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The The YOGA YOGA YOGA WORDBOOK 

WORDBOOK 

(WORDS WORDS on on the the WAY) 

WAY) 

A A TREASURY TREASURY OF OF TERMS TERMS TERMS for for SEEKERS SEEKERS & & YOGA YOGA TEACHERS 

TEACHERS 

A A Clear Clear Guide Guide to to to Sanskrit Sanskrit Spirit Spiritual Spirit ual Yoga Yoga Terms 

Terms 

Å 

Var: Var: å, aa, 

Sense: Sense: ‘Not’— used as a prefix denoting the negative condition, 

indicating the contrary or ‘opposite to.’ As vidya vidya means 

‘knowledge,’ so avidya (a-vidya) means ‘not-knowledge’ or 

spiritual ignorance. 

Aarati 

Aarati 

Aarati — see Årati 

Årati 

Abedha Abedha-Nishta 

Abedha Nishta (ah-bed-ha-nish nish-ta) nish nish 

Var: 

Var: 

Synon: Synon: Abheda nishta, Atma Nishta, Sahaja Nishta, Selfrealisation 

Sense: Sense: ‘Unificatory abidance in the Self:’ that state in which the 

movement of ‘mind’ is stilled when lost in the Self, just as water 

is lost when poured into milk. 

Åbhåsa Åbhåsa (ah-bhaa bhaa-sah) bhaa bhaa 

Var: Var: aabhaasa, aabhaasa, aabhaasa, aabhaasa, abhasa abhasa abhasa abhasa 

Synon: Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘Unreal appearance, reflection (as moon in water).’ 

Åbhåsana Åbhåsana (ahb-bhah bhah-sanna) bhah bhah 

Var: Var: aabhaasana, aabhaasana, aabhaasana, aabhaasana, (abhasan) (abhasan) (abhasan) (abhasan) 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘Making something appear which is actually of an unreal 

nature,’ such as in the process of ideation, when one mentally 

thinks pictures into being on the ‘screen of consciousness.’

If we take the unmanifest state of Universal 

Consciousness as the ‘ground of Reality,’ then even the Divine 

Ideation (or the Creative Thoughts of God’) in which the universe 

is thought into being is manifesting ‘unreal’ phenomena, i.e., a 

passing and ever-changing universe as compared with the Reality 

which is eternal and free from differentiation and change. 

Abhaya(m) Abhaya(m) (a-bai-ya or a-buyer, or a-bhai-yam) 

Sense: Sense: ‘Absence of fear; fearlessness, freedom from anguish;’ also 

safety and inner peace. (See also Mudra Mudra) Mudra 

Abheda Abheda-bhakti 

Abheda bhakti (ab-bedda-bhak-tee) 

Var: 

Var: 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘The culmination of devotion resulting in the total 

identification of the worshipper with that which is worshipped.’ 

Abhedabhåva Abhedabhåva (ab-bhedda-bhar bhar-vah) bhar bhar 

Var: Var: Abedhabhaava, 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘Non-separateness, union:’ the sense of being totally One 

with the Omnipresence and all creation. This is often the result of 

abheda-bhakti (or the sense of devotional unity). 

Abhimatha Abhimatha (ab-bhi-mah-tah) 

Var: Var: 

Var: 

Synon: Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘That to which the practitioner of yoga finds his mind 

becoming naturally attached.’ — Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra. 

However, according to Krishnamacharya of Madras, this is the 

very tendency which yoga seeks to overcome, and therefore states 

that the correct rendering of Patanjali’s Sutra should be yethabhimata, 

or “according to one’s religious practice.” 

Abhiniveçha 

Abhiniveçha Abhiniveçha (ab-bhi-nee-vesh-syah)

Var: Var: Abhiniveça 

Sense: Sense: ‘ ‘Instinctive ‘ clinging to material life and fear of death.’ 

Other: Other: Other: Infatuation. 

Abhi Abhi‚hekam 

Abhi hekam (ab-bhee-shay shay-kam) shay shay 

Var Var: Var Var abisheka, 

Synon Synon: Synon 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘Anointing, consecration, empowerment.’ 

It is the ritual oblation of liquids or holy water poured over an 

idol, person or object, generally the ritual bathing of a person or 

idol in a temple. 

Anointing is a ritual initiation, for which reason abhisheka is 

sometimes translated as ‘initiation.’ In Hinduism, it generally refers 

to the ritual sprinkling of a temple image, idol, or Shiva Shiva lingam, lingam, by 

a Brahmin Brahmin priest, pouring substances over them, such as coconut 

water, saffron, honey, rice-flower, limewater, rosewater, 

sandalwood paste and milk. 

When a temple is to be dedicated, pots of liquid are prepared days 

in advance and consecrated before they are finally poured over the 

images amid general rejoicing. This is often known as abishekam 

kumbha ceremony. (Kumbha Kumbha - retention, holding, gathering or 

convocation. It is also the form of a pear-shaped pot or pitcher.) 

In Tantrism, abhisheka is a formal ceremony of empowerment, 

a transmission from teacher to student assisting his development 

from one grade to the next. 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

Other: Other: 

Other: 

Bib Bib: Bib 

Refs: 

Refs: 

Abhva Abhva (ab-vah) 

Var: 

Var:

Synon: Synon: Ghora 

Sense: Sense: ‘Monstrosity, horror, terrifying, a monster’: from 

a-bhu, ‘non-being, nonexisting.’ 

Abhyantara Abhyantara (ab-bhee-yan yan-tar-rah) yan yan 

Sense: Sense: ‘Internal.’ 

In Hatha Yoga: the regulation of internal respiration. 

Abhyåsa Abhyåsa (ab-bhee-yaa yaa-sa) yaa yaa 

Var Var: Var Abhyaasa, 

Synon Synon: Synon Sadhana, 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘Repeated and sustained spiritual practice, or yoga 

yoga 

sadhana.’ 

sadhana.’ 

The state of yoga (union) achieved through the constantly 

repeated practice of inward concentration, preventing the mind 

from straying outwards towards things of the world. 

Roo Root: Roo Abhi —‘in the direction of’ and åsa — ‘remaining’: that is, 

the attempt to remain continuously in the state of mental 

tranquillity. 

One who constantly practises such inner awareness is an 

abhyåsi (aspirant.) 

Other Other: Other 

Bib: 

Bib: 

Refs Refs: Refs 

Abhrasadaçhi Abhrasadaçhi (ab-rah-sa-da-shyee) 

Var: Var: Abhrasadaçi 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘The seat of Consciousness’ — that is, the Heart Centre of 

one’s being.’ 

Åcala 

Åcala 

Åcala — see Åchala

Åcamana Åcamana (see Åchamana Åchamana) Åchamana 

Åcchå Åcchå Åcchå aah-chah) (aah aah aah (Hindi) 

Var. Var. Aacchaa. 

Sense: Sense: ‘Clear, lucid, transparent.’ 

Lit 

Lit Lit.... ‘Not dark’ (a-not, cha —dark.) 

a) In colloquial Hindi it has a wide and very loose range of 

meaning, inferring: ‘Clear, I see, good, I understand, I agree, 

or okay,’ (usually expressed with a sideways wobble of the 

head). 

b) In a great many instances — especially coming from 

bureaucratic officials behind desks, it often means ‘Yes, Isee-and-understand-your-problem-and-sympathise-entirelybut-I-have-no-intention-of-doing-anything-about-itwhatsoever.’) 

Åchala Åchala aah-cha-lah) 

(aah aah aah 

Var. Var. Aachala, acala, åchalam 

Sense: Sense: ‘Motionlessness, immobility, immovability.’ 

Also ‘the restful or steady phase of dynamic mediation— a 

condition that comes after energy has matured during meditation 

and spontaneous movements (Kriyas Kriyas Kriyas) Kriyas have ceased. 

Lit: Lit: Å-chala — ‘without movement.’ When spontaneous jerks, or 

other movements occur, it is called cala or chala. 

Other: Other: a) A hill or mountain, such as Arunachala Arunachala Arunachala — the 

‘Red/Rose,’ ‘Light of Fire,’ or ‘Mountain of the Dawn’ at 

Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, South India. 

b) ‘Achala signifies perfection.’ 1 — Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi. 

Refs: 

Refs: 

1 ‘The Necklet of Nine Gems’ from The Collected Works of Ramana Maharshi — Ed. Arthur 

Osborne.

Åchamana Åchamana (aah-cha-ma-na) 

Var: Var: aachamana, acamana, acaman, 

Sense: Sense: ‘The offering of pure water to God or to devotees (or the 

action of sipping it from the hollowed palm of the right hand.’ 

To be practiced during ritualistic worship; generally observed by 

taking three sips at the commencement of a ceremony, or after 

puja puja puja when tulsi-leaf flavoured water is passed around; or after 

ritually sprinkling water around one’s plate before eating. 

The water is usually spooned into the right palm and ritualistically 

sipped three times, while mentally repeating one of God’s names. 

Tradition states this should be done while sitting. This is also a 

part of the traditional Sixteen Steps of worship in Mantra Yoga 

when propitiating a diety. (See Sodasopacara 

Sodasopacara). 

Åcharå Åcharå (aah-char-rah) 

Var: Var: Var: aacharaa, achara, acara 

Sense: Sense: ‘Right conduct’— that is, the social mode of conduct 

according to customary practice. 

In a spiritual context, sat sat-åcharå sat 

åcharå (true observance) means 

‘abidance as Sat Sat, Sat the reality.’ 

Other: Other: Other: In tantr tantrå, tantr the external rituals utilised during meditative 

practices are also known as åchåras. 

åchåras. 

Åcharana charana 

Var: Var: Aacharana 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘The code of behaviour; the external observance of 

established rules, laws or scriptural injunctions.’ 

‘…charana means the one who has to behave.’ 1 [That is, 

according to the rules]. 

Ref: 

Ref:

1 

1 

1 Nisargadatta Nisargadatta Nisargadatta Maharaj Maharaj — Prior to Consciousness: Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj — Jean 

Dunn (Chetana Pvt. Ltd, Mumbai, 1998) ISBN: 81-85300-35-6 

Åchårya Åchårya (aah-chah chah-ree-yah) 

chah chah 

Var: Var: Aachaarya, acharya, åcårya 

Sense: Sense: ‘A spiritual guide or preceptor — one who has mastered the 

code of åchåra åchåra (the spiritual rules of behaviour) and cultivates 

others to observe them properly.’ 

Hence åcharati — to practice what one preaches. 

Originally, an åchårya was teacher of the Vedas Vedas; Vedas a spiritual guide 

who performs initiation. The word was in current use even earlier 

than the appellation ‘guru guru guru.’ guru 

Other: Other: Now colloquially used to denote ‘teacher’ of any kind. 

Åchårya Åchårya-Abhishekam Åchårya Abhishekam ( 

( (aah-chah chah-ree-yah-ab-bhee-shey-kam) 

chah chah 

Var: Var: Aachaarya-abhishekam, acharyabhishekam 

Syno Synon: Syno Syno n: 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘A ceremonial ritual bath given by a spiritual preceptor to a 

spiritually advanced soul, as a form of initiation.’ 

Åchårya Åchårya-upåsanam 

Åchårya upåsanam (aah-chah chah-ree-yah-oop-paa-sannam) 

chah chah 

Var: Var: Aacharya-upaasanam, acharyopasanam, acarya-upasanam 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘Serving the teacher.’ 

It means to completely surrender to the teacher in order to receive 

knowledge from him, with faith in his integrity. This does not mean 

blind faith and a willingness to follow the injunctions of the guru 

without question, but a reverential attitude tempered by your own 

sensibilities and conscience. 

Achit Achit Achit (ah-chit) 

Var: Var: Acit 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘Not ‘Not ensouled ensouled or or sentient sentient—i.e., sentient dense dense dense matter.’ matter.’ 

matter.’

Adbhuta Adbhuta (ad-boo-tah) 

Sense: Sense: ‘Wonder.’ 

Ådesha Ådesha ard-desh-shah) 

(ard ard ard 

Var: Var: aadesha, 

Sense: Sense: ‘A divine command arising from within the being’. 

Ådi Ådi (ar-dih) 

Var: Var: Adi, ådi 

Sense: Sense: ‘Source, beginning, first, foremost.’ 

The sound of the pranava or Om is called Adi in the 

Chhandogya Upani‚had, as it was the first emanation out of the 

mysterious universal substratum known as Brahman. 

Brahman. 

The great 8 th century sage Shankaracharya is also known as 

Ådi (the first) Shankaracharya, to distinguish him from many 

other Shankara’s that came after him. 

Adhama Adhama (ad-dham-mah) 

Sense: Sense: ‘Low, inferior, degraded.’ (Not to be confused with 

adharma adharma — ‘beyond the prescribed code.’) 

Ådharma dharma (aah-dhar dhar-mah) dhar dhar 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘Conduct opposed to dharma dharma (religious duty); unrighteous 

conduct, vice.’ 

Lit. Lit. ‘Not dharma,’ (a-dharma), viz., the type of action that is 

prohibited by the Shastras or scriptural texts. 

Ådhibautika Ådhibautika (aad aad aad-dhee-bow 

aad bow-tee-kah) 

bow bow 

Var: 

Var: 

Sense: Sense: ‘Relating to beings’ — one of the three ways of interpreting 

Vedic texts from an anthropological point of view, rather than from

the god-centric theological (Ådhidaivika dhidaivika dhidaivika) dhidaivika or spiritual 

(Ådhyåtmika Ådhyåtmika Ådhyåtmika) Ådhyåtmika viewpoints. 

Other: Other: a) In contemplative practice: ‘ ‘Relating ‘ to matter, in which 

one focuses ones mind on an image of one’s guru, or a candleflame, 

a crystal, a statue, picture, or other material object.’ 

b) ‘Disease due to drought, earthquakes, floods, famine or insect 

bites’ as classified in Svatmarama’s Hatha Yoga Pradipika. 

Ådhidaivata dhidaivata (aad aad aad-dhee-dai 

aad dai-vatta) dai dai 

Sense: Sense: ‘Cosmic.’ 

Ådhidaivika dhidaivika (aah aah aah-dhee-dai 

aah dai-vi-ka) dai dai 

Var: Var: Aadhidaivika 

Sense: Sense: ‘Relating to the Gods’— a particular method of interpreting 

the Vedic texts from a theological point of view, rather than the 

anthropological or cosmological aspects. 

Other: Other: a) Another meaning is ‘Astral’ — relating to celestial bodies 

in contemplative practice (dhårana dhårana dhårana) dhårana in which one focuses on 

celestial regions or on the sun, the moon, a star, etc. 

b) Disease through the influence of planets — “which in modern 

language is termed ‘allergy’” —B.K.S. Iyengar. 1 

c) In Tantric Tantric Tantric practice, it relates to that area of the subtle body, 

where three secret chakras chakras, chakras Lalata, Golata and Lalana, exist in the 

region of the head and are activated only when kundalini kundalini is aroused 

and reaches that level. 

Refs: Refs: 

1 p.6, Spectrum (British Wheel of Yoga journal, Spring, 1983) 

Ådhikåra dhikåra (aah aah aah-dee-kaar 

aah kaar-rah) kaar kaar 

Var: Var: Aadhikaara, adhikara 

Sense: Sense: ‘The qualification or eligibility of a person which fits him 

for the right to follow the practices enjoined by the scriptures.’

Other: Other: 

Other: 

a) ‘One’s sphere of of competence in interaction with other 

domains.’ (acc. Jaimini, author of the Mimåµså S¨tras). 

b) ‘Having to do with’ (acc. Roger Marcaurelle), who also states 

‘…we contend that Çankara sometimes uses the word adhikåra to 

identify the relevance or non-relevance of the sphere of action and 

the sphere of renunciation and Self-knowledge.’ 1 

c) “Complete or full adhikara is to be made a Deputy. A permission 

to teach everything according to need.” 2 

d) There are apparently many other nuances with regard to the 

usage of this word, but which are as yet unknown to me. —Author. 

Ref: 

Ref: 

1 

Freedom Through Inner Renunciation: Sankara’s Philosophy in a New Light — Roger 

Marcaurelle (Sri Satguru publications, Delhi, 2002). ISBN: 81-7030-769-4 

2 The Chasm of Fire—Irena Tweedie (Element Books, UK, 1979). ISBN: 0-90654001-1 

Ådhikårika dhikårika puru‚ha (aah aah aah-dee-kaar 

aah kaar-ree-ka kaar kaar poo-roo roo-shah) roo roo 

Var: Var: Aadhikaarika puru‚a 

Synon: Synon: Ûçvarako†i 

Sense: Sense: ‘A released soul that assumes another form after death or by 

a new birth in order to work for the welfare of the world.’ 

The great masters Vyåsa Vyåsa and Vaçhi‚h Vaçhi‚h†ha Vaçhi‚h 

ha ha are said to have been 

such. 

Adhi‚ Adhi‚†håna Adhi‚ håna (add-dhish-taa taa-nah) taa taa 

Var: Var: Adhi‚h†håna, adhisthaana, 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘The primeval matrix; the great ‘Void’ before creation, from 

which all emerges.’ 

Otherwise ‘abode,’ as in Svadhisthåna Svadhisthåna chakra chakra — ‘one’s own 

abode.’

Adhi‚ Adhi‚†håna Adhi‚ håna håna-kåra~a håna kåra~a (add-dhish-taa taa taa-nah-kaa taa kaa-ranna) kaa kaa 

Var: Var: Adhi‚h†håna kåra~a, Adhisthaana-kaarana 

Synon: Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘Substratum’— of the universe, viz., Brahman. Brahman. 

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Adhi‚thåna Adhi‚thåna Chaitanya Chaitanya (add-dhish-taa taa taa-nah taa chai----tannya chai chai chai tannya) tannya tannya 

Var: Var: Adhi‚hthaana caitanya 

Synon: Synon: Synon: K¨†astha, pratyag-åtman, såk‚hin (the Witnessing 

Consciousness), 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘The conscious principle which supports the residual 

‘individuality’ of a Realised being.’ 

Adhyåsa Adhyåsa (ad-dhee-yaa yaa-sah) yaa yaa 

Variations Variations: Variations Adhyaasa, 

Sense: Sense: ‘Superimposition; such as the illusion of seeing one thing as 

another;’ as in the classical example of mistaking a rope for a snake 

in the half-light—Vedic Philosophy. 

The 8 th century sage Adi Çhankara developed this concept, 

pointing out that the identity of the ‘non-self’ (i.e., one’s concept of 

oneself as an individual embodied being) being superimposed on 

the real Self, constitutes adhyåsa. 

Adhyåtman Adhyåtman (ad-dhee-aat aat aat-man) aat 

Var: Var: Adhyåtma, Adhyaatman, Adhi-atman, Adi-åtman 

Sense: Sense: ‘The Supreme Self or Spirit within.’ 

‘The principle of Self in Nature.’ — acc. Sri Aurobindo.

Adhyåtma Adhyåtma-prasåda 

Adhyåtma prasåda (ad-dhee-aat aat aat-ma-pra-sah 

aat sah-da) sah sah 

Var: Var: Adhyatma----prasada, Adhyatma Adhyatma Adhyatma prasada, prasada, prasada, adhyaatmaprasaada 

adhyaatmaprasaada 



Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘Purity of spirit.’ 

Ådhyåtmika Ådhyåtmika (ard ard ard-dhee-art ard art-me-kuh) art art 

Var: Var: adhyaatmika, 

Sense: Sense: ‘ ‘Pertaining ‘ to the Åtman Åtman or Self.’ 

One of the three ways of interpreting the Vedas, by 

considering the spiritual dimension of Man as Atman Atman: Atman this being the 

preferred method of Vedanta (as opposed to the theological 

(Ådhidaivika) dhidaivika) or anthropological (Ådhibautika Ådhibautika Ådhibautika) Ådhibautika way of interpreting 

the texts. 

Other: 

Other: 

a) The principle which makes one conscious of oneself (the 

awareness of ‘I Am’) even without having any concept of Self. 

Ådhyåtma Ådhyåtma Vidya Vidya (adhee-art art art-mah-vid art vid-yuh) vid vid 

Var: 

Var: 

Sense: Sense: ‘The Knowledge of the Self.’ 

The path of enquiry into the Self is only for the mature and 

earnest seeker (jignasa jignasa jignasa), jignasa who has long passed kindergarden 

spirituality and gone beyond all forms of external workship and 

prayer. 

Adhyåyas Adhyåyas (adh-yai yai-yas) yai yai 

Var: 

Var: 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘Chapters’ in holy books. 

Ådi Ådi (arh-dee) 

Var: Var: aadi, adhi, adhy, 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘Primal, the first; beginning, source.’

Other 

Other Other:::: a) Supreme. b) ‘And the rest.’ 

Ådib⁄ja Ådib⁄ja (ah-dee-bee-jah) 

Var: Var: Adibeeja, adi-bija 

Sense: Sense: ‘The first or primal seed-sound’ of universal creation. 

This relates to the subtle sound of Om Om (or pranava pranava) pranava 

as the first 

‘seed’ or emanation from the Absolute state of Shivam (Brahman Brahman Brahman) Brahman 

in the process of manifestation. 

Ådib⁄ja is also an epithet of Ganesha Ganesha, Ganesha 

who is the mythological 

and symbolic representation of the Omkara Omkara—or Omkara 

‘sound of Om.’ 

Ådi Ådi-devam Ådi devam (arh arh arh-dee-dey arh dey-vam) dey dey 

Sense: Sense: ‘The Original Godhead.’ 

Ådi Ådi Nåtha Nåtha (arh arh arh-dee arh nar-thah) nar nar nar 

Var: Var: aadi-nath, Ådinatha, 

Synon: Synon: ‘Cosmic Consciousness’, 

Sense: Sense: ‘The Primordial Guru’— the name given to Shiva Shiva Shiva by the 

Natha sect of yogis; otherwise an appellation of Rishi Rishi Rishi Dattatreya, 

the arch-yogi and teacher of yogis. 

Brahman Brahman — the Absolute or Eternal Teacher hidden in Bindu Bindu, Bindu is 

also called by this appelation. 

Ådip dip dipuru‚ªa dip uru‚ªa (ah ah ah-dee-poor-ruh 

ah ruh-shah) ruh ruh 

Var: Var: Aadipurusha, ådi-puru‚a 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘The primal Conscious Noumenon.’ 

That aspect of primal nature which is the first manifestation 

emanating from the Brahman Brahman. Brahman 

Ådi Ådi Shakti Shakti (arh arh arh-dee arh shak-tee) shak shak shak 

Var: Var: Aadishakti, adi-sakti, ådi-sakthi

Synon: Synon: Synon: Adya Prakriti, Moola Prakriti 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘The original creative principle of Divine energy;’ 

personified as female kinetic energy. 

Åditi Åditi Åditi (ah-dit-tee) 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘Space, infinity, the boundlessness (of heaven) or the 

indivisible ether.’ 

Root: Root: då—to bind, therefore å-ditya—unbound, free. 

Åditi is also the name of a goddess in the Vedas, Vedas, known as the 

‘Mother of Creation,’ partnered with Daksha representing the 

Father or male principle. In the Rig Rig Veda Veda she is personified as the 

Primeval Mother, Deva-Matri or ‘Mother of the Gods,’ a being of 

light from whom sprang the seven Ådityas Ådityas (solar deities) and 

Åditya Åditya the Sun God himself. 

She is also referred to as a cow (RV1, 153, 3) and compared to 

the Earth (RV1, 72, 9), in both instances representing the maternal 

and succouring aspects of the earth, being the symbol of unbound, 

divine freedom and generosity. 

Other: Other: a) Free, unbound, freedom. b) ‘Infinite Consciousness’ (acc. 

Sri Aurobindo). 

Åditya Åditya ah-dit-ya) (ah ah ah 

Var: Var: Aaditya, 

Sense: Sense: ‘The Sun-God,’ or ‘the Giver of Light;’ the son of Aditi 

Aditi 

(space, or the indivisible ether). 

In one sense it can be the sun itself, or the luminous principle of 

light in the firmament of consciousness (chidå chidå chidåkåçha 

kåçha). kåçha Aditya is also 

the devata of the sense of sight in all beings, symbolised by the sun. 

(See also Ådityas). 

Quote: Quote: Quote: “Offering to Aditya [in a Yagna Yagna fire sacrifice]…would 

mean firm resolution and decision to the effect that no eyes should

e offended by unworthy conduct. Love, smiles and blessings to be 

presented to whatsoever eyes may turn upon you, to recognise God 

in all eyes. This is the offering to Aditya.” 1 

Ref: 

Ref: 

Ref: 1 In the Woods of God Realisation, Swami Rama Teertha (Rama Teertha Pratisthan, Lucknow, 

1956) 

Ådityas Ådityas Ådityas ah-dit-yas) (ah ah ah 

Sense: Sense: ‘A class of celestial solar deities;’ numbered variously as 

seven, eight, or twelve. 

The most important Ådityas are Varu~a, Mitra, Aryaman, 

Vivasvat and Bhaga; although the list sometimes includes Indra Indra and 

in later texts Vi‚h~u was also added to this group. 

Ad Ad®∂ Ad Ad®∂ 

®∂ha ®∂ha 

ha karma (ad-ruh-dha kur-rma) 

Var: Var: Aridhda, adrdha 

Sense: Sense: ‘That form of karma karma karma karma which is not fixed, but capable of being 

changed by the qualitative change in you.’ 

The opposite is d®∂ha ®∂ha karma karma, karma which is ‘fixed, firm, unyielding 

and unchangeable.’ 

Adrishta Adrishta ( (a-drish-tuh) 

( 

Var: Var: 

Var: 

Synon: Synon: Karma, Prarabdha,Vidhi 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘The momentum of an unseen force attracting situations in 

life as a result of prior actions.’ 

Lit. Lit.‘the Lit. Lit. unseen’ (principle); often rendered as ‘fate.’ Hence the 

unseen power or destiny which is the causal movement of 

existence, usually applied to the unknown store of past karma, 

which is generally beyond our conscious apprehension until its 

effects manifest. 

Sometimes called the Supra-consciousness in man. 

Advaita Advaita (ad-vai vai-ta) 

vai vai

Var Var: Var Var adwaita, advita, adwita; advaitha 

Synon Synon: Synon Advayam, Brahman, kevala (kevalam), Sivam, 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘Non-duality’— the negation of any second principal that 

exists independent of the non-manifest Absolute. 

Lit: Lit: ‘Not having a second:’ a - without, dvaita - two-ness, dualism. 

Advaita is the highest spiritual insight that sees ultimate reality as 

being neither monistic nor dualistic. It is often incorrectly termed 

‘Monism’; however, it is not ‘Oneness’, but rather ‘not two-ness’, 

which indicates more of the simple ‘isness’ of the Absolute, or the 

‘Suchness’ of Chinese Buddhism. 

Although Advaita indicates that there is no separation between 

oneself and the Absolute, this does not mean that seemingly 

external things or persons may not be revered as representing the 

Unseen Spirit which is causing them. When Ramana Maharshi of 

Arunachala Arunachala told his devotees that mere prostration to the guru was 

not namaskar (reverential salutations), but only merging the mind 

in the Self was the real attitude to take, they remonstrated, saying 

that it was alright for an enlightened being to act thus, but asked if 

it wasn’t necessary for the less evolved to prostrate, that is, to 

humble themselves before the guru as a step in development. 

He replied: 

“Yes, it is so. The Advaita attitude does not mean that you 

should not do namaskar and the like. Only it should not be 

overdone. Advaita should be in the disposition of the mind; it 

will not do for outside, worldly affairs. You are asked to look 

at everything with equality (sama sama drishti drishti) drishti 

but can we eat the 

same food that a dog eats? A handful of grain will do for a 

bird but will that do for us? We eat a certain quantity of food, 

but will that be enough for an elephant? So, you should have 

the attitude of Advaita only in bhåva bhåva [in the feeling-attitude] in 

the mind, but you should follow the world in other matters.” 1 

Quotes: 

Quotes:

a) “...we find that there are some systems which postulate the 

existence of God as the Supreme Being and at the same time grant 

the independent existence of matter, and also the independent 

existence of individual souls. In some other systems, God is 

conceived of as the Supreme Being as well as the primary material 

cause of the universe of matter, thereby denying inert matter an 

independent existence of its own, but conceding such existence to 

the individual souls... It is only in the Advaita system that matter is 

denied existence independent of God... It will be clear now that the 

distinguishing characteristic which exclusively belongs to the 

Advaita system, is its enunciation of the non-existence of the 

Universe of matter or of the individual souls independent of God, 

which is called by us — Brahman. 

Brahman. Brahman.” 2 

—Chandrasekhara Bharati 

b) b) “The Advaita doctrine is enunciated from a plane which 

ordinary people cannot aspire to achieve for very many more 

births to come. But even for simple crafts, such as masonry or 

carpentry, a preliminary course of training is required before a 

person is allowed to handle the instruments; but in the field of 

Brahma rahma rahma-Vidya 

rahma Vidya Vidya, Vidya the Science of the Self, everybody thinks 

himself competent and entitled to study the systems of Advaita 

and even to sit on judgement over it. This attitude must go and 

must be replaced by earnest endeavour first to secure the 

necessary competence.” — Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. 

Other: Other: a) Brahman—the Absolute Principle, is sometimes referred 

to as the Advaita—the Non-Dual. b) Advaita Vedanta—the nondualistic 

philosophy of Çhånkåråchårya 

Çhånkåråchårya. Çhånkåråchårya 

Hence an Advaitin is a 

Vedantic non-dualist. 

Bib Bib: Bib 

a) Gaudapada: A Study in Early Advaita—Dr. T. M. P. Mahadevan (Madras University Publications, 

1960). 

b) Vedåntasåra (classic compendium, approx. 1500-1550 C.E.) 

c) Vedåntaparibhåsa (classic compendium, approx. 1550-1600 C.E.)

d) The Philosophy of Advaita—Dr. T. M. P. Mahadevan (Madras University Publications) 

e) The Panchadasi of Bharatitirtha —Dr. T. M. P. Mahadevan (Madras University Publications) 

f) Metaphysics of Advaita Vedanta—G.R. Malakani. 

g) Advaita Vedanta—Venkatarama Iyer. 

h) The Brahmasutra—Dr. S. Radhakrishnan (Madras University). 

i) Saundarya Lahari—Adi Shankaracharya, Ed. Subramanya Shastri (Theosophical Pub. House, 

Adyar, Madras. 1948); one of the most famous Advaitic works. 

j) Viveka-Chudamani:The Crest Jewel of Discrimination—Adi Shankaracharya, Tr. Madhavananda 

(Advaita Ashrama, Almora, Himalayas 1944). 

k)Viveka-Chudamani—Shankaracharya. Tr. Charles Johnson (John M. Watkins, 1964); 

l) Ontology of Advaita—Dr. Ramakrishna Rao (Research and Publication Vijaya College, Mulki, 

S.India. 1968) a booklet also expounding Maya, etc.) 

m)Vedanta Chintamani orVivekacintamani—Nijaguna Shiva Yogi (recommended as an authority on 

Advaita Vedanta by Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi). 

n) Upadesha Sahashri—Shankararcharya, Tr. Sw. Jagadananda (Sri Ramakrisna Math, Mylapore, 

Madras. 1961). 

o) Sarva Jnanottara and Devikalottara — two authoritative scriptures of pure Advaita, of which there 

are many versions available. 

p) Panchadashi: A Treatise of Advaita Metaphysics—Hari Prashad Shastri, (Shanti Sadan, 29, 

Chepstow Villas, London W.11. 1965). 

q) The Collected Works of Ramana Maharshi—Arthur Osborne Ed. (Sri Ramanashramam. 1968; also 

Rider & Co. London); 

r) Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi—Sw. Ramananda Saraswati (Sri Ramanashramam, 

Tiruvannamalai, N. Arcot, Tamil Nadu, India). Highly recommended, teachings in conversations with 

the Guru. 

s) The Power of the Presence -Vols. I-III—David Godman (Avadhuta Foundation, USA. ISBN: 0- 

9711371-0-2. An excellent series: also, any other books by Godman about Sri Ramana Maharshi. 

t) I am That: Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj (2 Vols) — Ed. Maurice Frydman (1973/19980 

u) Pointers from Nisargadatta Maharaj — Ramesh Balsekar. 

v) Prior to Consciousness: Talks with Nisargadatta Maharaj—Ed. Jean Dunn 

w) Self: the Truth Absolute:A Review of Advaita Vedanta — Dr. G. Subramanian (Giri trading 

Agency, Madras. 1995). 

x) Guru Vachaka Kovai—Sri Muruganar. Tr. Sri Sadhu Om (Sri ArunachalaRamana Nilayam, 

Tiruvannamalai, 2005). 


1 

Letters from Sri Ramanashramam—Vols. I & II, Surya Nagamma. (Tr. D.S. Sastri. Pub. Sri 

Ramanashramam, 1970) 

2 

Dialogues with the Guru—R.Krishnaswami Aiyar (Chetana, Bombay). 

Advit⁄yam Advit⁄yam (ad-vi-tee tee-yam) tee tee 

Var: Var: Adviteeyam Advit Advit Advit yam yam yam 

Sense: Sense: ‘Not having a second’— the principle of advaita advaita: advaita 

not exactly 

‘Oneness’ but ‘not Two-ness.’

Adya Adya ad-yah) (ad ad ad 

Sense: Sense: ‘Primordial, original.’ 

Ådyå Ådyå Nityå Nityå Lalitå Lalitå (ard ard ard-yar ard nit-yar yar yar yar lal-lee-tah) 

The goddess Lalitå personified as Supreme Universal Energy 

and Cosmic Time. Ådyå = primordial, Nityå = eternal. She is said 

to divide herself sixteenfold (relating to sixteen phases of the 

moon) into sixteen ‘Nityå Çhaktis’ (eternal energies) worshipped 

as deities, each having their own yantra yantra. yantra 

The goddess is 

sometimes depicted with sixteen arms, representing all phases of 

the moon. Descriptions of the Nityå Çhaktis and the mode of 

worship for each moon phase are found in the Tantraråja Tantra. 

In the tantric practice of mentally fusing with the cosmological 

Sri Sri Yantra Yantra diagram, Lalitå is represented by the central bindu (dot) 

personifying the innermost centre of consciousness, where her 

mysterious presence is to be found. 

Ådya dya Prak Prak®⁄ Prak 

®⁄ ®⁄ti ®⁄ ti (ard ard ard-dee-ya ard prak-kreet prak prak prak kreet-tih) kreet kreet 

Var: Var: Aadya-prakriti, aadya-prakreeti, adya prak®iti 

Synon: Synon: Synon: M¨lå prakriti 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘ ‘The ‘ primordial force of phenomenal nature.’ 

Ådyå Ådyå-çhakti Ådyå Ådyå çhakti çhakti (ah ah ah-dee-yah ah yah yah-shak-tee) 

yah 

Var: Var: aadhyaçakti, adi-çhakti, adyashakti 

Synon Synon: Synon avyaktam, mula-prakiti, 

Sense: Sense: ‘Primordial Power: the original energy of the Universe’. 

Root: Root: Root: adya — primordial, original. 

Agarb Agarbåthi Agarb thi 

(aggar-bar-tee) 

Var: Var: Agarbaathi 

Synon: Synon: Synon: Dh¨pa, dhoop 

Sense: Sense: ‘Incense.’ 

The inner significance of using incense is the burning away of the

impurities of mind and the sense of ego. Also, using incense when 

meditating is a scented reminder of spirituality, which puts you in 

the right frame of being, by evoking a sense of familiar practice in 

the cellular memory by its fragrance. 

Ågamas Ågamas ah-gar-mahs) 

(ah ah ah 

Var: Var: (Agams) 

Sense: Sense: ‘Scriptures’: ågama—scripture. 

Lit. Lit. ‘The truths which have come down’ (to mankind, from ancient 

times). 

The Ågamas are traditional Hindu scriptures, rated on a par with 

the Vedas Vedas Vedas and regarded as no less divinely revealed, having no 

known human authors. Some authorities regard them in a lesser 

light. Much of temple worship is founded upon them. There are 

three forms available today: the Shaivagamas and Shaktagamas 

Shaktagamas 

Shaktagamas 

dealing with the worship of the deities Shiva and his ‘spouse’ 

Shakti, and the Vaishnavagamas relating toVishnu. 

The Agamas are also known as the Tantras Tantras, Tantras an area of study 

generally neglected, despite the efforts of a foundation called the 

Agama Anusandhana Samati, which was led by Sir John 

Woodroffe (Arthur Avalon) and Atal Behari Ghose. Perhaps this is 

because of the low esteem in which certain meditative-copulative 

sexual practices of the left-hand tantric path are held. Such 

practices form but a minute part of tantric study as a whole, but 

tend to be firmly associated in both Western and Eastern minds 

with the word Tantra Tantra. Tantra 

Some theories maintain that the Agamas developed side by side 

with the Upanishads, Upanishads, since some texts appear to interpret and 

elaborate them, but others maintain that they are distinctly pre- 

Aryan in religious culture. It is clear that elements from both 

scriptures have interpenetrated each other to form the modern 

philosophy of Hinduism. 

Hinduism. 

“The religion of the Agamas apparently developed through two

channels: one exoteric and the other esoteric. The former was 

continued as pure Shaivism, having a greater emphasis on the 

devotional aspect of the worship of Shiva, with a view to attaining 

salvation. The latter was continued as Shaktism, with greater 

emphasis on the various Shakti cults, not so much to attain 

salvation as to gain mastery over forces of nature. The literature of 

pure Shaivism, ceases to be called Tantra.” 

—Mahatapasvi Kumarswamiji. 1 

Other: Other: Ågama also means ‘attending to scripture.’ In his 

Commentary on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (Samadhi Pada v.48) the 

sage Patanjali quotes an ancient text as stating that the Supreme 

Yoga is attained by ågama—or attending to scripture. Ågama 

Ågama 

pranama pranama— pranama ‘Correct knowledge gained through the scriptures’. 

Bib: Bib: The authoritative scriptures on Tantra and two of the most 

outstanding expressions of pure advaita are to be found in the Sarva 

Jñanottara and the Devikalottara, of which there are many 

translations available. 

Refs: Refs: 

Refs: 

1 An Evaluation of the Tantras — H. H. Mahatapasvi Kumarswamiji (Chakra Journal of Tantra and 

Yoga. Vol.2, 1971. Kumar Gallery, New Delhi-3). 

Ågåmi Ågåmi karma karma (arg arg arg-gaar arg gaar-mi gaar gaar karr-mah) karr karr karr 

Sense: Sense: ‘The seeds of future karma 

karma karma, which are being sown in the 

present.’ Ågåmi — ‘coming (karma). (See Karma Karma for more detail.) 

Aghamarsana 

Aghamarsana Aghamarsana (arg-gah-mar mar-sanna) mar mar 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘A water-gazing discipline for the removal of sins.’ 

Aghamarsana-kriya is one of the practices in the performance of 

Sandhya Sandhya-vandana 

Sandhya vandana or Twilight Meditation. The sages aver that no 

matter how carefully we attempt to act in every situation of life, 

the negative karmas we accumulate by thought, word or deed, are 

enough to precipitate us into at least another dozen or so births

and deaths. Aghamarsana is traditionally held to be a conscious 

method of destroying sins that have been accumulated consciously 

or thoughtlessly. 

In his meditations, the sage Aghamarsana heard the mantras 

relating to this practice and passed them on as his teaching. 

Method: Method: Hold a little water in the palm of the right hand. During 

the inhalation, raise it to the level of the nostrils and gaze into the 

water while holding the breath. One should visualise all one’s sins 

as streaming out of the right nostril and the power of purity in the 

water entering into the left nostril. Then the water is thrown over 

the left shoulder without giving it another glance. This is followed 

by holding a spoon of water below the nose, while chanting the 

following mantras for the expulsion of sins: 

¸tam ceti t®casya Aghamarsana ®‚iª 

Bhavav®to devata, Anustup chandah 

papapurusa visarjane viniyogah. 

Aghor Aghor Aghor (ag-ghor) 

Sense: Sense: ‘Transmutation’— a mysterious and esoteric solar science of 

healing and transmutation of matter, by mastery of the finer subtle 

forces of life. An adept is known as an Aghori. They are few and 

far between. 

Bib: 

Bib: 

a) Aghora Aghora Aghora Aghora Vols. Vols. Vols. Vols. I----III II 

I III III III — Robert Svoboda (Rupa & Co. New Delhi.) b) b) Living Living Living Living with with with with the the the the 

Himalayan Himalayan Himalayan Himalayan Masters Masters Masters Masters — Swami Rama 

Aghora Aghora (ag-ghor ghor-ra) ghor ghor 

Var: 

Var: 

Synon: Synon: Aham, 

Aham, Aham, Aham,

Sense: Sense: ‘Non-terrifying’ — an epithet of the Omniscient One. 

Also regarded as the sense of ‘I’ (aham aham aham) aham from th the th 

e mantric 

mantric 

letters letters letters aaaa, , ha, ha ha ha , and and mmmm, , regarded regarded as as the the essence essence of of Para-Vak — the the All 

All 

Transcending Transcending Word. 

Word. 

Aghor is the mysterious esoteric science of healing and 

transmutation of matter, by mastery of the subtle forces of life 

(more subtle than prana prana). prana An adept of this path is known as an 

aghori. To ordinary folk, ‘aghori babas’ are terrifying in 

themselves, but aghoris fearlessly immerse themselves in the most 

disgusting or terrifying practices imaginable in order to transcend 

and transmute them; such as deifying Death and sitting astride 

corpses in cremation grounds as a form of meditation. Such adepts 

are few and far between. But those who have become adepts appear 

capable of extraordinary powers. 

Bib: 

Bib: 

Bib: 1) Aghora I, II & III — Robert Svobodha (Rupa & Co. Delhi, 1994) 

Agnaana Agnaana — see Åjnåna 

Agneya Agneya (ag-nyey nyey-ya) nyey nyey 

Var: 

Var: 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘The type of mantras used for destructive purposes, when a 

practitioner is breathing through his right (solar) nostril.’ 

In Tantric Tantric practice these are called ‘hot’ mantras, chanted or 

mentally projected when the air is flowing through Surya Surya Nadi 

Nadi 

(pingala pingala pingala, pingala or right nostril). Mantras of this type are used for 

aggressive and destructive purposes. 

‘Cold’ mantras are those to be chanted when the air is flowing 

through Chandra Nadi (ida ida ida, ida or the left nostril). These are known as 

saumya saumya and are used for beneficial purposes. 

Ågni Ågni (aahg-nee) 

Var Var: Var Agniª, aagni 

Synon Synon: Synon Å~girasa, Purva — ‘the First-born’ (in the Çhatapatha

Bråhma~a). Vaiçvårnara — the Universal Lord, is the name of 

Agni in the ¸g g Veda Veda (Ch.VII, v.49) and elsewhere he is called 

urjas putra, as ‘rich in milk’ (that is to say, giving nourishment). 

The wind known as Måtariçvan — is also considered as a form 

of Agni. 

Sense: Sense: a) ‘The God of Fire’: the mediator between gods and 

men who makes no distinctions and lives impartially in the 

heart and home of everyman. Therefore the Vedic Vedic poets call 

him Grihapati—‘Lord of the House.’ 

b) ‘Fire itself: the sacrificial fire, or the fiery element in man’ 

and as such is also known as Kundalini Kundalini or somaª somaª. somaª 

In the confusing minefield of Hindu deities, Ågni is one of the 

most difficult to pin down and classify, having gone through 

myriads of transformations, functions and appellations. Originally, 

over 200 hymns were dedicated to Ågni in the ¸g Veda, where he 

is eulogised as the first and wisest ‘God of all Gods.’ There he is 

the spokesman of the Gods to humankind and the very spirit of all 

the Gods, from whom they all gain their wisdom, strength and 

immortality. 

In the Vedic conception he is equated with Vak or speech, the fire 

of communication. 

According to the Puranas Puranas, Puranas he is variously said to be the son of 

Brahma Brahma; Brahma the offspring of Dayaus and Prithvi (Heaven and Earth); 

or the son of Kaçyapa and Aditi Aditi (Sun and Space); some say the son 

of Angiras King of the Pitris Pitris—the Pitris 

Fathers of mankind. Here he has 

become one of the three leaders of the lesser gods, together with 

Indra Indra — the senses, and Vayu — air, wind breath, because these 

three have more of the pure manifestation of (and are “closest” to) 

the Brahman. 

According to a legend in the Kena Upanishad, the god Ågni and 

others were the first to come into intimate contact with the Supreme 

and know that “That” is Brahman.

In the Bråhma Bråhma~as Bråhma as as, as Ågni is known as Gåyatr⁄, who steals Soma 

(the liquid vehicle of immortality) made from a Himalayan creeper 

and thus is known as Somaª or Somapati the — ‘Lord of Plants.’ 

In its psycho-physiological aspect, Ågni is representative of the 

psychic fire in man (Ågni-pavaka) and controls the physiological 

forces, especially the chemical and biochemical forces. Hence Ågni 

is also synonymous with the “fire of the stomach” manifesting as 

the power of digestion. And in this function is known as 

Vaiçvårnara Vaiçvårnara (as well as previously having this same appellation as 

the ‘God of Gods’ in the ¸g Veda). 

The Vedic poets refer to these three basic forms — the earthly 

fire, the lightening of the mid-regions, and the blazing orb of the 

heavens. 

Whenever desire flames up in a person, Ågni is also there as 

Kåmågni Kåmågni (kåmå—desire, ågni—fire) and relates to deep-seated 

desires of the soul. 

The anthropomorphic Ågni is often represented as a man of flame 

with two or three heads, several tongues, three legs, seven arms, 

garlanded with fruits and riding a ram. 

Quotes: Quotes: “Ågni resides on earth, within the plants. 

The waters contain Agni; in the stones is he. 

Agni abides deep in the hearts of Men. 

In cattle and horses there are Ågnis.” 1 

Therefore although Ågni is praised with great veneration in the 

homes of worshippers, both morning and evening at the fireside, 

evidently Ågni is not simply fire, but is called the ‘life spark’ 

existing even in waters, in wood or stone. 

As the celestial fire, he is taken to be Surya the Sungod. So 

Ågni is also the ‘sun itself’ and exists within all things and 

beings, being the ‘fecundating seed’ of all beings. 

Other: Other: a) ‘The fire of the illumined will, of human aspiration’— 

according to Sri Aurobindo.

Bib: 

Bib: 

Refs Refs: Refs Refs 

1 

Atharva Veda, XII, 1 (Bh¨mi S¨kta). 

Ågnihotra Ågnihotra (arg arg arg-nee-hoh arg hoh-tra) hoh hoh 

Var Var: Var Var Agni-hotra, agnee hotra, aagnihotra 

Synon Synon: Synon Homam, homa 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘The fire sacrifice, oblation to the flames,’ practised 

daily at sunrise and sunset. 

In traditional Brahmin households ågnihotra is held every day in 

the domestic fireplace, discharged jointly by the man and wife, 

sprinking milk on the flames as a symbol of the goodness in 

married life. The wife then takes a flame to light the kitchen stove 

or fire, it having been sanctified for the preparation of food. The 

homa homa is a fire that is to be kept continuously burning by 

householders as prescribed in the laws of Grihashta in a treatise on 

the Householder life. 

Certain sadhus such as Aghoris and Nagas also keep a continuous 

sacred fire burning, known as a dhuni dhuni, dhuni 

with which they have a 

special relationship. If you do not wish to invoke the wrath of the 

adept, you should never approach such a fire, throw anything into 

it, or let your shadow cross it. Fire worship is a practice intended to 

purify both consciousness and the fire element in the body. It is 

enhanced by the use of ågni ågni mantras. 

In Vedic times, as today, a fire-worshipper was known as an 

ågnihotri — being one who endeavoured to gain the energy of the 

sun through working ritually with the fire. Standing in the smoke of 

the fire is considered to have a purificatory effect. Native 

Americans also sit in the smoke of their fires for the same reason. 

The officiating priest at a homa or ågnihotra, who offers 

substances to the fire, is known as a hot®.

There are three basic forms of fire for the Agni Hotra. 

One fire is known as Anvåhåryapacana (or sometimes 

Dak‚inågni) and is placed on the southern side of a 

house, being used only for offering oblations to the 

forefathers, or ancestors. 

The second is known as Gårhapatya, the household fire that is 

kept constantly burning on an altar, from which all other 

fires (such as the kitchen stove, oil lamps, incense, etc.,) 

are taken. 

The third is the Åhavan⁄ya or fire into which all the oblations 

to God or the gods are offered. 1 

The fire ceremony practised at any other time of the day 

(than sunrise or sunset) is known as homa. Practising homa with 

total sincerity is credited with the capacity to burn up negative 

karmas, which is why one feels refreshed and energised 

afterwards. 

It is also known as the Soma Soma Sacrifice, and for important events, 

it may be continuous for five up to fourteen days at a stretch. 

There are also negative homa rituals following the left-hand 

Tantric Tantric path, for the purposes of causing ‘death, delusion, discord, 

hatred, obstruction and enchantment’ in one’s enemies. 2 But 

according to the law of cause and effect, the negative karmic 

return of such practices is also likely to destroy the perpetrator. 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

a) “O Fire! Sacred Fire! Purifying Fire! Thou who sleepest in the 

wood, and mountest in shining flames on the Altar. Thou art the 

heart of sacrifice, the fearless aspiration of prayer, the divine spark 

concealed in all things and the glorious Soul of the Sun!” 

— Ancient Vedic Hymn 

b) The 8 th century sage Çhånkåråchårya Çhånkåråchårya considered that practising 

ågnihotra merely ritualistically, without plunging into meditation, 

was far less effective and not to be countenanced. Although in his

gloss on the Brahmas¨tra Bhå‚ya, he concedes: “Even so, the 

ågnihotra and other rites are not absolutely useless when they are 

not accompanied by meditation… Because [and he here quotes the 

B®hådara~yaka Upani‚had, which says] the Çruti ruti [revealed 

scripture] declares without distinction, that rites such as the 

ågnihotra are means of knowledge.” But he rather castigates ‘mere 

ritualists’ (kevalakarmi~aª) who do not meditate, as this means 

they will be led only ‘on the Path of the Ancestors’ 

(Pit®yåna (Pit®yånamarga 

(Pit®yåna (Pit®yånamarga 

marga) marga which only returns them once more to worldly life. 

Bib: 

Bib: 

a) Resources: See the Website: www.agnihotraindia.com 

b) Agnihotra University, P.O. Box 57107, Washington, D.C.20037, USA. 

Also: Agnihotra Press, P.O.Box 13, Randallstown, MARYLAND, 2133, USA. 

c) Agnihotra: The Healing Fire (Introductory booklet & practice CD)—Muz Murray (Inner Garden 

Publication. See Website: www.mantra-yoga.com). 

d) Agni Hotra—Fritz Stahls. A huge, expensive and exhaustively researched package of several 

volumes. 

e) Agnihotra for Equilibrium for Nature and Enhancement of Human Life—Manohar Potdar. 

f) Agnihotra: Scientific Perspective—Col. M. Deshpande and Manohar Potdar. 

g) Essence of Vedas—Dr. Shreekant Rajimwale. 

h) Agnihotra - Farming Method—Dr. Shreekant Rajimwale 

Refs. Refs. 

Refs. 

1 

Taken from: p.50, Praçnopanishad—Swami Sarvananda (Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, 

Chennai-4. 1967) 

2 Aghora II: Kundalini—Robert Svobodha (Rupa & Co. Delhi 1999). 

Ågni gni gni-Netra gni Netra (arg arg arg-nee arg net-tra) 

Sense: Sense: ‘ ‘The ‘ third eye centre’— situated behind the mid-point 

between the two eyebrows. 

Ågni Ågni Puråna Puråna (arg----nee nee nee nee poor-rah rah-nah) rah rah 

A scripture of encyclopaedic character, compiled in the ninth 

century A.D., and considered to be a spuriousVaishnava work, 

containing bits of everything of general interest culled from other 

sources. It contains the earlier codes of conduct for kings and the

four castes: Brahmins Brahmins, Brahmins 

Kshatriyas Kshatriyas, Kshatriyas Vaisyas Vaisyas Vaisyas and Shudras Shudras and enjoins 

Satya Satya—‘that Satya which is conducive for the welfare of all creatures’ 

both human and animal. 

Ågnirasas gnirasas (ahg ahg ahg-nee-ras ahg ras-sas) ras ras 

Var: 

Var: 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘Divine Seers or rishis 

rishis rishis, who assist in the ordering of the 

universe’— or demiurges, according to Vedic literature. 

The Agnirasas are nine in number, possessing nine ‘cows’ (the 

nine rays of illumination). When counted together with the seer 

Ayasya they are numbered as ten. 

These Vedic Rishis appear to be paralleled in the Tantric 

tradition by the nava (nine) nåthas nåthas (ascetic sages) who are seen as 

the offspring of prakåça — the essential Light; just as the Agnirasas 

are sons of the Flame, Agni (the Seer-Will). The nava nåthas also 

become ten when joined by the Adi Nåtha (the first great ascetic 

guru, Dattatreya). 1 

Quotes Quotes: Quotes a) “The Agnirasas are at once the divine seers who assist in 

the cosmic and human workings of the Gods and their earthly 

representatives, the ancient fathers who first found the wisdom of 

which the Vedic hymns are a chant and memory and renewal in 

experience. They are also seers of the truth, finders and speakers of 

the word of the Truth and by the power of the Truth they win for us 

the wide world if Light and Immortality…” 2 

b) “The Agnirasas are waiting still, and always ready to chant the 

word, to rend the cavern, to find the lost herds, to recover the 

hidden Sun.” 3 

Refs: 

Refs: 

1 

Info taken from: On The Veda—Sri Aurobindo. 

2 Sri Chakra—S. Narayanayan, p.68-9. 

3 Ibid.

Ågni‚†oma gni‚†oma (arg arg arg-nee-sh arg sh sh----toh sh toh-mah) toh toh 

Var: Var: Agnishthoma, aagnistoma 

Sense: Sense: ‘The Soma juice sacrifice;’ a Vedic Vedic and mantric fire ritual 

generally lasting five days. 

From stoma—a song of praise or chant and agni agni, agni 

fire. 

Agochari Agochari mudra (ahg-go-chah chah-ree chah chah moo-drah) moo moo moo 

Sense: Sense: ‘The gesture of invisibility.’ Yogic concentration on the tip 

of the nose often utilised together with antar antar kumbhaka kumbhaka (retention 

of the breath inside). Otherwise known as nasikagra nasikagra nasikagra drishti drishti. drishti 

Considered to effect the siddhi of invisibility. 

Agneya Agneya (arg-nyey-yah) 

Var: 

Var: 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘Mantras used for destructive purposes, when a practitioner 

is charged up by breathing through his right (solar) nostril.’ 

In Tantric Tantric practice these are called ‘hot’ mantras. Mantras of 

this type are used for aggressive and destructive purposes. 

‘Cold’ mantras are those to be chanted when the air is flowing 

through Chandra nadi (or the left nostril). These are known as 

saumya saumya (sor-mee-yah) and are used for beneficial purposes. 

Agre Agre Agre (ah-gruh) 

Sense: Sense: ‘In the beginning…’ a word which usually begins a 

cosmogonic text, in the same way as ‘Once upon a time…’ used 

to begin fairy stories. 

It is the locative of agra—‘origin, top,’ or ‘that which 

precedes.’ 

Ågya Ågya Ågya Chakra Chakra (arg arg arg-gee-ya arg chak-ra) chak chak chak 

Var: Var: Aagya chakra, åjña chakra, agnyachakra, agyana chakra 

Sense: Sense: ‘The Centre of Command’ at the third eye centre, or Ajña

chakra.... 

These two terms Agya and Ajña are alternative spellings for the 

same chakra chakra; chakra 

but the most current appellation and transliterated 

spelling is Ajña Ajña Chakra Chakra (cf.) even though agya is closer to the 

original pronunciation. 

Aham Aham (ah-ham) 

Var Var: Var 

Synon Synon: Synon Ayam, Atma, (YHWH or Jehova), 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘“I”— the first person;’— as in the mahavakya mahavakya, mahavakya 

or great 

saying, Aham brahman — “I am Brahman.” 

It is the I-AM-ness’— of the Omnipresence: the original name of 

the Absolute or the plenum, the whole, the endless infinite, in its 

recognition of Itself as “I”— as Beingness-Existence-Bliss. The 

Universal ‘I AM’ of the Self—or the Omniconsciousness. It is the 

‘I’ of the Hebrew scriptural “I AM THAT I AM.” Jehova means 

‘I AM.’ 

Asmi is ‘I am,’ but in everyday usage, aham (uncapitalised) is 

also used as the little ‘I am’ of the embodied self—or the human 

being regarded as bodied, together with a sense of ego (better 

defined as Ahaµkåra). Atma (Self or soul) considered as a 

metaphysical principle relates to the essence of Being, and is 

usually distinguished from ahaµkåra as a psychological 

principle. 

Roo Root: Roo Ayam—‘That which exists;’ that which is Self-shining and 

Self-evident. 

The first letter of the Sanskrit alphabet is A, and (in the early 

arrangements) ha was the last letter: therefore ‘aha’ includes 

everything from beginning to end—or from A to Z as we would 

say. Atma—the soul or Self of the universe, refers to the same 

thing. The uncapitalised atma is best understood as the individual 

soul of each being (although unfortunately it is not always so

differentiated in the texts, which creates more than a little 

confusion). 

The subjective feeling of existing in the deeps of one’s being, 

even in pitch dark, without needing reference to anything else to 

confirm it, is known as Ahaø-sphura~a or aham sphurti (‘the flash 

of “I-Consciousness”).’ The unbroken and continuous awareness 

of this sphura~a (feeling) is the natural state of the Self-realised 

being or jñåni (known as Vritti Vritti-Jñå Vritti ñå ñåna ñå na in Vedanta Vedanta). Vedanta 

Associating ‘I’ with the body is called ahaø-v®itti. . 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

a) “Bhagavan once explained the deep meaning of the word, 

aham. ‘Ah’ is the first syllable in the Sanskrit alphabet and ‘m’ the 

last letter. Thus, the single word aham, symbolically encompasses 

existence in its entirety.” — Viswanatha Swami. 1 

Other: Other: 

Other: 

a) Aham asmi—means the same as the “I AM that I AM” of the 

Christian bible. 

b) Aham Brahmasmi—a mantric formula meaning ‘I am Brahman.’ 


1 Drops from the Ocean—V. Ganesan (Self Published. In private circulation only. Tiruvannamalai. 

2006) 

Ahambhavana Ahambhavana (ah-ham-bha bha-vanna) bha bha 

Var: Var: Aham-bhavana, aham-bhava 

Synon: Synon: Aham-sp¨rti 

Sense: Sense: ‘The feeling ‘I AM’ (pure ‘I-amness’ or ‘Beingness’) — 

unrelated to body, name, social statuts, etc. As opposed to asmita— 

’I am this, that or the other.’ [cf. p. 13, YT Aug.83] 

Ahaµkåra Ahaµkåra (Ah-ham-kar kar-rah) kar kar 

Var Var: Var aham-kåra, ahamkaara, ahankåra, (ahankaar) 

Synon Synon: Synon Anava (ego), aniruddha (egoism), chit-jada-granthi 

(knot of ego)

Sense Sense: Sense Sense ‘Ego-sense: the awareness of ‘I’ as a limited individual and 

“embodied” consciousness.’ 

Lit. Lit. ‘I-Maker.’ That aspect of consciousness in which the 

awareness of self-existence, or cognition of Being arises, is the 

‘maker’ of the sense of ‘I.’ It is the universal sense of ‘I- 

Amness’ in its deepest sense. This manifestation of Ahaµkåra 

is not the awareness of being this or that (e.g., a man or woman, 

a father, mother, doctor, student, etc.,) but pure cognition of 

‘being.’ 

Yet even so, this primary Ahamkara is the first awakening of 

self-individuation; an awareness of existence as a distinct entity 

in its contraction from the oceanic state of Universal being 

(known variously as Paramashiva, Shivam or Brahman). 

Some Western psychologists conceive this as the sense of 

Universal Ego. Ahaµkåra in this pure sense is best capitalised 

to distinguish it from its lesser function in secular parlance as 

ahaµkåra — or egoic awareness, characterised by selfconsciousness, 

self-conceit, selfishness, haughty pride and 

egocentricity. 

Kara is a suffix which, when compounded with a noun or a 

preposition, denotes ‘the doing of’ something, or ‘the practice 

of’ something. Thus ahaµkåra is the belief in oneself as the 

‘doer of actions.’ Without kåra, the aham aham (or True ‘I’) shines 

minus any ego-sense. 

Ordinary ahaµkåra is that faculty which discriminates self 

from not-self, such as finger from fire: i.e., ‘my’ finger 

(regarded as self) and fire (not my self). Thus it protects the 

body and the personality from external and potentially 

destructive forces. Its function during the years of growth is to 

act as an intermediary ‘barrier reflex’ between the inner world 

and the outer world. In the first couple of years of life, a child

does not have this faculty. It is in the state of manas manas manas (manah) or 

‘mind-consciousness’ without any discriminatory faculty. 

Therefore is ready to put anything into its mouth. But by around 

its third year, it has developed ‘self-consciousness’ — the 

discriminatory ‘I-am-the-doer’ consciousness of ahaµkåra, and 

now it decides what it will and will not put in its mouth. 

The mental processes, by which the psychological function called 

ahaµkåra rules the body, are firstly, by its habit of assessing a 

situation that relates to self-comfort or self-preservation. It then 

reacts by releasing an immediate surge of psychic energy for the 

safety or comfort of the body through which it operates. Also, 

when desires that are not fulfilled, such as the expectation of food 

or sex, the ahaµkåra becomes wasteful of psychic energy by 

becoming wrathful or by creating wish-fulfilling daydreams and 

sleep-dreams for the imaginary gratification of such desires. 

This aspect of ahaµkåra’s functioning is still steeped in the belief 

of the reality of the world. Whereas the higher function of 

Ahaµkåra is to discriminate between the Real and the unreal, to 

overcome the unreality of self-gratificatory daydreams and to 

preserve thought processes from any imaginings which keep one 

from adhering to the consciousness of the Self. By constant 

adherence to the experience of Being, by awareness and intelligent 

reasoning, power and control over energy-draining egocentric 

thoughts is gained. 

Psychologically, ahaµkåra is considered to have three forms 

of expression: 1) tamasika ahaµkåra — that is, egoism 

expressed through indolence and inertia -‘No, not me, I can’t be 

bothered.’ 2) rajasika ahaµkåra — dynamic egoism, expressed 

through energetic action in the world — the ‘me, me, me—first!’ 

evident in the nature of many sportsmen, actors and politicians 

and 3) sattvika ahaµkåra — ego expressed through the spiritual 

sense of self-interested goodness, in doing worthy actions and

humanitarian work — as in evangelism (with its ‘holier than 

thou’ or ‘I know what’s best for you’ style of conceit). 

When referred to as chit-jada-granthi, the ego is known as ‘the 

knot between consciousness and the inert body’ which of itself 

knows nothing. ‘Aham-vritti’ means the ‘the sense of ‘I’ or the 

‘I’-thought.’ 

Quotes Quotes: Quotes Quotes a) “The state of ahamkåra is developed out of manah after 

careful examination of the activities of manah. Manah is the 

primary process of thinking; ahamkåra is the secondary process 

which cannot be developed without maturity of the primary 

process. Ahamkåra accomplishes what manah is unable to do. 

Analysis of subjective and objective worlds is the working 

capacity of ahamkåra. Manah cannot separate the subjective world 

of the mind from the objective world of physical reality. Thus 

ahamkåra inaugurates the world of relativity, stimulates the power 

of reasoning, and elaborates perception, memory, thinking, action, 

and personality. The perceptual mechanism at the state of 

ahamkåra is developed to that state where one perceives the 

external and the internal environment with great care and 

precision. Ahaµkåra consists of effective thinking by which one is 

able to arrive at the truth.” 1 

— Ramamurti Mishra M.D. 

b) “In your investigation into the Source of aham-vritti, you 

take the essential Chit [Eternal Consciousness] aspect of the 

ego: and for this reason the inquiry must lead to the realisation 

of the pure consciousness of the Self.” 2 

c) “If you seek the ego, you will find that it does not exist. That 

is the way to destroy it.” —Sri Ramana Maharshi. 3 

d) Såhaµkåra åhaµkåra åhaµkåra —the ‘sense of ego’: an awareness of the egoic state. 


1 

The Textbook of Yoga Psychology—Ramamurti S. Mishra M.D. (The Julian Press, Inc. 

N.Y.1963)

2 Ibid. 

3 3 

Maharshi’s Gospel—T. N.Venkataraman (Sri Ramanashramam Pub.) 

Ahamkaran Ahamkaranåçh 


åçha åçh a (aham aham-kar-rah-nahs 

aham aham nahs-shya) nahs nahs 

Var: Var: Ahankara-nasha, ahankara nasha 

Synon: Synon: Manonasha 

Sense: Sense: ‘Annihilation of the Ego-sense (and mind).’ 

Aham Aham-sph¨ra~a 

Aham sph¨ra~a sph¨ra~a (ah-ham sphoor-ran-na) 

sphoor sphoor sphoor 

Var: Var: Aham-spoorana, 

Synon: Synon: Ahambhavana, Aham-spurti, , Sahaja samadhi, Brahmaloka 

Sense: Sense: ‘The continuous sense of “I-ness” or “Am-ness” of the state 

of Self-Realisation, existing as a subtle pulsation in the deeps of the 

heart-centre of the being.’ 

Aham Aham-sp¨rthi 

Aham Aham sp¨rthi (ah-ham-spoor spoor-tee) spoor spoor 

Var: Var: Aham-spurti, , Aham-spoorthi, 

Synon: Synon: Synon: Ahambhavana, aham-sphura~a 

Sense: Sense: ‘The continuous sense of “I-ness’” or “Am-ness” of Self- 

Realisation.’ 

Aham Aham Aham Svar¨pa Svar¨pa (ah-ham svar-roop roop-pa) roop roop 

Var: Var: Aham swaroopa, ahamswaroop, 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘One’s true nature; one’s real form or essence’. 

Quote: “The individual self is identical with the Supreme Self, and 

can attain to perfection by stability of meditation on the 

significance of the word Aham.” —Introduction to Para Trimshika. 

Ahamukam Ahamukam (ah-ham-moo-kam) 

Var: 

Var: 

Sense: Sense: ‘Being turned towards the Self’— the mental condition in 

which there is complete withdrawal from sense objects 

(regarded as the dream of existence) and contentless

Consciousness manifests itself, in which one experiences the 

Absolute (although strictly speaking, there is then no one left to 

experience). 

Ahankara Ahankara-nasha 

Ahankara nasha nasha—see nasha Ahamkaran Ahamkaranåçh 


åçha åçh a 

Åhåra ra (aah-har har----rah) har har 

Var: Var: aahaara 

Synon: Synon: anna 

Sense: Sense: ‘Food.’ 

However, in his commentary on the Upanishads Upanishads, Upanishads Shankaracharya 

gives it a more esoteric meaning, stating: “That which is gathered 

in is Åhåra. The knowledge of the sensations, such as sound, etc., 

is gathered in for the enjoyment of the enjoyer (self); the 

purification the knowledge that gathers in the perception of the 

senses is the ‘purifying-of-the-food.’ Åhåra in this case, cognising 

all sensations and feelings, without being affected by attachment, 

aversion or delusion. 

Ahata Ahata (ah-hat-tah) 

Sense: Sense: ‘Struck sound’: that is, any sound produced by an 

instrument or voice, carried through the air by audible vibrations. 

As opposed to anahata or ‘unstruck sound’ such as the fine 

and subtle ringing tone of the primordial sound of creation (heard 

interiorly by yogis) or the ‘music of the spheres’ as heard by clairaudient 

Greek sages. 

Ahimsa Ahimsa (ah-him him him-sah) him 

Var Var: Var Ahimsaa, (ahinsa, ahinsaa), 


Sense Sense: Sense Sense ‘Non-injury—either by word, thought or deed': the 

attitude of heart and mind in which one has no desire to harm 

any living (or non-embodied) being or creature, plant or

environment, either by action, thought or speech. It is the total 

absence of ill will at all times and in all circumstances. 

Root: Root: Ahimsa consists of two words 'a'—not + hims (or han— 

‘to hurt’) killing or injury. Some derive the term himsa from 

simha—lion. The nature of a lion is to attack, to offend, or 

injure. Hence a-hi means ‘no offense’ or non-aggressivity in 

any form. 

Ahimsa is the first of the Yamas or injunctions for a 

spiritual aspirant, according to the sage Patanjali Patanjali’s Patanjali 

system, 

although it was not a prominent sentiment in the Vedic 

tradtion and was hardly mentioned in the later Upanishads Upanishads, Upanishads 

being an idea mostly promoted by Jains and Buddhists. It 

was spoken of in the Agni Purana and in the Padma Purana 

and declared to be the dhar dharma dhar 

ma (code) without equal. 

Followers of Vishnu Vishnu the Preserver are supposed to 

strictly follow the code of ahimsa. 

Once, when the yogi Paramahansa Yogananda was sitting 

with his guru Sri Yukteswar, a fly alighted on his arm. He 

was about to swat it, raising his hand in annoyance, when he 

suddenly thought better of it. His guru told him that he might 

as well have carried the action through, since he had already 

mentally killed the fly in the astral. 

Those who practice non-injury are called Ahimsakas. 

Quotes Quotes: Quotes 

a) “Himsa is classified in three divisions: 

1) Physical, by body and instruments, including war. 

2) Vocal, by speaking against others, including 

psychological warfare. 

3) Mental, by thinking against others. 

“Himsa is to act against, to speak against, or to think 

against oneself or others. To injure oneself or others in any 

form is himsa. It includes the use of narcotics and other

substances injurious to body tissue. Abstention from all 

types of injury is called ahimsa. 

This term is used without adjective; it includes every type 

of injury because it is used in a broad sense... 

“Destruction and injury need planning. This planning is 

done by one’s own mind. One cannot inflict injury on others 

without first injuring oneself by those ideas. By injurious 

thoughts one’s mind is poisoned and its growth is blocked. 

Consequently various mental and physical diseases ensue. 

Whether others are injured or not depends on their destiny, 

but the mind of a man who has injurious thoughts is 

definitely injured and poisoned. This is an eternal 

psychological fact... A tremendous amount of psychic 

energy is misutilised by destructive forces against the 

physiogenic forces of the body. Consequently, physical and 

mental disorders follow. 

“…One cannot injure others without first injuring oneself 

because injury is the result of psychological planning. Vocal 

injury is more serious than physical, and mental injury is the 

most serious. By physical injury one can destroy only 

physical forms. By vocal injury one can destroy both 

physical and mental forms. By mental injury one can destroy 

even the form of spirit. Consequently one will go to lower 

transmigrations.” 1 

b) “The test of Ahimsa is absence of jealousy. Any man may do 

a good deed or make a good gift on the spur of the moment, or 

under pressure of some superstition or priestcraft; but the real 

lover of mankind is he who is jealous of none.” 2 

c) “Non-killing is only a crude conception of ahimsa; for it 

is much more than that. The real ahimsa is not to injure the 

feelings of others, nor to injure oneself.” 

‘How can we injure our own feelings or harm ourselves?’

“You injure your own feelings by creating habits. If, for 

instance, you are addicted to drinking tea, and you cannot 

get it, you suffer don’t you? So your feelings are injured by 

the created habit. Never, never toinjure the feelings of 

anybody and never to create habits is the real ahimsa. By 

creating habits we imprison ourselves; imprisonment is 

limitation. And limitation is suffering.” 3 

Refs: 

Refs: 

1 

The Textbook of Yoga Psychology—Dr. Ramamurti S. Mishra. (Julian/Doubleday press, 

USA.) pp 204-5 

2 2 

Bhakti Yoga—Swami Vivekananda (Advaita Ashram, Almora, Himalayas. 1964) 

3 The Chasm of Fire—Irena Tweedie (Element Books, UK, 1979). ISBN: 0-90654001-1 

Ahooti Ahooti (ah-hoo hoo-tee) hoo hoo 

Var: Var: Ahuti, ah¨ti 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘Offerings to the fire.’ 

Aikya Aikya (IIII-kee-yah) 

Sense: Sense: ‘Identification.’ 

Aimavinigraha Aimavinigraha (I-mah-vin-nig nig-rah-ha) nig nig 

Sense: Sense: ‘Self-restraint; mastery over the mind.’ 

This is the condition in which you are clear and deliberate in 

your thinking, without being misled by the vagaries of your own 

thoughts. 

Aitareya Aitareya Upani‚had Upani‚had (I-it-trey trey-yah trey trey Oo-pannish-shad) 

Oo Oo Oo 

This is a text from the Aitareya Åra~yaka section of the 

¸ig ¸ig-Veda. ¸ig 

Veda. Although it is written in the form of a discussion 

between the guru and disciple, neither the name of the Seerauthor, 

nor that of the disciple to whom he is speaking, is given 

here. 

For those unable to grasp the reality of spontaneous creation,

the scripture offers to tell how the Absolute manifested the 

universe in a structured manner. It expresses how the Self 

within the individual cannot grasp the Supreme by any of the 

senses, yet is truly unable to experience anything but the 

Absolute. 

Aja Aja (ajja) 

Var: Var: Ajanma 

Sense: Sense: ‘ ‘Unborn.’ ‘ 

Lit Lit. Lit ‘Without birth: not born’— existing from all eternity; the name 

of the Uncreated Being. The name of prakriti—primordial nature, 

maya — or illusion, that from which emerged Brahma, Brahma, Shiva, 

Vishnu Vishnu and Kama. 

Kama. 

Ajapå Ajapå Ajapå Japa 

Japa (ah-jappah-japah) 

Var Var: Var ajapaajapa, ajapa jaap, ajapa jap, 

Synon: Synon: Synon: So’ham, Hamsah, Sahaja japa 

Sense: Sense: ‘The natural and automatic repetition of the breath as 

mantra.’ 

Generally taken to be the repetition of the Hamsa Hamsa Hamsa or Soham 

mantram mantram, mantram “I am That” or “I am He,” which follows the flow of the 

inward breath (so) and the outward breath (ham). 

Esoterically, it is the recognition of the ‘I AM’ of Being which 

makes itself known even without breath, but manifests itself 

through bodies in the involuntary inward and outward flow of the 

breath. Knowing this aspect of the Self and attuning one’s thoughtflow 

upon it is true ajapa. 

It is also known as sahaja (natural) japa (repetition). 

Bib: 

Bib: 

1) 1) Mechanics of Meditation and Dynamics of Yoga — Swami Satyananda Saraswati (Bihar School of 

Yoga). 

Aj Ajåta Aj ta (ah-jar jar----tah) 

jar jar

Var: Var: Ajaata 

Synon: Synon: Ajati 

Sense: Sense: ‘Non-creation’— the philosophical standpoint or experience 

of Realised beings, that there has never been any creation of the 

world or of the beings in it, but that all is mere appearance; in the 

same way as people and buildings appear in a dream, who have not 

been ‘created’ except in imagination. 

Ajåtivada Ajåtivada (ah-jart art art-ti art ti-var-dah) ti ti 

Var: Var: Ajati-vada, ajaati, ajåti, ajaata, ajata 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘The doctrine of non-creation’ — the contention of the 

Realised being (jñåni jñåni jñåni) jñåni that nothing has ever come into being or 

happened, and all seeming ‘history’ is only the Atman appearing as 

‘I Am.’ There is no creation and never has been, since what appears 

to the unrealised soul as the world, is only the reflection or 

spontaneous ‘dream of God.’ 

Such is the final assertion of the Vedas Vedas. Vedas 

Åjñå Åjñå Chakra Chakra (arj arj arj----nyah arj nyah nyah nyah chak-ra) 

Var Var: Var Ajna cakra, aajnaachakra, agyna, agyana chakra, (argya), 

Synon Synon: Synon Bråhmire g¨hå (Cave of Brahman), Br¨madhya, 

Chashm-i-batin (Muslim), Divya chakshu (third eye), Guru 

chakra, gyåna netra, jñåna-netra, nukta-i-sewda, Shiv netar 

(Sikh) or Shiva netra, Tisra Til, Trikuti, Triveni 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘Command Centre’— the sixth psychic nerve centre of the 

subtle body, located between and slightly above, the junction of the 

eyebrows. 

In esoteric terms, it is the intuitive receptive area of the pineal 

gland or ‘Third Eye’. It is often called ‘Guru chakra’ as it is 

considered the gland through which the guru psychically 

communicates with his disciples. However, some yogic texts place 

a higher energy vortex named guru chakra at the upper level of the

ain just below the skull and not in the mid-brain section. 

Medically, ajna chakra corresponds to the naso-ciliary extension 

of the cavernous plexus of the sympathetic, or subcortical area. (cf. 

Chakras Chakras). Chakras 

Quotes: Quotes: 

Quotes: 

a) a) “ “The “ best sadhak sadhak, sadhak who continuously meditates on this lotus 

[chakra chakra chakra], chakra , can quickly enter another’s body, think perfectly and 

attain omniscience. He becomes an expert on the scriptures and 

a benefactor to all. He sees the oneness of Brahaman Brahaman and 

acquires many siddhis [psychic powers]. He can become the 

master of creation, preservation and destruction.” 1 

c) However, this practice can make one ‘heady’ (that is, overintellectual 

or brain-bound) and susceptible to the 

aggrandisement of the sense-of-ego. We are cautioned: 

“Meditation with the eyes fixed on the space between the 

eyebrows, the Sage*warns us, may result in fear. The right way 

is to fix the mind on the Self alone.” 2 

Bib Bib: Bib 

a) Sure Ways to Self Realization—Swami Satyananda Saraswati (Bihar, 1980) cf. p.153. 

b) Ajna Chakra—Swami Nityabodhananda Saraswati (Bihar School of Yoga, 1973) 

c) Shat Chakra Nir¨pana (ancient tantric tantric text). 

Refs: 

Refs: 

1 

Ajna Chakra—Swami Nityabodhananda Saraswati (Bihar School of Yoga, 1973) 

2 Maha Yoga—“Who” - K. Lakshmarna Sarma. (Pub. Sri Ramanashramam, Tiruvannamalai, 1937- 

2002). ISBN: 81-88018-20-1 

* Refers to Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi 

Åjñåna jñåna (aahj-nee-arn arn-nah) arn arn 

Var Var: Var ajnaana, åjñåna, agnaana (ajñaan) 


Sense Sense: Sense Sense ‘Non-wise, non-wisdom; ignorance, nescience:’ that kind of 

knowledge (considered as ignorance by jñåna yogis) which takes 

the separative diversity of the world as the reality; as opposed to

jñåna (wisdom) being knowledge of the world through 

understanding the underlying unificatory factor of all things. 

Hence an ajnani is one who has not realised to the Self, and 

therefore an ignorant person. 


Quotes: 

Other: 

Other: 

a) According to Sri Aurobindo’s own specific usage: ‘Perception 

by the receptive and central Will, implying a command from the 

brain; a dwelling of the consciousness on an image of things so as 

to govern and possess it in form.’ 

Bib Bib: Bib 

Refs: Refs: 

Refs: 

Ajñåni Ajñåni (ahj-nee-yaa yaa-nee) yaa yaa 

Var Var: Var Ajnaani, 


Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘An ignorant or non-liberated person.’ (See Ajñåna Ajñåna Ajñåna and 

Jñani Jñani). Jñani 

Akh Akhanda Akh Akhanda 

anda-Satchidan 

anda Satchidan Satchidanånda Satchidan nda nda ( (akk-kan-dah-sat-chit-an-nan-dah) 

( 

Var Var: Var Var Akhandasatchidanaanda 


Sense: Sense: ‘The undivided Existence-Knowledge-Bliss:’ the 

attributes of the Absolute. 

Akarma Akarma (ah-karr karr-mah) karr karr 

Sense: Sense: ‘Non-karma’— the absence of psychological bondage 

resulting from actions done without attachment. (See Karma Karma for 

details.) 

Akart Akart® Akart Akart® 

® (ah-kar-truh)

Var: 

Var: 

Sense: Sense: ‘Non-doer:’ someone who is egoless and does not see 

themselves as the originator of their spontaneous actions. 

Opposed to karta karta, karta 

a ‘doer,’ being someone who is involved in the 

activities of life. The Self (Brahman Brahman Brahman, Brahman the Absolute) is seen as a nondoer, 

and therefore anyone who is absorbed in the Self, is 

automatically akart® or a-karta, beyond the identification of 

doership. 

Åkåçha Åkåçha (Ah-kah-shya) 

Va Var: Va Akasha, aakaasa, åkåça, åkåçaª, akas 

Synon: Synon: alaya, (Tib. nam-mkah) 

Sense Sense: Sense Sense ‘Radiant ether — the primordial subtle substance of 

space.’ 

In this instance, the preposition ‘å’ means ‘to’, while kasha, is 

‘appearance’ or ‘the expanse of vacuity (emptiness).’ It is also 

variously used to indicate air, sky, space and the atmosphere, as 

well as the primordial ether. As it is all penetrating and infinite, 

it is therefore frequently identified with Brahman Brahman. Brahman 

The fifth element-principle of space is known as åkåçha-tattva tattva 

(subtle essence or principle) — ether, or aether. 

Yoga physics determine three forms of space. The subtlest is 

known as paramåkåsha — the ‘absolute ether’ or ‘That which is 

Brahman’— the Absolute itself. The second form is chid-åkåsha 

— the space that Consciousness occupies. The terms space, sky 

and consciousness, are all used to express the ether at this level. 

The densest form of ether is called bh¨tåkåsha — the threedimensional 

space in which the five gross elements exist. 

Quotes: Quotes: Quotes: a) “Everything that we see around us, feel, touch, taste, 

is simply a differentiated manifestation of this Akasha. It is all 

pervading, fine. All that we call solids, liquids, or gases,

figures, forms, or bodies, the eartrh, sun, moon, and stars — 

everything is composed of this Akasha.” — Swami 

Vivekananda. 1 

Other: Other: Other: a) Medically: it is the subarachnoid space which surrounds 

the brain and spinal cord. b) Also a ‘state of mind in which all 

mental waves are emptied and radiant ether shines forth’. 

c) Akasha-mandala — the region of ether. 

Bib Bib: Bib 

a) Science & The Akashic Field:An Integral Theory of Everything—Ervin Laszlo (Inner 

Traditions) 


1 

Jñåna-Yoga —Vivekananda (Advaita Ashrama, Calcutta, 1964). 

Åkåçha Åkåçha Lingam Lingam (Ah-kah kah kah-shya kah lin-gam) 

Var Var: Var Aakaasha-lingam, akasa lingham 


Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘An invisible Shiva column composed of empty space.’ 

Instead of a statue of a deity, a temple may house an‘åkåçha 

lingam,’ or an empty space, symbolising vast expansion of 

consciousness. 

Akhand Akhand (ah-kand) 

Var Var: Var 

Synon Synon: Synon Synon 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘Constant’— the continual practice of something without 

breaks, i.e. Akhand Mantra — continuous chanting, or Akhand 

Homa — practice of the fire-ceremony over a long period. 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

Other: 

Other: 

Bib Bib: Bib 


Akhandakara Akhandakara vritti vritti (ah-kan-dah-kar kar kar-rah kar vrit-tee)

Var Var: Var Var 

Synon Synon: Synon Synon Aham sphurana (effulgence of ‘I-ness’), 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘Constant unbroken consciousness’— the condition of 

the enlightened being, in which his consciousness is constantly 

free of thoughts, like the clear blue sky free of clouds. 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

Other: 

Other: 

Bib Bib: Bib 


Åkhårå Åkhårå (aah-kah kah-raah) kah kah 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘An ascetic regiment.’ 

Lit: Lit: ‘Training ground: to train in arms.’ 

a) An åkhårå is an organisation or ‘regiment’ of Shaivite ascetics of 

a militant style, bearing arms for repelling foreign invaders. They 

developed as early as 856 AD in defence against repeated 

incursions into their country, especially against the later aggressive 

Muslim invaders from around 1200 AD. Some Åkhårås claim their 

organisations stem from Adi Shankara. Many of the warrior 

ascetics were (and still are) from the ranks of the naked and fearless 

Någå babas. Such ascetics who play a militant role are known as 

åkhåråmallas. 

The are seven main Åkhårås, in order of foundation are:- 1) 

Ånanda Åkhårå, 2) Niranjan⁄ Åkhårå, 3) Junå Åkhårå, 4) Åvåhan 

Åkhårå, 5) Atal Åkhårå, 6) Nirvån⁄ Åkhårå, and the latest (1482 

AD) the Agni Åkhårå, which did not achieve equal status with the 

other Åkhårås until 1971, when it was officially accepted. 

b) In periods of peace the Någå ascetics especially, concentrate on 

intense spiritual practices and thus another sense of åkhårå has 

come to mean ‘a place of great austerities.’ 

Akarta Akarta (ak-kar-tah)

Var: 

Var: 

Synon: Synon: J⁄van-mukta 

Sense: Sense: ‘A non-person’ or ‘a non-doer’— i.e., one liberated while 

alive, since he no longer identifies with what is done through his 

body. Karta — a doer. 

Ak‚ara Ak‚ara — see Ak‚hara 

Ak Ak‚hara Ak hara hara (ak-sha sha-rah) sha sha 

Var: Var: Ak‚ara, akshara, 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘Imperishable, immutable, Eternal Spirit, Supreme 

Brahman Brahman.’ Brahman 

This is the highest samadhi samadhi state where matter and spirit are 

blended and one enters into a condition called Brahmå~∂a (‘the 

Cosmic Egg’ of Brahma Brahma) Brahma 

the plane of the highest frequency. 

Ak‚hara is ‘the attributless nature of Brahman’ (acc. 

Çhånkåråchårya 

Çhånkåråchårya). 

Çhånkåråchårya 

Its opposite is K‚hara, K‚hara, the condition of the seeker before 

realisation, when Spirit and matter are still acting together in 

combination in the ever-changing physical universe. 

Other: 

Other: 

a) Ak‚hara is also a syllable, the most transcendent of all syllables, 

namely the ak‚hara Brahman—the Imperishable, Eternal Spirit 

manifested in the eternal sound of Om Om. Om 


Quotes: 

“He who knows not the Veda Veda’s Veda 

eternal Syllable, 

that highest point on which dwell all the Gods, 

what has he to do with the Veda? Only those 

who know it sit here in peaceful assembly.” 1

Refs: Refs: 

Refs: 

1 1 

Verse 39 from the Våco Bhågam portion of the Rg Veda 1, 164. Quoted in The Vedic Experience - 

Mantramanjari: An Anthology of the Vedas for Modern Man—Dr. Raimundo Panikkar (All India 

Books, Pondicherry. 1997/1989) 

Ak‚harop Ak‚haropåsaka 

Ak‚harop saka (ak ak ak-shah-roh-par 

ak par-sakkah) par par 

Var: Var: Ak‚aropåsaka, , , aksaropaasaka 

Sense: Sense: ‘One who meditates on the Imperishable.’ 

Çhånkåråchårya equates the word with the condition of someone 

already established in the Self, and therefore it is not a matter of 

‘meditation’ but more of ‘abidance in Brahman Brahman.’ Brahman 

Alambana Alambana (al-lam-banna) 

Sense: Sense: ‘An object or support of mental focus in meditational 

practice, such as a mantra, a sound, a light, a deity, a guru’s image, 

etc. 

Ålaya Ålaya aah-layyah) 

(aah aah aah 

Var: Var: aalaya 

Sense: Sense: Abode, dwelling place, receptacle, store. 

In the name Him-alaya, it means ‘receptacle’ or ‘abode of the 

snows’ (hima hima hima). hima 

Other: Other: a) Ålaya vijnana means ‘receptacle of consciousness’ or 

knowledge. b) In secret Tibetan teachings, ålaya is also used for 

what might be termed ‘nodal points in space’ (such as those 

through which waveforms pass); except that these ‘nodes’ are 

‘receptacles’ for the ‘energy-seeds’ thrown out endlessly by the 

universe. These energy-seeds may be mental thought-forms, mental 

habits, memories and any other psychic activity or physical 

formation which causes or encourages the repetition of material or 

mental activities which have occurred previously (samskåras samskåras samskåras in 

Sanskrit). These nodal points (otherwise known as storage centres 

for the Åkåçhic records) are continually absorbing these ‘energies’

and continually dispensing others, at the moment when the right 

conditions for their manifestation occur, much as when a plant seed 

bursts into life when placed in the right soil and climate and 

temperature for it’s manifestation. 

Aloki Aloki ah-loh-kee) (ah ah ah 

Var: 

Var: 

Sense: Sense: ‘Transcending the world; going beyond worldly 

consciousness’— the state of a jnåni or self-realised being. 

Loka Loka—world. Loka Loki—worldly concerns. 

Alwars Alwars (al-warz) 

Var: Var: alvars, azhwars 

Sense: Sense: ‘A sect of sadhus sadhus who have taken vows never to stand 

still, day or night, as a spiritual practice.’ 

Some practitioners lean on swings during the night. They 

wear bells on their ankles and around their waists and shuffle 

their feet even when lightly sleeping. 

Other: 

Other: 

a) The original Alwars were enlightened ancient Vaisnavite 

saints who wrote poems and sang devotional songs to Vishnu. 

Many worshipped at the shrine of Sri Venkateshwara (whom 

they regarded as Vishnu) at Tirumalai in Andhra Pradesh. 

Three of the most famous sages were Poyagi Alwar, Bhutam 

Alwar and Pey Alwar. 

Ama Ama (a-ma) 

Sense: Sense: ‘A humour, or toxified condition in the body’— a term 

in ayurvedic ayurvedic medicine. 

It is an internal condition brought about by incorrect food 

combinations and poor elimination. Some literal meanings 

include:- ‘raw, not fully cooked, immature and undigested.’

Ååáà—¤∂–ÓªÛ⁄ØœøµÑñ¡~ÿô¸®ÇçÍ‚˝†Á¨Üü 

Ååáà—¤∂–ÓªÛ⁄ØœøµÑñ¡~ÿô¸®ÇçÍ‚˝†Á¨Üü 

Ååáà Ååáà—¤∂ Ååáà ¤∂ ¤∂–ÓªÛ⁄ØœøÑñ¡~ÿô¸®ÇçÍ‚˝†¨ÁÜü 

¤∂ ÓªÛ⁄ØœøÑñ¡~ÿô¸®ÇçÍ‚˝†¨ÁÜü Times 14pt 

Ååáà————¤∂ Ååáà Ååáà Ååáà ¤∂ ¤∂––––ÓªÛ⁄ØœøÑñ¡~ÿô¸®ÇçÍ‚˝†Á¨Üü 

¤∂ ÓªÛ⁄ØœøÑñ¡~ÿô¸®ÇçÍ‚˝†Á¨Üü ÓªÛ⁄ØœøÑñ¡~ÿô¸®ÇçÍ‚˝†Á¨Üü 

ÓªÛ⁄ØœøÑñ¡~ÿô¸®ÇçÍ‚˝†Á¨Üü Long Dash 

— 

Ama Ama Kala Kala (ah-mah kah-lah) 

Var: 

Var: 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense 

Sense Sense:::: ‘The receptacle of lunar nectar’—a gland in the head, 

situated above the soft palate and housing the amrita amrita or soma soma 

soma 

(the lunar nectar). 

Kechari Kechari Kechari Siddhi Siddhi—the Siddhi stimulation of this centre, with a 

lengthened tongue, reaching up behind the unvula, causes the 

nectar to flow downwards abundantly and saturate the entire 

body with supreme bliss. It also confers a divine body free from 

aging and corruption. 

Amba Amba Amba (am-ba) 

Holy Mother (one of the names of Durga Durga). Durga 

Amma Amma (am-mah) 

Var Var: Var Ma, amman, ammachi, ammaji, 


Sense Sense: Sense ‘Revered Mother’— or the feminine principle. 

Amma Amma Amma Amma = (Uma Uma Uma, consort of Shiva Shiva) Shiva = Chit Chit-Shakti Chit Shakti the dynamic 

aspect of ‘An’ or Shiva’s Wisdom, represented as an upward 

pointing triangle, whereas Shiva is represented by a downwardpointing 

triangle, indicating Consciousness. 

Amma is also a suffix in the Tamil language to denote the 

feminine in the case of goddesses, as in Mariamma. And ammachi 

is a Southern Indian term of respect for Mother. Ma is also used

colloquially as ‘mother’ to any woman over the age of puberty. 

Amitabha Amitabha (am-mi-ta ta-bha) ta ta 

Sense: Sense: ‘The Buddha of infinite life and light.’ 

He is the central figure in the Pure Land sect of Buddhism. 

(Japanese: Amida). 

Amnaya Amnaya (am-nai nai-yah) nai nai 

Var: 

Var: 

Sense: Sense: a) ‘The Vedas Vedas.’ Vedas 

b) ‘Usage, tradition, or Sampradaya.’ 

Am®atatva 

Am®atatva (am-ruh-tat-vuh) 

Var Var: Var 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘Immortality.’ 

Am®atatva is considered as achievable only by following the 

canonically prescribed orthodox practices, duties, rituals, 

contemplation of Om Om (the sound and symbol) and meditation. 

Am®ita Am®ita (or Amrit Amrit) Amrit (am-rree rree-tah) rree rree 

Var Var: Var Am®ta, amrit, am®tam, amruta, (amatam: Buddhism) 

Synon Synon: Synon moksha, anandam 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘Nectar of Immortality’— in yogic terms; but as an adjective 

it means ‘Immortal or deathless.’ 

Root: Root: amar — deathlessness, and m®ita — death. AAAA-m®it means ‘notdeath’ 

or ‘non-dying’— deathless: thus it is also known as moksha 

moksha 

or final liberation, since one who has become Realised knows that 

‘death’ is non-existent. 

In Puranic Puranic tales, am®ita or am®tam am®tam, am®tam 

is generally translated as 

nectar or ambrosia—a legendary drink that was obtained from the 

‘ocean of milk,’which could transform mortals into immortals. 

Thus people imagine that am®tam is a sort of sweet elixir. 

However, esoterically and physiologically, the ‘ocean of milk’ is

the cerebro-spinal fluid in which the brain floats. And it is a 

secretion that forms in the brain during advanced stages of spiritual 

development that brings about immortality. 

“The point from which the nectar emanates is known as bindu bindu. bindu 

Bindu means ‘drop’ and its location is at the junction point of the 

anterior and superior brain. It is exactly at that point where the 

Aryans used to keep a tuft of hair, [as Krishna Conscious devotees 

do today]. It is from bindu, this cranial passage that this drop 

comes. The cranial passage is like a very small piece of grass and it 

has a depression, within which there is a tiny amount of fluid. 

“It is that particular drop of fluid which is known as amrita in 

yoga. Therefore, in tantra tantra, tantra the name of this centre is ‘binduvisarga’. 

Bindu means ‘drop’ and visarga means ‘falling’. So 

bindu-visarga is the centre from which this drop of nectar falls.” 1 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

a) “Verily when one finishes a ®g [a mantric hymn] he sounds 

out AUM AUM; AUM similarly a såman [prayer], similarly a yajus 

[sacrifice]. This sound is the sva svara sva ra [the tone of the Om Om]. Om 

It is 

am®tam am®tam and abhayam abhayam [freedom from fear]. By taking refuge in 

it the gods became immortal and fearless.” 2 

In this instance, amrit is identified with the effect of sounding 

the mystic syllable Om in consciousness. 

Other: Other: a) Knowledge is said to be amrita, and as the arts are 

considered to be creativity arising out of knowledge, art is also 

called Amrita. 

Bib Bib: Bib 

Refs: Refs: 

Refs: 

1 Swami Satyananda Saraswati, p.16 —Yoga Today magazine (Sept/1985) 

2 Chåndogya Upani‚had, 1.4.4. 

Am®itanå Am®itanådi Am®itanå di (am-ree-tah-nar nar-dee) nar nar 

Var: Var: Amrita-nadi, amritanad

Synon: Synon: Synon: Atmanadi, Brahmanadi, Jivanadi, Mukhya Prana Nadi, 

Paranådi 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘ ‘The ‘ secret psychic nerve-current flowing from the spiritual 

heart-centre up to sahaçhrara chakra chakra chakra and back down to the heart-ofthe-being 

centre.’ 

Without the return descent of kundalini energy to the heart 

centre, illumined beings remain only intellectually realised, but not 

spiritually realised in the Self. 

Am®tam Am®tam — see Am®ita 

Am®ita 

Amça Amça (am-shy-ah) 

Var: Var: amsha 

Synon: Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘A being manifested as a portion of a god.’ 

Prince Arjuna was considered to be an ‘amça’ or essential portion 

of the god Indra and Vasudeva was a portion of Vishnu. 

An, An, An, or Anu Anu Anu (ahn or ahn ahn-noo) ahn ahn 

Sense: Sense: Sense: a) ‘Atomic forces and atoms.’ b) An epithet of Shiva. 

Shiva. 

Ana Anabhidhyå Ana bhidhyå — (see in Soucha, Soucha, Quote a) 

Anabhisvanågri Anabhisvanågri (an-na-bhis-van-naar naar-gree) naar naar 

Var: Var: Anabhisvanaagri 

Anabhisvanaagri 



Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘An attitude of caring for children, wife, house, etc., 

without being attached to them.’ 

All these do require a certain amount of care, but the correct 

attitude is to be aware that you do not own them. If you appreciate 

the fact that you only possess them temporarily, you will take good 

care of them. If a friend entrusts you with her car, you take better 

care of it than you do of your own. Think of yourself not as the 

owner, but as the managing trustee of your family or home and

even of your physical body. Freedom from ownership is asakii asakii; asakii the 

resultant attitude of caring without attachment is anabhisvanågri. 

Anagata Anagata Anagata (an-nah-gatta) 

Sense: Sense: ‘Future.’ 

Anahad Anahad Nada Nada — see Anåhata Anåhata chakra 

chakra 

Anåhata Anåhata chakra chakra (an-arh arh arh-hatta arh chak-rah) 

Var Var: Var anaahatacakra, anhad, anåhat, anahata, 


Sense Sense: Sense ‘The Heart Chakra’— the mystic ‘wheel’ or ‘lotus’ of 

psychic nerve forces emanating from the dorsal vertebrae and 

creating a vortex-like vibrational field at the centre of the chest. 

Lit. Lit. An-åhata or — ‘unstruck’; that place in the body from which 

resounds the mystic sound known variously as ‘Shabda, Shabda, Shabda,’ Shabda, ‘Pranava Pranava Pranava’ Pranava 

Anahad or Anahat Nada—which was created from no material 

cause, such as an instrument, and so is therefore ‘unstruck’. 

This chakra is said to have twelve ‘spokes’ or ‘petals’ (radial 

energy segments) according to psychics and yogis and is associated 

with the Cardiac Plexus. (cf. Chakras Chakras). Chakras 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

Other: 

Other: 

Bib: 

Bib: 


Anami Anami (an-a-mee) 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘The Nameless Absolute: That which is behind the entire 

creation and is its causeless cause.’ 

“As the ocean of Pure Consciousness heaved, the Formless 

and Nameless Absolute came into expression, in many different 

forms with many different names, by the Power of Its own

heaving vibrations; the Sound whereof came to be called the 

Holy Word.” 1 


1 The Mystery of Death, Kirpal Singh (Thakar Kirpal Adhyatmic Kender, New 

Delhi.1969/1985) 

Ånanda Ånanda ah-nan-dah) 

(ah ah ah 

Var Var: Var ananda, aananda, anandam, (anantam), 


Sense Sense: Sense ‘A condition of ultimate Reality and Divine Bliss, 

spiritual ecstasy, mystic joy, delight of the spirit.’ 

A = to, combined with nand, is to rejoice, to be pleased or 

blissful. It is that bliss which comprises the three states of sukha— 

happiness, santosh—serene contentment and shanti shanti—inner shanti 

peace, 

resulting from the performance of the moral, bodily and spiritual 

disciplines. 

Such definitions of ananda as the above are those in general 

acceptance of it’s meaning generally defined as ‘bliss.’ However, in 

the ultimate conception of the Absolute as Sat Sat-Chit Sat 

Chit Chit-Ananda 

Chit Ananda (Truth 

of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss), the ‘bliss’ aspect here is 

something of a misnomer, as we generally tend to think of bliss as 

some sort of ecstatic experience. This kind of blissful phenomenon 

may occur on the way to Realisation, and is often mistaken for 

Realisation itself. But when true Self-Realisation occurs, there is no 

longer any personalised individual left to experience ecstasy. 

Without an experiencer, there remains only the Awareness of what 

is —the unalloyed peace of the Self. And it is that ‘mindless’ peace 

which is alluded to as ‘blissful,’rather than to the feeling of bliss 

itself. 

Åna~damåya 

Åna~damåya 

Åna~damåya (aah aah aah-nan-dah-mai 

aah mai-ya) mai mai 

Var Var: Var Anandamaya, aananda-maya, ananda-maya, anandamayah 

Synon Synon: Synon Ûçhvara

Sense Sense: Sense Sense ‘Full of bliss’— the causal måyå [or illusory quality] of the 

Primal Awareness, reflected as the Consciousness of the universe 

and thus is also omniscience. 

Some scriptures declare that åna~damåya is Ûçhvara Ûçhvara. Ûçhvara 

Åna~damåyah is also the name for deep sleep, since one is in an 

unknowingly blissful state when no dreams occur and no thought 

processes are occurring. 

Ånandamåya 

Ånandamåya-koçha 

Ånandamåya 

Ånandamåya koçha (aah aah aah-nan-dah-mai 

aah mai-ya-koh mai mai koh-shyah) koh koh 

Var Var: Var Var Anandamåyakoçha, ananda-måya-koçha, (anandamayakosh) 

Synon Synon: Synon Kåra~a çhar⁄ra 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘The sheath of bliss.’ 

Although this ‘field’ of experience is considered to be blissful, 

it is actually a state of nescience, or ignorance, just as when in the 

state of deep sleep or trance one is blissful but knows nothing and 

is totally unaware of anything. Because this is a pleasurable state it 

is known as ananda ananda (bliss). 

It is also taken to be the faculty of Buddhi — the higher form of 

intellect in the condition of ‘enveloping’ the being in a state of 

blissful apprehension. 

Ananta Ananta (an-nan-tah) 

Sense: Sense: ‘Infinitude, limitlessness, endlessness.’ 

Hence: Ananta Ananta Ananta Ananta is another name for Sheshsa Sheshsa Sheshsa Sheshsa the Lord God of the 

serpent world; the serpent with its tail in its mouth having been a 

symbol for endlessness and consciousness in many cultures since 

time out of mind. 

Anantam Anantam (an-nan-tam) 

Var: Var: Anantam, 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘Unlimited, Infinite.’

Anå Anåçhakti Anå hakti (arn-narh narh-shyak-tee) 

narh narh 

Var: Var: anaashakti, anaaçakti, anåsakti 

Sense: Sense: ‘Detachment — as the polar opposite to ashakti— 

attachment’. The philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita revolves 

around the reconciliation of the ashakti-anashakti condition of 

personal consciousness, by the cultivation of bhavana (cf.) 

Anåshakti Anåshakti Yoga Yoga Yoga anaasaktiyoga) (anaasaktiyoga 

anaasaktiyoga 

anaasaktiyoga is therefore the development of 

non-attachment and dispassion (vairagya vairagya cf.) and the rejection of 

powers and enjoyments in order to attain God-Realisation. 

Anå Anåçhramin Anå hramin hramin (an-nar nar nar----syhra nar syhra-min) syhra syhra 

Var Var: Var anaasramin, 


Sense Sense: Sense Sense ‘The state of being outside the four ashramas 

ashramas ashramas, or prescribed 

stages of life, as laid down in the Laws Laws Laws Laws of of of of Manu Manu Manu Manu and the Hindu 

scriptural codes.’ 

For example, a widower who has no desire to marry again on the 

death of his wife, nor wishes to become a vanaprastha or forest 

dweller. To the orthodoxy this is an unthinkable condition for 

anyone other than a Sage who has transcended the rules, as it goes 

against the whole structure of the ancient codes of Indo-Aryan 

society. However, nowadays this condition is becoming more the 

rule than the exception as the old prohibitions and outmoded codes 

are agonisingly slowly being transcended in favour of a more 

humane and modern outlook. 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

Other: 

Other: 

Bib Bib: Bib 


Anåtma Anåtma (an-art art-mah) art art 

Var: Var: Anaatma, 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘Non-self’: that which is not the ‘soul’ or real Self.

Anåtma Anåtma tattvas tattvas (an-art art art-ma art tatt-vahz) 

Synon: Synon: Anaatma tattwas 

Sens Sense: Sens e: ‘The essential truths or categories of everything that is 

other than the Self.’ An-Åtma = ‘not of the Self.’ 

Anåtman Anåtman (an-art art-man) art art 

Var: Var: Anaatman 

Synon: Synon: Chidåbåsa 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘The not-Self’ — or the deludedly separate individual, 

equated with chidåbåsa chidåbåsa [the reflected consciousness of Ûçhvara 

Ûçhvara 

(Cosmic Mind, God, Brahman Brahman) Brahman in the mindstuff of the seeming 

individual]. 

Lit. Lit. ‘No Åtma’ Åtma’—the Åtma’ doctrine of the non-existence of soul, as 

propounded by the Mådhyamika 

Mådhyamika Mådhyamika sect of Buddhism. 

Anava Anava (ego) — see Ahaµkåra 

Ahaµkåra 

Anavasthå Anavasthå (anna-vash-thaa thaa) thaa thaa 

Var: Var: Anavasthaa 

Synon: Synon: Regressus ad infinitum 

Sense: Sense: ‘Infinite regression:’ as in the example of philosophical 

conundrums such as ‘which came first, the chicken or the egg?’ 

There had to be a chicken to lay the first egg, but the chicken itself 

must have come from an egg, which presupposes a previous 

chicken and a previous egg, and so on ad infinitum. 

Andaja Andaja an-da-jah) (an an an 

Sense: Sense: ‘Egg-born’— that which is born from an egg. 

Aneka Aneka-j⁄va Aneka j⁄va j⁄va-våda j⁄va våda (an an an-ne-kah-jee-vah-var 

an 

var-dhah) var var 

Var: Var: Aneka-jeeva-vaada, anekajivavada 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘Belief in the plurality of souls or embodied beings’— in

contradistinction to eka eka-j⁄va eka j⁄va j⁄va-våda j⁄va våda (the contention that there is 

only one single j⁄va j⁄va (or embodied soul) in existence; all other 

people being as unreal as those seen in a dream. 

Advaitins (followers of Advaita Advaita philosophy) who believe in 

the concept of many souls are known as aneka-j⁄va-vådins. 

Anganyasa Anganyasa (an-gan gan-yassah) gan gan 

Sense: Sense: ‘The location of consciousness in various parts of the 

body, by mental projection or awareness from within.’ 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

Other: 

Other: 

Bib: 

Bib: 

Refs: 

Refs: 

Anga Anga Pradakshina Pradakshina (an-gah prad-dak dak-shin-na) 

dak dak 

Var: 

Var: 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘The circling of a holy hill or shrine, by rolling the body 

along the ground, or making full length prostrations at every 

step.’ 

This ascetic custom has been in vogue for many centuries. 

Some devotees prefer to roll a coconut along the ground and 

where it stops, they make a full-length prone prostration with 

their arms stretched out in front of them. 

Å~giras Å~giras ahn-jeer-ras) 

(ahn ahn ahn 

Var: Var: Aa~giras 

Sense: Sense: ‘The vital force.’ 

Other: Other: a) A class of semi-divine beings (in Greek, angelos), related 

to Agni Agni (who is sometimes referred to as Å~girasa), to whom many 

of the hymns of the Rig Rig Rig Veda Veda Veda are attributed. Like Christian angels, 

they are the mediators between humanity and the Gods. 

Anhad Anhad Nada Nada (see Anahata Anahata) 

Anahata

Anilaya Anilaya (an-nil-lai-yah) 

Synon: Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘Homeless, without a dwelling place.’ 

Opposite to nilaya nilaya—abode, nilaya 

dwelling, resting-place. 

Anima Anima (a-nimma) 

Var: Var: Animan 

Sense: Sense: ‘Subtlety’— the power of making the body subtle; that is, the 

ability to reduce the mass and density of the body at will. 

One of the siddhis, or psychic powers. 

Animesh Animesh preksha preksha preksha (anni-mesh prek-shah) 

Synon: Synon: Tratakam, 

Sense: ‘Gazing ‘Gazing steadily steadily at at an an object.’ 

object.’ 

Animishadristhi Animishadristhi (an-ni-mish-sha-drish drish-tee) drish drish 

Var: Var: Animisha drsti, Animsiha Yoga. 

Synon: Synon: Shiva Yoga, Piyusha Yoga, Prachina Yoga 

Sense: Sense: ‘Unblinking gaze’. The practice of tratakam or 

concentrated gaze on a Shiva Shiva Shiva linga linga’— linga 

or a small indigo-coloured 

stone in the palm of the hand: a miniture replica of the cosmic 

symbol known as linga. The secret name for this practice is 

animishadrshti as propagated by the Lingayats Lingayats (‘lingacontemplating 

saints’) of 12th century India. It is otherwise known 

as Shiva Yoga, Piyusha Yoga or Prachina Yoga and is still 

practised today. 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

Other: 

Other: 

Bib: 

Bib: 

Refs: 

Refs: 

Aniruddha Aniruddha (an-ni ni-rud-dhah) 

ni ni

Var Var: Var Var 

Synon Synon: Synon Ahaµkåra, chit-jada-granthi (knot of ego), 

Sense: Sense: ‘Egoism.’ 

Ankura Ankura (an-kur kur-rah) kur kur 

Var: 

Var: 

Sense: Sense: ‘Sprout or sprouting.’ 

Esoterically, the sprouting of the notion of being—“I-am-ness,” 

which then attaches itself to the sense-of-ego, from which 

identification all problems sprout. 

Anna Anna (anna) 

Var: Var: Annam, 

Sense: Sense: ‘Matter, or food.’ 

Lit Lit. Lit ‘Annam is that which will nourish you or that which will eat 

you!’ — T.K.V. Desikachar, 1 indicating that some things we take 

into our bodies may work to our detriment rather than nourishing 

us. 

Some schools of thought take this concept to extremes, as Swami 

Vivekananda laments: “The beginner, therefore must pay particular 

attention to all such dietetic rules as have come down from the line 

of his accredited teachers; but the extravagant, meaningless 

fanaticism, which has driven religion to the kitchen, as may be 

noticed in the case of many of our sects, without any hope of the 

noble truth of that religion ever coming out to the sunlight of 

spirituality, is a peculiar sort of pure simple materialism. It is 

neither Jñåna Jñåna, Jñåna 

nor Bhakti Bhakti, Bhakti 

nor Karma Karma; Karma 

it is a special kind of lunacy, 

and those who pin their souls to it are more likely to go to lunatic 

asylums than to Brahmaloka Brahmaloka.” Brahmaloka 

2 

Other: Other: a) Anna also means ‘grain’—representing food in general. 

Refs. 

Refs. 

1 

Viniyoga Britain Newsletter (No.3 Spring/Summer 1999).

2 Bhakti Yoga—Swami Vivekananda (Advaita Ashram, Almora, Himalayas.1964) 

Annamalai Annamalai (ann-nam nam-mal-lai) 

nam nam 

Var: 

Var: 

Synon: Synon: Arunachala, Arunachalam, Arunagiri 

Sense: Sense: ‘The Tamil name for the Holy Mountain of 

Tiruvannamalai.’ 

Lit. Lit. Lit. ‘insurmountable, or inaccessible;’ with the prefix thiru or tiru 

signifying ‘greatness.’ 

This was the original name for the holy hill of Arunachala Arunachala, Arunachala 

at 

Tiruvannamali, Tamil Nadu, and the southern abode of Shiva, 

symbolising the True Self. The word ‘Annal’ is one of Shiva’s 

epithets. Gradually the name became Arunachala from aruna – 

‘rose pink of the dawn’ and chala – ‘immovable.’ In Sanskrit it is 

also called Arunagiri – Rose or Red mountain. 

Annamaya Annamaya koçha koçha (anna-mai-yah koh-shah) koh koh koh 

Var Var: Var annamayakoça, (Annakosh, Ann-mai kosh); 

Synon Synon: Synon Synon 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘The ‘sheath of food’— otherwise known as the physical 

body. The grossest of several ‘layers’ or ‘bodies’ which compose 

the complex body of man (Vedic). From annam — matter or food. 

Kosha Kosha — a treasure-place, sheath or wrapping. 

Annapur~å Annapur~å (an-nah-poor poor-nah) poor poor 

Var: Var: Annapurna, Annapoorna, Annaporrnaa 

Synon: Synon: Kåli, Chåmundå 

Sense: Sense: ‘The Goddess Kåli Kåli in her aspect as nourisher.’ 

Other: Other: A famous mountain in Nepal. 

Annica Annica (an-nik-ka or annikka) 

Var: 

Var: 

Sense: Sense: ‘The transience of life and all its attributes.’ (Buddhist)

Anilaya Anilaya (a-nil-lai-ya) 

Var: 

Var: 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘Homeless; without dwelling, abode or resting place.’ 

As opposed to nilaya nilaya — ‘abode, resting place, dwelling.’ 

An®ta An®ta An®ta (an-rrt-ta) 

Var: Var: An®ita, anrta 

Sense: Sense: ‘Unrighteousness, wrongness, falsity.’ 

As opposed to ®ta ®ta — order, correctness, truth, morality. 

Vedic Vedic hymns give the god Varuna and his watchmen the duty of 

noting down the sins of men and punisheing them for their 

transgressions. Hence, many mantras of the Rig Veda are in 

supplication to Varuna for his forgiveness and leniency. 

Anta Anta (ant-tah) 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘End, termination or final aim (goal).’ 

Anta Anta-kåla Anta kåla (ant-tah-kar kar-lah) kar kar 

Var: Var: Anta-kaala, 

Sense: Sense: ‘Final dissolution’— at the onset of the ‘Cosmic night of 

Creation’ when the Creator is ‘asleep’ and when all manifestations 

are resolved back into a state of latency. 

Lit. Lit. ‘End-time.’ 

Other: Other: a) Also more loosely used as the ‘final hour’ of life. Krishna 

in the Gita says we must remember him at the ‘end-time’ of our 

lives or moment of death. 

Antaªkåra~a Antaªkåra~a (an-tah-karh karh-ranna) karh karh 

Var: Var: antar karana, antah-karanam, antahkarana, antah-kaarana, 


Sense Sense: Sense ‘The inner organ, or instrument — otherwise known as

the ‘mind’; the instrument of the Self, or that agency which 

operates between the Higher and Lower self.’ 

The antahkarana (a Vedantic term) is called the composite 

fourfold mind, composed of ahamkara (ego), manas manas (‘mind’— or 

the faculty of thinking), buddhi buddhi buddhi (higher and lower intellect) and 

chitta chitta chitta (the storehouse of the subconscious). In terms of the body, 

arms and legs are called bahyakaranas, or outer instruments, while 

senses and mind are thought of as antahkaranas or inner 

instruments. 

Antar or antah — means internal, interspace, middle, within, 

between. And karana—the ‘intermediate instrument’ (that is, a 

mental function in operation), comes from kar— to do or make, or 

kri—to do, to act. 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

Other: Other: 

Other: 

Bib Bib: Bib 


Antahkårana 

Antahkårana-visista 

Antahkårana visista visista-caitanyam 

visista caitanyam caitanyam (an-tah-karh karh-ranna karh karh vish-shish-tahchai-tan-yam) 

Var: Var: antarkarana-visishta-chaitanyam 


Sense Sense: Sense ‘The internal organ (mind) qualified by Consciousness:’ that 

is, that Consciousness which is the substratum of the universe, 

reflected in the medium known as chittam chittam or ‘mindstuff’ creating a 

blend of consciousness between the two. 

Antara Antara (an-tar tar-rah) tar tar 

Var: Var: antar (in northern India version), anthara 

Sense: Sense: ‘Within, interior, inner, intimate, near.’ 

Anthara Vichara is ‘Inner Questing,’ or deep enquiry into 

the source of the ‘I’ sense, leading to realisation of the Self.

Other: Other: In some usage, antara can also mean‘different from,’ or 

‘interior to.’ 

Antaråtman Antaråtman (an-tar-art art-man) art art 

Var: Var: antar-åtman, antaraatman, 


Sense: Sense: ‘The inner self:’ the individual soul as opposed to the 

Paramåtman Paramåtman or Universal Soul. 

Antar Antar dhanam dhanam (ant-tah-dhar dhar-nam) dhar dhar 

Var: Var: Antardhanam 

Sense: Sense: ‘Disappearance;’ making the body invisible by yogic 

powers. 

Antariksha Antariksha (an-tah-rik rik-sha) rik rik 

Sense: Sense: ‘The “dimension in-between”— the airy space between 

heaven and earth, or “the realm of the ancestors” (the spirits of 

those who have died).’ Also used to denote the atmosphere or 

midspace. 

Antar Antar mounam mounam (an an an-tah an moo-nam) 

‘Inner silence’ (cf. pp. 78-84 SWTSR6 for details)* 

Antarmukhadrishti Antarmukhadrishti (an-tar-muk-hah-drish drish-tee) drish drish 

Var: Var: Antar-mukha-drishti 

Sense Sense: Sense Sense ‘Introversion; inward looking’ 

Antar Antar nirvikalpa nirvikalpa sam samådhi sam dhi (an-tah-neer neer-vi-kal-pah neer neer sam-ma-dhee) 

Var: 

Var:

Sense: Sense: ‘Remaining motionless and unperturbed even though 

experiencing the exaltation of the superconscious state.’ 

Antarya Antarya (an-tar tar-ree-ya) tar tar 

Sense: Sense: ‘Obstacles on the yogic path.’ 

Listed as: a) sickness; b) fatigue; c) carelessness; d) doubt; e) 

laziness; f) worldly attachment; g) false illusions; h) nonachievement 

of the practices of dharana dharana (focalisation), dhyana dhyana 

(contentless meditation) and samadhi samadhi (absorption); or failure to 

maintain the achievement once attained. 

From Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (Sutra 1, v.30) 

Antaryajña Antaryajña (an-tar tar tar-ree-yah, tar yag-nee-yah) 

yag yag yag 

Var: Var: Antaryagña, Antar-yajna 

Synon: Synon: Manasa Puja 

Sense: Sense: ‘Mental oblation.’ 

This is a tantric practice in which the aspirant (after perfecting 

years of arduous training) is given secret instruction in mentally 

visualising the rituals and offering every part of his psychological 

and physical being to the Lord or deity. 

Bib: 

Bib: 

1) Kaulåval⁄nir~aya Tantra (a text from the tantric Kaulå sect) giving the process of mental oblation. 

Antaryåmin Antaryåmin (an-tar-ree-aah aah-min) aah aah 

Var Var: Var Var antaryaamin, 

Synon Synon: Synon Antar-drishti. 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘Inner vision; the Inner Controller or Guide Within’: the 

åtman åtman conceived of as the inner presence and internal guide of 

every being. 

Also the name applied to the Godhead when conceived of as That 

which is controlling the entire inner cosmos; a concept of primary 

importance in the Upanishads Upanishads. Upanishads It is the cosmic form of the Self as 

Pure Intelligence, but combined with maya (cosmic projection). It

is also deemed to be the ruler of the four outer bodily sheaths and 

the five elements, earth, air, fire, water and ether. 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

Other: 

Other: 

Bib Bib: Bib 


Anu Anu (a-noo) 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘Infinitesimal’— generally taken to mean ‘atom’. (For Anu 

as an epithet, see Shiva Shiva. Shiva 

Anubhåva Anubhåva (an-noo-bhah bhah-vah) bhah bhah 

Var: Var: Anubhaava, 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘Direct perception of Reality, the intuitive spiritual 

experience.’ 

Self-Realisation—is the identity of the jiva jiva (the personalised 

human entity)—with Shiva when conceived of as Brahman Brahman the 

Absolute. 

Other: Other: a) Also used as a term for ‘the emotions’ or certain feelingstates. 

Anugraha Anugraha d®‚†i d®‚†i (an-nu nu nu-gra-hah nu drrish-tee) 

Var: Var: Anugraha d®i‚†i, anugraha drishti, anugraham, 

Synon: Synon: Chakçhu D⁄k‚hå 

Sense: Sense: ‘The glance of Grace’ (of ‘God’ or Guru):’metaphorically 

falling on the heart of one who is practicing ‘Witness 

consciousness’ or ‘abidance in the heart (åtma tma tma-ni‚h†a tma ni‚h†a ni‚h†a). ni‚h†a 

It is a form of initiation or spiritual transmission of the guru’s 

energy to disciple by his special glance, also known as chak chakçhu chak hu 

d⁄k‚hå. å. 

Anugraha Anugraha shakti shakti (anoo anoo-gra-hah-shak 

anoo anoo shak-tih) shak shak 

Var: 

Var:

Sense: Sense: ‘ ‘The ‘ self-revealing power which propels the ego-bound 

being through many pains and pleasures, until the futility of it all is 

recognised; when it then guides the sufferer towards a deeper 

understanding until he or she willingly cuts the binding knot of ego. 

This is the opposite function to Tirodhåna Tirodhåna—the Tirodhåna 

veiling 

capacity of forgetfulness (or måyå måyå), måyå 

which causes the arising of 

the ego-knot between spirit and matter and makes the subtle 

mindstuff attach itself to gross matter (the body) and assume an 

independent identity rather than remaining one with the 

Absolute. 

Anuloma Anuloma-viloma 

Anuloma viloma (annu annu-lo-ma annu annu vill-lo-mah) 

Var: Var: (Anulom vilom) 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘A breathing technique in which the flow of breath in 

alternate nostrils is observed with toal awareness.’ 

Anuloma-viloma, or the ‘up-down’ breath, is also known as ‘with 

the hair and against the hair.’ In English, we might term it ‘going 

with the grain and going against the grain.’ 

The practice known as Nadi Shodhana Pranayama Pranayama, Pranayama 

in which 

breath is inhaled by one nostril and exhaled through the other in 

alternate sucession, is the precurser to anuloma-viloma. In nadi 

shodhana practice, with one nostril closed by either the thumb or 

fingers, after the inhalation the breath is held for 16 seconds. If held 

any longer than that, the practice then goes by the name of 

anuloma-viloma and the chin lock and anal lock are prescribed. 

In advanced practice the airflow is mentally controlled from 

one nostril to the other. 

Bib: 

Bib: 

a) Ajna Chakra — Swami Nityabodhananda Saraswati (Bihar School of Yoga, 1973), p.40. 

Anuråga 

Anuråga 

Var: Var: anuraaga 

Synon: 

Synon:

Sense: Sense: ‘Intense attachment to god.’ 

Anusthana Anusthana (an-nush-tha-nah) 

Var: Var: Anusthans 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘A fixed course of sadhana sadhana sadhana or spiritual practice, usually 

lasting from morning until night.’ 

In mantra mantra, mantra 

anusthanas are the rituals prescribed to 

accompany the classical style of practice; which include the 

type of seat to be used, the direction to be faced, the rishi rishi from 

whom the mantra came, to be revered; the deity of the mantra to 

be invoked, the specific flowers for puja puja, puja the style of mala 

(rosary) or other accoutrements that must be used, etc. 

Anvasada 

Anvasada 

Var: 

Var: 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘Hopeful and optimistic cheerfulness.’ 

Apåna Apåna-våyu Apåna våyu (ap-paah-nah-vai-yoo) 

Var Var: Var Apaana, apaana-vayu (vaayu), 


Sense Sense: Sense ‘The downwards-moving breath in the body--the force by 

which waste products are expelled from the body’. 

One of the five vital ‘airs’ or ‘pranas’ in Hatha Yoga which 

maintain the smooth functioning of the physical body, viz: 1) 

Pråna, Pråna, Pråna, 2) Apåna, 3) Udåna, Udåna, 4) Samåna and 5) Vyåna 

Vyåna. 

Apåna is the downwards or outwards moving energy which 

carries away waste particles from the system. Lit: Lit: ‘to take away, 

breathe away or remove.’ Ap — away, an — to breathe. (Apa is 

also water, with its connotations of flowing away). 

Thus apåna is considered as a centrifugal force, which 

eliminates toxins, basically governing the abdominal region and 

excretory functions. But besides working in the anus and

genitals, it also functions in the knees, thighs and buttocks, 

calves, stomach, navel and loins. Tibetan medicine considers 

apana-vayu (wind) to be the cause of various bodily secretions. 

The French indologist Réné Guenon states that apåna-vayu 

(vayu—vital air, breath or wind) is an ‘inspired’ or breathed-in 

breath, considered as descending in the body, while vayu is an 

‘aspiration’ or respiration considered as ascending in its initial 

phase. 1 

Psychologically it is connected with forgetfulness and absentmindedness. 

It is associated with the colour orange-red 

(vermilion.) 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

Other: 

Other: 

Bib Bib: Bib 


1 

Man & His Becoming—Réné Guenon, pp.77-78. 

Apar Aparå Apar Apar (ap-par-rah) 

Var: 

Var: 

Sense: Sense: ‘ ‘Limitless: ‘ not having boundaries.’ 

Negative prefix a, plus para — across, beyond. 

Aparå Aparå Vidyå Vidyå (ap-par-rah-vid vid-yar) vid vid 

Var: Var: Aparaavidyaa, apara vidya 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘Lower, or mere intellectual knowledge’ dealing with the 

means of freedom from the empirical world. 

As opposed to Parå Parå-Vidyå Parå Vidyå Vidyå, Vidyå or ‘higher knowledge of Brahman Brahman,’ Brahman 

which is of an experiential and insightful nature. Whereas lower 

knowledge consists of book knowledge, even including that of the 

four Vedas Vedas; Vedas as well as liturgical texts, books on grammar, 

etymology, astronomy and suchlike. 

Aparigrahå Aparigrahå (ap-par-rig rig rig-rah-hah rig hah) hah hah 

Var Var: Var aparigrahaa,

Sense Sense: Sense Sense ‘Non-possessiveness’— mental freedom from needyness: 

the condition in which one has no covetous desire to hold on to 

any possessions, having faith that the Lord will provide. It is 

one of the yamas or ‘restraints’ of the Raja Yoga system of the 

sage Patanjali. 

Root Root: Root a—not, parigrahå—to collect or accumulate (for one’s own 

benefit.) 

Taking things, or picking up things to keep unnecessarily, as 

well as accepting gifts not needed, is parigrahå parigrahå parigrahå parigrahå and is 

considered to lead to hoarding, acquisitiveness and bondage to 

attachments. 

Aparigrahå is the creation of the essence of simplicity in 

one’s mind; not even mentally coveting or clinging to anything 

(or anyone). Its real inner meaning is the relinquishment of the 

concept of ego and indulgence in our false identification with it. 



Bi Bib: Bi 


Aparok‚ha Aparok‚ha (ap-par-rok rok rok-shah) rok 

Var: Var: Aparok‚a 

Sense: Sense: ‘Intuitive and direct perception of Reality without a 

medium,’ — in contradistinction to parok‚ha parok‚ha (parok‚a parok‚a parok‚a) parok‚a through 

which a thinker infers something indirectly through observation and 

intellectual reasoning. 

Apasmarap Apasmarapuru‚ªa 

Apasmarap uru‚ªa 

(ap-pas-mar-rah-poor poor----roo poor poor roo-shah) roo roo 

Var: Var: Apasmara-purusha 

Sense: Sense: ‘The demon of Ignorance (ego), on which Shiva dances in 

his aspect as Nataraja Lord of the Cosmic Dance.’ 

Apauru Apauru‚eya Apauru eya (ap-pour-roo roo-shee-yah) 

roo roo 

Var: Var: Apauru‚heya

Sense: Sense: ‘Non-authorship’ or ‘not of human origin’: that is, having no 

human author. 

This is the traditional view of the Vedas, Vedas, as a divine revelation 

of the “Eternal Word” manifested through the inspired 

consciousness of the ancient rishis rishis, rishis or seers. 

Aps Apsaras Aps aras (ap-sar sar-ras) sar sar 

Var: Var: Apsarases 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘Beautiful celestial dancing girls of resplendent form 

gracing the heavenly Court of Indra.’ 

Indra.’ 

They are said to have arisen from the ambrosial ‘Ocean of Milk’ 

when churned by the gods and demons. Not having undergone the 

purifications according to the Laws of Manu, they became women 

of easy virtue and a law unto themselves as far as morality goes. 

The intention here was to condemn the nature of temple dancers 

and human theatricals; thus for millennia stage performers were 

scorned as low class beings. 

Apsaras are also female spirits or nymphs, believed to inhabit 

mythical mountain regions, trees, water and air, along with the 

Gandharvas—the celestial musicians and Kinnaras —celestial male 

dancers. Such beings can be seen as the counterparts of the fairies 

in Western mythology. 

Ap¨rva Ap¨rva (ap-poor poor-vah) poor poor 

Var: Var: Apurva, 

Synon: Synon: Daiva 

Sense: Sense: ‘Not having existed before:’ something which occurs as the 

consequence of a previous act, manifesting as an incident in one 

world or another in any given lifetime. 

Daiva Daiva being the unseen potency of ‘God’ which brings this effect 

about. 

Ara Ara (ah-rah)

Sense: Sense: ‘Spoke’: as in a wheel. Instead of using the imagery of 

the petals of a lotus when speaking of a chakra (wheel), some 

use the imagery of whirling spokes. 

Aranya Aranya—see Aranya Dasnamis Dasnamis 

Dasnamis 

Åra~yakas Åra~yakas aah-ran-yak-kas) 

(aah aah aah 

Var: Var: Aara~yakas 

Sense: Sense: ‘Forest scriptures.’ 

Åranaya means a forest, a wilderness or a distant land. 

Other: Other: a) In the Chåndogya Upanishad (VIII, v.5), åra~yakas are 

called ‘a way of solitude.’ 

Årati Årati Årati aar-rut-tee) (aar aar aar 

Var: Var: Var: aarati, arti, arathi, aarthy, aarathi, (harathi) 

Sense: Sense: ‘Waving of Lights ritual’— a divine service ceremony 

performed as a reverential salutation to God (or to an idol of a 

specific God of the Hindu Hindu Pantheon Pantheon). Pantheon 

Ar, aryanti — to praise, or worship. 

Årati is generally performed in the early morning, midday, at 

twilight or just after dark, while burning incense and camphor. It 

symbolises the little light of the soul offered to the great Light of 

the Divine. 

Burning lights or lamps are waved clockwise before a shrine or 

image, to instrumental music and song, (or sometimes to a 

cacophonous noise of bells and horns, trumpets and drums beaten 

wildly) with the burning of incense. In the north of India this song 

is generally sung in Hindi, as follows: 

Om jaya jagadeesh Hare, 

Swami Jaya Jagadeesh Hare, 

Bhakta-janon ke sankata 

Daasa-janon ke sankata,

Kshana-me doorakare 

Om jaya jagadeesh Hare. 

Jo dhyave phala pave, 

Dukha binase mana ka-swami (twice) 

Sukha sampati ghara ave (twice) 

Kashta mite tana ka (chorus: Om Jaya, etc) 

Matapita tuma mere 

Sharana ganoon kisakee-Swami 

Tuma bina aura na-dooja 

Tuma bina aura na koee 

Asha karoon jisakee—Om Jaya, etc. 

Tuma purana param-åtma 

Tuma antaryamee-Swami 

Para Brahma Parameshvara (twice) 

Tuma saba ke Swami—Om Jaya, etc. 

Tuma karuna ke sagara 

Tuma palanakarta-Swami 

Main murakha khala kamee 

Main sevaka tuma swami 

Kripa karo bharata—Om Jaya, etc. 

Tumo ho Eka Agochara 

Saba ke pranapatee Swami 

Kisa vidha miloon dayamaya 

Kisa vidha miloon kripamaya 

Tuma ko main kumatee—Om Jaya, etc. 

Deenabhandhu dukha harata 

Tuma rakshaka mere-Swami

Apane hath uthao 

Apane charana badhao 

Dvara pada tere-Om jaya, etc. 

Vishaya vikara mitao 

Papa haro deva-Swami 

Shraddha bhakti badhao 

Shraddha prema badhao 

Santana ke seva—Om Jaya, etc. 

Tana mana dhana saba tera 

Saba kutchha hai tera-Swami 

Tera tere arpana (twice) 

Kya lage mera 

Om Jaya jagadeesh Hare. 

Archana Archana ar-chan-nah) 

(ar ar ar 

Var: 

Var: 

Sense: Sense: ‘The worship of the Divine by mantra chanting, offering 

flowers and leaves, kum kum-kum kum 

kum (vermillion powder), etc.’ 

Ardha Ardha ard-dhah) (ard ard ard 

Sense: Sense: ‘Half’—as in, for example, ardha-malasana, the halfplough 

posture (mala—plough, asana—posture or seat); or the 

ardha-padmasana (half-lotus pose). 

Ardha Ardha-matra 

Ardha Ardha matra (ard ard ard-dhah-ma 

ard ma-tra) ma ma 

Sense: Sense: ‘A demi-phoneme, or half the phonetic constituent of a 

sound or letter.’ 

In mantra, when the mystical sound Om is chanted, the vibratory 

nasalised ‘mmmnnnnn’ sound which lingers on towards the end of 

the breath is designated as an ardha-matra (a half-sound or ‘non-

phonetic constituent’) and is considered as representing the Eternal 

Nada or Unstruck Sound of the Universe. 

Ardhanarishvara 

Ardhanarishvara Ardhanarishvara (ar ar ar-dhah-nar-ish 

ar ish-varrah) ish ish 

Var: Var: Ardhanar-ishvara, ardha-narishwara, Ardha-narishvara 

Sense: Sense: ‘The Lord (Shiva) who is half male and half female,’ 

represented by an idol with a right male half and a left female half. 

Meaning the combined integration of Shiva and Shakti 

Shakti 

principles. Ardha — half. 

Arghya Arghya ah-ghee-yah) 

(ah ah ah 

Var: 

Var: 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: Sense: the offering of water to the ‘hands’ of God (by giving it 

into the hands of an idol) in the ritual worship known as 

Sodasopacara Sodasopacara (sixteen steps). Eso: Eso: offering oneself into the 

hands of God. (Cf. Sodasopacara for diacritical marks) 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

Other: 

Other: 

Bib: 

Bib: 

Refs: 

Refs: 

Arhat Arhat (ah-hat) 

Synon: Synon: J⁄van-mukta 

Sense: Sense: ‘Perfected One’— a Buddhist term for a Saint in Hinayana 

Buddhism and is also used in Theosophy. One who has slain his 

‘enemies’— namely the human passions (kleshas kleshas kleshas) kleshas and basic drives, 

even that of clinging to life. 

Arhat is equivalent to j⁄van j⁄van-mukta j⁄van mukta in Sanskrit; indicating one 

who has reached the highest degree of the four orders of the Åryas Åryas: Åryas 

: 

Srotåpanna, Sak®idågåmin, Anågåmin, and Arhat.

Arishta Arishta (ah-rish-tah) 

Var: 

Var: 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘A sign or portent by which yogis know the time of 

separation from their bodies.’ 

This sense is developed by samyama samyama, samyama 

or deep concentration, on 

karma karma. karma karma 

Årjavarn Årjavarn ar-jah-vahn) 

(ar ar ar 

Var: Var: Årjava 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘Straightforwardness, sincerity;’when thought, word, and 

deed are in harmony; one then becomes straightforward in all 

dealings. 

Arjuna Arjuna (ah-joo joo-nah) joo joo 

The heroric Pandava warrior-prince of the Kurukshetra 

battlefield who—at the commencement of the war—learned the 

message and revelation of the Bhagavad Gita from his friend and 

charioteer, the Avatar Avatar Avatar Krishna Krishna, Krishna and went on to score a victory for 

the Pandava race. Among the many teachingsof Krishna, he 

basically learned that according to his station in life (as a Prince 

and a warrior), he should not shirk his duties and must act (and 

fight) in the circumstances in which he finds himself, but without 

anger or self-motivation. 

The whole Bhagavad Gita is only a small section of the great 

Mahabharata Mahabharata epic. 

Arohan Arohan (arrow-han) 

Sense: Sense: ‘An ascending psychic passage or nadi nadi, nadi 

beginning at 

muladhara, moving towards svadhistana 

svadhistana, from there to the pubic 

region, then upwards, passing through the kshetrams (‘fields’ or 

‘dwelling places’) of the other chakras, except ajna, ajna, passing

directly to the bindu 

bindu bindu. 

Arpana Arpana Arpana (ah-par par-nah) par par 

Var: 

Var: 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘Offering.’ 

Yogically, this is not simply offering food or flowers to a 

deity, or money and gifts to a guru guru, guru but the offering of one’s sense 

of ego and mind to the master, or to God. True arpana is the 

merging of self in the Self, or the surrender of the mind-bound 

individual in the Absolute. 

Artha Artha arh-tah) (arh arh arh 

Sense: Sense: ‘Wealth or possessions’— often used in the sense of inner 

spiritual wealth or psychic gifts and capabilities. 

In tantric texts, when used in conjunction in the term‘çhabda çhabda 

and artha,’ it signifies ‘meaning,’ with regard to the correct 

comprehension of vocalised sounds (namely, words). In this 

instance, shabda meaning ‘the Primordial Word’ emanating from 

the union of Shiva Shiva and Shakti Shakti Shakti principles. 

Other: Other: a) Aim or purpose (of existence). b) Light. (hence arti arti). arti 

Arthakarman Arthakarman (ar ar ar-tah-kar ar kar-man) kar kar 

Var: 

Var: 

Sense: Sense: ‘A purpose-oriented ritual practised for a specific result.’ 

Aru~åchala Aru~åchala (arrun-aah aah-challa) aah aah 

Var: Var: Arunaachala, Arunachalam, Aruna achala, Aru~åcala 

Synon: Synon: Annamalai (Unnamulai, the feminine form of Annamalai), ), 

Arunagiri, (tejolinga, agnilinga) 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘The Insurmountable’ or the ‘Immovable’ — ‘Hill (or 

Mountain) of the Dawn’ or the Hill of Light. 

It was originally known as Annamalai, with the prefix thiru or

tiru signifying ‘greatness.’ Hence the town below it, situated in 

North Arcot, Tamil Nadu, is now called Tiruvannamalai. In 

Sanskrit the hill is also called Arunagiri – the rose or red hill or 

mountain. 

It is regarded as the Southern spiritual pole of India and the 

manifestation of Shiva himself, whereas Mount Kailash in the 

northern Himalayas is only his abode. The word ‘Annal’ is one of 

Shiva’s epithets. 

Root: Root: Aruna — light (the ‘rose pink of the dawn’or redness as of 

fire) and achala — immovable mountain). 

Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi, the sage who identified himself 

with Arunachala, esoterically broke down the name as follows:- A 

= Sat (Truth/Beingness), RU = Chit (Consciousness), NA = Ananda 

(Bliss) and CHA+ LA (Achala) = Perfection, thus Perfect Being- 

Consciousness-Bliss. Arunachala is thus known as the jñåna 

pañchåk‚har⁄ mantra, or ‘five-syllabled mantra of librating 

wisdom.’ 

Some translate it as aruna (the Self) and achala (stillness). 

A Sanskrit work known as the Arunachala Mahatmyam, which 

eulogises the greatness of the mountain, perpetuates the legend that 

Lord Shiva originally manifested as a column of fire (a Tejolingam 

Tejolingam 

or Column of Light) that eventually condensed into Arunachala. 

The column had neither top nor bottom and symbolises infinity 

and limitless light of the inner Self, or Eternal perfect 

Consciousness. Some consider Arunachala as the union of the 

Supreme Self and the Individual self, representing the One 

Absolute, as expressed in the Mahavakya Mahavakya Mahavakya (Great Utterance) ‘That 

Thou Art.’ 

The famous mystic Jñanasambandhar wrote a verse to the 

effect that Arunachala was a ‘dense mass of jñåna jñåna jñåna [spiritual 

wisdom] capable of removing the I-am-the-body idea from its 

devotees.’

Undoubtedly, Arunachala is a mountain of great inner power, 

which has attracted pilgrims and drawn holymen to live in its caves 

for thousands of years, enlightening many sages. 

The greatest and most recent of these was Bhagavan Sri 

Ramana Maharshi (1868-1950), who was regarded as a 

manifestation of Shiva. Hence he was also named 

Ramanarunachaleshwara Shiva. His radiance continues to suffuse 

the area. Once in a vision, Bhagavan saw into the interior of the 

mountain, where he perceived thousands of sadhaks sadhaks being taught 

by rishis rishis and thereby understood its power. He declared that 

Arunachala was the ‘Heart of the Earth’ and the spiritual centre of 

the world. He also stated that another meaning of ‘Achala’ signified 

‘protection.’ 1 

The great sage Çr⁄ Çhankaracharya called it ‘Mount Meru.’ 

According to geological analysis and carbon-dated fossils found 

on the hill and, it has been ascertained that Arunachala is some 1.65 

billion years old, one third of the age of the earth and almost 20 

times older than the Himalayas, making it one of the most ancient 

mountains on earth. 2 

A famous saying in Southern India is: “To view Chidambaram, to 

be born in Tiruvarur, to die in Benares — or merely to think of 

Arunachala is to be assured of Liberation.” Esoterically, each of 

these four holy places represents a different aspect of higher 

consciousness, Arunachala being the Godhead or Pure 

Consciousness itself. 

The devotees of Bhagavan and the Hill sing his mantric hymn 

Arunachala-Shiva, during the Deepam Deepam festival (in November or 

December) when a beacon fire is lit on the peak for ten days. It is 

also especially appropriate when walking the fourteen kilometres 

around its base; a practice known as Aru~agiri-pradak‚hi~a. 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

a) “That is the holiest place of all; Aru~åchala is the most sacred. 

That is the Heart of the world. Know it to be the secret sacred

Heart-Centre of Shiva.” 3 

Refs: Refs: 

Refs: 

1 

The Necklet of Nine Gems’ in The Collected Works of Ramana Maharshi — Ed. Arthur Osborne. 

2 Geologishe Rundschau, Vol. 87, 3 (1998), pp. 268-82. 

3 3 

The Çkanda Purå~a. 

Ar¨pa Ar¨pa (ah-roo roo-pah) roo roo 

Var: Var: aroopa, arupa 

Sense: Sense: ‘Without form’ (on the physical plane, that is). 

Arul Arul (ah-rool) 

Var: Var: arool 

Synon: Synon: Ojas sthana 

Sense: Sense: ‘The manifestation of Divine Grace in the heart.’ 

A Tamil word, usually compounded as Arul Ullam (‘the 

heart-centred seat of consciousness), being equivalent to the 

Sanskrit Hrith Hrith-Guha Hrith Guha Guha (‘the cave of the heart’). This does not refer to 

the physical heart organ, but to the experience of the spiritual heart 

situated on the right side of the chest. 

In the standard Ayurvedic Ayurvedic Ayurvedic text, Ashtangahridayam, it states that 

the ojas sthana (the place of spiritually transformed mental energy) 

is located on the right side of the chest, also known as Samvi Samvit Samvi (‘the 

seat of consciousness’). 

Aryaman Aryaman Aryaman ar-ree-yah-man) 

(ar ar ar 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘A celestial being: one of the Adityas Adityas.’ Adityas 

He is a benevolent being, connected with devoted households and 

the home fire, personifiying hospitality and protection and is a 

giver of gifts. 

Aryan Aryan ah-ree-yann) 

(ah ah ah 

Var: Var: Ariya Ariya Ariya Ariya 

Synon: Synon: 

Synon:

Sense: Sense: ‘The Elect, or High Ones.’ 

Popular legend has it that the Aryans are the light-skinned 

peoples who invaded India from the north, bringing with them their 

own gods and customs and subjugating the native population. 

However, modern historians now find little evidence for the 

‘invasion’ theory. The Aryan migration seems to have been more of 

a gradual infiltration in pre-Vedic times and their gods absorbed the 

qualities of the indigenous peoples as much as the native gods 

became combinations of the Aryan deities. 

Some researchers state that ‘aryan’ means ‘the cultivated, or the 

refined,’ accepted to be what they called themselves. 

Ariya Ariya refers to the Buddha Buddha and his followers, doubtless referring 

to thier significance as ‘the High Ones.’ 

Asakii Asakii (as-sa sa-kee) sa sa 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘Freedom from ownership.’ 

The sense of not owning anything; having the attitude of 

temporary stewardship towards everything ‘belonging’ to you, such 

as your home, your family, car and all possessions. Cultivating 

such an attitude brings about peace of mind. 

Aaçakti Aaçakti — see Açhakti 

Asaµnyåsa Asaµnyåsa (ah ah ah-sam-nee ah nee nee-yah nee yah-sah) yah yah 

Var: Var: Asaµnyaasa 

Sense: Sense: ‘The condition of a brahmåcårin brahmåcårin or celebate student, who 

has not yet taken the vows of Sannyåsa and is therefore designated 

as one who has yet to give up physical rituals.’ 

A-saµnyåsa —‘not sannyas,’ generally rendered as a ‘nonphysical 

renouncer,’ meaning one who has not yet fully renounced 

actions in the world, including the prescribed orthodox rituals.

Asamprajnåta Asamprajnåta Asamprajnåta Samådhi Samådhi (ah-sam-prag-nya nya nya-tah-sam-ma 

nya ma-dhee) ma ma 

Var: Var: Asampragnata samadhi 

Synon: Synon: Sahaja Samadhi, acetana samadhi 

Sense: Sense: ‘Total immersion in, and identification with the Absolute 

principle, Purusha or Brahman.’ 

This is the final stage of evolution and emancipation, from which 

there is no return to normal individual consciousness. In this state, 

the seeds of individualised egocentric identification are burnt up, 

never to return. The yogin yogin’s yogin identity is merged in God or the Divine 

Principle for once and for all. 

It is also another term for Sahaja Samadhi, meaning final 

liberation; union with Brahman, beyond cause and effect, time and 

space. 

Quote: Quote: a) “In the state of asamprajnata samadhi, all mentalphysical 

seeds of problems are burnt and consciousness is united 

with Brahman.” 1 

Therefore it is also called acetana or ‘inactive’samadhi. 

Refs: 

1 The Textbook of Yoga Psychology, Ramamurti S. Mishra, M.D. (Julian Press, N.Y. 1963. p.97) 

Asamsakti Asamsakti (ah-sam-shak shak-tee) shak shak 

Sense: Sense: ‘Being unaffected by anything.’ 

This is a state of yogic achievement that generally occurs after 

entering into asamprajnåta asamprajnåta asamprajnåta samådhi samådhi. samådhi Siddhis Siddhis Siddhis or psychic powers, 

may manifest automatically as a result of this attainment, but 

the yogin yogin is unaffected by them, having entered the stage of 

asamsakti. 

Åsana Åsana aahz-nah) (aahz aahz aahz 

Var: Var: Asana, aasana, (asan, åsna) 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘A posture held in Hatha Yoga practice — through which a 

free flow of psychic processes is effected in the body’s

physiological mechanism, which assists in refining the mind for the 

investigation of Reality. 

Note that it is pronounced åhz-na, with the accent on the first 

syllable and not not on the middle one (as often mistakenly pronounced 

in yoga classes, as as----sår sår-na). sår sår 

Lit Lit. Lit ‘A seat’— åsana is the science of psycho-yogic attainment of a 

posture, and its fulfilment is the realisation of one’s full potential; 

that is, to become unified in body, mind and Spirit, at one with the 

Cosmos. 

In ancient Hatha Yoga practice, it was considered that none could 

say they had mastered any pose (åsana) until they were able to hold 

it comfortably for three hours. “When postures are mastered, there 

is cessation of the movements of inspiration and expiration, which 

are included in pranayama.” 1 

Some classical texts enumerate different types of åsana 

according the rituals followed, or whether one worships with or 

without a particular desire, the style of worship and the motive 

behind it. 

Other: Other: a) the seat or mat on which one sits for meditation is also 

called an åsana. b) Another usage of the word åsana is as one of the 

Sixteen Steps of worship known as Sodasopacara 

Sodasopacara, in which it 

means offering to God the symbol or image used in the ritual as his 

seat, or welcoming Him to take His place therein. One may offer 

one’s heart as the throne or seat of God. 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

a) “Rising, sitting down, walking, in fact any gesture taken up by 

the body is called an åsana. It corresponds to the rhythm and the 

vibration of body and mind at any particular moment. Some 

aspirants can meditate only if seated in the pose indicated by the 

Guru or formulated in the shastras shastras shastras (scriptures) and not otherwise... 

On the other hand someone may begin his practice while sitting in

any ordinary position; nevertheless, as soon as the state of japa 

japa 

(repetition of a mantra) or dhyana (concentration) has been reached, 

the body will spontaneously take up the most appropriate position.” 

— Shree Anandamayee Ma. 2 

b) “The true åsana is to remain at rest in the Self.” — Ramana 

Maharshi. 

Refs: Refs: 

Refs: 

1 

The Textbook of Yoga Psychology, , Rammurti S. Mishra M.D. (Julian Press, N.Y.) 

2 

Anandamayee — Her life and Wisdom, Richard Lannoy (Element Books, 1996). 

Asandiga Asandiga (as-san san-dig-gah) 

san san 

Sense: Sense: ‘Free of ambiguity;’ leaving no room for doubt (e.g. in 

the statements of the sutras sutras or the Upanish Upanishads Upanish Upanishads 

ads). ads 

Asangha Asangha Asangha (ah-san san-ghah) san san 

Var: 

Var: 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘Non-relational’: (a-sangha, without association). 

A term applied to the Self, which exists of itself without 

reliance upon any other thing or attribute. 

Asat Asat (ah-sat) 

Sense: Sense: ‘Not real — that which is not’: the non-real as opposed to 

Sat — Reality. Or ‘non-being’ as opposed to ‘being.’ 

Åsavå Åsavå (aah aah aah-sa-vaah aah vaah) vaah vaah 

Sense: Sense: ‘Passions’ (in Buddhism); specified as four: kåmåsava 

(sensuality); bhavåsava (lust for life); di††håsava (speculative 

interest), avijjåsava (ignorance). 

Åçhakti Åçhakti Åçhakti (ah-syhak-tee) 

Var: Var: Açakti, aasakti 

Synon: Synon: Raga

Sense: Sense: ‘Irresistible attachment, infatuation’: the polar opposite 

of anaçhakti anaçhakti (detachment).’ 

The philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita revolves around the 

reconciliation of the ashakti-anashakti condition of personal 

consciousness, by the cultivation of bhåvana bhåvana (dispassionate 

mood). 

Ashakti dependencies give rise to afflictions such as anxiety, 

fear, depression and insecurity. 

Ashånti Ashånti (ah-shaan shaan-tee) shaan shaan 

Var: Var: ashaanti, asanthi 

Sense 

Sense Sense:::: ‘Absence of mental peace, restlessness, distraction’. 

Ashram Ashram ash-ram) (ash ash ash 

Var: Var: ashrama, asrama, åshram, aasram, asram, ashramam (southern 

India) 

Sense: Sense: ‘Spiritual refuge’— an abode for spiritual aspirants; a 

hermitage, or Indian monastery. 

Said to derive variously from either asram — ‘to counsel’ (and is 

therefore a place where guidance is given) or, ‘to commune with 

oneself,’ or from a combination of a — not and srama — effort, 

labour or exertion; thus a place where one gives up the efforts and 

strivings of the worldly life. Another meaning can be taken from 

from ‘shramana’ — to wander; and thus a-shramana means ‘not 

wandering,’ as when a spiritual mendicant takes refuge from the 

exertions of the trials of the open road. A sadhu, or spiritual 

pilgrim, is allowed three nights stay in any ashram according to 

ancient traditional laws. 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

a) “If you are staying in an Ashram, live there like an aspirant. You 

have entered the institution for your spiritual advancement. You 

should forget the world. You should not look for any power, 

position, honour and respect. You should observe the discipline of

the Ashram and keep the atmosphere pure and holy. You should 

engage yourself in solid Sadhana Sadhana. Sadhana 

You should try to manage with 

the bare necessities. You should lead a life of chastity, poverty and 

obedience.” 1 

Bib: 

Bib: 

a) Seeking the Master—Muz Murray (Neville Spearman Press, U.K. 1980).... 

b) The Seeker’s India—Muz Murray (see website under “Research”: www.mantra-yoga.com). 

Refs: 

Refs: 

1 

Science of Yoga Vol.3, Ethical Teachings—Swami Sivananda (Sivananda pres, Durban, 1971) 

Açhramas hramas (a-shyuh-rah-mahs) 

Var Var: Var Açramas, ashramas, asrama, aasrama 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘The four categories of life situation for those following the 

ancient caste system.’ 

Life in ancient India was divided up into four specific periods; 

that of Brahmacharya Brahmacharya (celibate student), Grihasta Grihasta (householder), 

Vanaprastha Vanaprastha (retired forest-dweller) and Sannyasa Sannyasa (initiate monk). 

For those rare beings who attained a spiritual state beyond all 

caste consciousness and distinctions there is a further category 

known as atiasrama atiasrama. atiasrama 

But for the man following tradition, the four basic åçhrama stages 

of life were intended to develop correct attitudes calculated to lead 

an individual, step by step, towards a realisation of the supreme 

spiritual ideal. By intensive exertion and effort (çrama çrama çrama) çrama of the body 

and the mind and constant spiritual practice, one may steadily 

prepare oneself for experiencing the ultimate goal in life; attaining 

Self-realisation. 

Brahmacharya Brahmacharya Ashrama Ashrama: Ashrama This is the stage of the brahmåcårin 

brahmåcårin brahmåcårin or 

celibate student, beginning around the age of 5 to 7 years. The child 

is enjoined to study the Vedas in order to imbibe the spiritual aspect 

of life. During his developing teen years he lives with his preceptor 

following a course of rigorous discipline, studying the scriptures

and learning rites and rituals, in order to overcome the effects of 

hormonal changes and sexual urges that arise in this period. 

Brahmacharya Brahmacharya has therefore come to be thought of as synonymous 

with chastity and physical abstinence. This period is prescribed 

for 12 years, but may last up until the age of 25 or 30. 

Grihasta Grihasta ( 

( Grahasta) (Grahasta Grahasta Grahasta) 

) Ashrama, Ashrama, or or grhasthasrama: grhasthasrama 

grhasthasrama 

grhasthasrama Generally, during 

his twenties, the student is then expected to marry and become a 

grhasta or householder, a family man, supporting the social 

structure and the prevailing morality, caring for animals and 

continuing his spiritual efforts through worship, charitable deeds 

and dutifully performing his family life. 

Vanaprasta Vanaprasta Vanaprasta Ashrama Ashrama: Ashrama 

After another 25 or 30 years, at what would 

be termed the ‘age of retirement’ in the West, the orthodox 

householder was expected to give up the comforts of home life, 

renounce family and ownership and become a vanaprastha vanaprastha or 

forest-dweller, living upon whatever the forest may offer him. 

Allowance was made for the wife to accompany him if she was 

inclined to the simple spiritual life and the cultivation of dispassion. 

Such couples were expected to visit villages and socially assist the 

underprivileged, rendering services according to their natural 

capacities, or teaching the scriptures. 

Although the rules for this forest life are very strict, adherence to 

the letter of the Law (as laid down in the ancient law book of the 

Hindus, the Manu Smrti) naturally varies according to each 

individual. Very few nowadays follow any of the old traditions to 

the letter. An ashram may serve as a ‘forest dwelling’ and those 

drawn to a spiritual life at an early age may skip the householder 

and forest-dwelling stages and take to san sannyasa san sannyasa 

nyasa directly. 

Sannyasa Sannyasa Ashrama Ashrama: Ashrama 

This was generally the final phase in life, when 

the spiritually inclined accepted the monk’s (saffron, geru or kavi kavi) 

kavi

obe and took the vow of sannyasa sannyasa during a ceremony of 

renunciation. After initiation into a specific monastic order, 

Sannyasins Sannyasins are supposed to have no more contact with friends or 

family and to devote their remaining years to overcoming bondage 

to this world in the quest of Self-realisation. 

However, in these degenerate days one still finds many greedyeyed 

and avaricious old men sporting the robe of a ‘renunciate’ as a 

means of gaining alms and charity and hassling foreigners for 

money. 

For those who do not follow the ashrama tradition, in some 

north Indian areas the mock-Sanskrit word ‘pandashrama’ is 

pejoratively used, to imply a useless condition of being that can 

only lead to futility. 

Quotes: Quotes: a) “Here we have the symbolic idea of the four orders 

expressing the divine as knowledge in man, the divine as power, 

the divine as production, enjoyment and mutuality, the divine as 

service, obedience and work. These divisions answer to four 

cosmic principles, the wisdom that conceives the order and 

principle of things, the power that sanctions, upholds and enforces 

it, the harmony that creates the arrangement of its parts, the work 

that carries out what the rest direct.”—Sri Aurobindo 

b) ‘The four stages of life in India have in later times been reduced 

to two—that of the householder and that of the monk.’ 

—Swami Vivekananda 1 

Bib Bib: Bib 

a) The Açrama System: The History and Hermeneutics of a Religious Instruction—Patrick Olivelle 

(Oxford University Press, New York, 1993). 


1 

Karma Yoga—Swami Vivekananda (Advaita Ashrama, Almora, Himalayas, 1963) 

Ashrama shrama — see also Dasnamis

Ashtaiswarya Ashtaiswarya Siddhis Siddhis (ash-tai-swah swah-ree-yah swah swah sid-dhees) 

Var: 

Var: 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘The 8-occult powers of perfection’ such as precognition, 

telepathy, instantaneous disappearance, the ability to appear in 

distant places, the capacity to assume the form of any living being, 

the ability to shrink to the size of an atom or enlarge the body, etc 

Root: Root: ashta ashta ashta ashta — eight, Ûçwara Ûçwara —the indwelling Lord, siddhis siddhis —powers 

of perfection. 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

Other: 

Other: 

Bib Bib: Bib 


Asht Ashtånga Asht nga nga-Yoga nga Yoga (ash-tahng tahng-ghah tahng tahng yo-gah) 

Var: Var: Ashtangayoga, ashtaang-yoga, ashtangayoga, (astaangyog), 

Sense: Sense: The ‘Yoga of Eight-Limbs or sections.’ 

The Raja-Yoga system instituted by Patanjali, consisting 

of eight practices known as: Yåmå, , Niy Niyåma, Niy 

ma, Åsana, sana, sana, 

Pranay Pranayåma, Pranay ma, Pratyah Pratyahåra, Pratyah 

ra, Dh Dhårana, Dh 

rana, Dhy Dhyåna Dhy 

na na, na and Sam Samådhi. Sam 

dhi. 

Ashuddha Ashuddha-Manas 

Ashuddha Manas (ash-udda-mannas) 

Var: 

Var: 

Sense: Sense: ‘The unpurified desire-conditioned mind, still filled with 

passions, anxieties, frustrations, jealousies and aggressions, etc.’ 

(See Shuddha Shuddha). Shuddha 

Açhvatta hvatta (asyh-vart vart-tah) vart vart 

Var: Var: asvattham, aswatha, asvattha 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘The upside-down Tree of the Universe:’ the legendary 

Cosmic Tree of Life, which has neither beginning nor end, with its 

roots above and its brances below.’

In esoteric terms, it represents Man, having his roots in the ‘earthball’ 

of the brain and his branches (veins and arteries) below. 

Lit: Lit: ‘That which will not last until tomorrow,’— meaning something 

ephemeral and ever changing. The world is like an ever-changing 

tree, but is rooted in the unchanging Reality. 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

a) “This is the Eternal Asvatta Tree, whose roots are above and 

whose branches spread below. That is verily the Pure, that is 

Brahman, and that is also called the Immortal. In that rest all the 

worlds and none can transcend it. Verily this is That.” 

—Katha Upanishad (VI.1) 

b) “They [the wise] speak of an immutable eternal Açvattha rooted 

above and branching below, whose leaves are the metres and 

hymns: he who knows it is a knower of the Ve Ve∂å Ve ∂å ∂ås...”—Bhagavad 

Gita (XV 1-3) 

Other: Other: a) When taken as an actual tree, it is identified with the ficus 

religiosa, the banyan, or peepul tree. 

Açhvins Açhvins — see Açvins 

Açvins 

Asiramma Asiramma (a-seer-ramma ramma) ramma ramma 

Var: Var: Asira 

Sense: Sense: ‘Non-headed mother’—an alternative name for Re Renuka Re 

nuka nuka Devi Devi, Devi 

a headless deity revered by Tantric worshippers. 

Asman Asman (az-man) 

Sense: Sense: ‘ ‘The ‘ ‘ ego-sense projected onto the Self:’ the type of 

confusion in the psyche of an individual being the universal form of 

mistaken identity. 

Asmit Asmitå Asmit å (as-meet-tah tah) tah tah 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘Mindstuff (chittam chittam chittam) chittam in identification with self (ego) =

avidya avidya.’ avidya avidya 

Asmit Asmitå Asmit å klesha (az-mee-taa taa taa taa kley-shah) 

Var: Var: asmitaa-klesa 

Sense: Sense: ‘ ‘The ‘ ‘ affliction of egoism; the idea that ‘I am something, or 

somebody.’ 

Its antonym is ahambhavana, ahambhavana, the feeling of simply being. 

Açparsa Açparsa-yoga 

Açparsa Açparsa yoga (ash-par-sah-yog-ah) 

Var Var: Var Açhparsa-yoga 

Synon: Synon: Nirvikalpa samadhi 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘The yoga in which one realises the transcendental Reality.’ 

Asra Asra Asra (ass-ra) 

Sense: Sense: ‘Edge.’ 

Açramas Açramas — see Ashramas 

Asteya Asteya (as-tey tey-ya) tey tey 

Var Var: Var 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘Non-stealing’— a non-covetous attitude of mind in 

which there is never any desire to possess anything belonging to 

another, either in thought or deed. 

Root: Root: a—not, steya—stealing. 

Even trifling things belonging to another should not be 

appropriated without their consent. According to this attitude, 

the stocking-up of material goods is considered a form of theft, 

as is over-eating or taking more than is really necessary for 

sustaining life. Even to take another’s ideas — their mental 

goods — as one’s own, without crediting them is theft. To pay 

someone an unfair wage for a fair work is also theft. 


Quotes:

Other: Other: 

Other: 

Bib Bib: Bib 

Refs: 

Refs: 

A‚†hamå A‚†hamå siddh⁄s siddh⁄s (ash-tah-maa maa maa maa sid-deez deez) deez deez 

Var: Var: Astama----siddhis 

Astama Astama Astama siddhis siddhis siddhis 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘The eight unique powers of the Godhead.’ 

Åstika Åstika ahs-stik-ka) 

(ahs ahs ahs 

Var: Var: Astik, Astik, Astik, Astik, aastika aastika aastika aastika 

Sense: Sense: ‘Belief in the truth (vidya vidya vidya—knowledge vidya 

of the Vedas and the 

Absolute). 

Hence astikyam—the state of being a believer: one who grants the 

existence of God, other regions of experience and other births than 

the present one. 

The opposite of this is na’astika or nåstika nåstika. nåstika 

Astra Astra ass-trah) (ass ass ass 

Var: 

Var: 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘A mantrically charged missile.’ 

From the root ‘to throw;’ an astra is generally a weapon 

thrown by a god, the object itself may often be as insubstantial a 

blade of dried grass, but is backed up by the incantation of a 

powerful mantra. 

Sometimes astra is translated as ‘arrow’, aligning it with the word 

sastra (arrow), but this does not have the same significance as 

something that is infused with mantric power. 

Astral Astral body body body (see Ativahika sharira sharira) sharira 

As¨ra As¨ra (as-soor soor-rah) soor soor 

Var: Var: Asoora, asuram

Synon: Synon: Synon: (Titan, goblin), Tib. Iha-ma-yin, 

Sense: Sense: ‘A divine or diabolic spirit—a demon,’ in general 

parlance. 

In modern usage, an asura is usually considered to be an evil 

being, cruel and addicted to hedonistic pleasure, selfaggrandisement 

and power over others. Yet in the early Vedas, 

Vedas, 

such as the ¸ig Veda Veda, Veda 

the asuras were always deities or divine 

beings, coming from the root asu—‘life,’ meaning ‘spiritual 

life.’ Another rendering is from sura meaning ‘god,’ and a-sura 

meaning ‘not god’ or a ‘non-god,’ but at the very least a ‘divine 

being’ or deva deva. deva 

It is only in much later scriptures that the concept of a-suras 

became confusingly known as demons. They thus appear to be 

something in the nature of ‘fallen angels’ who, by repentance 

and turning to the Lord, are capable of being redeemed and 

regaining their divine status. 

Asu is also taken to mean the ego-sense, which confines one 

to identity with the body. Ego is thus the animating principle, 

causing one to automatically become a self-centered or egoistic. 

Anyone of this nature is called asura. 

Another meaning of sura is ‘one who drinks intoxicating 

liquors.’ Many of the Hindu gods derive from the Aryans, who 

were heavy drinkers and therefore to them, asura meant an 

abstainer or non-drinker, a contemptuous term in Aryan culture. 

In the Puranic Puranic myth regarding the churning of the ‘Ocean of 

Milk,’ it relates that when the goddess of wine appeared from 

the Ocean with a bowl of Sura – divine liquor, the gods drank 

from it, but the demons (all except one), did not, thus earning 

the name å-suras (non-drinkers). Hence: åsurya (aasurya) — 

came to mean ‘un-divine’ or ‘not-God.’ 

On the other hand, southern Dravidians appear to have 

considered the northern Aryans themselves as asuras, slighting 

them as demons in their literature.

Esoterically, the mythological asuras and devas are not two 

separate entities, but symbolise the struggle of our inner 

natures. 

Other: Other: a) Ås¨rya (asoorya) means ‘sunless.’ b) Asuri sampat 

(assurisampat) — ‘leading downwards.’ 

Bib: 

Bib: 

a) Asura in Early Vedic Religion — Edward W. Hale (Motilal Banarsilas, 1986) 

Ås¨risampat risampat 

(aah-soor soor-ree-sam 

soor soor sam-padt) sam sam 

Var: Var: Åasuurisampat, asuri-sampad, ås¨risampat 

Synon: Synon: Dhårå 

Sense: Sense: ‘Leading downwards’— i.e., hedonistic or materially 

minded. 

Its antonym is Daivi Daivi Daivi Sampat Sampat — ‘Leading upwards;’ meaning 

divine qualities, or a godly nature. 

Açva 

Açva (asyh-vuh) 

Var: Var: Açhva 

Sense: Sense: ‘The celestial horse, presented as the symbol of outer 

space, the biosphere and the earth plane.’ 

Açvattha Açvattha — see see Açhvatta hvatta 

Açvini vini mudra (ash-vee-nee moo-drah) moo moo moo 

Var. Var. Ashwini, aswini, ashvini 

Sense: Sense: ‘Yogic practice in which the muscles of the anal sphincter 

are repeatedly contracted and relaxed.’ From asvini: asvini asvini asvini : a mare. 

Açvins Açvins (as-syh-vinz) 

Var: Var: ( (Aswins, ( ( açhvins). 

Sense: Sense: ‘The celestial twins, demi-gods of the Vedas.’ 

Their common-wife is Surya daughter of the sun, whom they

won in a chariot race against the other gods. In the Puranas Puranas they 

are spoken of as celestial physicians: deities of medicinal herbs. 

Atendrya Atendrya (at-ten-dree-yah) 

Var: Var: ateendriyam, 

Sense: Sense: ‘Beyond the perception of the senses.’ 

Athar Atharvan Athar Atharvan 

van (at-tar-van) 

Var: 

Var: 

Sense: Sense: ‘The priest of antiquity who first discovered fire.’ 

He is referred to in the Brahmavidyå portion of the Atharva 

Veda, IV,1,7. 

Atharva Atharva Ve∂a Ve∂a (1000 BC). (attar-vah vey-duh) vey vey vey 

It is one of the four basic Ve∂ås Ve∂ås; Ve∂ås 

the most sacred scriptures of 

the Hindus. Named after its author, the sage Atharvan, it is 

basically a medical treatise dealing with anatomy and pathology, 

giving descriptions of specific drugs. It is also a book of ancient 

magical-propitiatory formulae, which forms the basis of Hindu 

occultism and preserves earlier non-Aryan traditions. It propounds 

two basic types of magical formula: a benign form known as 

‘atharvan’ and a malevolent form called ‘a~giris,’ named after 

another sage. 

Atharvan is most likely a title rather than a person, as the 

Atharvans are said to have been a mythological semi-divine family 

of fire-priests in the ancient temples. 

Atiaçhrama Atiaçhrama (atti-ash ash-ram-ma) 

ash ash 

Var Var: Var Atiaçrama, atiaashrama, ati-ashrama, atyaçrama. 

Synon Synon: 

Synon Synon

Sense Sense: Sense Sense ‘Beyond the four Ashramas Ashramas’⎯ Ashramas beyond the four states of 

existence prescribed for the traditional system of life, namely 

Brahmacharya 

Brahmacharya, Brahmacharya Grihasta Grihasta, Grihasta Vanaprastha 

Vanaprastha Vanaprastha and Sannyasa. Sannyasa. 

The condition of being attained by a rare jñåni jñåni or Sage, who has 

transcended ego and all notion of selfhood and achieved oneness 

with the Omnipresence, which puts him beyond the scriptural 

injunctions prescribed for those adhering to the caste system. He 

may not even have gone through the four stages (in this life) and 

thus he is beyond their necessity. Such a one in the 20 th century was 

the great Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi of Arunachala (1880- 

1950). 

The shastraic or scriptural mentions of this state are to be found 

in the Upanishads 

Upanishads, the Bhagavata 

Bhagavata, the MahaBharata 

MahaBharata 

MahaBharata, and several 

other works. More specific details and injunctions concerning 

atiasrama are to be found in the Suta Samhita (a part of the Skanda 

Purana), which delares that “a person who has attained true 

knowledge... who experiences the Atma Atma Atma which is full of bliss, is not 

subject to any restrictions...” 

v.14 & 15: “One who realises the parattavam parattavam [the Supreme 

Reality] which is different from the body and the senses, which is 

omniscient, self-luminous, and full of bliss and happiness⎯that 

person is atiasrama. 

v.16: “One who knows the mahadeva [the Great Effulgence or 

Shining Being], who is free from the three states [of waking 

,dreaming and deep sleep] and merely witnesses them⎯that person 

is ativarnasrama [beyond castes and the four asrama regulations]. 

v. 18 & 19: 19: “The regulations concerning varnashrama 

varnashrama, varnashrama which 

have been created by maya maya, maya 

pertain only to the body. These things 

[the rules] are not applicable to the Atma, awareness of which is an 

awakening from ignorance. One who realises this [Atma] is deemed 

to be ativarnasrama.” 1 

Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi once commented that a man who 

holds the Self in constant remembrance “...is not concerned with

the right or wrong of actions. His actions are God’s and therefore 

right.” 2 


Quotes: 

Other: Other: 

Other: 

Bib Bib: Bib 

Refs: 

Refs: 

1 

The Mountain Path (Jayanthi Issue) 1991, (p.117). 

2 

Conscious Immortality⎯Paul Brunton, 1984. (p.130). 

Atimanasa Atimanasa (atti-man-nassa) 

Var: 

Var: 

Synon: Synon: Asamprajñata samadhi, nirvikalpa, nirb⁄ja, acetana samadhi 

Sense: Sense: ‘Super mind’; the state of consciousness in which no trace 

of ‘mind’ or memory, or mental movement is to be found. 

At⁄ndrya At⁄ndrya (at-teen teen-dree-yah) 

teen teen 

Var: Var: Ateendriyam 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘Beyond the perception of the senses.’ 

Atita Atita (at-teet teet-ta) teet teet 

Sense: Sense: ‘Past, or beyond.’ 

Åtivånika Åtivånika çharira çharira (art-tee-vahn vahn-nikka vahn vahn shyah-reer reer----rrrrah) reer reer 

Var: Var: Aativaanika Aativaanika Aativaanika Aativaanika çarira çarira çarira çarira 

Sense: Sense: ‘The astral body’— a thought-created combination of subtle 

particles and psychic elements which form the ‘psychic body,’ in 

which one experiences oneself in dreams and out-of-the-body 

situations. 

It is a sharira sharira, sharira 

or sheath, appearing in human shape, which serves 

as a ‘localisation’ of oneself in other dimensions or worlds. In some 

cases it is said to persist after the death of the physical body. This 

though, may only be a psychological crutch of the departed, who 

remain earth-bound and haunt their previous dwellings as ‘ghosts.’ 

Bib: 

Bib: 

a) In theYoga Vashista, this subject is gone into at length.

Åtma Åtma — see Åtman Åtman 

Åtman 

Åtmabali Åtmabali (aat aat aat-mah-bar aat bar-lee) bar bar 

Var: Var: Aatmabali 

Sen Sense: Sen se: ‘The ritual offering of oneself, heart and soul, to a deity.’ 

This is a tantric tantric ritual offering (known as Balidåna Balidåna) Balidåna which 

usually precedes the practice of homa homa (the fire ceremony). 

Åtmadarçhan Åtmadarçhan (aart aart-mah-dar 

aart aart dar-shyan) dar dar 

Var Var: Var Åtma Darshan, aatma-darshan, atmadarsan, 

Synon Synon: Synon Sat-Darshanam 

Sense Sense: Sense Sense ‘Sight of the Self ⎯ or a glimpse of one’s own true 

nature; by realisation of the life force subtly throbbing in the 

body as Universal Soul.’ 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

Other: Other: 

Other: 

Bib Bib: Bib 


Åtmag Åtmag¨nas Åtmag nas (art-mah-goon-nas) 

Var: Var: Åaatma-gunas 

Sense: Sense: ‘Qualities of the Åtma, or Åtman tman tman’⎯ tman considered to be 

kindness to all creatures, freedom from envy, purity, ease, right 

conduct, magnanimity and contentment, according to the Gautama- 

Dharma Sutra. 

However, strictly speaking, these are rather qualities that may 

be expressed by someone absorbed in Atman, as the Atman or Self 

has no qualities as such (other than Sat Sat-chit Sat 

chit chit-ananda). 

chit ananda). Otherwise it 

can only be the positive qualities of the åtman-purusa, , or individual 

soul, to which it refers. 

Åtma tma tma-jñåna tma ñåna ñåna (art art art-mah-gyah 

art gyah-nah) 

gyah gyah

Var Var: Var Var Aatma-jnana, Åtma-gnana, aatma gyaana 

Synon: Synon: Åtma Vidya, parabhakti 

Sense Sense: Sense Sense ‘Knowledge of God or Self.’ 

Because of the intensity of parabhakti (supreme devotion), 

which culminates in the mergence of the devotee with the 

Supreme, this term is considered synonymous with Åtma-jñåna. 

Åtmajyoti Åtmajyoti (aht aht aht-mah-jee-yo 

aht yo-tee) yo yo 

Var: Var: Aatma-jyoti 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘The light of the soul.’ 

Åtman Åtman art-man) (art art art 

Var Var: Var Aatma, åtmå, aatmaa, atman, aatman, atman, 

Synon Synon: Synon Synon Antaråtman (the inner self), Atta (Pali), Brahman, Jeeva, 

Jeevan (åtman as individual soul), ruh (Muslim), Self 

Sense Sense: Sense Sense ‘The Universal Spirit, Soul or undivided Self.’ 

Generally taken to mean the individual soul, which is also written 

as atma. 

Vedic Vedic sages take it to mean the True Self; the indwelling Spirit 

and Witness of All; the Spirit that moves the spirit in each 

individual being. It is thus the functioning aspect of Brahman Brahman. Brahman In 

early Vedic terminology, Åtman was also a word for OØ (the 

Absolute expressed in sound-form) and in ancient times the two 

terms were used interchangeably. 

It is also known as Paramåtman Paramåtman 

Paramåtman 

Paramåtman — the Supreme Soul or Creator, 

in order to differentiate between åtman (as individual soul), and the 

‘Universal Soul of the Universe’ or Absolute Principle; which is 

otherwise known as Self, Brahman or Shivam Shivam). Shivam With the meaning 

of ‘Universal Soul,’ the word is often capitalised as Åtman. 

Unfortunately this is not always the case and therefore causes 

some confusion as to which aspect of åtman is being referred. 

Some scriptures tend to create a fine distinction between åtman 

and Brahman: “Brahman is the supreme, the eternal. Åtman is his

Spirit in man.” 1 In this distinction the åtman is understood as the 

‘vehicle’ between the seemingly separate entity and the Godhead, 

but which finally becomes absorbed in the Absolute, whereupon the 

Åtman is then realised as having been ‘That’ all along. 

Some regard Åtman as the Witness who witnesses both external 

phenomena and also the processes of one’s own mind. Others state 

that Åtman as the Absolute is beyond witnessing, there being no 

longer any ‘person’ to witness anything. 

Self-realised Sages maintain that from the absolute viewpoint, 

there is actually no such thing as an individual soul. The word ‘individual’ 

means ‘that which cannot be divided’ [from its source]. 

Thus what is assumed as separate, is actually no more than an 

‘appearance’ in the Universal Self. Just as a little lump of ice in the 

ocean, seems to be something different from the sea, but in fact is 

only congealed seawater. When it finally melts it becomes ocean 

once again. And it has never been other than ocean. Such is the 

nature of that we call ‘soul.’ It is no more than a seeming 

‘condensation’ of the ocean of the Self in which we appear as 

separate entities in the dream of existence. But on the ‘melting’ of 

the sense-of-ego, the ‘separate soul’ will be found to have been the 

Self all along. 

This realisation, that nothing has ever come into being or 

happened, and is only the ÅÅÅÅtman appearing as ‘I am’ is known as 

ajåta 

ajåta ajåta. 

According to Çhankaracharya, the philosophy of Advaita 

posits three different kinds of åtma: 1) the figurative self 

(gaunåtma), 2) the false self (mithyåtma) and 3) the real Self 

(mukhyåtma). 

The doctrine of the non-existence of soul is known as anåtman anåtman 

anåtman 

(no åtma) as propagated by Mådhyamika 

Mådhyamika Mådhyamika Buddhists.

Quotes: Quotes: Quotes: a) “Åtman, the self-luminous, through the power of one’s 

own maya maya, maya 

imagines in oneself, by oneself (all the objects that the 

subject experiences within or without).” 2 

b) Åtman is beyond the characteristics of Cosmic forces. Physical, 

chemical, atomic, and nuclear actions and reactions cannot cause 

action and reaction in Åtman, which is Eternal, devoid of plurality 

and multiplicity, pure, changeless, Self-luminous, ever free, 

nameless and formless. It is imminent and transcendent in relation 

to the world, yet it is not the pluralistic world.” 3 

c) “Åtman is [that] awareness and intelligence which gives selfawareness 

to thoughts, feelings, emotions, and all other mental 

modifications… Åtman stands as Witness only so long as it is 

realized through phenomenon, feeling, emotion, expression and all 

other mental modifications. Åtman, (Self), vivifies all mental 

movements and modifications by its light and awareness. But in 

asamprajnata asamprajnata samadhi samadhi or nirvikalpa nirvikalpa samadh samadhi, samadh samadhi, 

i, these modifications 

disappear or are transformed into their witnessing and vivifying 

substratum, Self, Åtman. It is not a witness in this state. In this 

state it is ‘One without a second.’ For when the objectivity of the 

world is melted, transformed into Self, (Brahman) there is no 

meaning in speaking of a witness in the absence of a witnessed 

entity.” 4 

Other: Other: a) the divine Monad; the seventh principle in the Septenary 

Constitution of Man, according to Theosophy. Thus it is that Spirit 

which moves the spirit in each being. 

Bib: 

Bib: 

a) Åtmabodha: The Realisation Of The Absolute—by Çhankaracharya (advaitic verses on the 

knowledge of Self, in which the allegorical significance of the Ramayana is indicated. 

b) Atma-Bodha—Ramana Maharshi, on p.182, in the Collected Works Of Ramana Maharshi, Ed. 

Arthur Osborne. (Sri Ramanashramam, 1968). 

c) Atma Bodha: Self Analysis & Self Knowledge—Shri Ramamurti Mishra, (CSA Press, Georgia, 

USA. 1997). ISBN: 0-87707-190-X. 

Refs Refs: 

Refs

1 Bhagavad Gita,,,, Ch. 8,v.3. 

2 Mandukya Upanishad, Ch.2.v.12, 

3 The Textbook of Yoga Psychology—Dr. Ramamurti S. Mishra. M.D. (Julian Press, N.Y. 

1963) 

4 Ibid. 

Åtmåj Åtmåjñåna Åtmåj åna åna (art art art-mar art mar-gn-ya-nah) 

mar mar 

Var: Var: Åtma-jnana, aatmajnaana 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘Self-Knowledge, Knowledge of the Self.’ Åtma—self, 

jñåna—knowledge. 

Åtmånaø Åtmånaø Viddhi Viddhi (art art art-mar art mar-nam mar mar vid-dhee) 

Sense: Sense: ‘Know the Self’ (as the Aristotelian ‘Know thyself’). 

Åtma Åtma-Ni‚h†a 

Åtma Ni‚h†a (art art art-mah-nish 

art nish-tah) nish nish 

Var: Var: Åtma-ni‚†ah, atmanishta 

Synon: Synon: Abedha Nishta, Sahaja Samadhi, Bråhm⁄-sthiti, Selfrealisation 

Sense: Sense: ‘Unificatory abidance in the Self:’ the state in which the 

movement of ‘mind’ is stilled when lost in the Self (as water is 

lost when poured into milk). 

Åtma Åtma Nivedana Nivedana (art art art-mah art niv-ved-dar-nah) 

Var: Var: Var: aatmanivedana 

Synon: Synon: Åtman-usandhana, aatmanusandhana 

Sense: Sense: ‘Self-surrender (to the Lord).’ 

In this kind of experience, the devotee has no will of his 

own. His whole being is given up to God, like a puppet in the 

hands of the Lord. Whatevers happens for good or ill, is the gift 

of God, but he is not attached to whatever happens. He has no 

sense of duty, as God is attending to everything and his guiding 

presence is continually felt. He has no personal feeling of 

identity as he has lost it immersed in God.

Åtmanusandhana Åtmanusandhana (art art art-mah-nus-san 

art san-dhanna) san san 

Var: Var: Åtman-usandhana, aatmanusandhana 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘Constancy in the Self;’ the practice of unbroken and 

vigilant Self-awareness, which ultimately leads to Oneness with 

Brahman Brahman (Self-Realisation). 

Åtmanveshan 

Åtmanveshana 

Åtmanveshan a (art art art-man-vesh-ar 

art ar-nah) ar ar 

Var Var: Var atman-vesana, aatmanveshana, 

Synon Synon: Synon atma-vichara, 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘The quest of one’s Self’— inward inquiry (or atma 

vichara). 


Other Other: Other Other 

Bib Bib: Bib 


Åtma Åtma-prem Åtma prem art-mah-premm) 

(art art art 

Var Var: Var Aatmaprem 

Synon: Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘Love of the individual self; self-love’ and also ‘love of 

the Atman or True Self.’ 

Åtmaram Åtmaram art-ma-ramm) 

(art art art 

Var Var: Var Aatmaram 

Synon: Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘The state of Being; of existing as the Self.’ 

Åtma Åtma-sakshatkaram 

Åtma sakshatkaram (art-ma-sak-shat shat-karr-ram) 

shat shat 

Var Var: Var Var Atmasakshatkaram, Atma-sakshatkara 

Syno Synon: Syno Syno n: Jñånanubhuti, Moksha 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘Self-realisation (or God-Realisation); the experience of 

True knowledge,’ being constant abidance in the Self as a result

of Divine Grace. 

Åtma Åtma-çhuddhi 

Åtma huddhi (art art art-mah-syhoo 

art syhoo-dhee) syhoo syhoo 

Var: Var: aatmaçuddhi 

Synon: Synon: citta-çhuddhi (purification of mindstuff) 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘Self-purification:’ cleansing the accretions of the spirit 

by contemplative observation; watching dispassionately the 

thoughts arising in the consciousness and watching them 

evaporate without taking any part in them. Thus used 

synonymously with citta (mindstuff) çhuddhi (purification). 

Åtma Åtmaçt Åtma Åtmaçt 

çthana çt hana (art art art-mah-sythar 

art sythar-nah) sythar sythar 

Var: Var: aatmasthana, atma-sthana 

Synon: Synon: Suryamandala 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘The place of the Atman Atman, Atman 

soul or Self;’ pertaining to the 

right side of the chest in the human body. 

Åtma tma tma-swar¨pa 

tma war¨pa (art art art-mah-swah-roo 

art roo-pah) roo roo 

Var Var: Var Atmasvarupa, aatma-swaroopa, atmaswar¨p 

Synon Synon: Synon Mauna, Hridayam (the Heart of existence and nonexistence). 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘One’s true nature or true form.’ 

Åtma designates the Self, and swarupa the ‘form’ or real 

nature of the Self. Sages sometimes use maunam (the silence of 

Being) synonymously. Where the word ‘Heart’ is used, it mean 

one’s ‘heart of hearts’ or what actually constitutes one’s sense 

of Being — the Self. 

Åtma tma Vichara (art art art-ma art vee-char char----rah) char char 

Var Var: Var Atmavichara, aatmavichara, 

Synon Synon: Synon Atman-vesana, aatmanveshana, Anthara Vichara (Inner 

Questing) 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘Self investigation or inquiry’— the constant and aware

investigation of the source within consciousness from which 

one’s own sense of ‘I’ occurs. 

This is the meditative practice suggested by the 

contemporary sage Sri Ramana Maharshi (of Tiruvannamalai) 

who counselled seekers to enquire “Who am I, to whom these 

thoughts, sensations, experiences occur?” That is, not to repeat 

like a parrot, ‘Who am I? Who am I? Who am I?’ but to enter 

deeply into oneself and experience ‘who’ it is (beyond the 

thoughts and emotions) who is angry, or empty or suffering, 

rather than continue asking the question. The gradual awareness 

that there is a ‘Witness Consciousness’ in the background 

observing all these surface changes, leads one to the Real Self, 

which remains always as it is. 



Bib Bib: Bib 


Åtma Åtma-Vidyå 

Åtma Vidyå (art art art-mah-vid art vid-yah) vid vid 

Var Var: Var Var aatmavidya, aatma-vidyaa, atmavidya, (atmavid) 

Synon: Synon: Åtma-jnana, Åtma-gnana 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘Knowledge of God or Self-Knowledge.’ 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

Other: 

Other: 

Bib: Bib: Bib: a) Atma-Vidya, Adi Shankaraycharya. 

Refs: 

Refs: 

Augha Augha (aw-ghah) 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘Eternal current of spiritual transmission from Guru to 

disciple.’

Augha is a Tantric term, signifying the perennial flow of 

spiritual teaching from God (Shiva Shiva Shiva) Shiva to Guru and from Guru to 

disciple. 

Lit: Lit: ‘Flood, current.’ 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

a) “To this perpetual hierarchy of continuous guidance, the Tantra 

gives the name augha, which means flood or current. It is the flood 

of truth and knowledge, constantly on the move washing away all 

falsehood and ignorance. It sustains and cherishes the aspirant with 

its divine waters, apo devih. Any true aspirant cannot help being 

caught in this flood…. 

“The aughas are three in number, divyaugha, siddhaugha and 

månavaugha. The divyaugha are the Divine guides who watch over 

the destiny of the human race with constant vigilance and 

unbounded compassion. The siddhaughas are the Accomplished or 

Perfected ones, the semi-divine Guides, who by their dint of effort 

have become Siddhas Siddhas and thus competent to guide others. Puranic Puranic 

Puranic 

figures like Sanaka and Narada come under this category. The 

månavaughas are the human Guides like Durvasa and Agastaya, 

who are near and ready to assist the struggling humanity. The 

eternal Teacher, the Primordial Guru, ådi nåtha 

nåtha, has in him all the 

knowledge he has to transmit in the seed-form. He holds in himself 

concentrated, in a potential form, all knowledge and consciousness. 

He is stationed in the bindu 

bindu bindu, in the seed, full of creative power. 

When he wants to radiate out of himself, when he desires to break 

the bunds* of his self-contained ocean of knowledge and flood the 

universe, he becomes Shiva and Shakti 

Shakti, the three bindus forming 

the primary triangle.” 1 […of the mystic diagram of the cosmos, Sri ri 

Chakra Chakra]. Chakra 

*bunds are mud banks built up around paddy-fields, in order to channel the flow of 

water to the places required. 

Refs: Refs: 

1 Sri Chakra—S. Shankaranarayana, p.p.65-6 (Dipti Pub. Aurobindo Ashram 1970/1979)

Auø Auø (Omm) 

Var: Var: Auøkara, Om, Oø, O, Omkara, (Ohm), Ogham (Irish) 

Synon: Synon: Atman (Vedic tradition), pranava, Logos (Greek), the Word 

(Christian), Shabd (Sikh), Ganesha (symbolic representation) 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘The Omnipresence (Brahman Brahman Brahman) Brahman manifesting as subtle sound 

bringing the universe into manifestation and maintaining it.’ 

The Aum is composed of three mantric phonemes—A,U, and M, 

which express the totality of existence; A—is considered to 

represent the state of waking consciousness, U—is the condition of 

dreaming consciousness, and M—is the state of dreamless sleep (the 

awareless condition of undifferentiated consciousness). These 

three letters have had a countless number of other ‘meanings’ 

attributed to them down the ages, according to the fancy of various 

scholars and sages. There is no need to take them all on board as 

definitive. 

When chanted—meaning ‘intoned’—the ‘A’ is absorbed by the 

inbreath and coalesces with the ‘U’ and ‘M’ to create the sound of 

Om. The silent reverberation of the ether following the nasalised 

sound of ‘M’ develops into a drawn out ‘nnnn,’ representing the 

consummation of transcendental consciousness. 

Auøkara or Omkara means ‘the sound of Om.’ 

Om is the Primal Sound, which is deemed to have brought the 

universe into manifestation, by stirring the primoridal ethers. It 

created all visible forms, sustaining them and keeping them in 

perpetual vibratory motion. It is also known as the Pran Pranåva Pran va va—the va 

‘ever-fresh’ sound of the Primal Energy that underlies all existence 

and still sings on today. 

Practitioners of the Shabda Shabda Yoga Yoga path of meditation can hear this 

subtle sound in consciousness, calling it Nad, Nada Nada or Nadam Nadam, Nadam as 

does the tradition of the Vedas Vedas. Vedas It is considered to bring about an

ecstasy of God-intoxication or deep meditation in those who tune 

into this ‘Voice’ or ‘Song of God.’ 

This inner sound is called Shabd by many present-day sages who 

teach concentration on this ‘eternal sound-current’or Nam— 

meaning ‘Name’ or Sound of God. The Mohammedans know it as 

Kalma—the Inner Sound, or Ism-i-Azam—the Greatest Name or 

Word, and the divine Hoo of the Sufis is also related to this. 

However, the intoned or chanted Aum is a totally different sound 

from the internally heard pranava, but is such that constant 

repetition will harmonise one’s whole body and mind in tune with 

the Cosmic Om and lead one to the ultimate state of consciousnessexistence-bliss. 

By constant intonation, the Om assists in the 

reduction of mental problems and engenders as sense of well-being 

and unification with the Source. 

It is the holiest, most revered and most powerful mantra mantra of the 

Vedic and Tantric scriptures, representing the totality of all sounds 

and the music of the ‘spheres’. 

It is regarded as the Mahamantra 

Mahamantra—the Mahamantra Greatest Mantra of all 

mantrams mantrams of the Vedic tradition, and as such is sounded before all 

other chants and also at the end. When a student of Mantra Mantra Yoga 

Yoga 

has developed far enough along the path, he is allowed to drop all 

the other supplementary mantras and retain only the Aum. 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

a) “One syllable shines forever in the heart as Self. 

Who is there anywhere who can write it down? 

Incantation reaching the Source of sound 

is the best course for those who are not firm 

in Consciousness, which is the source of the I.” 

—Ramana Maharshi 1 

b) “Aum is the one indestructible sound, the Immensity. He who 

abandons the body, his mind intent upon me, uttering the syllable 

Aum, attains the supreme purpose of his destiny.”

(8.13) 

—Bhagavad Gita 

c) “Aum is the one eternal syllable of which all that exists is but 

the development. The past, present and future are all included in 

this one sound, and all that exists beyond the forms of time is also 

implied in the word Aum. Aum is the Self—Atman indeed. He who 

knows this, with his self enters the Self.” 

—Mandukya Upanishad (1.1.12) 

d) “Aum did originate the worlds. Aum too is the truth of 

involution.” —Natchintanai (260) by Saint Yogaswami 

e) “In the beginning was Prajapati Prajapati, Prajapati the Brahman; with whom was 

the Word; and the Word was verily the Supreme Brahman.” 

YajurVeda 

f) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God; 

and the Word was God.” — John (Revelation) 

Bib: Bib: a) Mandukya Upanishad — for explanation of the Aum. 

Refs: Refs: 

Refs: 

1 

‘Nine Stray Verses’ from The Collected Works of Ramana Maharshi —Ed. Arthur Osborne. 

Aupanishadic Aupanishadic (orw orw orw-pan-ni-shad 

orw shad-dik) shad shad 

Var: Var: Upani‚adic 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘Pertaining to the Upanishads’ (adjectival form). 

Aushadi Aushadi (or or or-shad-dhee or or aw-shaddee) 

Sense: Sense: ‘The use of herbs in the awakening of Kundalini Kundalini.’ Kundalini 

Auvachya 

Auvachya 

Var: Var: Auvacya 

Sense: Sense: ‘Beyonds words, inexpressible, the unspeakable;’ in 

reference to Brahman in the Upanishads Upanishads. 

Upanishads 

—

Avadhoota Avadhoota — see Avadh¨ta 

Avadh¨ta 

Avadh¨ta Avadh¨ta (avvad-dhoo dhoo-tah) dhoo dhoo 

Var: Var: Avadhut, avadhoota, avadhoot 

Sense: Sense: ‘An advanced spiritual adept or yogi.’ 

Lit: Lit: Lit: ‘Shaken off’ (thus, one who has shaken off all worldly 

attachments, desires, cares, passions and possessions’). Ava, off, or 

down, dhu, to shake off, plus the suffix ta. 

Hence, a naked ascetic of a very high order, who has attained 

the state of God-identification and shaken off all attachments to the 

world. A yogi of this calibre is deemed beyond all social and caste 

injunctions or religious and temporal prohibitions. 

The marks of a yogi who has achieved this condition are 

eulogised in a slender volume known as the Avadhuta G⁄ta, which 

consists of eight chapters of verse praising the Divine Self and its 

all-pervasive characteristics. The Avadhuta Gita is attributed to the 

legendary rishi Dattatreya (Master of all Yogis), but the actual 

author is unknown. It is not a manual of instruction, but is essentially 

a song (g⁄ta g⁄ta g⁄ta) g⁄ta of praise for the avadhuta condition. 

The text explains the deeper significance of a-va-dhu-ta, by the 

four syllables of which it is composed. The letter ‘a’ signifies— 

‘free from all desires, hopes and passions and dwelling in purity 

and bliss.’ The syllable ‘va’ indicates—‘free from all desirous 

tendencies and impressions; being ever-in-the-present-moment and 

of wholesome speech; ‘dhu’ means—‘whose limbs are covered in 

dust and ashes, but whose mind is purified and established in the 

Supreme.’ And ‘ta’ means—‘centred in the Supreme reality or 

truth, being freed from all thoughts, striving and sense-of-ego.’ 

A female avadh¨t is known as an avadh¨t⁄ (avva-dhoo dhoo-tee). dhoo dhoo The 

word, sometimes shortened to ‘dhuti,’ is also a term in the secret 

language of the Tantras, used to indicate the central psychic nerve 

path (Brahma Brahma Nadi Nadi) Nadi 

within Sushumna Sushumna in the spinal column, along

which the sinuous kundalini kundalini energy travels. 


Quotes: 

a) “An avadhuta feels no need of observing any rules, secular or 

religious. He seeks nothing, avoids nothing. He has neither 

knowledge nor ignorance. Having realised that he is the infinite 

Self, he lives in that vivid realisation. Dattatreya the supreme Adi- 

Guru, or Lord of the Yogis, is a symbol of realisation. Whoever the 

unknown composer of the Avadhuta Gita might have been, he must 

himself have been a man of the highest spiritual perception.” 1 

b) The four-headed Brahma went and asked the father of all worlds, 

Adi Adi-Naråyana 

Adi Naråyana Naråyana, Naråyana thus: What is the path for the Avadhuta? What is his 

state of mind? 

“Then Naråyana, the supreme god and the God worshipped by 

Brahma himself, said: The one who follows the path of the 

Avadhuta is, indeed, the rarest being in this world. He is not a 

multifaceted one. He is uni-faced. That is, he embodies the one 

supreme truth or essence. The Avadhuta is an eternal friend; he is 

the very embodiment of Renunciation (vairagya airagya airagya). airagya He is the very 

form of renunciation. He is the manifest form of supreme 

knowledge (Jñå ñå ñåna 

na). na The wise ones consider him as the 

Vedapurusha 

Vedapurusha, Vedapurusha the one the Vedas declare as the ideal. He who is like 

this supreme person or mahatma has his mind and consciousness 

fixed on me. I, too, remain resided in him. 

“He realises the fact that the entire universe conditioned by the 

pancha pancha jnanendriyas jnanendriyas (Eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin) as in 

substantial and renouncing the staff (Danda Danda Danda), Danda the pot (Kamandala Kamandala Kamandala), 

Kamandala 

the thread round the waist (Molathradu), and the loin cloth 

(Kaupina) by throwing into water, remains naked (digambara (digambara - one 

who has the four directions of the earth itself as garment). He is 

always meditating on the Supreme Brahman wanders about at will. 

He gives up cutting hair, oil bath and the holy marks on the 

forehead and transcends good and evil (pairs of opposites),

Knowledge and ignorance, vice and virtue, heat and cold, distress 

and delight, fame and infamy and conquers all evil qualities such as 

lust (Kama Kama Kama), Kama anger (Krodha Krodha Krodha), Krodha greed (Lobha Lobha Lobha), Lobha delusion or infatuation 

(Moha Moha Moha), Moha arrogance (Mada), jealousy (Matsara). 

“He burns the three vasanas vasanas: vasanas 

the consciousness of the body 

(Dehavasana), of the world (Lokavasana Lokavasana Lokavasana), Lokavasana of knowledge 

(sastravasana 

sastravasana 

sastravasana). sastravasana He is happy and satisfied with whatever he gets and 

for the sake of realising the true form of his Self, he burns all the 

world which behaves on the basis of knowledge from scholarship. 

He recognises the world as functioning on the basis of the five 

senses and the knowledge derived there by as ignorance, as avidya avidya. avidya 

Having subjected the dualities of small and great to forgetfulness, 

he builds within his Self, which is supreme, above everything else, 

excellent and the in-dwelling self of all the non-dual consciousness. 

But he does not get deluded in this non-dual state and transcends 

through awareness of his self the fact that there is nothing that is 

antagonistic to the Self, Atman Atman, Atman and thus finds no need for a cave 

(for austerities), fuel for cooking etc., (any worldly possession 

made of five elements). 

“Having given up any inclination or want for any desire, he 

does not feel delighted by happiness or depressed by sorrow or 

consider something as auspicious and something else as 

inauspicious. With that state of consciousness he does not cling to 

the senses or sensate enjoyment. He thereby remains stable, even in 

all the states of sleep or awaking and hardly cognises distinctions of 

caste, creed etc., He is always awake and in the state of alertness 

and thus remains in the world only because he has a body. 

“Just as a child delights (in himself) with out any reason, the 

Avadhuta in his behaviour is like a child (bala bala bala), bala a madman 

(unmatta) or a demon (pisacha pisacha pisacha) pisacha and roams around with their 

temperament. Because of getting immersed in meditation of his 

own blissful form, he roams about like demon and remains 

unrecognized, in his real nature by anyone. Since he is successful in

the abidance of his real Self—since he has that knowledge—in the 

state of Turiya Turiya, Turiya beyond the states of waking, dream, and deep sleep, 

he is recognised by scriptures as an Avadhuta. 

“He is an Avadhuta, an accomplished one since he has succeeded 

in achieving whatever is to be achieved: that is, realization of and 

abidance in the self.” 2 

Refs: Refs: 

1 from the Foreword of Avadhuta Gita—Tr. Swami Ashokananda (Ramakrishna Math, 

Madras, 1981). 

2 Source unknown. 

Åvåhana Åvåhana (ah ah ah-vah ah vah-han-na) vah vah 

Sense: Sense: ‘Invocation of God’—a part of the traditional Sixteen 

Steps of worship in Mantra Yoga when propitiating a diety. (cf. 

Sodasopacara 

Sodasopacara) 

Sodasopacara 

Aval Avalokiteswara 

Aval okiteswara (ava-lo-kit-esh esh-war-ra) esh esh 

Synon: Synon: Chenrezig, [spyan-ras-gzigs: Tibetan] 

Sense: Sense: ‘The Buddha of Compassion and patron deity of Tibet.’ 

Chen means ‘eye;’ re —is ‘the corner of the eye’ and zig 

means ‘to see.’ Thus even from the corner of his eyes the 

Compassionate Buddha sees the needs of all beings. Hence his 

name is translated as ‘He who gazes upon the world with tearful 

eyes.’ 

As with Shiva Shiva in Bengal, his female half or consort, is the 

tantric tantric tantric goddess Tara Tara. Tara 

Åvarana Åvarana (ah ah ah----var ah var-ran-na) var var 

Var Var: Var aavarana, 

Synon Synon: Synon maya, 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘The ‘Veil of Ignorance’— i.e., the obscuring power of 

maya maya, maya that ‘veil’ which covers awareness of reality, or that which 

prevents one from seeing things as they are. (Vedic).

Åvarana Devatas are therefore the female deities representing 

the attributes or emanations of the principal archetypal goddess in 

the centre of a yantra, protectively surrounding and thereby 

‘veiling’ her ‘as filmy cloud covers the sun.’ 


Quotes: 

Other: Other: a) Covered and concealed. b) An enclosure; guarded from 

sight. 

Bib: 

Bib: 

Refs: 

Refs: 

Avasthå Avasthå (a-vash-tar tar) tar tar 

Var Var: Var avasthaa, 

Synon Synon: Synon Jågrat Avasthå 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘A state or condition.’ 

The Four Avasthås are the 4 states of consciousness. The main 

three—the waking state (jågrat jågrat jågrat); jågrat the dreaming state (Svapna Svapna Svapna) Svapna and 

the dreamless state of deep sleep (su‚hupti su‚hupti su‚hupti)—are su‚hupti known as Avastha 

Traya, the three states of consciousness. The fourth state— turiya turiya— turiya 

being beyond all three is that of divine consciousness (sometimes 

rendered as samadhi samadhi). samadhi 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

Other: 

Other: 

Avatåra Avatåra (av-va-taar taar-rah) taar taar 

Var Var: Var avataara, avatar, avatarana 

Synon Synon: Synon Synon Vibhuti, 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘An enlightened being as an ‘incarnation’ or representation 

of God.’ 

Avatar literally means ‘a coming down, or descent’— meaning the 

descent of the Divine into the human plane or into ones own being. 

From ava—off or down + tr—to traverse, or descend (into the 

manifested world). Therefore ‘incarnation’ is an implied

translation of the term. And the notion of ‘descent’ is also 

inadmissible since there is no heavenly ‘up’ to ‘descend’ from. 

The Absolute has no up-down-or-sideways, it just IS. 

Traditionally, an avatara or avatar, is considered to be one of the 

visible-material forms of a specific god of the Hindu Hindu Pantheon. 

Pantheon. 

Such gods are said to manifest in times of worldly strife, in diverse 

forms, according to the needs of the time. Thus some of the 

avataras, or avatars, of the God Vishnu (the Preserver) for instance, 

take the form of animals, or a fish, or in one instance—a dwarf, or a 

human prince (as Rama, hero of the Ramayana, Ramayana, or as Krishna (the 

godly guru of Arjuna in the Bhagavad Bhagavad Gita 

Gita Gita). Even Dattatreya Dattatreya—the 

Dattatreya 

Seer-Sage venerated as God by the Avadhutas—is Avadhutas Avadhutas Avadhutas claimed by 

Vaishnavaites to be one of the manifestations of Vishnu, although 

Avadhutas relate him as a manifestation of Shiva. Another name 

for avatar is vibhuti. 

vibhuti. 

Beings that come into incarnation are known as ‘dehi’— 

embodied, as deha means ‘body.’ Rather, the avatara is symbolic of 

human existence penetrated by the Divine, since every being in 

creation is a manifested form of the one Godhead, attempting to 

realise its own origin, whether consciously or not, while acting out 

its part in the Cosmic Drama. When human consciousness comes to 

realise that it is only playing a part, and ceases to identify itself 

with the role being played, its own avatarhood is revealed, and the 

Divine Play (lila lila lila) lila is experienced as playing itself through what 

appears to be an individual, but is in reality the Self Self of all selves. 

Vedanta declares that every manifestation of life is an incarnation 

of Brahman, with such affirmations as Ayam Atma Brahman, Tat 

tvam Asi, Aham Brahman Asmi, etc. But the Puranas Puranas restrict the 

word to those beings in which the manifestation is most prominent. 

Vishnu is variously said to have 10 or 20 or more avataras.

However, in present-day India, Avatars are ten for a rupee. 

Everyone and his grandmother who dons a saffron robe or has a 

white beard suddenly becomes an‘avatar’ to his disciples. There 

seems to be little capacity for discrimination in the starry-eyed 

followers, who take on board this wildly inflated notion that their 

particular ‘guru’ cultivates about his or her person. 

If such teachers are Avatars, then we are all Avatars, having 

‘come through’ from the Divine. But what need have we of other 

‘Avatars’ when we have a direct link to the Divine, or the Divinity 

within us? 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

a) “Pseudo-Avataras are abundant today. They crop up like 

mushrooms. Their disciples proudly advertise them as Bhagawans Bhagawans, Bhagawans 

torch-bearers, perfect masters, Thakurs and adepts in order to 

collect money and build Ashrams for thier own comfortable living. 

They fall quickly. All that glitters in not gold. People have now lost 

faith in these charlatans.” 1 

b) Women can, indeed, become saints and Sadgurus Sadgurus; Sadgurus 

but the Avatar 

always appears as a male.”— Meher Baba. 2 

This statement is difficult to reconcile with an increasing number 

of women gurus all over India presently affirming their Avatarhood 

status. 

Other: 

Other: 

Bib: Bib: 

Bib: 


1 1 

Bhakti Yoga — Swami Vivekananda (Advaita Ashram, Almora, Himalayas. 1964) 

2 2 

God to Man and Man to God—The Discourses of Meher Baba, Ed. C.B. Purdom (Sheriar Press, 

USA. 1975/1984) ISBN: 0-913078-21-2. 

Avicåra Avicåra (av-vi-char char-rah) char char 

Var Var: Var Avicaara, avichåra 

Synon Synon: 

Synon

Sense Sense: Sense Sense ‘Inattention’ (to the Self). 

The Vedas proclaim that the appearance of the world occurs 

because of inattention to the source of one’s being, the Self. 

Avidvas Avidvas (av-vid-vass) 

Var: 

Var: 


Sense Sense: Sense ‘Lacking in knowledge; ritualists and non-meditators.’ 

Vidvas means a ‘meditator,’ classed as a ‘knower’ (of the true 

path) by virtue of the fact that he or she is seeking experience of 

the Self. Hence a-vidvas is someone ignorant of this practice 

and who contents themselves with ritualistic means. 

Åvidyå Åvidyå ah-vid-yah) (ah ah ah 

Var Var: Var aavidya, avidyaa, 

Synon Synon: Synon Ajñåna, ma rig-pa (Tib.) 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘Primal Ignorance;’— specifically, spiritual ignorance or 

nescience, in which the non-eternal is taken for reality and the 

Reality (that which is Eternal) is ignored as the substratum of 

the former. 

Root 

Root 

knowledge. 

Although generally rendered as ‘ignorance’ avidya is not 

ignorance in the common worldly sense, but rather incorrect 

knowledge or incorrect perception. It denotes a deluded way of 

looking at the world, much as a primitive might be deluded into 

thinking a film is actually the reality taking place before him. 

Similarly, avidya is the failure to perceive that the world is 

projected onto the Reality (the abiding Eternal principle) as a 

film is projected upon a screen. 

According to the Vedantic philosophy of the Upanishads, 

avidya is responsible for the perception of the multiplicity of 

the world as the reality, being an illusion, which comes to an 

Root: Å-vidya — literally ‘non-knowledge’ as opposed to vidya —

end when one attains Self-knowledge. Anything that comes to 

an end cannot be the Ultimate Reality, but is only a ‘relative 

reality’ for the time being. The world can be perceived in many 

ways, each way being true in itself from a relative point of 

view. But to view it without being aware of the substratum—or 

Brahman—which sustains it all, is avidya. The complimentary 

condition is known as Vidya — the capacity to see the 

underlying unity beneath the seeming paradox of appearances. 

Quotes Quotes: Quotes In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (Chapter 2, V.5) avidya 

is described as follows: “Ignorance is accepting the non-eternal 

as the eternal, the impure as pure, the painful as pleasurable, the 

not-self as Self.” 1 


Bib: 

Bib: 

Refs: 

Refs: 

1 

The Textbook of Yoga Psychology, Rammurti S. Mishra M.D. (Julian Press Inc. N.Y. 1963) 



Ååáà Ååáà—¤∂ Ååáà Ååáà ¤∂ ¤∂–ÓªÛ⁄ØœøÑñ¡~ÿô®¸ÇçÍ‚˝†¨ÁÜü 

¤∂ ÓªÛ⁄ØœøÑñ¡~ÿô®¸ÇçÍ‚˝†¨ÁÜü 

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Ååáà————¤∂ Ååáà Ååáà Ååáà ¤∂ ¤∂––––ÓªÛ⁄ØœøÑñ¡~ÿô®¸ÇçÍ‚˝†Á¨Üü 

¤∂ ÓªÛ⁄ØœøÑñ¡~ÿô®¸ÇçÍ‚˝†Á¨Üü ÓªÛ⁄ØœøÑñ¡~ÿô®¸ÇçÍ‚˝†Á¨Üü 

ÓªÛ⁄ØœøÑñ¡~ÿô®¸ÇçÍ‚˝†Á¨Üü Long Dash 

— 

Avishesha Avishesha (ah-vee-shesh-sha) 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘ ‘General, ‘ not specific:’ being the inability to discriminate 

between pure consciousness and reflected consciousness we call 

‘mind.’ 

Aviveka Aviveka (ah-vee-vek-kah) 

Sense: Sense: ‘Ignorance’— the identification of consciousness with 

matter. 

Avyakta Avyakta (av-yak yak-ta) yak yak 

Var: 

Var:

Synon: Synon: Synon: Avyakta Akhanda 

Sense Sense: Sense Sense ‘Unmanifested substance; fundamental force — meaning the 

unmanifested state of nature before creation. 

A —without, vyakta —manifestation. As opposed to vyakta vyakta— vyakta 

manifest. 

Avyakta Akhanda is the Unmanifest Infinite. 

Avyaya Avyaya (av-yay-ya or av-yayya) 

Var: 

Var: 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘Unchangeable, immutable.’ 

Avyayavas Avyayavas (av-yai-ya-vaz) 

Var: 

Var: 

Synon: 

Synon: 

Sense: Sense: ‘Fifteen psycho-physiological functions’ in human receptive 

capacity; namely, the five organs of knowledge: (the jñånendriyas, 

jñånendriyas, 

or senses); the five organs of action (ka ka karmendriyas 

karmendriyas 

rmendriyas) rmendriyas and the five 

vital airs (prå~as prå~as prå~as). prå~as 

In the diagrammatic Kål⁄ Yantra of tantrism, the fifteen points of 

the five concentric inverted triangles represent the avayayas, 

infused with Kål⁄ Kål⁄’s Kål⁄ energies, to be mentally absorbed into the body 

of whoever worships her through the yantra yantra. yantra 

Awarohan Awarohan Awarohan (av-wah-ro-han) 

Var: Var: Avarohan, 

Synon: Synon: Arohan 

Sense: Sense: Sense: ‘A psychic subtle nerve-current or nadi, nadi, descending from 

bindu bindu (a point at the back of the crown) to ajna chakra, down 

through the spinal sushumna sushumna, sushumna 

passing through all chakral nodes and 

ending in muladhara 

muladhara. (Said to relate to the yin passage in Chinese 

acupuncture).

Ayüdha Ayüdha Puja Puja (ai-yood-dhah poo-jah) 

Var Var: Var Ayoodha Pooja, 


Sense Sense: Sense ‘Sanctification ceremony’—the ritual blessing of tools. 

A ceremony sanctifying all implements of labour, i.e., spades, 

pitchforks, trowels, tools, study-books, pens, rulers, typewriters, 

surgical instruments, mechanical devices, car parts, lathes, ploughs, 

shop-tills, etc. All working tools are set aside once a year, 

decorated with flowers and fruit (symbols of bountifulness) and are 

dedicated to a benevolent deity in worshipful prayer, for grace, 

guidance and good fortune for the coming working year. This 

occurs on the last day of the Hindu month Navaratri (around 5th 

October) and can be seen occurring in shops and city offices as well 

as on building sites or in country farmyards. 

Quotes: 

Quotes: 

Other: Other: 

Other: 

Bib Bib: Bib 


Ayurveda Ayurveda Ayurveda (ai-yur-vey vey-dah) vey vey 

Var Var: Var Var Ayurved, 

Synon Synon: Synon Chikitsa, 

Sense Sense: Sense ‘Knowledge of Life’— an ancient philosophical-medical 

science of healing and the understanding of universal and 

individual existence, derived from many sources but mainly 

drawn from the Samkhya philosophical system of Creation. 

Roo Root: Roo Ayur (ayus)— life, veda — knowledge: taken together it 

means ‘Science of life’. However, in a limited sense, it is 

commonly construed to mean the ‘Science of Medicine’. 

It is based on the study of the five elements — earth, air, ether, 

fire, water — and their ratios in all things, which determine their 

nature or constitution. Combinations of the elements constitute the 

three doshas or humours: 1) Kapha (water and earth elements)

create conditions whose characteristics are heavy, cold, oily, slow, 

dull, slimy, dense, soft, static or sweet. 2) Pitta (fire and water) 

create conditions that are light, hot, oily, sharp, liquid, sour, 

pungent. 3) Vata (air and ether) whose characteristics are light, 

cold, dry, rough, subtle, mobile, clear, dispersing, erratic and 

astringent. 

These diagnostic characteristics can be applied to human 

constitutions, to animals, birds, fish and reptiles, to foods and 

substances and all observable phenomena. 

Quotes: Quotes: Quotes: Charaka, author of the classic Ayurvedic treatise, has 

defined Ayurveda as: “The Science through the help of which one 

can obtain knowledge about the useful and harmful types of life 

(hita and ahita ayus), happy and miserable types of life, things 

which are useful and harmful for such type of life, the span of life 

as well as the very nature of life.” 1 

Other: Other: 

Other: 

Bib Bib: Bib 

1) Ayurveda Chikitsa — The Classic treatise by Charaka. 

2) Ayurveda: The Science of Self Healing — Dr.Vasant Lad (Lotus Press, Santa Fe, 1984.) 

3) The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine — Dr. David Frawley & Dr. 

Vasant Lad (Lotus Press, 1986). 

4) Ayurvedic Healing: A Comprehensive Guide — Dr. David Frawley (Twin lakes, WI, USA. 

1989/2001) 

5) 5) 5) Ayurveda and the Mind: The Healing of Consciousness — Dr. David Frawley (Twin lakes, 

WI, USA. 1997) 


1 The Origins of Ayurveda (Delhi Diary Journal. Reprinted in Yoga Today July 1981.) * 

Azhwa Azhwars Azhwa Azhwars 

rs—see rs Alwars

to hurt - Mantra Yoga

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