Lights on Yoga

Glossary

ādhāra (Adhar): Vessel, receptacle - the system of mind, life and body considered as a receptacle of the spiritual consciousness and force.

advaita (Adwaita): Monism, monistic.

advaita vedānta (Adwaita Vedanta): The monistic school of Vedanta.

ājnā cakra: Will centre - see cakra.

anāhata: See cakra.

ānanda (Ananda): Bliss, delight - the divine or spiritual bliss.

antarātman (Antaratman): Inner self, soul.

aparā prakrti (Apara Prakriti): The inferior nature, Nature in the lower manifestation of the Ignorance.

atman (Atman): Self.

ātmarati: The peace and joy inherent in the self.

avatāra (Avatar): The descent of the Divine in a human form.

avidyā (Avidya): The cosmic principle of Ignorance.

bhakta: Devotee.

bhakti: Devotion.

brahman: The spiritual Reality, universal and śupreme.

brahmānda (Brahmanda): Cosmos, universe.

caitya purusa (Chaitya Purusha): Psychic being.

cakra (Chakra): Centre, nodus, plexus; the seven psychological centres in the subtle body.

cakra ājnā: Centre between the eye-brows.

—anāhata: Centre in the heart.

—hrdpadma: Heart-lotus; same as anāhata.

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—manipura: Centre at the navel.

—mūlādhāra: Centre at the bottom end of the spine.

—nābhipadma: Same as manipura.

—sahasradala: See sahasradala.

—svādhisthāna: Centre abdominal.

—viśuddha: Centre in the throat.

dvaita (Dwaita): Dualism, dualistic.

dvaitādvaita (Dwaitadwaita): Dualistic monism.

guna (Guna): Quality, mode of Nature.

guru: Spiritual Master.

hrdpadma: See cakra.

japa: Repetition of set sounds or words or a name as prayeror invocation.

jīva (Jiva): The Jivatman; the living being. jiva (Krishna's) (Jiva, Krishna's): A creature of Krishna, i.e.,God's creature.

jīvtāman (Jivatman): The individual self.

jyoti: Light; the principle of spiritual light in the higher ordivine Nature.

karma: Action, work: the resultant force of action done inthe past, especially in past lives.

karma Yoga: The system of spiritual discipline which takeswork (dedicated to the Divine) as its basis.

kevala: Absolute, sheer.

krsna's jīva (Krishna's Jiva): See jiva (Krsna's).

kundalini śakti (Kundalini Shakti): The power that liescoiled or involved in the lowest centre at the bottom ofthe spine; it is awakened by Yoga and rises to join the

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Divine Power or Presence in the 'sahasradala' (seventh centre).

laya: Dissolution of the individual being, merging in theone Self-Existence.

līlā (Lila): Play (of the Divine).

manipura: See cakra.

mantra: Set words or sounds having a spiritual significance and power.

moksa (Moksha): Spiritual liberation from the sense ofpersonal being; release from cosmic existence.

mūlādhāra: See cakra.

nābhipadma: See cakra.

nirvana (Nirvana): Spiritual extinction of the separate individual self.

om: The primal sound representing the supreme spiritual reality.

Parameśvara (Parameshwara): The Supreme as Lord and Master of the universe.

parā prakrti: The higher or divine Nature.

parā prakrtir jivabhūtā: The higher Nature that has becomethe individual selves.

prakrti (Prakriti): Nature, the active and executive Energy, as distinguished from the witnessing and sustaining soul or conscious being.

pralaya: The dissolution of the cosmos; any dissolution of the created things.

purusa (Purusha): The soul or conscious being supporting the action of Nature.

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rajas: One of the three gunas, fundamental qualities or modes of Nature; the kinetic principle in Nature characterised by desire, action and passions.

rājasika (Rajasic): Full of the quality of rajas, the kinetic principle.

rāksī māyā (Rakshasi Maya): Illusions created by the Powers of Darkness.

śakti (Shakti): The Divine Power, the Conscious Force of the Divine.

śama (Shama): Quiet, rest - the principle of calm and peace in the higher or divine Nature.

śrāddha (Shraddha):The ceremony of offering oblation tothe dead.

saccidānanda (Sachchidananda): The Supreme Reality as self-existent Being, Consciousness and Bliss.

sahasradala: The thousand-petalled lotus, seventh centre at the crown of the head.

samarpana (Samarpana): Entire self-giving, surrender, dedication.

samskāras (Sanskaras): Fixed mental formations; impressions of past habits, experiences stored up in the subconscious parts.

sattva (Sattwa): One of the three gunas, fundamental qualities or modes of Nature; the principle of light and harmony in Nature.

sādhaka (Sadhak): One who practises the discipline of Yoga.

sādhanā (Sadhana): The discipline of Yoga as a means ofrealisation; practice of the Yoga.

sāmkhya (Sankhya): A system of philosophy and spiritual practice based upon a detailed analysis of nature and consciousness, Prakriti and Purusha.

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Sāttvika (Sattwic): Full of the quality of sattva, the principleof light and harmony.

siddhi: Realisation, fulfilment; also, an occult powergained by Yoga.

sūksma śarīra (Sukshma Sharira): The subtle body. svādhisthāna: See cakra.

tamos: One of the three gunas, fundamental qualities or modes of Nature; the principle of obscurity and inertia in Nature.

tantra: A path of spiritual discipline based upon the principle of Consciousness-Power (conceived as the Mother) as the supreme Reality.

tap as: Energy of Consciousness - the principle of spiritual power and force in the higher or divine Nature.

tapasyā (Tapasya): Spiritual effort by concentration of the energies in a spiritual discipline or process.

tāmasika (Tamasic): Full of the quality of tamas, the principle of obscurity and inertia in Nature.

trātaka (Tratak): Focussing the eyes upon a single point to make the consciousness one-pointed.

udāsina (Udasina): Seated above, detached.

vedānta (Vedanta): The system of philosophy and spiritual discipline in accordance with the "Book of Knowledge" that forms the latter portion of the Vedas (the Vedas are the ancient Indian Scriptures) - the earlier portion being known as the "Book of Works".

viśuddha: Literally, pure, see cakra

viśtādvaita (Vishishtadwaita): "Qualified monism."

vrndāvana (Vrindavan): The holy place where Krishna as the Divine Lover plays with his beloved ones.

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yoga: Union with the Divine; the discipline by which one enters through an awakening into an inner and higherconsciousness.

yoga-śakti (Yoga-Shakti): The power that comes with the awakening of the inner and higher consciousness,

yoga siddhi: Fulfilment or realisation of the aims of theYoga.

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