Ābhāsa-vāda
A school of Advaitavāda which holds that the jīva is a mere semblance of Brahman. This position stands in contrast to the theories of pratibimba-vāda and avaccheda-vāda, the former conceiving the jīva as a reflection of Brahman, and the latter, as Brahman delimited by the individual’s internal psychic apparatus (antaḥ-karaṇa).
Abhidhā
The primary meaning of a word. The significative power of a word, meaning the relation that exists between the word and its meaning, by which the meaning is cognized whenever the word is heard.
Abhidheya
The means by which the ultimate goal is actualized; a method that enables the radical shift in awareness from absorption in matter to immersion in the one Absolute Reality. According to Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, bhakti is the means prescribed in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.
Abhijana
A person who has taken birth in a pious family.
Ācārya
A spiritual preceptor also called a guru; one who teaches scriptural conclusions, embodies them in life, and also guides his students to follow by his example.
Adhikārī
A person who has the requisite eligibility for studying a book or undertaking a particular spiritual practice.
Adhvaryu priest
Officiating priest. While reciting the Yajurveda, it was his duty to build the altar, prepare sacrificial vessels, bring wood and water, light the fire, bring the animal and sanctify it.
Adhyāropa
Another word for adhyāsa.
Adhyāsa
Superimposing one object or its qualities onto another. This implies wrong knowledge, such as mistaking a rope for a snake in semi-darkness.
Advaita
Nonduality; the metaphysical view based on the Upaniṣads that Absolute Reality is nondual in nature.
Advaya-jñāna
Nondual consciousness; the supreme nondual conscious source as defined in the Bhāgavata (1.2.11).
Āgama
Tantra-śāstra. According to the Vārāhī Tantra, the Āgamas deal primarily with seven topics: creation, dissolution, worship of devatās, sādhanā practices, preparatory rites (puraścaraṇa), six practices for subduing adversaries, and four divisions of meditation (dhyāna-yoga). The Āgamas may be divided into two: Vedic and non-Vedic. The Vedic Āgamas are further divided into three: Śaiva, Śākta, and Vaiṣṇava. The Vaiṣṇava Āgamas deal primarily with the rules and procedures for worship of deities and uttering of mantras. The Bṛhad-gautamīya, Krama-dīpikā, and Nārada Pañcarātra are among the chief Vaiṣṇava Āgamas.
Ahaṅgrahopāsanā
Worship of oneself as embodying the Supreme. This practice is included within worship of the Absolute with attributes. Through this practice the potencies of God become manifest in the practitioner, as was the case with Prahlāda, as understood from the Viṣṇu Purāṇa. Because this practice in general is not intended for the exclusive pleasure of God, it is excluded from the definition of bhakti. Moreover, it is rejected by pure devotees because the sense of oneself being God precludes the possibility of seva, which is the very essence of bhakti.
Ahaṅkāra
The “I”-sense, or the phenomenal principle of individuation, often referred to as “ego.” It has three divisions of sattva, rajas, and tamas.
Aiśvarya
Majesty, supremacy, or ruling power. Kṛṣṇa has two aspects, namely, majesty (aiśvarya) and mellifluousness (mādhurya), the latter referring to His intimate human aspect. Aiśvarya refers to His majestic aspect in which He displays superhuman powers, such as having four hands. His aiśvarya aspect elicits an attitude of awe and reverence from the worshiper.
Anādi
Beginningless; that which is without beginning but which can come to an end, such as the bondage and ignorance of the living beings.
Ānanda
Spiritual bliss or ecstasy; the potency of Bhagavān that relates to His aspect of bliss. This corresponds to the hlādinī potency.
Aṅga / aṅgī
Lit., aṅga means “a part” and aṅgī means “the whole.” These terms are also used for Kṛṣṇa and His expansions, such as Nārāyaṇa, in which case Kṛṣṇa is the aṅgī and Nārāyaṇa the aṅga.
Anirvacanīya
Lit., “ineffable.” This is a term used specifically in Advaitavāda in reference to Brahman, the Absolute Reality, when perceived as devoid of qualities, form, or actions. According to them, language, being a thought construct, cannot touch that Reality, and hence It is ineffable. This term is also used in reference to māyā, which is conceived by them to be indefinable either in terms of being existent (sat) or non-existent (asat). It cannot be said to be sat; otherwise, the existence of two ontological realities, Brahman and māyā, would compromise nonduality. Yet, it cannot be defined as asat; otherwise, the world could never become an object of our perception. Hence, it is indescribable.
Antaraṅga-śakti
The intrinsic potency of God (see svarūpa-śakti).
Antaraṅgā-śakti
The intrinsic potency of God (see svarūpa-śakti).
Anubhāva
One of five essential ingredients of rasa; the external symptoms of ecstasy, such as dancing, rolling on the ground and singing, that display or reveal the emotions situated within the heart.
Anuccheda
Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī divides each Sandarbha into sections called anucchedas. These anucchedas are organized around one prominent verse from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and conclude with the name of the speaker and hearer of that principal verse. In this translation, we sometimes refer to the anucchedas using the Sanskrit word, and sometimes as “text” or “section.”
Anvaya
Positive concomitance; an affirmation used to substantiate the validity of an assertion; used in connection with vyatireka, or negative concomitance, which further corroborates the original assertion by demonstrating the defect that results from non-application of that assertion.
Anyathā-siddha
Dispensable or inessential antecedent; a condition that is not the true cause of an effect. Any condition that although antecedently present is not at all essential to the production of an object is called anyathā-siddha. For example, thread is indispensable in the production of cloth, yet the cloth is in no way unconditionally or invariably dependent upon the color of the thread used. Therefore, the color of the thread is not considered as a relevant cause in the manufacture of cloth but as a dispensable antecedent.
Apasiddhānta
Metaphysical propositions that are not validated by a school of philosophy.
Apauruṣeya
That which is not a product of the human mind; transhuman; the self-revealed Vedic scriptures.
Aprakaṭa
Lit., “invisible, or imperceptive display.” This refers to the absence of Kṛṣṇa or His abode from the vision of the people of this world.
Āraṇyaka
One of the four divisions of the Vedas that is primarily concerned with the performance of sacrifices (yajña). This class of literature also inculcates the theology that underlies yajña.
Āśrama
Four stages of life within the varṇāśrama system, with a graduated course of duties meant to lead an individual towards realization of Ultimate Truth. The four stages are brahmacarya (study of the Vedas while practicing celibacy), gārhasthya (sacrifice, worship, and charity within the context of family life), vānaprasthya (retirement from social duties and gradual intensification of spiritual practice), and sannyāsa (detachment from all worldly objects and absorption in knowledge of the self and God).
Āśraya
The ultimate shelter; the tenth of ten topics of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. From the other nine topics of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, it can be understood that the tenth topic refers to that which is the shelter of all creation, of all that relates to sustenance, of all forms of dissolution, and even of liberation itself, residing on the far shore of the Ocean of Causality. That which is the shelter of all manifestation and even of liberation is the ultimate shelter, the one nondual awareness, the Complete Whole, experienced in the intimacy of love as Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Aṣṭāṅga-yoga
The classical eightfold yoga system of Patañjali consisting of: yama (restraint of detrimental behavior), niyama (adoption of conscious attitudes of self-purification), āsana (regulation of posture to facilitate prāṇic flow and stability of consciousness), prāṇāyama (expansion of vital energy through regulation of breath), pratyāhāra (withdrawal of the mind from external sensory perception and directing it inward), dhāraṇā (concentration of the mind on one point), dhyāna (meditation that proceeds as a continuous flow), and samādhi (complete absorption of awareness in the object of one’s meditation).
Asura
Adversary of the gods (suras); one who opposes the authority of God and the theistic order of the cosmos; the anti-divine.
Ātma-tattva
The essence of all ātmās; the Supreme Self; knowledge or truth of Absolute Reality.
Ātmā
In accordance with the context, this can refer to the body, mind, intelligence, fortitude, or endeavor. It most often denotes the pure self, who is an individual unit of consciousness, the living being. In other contexts it can signify the supreme consciousness, or the Supreme Immanent Self, Paramātmā.
Ātmārāma
One who rejoices in the pure Self alone; one who is altogether free from identification with, or attraction to, all that constitutes the non-self, consisting of the physical, the vital-emotional, the mental, and the intellectual instruments of the psycho-physical complex.
Avaccheda-vāda
A school of Advaitavāda which holds that the jīva is Brahman delimited (avacchinna) by the individual’s internal psychic apparatus (antaḥ-karaṇa), just as the one indivisible space is delimited by a pot or by a room. The diversity of the internal organs (antaḥ-karaṇa) accounts for the diversity of the jīvas.
Avadhūta
An ascetic beyond the bounds of conventional, moral, or cultural sensibilities.
Āvaraṇa-devatā
Bhagavān’s surrounding associates, often used in relation with the yoga-pīṭha description.
Āvaraṇa
Lit., covering; a potency of māyā that conceals the self’s intrinsic identity.
Avastu
That which has no-existence; an illusory object.
Avatāra
Descent; an appearance or manifestation of God upon the earth in any of His forms, to establish dharma and to enact the divine play of transcendence. Technically speaking, it is misleading to translate avatāra as incarnation when speaking of the descent of the eternal forms of God, who do not “in-carnate” in the etymological sense of becoming invested with a human or phenomenal form. Rather, their “descent” or manifestation amounts to a self-revelation of their own eternal intrinsic forms.
Avatārī
The source of all avatāras.
Āveśa
Lit., “ingression,” or “mental fixity.” Āveśa-avatāras refer to Bhagavān’s pervasion of specific highly enlightened jīvas with some particular aspect of His potency. Examples of this type are Nārada, who is empowered with the bhakti potency, and the Kumāras, who are infused with the jñāna potency.
Avidyā
Ignorance; an aspect of māyā that covers a person’s true self-awareness.
Bahiraṅga-śakti
Bhagavān’s extrinsic potency, which constitutes the cosmos.
Bhagavān
The supreme personal manifestation of God; that Supreme Entity who is complete to an unlimited degree in six opulences: beauty, wealth, strength, fame, knowledge, and renunciation; the Complete Whole, encompassing even Brahman and Paramātmā; nondual awareness inherently self-endowed with transphenomenal form, personhood, and limitless transcendental attributes that invite participation in the infinite play of divine love.
Bhajana
In its primary sense, the devotional turning of consciousness (sāmmukhya) toward Bhagavān in love and service. This includes actions such as hearing narrations of Bhagavān, chanting His name, remembering Him, serving His deity form, and so on.
Bhakti
Devotion to God; a unique potency of God, stemming from His own intrinsic nature and endowed with consciousness and bliss. When this same eternal potency infuses the individual awareness of the living being, it takes the shape of love and flows back to its original source, Bhagavān, causing the waves of His own ecstasy to swell. The word bhakti comes from the root √bhaj, which means to serve. Hence, the primary meaning of bhakti is to render service with full participation of one’s being, without cause or motive, without adulteration of any partial pursuit, for the exclusive pleasure of and communion with the Complete Whole, Bhagavān.
Bhāṣya
A commentary, especially a commentary that systematically and contextually explains the meanings of the aphorisms (sūtras) or verses (ślokas) of a traditional philosophical text.
Bhāva-bhakti
The initial stage of perfection in devotion. A stage of bhakti in which śuddha-sattva, or the essence of Bhagavān’s intrinsic potency, consisting of consciousness and bliss, is transmitted into the heart of the practicing devotee from the heart of one of Bhagavān’s eternal associates and which softens the heart by different kinds of taste. Bhāva-bhakti is the first sprout of prema, or pure love of God. Bhāva-bhakti is the seventh of the eight stages of development of the bhakti-latā, the creeper of devotion. Bhāva-bhakti is also said to be the fruit of sādhana-bhakti, not as a causal effect, but rather as the blossoming of the very same potency into an existential state of being and awareness within the receptacle of the heart.
Bhāva
Being, existence, presence; contemplation, awareness, meditation; feeling, emotion, love; a stage of bhakti; the first sprout of prema, or pure love of God (see bhāva-bhakti).
Bhūta-śuddhi
Purification of the elements of the body as a preparation for worship. According to the principle, “To worship God, one must be of the nature of God” (devaṁ bhūtvā devaṁ yajet), it is understood that to worship the divine in truth, one must be immersed in the same divinity. Even the physical body should be constituted of the same divine nature. This purification of the body is approached in different ways in the various spiritual disciplines. Because bhakti is essentially awareness in love, purification of the body, known as bhūta-śuddhi, is approached on this path through a conscious process.
Brahma-jñāna
Nondual awareness; knowledge or immediate intuition of unqualified Brahman; knowledge aiming at monistic liberation; also known as kaivalya-jñāna, or knowledge of exclusive identity with Brahman.
Brahma-sāyujya
One of the five types of mukti, or liberation. This is the goal of those who adopt the path of jñāna-yoga and entails absolute identification with Brahman and abandonment of one’s own distinct identity.
Brahma-sūtra
A compilation of concise statements called sūtras, or aphorisms, written by Vyāsa, providing the essential meaning of the Upaniṣads. Also known as Vedānta-sūtra.
Brahma-vidyā
Knowledge pertaining to Brahman, which is the indeterminate aspect of Absolute Reality.
Brahmā
The primal cosmic being or creator god; the four-headed god who carries out the work of secondary creation (visarga) in the universe under the inspiration and direction of the Supreme Immanent Self, Paramātmā. He is born from the lotus navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and is one of the three guṇāvatāras. The secondary creation involves the revelation of the subtle creative ideation in accordance with which individual concrete forms come into being. This specifically refers to the sending forth of moving and nonmoving living beings.
Brahmacārī
The first āśrama, or stage of life, in the varṇāśrama system, characterized by celibacy, study of the Vedas from a teacher, and practice of austerities.
Brahmajyoti
The peripheral effulgence (tanu-bhā) emanating from the transphenomenal body of Bhagavān.
Brahman
The Nondual Absolute, divested of all form, quality, and action; the indeterminate aspect of the Supreme Truth; the effulgence emanating from Bhagavān, the Complete Whole, who is the core of nondual awareness, just as heat and light radiate from the sun. Brahman is thus said to be a generic feature of God, devoid of distinguishing characteristics.
Brāhmaṇa
One of the four varṇas, or social divisions, in the varṇāśrama system; a priest or teacher. Their specific duties are study and teaching of scriptures, charity, performance of sacrifice for themselves and others, and acceptance of gifts. When used in reference to the body of sacred literature, the Brāhmaṇas refer to one of the four divisions of the Vedas that provide details about the proper execution of yajña. Every śākhā (a branch or school of the Vedas) has its own Brāhmaṇa literature. At present a total of 19 Brāhmaṇas are available.
Brahmāṇḍa
Lit., “Brahman in the shape of an egg.” This term is often used to refer to the universe or cosmos as a whole.
Buddhi
Intellect, perception, comprehension, understanding, discrimination, judgment, discernment; the highest faculty of the psyche, which consists of intellect, ego (i.e., the “I-principle”), and mind; the second of the twenty-five elements of Sāṅkhya in its microcosmic or individuated aspect. Its macrocosmic counterpart is mahat, cosmic intellect, or the collective wisdom principle.
Catur-vyūha
Four expansions of Bhagavān. This refers to Bhagavān’s quadruple manifestations as Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha.
Cāturmāsya
A sacrifice performed every four months at the beginning of the lunar months of Kārtika, Phālguna and Āṣāḍha; a vrata followed by sannyāsīs during the four lunar months of the rainy season beginning in Āṣāḍha.
Cid-ābhāsa
Reflected consciousness; a reflection of the all-pervading consciousness (i.e., Brahman) in a vṛtti, or a mode, of the mind.
Citta-vṛtti
Mental modifications. According to Advaita Vedānta, when the luminous mind is projected outward through the sense organs, it reaches the objects and is modified into their forms. This mental modification is called citta-vṛtti. According to the classical Yoga tradition of Patañjali, the mental modifications are of five types: pramāṇa (true cognition), viparyaya (erroneous knowledge), vikalpa (imagination), nidrā (sleep), and smṛti (memory).
Citta
Mind, heart, thought, intention; in Patañjali’s aṣṭāṅga-yoga system, citta specifically refers to mind, which has three components: intellect (buddhi), ego (ahaṅkāra), and mind (manas); the individual consciousness in contrast to mahat, or universal consciousness.
Darśana
Lit., “vision”; direct witnessing of Bhagavān or His associates. This term also refers to the Indian schools of thought, such as Vedānta, because they provide some particular view (darśana) of Reality.
Deva
A celestial being; devas are gods residing in the heavenly planets who are endowed with great piety, tremendous life spans, and superior mental and physical prowess. They are entrusted with specific powers for the purpose of universal administration.
Devatā
God (see deva).
Devī
Lit., “goddess,” which could stand for any among the host of goddesses but a word popularly used to indicate Goddess Durgā (see below).
Dhāma
A holy place of pilgrimage; the abode of God, where He appears and enacts His transcendental pastimes.
Dharma
Religion; prescribed duty; nature; justice, virtue, morality, law. In its conventional sense, dharma refers to the socio-religious duties prescribed in scripture for different classes of people in the varṇāśrama system. In its transcendent aspect, dharma refers to bhāgavat-dharma, or the transcendent potency of devotion stemming from Bhagavān and meant exclusively for His pleasure, because this is the spiritual function that actualizes the pure self’s highest potential.
Dhvani
Lit., “sound” or “reverberation.” In Indian aesthetic theory, this refers to the use of figurative language, involving suggested or indirect meaning (vyañjanā), which is said to be the soul of poetry.
Dṛṣṭi-sṛṣṭi-vāda
A school of Advaitavāda which proposes that the objects of experience are created at the moment when they are perceived and are destroyed when not perceived. According to this doctrine, the phenomenal world is a mental construction, having no objective reality of its own.
Durgā
A primary form of the feminine Goddess. She is the presiding deity of primordial nature, prakṛti. She is regarded as the consort of Lord Śiva and is also popularly known as Devī.
Ekādāśī
The eleventh day of the waxing or waning moon. Fasting from grains and other vows are observed by Vaiṣṇavas on this day in worship of Bhagavān. This fast is observed only on śuddha (unmixed) Ekādāśī, which means that the tenth lunar day should be entirely completed prior to the ninety-six minute period before sunrise on the day of Ekādāśī. If the tenth lunar day extends even fractionally within this ninety-six minute period before sunrise of the Ekādāśī day, the fast is observed on Dvādaśī instead, the twelfth day of the moon.
Ekapāda-vibhūti
The one-fourth manifestation of the Supreme; the material realm consisting of onefold dimensionality of being, namely mortality. (Contrast with tripāda-vibhūti.)
Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu
The second of the three puruṣāvatāras. He manifests in each universe, or brahmāṇḍa, and it is from His navel that Brahmā takes birth.
Gati-sāmānya-nyāya
The principle that there is one Absolute Truth that is the consistent reconciliation of all the apparently contradictory truths contained in diverse scriptures, showing in fact that there is no contradiction among them.
Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava
An adherent of the Bengal school of Vaiṣṇavism founded by Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu in the 16th century .
Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism
The school of Vaiṣṇavism founded by Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Gāyatrī
A Vedic mantra chanted by the twice-born, or dvijas, at the time of sunrise and sunset. It is considered to be the mother of the Vedas.
Gopa
A cowherd man. This refers to a class of people who protect and maintain cows. The residents of Vraja or Vṛṇdāvana are primarily gopas.
Gopī
Cowherdess.
Gosvāmī
Originally, a renounced Vaiṣṇava holy man; a person belonging to certain Brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava families associated with a temple; a person born in the dynasty of an ācārya. Lit., “one who has mastered his senses.” This is a title used for a person who has been formally initiated into the renounced order of life (sannyāsa). At present it is also a title for a specific priestly class.
Guṇa
The three constituent aspects of prakṛti, or primordial nature, embodying both psychic and physical force: sattva (luminosity), rajas (dynamism), and tamas (inertia). The word guṇa in Sāṅkhya is distinguished from its conventional meaning of “a quality,” because the Sāṅkhya doctrine admits no distinction between substance and attribute. Rather, quality and substance together form a single whole, and it is the concrete unity of both that any material thing represents. The term guṇa thus means a component factor or constituent of prakṛti.
Guṇāvatara
This refers to the three presiding deities of sattva, rajas, and tamas, namely Viṣṇu, Brahmā, and Śiva, respectively. They oversee the functions of world sustenance, evolution, anddissolution.
Hiraṇyagarbha
Mahāviṣṇu enters into each brahmāṇḍa as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. From His navel sprouts a lotus, on which the four-headed Brahmā takes birth. Within the stem of this lotus, the fourteen planetary systems of the brahmāṇḍa are contained. The subtle form of this brahmāṇḍa is called Hiraṇyagarbha, also known as the aggregate or samaṣṭi-jīva. The term hiraṇyagarbha is also used for Brahmā.
Hlādinī
The delight-giving potency, which is an aspect of God’s svarūpa-śakti, the potency that constitutes His very nature. It is this hlādinī potency that gives bliss to Bhagavān and His devotees, just as the light emanating from a luminous object illuminates both the luminous object itself and all other items in its sphere of radiance. This hlādinī potency, manifesting as bhakti within the heart of a devotee, flows back to Bhagavān in the form of love, thus expanding His own delight. Bhakti is the supreme aspect of this intrinsic potency.
Iṣṭa-devatā
The worshipable deity of a sādhaka.
Īśvara
Lit., “the controller,” “regulator,” or “master.” This term is synonymous with the word Paramātmā, the Supreme Immanent Self within all living beings, since it is He who regulates primordial nature and the living beings from within. Sometimes Īśvara also refers to Śiva.
Itihāsa
Lit., “so indeed it was.” Primarily, this refers to the Mahābhārata and the Rāmāyaṇa, the two great epics of India. When not used as a proper noun, it simply refers to a historical event.
Jīva
The conscious self (ātmā) as qualified by the intellect (buddhi), ego (ahaṅkāra), the mind (manas), the senses, and the physical body; the embodied self or the empirical self; an individuated part of the taṭastha-śakti, or intermediary potency, of God; an individual living being.
Jīvan-mukti
Living liberation; the state of being liberated from the influence of the material guṇas while still embodied.
Jñāna-mārga
The path of jñāna, as described above.
Jñāna
Knowledge, awareness, omniscience; the path of knowledge directed towards awareness of oneness with Brahman, and having as its ultimate aim liberation from material existence; awareness of inscrutable being that pervades all form and yet is without form, that is the source of all manifestation and yet lies beyond the manifested cosmos; absorption in that one nondual state of being.
Jñānī
One who pursues or has perfected the path of jñāna, directed toward awareness of oneness with Brahman.
Kaimutya-nyāya
A principle of logic that draws on comparison to establish a conclusion; the principle of “how much more true,” also called a fortiori logic. By showing the validity of a proposition of lesser significance, the proposition of greater significance is thereby concluded. This principle is used throughout the text and may be exemplified as follows: “If even unintentional chanting of the name of Bhagavān leads to emancipation, how much greater must be the effect of conscious chanting.”
Kaimutya
A principle of logic that draws on comparison to establish a conclusion; the principle of “how much more true,” also called a fortiori logic. By showing the validity of a proposition of lesser significance, the proposition of greater significance is thereby concluded. This principle is used throughout the text and may be exemplified as follows: “If even unintentional chanting of the name of God leads to emancipation, how much greater must be the effect of conscious chanting.”
Kaivalya
The state of “aloneness;” the unconditional existence of the Self; liberation from material bondage; knowledge of the identity between unqualified Brahman and the pure living being; the state of unconditional devotion.
Kalā
A manifestation of Bhagavān that is less powerful than an aṁśa. Some of the sages and Prajāpatis are known as kalās (minute portions). This means that some power of Bhagavān is manifest in them.
Kaliyuga
The fourth in a cycle of four ages; the iron age of quarrel, hypocrisy, and degradation, said to last for 432,000 years. It began about 5,200 years ago, the day Śrī Kṛṣṇa departed from earth.
Kalpa
A day of Brahmā, or 1,000 cycles of the four yugas, being a period of 4,320 million earth years. At the end of Brahmā’s day, there is a partial devastation of the cosmos, and at the beginning of the next day, a new creation is enacted resembling the previous day in some but not all details. The Purāṇas describe events occurring in different kalpas, though related events are sometimes merged into one description and spoken of as if occurring on the same day. This accounts for inconsistencies in certain details of descriptions that actually occurred on different days of Brahmā.
Kalpanā
Assumed or apparent reality; imagination; creation; a theoretical construct; the act of conceptualization.
Kāma
Desire, longing; pleasure, enjoyment; love, affection; object of desire, pleasure, or love; sensuality, sexual love; one of the four puruṣārthas, or goals of human attainment, among dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa. In this latter sense, kāma refers to enjoyment that is not opposed to dharma and that follows as its outcome.
Kāmadeva
The god of love, Cupid. He is one of the devas and often assists Indra in his aim of sexually agitating the minds of his adversaries. In the spiritual world, Kṛṣṇa is the transcendental Kāmadeva, because He bewilders the mind even of Cupid himself.
Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu
Another name for Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu.
Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu
The first puruṣāvatāra, or manifestation of Bhagavān, who oversees the evolution and dissolution of the complete material potency. He is the source of the innumerable brahmāṇḍas that emerge from the pores of His body.
Karma-kāṇḍa
A division of the Vedas that relates to the performance of ceremonial acts and sacrificial rites directed towards attainment of heaven. Through purification of intent, this path can lead either to jñāna or bhakti.
Karma-yoga
The performance of one’s prescribed duties in varṇāśrama in which one offers the fruit to the Supreme Lord only as a secondary process to attain one’s desired goal. This may be done either with a desire for material reward (sakāma) or for purification aiming at liberation or devotion (niṣkāma).
Kīrtana
One of nine primary limbs of bhakti; recitation of or singing the glories of God; singing the names, form, qualities, and pastimes of Bhagavān.
Kośa
Lit., “case,” or “covering.” This term refers to the five sheaths called pañca-kośa in Vedāntic philosophy. In Gauḍīya Vedānta, the five kośas are understood as anna-maya (the gross body), prāṇa-maya (the vital force), mano-maya (the total psychic apparatus taken as a unit), vijñāna-maya (the individual conscious self), and ānanda-maya (the Supreme Blissful Self). In Advaita Vedānta, the last two are interpreted differently as intellect and Brahman, respectively. According to some Advaitavāda thinkers, however, ānanda-maya-kośa refers not to Brahman directly but to the causal body of bliss, which is the finest level of covering of Brahman.
Krama-mukti
Lit., “gradual liberation.” This refers to a type of liberation in which the sādhaka chooses first to travel to higher regions of the universe before attaining the ultimate liberation of entering the spiritual realm.
Kṣatriya
The second of the four varṇas, or social divisions, in the varṇāśrama system; an administrator or warrior. Their specific duties are protection of subjects, charity, performance of sacrifices, study of scriptures, and absence of attachment for objects of enjoyment.
Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu
He is the third of the puruśāvatāras and a manifestation from Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. He is present as the Immanent Self in all jīvas and all phenomena. In this capacity, He is the support for all life. Whenever the devas are faced with extreme adversities, they approach Brahmā for assistance. If he is unable to solve their dilemma, he meditates on and receives direction from Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, who reposes in the Milk Ocean.
Lakṣaṇā
Lit., “indication”; an attribute or quality. In linguistic theory, this refers to the indicated or metaphorical meaning of a word, which is to be accepted when the primary meaning of the word is inapplicable or unsuited to the context.
Līlā
An act of the Divine performed exclusively for transcendental delight and not under the influence of the law of karma; pastime; divine play. This word is commonly used for the sacred acts of Bhagavān and His associates.
Līlāvatāra
A manifestation of Bhagavān for the purpose of displaying His līlā within the material world.
Loka-pāla
A guardian of a particular loka.
Loka
Space, the world, a division of the universe, especially, the heavenly region (svarga). According to Purāṇic cosmology, the universe is divided into 14 lokas, or planetary spheres.
Mādhurya
Commonly translated as mellifluousness, sweetness, loveliness, exquisite beauty, charm, and so on. When used in relation to Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, it refers to the supremely delightful and intoxicating aspect of His intrinsic nature, which both includes and transcends His majesty (aiśvarya). Whereas aiśvarya inspires awe, reverence, and a sense of formality, mādhurya induces love and intimacy. Mādhurya, thus, signifies the highest and most mysterious aesthetic quality of Kṛṣṇa’s innate being. There is no single word in English that adequately conveys the concept of mādhurya. Etymologically speaking, however, the word mādhurya is derived from madhu, “honey,” which is said to possess an intoxicating quality. Accordingly, the English word “mellifluousness” is derived from the Latin mell, “honey,” and fluere, “to flow,” indicating that which has a smooth rich flow, or that which is filled with an intoxicating sweetness. Hence, from the point of view of etymology, “mellifluousness” is closest in meaning to mādhurya (also called mādhurī). The term signifies the human-like nature and behavior of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Mahābhūta
Lit., “a mega-element,” referring to space, air, fire, water, and earth in their causal capacities. Space is the quantum cosmic field in which all events occur. Air represents the gastric state of matter; fire, that of heat and light; water, that of the liquid state; and earth, that of the solid state.
Mahat
The second element in the Sāṅkhya system (the first being prakṛti itself); the unindividuated or collective cosmic intellect; this is the macrocosmic counterpart of buddhi, or individuated intellect; the first evolute of prakṛti, or primordial nature in the state of equilibrium. Mahat or buddhi is the source of ahaṅkāra, or ego, the next element of manifestation.
Mahāviṣṇu
Also called Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī, or He who reposes on the Causal Ocean, the boundary between the spiritual and material universes. Mahāviṣṇu is also called Puruṣa, or the first Puruṣa, Paramātmā, Nārāyaṇa, and Viṣṇu. He merges into the body of Bhagavān during the complete dissolution.
Maṅgalācaraṇa
The invocatory verse or verses at the beginning of a book; lit., the act of invoking auspiciousness for the completion of the undertaking and removal of any obstacles. This is usually expressed in the form of a prayer to the deity worshipped by the author.
Mantra-guru
The teacher who initiates the disciple by mantra recitation into the worship of the Lord.
Mantra-mayī
A type of worship in which the devotee meditates on his or her cherished form of Bhagavān (nijābhīṣṭa) as situated in His own abode, sitting on a throne or standing and surrounded by His associates. Alternatively, this refers to līlās depicting a static state of affairs, which are restricted to one specific location and to corresponding contextual factors appropriate to the līlā in question. This worship is expressed as a meditation via a correlated mantra that encapsulates the said līlā.
Mantra
A sound formula, consisting of the Names of God, which addresses any individual deity. Mantras are given to a disciple by a guru at the time of formal initiation (dīkṣā) for worship and realization of God. Mantra is the sound form of the deity.
Manu
The father of mankind; the ruler of a world cycle of humanity. A day of Brahmā, called a kalpa, is divided into fourteen periods called manvantaras. Manu is entrusted with the procreation of human beings and the managerial affairs of this period. Thus, there are fourteen Manus in a day of Brahmā. The first of these was a son of Brahmā. Now the seventh Manu, Vaivasvata, is ruling.
Manvantara
A world cycle ruled by a Manu; the religious principles established for the Manus, the progenitors and sovereigns of humanity; one of ten primary subjects of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.
Māyā
Bhagavān’s extrinsic potency that influences the living entities to accept the egoism of being independent enjoyers of this material world; the potency that constitutes the material world.
Mīmāṁsā
Lit., “respectful investigation;” one of the six schools of Indian philosophy. This system deals mainly with the nature of dharma, or the duties to be followed by human beings, based on the hermeneutics of the Vedas. It is also called Pūrva-mīmāṁsā, or the prior investigation, in contrast to Uttara-mīmāṁsā, the posterior investigation, also popularly known as Vedānta. This distinction is based on the fact that the Vedas have two divisions: that of karma-khaṇḍa, which deals with the execution of yajñas, and jñāna-khaṇḍa, which discloses the knowledge of Absolute Reality, Brahman. Because Uttara-mīmāṁsā is popularly called Vedānta, the term mīmāṁsā, used for Pūrva-mīmāṁsā, is also sometimes called Karma-mīmāṁsā.
Mithyā
Illusory, that which cannot be defined either as real or as unreal. According to Advaitavāda, the phenomenal world is neither real nor unreal. It cannot be accepted as real, because Brahman is the one and only reality, yet it cannot be determined as altogether unreal because it is perceivable in the conditioned state.
Mudrā
A symbolic gesture usually performed with the hands and fingers. These are employed in the worship of a deity and also in classical dance and drama. Besides conveying a specific message, mudrās also invoke corresponding energies. Thus, they are also used in meditation to elicit a suitable effect on the mental state of the practitioner.
Mukti
Liberation; the fourth goal of human attainment among dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa; the goal aspired for through the path of knowledge; one of nine primary topics of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.
Muni
A sage intent on the life of contemplation.
Naiṣkarmya
The state of freedom from bondage to action or karma.
Nirguṇa
Beyond the influence of primordial nature’s three interconnected constituent principles of psychic and physical force, namely, sattva (illumination), rajas (dynamism), and tamas (inertia); exclusively of the nature of transcendence.
Nitya-siddha
An eternally perfected being. This refers to eternally liberated devotees, who have never been subjected to material conditioning. The term also refers to objects or events that are self-existent and eternal and thus not originated by any action or cause.
Oṁ
The sacred syllable embodying the Absolute (see praṇava).
Pañcarātra
A body of literature that is part of the Tantras. The Vedas are called Nigama and the Tantras are known as Āgama. There are three divisions of Tantra, namely, Vaiṣṇava, Śaiva, and Śākta. Vaiṣṇava Tantras are popularly known as Pañcarātra Āgama, Pañcarātra, or simply Āgama (see also Tantra).
Paramahaṁsa
A title awarded to an ascetic of the highest order. The word paramahaṁsa may be divided into two words — parama (supreme) and haṁsa (swan). The swan is poetically said to be able to separate milk from water when these two fluids are mixed. Thus, a paramahaṁsa refers to a topmost, swan-like person who can distinguish spirit from matter, reality from illusion, and who can extract the very essence of spiritual truth. This also refers to the fourth and final stage of sannyāsa, which has been referred to as niṣkriya (freedom from all material obligations) in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (3.12.43).
Pāramārthika
Supreme, ultimate, absolute; transcendental to matter; a word used by Advaita-Vedāntists to refer to the highest of three grades of existence, namely, the ontologically real or the Absolute Reality, Brahman. (Contrast with prātibhāsika and vyāvahārika)
Paramātmā
The Supreme Immanent Self; the Supreme Indwelling Self, or the Supreme Witness of the total material energy (the metacosm), of the individual universes (the macrocosm), and of the individuated living beings (the microcosm).
Parikara
Another term for pārṣada.
Pariṇāma–vāda
The theory that the world is a real effect of a real cause, being a transformation (pariṇāma) of Paramātmā’s energy.
Parokṣa-vāda
Indirect reference or instruction; when something is described differently to conceal the real meaning. Scripture often makes use of this method to instruct those on varying levels of awareness. Only those on a higher stage of development can grasp the true intent, and it is rendered all the more relishable because of its mysterious nature. It is therefore said that the gods are fond of parokṣa-vāda.
Parokṣavāda
Indirect reference or instruction; when something is described in such a way as to conceal the real meaning. Scripture often makes use of this method to instruct those on varying levels of awareness. Only those on a higher stage of development can grasp the true intent, and it is rendered all the more relishable because of its mysterious nature. It is, therefore, said that the gods are fond of parokṣavāda.
Pārṣada
Lit., “a member of an assembly.” This refers specifically to the eternal associates of Bhagavān. In the case of Kṛṣṇa, the reference is to devotees such as Śrīdāmā, Sudāmā, Śrīmad Uddhava, and Sātyaki, who are integrated portions in relation to Him.
Phala-vyāpyatva
The second of two stages in the epistemology of perception as conceived in Advaitavāda. First the luminosity of the mind envelops the object of perception and is modified into its form. This is called vṛtti-vyāpyatva. In the second stage of perception, the all-pervading consciousness (i.e., Brahman) reflects in the mental mode (vṛtti), and this reflection is called cid-ābhāsa or phala. The vṛtti removes the covering of the object of perception and the phala illuminates the object.
Pradhāna
Primordial nature, also known as prakṛti. The term pradhāna (primary, original, predominant) suggests the primary nature of prakṛti as the first cause of the aggregate of all effects in the world. This refers to the state of equilibrium of the three guṇas, prior to their being set in motion by the puruṣa, from which the cosmos evolves (see also prakṛti).
Prajāpatis
The original progenitors of the world’s population according to Purāṇic lore. These refer to the sons of Brahmā other than the Kumāras and Nārada, who were celibate sages.
Prakāśa
Lit., “illuminating,” “light,” or “effulgence”; a domain of manifestation. In its technical sense, this refers to an identical manifestation of Bhagavān or of His transcendental abode (dhāma). A prakāśa can be manifest and visible to the world (prakaṭa) or unmanifest (aprakaṭa). The term prakāśa has been used by Śrī Jīva with two primary connotations according to the context. When used in regard to Kṛṣṇa or His associates, it refers to identical forms or manifestations endowed with individual self-sense (abhimāna), temperament (bhāva), and active capacity. When referring to Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental abodes (dhāmas), namely, Vṛndāvana, Mathurā, and Dvārakā, it denotes the various dimensions of unalloyed being in which His līlā unfolds, such as the visible plane (prakaṭa) and the invisible (aprakaṭa).
Prakaṭa
The manifest appearance or display of Bhagavān or His dhāma. When He reveals these abodes to the people of this world, it is called the prakaṭa-līlā. At other times, when He remains invisible or unmanifest, it is called the aprakaṭa-līlā.
Prakṛti
According to Sāṅkhya philosophy, prakṛti is the uncaused cause of the whole world of effects, which are its modifications. It is the ultimate material cause into which the whole world is dissolved. It is infinite and all pervasive, inactive and immobile, subject to transformation but devoid of motion. It is one, unconditioned, indeterminate, devoid of parts, independent, and unmanifest. It is the state of equilibrium of sattva, rajas, and tamas, which are not attributes but constituents of prakṛti. In association with puruṣa, it becomes active but unconscious, whereas puruṣa is inactive but conscious. According to the Bhāgavata, the Supreme Puruṣa, Mahāviṣṇu, glances at the unconscious prakṛti, thus animating it and causing the guṇas to interact with each other. This sets in motion a chain of cause and effect from which the manifested cosmos unfolds. (Contrast with puruṣa)
Pramāṇa
Evidence; a means of valid knowing; any means by which valid knowledge of an object becomes known to a subject. Three such means of valid cognition are primary, namely, perception, inference, and revealed sound (śabda).
Prameya
The knowable, referring to the categories of ontological existence; that which is to be known by any means of valid cognition. This especially refers to the ultimate Truth, Bhagavān, His energies, the means of attaining Him, and the goal to be achieved in relation to Him.
Praṇava
The sacred syllable Oṁ, described as follows in the Uttara-khaṇḍa of the Padma Purāṇa: “Praṇava is the seat of Brahman, and it is said to be the embodiment of the three Vedas [Sāma, Ṛg, and Yajur]. It consists of three letters, A, U, and M. A represents Viṣṇu, U represents the Goddess Lakṣmī, and M represents the twenty-fifth element who is the servant of these two.” This syllable is often repeated as a form of spiritual practice that reveals one’s nature as a conscious part of the Supreme Whole, whose perfection lies in the spontaneous dedication of love.
Prapañca
Lit., “an expansion of the five mahābhūtas.” This refers to the material creation of phenomenal existence, or the cosmos.
Prapañcātīta
That which is beyond prapañca, or the material world.
Prasthāna-trayī
Tripartite authoritative scriptures: the Upaniṣads, the Vedānta-sūtra, and the Bhagavad Gītā; the threefold basis of Vedānta philosophy. For a Vedāntic school to be recognized as distinct and authoritative, it must establish its metaphysics on the basis of these three canonical sources.
Prātibhāsika
Illusory; a mere appearance, such as dreams or water misperceived in a mirage; a word used by Advaita-Vedāntists to describe the illusory grade of existence. (Contrast with pāramārthika and vyāvahārika)
Pratibimba-vāda
A school of Advaitavāda which holds that the jīva is a reflection of Brahman in avidyā (i.e., in rajas and tamas). Just as one sun is reflected in many pots of water, so the one Brahman is reflected in avidyā as the jīva. The same Brahman reflected in māyā (i.e., in sattva) is called Īśvara.
Pratijña
A formal declaration or universal proposition. This is the first of the five step-syllogism in Indian logic.
Pratyakṣa
Perception; knowledge arising out of the contact of a sense organ with its object. It is of two kinds, namely, savikalpaka (determinate) and nirvikalpaka (indeterminate).
Prayojana
The goal to be attained in relation to the Supreme; the goal of spiritual practice. In bhakti this refers to prema, or love of God (see below).
Prema
A stage of bhakti characterized by the appearance of love; the perfected stage of devotion. This is the ninth stage in the development of the creeper of bhakti; the mature state of love that completely melts the heart and gives rise to a deep sense of mamatā, or belonging, in relationship to Bhagavān.
Prīti
Supreme love for the Lord, also known as prema.
Pūjā
A formal method of worshiping a deity with various items.
Purāṇa
A division of the Smṛti literature. They are 18 in number and are traditionally accepted to have been composed by Vedavyāsa. They are considered to be the backbone of Indian culture. They are second only to the Vedas in authority. They are more popular than the Vedas because of their simple approach of describing the subject matter of the Vedas using historical narrative and stories.
Puruṣa
The Primeval Being as the Self and original source of the cosmos; the Supreme Being, or Immanent Self, of the cosmos; the animating principle in living beings. In other contexts this can refer to the individual self, or to spirit as opposed to matter (prakṛti). It can also refer simply to a male or mankind.
Puruṣāvatāra
The three manifestations of Viṣṇu who oversee the creation on the levels of metacosmic, macrocosmic, and microcosmic being, also called the three Paramātmās. The first puruṣāvatāra is called Mahāviṣṇu, or Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. He is the Paramātmā for the complete extrinsic potency, prakṛti (the metacosm). The second is called Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, who is the Paramātmā for each individual universe (the macrocosm). The third is called Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, who is the Paramātmā for each individual being, the jīva (the microcosm). The word paramātmā is commonly used to refer to the third puruṣāvatāra.
Puruṣāvatāras
The three manifestations of Viṣṇu for the purpose of creation, also called the three Paramātmās. The first puruṣāvatāra is called Mahāviṣṇu or Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. He is the Paramātmā for the complete extrinsic potency, prakṛti. The second is called Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, who is the Paramātmā for each individual universe. The third is called Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, who is the Paramātmā for each individual being, the jīva. The word paramātmā is commonly used for the third puruṣāvatāra.
Rajas
One of the three guṇas, or constituent aspects of material nature; the dynamic principle that propels the living beings to action and stimulates desires for material enjoyment.
Rasa
Juice, liquor, potion; taste, flavor, relish; pleasure, delight; essence; the spiritual transformation of the heart that takes place when the perfected state of love for Śrī Kṛṣṇa, known as rati or bhāva, is converted into profound aesthetic relish (rasa) by combination with various types of transcendentally awoken ecstasies. In Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (2.1.5), bhakti-rasa is defined: “When the sthāyī-bhāva, or foundational love, in one of the five primary relationships of equanimity, servitorship, friendship, parental affection, or conjugal love, is combined with vibhāva (excitants), anubhāva (extrinsic ecstasy), sāttvika-bhāva (intrinsic ecstasy), and vyabhicārī-bhāva (intensifying ecstasy), thus producing an extraordinary taste in the heart of the devotee, it is called bhakti-rasa.”
Rṣi
A sage; one who has realized the Vedic mantras.
Ṛṣi
A sage; one who has realized the Vedic mantras.
Rūḍhi
The conventional meaning of a word.
Śabda
A word; sound; the Vedas as sound revelation or linguistic truth; a form of pramāṇa, i.e., evidence or a means of valid knowing.
Sādhaka
A practitioner of a particular sādhana.
Sādhanā-bhakti
Devotion in the stage of practice; devotion that purifies the heart and leads the devotee toward love of God; the practices of devotion, which can be condensed into nine primary acts, such as hearing, chanting, remembering, and so on.
Sādhana-bhakti
Devotion in the stage of practice; devotion that purifies the heart and leads the devotee toward love of God; the practices of devotion, which can be condensed into nine primary acts, such as hearing, chanting, remembering, and so on.
Sādhana
Practices undertaken in various traditions as the means of attainment of their respective goals.
Sādhanā
Practices undertaken in various traditions as the means of attainment of their respective goals.
Sādhya-bhakti
The perfected stage of bhakti, when consciousness is permeated with bhāva, the intrinsic potency of God predominated by awareness and bliss. This is the stage in which bhakti has completely transformed the being, making the self one with its own inherent nature and culminating in divine love of God. The word sādhya implies that this stage develops through sādhanā, or the gradual cultivation of devotion.
Saguṇa
Related to the material influences of sattva, rajas, and tamas. Bhakti is inherently free from the guṇas, and yet the bhakti of the performer who is still influenced by the guṇas is called saguṇa.
Sakāma
Action performed with a desire for the fruit; duties prescribed in scripture and undertaken with a desire for enjoyment in this world and the next.
Śakti
Potency; the female principle of divine energy, especially when personified as the consort of the male expression of the Divine.
Samādhi
Trance; complete absorption of all mental faculties into the one object of meditation; manifestation of the object of meditation only, devoid of the cognition of the act of meditating; the eighth stage in Patañjali’s aṣṭāṅga-yoga system. On the path of bhakti, samādhi refers to the manifestation of Bhagavān along with His associates, abode, and līlā in the state of supra-cognitive absorption, as experienced by Vyāsa.
Samaṣṭi
Collectivity, totality, an aggregate; the collective existence of all living beings; the perspective of the collective in contrast with that of the individual. (Contrast with vyaṣṭi)
Sambandha
Knowledge of the interrelatedness between the Supreme Being, His potencies, and the living beings. This knowledge of relation is an essential support to the practice of devotion, because it provides a clear understanding of the nature of the world we live in, the true nature of the self, the nature of God, and the essential function of the self in relation to God. This essential function can be summed up as dāsya, wherein the part finds completion through identification with and service to the whole. Through bhakti in the stage of bhāva, or supra-mundane awareness, this generic identity blossoms into one of the relations of personal servant, friend, parent, or lover. In a different context, sambandha refers to one of the four indispensable elements that are described in the introduction of every Vedic literature: adhikārī (qualification of the reader), viṣaya (the subject matter of the book), sambandha (the relation of the book as signifier with the subject or truth that it signifies), and prayojana (the purpose to be achieved by reading and following the book).
Sāmmukhya
The state of having one’s face turned toward the Absolute; the state of absorption in God, as contrasted with vaimukhya. Jīva Gosvāmī says that jñāna and bhakti are the two direct methods to shift awareness toward the Absolute. Other methods, such as karma, Sāṅkhya, and vairāgya, may act as assistants to these two primary methods. In conclusion, however, bhakti is the sole method that engenders an embrace of the Whole in completion.
Sampradāya
A school of metaphysical thought and spiritual discipline that has its source in God and which transmits its teaching in a disciplic chain of guru–student.
Saṁsāra
Cyclic existence; the domain of karma and rebirth; the condition of worldly bondage created by egoism under the impact of ignorance.
Saṁskāras
The latent desires for action, whether beneficial or detrimental, that are generated along with corresponding acts and which remain lodged in the heart of the performer; the subconscious imprints recorded and stored in the mind from action, thought, and sensory perception. These imprints give rise to desire that perpetuates the cycle of action and reaction, binding one to saṁsāra.
Samvit
The power of consciousness; an aspect of Bhagavān’s intrinsic potency by which He is conscious of all things and enables others to know.
Sandhinī
The power of being or existence; an aspect of Bhagavān’s intrinsic potency by virtue of which He is self-existent and supports the existence of everything else.
Sāṅkhya
One of the six traditional systems of Indian philosophy; the path of knowledge involving an analysis of Spirit and matter. The founder of the Classical Sāṅkhya-yoga system is the sage Kapila, who is different from the avatāra of Bhagavān known as Kapila, the son of Kardama and Devahūti. Classical Sāṅkhya is atheistic in nature, being devoid of the concept of Īśvara. In this system, the cosmos unfolds as the interplay of puruṣa, the self, and prakṛti, primordial nature. When prakṛti, which is the state of equilibrium of the three guṇas, is brought into the proximity of the puruṣas, it sets in motion a chain of cause and effect that evolves the cosmos. In course of time, the cosmos is reabsorbed into its primordial state. All of this takes place to facilitate the puruṣas in the pursuit of both enjoyment and eventual liberation. In the Bhāgavata conception of Sāṅkhya, however, the original puruṣa is Mahāviṣṇu, who activates prakṛti through His glance.
Sannyāsa
The renounced order of life, the fourth stage of life in the varṇāśrama system.
Sannyāsī
A member of the renounced order; the fourth āśrama, or stage of life, in the varṇāśrama system, characterized by detachment from all worldly pursuits, indifference to social status, and full absorption in knowledge or devotion.
Sarga
The original setting in motion of the material energy by the Lord; one of ten principal topics of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. The topic of sarga (primary creation) deals with the generation of the universal or collective wisdom faculty (mahat-tattva), the ego (ahaṅkāra, the “I”-principle, or the principle of individuation), the mind (manas), the five subtle sense objects (mātrās), the five cognitive and five conative senses (indriyas), and the five gross elements (bhūtas), resulting from the displacement of the equilibrium of the three guṇas (i.e., primordial nature’s three interdependent constituting principles of psychic and physical force), brought about through the intent of the Supreme Controller (Parameśvara).
Sārūpya-mukti
One of the five types of liberation in which one attains a form similar to that of Bhagavān.
Śāstra
Scriptures; this includes the Vedas, Upaniṣads, Purāṇas, Smṛtis, and Āgamas; the authorized literature that is accepted as infallible.
Sat-kārya-vāda
The theory that an effect pre-exists in its cause as latent potential and is thus nondifferent from its cause. This, however, does not imply that the effect is exactly the same as its cause. All it means is that the effect exists sublatently as inherent potential within its cause.
Sat
Being or existence; that which is ultimately real.
Sattva
One of the three constituent aspects of prakṛti, or primordial nature, that influences living beings toward the cultivation of wisdom and purity; luminosity.
Sāyujya mukti
One of the five types of mukti. This refers to the liberated state of merging into Brahman or into the body of Kṛṣṇa.
Siddha-nirdeśa
Eternal self-establishment of Kṛṣṇa’s form in His own abode, serving as a basis for meditation.
Siddha
Realized, perfected; a liberated associate of Bhagavān who accompanies Him when He descends in the material world to assist in His pastimes; one who attains perfection of realization in this life and thus transcends the influence of the guṇas.
Siddhānta
The conclusive principle on a subject or of a school of thought.
Siddhi
Paranormal powers or psycho-spiritual attainments that are the by-products of accomplishment in yogic practice.
Skandha
Lit., “shoulder,” commonly used to denote a division of a book.
Smṛti-śāstra
Lit., “that which is remembered;” tradition as distinguished from Śruti, or revelation; the body of sacred literature that is composed in pursuance of the Śrutis (in contradistinction to Śruti, or that which is directly heard by or revealed to the ṛṣis). These include the six Vedāṅgas, the dharma-śāstras (such as Manu-saṁhitā), the Purāṇas, and the Itihāsas (Vedic historical narrations).
Śrī-vigraha
The divine spiritual body or form of Bhagavān.
Śruti
That which is heard; revelation, as distinguished from Smṛti, or tradition; infallible knowledge that was received by Brahmā or by the great sages in the beginning of creation and which descends in disciplic succession from them; the body of literature that was directly manifest from Bhagavān. This applies to the original four Vedas (also known as nigamas) and includes the Upaniṣads.
Sthūṇa-nikhanana-nyāya
Lit., “the principle of driving a post firmly into the ground.” This logical strategy is employed by an author who posits a possible objection to his or her own thesis and then refutes it to establish the thesis all the more forcefully.
Śuddha-sattva
The state of pure existence, beyond the three guṇas of prakṛti; the self-luminous state of being in which Bhagavān is revealed along with His associates and abode.
Svabhāva
An entity’s own (sva) disposition or nature (bhāva). This refers to the innate characteristic of a person or substance. For example, the svabhāva of fire is to burn, and the svabhāva of a lion is to prey on other animals for food.
Svadharma
That which is one’s own duty. In its conventional sense, this refers to the duties prescribed in scripture that relate to one’s own caste and stage of life. In its transcendent sense, it refers to the nature and function of the pure self, distinct from all material identification.
Svārasikī
A type of worship in which the devotee meditates on the līlās of his or her cherished form of Bhagavān (nijābhīṣṭa). This is contrasted with mantramayī-upāsanā meditation in which the worshipful deity is fixed in one place and does not move. Alternatively, this may refer to those līlās in which Kṛṣṇa moves from place to place. In this meditation, He is not depicted as being in a fixed stance. This is compared to the flow of the river Gaṅgā.
Svarga
This refers to the five heavenly worlds beginning with Svarloka up to Satyaloka. It is the destination of those endowed with control of the mind and senses and who have performed pious deeds.
Svarūpa-lakṣaṇa
An intrinsic characteristic; the essential characteristic of an object by which its identity is revealed. (Contrast with taṭastha-lakṣaṇa)
Svarūpa-śakti
The intrinsic potency of Bhagavān that constitutes His very nature. It has three aspects: sandhinī, the potency that accommodates the spiritual existence of God and His associates; saṁvit, the potency that is the basis of God’s own omniscience and that bestows transcendental awareness of Him; and hlādinī, the potency by which Bhagavān enjoys transcendental bliss and awards such bliss to His devotees.
Svarūpa
The intrinsic nature of the self or God.
Svayaṁ Bhagavān
The supreme and original form of Bhagavān.
Svayam-prakāśa
Self-luminous or self-revealing. This refers in particular to Bhagavān, who, although imperceivable by any external means, is independently self-disclosed by His own will and intrinsic power.
Tamas
Inertia; one of the three constituent aspects of primordial nature that promotes ignorance and indolence.
Tantra
The word tantra comes from the verbal root √tan, meaning “to spread.” Consequently, Tantra is a scripture that extends knowledge, being a storehouse of mysticism, theology, philosophy, and religious principles. It examines topics such as the origin of the cosmos, the purpose of human life, the socio-religious system of varṇāśrama, the significance of saṁskāras, the practice of yoga, and so on. Bhagavān Viṣṇu is the principal deity of the Vaiṣṇava Tantra. The latter deals with the procedures of worship and meditation, the rules of temple architecture, descriptions of the yoga-pīṭha, worship of tulasī, types of devotion, and various procedures and rules of devotion. Vaiṣṇava Tantras are popularly known as Pañcarātra Āgama, Pañcarātra, or simply Āgama.
Tapas
Ascetic and austere practices to purify the body and mind.
Taṭastha-lakṣaṇa
An extrinsic characteristic; an incidental defining characteristic of an object which, though not being a permanent or innate feature of the object it qualifies, helps to differentiate it from other objects. (Contrast with svarūpa-lakṣaṇa)
Taṭastha-śakti
The intermediary potency belonging to Paramātmā and consisting of the conscious living beings.
Tattva
Essence; truth; Brahman; reality; principle.
Tripāda-vibhūti
The three-fourths manifestation of the Supreme; the eternal spiritual realm consisting of threefold dimensionality of being, namely, immortality, fearlessness, and all-auspiciousness.
Turīya
The fourth state; the Absolute Consciousness; that which transcends the three states of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. This ultimately refers to Bhagavān, who is free from the three kinds of upādhis, namely, virāt (gross), hiṛaṇyagarbha (subtle), and kāraṇa (causal).
Upādhi
An artificial or material designation with which the eternal, transcendent self is identified; designations pertaining to the gross and subtle bodies.
Upalakṣaṇa
The implying of that which is not directly stated; a principle often used by commentators in interpreting scriptural texts. In another context this can refer to the incidental determining characteristic of an object in contrast with viśeṣaṇa, or the intrinsic quality of an object.
Upamāna
The object with which anything is compared, also known as the standard of comparison.
Upameya
The subject of comparison, meaning the entity that is compared with some other object.
Upāsanā-śāstra
The scriptural texts that prescribe the worship of Kṛṣṇa.
Upāsanā
Worship involving practices such as bathing the deities, dressing them, and offering them incense, food, and other articles.
Vaikuṇṭha
The eternal spiritual domain; the majestic realm of the spiritual world that is predominated by Lord Nārāyaṇa or His various expansions; that domain which is entirely free from the influence of the three guṇas.
Vaimukhya
The state of having one’s face turned away from the Absolute; the state of absorption in the ephemeral, rooted in causeless ignorance. This is the basis of saṁsāra and can be remedied simply by turning one’s face to encounter the Absolute directly, known as sāmmukhya (see sāmmukhya).
Vairāgya
Detachment or indifference to the world; a spiritual discipline involving the acceptance of voluntary austerities to achieve detachment from sense objects.
Vairāja
The gross cosmic being or the fourteen planetary systems, also called Virāṭ Puruṣa. Its subtle form is called Hiraṅyagarbha.
Vaiṣṇava
A person initiated into and devoted to the worship of Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa, or any of the avatāras of Viṣṇu.
Varṇa
The four castes (brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, and śudra) in which one carries out corresponding socio-religious duties in the system known as varṇāśrama.
Varṇāśrama
The Vedic social system, which organizes society into four occupational divisions (varṇas) and four stages of life (āśramas).
Vastu
A substance; that which exists eternally; the Supreme Existent or God.
Vedānta-sūtra
See Brahma-sūtra.
Vedānta
One of the six theistic schools of Indian philosophy that is rooted in the teachings of the Upaniṣads and the Brahma-sūtra of Vyāsa. Vedānta stresses the nonduality of the Absolute, His potencies, and His integrated parts (the individual living beings).
Vibhūti
A manifestation of Bhagavān’s power, beauty, or majesty. In its technical sense, the term vibhūti refers to an entity that has less power than a kalā (see kalā).
Videha-mukti
Disembodied or final liberation; liberation that occurs at the time of giving up the material body.
Vikṣepa
Lit., throwing, scattering, dispersion, or projection; a potency of māyā that projects the world appearance.
Virāṭ Puruṣa
See Vairāja.
Visarga
Secondary creation; the creative act of the primal cosmic being, Brahmā, involving the sending forth of moving and non-moving beings in accordance with their prior karmic inheritance. This is distinguished from sarga, or primary creation, referring to the original setting into motion of primordial nature as a whole by Paramātmā.
Viśuddha-sattva
Pure existence; unadulterated being; a feature of Bhagavān’s intrinsic potency, known as cit-śakti, the conscious potency (see śuddha-sattva).
Vivarta-vāda
The Advaitavāda doctrine which holds that the world is not real but an illusory appearance (vivarta) of Brahman.
Vṛtti-vyāpyatva
The first of two stages in the epistemology of perception as conceived in Advaitavāda. This refers to the enveloping of the object of perception by the internal organ, antaḥ-karaṇa. It is inferred that when the eyes come in contact with a sense object, the antaḥ-karaṇa, which is accepted as a luminous instrument, flows out through the eyes to reach the object. This luminous mental instrument envelops the object of vision, taking on its shape or form. This modification of the antaḥ-karaṇa, or citta, in the form of the object of perception is called a vrtti, or “a mental modification,” which removes the covering of the object.
Vyañjanā
The implied or suggested meaning of a literary statement; a figure of speech. To describe an object or entity through vyañjanā is called dhvani.
Vyasti
An individual entity.
Vyaṣṭi
Individuality; differentiation; an individual entity as distinguished from the whole; the individuated existence of the living being; the individual perspective. (Contrast with samaṣṭi)
Vyatireka
Distinction, separation; negative concomitance, or logical discontinuance, implying the non-possibility of an object’s existence when some other object upon which the former is dependent is absent. For example, if there is no fire, then there is no smoke. This form of reasoning is used in connection with anvaya, or positive concomitance.
Vyāvahārika
Empirical reality, one of the three grades of existence accepted by the Advaita-vedānta School. (Contrast with pāramārthika and prātibhāsika)
Vyūha
A self-expansion of Bhagavān, such as Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha. All of these are expansions of the original Complete Person, Svayaṁ Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and are almost equally powerful.
Yajña
Vedic sacrifice; a method of communion with God or with the cosmic powers.
Yantra
A symbolic representation of a mantra and also of the deity of the mantra, used for meditation. It is considered as a sacred enclosure, a dwelling or receptacle of one’s worshipful deity (iṣṭa-devatā).
Yaugika
The etymological meaning of a word.
Yoga-māyā
A function of Bhagavān’s intrinsic potency; a potency of Bhagavān that makes possible the otherwise impossible and which assists in the unfolding of His eternal divine play.
Yoga-pīṭha
The seat of Śrī Śrī Rādhā Kṛṣṇa’s eternal transcendental pastimes at the center of the divine lotus, surrounded by their intimate associates.
Yoga
A spiritual discipline aiming at union of the individual self with the universal Self. There are many different branches of yoga, such as karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, and bhakti-yoga. Unless specified, however, yoga generally refers to the classical aṣṭāṅga-yoga system of Patañjali.
Yuga
An age of the world. The Vedas describe four yugas that proceed in a cycle: Kṛta, or Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara, and Kali. The first of these yugas lasts for 1,728,000 years, the second for 1,296,000 years, the third for 864,000 years, and the fourth for 432,000 years. The descending numbers represent the physical and spiritual deterioration of humanity in each age. The four yugas form an aggregate of 4,320,000 years and constitute a mahā-yuga, or great yuga.
Yugāvatāra
A form of Bhagavān that appears in any one of the four yugas and establishes the corresponding dharma to be undertaken.