Glossary of Terms

T

Tad:

That.

Tadā:

Then, at that time.

Tamas:

1) Darkness.

2) Physics, as opposed to existence (sat).  The abode of inertia (āśaya of abhiniveśa).  Part of the material triad (prākṛta traya).  The tenth of the ten strings (daśaguṇa).  See Guṇa.

Tāmasika:

1) Dark. 

2) Physical.  See above.

Tanmātra:

Subtle element.  There are seven subtle elements, but only five are named.  They are sound, appearance, feel, flavor, and odor (śabda, rūpa, sparśa, rasa, and gandha).  They’re the subtle objects of the senses (viṣayas of indriyas), as opposed to the gross objects (mahābhūtas).  See Tattva.

Tap:

To give out heat, be hot, shine (as the sun).  See Tapas.

Tapas:

Self-discipline, which is reining in the senses (pragrahaṇa the indriyas).  The third of the five observances (niyamas).  See Niyama.

Taraṃga:

Wave.  See Kālavāda.

“Tat tvam asi”:

“Thou art that.”  See Mahāvākya.

Tattva:

1) One of the seventy principles of Advaita Sāṃkhya (saptatitattva).  See Guṇavāda.

2) One of the twenty-five classical principles.  They are spirit, nature, intellect, ego, mind, the ten senses, the five subtle elements, and the five gross elements (puruṣa, prakṛti, buddhi, ahaṃkāra, manas, indriyas, tanmātras, and mahābhūtas).

Tetractys:

The ancient triangular symbol of Pythagoras.  It contains ten dots distributed among four rows.  The first row has one dot, the second has two, the third has three, and the fourth has four.  These dots symbolize the ten strings of string theory (daśaguṇa of guṇavāda).  See Guṇavāda.

Theism:

The belief in a deity or deities.  Atheism is the denial of deity.  Monotheism is the belief in a singular transcendent deity.  Nontheism is the lack of belief in deity.  Panentheism is the belief in a singular transcendent deity immanent throughout the universe.  Pantheism is the belief in a nontranscendent, immanent deity identical to the universe.

Three-Dimensional Space:

See Saptaguṇa Brahman.

Traya:

Triad.  A single unit with three parts.

Triguṇa:

1) Threefold.

2) Three qualities, three strings.  See Guṇa.

Triguṇa Brahman:

The threefold source, as opposed to the sevenfold source (saptaguṇa brahman).  See Brahman.

Tripuṭī:

The agent, the object, and the action of direct perception (pratyakṣa).  See Pratyakṣa.

Tritattva:

A threefold principle, as opposed to a sevenfold principle (saptatattva).  See Tattva.

Trividha:

Of three kinds, threefold.

Tṛṣṇā:

Thirst.  The cause of suffering (duḥkha) in the Four Noble Truths.  See Rāgadveṣa.

Tṛtīya:

1) Third.

2) The third state (avasthā), corresponding to nature (prakṛti).  See Avasthā.

Tryaṅga:

Three limbs.  The inner limbs (antaraṅgas).  See Aṣṭāṅga.

Tu:

But.

Turīya:

The fourth state (avasthā), corresponding to existence (sat).  The fourth of the ten states.  See Avasthā.

Turīyātīta:

Beyond the fourth state.  Refers to the union, body, and sheath states (yoga, śarīra, and kośa avasthās).  See Avasthā.

Tva:

Suffix meaning “the state of.”

Tvac:

See below.

Tvac/Pāṇi:

Feeling/grasping.  The eighth principle of mind (tattva of sattva) and the fifth sense (indriya).  Resonates with the subtle element of feel (tanmātra of sparśa) and the gross element of air (mahābhūta of vāyu).  See Indriya.

Tvam:

You, thou.

Tyāga:

Giving up, renouncing, renunciation.