Glossary of Terms

A

Abhāva:

Absence, destruction.

Abhi:

Toward.

Abhibhava:

Overpowering, suppressive.  See Kālavāda.

Abhiniveśa:

Inertia, as opposed to seeking liberation (mumukṣutva).  See Kleśa.

Abhinna:

Uncut, unbroken, uninterrupted.

Ābhyantara:

Internal, as opposed to external (bāhya).  See Prāṇāyāma.

Abhyāsa:

Repetition, repeated performance, continued application.  See Sādhana.

Acintya:

Incomprehensible, unthinkable.

Ādāna:

Taking, seizing.

Adhārma:

Unlawful, as opposed to lawful (dhārma).  See Kliṣṭa Vṛtti.

Adhigama:

Attainment, acquisition.

Adhyavasāya:

Ascertainment, determination, apprehension.

Ādiguru:

First teacher, as opposed to first instruction (ādiśāsana).  See Īśvara.

Ādiśāsana:

First instruction, as opposed to first teacher (ādiguru).  See Om.

Adṛṣṭa:

Unseen, invisible, future.

Advaita:

1) Non-dual, non-duality, as opposed to duality (dvaita). 

2) The non-dual state, corresponding to spirit (puruṣa).  The first of the ten states.  See Avasthā.

Advaita Sāṃkhya:

Non-dual Sāṃkhya, as opposed to Dual Sāṃkhya (Dvaita Sāṃkhya).  Sāṃkhya as defined by the Advaita Sāṃkhya Sūtras.  See Sāṃkhya.

Advaita Sāṃkhya Bhāṣya:

The commentary of the Advaita Sāṃkhya Sūtras by Sam K. Vyās.  See below.

Advaita Sāṃkhya Sūtras:

The non-dual text of Sāṃkhya compiled by Sam K. Vyās.  See Advaita Sāṃkhya.

Advaita Vedānta:

Non-dual Vedānta, as opposed to Dual Vedānta (Dvaita Vedānta).  The system of Vedānta expounded by Ādi Śaṅkarācārya.  See Vedānta.

Advaita Yoga:

Non-dual Yoga, as opposed to Dual Yoga (Dvaita Yoga).  Yoga as defined by the Advaita Yoga Sūtras.  See Yoga.

Advaita Yoga Bhāṣya:

The commentary of the Advaita Yoga Sūtras by Sam K. Vyās.  See below.

Advaita Yoga Sūtras:

The non-dual text of Yoga compiled by Sam K. Vyās.  See Advaita Yoga.

Agni:

Fire.  The seventh principle (tattva) of physics (tamas) and the fourth gross element (mahābhūta).  Resonates with the sense (indriya) of seeing/moving (cakṣus/pāda) and the subtle element (tanmātra) of appearance (rūpa).  See Mahābhūta.

Agraha:

Non-grasping.

Aham:

1) Ego, self-consciousness. 

2) See Ahaṃśarīra.

“Aham brahmāsmi”:

“I am the source.”  See Mahāvākya.

Ahaṃkāra:

See Aham.

Ahaṃśarīra:

The ego body.  The second principle (tattva) of the soul (jīva) and the fourth of the seven bodies (śarīra saptaka).  Part of a triad (traya) that includes the intellectual sheath (vijñānamayakośa) and intellectual yoga (buddhiyoga).  See Śarīra.

Ahiṃsā:

Non-harming, as opposed to harming (hiṃsā).  The path of least harm (patha of avara hiṃsā).  The first of the five restraints (yamas).  See Yama.

Aiśvara:

Belonging to the oversoul (īśvara).  See Īśvara.

Ākāśa:

Ether.  The sixth principle (tattva) of physics (tamas) and the third gross element (mahābhūta).  Resonates with the sense (indriya) of hearing/speaking (śrotra/vāc) and the subtle element (tanmātra) of śabda (sound).  See Mahābhūta.

Akliṣṭa:

Unafflicted, as opposed to afflicted (kliṣṭa).  See below.

Akliṣṭa Vṛtti:

An unafflicted modification, as opposed to an afflicted modification (kliṣṭa vṛtti).  See Kālavāda.

Alakṣaṇa:

Absence of distinguishing marks, indistinguishable.

Alaukika:

Nonlocal, as opposed to local (laukika).

Alaukika Dvaṃdva:

Nonlocal pair of opposites, as opposed to local pair of opposites (laukika dvaṃdva).  See Dvaṃdva.

Alaukika Patha:

Nonlocal dimension, as opposed to local dimension (laukika patha).  See Triguṇa Brahman.

Amanībhāva:

“No mind.”  The non-grasping mind (agraha manas).

Aṃśa:

Part, portion, fragment.

Anabhighāta:

Untroubled.

Anāgata:

Yet to come.

Anāman:

Nameless, unnamed, as opposed to named (nāman).

Ānanda:

1) Bliss, as opposed to emotion (rajas).  The fifth of the ten strings (daśaguṇa).  Part of the spiritual triad (pauruṣa traya).  See Guṇa.

2) See below.

Ānandamayakośa:

The bliss sheath.  The first principle (tattva) of bliss (ānanda) and the second of the seven sheaths (saptakośa).  Part of a triad (traya) that includes the inner body (antaḥśarīra) and meditation yoga (dhyānayoga).  See Kośa.

Ananta:

Infinite, nonfinite, endless.

Anātman:

The non-self, as opposed to the self (ātman).

Anavaccheda:

Undivided, unlimited.

Anavacchinna:

See above.

Anitya:

Impermanence, impermanent.

Aniyama:

Without observance, unobservant.

Annamayakośa:

The food sheath.  Synonymous with the gross body (sthūlaśarīra).  See Kośa.

Antaḥsādhana:

Inner practice, as opposed to outer practice (bahiḥsādhana).  See Saṃyamayoga.

Antaḥśānti:

Inner peace.  See Saṃtoṣa.

Antaḥśarīra:

The inner body.  The inner organ (antaḥkaraṇa), which is the bridge to the causal body (kāraṇaśarīra).  The second principle (tattva) of bliss (ānanda) and the second of the seven bodies (śarīra saptaka).  Part of a triad (traya) that includes the bliss sheath (ānandamayakośa) and meditation yoga (dhyānayoga).  See Śarīra.

Antar:

1) In, within, inner, as opposed to outer (bahir).

2) See above.

Antaraṅga:

Inner limb, as opposed to outer limb (bahiraṅga).  See Aṣṭāṅga.

Antaraya:

Obstacle, impediment, hindrance.

Anu:

After.

Anubandha:

Qualification, prerequisite.

Anubhava:

Experience.

Anukāra:

Respective, corresponding.

Anumāna:

Inference, deduction.  See Pramāṇa.

Anunāda:

Resonance.  The vibrational harmony that exists between similar strings and principles (guṇas and tattvas).  See Guṇavāda.

Anuvṛtti:

Following, obeying, emulating.

Anyonya:

Mutually.

Apāna:

Downward breath, or energy, as opposed to upward (prāṇa).

Āpanna:

Entered.

Aparāmṛṣṭa:

Unaffected, untouched.

Aparānta:

Final end.

Aparigraha:

Non-possessiveness, which is renunciation (tyāga) of unnecessary objects (niṣkāraṇa arthas).  The fifth of the five restraints (yamas).  See Yama.

Apophatic Way:

See Neti Neti.

Apradhāna:

Secondary, subordinate, minor, as opposed to major (pradhāna).

Apradhāna Saptaka:

The minor heptad, as opposed to the major triad (pradhāna traya).  See Saptaguṇa Brahman.

Aprādhānika:

Secondary, as opposed to primary (prādhānika).

Ara:

One of the twelve spokes (dvādaśāra) of the wheel of time (kālacakra).  See Kālavāda.

Artha:

1) Object, thing.

2) Meaning.

As:

The Sanskrit verb “to be.”  Three of its conjugations represent different ontological levels of being.  They are “nonexistence” (asat), “potential existence” (syāt), and “existence” (sat).  See Satya.

“As above, so below”:

The Hermetic axiom which summarizes the recursion (pratyāvartana) of the strings (guṇas) as the principles (tattvas).  See Guṇavāda.

Asamprayoga:

Dissociation, disunion.

Asamyagdṛṣṭi:

The wrong view, as opposed to the right view (samyagdṛṣṭi).  See Viṣamadṛṣṭi.

Āsana:

1) Pose.

2) The practice of sitting.  The still, comfortable position of meditation.  The third of the eight limbs (aṣṭāṅga).  See Aṣṭāṅga.

Asat:

1) Nonexistence, as opposed to existence (sat).

2) Nonexistence.  One of three ontological levels of being.  See As.

Āśaya:

Receptacle, abode.  Each of the four afflictions (catuṣkleśa) has an abode.  Nature (prakṛti), mind (sattva), emotion (rajas), and physics (tamas) are the abodes of ignorance (avidyā), egotism (asmitā), attachment and aversion (rāgadveṣa), and inertia (abhiniveśa).  Likewise, each of the four remedies (caturbheṣaja) has an abode.  Spirit (puruṣa), existence (sat), bliss (ānanda), and consciousness (cit) are the abodes of wisdom (vidyā), seeking liberation (mumukṣutva), non-attachment (vairāgya), and discernment (viveka).  See Guṇa.

Aśeṣa:

Complete, whole, without remainder.

Āsevita:

Followed, pursued.

Asi:

Are, art.

Āsita:

Seated.

Asmitā:

Egotism, as opposed to discernment (viveka).  See Kleśa.

Āśraya:

Support, supportive.  See Kālavāda.

Aṣṭama:

1) Eighth.

2) The eighth, or lucid, state (spaṣṭa avasthā), corresponding to mind (sattva).  See Avasthā.

Aṣṭāṅga:

Eight limbs.  The outer limbs (bahiraṅgas) are the restraints (yamas), the observances (niyamas), sitting (āsana), energy extension (prāṇāyāma), and withdrawal (pratyāhāra).  Together they are performance yoga (kriyāyoga), which is outer practice (bahiḥsādhana).  The inner limbs (antaraṅgas) are concentration, meditation, and absorption (dhāraṇā, dhyāna, and samādhi).  Together they are restraint yoga (saṃyamayoga), which is inner practice (antaḥsādhana).  All eight limbs together are royal yoga (rājayoga), which is complete practice (samyaksādhana).  From that comes complete results (samyaksiddhi).

Asteya:

Non-stealing, which is taking only (ādāna eva) what is freely given (svairakam datta).  The third of the five restraints (yamas).  See Yama.

Asvarūpa:

One’s false nature, as opposed to one’s true nature (svarūpa).

“Ātma anātma viveka”:

“Discerning between the self and the non-self.”  Distinguishing between the self (ātman) and its sheaths and bodies (kośas and śarīras).

Ātma Traya:

Three selves.  See below.

Ātman:

The self, as opposed to the non-self (anātman).  The self is identical to the source (brahman).  There are three selves (ātma traya).  The supreme self (paramātman) is the unqualified source (nirguṇa brahman); the thread-self (sūtrātman) is the threefold source (triguṇa brahman); the living self (jīvātman) is the sevenfold source (saptaguṇa brahman).  See Brahman.

Ātmajñāna:

Self-knowledge.

Ātmavicāra:

Self-inquiry.

Ava:

Descending.  See Avasarpiṇī.

Avara:

Least, lowest degree.

Āvaraṇa:

Veil, covering.

Avasarpiṇī:

The descending arc, as opposed to the ascending arc (utsarpiṇī).  See Kālavāda.

Avasthā:

1) One of the ten states of the ground state (mūla avasthā).  They are waking (jāgrat), dream (svapna), lucid (spaṣṭa), deep sleep (suṣupti), witness (sākṣī), divine (daiva), order (ṛta), union (yoga), dual (dvaita), and non-dual (advaita).  They correspond to physics (tamas), emotion (rajas), mind (sattva), the soul (jīva), consciousness (cit), bliss (ānanda), existence (sat), the oversoul (īśvara), nature (prakṛti), and spirit (puruṣa).  See Guṇa.

2) One of the four classical states.  They are waking (jāgrat), dream (svapna), deep sleep (suṣupti), and fourth (caturtha).

Avasthāna:

Residing, abiding, dwelling.

Avidyā:

Ignorance, as opposed to wisdom (vidyā).  See Kleśa.

Avidyāmāyā:

Unwise measuring, as opposed to wise measuring (vidyāmāyā).  See Māyā.

Aviveka:

Non-discrimination or non-discernment, as opposed to discernment (viveka).

Avivekin:

An undiscerning or unwise person, as opposed to a discerning person (vivekin).

Āvṛtti:

Frequency.  The rate of vibration of the strings (guṇas).  See Guṇavāda.

Avyakta:

Unmanifest, as opposed to manifest (vyakta).

Avyapadeśya:

Undefinable, indescribable.

Avyathya:

Unshakable, unwavering.

“Ayam ātma brahma”:

“This self is the source.”  See Mahāvākya.

Ayama:

Without restraint, unrestrained.

Āyāma:

Expansion, extension.

Axiology:

The study of value and valuation.  See Darśana.