inner experience

Anyakāra — the Others’ image—the image or expectation that others carry about you Āpas: water Apyāyanam: tattva (principle) of enriching that awakens the power of living Apāna: part of prāna that works downwards and is responsible for the excretory and reproductory organs Aparājita: form of rudra; also means ‘invincible’ or ‘unconquered’ Aparigraha: concept of non-possessiveness Arāga: detachment Āraṇyaka: part of the vedic literature which describes the significance of rituals. Since they are voluminous they are referred as āranyakas which means forest. Ārati: a Hindu ritual, in which light from wicks soaked in ghee (purified butter) or camphor is offered to one or more deities. Arcāvatara: descent of the divine into the deity for purpose of worship Ardha Kumbhamela: spiritual gathering which happens once in three years in India at one of the four places of Prayāg, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nāsik on the banks of sacred rivers. Ardhanārīśvara: a form of Lord Śiva that is half-man and half-woman Artha: a person who is in distress and suffering Aruṇācala hill: a holy hill in the city of Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, South India; direct embodiment of Lord Śiva Aruṇācala akṣaramanamalai: the soul stirring hymn to Aruṇācala Śiva, composed by the enlightened master Bhagavān Śrī Ramaṇa Mahaṛṣi Aruṇagirināthar: a Tamil poet who lived in the 15th century in Tamil Nadu, India. Authored Tirupugazh, a book of hymns in praise of Lord Muruga, a Hindu god

Aryamā — one of the adityās

Āsana — physical posture

Ashramites — residents of the ashram

Astra — a thought or word that is given an enormous power to destroy by its creator

Āsurī sampat — demonic nature

Aśvatta — banyan tree

Aśtamahāsiddhis — the eight extraordinary mystical powers

Aśvinī — it is the very first of the 27th constellation of stars in Hindu astronomy

Aśvinī kumāras — divine twin horsemen who were also the physicians of the Devas

Atharva veda — the last of the vedas, which are ancient Hindu texts

Atithi devo bhava — ‘consider the guest as God Himself.’ In Bhārat (India), serving the unexpected guest is considered a great enriching act of ‘dāna’ The mantra appears in Taittreya Upaniṣad

Ātma Bhūti — state of Divine

Ātma sādhana — self effort

Ātma vicāraṇa — self enquiry

Ātma vidya — knowledge of the self

Ātma jñāna — Self realization

Ātma śakti — (or ātma siddhi) the power of living; ability to live and radiate the powers of thoughts, words and feeling to create the reality for others and for yourself. Awakened by the tattva of enriching (āpayāyanam)

Avyakta — unseen or unmanifest

Avatār — Incarnation, the Supreme Divine; formless energy, the Super-conscious energy that manifests in human or living form for a specific Cosmic mission to bless, protect and grace humanity; Avatār literally means ‘the happening or the appearance or the descend’ as they appear in human plane with complete consciousness. Avātars are partial (anṣa avatār) or complete Incarnations (Purṇāvatār like Kṛṣna and Mīnākṣi) depending on their divine mission. Kṛṣna promises in Bhagavad Gītā that incarnations or enlightened beings eternally happen again and again to protect their devotees (Sādhu), to destroy the adhārmic (wicked) forces and to re-establish dharma, the Yoga, sacred science of Enlightenment Āzhwars: devotional saints of Tamil Nadu, India B Bālāji: one of the names of the presiding deity of Tirumala Tirupati Bali: a king of the demon race Beedi: local Indian cigarette Bīja: seed; bīja-mantra refers to the single syllable mantras used to invoke certain deities Bhaga: a form of Śiva; a form of the sun Bhagavān: literally god who possesses fortune, divinity; the blessed one; often used for an incarnation, the Supreme God or embodiment of Absolute Truth Bhāgavatam: also called ‘Śrimad Bhāgavataṁ Mahā Purāṇa’. Literally means ‘Divine eternal happenings of Supreme God’; the richest philosophy of God narrating the divine plays of all incarnations of Viṣṇu especially Lord Kṛṣṇa, celebrating the true Divine love of God as path and goal of life and Existence. It explains the scientific history of Brahmāṇda (Existence) and its creation; ultimate compilation by Śrī Veda Vyāsa. Considered the very essence of all Vedānta literatures and the purest, greatest of all Purāṇas; the text incarnation of Lord Kṛṣṇa, as Supreme God

Bhāvanā — visualization

Bhakti — devotion

Bhakta — a devotee

Bhagīratha — ruler of Kośala, a kingdom in ancient India. He performed intense tapas to bring river Ganges to the Earth from the Heavens

Bhaja govindam — collection of 32 (sometimes 34) devotional verses composed by the great enlightened master and incarnation Ādi Śaṅkarācarya. This is considered to be the essence of Vedānta and Advaita philosophy

Bharaṇi — a form of poetry in the Tamil Sangam literature

Bharata — brother of lord Rāma in Rāmāyaṇa

Bhāva roga — emotional diseases

Bhāvana — visualization

Bhū garbha — womb of the mother

Bhūta śarīra vāsa — life in the earlier body or the previous birth

Big Bang — one of the cosmological models of the Universe; proposed by Georges Lemaitre, a Roman Catholic priest

Bodhi Dharma — Bodhi Dharma was a Buddhist monk from southern India who lived during the early 5th century and is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Zen to China.

Brahma — the Lord of Creation; one of the sacred trinity—Brahma, Viṣṇu, Śiva

Brahmavidyā — the science of the spiritual knowledge of the Absolute Universal reality. Considered the highest ideal of knowledge to be known in Sanatana dharma. Another name to define Bhagavad Gītā

Brahmakapāla — begging bowl made of Lord Brahma’s skull that is insatiable (refers to wordly pursuits that are unending) Brahmān: refers to the Supreme Self Brāhmaṇa: individuals engaged in attaining the highest spiritual knowledge; the class of the society involved in learning and spreading knowledge Brahmanyam bahuputratām: the state of being the favorite inheritor of the cosmos Brahma Jñāna: Self Realization; knowledge of the Self or Brahman Brahma sūtra: ancient spiritual treatise authored by Veda Vyāsa or Badrāyaṇa Brahmaloka: the highest of the celestial worlds Brahmāṇḍa: cosmos, macrocosm (also see Pinḍāṇḍa) Brahmāstra: divine nuclear weapon in Vedic history of Bhārat by great accomplished warriors and sages; invoked by the power of mantras, sound vibration frequency. Used in Mahābharat world war Brahmacarya: the state of living without fantacies or living like God; the person who walks the path of Brahma (Divine) Brahmins: priestly / scholarly class of Hindus responsible for preserving and propagating the scriptures Bṛhadāranyaka Upaṇiṣad: one of the primary (mukhya) Upaṇiṣads contained within the Śatapatha Brahmana, a portion of the Brahmana text branch, associated with the Śukla Yajurveda ascribed to Yajñavalkya. Its name implies, ‘the great forest of Absolute Knowledge.’; asserting the Truth of Advaita (non-duality) and contains the Mahāvākya of ‘Ahaṁ Brahmāsi—I am Brahman’ ‘Puṛnamada puṛnamidam...’ and mantra of ‘Oṁ asato ma satgamaya..’ and commented on by Ādī Śaṅkarācārya Bhū Bhāra: the weight (bhāra) on Mother earth (Bhū)—implies the weight on unconsciousness or collective negativity on earth)

Bhṛgu — great sage of the Vedic tradition

Brihat sāma — a part of the Chāndogya Upaniṣad

Brindāvan — or Vṛndāvan, sacred place where Kṛṣṇa grew up near present day Mathurā, U.P

Caitanya Mahāprabhu — a 15th century Enlightened Master from Bengal, India steeped in devotion to Lord Kṛṣṇa; An Incarnation of Kṛṣṇa Himself who appeared to teach the science of pure devotion (prema bhakti) to Kṛṣṇa in Mahā-bhāva. His followers are known as Gaudīya Vaiśṇavas; essence of His teachings is encapsulated in Śikṣāśtakam (8 verses)

Cakra — energy centers in the body. Literally means ‘wheel’ based on the experience of mystics who perceived these energy centers as whirlpools of energy. There are seven major chakras along the spine: Mūlādhāra, Svādhiṣṭhāna, Maṇipūraka, Anahata, Viśuddhi, Ājñā and Sahasrāra.

Catur veda — the four Vedas, namely—Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda, Sāma Veda and Atharva Veda; the large body of spiritual texts of Truth organized around four canonical collections; directly revealed to the enlightened sages, as Śrutis (‘what is heard’); Originally in 100,000 verses in total, now 20,379 verses in total are available. The latest reproduction of Vedas is by Bhagavān Veda Vyāsa, about 5000 years ago

Catur tattvas — the four sacred life principles namely—integrity, authenticity, responsibility, enriching as revealed by Paramahamsa Nithyananda. Each tattva represents the essence of all each of the Catur Vedas

Cakṣu — energy behind the power of sight. Candāla: low caste person Cār dhām: four sacred pilgrim centres in the Himalayas, namely— Haridwar, Rishikesh, Kedarnath and Badrinath Candramā: moon Charles Townes: an American Nobel Prize-winning physicist and educator; well-known for his work in Maser and Quantum electronics Cidākāśa : the space in the surrounding( e.g. as in a room). The other two being ghaṭākāśa and mahākāśa. Mahākāśa is the third infinite space of Consciousness. Citragupta: a Hindu god assigned with the task of keeping complete records of actions of human beings on the earth, and upon their death, deciding as regards sending them to the heaven or the hell, Citraratha: a gandharva, a celestial being Cidākāśa: the inner space; literally means ‘the sky of inner space.’ Dadhīci: a great sage Daityas: race of beings that fought against demi gods Daivī saṁpat: divine nature Dakṣiṇāmūrti swamigal: great south indian saint Dakṣiṇāyanam: the six months in the year when the sun moves to the southern hemisphere Dakṣiṇeśvar: a small town in West Bengal, famous for its Kālī temple where Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahamsa lived Dāna: sharing or imparting. Considered a sacred sacrifice to enrich others.

Dānava — a race of the asuras or deamons

Darśan — vision; usually referred to seeing divinity

Dāsa bhāva — feeling that you are a servant of the Master

Dasa graha — ten major heavenly bodies

Devaki — Lord Kṛṣṇa’s birth mother

Devatas — demigods

Devī — supreme goddess in Hinduism, Cosmic Mother; Ādi Śakti, the primordial energy of Existence

Devī Gāyatrī — goddess of knowledge

Deśa — country or a region

Dharma — righteousness, the eternal path of living in righteousness or Truth

Dharmakṣetra — holy land of dharma

Dhanañjaya — the name of a vital air nourishing the body; the winner or conqueror of wealth­—a name of Arjuna called by Kṛṣṇa in Mahābhārat

Dhāraṇa — collection or concentration of the mind (joined with the retention of breath)

Dharmo rakṣati rakṣitah — dharma protects the one who protects it

Dhī — intellect Dhīraḥ: courageous person. Term used by Svami Vivekānanda in exhorting his followers

Dhyāna — meditation

Dhyāna yoga — path of meditation techniques

Dīkṣa — grace bestowed by the Master (Guru) and the energy transferred by the Master to the disciple as an initiation or any other time, through a mantra, a touch, a glance or even a thought.

Divya cakṣu — divine eye. Also called divya netra Doṣa: defect Dṛṣṭi: sight, seeing with mental eye Dṛṣṭi Sṛṣṭi: [lit: sight (dṛṣṭi), world or creation (sṛṣṭi)] seeing the world as we wish to see it Drupada: king of Pāñcāla, a great warrior, father of Draupadī Duḥkha: pain Dvaita: school of thought that says the individual self is separate from existence Dveśa: aversion Dvija: twice born. Refers to the state of awakening of individual Consciousness. Durga: meaning ‘the inaccessible or the invincible’, Durga is a popular fierce form of the Hindu Goddess or Devi. Dussanga: company or association of the wicked E Ekapāda: form of rudra Ekādaśi: eleventh day of every lunar month in the Hindu calendar. Normally people fast on this day for spiritual benefits Energy darśan: the blessing or transmission of energy given by enlightened Master or an Incarnation imparting the cosmic energy to the recipient. Engram: the embedded smell of a past action leading one to commit the same act G

Gadā — weapon similar to a mace; also gadhāyudaḥ

Gandharvas — celestial beings with superb musical skills; act as messengers between God and man

Gaṅgā — the most celebrated river in India, considered holy by all Hindus.

Gaṅgotri — a famous pilgrim town where the river Gaṅgā originates.

Garuḍa — eagle; Lord Viṣṇu’s vehicle

Garbha mandir — sanctum sanctorum of a temple

Ghaṭākāśa — the space enclosed by our physical body

Ghee — clarified butter

Giriśa — a form of Rudra, Lord Śiva

Girivala — circumambulating Aruṇācala, the holy hill of Tiruvannamalai for spiritual benefits

Gomukh — holy place in Himālayas. River Gaṅgā originates from the snout of Gomukh glacier

Gongura chutney — spicy south indian side dish

Gopikas — cow herdess who were Kṛṣṇa’s playmates Gopura, gopuram: temple tower

Govinda — another name for Lord Kṛṣṇa

Govindapāda — the guru of enlightened Master Ādi Śaṅkara

Gṛhasta — a householder, a married person; coming from the word gṛha, meaning house

Guṇa — the three human behavioural characteristics or predispositions; satva, rajas and tamas.

Guru — Master; literally one who leads from gu (darkness) to ru (light) Gurukul, Gurukulam: literally ‘tradition of guru’, refers to the ancient education system in which children were handed over to a Guru at a very young age by parents for upbringing and education Guḍākeśā: one who has transcended sleep by conquering his incompletions; refers to name of Arjuna Gurudakṣiṇā: offering to the Guru Guruji: Master Guru Pūjā: ritual sacred worship of the Master. Tradition started by Devi in gratitude to Ādi Guru, Śiva Guru Parampara: lineage of gurus Guru Swami: a person who leads a holy trip to Śabrimala H Hanumān: the monkey god from the epic Rāmāyaṇa; energy of Lord Śiva; endowed with 8 mystic powers, Aṣtamahāsiddhis and exemplifies pure devotion in dāsa bhāva—serving Lord Rāma Hara: a form of Rudra, Lord Śiva Hare Kṛṣṇa: a holy chant on Lord Kṛṣṇa Haridwār: or Hardvār; temple town in North India; one of the holiest places for Hindus on the banks of sacred river Gangā. Hariścāndra: a famous king of the Solar dynasty renowned for his piety and justice. He sacrificed his wife and child to keep his word Hastināpura: a town in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It was the capital of the kingdom of the Kauravas Hṛd garbha: womb of the heart Hiraṇyagarbha: literally means ‘the golden womb’ where gold means the space of completion and joy of creation.Upaniṣads calls it the source of creation of the Universe or the manifested cosmos. It finds its mention in a hymn in the Ṛg Veda named ‘Hiraṇyagarbha Sūkta,’ suggesting a single creator deity; Paramahamsa Nithyananda defines Hiraṇyagarbha as our powerful inner space—the space where planets and worlds get created and destroyed

Hiraṇyakaśipu — a demonic king who wanted to rule the worlds as god; father of the great child devotee of Lord Nārāyaṇa, Prahlād; he got annihiliated by Nārāyaṇa in the incarnartion of Lord Nṛsimbha, half-man and half-lion avatār

Holi — Indian festival celebrated with colors

Homa — ritual to Agni, the god of fire; metaphorically represents the transfer of energy from the energy of Ākāśa (space), through Vāyu (Air), Agni (Fire), Āpas (Water), and Pṛthvī (Earth) to humans. Also yāga, yajña

Homa kuṇḍa — sacrificial fire pit

Homa — a fire ritual

Hṛṣīkeśa — controller of the senses and superconscious, refers to Lord Kṛṣṇa

Halāhala — (or Kālakootam); the most deadliest and venemous poison that emerged from the churning of the milky ocean, Samudra Manthan by Devas and Asuras (God and demons)—as narrated in Bhagavad Purāṇa, Mahābhārat. Signfies the collective negativity of Cosmos. Lord Śiva as Nīlakanṭha, drank this poison to save the mankind and Cosmos from the negativity and held it in His throat.

Icchā śakti — energy of desire. The other two are kriya śakti, energy of action and jñāna śakti, energy of knowledge.

Icchā — desire

Iḍā — along with piṅgala and suṣuṁna, the virtual energy pathway through which pranic energy flows awakening the Kunḍalini energy Ikṣvāku: was the first king of the Ikṣvāku dynasty and founder of the Solar Dynasty of kṣatriyas in vedic civilization in ancient India. Indra: god of all divine beings Indra loka: the abode of Indra, heaven (or swarga) Indraprastha: (lit: the city of Indra) ‘the land of creation.’ The capital kindgom of Pāṇḍavas in Mahābhārat. Was a barron un-inhabited land known as Khāndavaprasta. which the Pānḍavas turned into a prosperous city by the grace of Lord Indra and Kṛṣṇa; built by the divine architect, Viśvakarma. Itihāsa: (lit: history); epic, historical happenings; also purāṇa; the Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārat are the 2 main Itihās in Vedic history; (common misnomer: mythology) Iṣṭadevatā: favourite deity Īśvara: Lord of the Universe Īśvaratva: the space of leadership consciousness awakened by the tattva of responsibility; the dimension of being the Lord where one takes ownership and responsibility for the whole Universe Īśa Vāsya Upaniṣad or Īṣopaniṣad: (lit: enveloped by Energy or Īśa, Lord) The first and one of the shortest Upaniṣads of the Hindu scriptures; appears in the Śukla Yajur Veda in a poetic form describing the nature of the Supreme Being. Starts with ‘Īśa vāsya idaṃ sarvam—out of energy arises all matter’ Intranalyze: (intra-analyze) analyzing for the sake of internalizing the Truth, and not for rejecting it. Saṃskṛit term from Vedānta is ‘Manana’. The term coined and gifted by Paramahamsa Nithyananda. J

Jagat — Universe

Jagat guru — Master of the whole Universe

Jahnu — a sage

Janaka — a noble and benevolent king who ruled Mithila; father of princess Sītā in the epic Rāmāyaṇa.

Janārdana — another name for Lord Kṛṣṇa

Janmas — births

Japa — repetition of mantras either silently or loudly

Jāṭarāgni — digestive fire inside our body

Jayanti — the Saṃskṛit word for birth anniversary

Jiḍḍu Kṛṣṇamurti — renowned Indian philosopher

Jāgrata — wakefulness

Jāti — birth

Jāti-doṣa — defect related to birth

Jīva samādhi — burial place and energy field of an enlightened Master or an Incarnation, where he decides to rest His mortal form and continues to radiate His living presence and super conscious energy.

Jīvātman — the ordinary soul

Jīvan mukta — a person who is liberated from the bondage even while living with a body

Jīvanmukta sambhāvana — the inner recognition of the state of enlightenment

Jīvan Mukti — the science of living enlightenment, living a liberated life while in the body

Jñāna — knowledge Jñāna garbha: womb of the knowledge Jñāna Yagña: the enriching sacrifice of knowledge; enriching oneself by offering the mind onto the highest knowledge Jñānendriya: organs of knowledge Jyotiṣa: Astrology; jyotiṣi is an astrologer Jyoti stambha: infinite shaft of light; In Arunachala, Lord Śiva appeared as an infinite column of light to grace Lord Viṣṇu and Lord Brahma; unmanifest beginning of Cosmos, the Big Bang, from where the manifest Universe appears. K Kailāśa: A part of Himalayas in Tibet; the abode of Lord Śiva and His family and disciples; a place of eternal bliss Kaivalya: liberation; same as mokṣa, nirvāṇa Kāla: time Kālī: (or Durga) a Hindu goddess, Mother of cosmic energy as Time; the powerful feminine aspects of goddess Pārvati, associated with power and courage Kālabhairava or Mahā Kālabhairava: Supreme Lord of Time and Space, and beyond; independent energy of Lord Śiva who destroys the past to create the future. He destroys the ego of Brahma and holds his skull ‘Kapāla’ in His hand; the presiding guarding God of Kāśi Kṣetra or Varanasi; embodiment of power, joy and compassion. 52 forms of Kālabhairava protect each of the 52 Śakti Pīṭhas, the sacred temples of Devi Ādi Śakti. Kapila Muni: the founder of Sāṅkhya philosophy­in Sanatana dharma; the founding father of Mahānirvaṇi Pīṭha; Bhagavān Kapila is the celebrated incarnation as of Viṣṇu and Śiva in Śrimad Bhāgavataṁ; the first thinking being on earth who experienced completion

Kalpa — According to Vedic cosmology, one cycle of 4 Yugas is 4.32 million years. Brahma’s 1 day is equal to 1,000 cycles of 4 yugas, called 1 Kalpa. (Yugas follow a timeline ratio of 4:3:2:1) Kalpataru, kalpavṛkśa: a wish-fulfilling divine tree; sacred banyan tree embodying cosmic energy; associated with spiritual awakening

Kalpana — imagination

Kāma — sensory pleasures, also means lust

Kāmadhenu — sacred cow

Kāminī — women

Kāñcana — gold

Kanyādāna — giving away a bride

Kāraṇa śarīra — causal body

Karma — spiritual law of cause and effect, driven by vāsana and samskāra

Karma kāndis — seekers who follow the path to achieve the ultimate through action

Karmaphala — literally action (karma), fruit (phala). The outcome or fruit of action

Karmendriya — organs of action

Karmī — one driven by desire

Karṇa — son of Kuntī, also is a step brother to the Pāṇḍavas; renowned for his generosity

Kārthigai Deepam — Festival of lights celebrated on full moon day in month of November/December in South India

Karuṇāmūrti — god of mercy

Kāśī — holy place on the banks of river Ganges; the city of Lord Śiva; also called Ānanda Van Kaśyapa: an ancient sage believed to be the father of devas (celestial beings), asuras (demons) and the humans Kathāmṛtam: words of immortality (amṛta) describing the divine happenings (kathā) your life Kaṭhopaniṣad: one of the principal Upaniṣads, gives the science of Death and liberation; chronicles the journey of a courageous boy named Naciketa who faces death and experiences liberation through Yama (MahāKāla) Kavacham: shield Kaurava: one of the two principal clans in the epic, Mahābhārat Kāvi vastra: saffron cloth usually worn by mendicants Keśava: another name for Lord Kṛṣṇa Keśī: a demon, was slain by Lord Kṛṣṇa Khadga : sword Kīrtans: devotional songs Koan: Zen parables, an anecdote or riddle without any solution to show the inadequacy of logical reasoning Kośa: energy layer surrounding body; there are 5 such layers. These are: annamaya or body, prānamaya or breath, manomaya or thoughts, vijñānamaya or sleep and ānandamaya or bliss kośas Kriya śakti: energy of action. Other two energies are energy of desire and energy of knowledge. Krodha: anger Kṛpā: grace Kṛṣṇārjuna Saṃvād: the discussion or talk between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna; another name for Bhagavad Gītā Kṛpācārya: a great general who fought in the battle of Kurukṣetra on the side of the Kauravas

Kriya — technique or practice within a yoga discipline meant to achieve a specific result.

Kṣaṇa — moment in time; refers to time between two thoughts

Kṣatriya — warrior class

Kṣema — protection, protecting what one has

Kṣipram — instant

Kubera — Lord of Wealth

Kumbh Mela — large spiritual gathering on the planet that occurs four times every twelve years, attracting millions of people. The four locations of Kumbh Mela are Prayāg in Allahabad at the confluence of Gaṅgā, Yamuna and the underground Sarasvati river; Haridwar on the banks of Gaṅgā; Ujjain along the Kṣipra river and Nasik along the Godāvarī river.

Kuṇḍalinī — energy that resides at the root chakra ‘mūlādhāra’

Kubera — the lord of wealth

Kuṇḍalini śakti — dormant potential energy at the base of the spine

Kurukṣetra — the sacred and where the great war of Mahābharat was fought between the Pāṇḍavas and the Kauravas in the Haryana state of India

Kuṣa grass — sacred grass used in the Vedic tradition for various religious ceremonies. The seat made of Kuṣa grass and covered with a skin and a cloth is considered ideal for meditation.

Lakṣmī — goddess of wealth and fortune; divine consort of Śrī Viṣṇu

Lakṣmī Yantra — the divine mystical drawing that bestows wealth

Lakṣman — younger brother of Lord Rāma in Rāmāyaṇa epic, who is devoted in unswerving loyalty, love and surrender to Rāma and Sitā; avatār (incarnation) of Ādi Śeśa, the original serpent Līlā: divine play; acts of the Divine Lobha: greed Mādhava: another name for Lord Kṛṣṇa; means ‘husband of the Goddess of fortune’; Arjuna calls Kṛṣṇa as Mādhava in Bhagavad Gītā (1.36) Madhura bhāva: the relationship of beloved between Master and disciple Madhusūdana: another name for Kṛṣṇa, slayer of the demon madhu Mahā Samādhi: Attaining Enlightenment and leaving the body; the final Liberation Mahā: great Mahaṛṣi: great perfected sage Mahāvatar Bābā: the great avatār living in Himalayas in eternal youth for thousands of years. The Great Master who graced Paramahamsa Nithyananda with spiritual vision, experience during his Parivṛājaka, spiritual wanderings at Kedarnath and bestowed the name—Paramahamsa Nithyananda. Mahābhārat: the Great Hindu epic happening; the Itihās-5th Veda along with Rāmāyaṇa; whose central characters are the five Pāṇḍava princes with their wife Draupadī, their hundred Kaurava cousins with the complete Incarnation, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa ascribed by Bhagavān Veda Vyāsa. Mahābhārat is the personification of Bhagāvad Gītā’s teachings that re-establishes Sanatanā Dharma, the eternal religion of Truth on earth

Mahākaśa — the whole cosmos

Mahāmaṇḍaleśvar — prestigious title given to the holy leader of a very large religious organization or Pīṭha or Akhādā; signifies the highest level of traditional spiritual Hindu guardianship.

Mahānirvaṇi Pīṭha — the most ancient apex official body of Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism). It traces its recorded roots to 8th century A.D revived by Ādī Śaṇkara. Lord Kapila Muni, incarnation of Viṣṇu and Mahādeva, who is glorified in the Śrimad Bhāgavatam, is the spiritual guiding force of this Pīṭha. Paramahamsa Nithyananda is the 1008th Mahāmaṇḍaleśvar of Mahānirvaṇi Pīṭha.

Mahāmeru — a mountain

Mahāparinirvāṇa — day of enlightened souls

Mahāvākya — great sayings from the Upaniṣads. There are four: Aham Brahmāsmi, Tat Tvam Asi, Ayam Ātma Brahma and Prājñānam Brahma. All four mean that You are the Divine.

Mahāvīra — Varthamana Mahāvira was the 24th and last tīrthaṅkara or enlightened one, and established the tenets of the religion of Jainism, founded in India and now practiced by millions worldwide.

Mahā Kālabhairava — see Kālabhairava

Makara — name of a fish

Mālā — a garland, a necklace; rudrākṣamālā is a garland made of the seeds of the rudrākṣa tree

Mama — my own

Mamakāra — inner image you carry about yourself, that constantly says that you are smaller than what you think you are

Mana śarīra — mental layer

Manana — thinking, contemplating or intranalyzing

Manas — mind Mānava: humans Mandir: temple Maṇḍana Miśra: a contemporary of Ādi Śaṅkarā who later became his disciple named Śureśvarācārya. Maṅgala: auspicious; maṅgala sūtra, literally auspicious thread, the yellow or gold thread or necklace, a married Hindu woman wears Maṇipūraka cakra: subtle energy center located near the navel region, related to the emotion of worry. Mānickavāsagar: one of the 63 Nāyanmars, authored Thiruvasagam, a collection of hymns in praise of Lord Śiva. Manipuṣpaka: Sahādeva’s conch Manomaya Kośa: the third mental energy sheath in the five Kośas or energy sheaths Mano śakti: (or manosiddhi) the power of thinking; ability to focus and align your thoughts with authenticity to make the thoughts happen as reality. Awakened by the tattva of authenticity (śraddha) Mantra: a sound, a formula; sometimes a word or a set of words, which because of their inherent sounds, have energizing properties. Mantras are used as sacred chants to worship and invoke the Divine Manu: father of mankind, son of Lord Brahma, the creator. Manusmṛti: code of conduct written by Manu, the father of mankind for harmonious existence Marut: storm dieties Mārgazhi: refers to the month of January in Tamil Mātṛ bhāva: feeling that the Master is like the mother Māyā: that which is not reality, but gives the illusion that it is real—‘yā mā iti māya’; all life is māyā according to Advaita Māyā Śakti: power of illusion; phrase used in Tantra

Meimai — living the truth through your body

Melkote — holy town in Karnataka, India where Śrī Rāmānujacārya, the great saint lived

Menakā — a celestial maiden

Mīnākśi — The Cosmic Mother, Ādi Śakti. She is the complete incarnation of Devi; consort of Lord Śiva as Śundareśvara; Mīnākśi and Śundareśvara are the presiding deities and living presence at Madurai, Tamil Nadu.

Mīmāmsā — a system of ancient Indian philosophy

Mīrā — a great devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa

Mithya — transient

Mohinī — the only female incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu with the most beautiful, attractive form

Mokṣa — liberation; same as nirvāṇa, samādhi, turīya etc.

Mṛtyuñjaya Homa — fire ritual done to avoid untimely death and improve longevity of life.

Munḍa — the shaven head

Muni — realized being Mūdhaḥ: fool

Mūlādhāra cakra — energy center located at the base of the spine

Mula vichāra dhārā — the right Saṃskṛit word for ‘root thought pattern’

Mula vāsana — root thought pattern; the behaviorial kārmic imprints that make us react to life and others based on past inadequate cognitions

Muṇḍaka Upaṇiṣad — or Muṇḍakopniṣad is one of the primary or Mukhya Upaṇiṣads associated with the Atharva Veda; a mantra Upaṇiṣad—it has the form of a mantra, teaching the knowledge of Brahman; as a dialogue between Ṛṣi Śaunaka and Angiras. The mantra, ‘Satyamaiva Jayate’ (3.1.6) and ‘Brahma Vid Brahmaiva Bhavati’ (3.2.9) appear in this Upaṇiṣad. N Nārī: woman Nārada: a divine sage and the greatest devotee, bhakta of Lord Viṣṇu always chanting— ‘Nārāyaṇa Nārāyaṇa’; he playfully causes quarrels among Gods; he has no definite place of stay and keeps traveling the Universe Nāyanmārs: Tamil devotee saints of Lord Śiva, 63 in number, whose life stories are told in the book Peria Puranam Nīlakaṇṭha: the one with the ‘blue throat,’ refers to Lord Śiva; attributed to His divine play of drinking the deadly posion, Hālahāla which emerged during Samudra Manthan, the churning of the milky ocean by Devas and Asuras (gods and demons). Na iti: not this Naciketa: lead character and boy hero in Kaṭhopaniṣad, believed to have learnt the secret of death from Lord Yama (god of death) himself. Nadi: river Nāḍī: nerve; also an energy pathway that is not physical Nāga sādhu: ascetic who does not wear clothes Nāga: a snake Nakṣatrāṇi: stars Namaḥ: I surrender to you Namaskār: traditional greeting with raised hands, with palms brought together, denoting surrender of the self.

Nānta — without end

Nārāyaṇa — another name for Lord Viṣṇu

Nārāyaṇī Senā — the most powerful divine army of Lord Nārāyaṇa as Śrī Kṛṣna; Kṛṣna gave His army to Duyodhana in the great Mahābhārat war

Nara — man; also depicts the human aspect of lord Viṣṇu; reflection of Nārāyaṇa

Narmadā — a holy river in central India

Naṭarāja — a depiction of Lord Śiva as the cosmic dancer, main deity in the famous temple at Chidambaram

Navagraha — nine major heavenly bodies as defined in Hindu sacred history

Neeru — water in Kannada

Neti neti — this is not

Nididhyāsana — powerfully living and radiating the Truth; expressing in your life. One of the three concepts in Hinduism (Vedānta)— Śravana, Manana, Nididhyāsana.

Nirguṇa — formless

Nirguṇa brahman — consciousness that cannot be limited to a form

Nirmohatvam — non attachment to desires

Nirāhara Saṁyama — the science of living beyond food patterns, a breakthrough spiritual process designed and revived by Paramahamsa Nithyananda to live without food radiating peak health and energy, intaking energy directly from prāṇa (air energy) and cosmic source, through the power of initiation by Paramahamsa Nithyananda. (www.bfoodfree.org)

Nirāharī — A person initiated by Paramahamsa Nithyananda into the science of Nirāhāra Saṁyama, who is living beyond food patterns, without the need for food intake Nirvāṇa : liberation; same as mokṣa, samādhi Nirvāṇi akhāda: the Saṅgha of Nāga sādhus Nirvikalpa samādhi: the state of deep meditation wherein one transcends the form of the deity and experiences the pure space of Advaita, infinite oneness with Cosmos and beyond. Nisargadatta Mahāraj: an enlightened Master who lived in Mumbai. Passed away on 8th September 1981, at the age of 84. Nissanga: beyond the state of the need of sanga (association) Nissaṅgatvam: a state of being non-attached Nityānanda: eternal (nitya) bliss (ānanda); name and state of Paramahamsa Nithyananda Nithyānandeshwar: name of Lord Śiva as the main presiding deity at Nithyananda temples Nithyānando’ham: ‘Nithyananda I am’; means ‘I am Nithya Ānanda. I am eternal bliss.’; the great mantra revealed by Paramahamsa Nithyananda to experience and live Advaita Nithya kīrtans: holy hymns and bhajans sung in the Nithyananda Sangha in the space of devotion to Divine Nithya dhyana yoga: the first level meditation program conducted by Nithyananda Sangha; also called Life Bliss Program (level 1) for intiation into the science of completion with self Nithya kriya yoga: the second level meditation program conducted by Nithyananda Sangha; also called Life Bliss Program (level 2) for deeper initiation into the science of completion Nithya yoga: The authentic science and system of Aṣtāṇga Yoga, with the experiential insight of Patañjali’s vision, revived by Paramahamsa Nithyananda; the path and purpose of Nithya yoga is bliss, where bliss arising out of the uniting of mind, body and spirit is experienced

Nivṛtti — inward looking; ‘path of completion leading to more and more completion.’

Niyama — moral discipline, the second of eight paths of Patañjali’s Aṣṭāṇga Yoga; refers to a number of day-to-day rules of observance for a spiritual path

Nṛsimha Avatār — incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu in which he is half-lion and half-human Nyāya Śāstra: scripture of logic called Nyāya Darśan by Sage Gautam that gives the science of logical quest for God, the absolute Divinity. It establishes the fact that only Divinity is desirable, knowable, attainable, and not this world through 16 steps of logical discussions, 16 Padārtha

Nyāya — logic O

Oṁ — sacred syllable; the primordial sound Oṁ Śanti Śanti Śantihi: the peace chants at the end of meditation or prayer or religious activity

Oṁkāreśvar — a Hindu temple, located in Shivapuri island on Narmada river; shaped like the sacred symbol ‘Om’ with presiding deity of Lord Śiva. P

Pāda — feet, also means quarter of a poem

Pādaseva — service to the feet; usually to that of the Master

Padā — the ‘word’

Padārtha — the meaning or figure of the ‘word’ Pāduka: sacred sandals Pāṇḍavas: five brothers in Mahābharata, also sons of Pāṇḍu Pāñcāla: an ancient region in North India, around the rivers Ganges and Yamuna Pāñcāli: another name for Draupadī , the wife of the Pāṇḍavas Pāni: water in hindi language Paṇḍit: scholar Pañca bhūta: five elemental energies that sustain us, namely, earth, water, fire, air and ether Pañca indriya: five senses Pāñcajanya: Lord Kṛṣṇa’s conch Pāpa: sin Pārtha: (lit: son of Prithā or Kuntī); name of Arjuna called lovingly by Kṛṣṇa Parantapa: another name of Arjuna; means the destroyer of enemies Parabrahma Kṛṣṇa: Kṛṣṇa as the cosmic energy, the Supreme God Parāśakti: the supreme cosmic energy; Devi Ādi Śakti, the source of existence Paramahamsa: literally the ‘supreme swan’; refers to an Enlightened being; title of honor applied to Hindu spiritual teachers who are regarded as having attained Enlightenment, the state of non-duality, Advaita; a brahmajṅāni Paramahamsa Upaniṣad: Fourth upaniṣad of Śukla Yajurveda that describes the space, state of an Enlightened Being as Supreme Divine Being (Veda Puruṣa), as a discussion between Nārada and Lord Brahma. Paramahamsa Yogānanda: an enlightened master, advocated practice of Kriya Yoga to attain Self-realization.

Parikrama — the ritual of going around a holy location, such as a hill or water body

Parivrājaka — wandering by an ascetic monk

Patañjali — father and founder of Yoga, famous for his treatise on yoga called Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras

Pauṇḍra — Bhīma’s conch

Paśupati — In Śaiva tradition, the pure soul and the soul that reflects on the body is Paśupati. The pure soul is Pati (lord or protector) and the reflection of the soul on the body is Paśu (living entity); Lord Śiva is called Paśupatināth

Pazhani — a famous pilgrim town in south india

Periyapurānam — A Tamil classic by Sekkizhar on the lives of the 63 Nāyanmārs, the devotee saints of Lord Śiva.

Phala — fruit; phalāśruti refers to the assumed benefits of worship

Piṇḍāṇḍa — individual microcosm as against Brahmānda or universe; the space enclosed in the form

Piṅgala — please see idā

Prāṇāyāma — lit: ‘extension of the life energy force’ through the breath modulation and control; the fourth limb of the Āṣṭāṇga Yoga of Patañjali Yoga Sutra.

Prāṇa śakti — bliss energy

Prāṇa Pratiṣṭha — installation of cosmic energy in the main diety

Prāṇa — life energy; also refers to breath; prāṇāyāma is control of breath

Prāṇamaya kośa — The second sheath of energy in the 5 layer kośa system

Prārabdha karma — karmas based on which this life has been assumed Praṇava: mystic symbol ‘Om’ Prahlād: a great devotee of lord Viṣṇu and son of Hiranyakaśīpu, the demon king Prajāpati: a Hindu diety from whom all beings are believed to originate Prakṛti: Nature Prakāśa: illuminated knowledge Prakaśānanda Sarasvati: a Rasik saint in the tradition of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, his teachings are mainly based on the Bhagavad Gītā. Pralaya: the great deluge Prasād: food offered to God and eaten by devotees with his blessings Pratijānīhi: declare it boldly Pratyāhāra: fifth limb of Patañjali’s Aṣṭaṇga Yoga referring to turning away from sensory inputs Pratyāhāra: literally ‘staying away from food’; in this case refers to control of all senses as part of the eight fold Aṣṭaṇga Yoga Pravṛitti: looking outward (the worldly life), ‘path of incompletion leading to more incompletion.’ Prayāg: city in the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, one of four sites of the mass Hindu pilgrimage Kumbh Mela, the others being Haridwar, Ujjain and Nāsik. It is situated at the confluence of the three rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Sarasvati Prema śakti: (or prema siddhi) the power of feeling; ability to feel and express the power of thoughts and words as reality. Awakened by the tattva of responsibility (upāyanam) Prithā: another name for Kuntī Pṛthvī: earth energy Pūjā: form of ritual worship

Punnāgavarāli — a tune in carnatic music, believed to be a melody that can mesmerize snakes

Puṇya — merit, beneficence

Purāṇa — the great historical happenings and narrations that depict the glory of Divine and Its sacred plays, līlās. (common misnomer-mythology)

Purohit — priest

Puruṣa — the personification of the Supreme energy

Puruṣottama — means Supreme Being amongst all beings; one of the glorious names of Lord Viṣṇu. Lord Kṛṣṇa speaks a complete chapter (ādhyāya) on Puruṣottama Yoga in Gītā

Puṣpaka vimānam — historical Aircraft that functioned with the power of mantras, the energy of sound vibrations.

Pūrṇāvatār — complete, absolute Incarnation of God who appears in human plane of Existence in Its pure form with His infinite energies and qualities

Pūrṇa — literally ‘complete’; refers in the advaita context to reality

Pūrnatva — the space or state of ‘completion’ that signifies the Truth that from completion (whole) comes the Whole.

Pūrva mīmāmsa — one of the six branches of vedic knowledge that accepts only the karma kāṇḍa as the supreme authority

Putra — son; putrī: daughter R

Rāga — attachment

Rājaṛṣi — king who is also a sage

Rājasūya yāga — a great sacrifice performed to celebrate victory of a king who is declared as an emporer over many kingdoms, where a great king’s inauguration as Chakravartin Rāja Samrāt is ceremonially perfomed. King Yudhiṣṭra performed the Rāhasuya Yāga in Mahābhārata under the blessings of Lord Kṛṣṇa Rājasannyāsi: king of saints Rajas, rajasic: the second characteristic of the three human guṇa or behaviour modes, referring to passionate action Rakta: blood Rākṣasa: demon Rāma: the Supreme God, the seventh avatār, Incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu who appeared in the Treta Yuga to re-establish dharma and destroy the demonic king Rāvaṇa for plundering the goodness from earth and its mankind. He is glorified in the Rāmāyaṇa epic and Śrimad Bhāgavataṁ; also called ‘Maryādā Puruṣottama—the most pure, virtuous ideal Supreme Being’; husband of Sītā (Lakṣmī); Lord of Hanumān Raghupati Yogi: the teacher responsible for preparing Paramahamsa Nithyananda’s body and mind for enlightenment at a very young age through authentic Patañjali’s Aṣtāṇga Yoga; spiritual name Yogirāj Yogānanda Puri Ramaṇa Purānam: verses in praise of Ramaṇa Mahaṛṣi, the enlightened Master from Tiruvannamalai Ramaṇa Maharshi: an enlightened Master and Incarnation from Tiruvannamalai Rāmānuja: founder of the Viśiṣṭādvaita or qualified non-duality principle. One of the greatest teachers of Hindu philosophy Rāmāyaṇa: the great Indian epic happening ascribed by Mahaṛṣi Vālmiki as a poetical composition ; considered as Itihās (the great history), it narrates the Divine play of Lord Rāma, Sītā along with His brothers and Hanumān in the Treta Yuga

Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahamsa — The enlightenend Master and incarnation from Dakṣiṇeśvar, West Bengal, India.

Rāsa līlā — divine dance of the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa’s devotees

Rātri — night

Rāvaṇa — mighty emperor of Lanka, the villain in Rāmāyaṇa, who abducted Devi Sītā, consort of Lord Rāma, in the Indian historical epic—Itihās, Rāmāyaṇa.

Responsibilism — term used by Paramahamsa Nithyananda denoting the dharma; the natural law of Existence or Cosmos is responsibilism, the leadership consciousness.

Ṛg Veda — (lit: ṛc-praise, veda-knowledge) the foremost of the 4 Vedas.; the most ancient scriptural texts of Hinduism. Considered the oldest written text on the planet. The sacred vedic hymns from Ṛg Veda are recited in sacrificial rituals; consists of 1017 hymns composed in Vedic Saṁskṛit mostly devoted in praise of God and His attributes.

Rotis — flat circular Indian bread made usually from wheat

Ṛṣīkeśa — pilgrimage energy center in Himalayas

Ṛṣi — a sage who are seers of Truth

Rudrākṣa — beads of the Rudrākṣa tree, literally means ‘Śiva’s tears’

Rudrākṣamāla — necklace of holy rudrākṣa seeds

Rudra — another name for Lord Śiva

Rudras — elemental powers S

Śabarimala — a famous pilgrim centre in Kerala, India

Śabda tattva — principle of sound Sadāśiva Brahmendra: 18th century Tamil saint and music composer Śadhana Sadan: Śankar Mahāraj’s ashram at Hardwar, North India Sādhu: literally a ‘good person’; refers to an ascetic; same as sannyāsī Saguṇa: with form Saguṇa brahman: the formless in form Sahasranāma: 1000 names invoking a particular deity which devotees recite Sahasrāra: lotus with thousand petals; the crown energy centre Saivism: a sect that reveres Lord Śiva as the Supreme Being Sakha bhāva: the relationship of friendship between the Master and the disciple Śakti: energy; intelligent energy; Parāśakti refers to universal energy, divinity; considered feminine; masculine aspect of Śakti is Śiva Sākyanāyanār: originally a Buddhist monk who became an ardent devotee of Śiva in the later part of his life Sālokya mukti: residence in the same abode of the Lord Sāma veda: one of the Vedas, the ancient core Hindu scriptures Samādhi: state of no-mind, no-thoughts; literally, becoming one’s original state; liberated, enlightened state. Śambāla: place where one is in peace and security; space of ultimate freedom Śambhu: form of rudra, Lord Śiva Saṁśaya: doubt Saṁskāra: Root thought patterns; the embedded past memories of unfulfilled desires stored in unconsious space that drive one into powerlessnessa and incomplete decisions, adding to kārmic action Saṁyama: complete concentration

Samāna — part of prāṇa responsible for digestion and assimilation of food

Sāmīpya mukti — enlightenment whereby one is very near to the Lord

Saṁsāra Sāgara — ocean of wordly life, which can be crosses by the grace of the Guru

Saṁsāra māya — illusion of life Sāmudrika lakṣana Śāstra: technique of studying body features

Sanātana dharma — eternal path of righteous living (later called Hinduism). The most powerful, most sophisticated, intelligent presentation of the Ultimate Truth with the possibility to evolve by enlightened Masters. It is not a religion but the complete science of living, leaving and beyond

Sañcita karma — our complete bank of unfulfilled karmas

Sandhyā — twilight; sandhyā kāl refers to evening

Sañjaya — the narrator who tells blind Dhṛtarāṣṭra the progress of the war from day to day.

Saṅkalpa — vow or promise; also means conscious decision

Śakti — energy; also name of Devi as primal energy of Cosmos

Śankar Maharāj — Lord Śiva as a young sannyāsi who graced Paramahamsa Nithyananda during His spiritual wanderings as Parivṛajika

Śaṅkha — conch

Śānti — peace

Śaṅkarā — an enlightened Master and Incarnation of Lord Śiva from Kālady, Kerala. Exponent of Advaita Vedānta, celebrated as the great revivor of Sanatana Dharma who lived just 32 years in form

Sāṅkhya philosophy — one of the six schools of classical system of Indian philosophy expounded by Kapila Muni. Sāṅkhya philosophy regards the Universe as consisting of two realities: puruṣa (self) and prakṛti (matter). Sannyāsa: completing with worldly lif; living for enriching others; sannyāsi or sannyāsin, a monk, an ascetic initiated into the path of Sannyāsa. Saptapadi: the seven steps taken by the couple after tying the wedding knot in Hindu marriages Saptaṛṣīs: the 7 sages who control the world Śāradā Devī: wife of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa Sārasvatya: explain a difficult idea very simply Sari: traditional attire of Indian women Śarīra: body Śāstra: sacred texts Sāṣtāṅga namskāra: full prostration salutation Saraswatī: Goddess of wisdom Sarvajña: the Knower of all Sat-cit-ānanda: existence, knowledge, bliss Satori: high state of consciousness Śatrughna: brother of lord Rāma in the Hindu epic, Rāmāyaṇa Satsang: spiritual gatherings; literally ‘association (sanga) of the Truth (sat)’ Sātyaki: name of a great warrior Satyavatī: Arjuna’s great grandmother Savikalpa samādhi: is one of the highest forms of minor state of samādhi meditation; in which the human consciousness is dissolved into infinity for a short period of time Sāyujya mukti: becoming enlightened oneself; uniting into the Divine or Existence Satva, satvic: the highest attribute or guṇa of spiritual calmness

Senāpati — the Commander-in-chief of army

Siddhi — extraordinary powers attained through spiritual practice

Śikhaṇḍi — daughter-son of King Drupada, a girl-turned-man, warrior on the Pāṇḍava side. He had been born in an earlier lifetime as a woman named Ambā, who was rejected by Bhīśma for marriage.

Siṁha — lion

Siṁha svapna — nightmare

Sītā — wife of Lord Rāma in Rāmāyaṇa; incarnation of Lakṣmī, Goddess of Fortune

Śiṣya — disciple

Śiva — rejuvenator in the trinity; devotees call Him, Mahādev, Bhole Bābā and Kālabhairava, Mahākāla. Śiva also means ‘causeless auspiciousness—mangalatva’; ‘The original substance of Existence is Śiva’—defines Paramahamsa Nithyananda.

Skanda — Another name for Lord Subrahmaṇya or Murugā.

Smaraṇa — remembrance; constantly remembering the Divine

Smṛti — (lit: ‘that which is remembered’); refers to later day Hindu works which are rules, regulations, laws and epics, such as Manu’s works, Purāṇas etc.

Śraddhā — tattva of authenticity; trust, courageous faith, confidence

Śravaṇa — authentic listening. One of the three concepts in Hinduism (Vedānta)—Śravana, Manana, Nididhyāsana.

Sṛṣṭi — creation, which is created

Śruti — (lit: that which is heard) refers to the ancient scriptures of Vedas, Upaniṣads and Bhagavad Gītā; they are the revealed scriptures retained by the sages just by one listening.

Sloka — a saṃskṛit poem; a verse stanza which is made of a group of pada and sllyables chanted in a meter rhythm style or chanda Stotras: devotional verses, to be recited or sung Śūdra: the class of people who contribute by physical work and by giving their time Sūtra: (lit: ‘thread’) refers to epigrams, short verses which impart spiritual techniques Śūnya: literally zero; however, Buddha uses this word to mean reality Suryanamaskār: (lit: Sun salutation). A comprehensive and main sequence of Yogāsanas that enrich the body-mind and space with complete energy flow; nornally done in the morning absorbing the life-nourshing energy of Sun Suṣuṁna: Please see ‘iḍa’ Svādhiṣṭhāna: where Self is established; the groin or spleen energy centre Svapna: dream Svatantra: free Soma: wine of the gods Somadatta: a kinsman of the Kuru clan Soundaryatva: that which attracts our mind Śrimad Bhāgavataṁ: also called ‘Śrimad Bhāgavataṁ Mahā Purāṇa’. See Bhāgavatam. Sṛṣṭi dṛṣṭi: accept the world and life as it is Sthira: stable Sthūla śarīra: physical Body Subramanya: a Lord, also is son of Śiva; also named Skanda, Murugā, Kārtikeya Sudarśana homa: fire ritual done for success in an undertaking Śūdras: workers

Sūfi — sect of divine mystics in Islam

Sughoṣa — Nakula’s conch

Sukha — happiness

Śukrācārya — guru of asuras

Sūkṣma śarīra — subtle body

Suptacittam — state of being aware even in sleep

Sūrya — the son god

Suṣupti — deep sleep

Sūtradhāra — controller and director of the technique

Svānyakāra — the Life image—the image and expectation you carry about life.

Svapna — dream state

Svajanam — means ‘my people, my relatives’. Saṃskṛit term used by Arjuna in Arjunaviṣāda Yoga (chapter 1) of Bhagavad Gītā to state his untold grief in killing ‘his people’

Svadharmam — means ‘my dharma.’ Saṃskṛit term uttered by Śri Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna in Bhagavad Gītā to teach him the true path of self-righteousness to be lived by an individual

Svapuṛnatva — literally means ‘self-completion’ in Saṃskṛit. The process of doing completion with the self or ‘Svapuṛnatva Kriya’ as taught by Paramahamsa Nithyananda to experience fulfillment, completion with yourself, by dropping the past karmas, incompletions

Svayaṁvara — choosing of the husband by a woman by her own choice

Svāti nakśatra — the star Svati

Swāmiji — address of respect to one’s Master

Swāmi Brahmānanda — disciple of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahamsa Svarūpa: form Svayam Prakaśa: self effulgent T Tamas, tamasic: the guṇa or attribute of laziness, irresponsibility or inaction Tantra: esoteric techniques used in spiritual evolution Tapas: severe spiritual endeavour, penance done voluntarily for inner purification Tapovan: a holy place in the Himalayas Tapasvī: one who undertakes severe penance Tārakāsura: a demon who was killed by Kārtikeya or Skanda, son of Lord Śiva. Tarangini: great selfless devotee of Kṛṣṇa Tattva: philosophy or realm Tattva satya: the existential reality; the truth of the philosophy Tat tvam asi: that art thou Tataḥ kim: what next Taittreya Upaniṣad: One of the main or Mukhya Upaniṣads associated with the Taittriya school of Yajur Veda; number 7 in the Muktika canon of 108 Upaniṣads; intrumental in spreading the Truth of Vedānta; its commentary by Ādī Śankarācārya forms a great Saṃskṛit literature. Tejas: glow, grace Tejavastva: sharp radiating energy and clarity Thatāgata: Buddhahood, a pāli word

Tiruvannamalai — temple town in South India, the birth-place of Paramahamsa Nithyananda; home of most sacred Arunachala hill, which is the direct embodiment of Lord Śiva and is the spiritual nerve center of the Cosmos.

Tīrtha — water; tīrthaṁ is a holy river and a pilgrimage centre

Trikāla — all three time zones, past, present and future; trikālajñāni is one who can see all three at the same time; an enlightened being is beyond time and space

Tirupati — temple town in South India where the presiding diety is Lord Veṅkateśwara

Tiruvaroor — a place in Tamil Nadu, India where Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti, an enlightened Master lived

Triguṇa rahita — beyond the three guṇas of rajas, tamas and satva

Triputi — the triad of knower, known and knowledge

Tṛṣṇa — craving or longing

Turīya — state of samādhi, no-mind

Turīya avastha — state that persists through all the 3 states of consciousness—waking, dream and deep sleep

Tyāga — renunciation U

Ucchaiśravas — the legendary snow white horse in the Hindu historical happenings

Udāna — part of prāṇa that helps the soul leave the body at the time of death

Uṇmai — ‘Truth’ in Tamil

Upāsanā — literally means ‘sitting near,’ denotes a prescribed method for approaching a deity or God Uśana: guru of asuras, Śukrācārya Uttamauja: a Pāñcāla prince, son of subhadrā Uttar kāśī: a town in North India Uttarāyaṇam: six months that the sun travels in the north Uttara mimāmsi: those who interpret vedic scriptures according to vedānta Upāyanam: the tattva (principle) of responsibility that awakens the power of feeling Upaniṣads: scriptures that form the essence of the ancient texts of the Vedas, which show the direct path to God or Self-realization. Upaniṣad literally means ‘sitting with the Master’. There were 1,180 Upaniṣads, related to 1,180 branches of Vedas. 200 of them are still available; 11 main Upaniṣads are commented on by Incarnation, Bhagavān Ādi Śaṅkara. Vaikuṇṭha: the abode of lord Viṣṇu Vāimai: truth spoken through the mouth Vairāgya: beyond attachment and detachment Vaiśvānarāgni: fire that we worship Vaiśyas: business community; the class of the society involved in business and merchandize Vajra: thunderbolt Vāli: monkey king in the Hindu epic Rāmāyaṇa who is killed by prince Rāma Vālmīki: author of the famous epic, Rāmāyaṇa; revered as the Ādī Kavi, the first poet who invented śloka (epic meter). Once a thief, he attained liberation by Lord Rāma’s name.

Vāraṇasi — famous pilgrimage centre and temple town of North India; also called Kāśi, the city of Lord Śiva

Vāk śakti — (or vāk siddhi) the power of words; ability to utter the right words and make them occur as reality. Awakened by the tattva of integrity

Varṇa dharma — duty of one’s caste; caste classification based on one’s natural attributes an not on birth

Varada hasta — boon-giving hand

Varuṇa — god of the ocean

Vāsanā — mental set up Vāstu Śāstra: an ancient vedic science related to the science of architecture

Vasu — means ‘Dweller’ or ‘Dwelling’

Vasudeva — father of Lord Kṛṣṇa

Vāsudeva Kṛṣṇa — Kṛṣṇa, the mortal being, the son of Vāsudeva

Vāsuki — the serpent with which the Gods and the demons churned the milky ocean in the Hindu Purāṇa

Vāyu — lord of wind

Vedānta — (lit: the ‘essence or end of the Vedas’); describes a group of philosophical traditions concerned with the Self-realization by which one understands the ultimate nature of reality (Brahman). Originally a word used in Hindu philosophy as a synonym for that part of the Veda texts known also as the Upaniṣads

Venkaṭeśvara — the presiding diety in Tirupati, a temple in South India. Incarnation of Lord Śrī Viṣṇu

Vidyādāna — giving education to meet someone’s mental growth Vijaya: another name of Arjuna; the undefeatable victorious warrior Vijñānabhairava tantra: classical sacred text cast as a discourse between the god Śiva and his consort Devi or Śakti, it briefly presents 112 meditation methods or centering techniques Vijñānamaya kośa: knowledge layer Vijitendriya: one who has won over his senses; another name of Arjuna Vikarṇa: a Kaurava warrior Vīṇa: a musical stringed instrument Vipāsana meditation: Buddhist meditation technique Virāṭa rupa: true universal form of Kṛṣṇa Virāṭa: king of Matsya region Vīrabhadra: form of Rudra; independent energy of Lord Śiva that destroys ego of Lord Brahma. Viṣṇu sahasranāma: the vedic hymn that glorifies the ‘thousand names of Viṣṇu’ Viṣṇu: supreme god in the Vaiśnavite tradition of Sanatana Dharma; He is the energy that pervades the Universe and sustains it; also called Nārāyaṇa Viśāda: grief, dilemma, deep sorrow Viśiṣṭādvaita: school of thought that says the individual self is a part of existence with its own attributes Viśvāmitra: great sage Viśvanāth: literally means ‘Lord of the Universe’; name of Lord Śiva as the presiding God at the Kāśi Viśvanāth temple in Varanasi Vivekānanda: primary disciple of Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahamsa and Founder of the Rāmakṛṣṇa Order. 19th century Eastern Enlightened Master considered a key figure in spreading awareness of Hinduism and Yoga in Europe and America.

Vivekachūḍamaṇi — (lit. the crest jewel of discrimination). A famous Saṃskṛit poem ascribed by Ādi Śaṇkaracārya in 8th century expounding on Advaita Vedanta philosophy with 580 verses

Vrajā homa — a fire ritual of purification

Vṛikodara — one with the stomach of the wolf; another name for Bhīma, one of the Pāṇdava brothers

Vyādha Gītā — (lit: ‘song of a butcher’) Consists of the teachings imparted by Vyādh (a butcher) to a monk

Vṛṣṇi — king of the yadu dynasty

Vṛtrāsura — evil being

Vyāna — the energy that pervades the whole body. Its major function is circulation

Vyakta — seen or manifest Y

Yādava — the clan to which Kṛṣṇa belongs

Yajur veda — one of the 4 vedas

Yakṣa — demigod who according to Hindu sacred history guards wealth.

Yama or Yama dharma — the lord of death; yama also refers to inner discipline

Yantra — a tool for liberation

Yamunā — the sacred river on the banks of Vṛndavān associated with devotion to Kṛṣna; it is the largest tributary of the river Ganges

Yayāti — an illustrious king mentioned in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam

Yogabhraṣṭha — fallen away from the path of Yoga Yoga: Yoga in Saṁskṛit means to unite or to become ‘one’ with. Yoga refers to the process of ‘uniting.’ Yoga Śāstra: the scripture of Yoga Yogi: practitioner of yoga Yogirāj Yogānanda Puri: the teacher responsible for preparing Paramahamsa Nithyananda’s body and mind for enlightenment at a very young age through authentic Patañjali’s Aṣtāṇga Yoga; he is also called Raghupati Yogi Yuga: period of time than spans millions of human years; in Vedic period, there are four yuga namely—Satya Yuga (Nithya Yuga), Treta Yoga, Dwāpar Yuga and Kali Yuga. Bhāgavatam says— one cycle of 4 Yugas is 4.32 million years. Brahma’s 1 day is equal to 1,000 cycles of 4 yugas, called 1 Kalpa. 155.2 trillion years have passed since Brahma originally created the planetary system. Each yuga is associated with the appearance of an absolute incarnation in the human plane to re-establish Sanatana-Dharma, such as Bhagavān Rāma in Treta Yuga, Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa in Dvāpara Yuga, etc, along with unbroken chain of Enlightened Masters, eternal sages.