Glossary

We have spelt most of the Indian words the way they are pronounced. Adjacent to them the same words are printed in the brackets the way they are normally spelt by some authors. A few words are spelt the way they are popularly spelt. Next to them In the brackets is written their spelling as per pronunciation. This is indicated by the word Pron.
* Lit. Literal Meaning * Pron., Pronunciation.

A
Aakaash (Akash): The subtlest of all the cosmic principles. It has the attribute of all-pervasiveness. It gives rise to the other four cosmic principles, which are pruthvee (pruthvi), aapa, teja and vaayu. From these four cosmic principles the whole universe is created.
Aakaashvaanee (Akashvani): The voice of God which may be heard by a spiritually evolved person, as if it is coming from the sky.
Aananda (Anand): Bliss
Aaratee (Arati): The worship of a deity accompanied by burning of incense and camphor, singing of holy songs, etc.
Aashram (Ashram): An institution where spiritual discipline is practised, Abode of a saint or a holy man.
Aatman (Atma): A soul.
Akarma-Karma: Karma means an action and akarma means a non-action. Thus akarma-karma means an action which is a non- action i.e., even though a person performs an action, he is not its doer and hence, it is a non-action for him.
Akshataa (Akshata): Unbroken rice tinted with kumkum used in Hindurituals.

B
Baba (Baabaa ): A term of affection for a saint or a holy man meaning a father.
Bhaav (Bhav): See Spiritual emotion.
Bhajan: A holy song.
Bhajanaamrut (Bhajanamrut): Bhajan means a holy song. Amrut means a mythical liquid, by drinking which, one becomes immortal.Thus Bhajanaamrut means holy songs which can give immortalityi.e., which can take one out of the cycle of birth and death.
Bhakti: The state of intense devotional love for God, single minded devotion to one's chosen ideal.
Bhandaaraa {Bhandara}: The festival of serving food organised as a spiritual ritual.
Braahman (Brahmin): A member of priestly caste, the highest caste in the Indian society.
Brahmanaad (Brahmanad) : A blissful sound. Brahmasthitee (Brahmasthiti) : The state of union with God.

C
Chaitanya : Spiritual consciousness.
Chandra: The moon.
Charan : Feet, A line in a poem.
Chintaamanee (Chintamani) : A mythical gem which has the power to grant its possessor whatever he may wish for.

D
Daan : An offering.
Dandee : A staff carried by a sanyasee of a particular sect.
Deha: A body.
Dharma: Righteousness, generally translated as a religion. It signifies the inner principles of a religion, one of the four principles of human
pursuits. The other three are money, desire and liberation.
Dhyaan (Dhyan) : Meditation, Dnyaanendriya: Sensory organ.

E
Evam : And.

G
Gangaa, The : The holy river Ganges.
Geetaa (Geeta) : The same as Bhagavad Geetaa, the well-known Hindu scripture.
Guru : A spiritual guide.
Gurudakshinaa (Gurudakshina) : An offering made to the Guru as a mark of gratitude by a disciple.
Gurudev : A respectful way of referring to a Guru.
Gurumantra: The mantra given by a Guru to His disciple for chanting.
Gurupournimaa (Gurupournima): The day of offering respects to one's spiritual guide (Guru). It is on Aashaadh (a month in the Hindu calendar) Pournimaa {full moon night).

H
Hari-Om-Tatsat: Hari refers to the manifest form of God (saguna) and Om refers to the unmanifest form of God (nirguna). Tat means that and Sat means the truth. Thus it means that the manifest and the unmanifest forms are one and the same and that is the truth.
Homa: A holy ritualistic fire

J
Japa : Chanting a divine name or a mantra.
Jeeva (Jiva): An embodied soul, A living organism, An average person.

K
Karma: Physical, mental or verbal action, the result of which is credited to sanchit karma (also see Kriyaa), duty, ritualistic worship.
Kriyaa (Kriya): An act for which one is not responsible and hence, there is no result which can be credited to sanchit karma
(Kuldevta): The deity of a family.
Kumkum: Turmeric powder processed into a red powder used in the rituals by Hindus and also used by married Hindu women for applying on their forehead

M
Maayaa (Maya) : The Great illusion, the force that shows the unreal as real and presents what is temporary and short lived as eternal and everlasting, ignorance obscuring the vision of God.
Mahaanirvaan (Mahanirvan): Leaving the physical body by a saint.
Maharaj (pron. Mahharaaj): Lit., The great king. Saints are often called as Maharaj as they have conquered the Great Illusion.
Mantra: A holy Sanskrut text by chanting which one can protect oneself, the sacred formula used in japa.
Moksha: the final liberation of an embodied soul, final emancipation.

N
Naad: The divind sound or music which is heard at a high spiritual level, mostly during meditation.
Narmada (Pron. Narmadaa): A holy river.

O
Om (Aum): The most sacred word of the vedas, the Hindu scripture. It is symbol of God in Un manifest form.

P
Paduka (Paadukaa): The wooden slippers of a spiritually evolved person.
Pooja (Puja): A worship of an idol of God.
Praan (prana): The vital energy that controls breath.
Prakat: Appear.

R
Rudraabhishek (Rudrabhishek): A ritualistic worship where Lord Shiva is continuously bathed with water while a specific mantra is chanted.

S
Saadhanaa (Sadhana): A spiritual Practice.
Sai: A Saint.
Saish: A Saint.
Saguna: A Manifest form.
Satsang: The company of holy things such as books or of a person who is at a spiritually high level.
Sanskruti: A culture.
Sanyaasee (Sanyasi): One who has taken the formal vow of renunciation.
Seva: Service.
Shree (shri): Full form of shreeyut. It is used as a prefix to the name of a Hindu man Corresponding to Mr., a term of respect.
Shreemat (shrimat): This word is used in context with a holy man who has power of god.
Siddhee: A type of supernatural Power.

Y
Yogi: One who practices yoga, one who has attained the goal by yogic practices.