Hinduism and Sanskrit Dictionary

Word	Description
Abhaya	Fearlessness. Security.
Abhichara	Black magic.
Abhra Mica	The Ovum of Shakti.
Abhyasa	A regular practice. Discipline.
Adhara	A base or center of spiritual power.
Adhikara	Being spiritually competent for spiritual study. Adhyatmika.
Adi	Supreme. Primordial.
Adi-Nath	Sub-sect of the Nath line.
Aditi	Space.
Aditya	The Sun.
Advaita	Not two. State of oneness with all.
Agama	The tradition of the Tantriks and Kaula, as opposed to that of the orthodox or Aryans known as Veda. In Agamas, Shakti asks Shiva questions, and he replies. In  Nigamas, this is reversed.
Agamas	Tantrik scriptures dealing with rites, dharma, cosomology.
Agarthi	Cave complex under the Himalayas from a ruined Gobi Desert civilization. Their traditions include: following the right hand path, being easy to understand, having a religious orthodoxy, being filled with superstitions, having a priestcraft and using prayers of dubious value. See: Shambhala.
Agni-Hotra	Square fire pit of Vedic Brahmins.
Ajapa Mantra	"Hang-Sah." The mantra of the in and out sounds of the breath.
Akula	Not Kula. Shiva. The Alpha Ovule.
Amavasya	New Moon.
Amrita	That which is immortal. Nectar of the Gods.
Anama	"Without name". A synonym for Hamsa 21600.
Ananda	Bliss. Joy.
Angaraka	Mars.
Anima	The siddhi of becoming as small as an atom. There are 7 others, so the whole group is referred to as the 8 Siddhis.
Apadravya	Artificial phallus.
Apara	Lower, worldly knowledge.
Arambhashura	"A hero in the beginning." One who fails to finish heroically.
Ardhanareswara	Shiva and Shakti in one image.
Arghya	An ark or receptical of creative power. Arrows, flowering. The five senses.
Artha	Substance; what requires gathering for human sustenance, i.e. food, wealth, etc.
Ashirwad	Blessings.
Ashram(a)	Home of a person or group who lead a spiritual life. Usually for a Guru and Chelas.
Asuras	Antigods.
Atma Atman	The highest or true self as distinct from the consciousness or ego. Shiva embodied. There is no difference between Atman and Paramatman except that caused by Maya. The Atman is not necessarily embodied.
Atmadarshan	Vision of the Real.
Aushadhi	Name of the Goddess as Mother of Herbs and medicine.
Avatar(a)	Incarnation of a God or Goddess into a human or animal form. One who incarnates a particular truth or path on Earth. Thus, Matsyendranath is the Avatar of the Kaula Jnana Nirnaya Tantra.
Avidya	Ignorance. Spiritual blindness. Illusion.
Ayurvaidyas	Those who practice traditional Indian medical techniques.
Ayurveda	"Knowledge of longevity". Traditional Indian medicine and medical practices.
Azoth	Alchemical term: The Elixir. Nectar. Amrit.
Bala	Daring. Also the name of the girl Bala, an aspect of Tripurasundari.
Bali	Animal sacrifice.
Bhaga,	See yoni. Also means "Good Luck"(!)
Bhairava	The terrific aspect of Shiva. His vehicle is a black dog.
Bhairavas	"The Fearless Ones" who are members of a Tantrik sect which worship Kali.
Bhairavi	Shakti or partner of Bhairava.
Bhakta	A devotee.
Bhakti Yoga	Path of devotion to God.
Bhasma	Ash.
Bhasmagiris	Hills of Bhasma. Pure ash of burnt wood. Some Bhasmagiris are huge.
Bhaya	Fear.
Bhoga	Sexual enjoyment. Enjoyment of the senses.
Bhojana	Food. "That which is enjoyed". There are three types: Lunar, composed of sense impressions; Solar, composed of the breath; Fiery, composed of edibles and water.
Bhu Prastara	A ritual posture of the Suvasini: she is recumbent.
Bhuchari	A group of Shaktis connected with objects.
Bhukti Muktikaranika	The path of enjoyment and liberation
Bhuts	Elementals. The term comes from bhuta. These are the five elements, Space, Air, Fire, Water, Earth.
Bija	A "root" or "seed" sound or syllable of a mantra. Sperm.
Bindu	The point without a center from which proceeds Cosmic Sound (Nada). Drop. Dot. Semen.
Body Yantra	Simplified version of the Shri Yantra. A map of the Microcosmos.
Brahma	The creator of the Cosmos.
Brahma Trees	Trees whose wood or flowers or leaves have some particular spiritual merit.
Brahmarandhra	The hole of Brahma The spiritual center at the top of the head
Brahmin	One who knows Brahma or the Absolute.
Chaaya	Shadow. The Astral Body.
Chakra	Circle or wheel, often applied to the diagrams or yantras used in ritual worship, or to centers of spirituality within or without the body, as Macrocosm and Microcosm are one. Lotus. A center of energy. A place of worship.
Chandra	The Moon.
Chandra Bindu	"Juice of the Moon" Precedes Maithuna in the Suvasini
Chandrakalas	The 108 Navamshas. See Navamshas.
Chela	Pupil of a Guru.
Chhala	A sham.
Chhoma	Finger signs used for secret identification.
Chhota	Little.
Chit	Consciousness.
Chitrini	A tiny nadi within another nadi.
Dakini	See Shakti. The elemental embodiment of supernatural knowledge and ability.
Dakshina	Gift given to one's Guru.
Dakshina Marg	Right hand path. South path. Opposite of Vama Marg.
Danda	Magick wand. A rod.
Darshan	Vision. Direct experience of spiritual energies and forces.
Datta	Form of Dattatreya.
Dattatreya	The ultimate guru figure of India. Some sects have deified him.
Demon	An individual guardian spirit (Latin: Daemon. Greek: Daimon). In Xtian thought: an evil spirit. Follows the custom of converting non-Xtian dieties and concepts into devils and evil desires. A demon can only be bad when the mind conceives it as being so.
Deva(s)	God(s). Shining ones.
Devadas(is)	"Servants of the Gods". Temple prostitutes.
Devi	Goddess or Shakti. There are said to be 33,000,000 Devis, but all are aspects of one primordial Goddess. Devi Chakra. The circle of all the Shaktis or Energy Clusters of the Goddess.
Dharana	Concentration of mental energy on one point.
Dharma	Duty. What requires to be done. Law. Justice. Also a technical name for Shakti.
Dhatu-Vada	"Essence Way". Alchemy.
Dhuni	Sacred "fire". It only smolders. Made of wood or cow dung. Of non-Vedic origin. Usually circular (yoni image) about 10-12 inches in diameter. It is tended by Sadhus at their homes.
Dhuti	Messenger.
Dhyana	Meditation. Consciousness without thought. Image to be used in meditation.
Digambara	Clothed with the directions of space; Naked. Refers to Dattatreya. Compare to Wiccan "skyclad" and Nuit of Liber Al.
Digits	Periods relating to the Moon cycle. Kali's digits: waning Moon. Lalita's digits: waxing Moon. Jvalamukhi's unified digits: full Moon.
Diksha	"Enhallowment". Initiation.
Dikshaka	One who initiates.
Dikshita	One who is initiated
DragonSeat	The center of a Zonule (qv).
DvaparaYuga	Second great period of time.
Dvesha	Hatred. Aversion.
Dvija	"Twice born". Initiated.
Ekagrata	One pointedness. Concentrating on one thing at a time.
Emkara	The sylable "Aim"--seed mantra of Tara and Sarasvati.
Expansion	The Nath sits on the Dragon Seat inside a magical circle. From the circle s/he creates or rearranges energy to form a cone. Mind projections sent outside this cone are classified as expansion. See: Absorption.
Gandharva	Celestial musicians in the Heaven of Indra (Indraloka).
Garbha	The womb.
Gauri	The Golden One. A name of the Goddess.
Goad	Represents repulsion. Represents the Sun.
Gochari	A group of Shaktis connected with the 5 senses of the knower.
Gola	A type of menstrual blood.
Granthi	Knot or complex. Knot of delusion.
Guna	Quality or trait. There are 3: Rajas--active; Tamas--passive; and Sattvas--the balance of Rajas and Tamas.
Guru	"The Dispeller of Ignorance". A guide. A realized preceptor who can guide the sincere. The living representative of a philosophical or religious system. There is no difference between realized Guide, Goddess and God.
Guruparampara	A serial line of teachers.
Hamsa	"Swan". A mantra which is the natural sound of the breath. It is uttered 21600 times a day.
Hatakeshvara	An aspect of Shiva.
Hatha Yoga	"Sun-Moon Yoga". Exercises for better physical health. Also means "Forced Yoga". Can detract from spiritual pursuits by addicting one to the body. Evolved by Gorakhnath.
Hrim	A mantra of Maya Shakti. Pronounced "Hreem".
Iccha	The Will.
Iccha Shakti	The Shakti or Energy of Will.
Ida	The (feminine, lunar) nadi going about the central Sushumna nadi.
Jada	Inert. Physical body without consciousness.
Jagat	"That which is always going". The phenomenal world.
Jagrat	Waking state of consciousness.
Japa(m)	Repetition; as of a mantra.
Jiva	The incarnated Atma.
Jivamukta	Liberated while still in the body.
Jivatma	Individual consciousness.
Jnana	Knowledge.
Jnana Shakti	The Shakti or Energy of Knowledge.
Kailasa Prastara	Denotes the female superior sexual position.
Kaivalya	Supreme liberation of consciousness from a sense of individuation granted by Kali.
Kala	Time. Star. Perfume. Ray. Essence. Unguent. Part or division of one whole process or thing.
Kalagnirudra	The Fire at the End of Time which burns up the whole Cosmic play.
Kali	Goddess of Time or Period. Presiding Goddess of the Naths.
Kalpa	An age. See Yuga.
Kama	God of erotic love. Lust. Sexuality. What is required for procreation.
Kamakala	Essence of desire. Triangle of bindus (red, white and mixed) representing the  Yoni of the Goddess. In Shri Vidya (Knowledge of the Shri Yantra) it means that for creation sperm and egg must come together. The inner heart of the Bindu. See the booklet, "Lalita Magick".
Kamakhya Pitha	Seat of the Goddess at Kamarupa. A place especially sacred as it is the place of the Devi's Yoni on Earth.
Kamarupi	The Goddess at Kamakhya.
Kamrup	An image or form of desire. A power zone.
Kanchuka	Clothes.
Kanchuki Devi	The Goddess as wearing different clothes (Kanchuka) which represents layers of other Shaktis.
Kanya	Girl. Virgin. Virgo.
Kapala	Human skull.
Karana	Primal cause.
Karma	"Action". "Results of doing". Inevitable law of cause and effect. May last over lifetimes.
Kartikkeya	A son of Shiva. Also known as Skanda or Subrahmana. His vehicle is a cockerel.
Kaula	A knower of Kali-kala. The perfect assimilation within oneself of both Sun and Moon. Symbol: an eclipse.
Kaulesha	Lord of Kaula.
Kaulika	One following the path of Kaula. Relating to the Kulas or clusters.
Kavacha	A protective amulet. Armor.
Khageshvari	Goddess of Space or Aether.
Khechara	One who can move in the Expanse of Consciousness = Shiva.
Khechari	A group of Shaktis connected with the Knower.
Kinnaras	Spirits who are half human and half beast in the service of Kubera.
Kirtana	Song and dance of worshippers of Vishnu or his incarnations.
Kleshas	"Pain". There are five dealt with in Nath literature: Ignorance, Ego (an imaginary opinion of ourselves), Repulsion (to overcome it. This means learning that nothing is horrible in itself), Attachment (the false idea that we possess anything), and Clinging to Life.
Krishna	"The Black One", "The Stealer of Souls" The eighth incarnation of Vishnu. Represents the spontaneous power of unconventional sex.
Krita Yuga	First great period of time.
Kriya	"Action". Sometimes electric-like shocks that can cause the physical body to twitch.
Kriya Shakti	The Energy or Shakti of Action.
Kshetraja	The Shaktis born from sacred sites.
Kshetrapala	A son of Shiva. He rules over the land around the homestead and has a terrifying form.
Kula	Clan A Shakti or Energy Family or cluster of Kali's Shaktis: some build, some maintain, and some whithdraw
Kulachara	The Path of the Kulas.
Kulayana	Another name for Kula or Kaulashastra.
Kumani Puja	Worship of virgins.
Kumari	Virgin.
Kunda	Type of menstrual blood.
Kundalina	The Devi who is concealed in the internal dhooni or smouldering firepit.
Kundalini	The "fire snake" supposedly at the base of the spine.
Kundalini Yoga	A modern term based on a misunderstanding of Laya Yoga. If valid, it is dangerous to do as described. There are simpler and safer methods.
Kusha	Sacred grass. Used in certain ceremonies.
Lakh	100,000.
Lakini	One of the 7 Shaktis associated with the metabolism of food in the human body.
Laksha	Points in the body which are to be meditated upon.
Lalita	Sexual aspect of Shakti. Collective form of the three Shaktis of Shiva (See Shiva): Will, Knowledge, Action.
Laya Yoga	An attempt to raise the levels of consciousness until "liberation" is reached. No known person has succeeded by this method. Nathas say it is only symbolic.
Lila	Play. Sport. Game.
Lingam	Male genital organ. The special symbol of Shiva.
Lokapalas	World protectors. There are four, represented by the equinoxes and solstices. They are also represented by the sphynx or the riddle of Egypt.
Lokas	Worlds or planes of existence. Inhabited by intelligent beings.
Madya	Wine.
Magick	The six types of Tantrik Magick are for the purposes of protection, peacemaking, victory, wealth, punishing and destroying.
Maha	Great.
Mahadeva	"Great God", that is, Shiva.
Mahadevi	The Great Goddess.
Mahasamadhi	Refers to a tomb.
Mahatma	Great soul.
Maha-yuga	"Great Age". It is composed of 4 Yugas for a total of 4,320,000 years.
Maithuna	Ritual sexual intercourse.
Makara	"Truths". "Substances". Pancha Makaras or Pancha Tatvas means the 5 truths or principles. It refers to a sexual Tantrik ritual.
Mala	Rosary.
Mamsa	Meat.
Mandala	A magick circle.
Mantra(m)	Words with inherent power. God or Goddess in sound form.
Mantraja	The Shaktis created from the spiritual process of uttering mantras.
Mantrin	A male magician who practices mantra magic. Mantrini is the female form.
Mantrini)	A female magician who practices mantra magic. Mantrin is the male form.
Marg	Path or way.
Marma	Power zone on the human body. There are said to be 108 of them. On the Shri Yantra, as related to the human body, a marma is said to exist where 3 lines intersect.
Matrika	The letters of the alphabet. The Goddess in her form as all sound and speech.
Maya	"Illusion". Goddess who causes us to see energy patterns as the physical world. "...the mystic, magick power of Shakti which manifests, makes and creates the relative and forms the basic delusion of all mankind...between Truth and mankind hangs the eternal veil of maya delusion."
Meena	Fish.
Mercury	Semen.
Moksha	Ultimate spiritual liberation from material bondage. One of the 4 duties of a human. The others are Dharma, Artha and Kama.
Mounam	Silence. To take mounam means to take a vow of silence.
Mridanga	A type of drum.
Mrityunjaya	Shiva as conqueror of death.
Mudra	Symbolic and/or magickal gestures. Poached grain. A talisman. Large wooden earrings of Gorakhnath followers.
Mukti	Liberation from individualized consciousness.
Muni	Sage.
Nada(m)	Vibrational energy which pervades all things. It manifests as sound. "The absolute as sound.
Nadi	"River". Current or channel of psychic energy. Conduits of Prana. Nerve passages in the body. There are said to be 72,000 nadis. The pulse. 150th part of the Ascendant in a Sidereal Birth Chart.
Nagas	Serpent spirits.
Nakshatra	One of the 27 sidereal lunar constellations.
Nath(a)	Lord, Master. Mistress. Protector. Refuge. One who gives equal importance to the three energies within: Lunar (intellect), Solar (emotions), and Fire (bodily sensations). An ancient Indian Magickal Cult.
Navamshas	200' of arc in Sidereal Astrology. Each constellation has 1800' of arc. Therefore, there are 9 (nava) navamshas in a sidereal constellation. Since there are 12 constellations in the Sidereal zodiac there are 9 times 12 or 108 navamshas.
Nayika Siddhi	Magick power to evoke a beautiful woman.
Nectar	See Amrita.
Nitya	Day or "digit" of the Moon. Eternal. Unchanging.
Nivritti	Cessation of mental tendencies. A life of having no physical things as followed by Sannyasins. Involution. Opposite of Pravritti.
Niyama	Restraint of mind.
Noose	Represents attachment, the Moon.
Nyasa	"Applying" drawn energy for a purpose such as transfering power to a candidate during initiation.
Ojas	Magickal energy. Semen.
Omkara	The famous mantric sylable OM or AUM.
Paan	A sweetmeat made of betel nut and other fragrant substances wrapped in a betel leaf.
Pada	Feet.
Padma	"Lotus". Symbol of yoni.
Padukas	Wooden sandals. Worn by Dattatreya.
Pagal	"Mad". Pagalnath: Nath sect so-called due to outrageous behavior.
Pancha	Five.
Para	Transcendental spiritual wisdom. Beyond. Distant. Far.
Para Shakti	Supreme Shakti in whom all the other Shaktis or Clusters reside.
Parada	"Mercury". Semen of Shiva.
Parampara	Line of succession.
Paro	Mysterious or secret pattern to an action done by one's own will.
Pashu	Animal herd. Animal nature. Literally "a beast" but in the special sense meaning a human being who is ignorant and uninitiated.
Patra	Magick chalice.
Phat	"Crack". The Thunderbolt Mantra. Used to drive off disturbing spirits. Fingers should be snapped around head while saying it.
Pinda	The Microcosm. Pindas are small balls of food offered during the Shraddha or ancestor ceremony.
Pingala	Male, Solar nadi opposite Ida nadi going about the central Sushumna nadi.
Pitha	Pedestal, but applied to mean a site where a particular aspect of the Goddess presides. Pitha also refers to centres within the body.
Pithaja	The Shaktis born form the spiritual centers or pedestals (Pitha) of Goddesses.
Pradakshina	Walking clockwise in a temple as a form of worship.
Prajna	True wisdom. A higher mode of knowing.
Prakriti	Materialized nature. It is the basis of the three Gunas.
Prana	The body's energy. Spirit. Breath. Similar to the Kabalistic "Ruach".
Prana-pratishtha	Life-implacing. Techniques to manifest "life" within an object.
Prasada	Peace. Tranquility. An offering of food. Pravritti. Worldly life. Evolution. A flowing forth, unfolding what is within. Opposite of Nivritti.
Prayoga	Application (uses).
Preya	That which is pleasing to the senses.
Puja	Magick. Worship.
Pujari	Priest.
Purana	"Ancient". A class of Sanskrit scriptures concerning Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva written for the masses. There are 18 Puranas.
Purnima	Full Moon. Guru Purnima: The day reserved for homage to Guru. A festival, related to the element of Spirit. Occurs in late July or early August.
Purusha	Pure, unmanifested consciousness.
Rajas	Guna of activity. Menstrual blood.
Rasa	The elixir in Alchemy. "Liquid". "Mercury". Sense of taste. Dance of Krishna and the Gopis.
Rasi-Chakra	Zodiac. Rasi means 1/12 division of the zodiac.
Raurava	A terrible underworld.
Ridgepole	Fluid yet equipose line existing between the two states of active and passive.
Rishi	A Seer. Sage. Maharishi means great sage.
Ritu	Rite or ceremony. Time between a woman's menstrual flow. The menses.
Roga	Disease.
Rupa	Outward appearance. Beauty. Image.
Sadhaka	A follower of a Sadhana. A magician.
Sadhana	"Direct way". A ritual. A spiritual discipline.
Sadhu	Holy man. Ascetic. Yogi.
Sahaja	Spontaneity. Shaktis spontaneously created. Joy. Naturalness. Amorality. Giving all worldly things divine status.
Sahaja Chakra	Circle or Sphere of Spontaneity. Sahaja is one of the three gems of the Nathas. Samarasa and Sama are the other two.
Sahajiya	Doctrine of nature. Doctrine of spontaneity. Sa Ham/So Ham. "I am she" or "I am he". Sound of the breath. See: Hamsa.
Sahodara	Brother or sister.
Sama	Equipoise consciousness. A state in which all is viewed equally. Balance. The same. Equal.
Sama Veda	Veda of chants. One of the four Vedas.
Samadhi	Complete contemplation where the mind and soul attain close relationship and understanding. Can lead to Samarasa.
Samadrishti	"Equal vision". Seeing all things as equal. Samarasa. Where the yogi(ni) sees himself (herself) as the world and the world as being in himself (herself). Perfect assimilation within oneself. Equipoise in feelings. Mind at rest.
Samhita	Mystic union.
Sampradaya	Lineage. Tradition. Sect.
Samsara	The wheel or ocean of life and death. Wheel of time. Combinations of Shiva's 3 Shaktis which create diversity in the cosmos. 'All together flowing
Samskara	A mental impression produced by past experiences, mental or behavioral patterns.
Samvit	Consciousness.
Sandhi	Joints in the human frame. Body power zones found where two lines meet on the Shri Chakra (compare with marmas). They are 24 in number. Dawn and Dusk (the twilights).
Sandhya	See Sandhi.
Sandhya Bhasha	Twilight language. Similar to the style of some Kabalistic works, it refers to writings which seem to mean one thing, while actually signifying something else. This can use very figurative writing (such as in the Zohar) or very brief basics which need to be expanded upon (such as in the Sepher Yetzirah).
Sandoha	Assemby Point for Naths and Kaulas.
Sangsara	See: Samsara
Sannyasin	One who rejects society to devote himself or herself to intellectual and spiritual culture.
Sattvas	Guna of reconciliation between action and passivity. Peace. Law.
Satya	Truth. Reality.
Shabda	Vibrational energy manifesting as sound. Includes physical or "struck" sound and internal, silent unstruck" sound.
Shajasamadhi	Highest form of Samadhi.
Shakinis	Witch-spirits.
Shakti	An Energy or Power of supreme Shiva. Feminine counterpart to each of the Gods of the Hindu pantheon, especially of Shiva. The power, drive and force within a person.
Shambhala	Cave complex under the Himalayas from a ruined Gobi Desert area society. Their traditions include: Working the left-hand path; Doing Tantrik Magick; The study of science and yoga. It is said that the next avatara will come from Shambhala. Compare with Agarthi.
Shambu	"Horn of Plenty". A title of Shiva.
Shanti	Peace. Tranquility. Often repeated 3 times after a prayer.