Glossary

state of fearlessness; offering shelter to one who seeks refuge

sustained effort, a regular & constant practice

agami karma

actions good and bad, expected to bear fruit in future births

agraharam

An Agraharam or Agrahara was a grant of land and royal income from it, typically by a king or a noble family in India, for religious purposes, particularly to Brahmins to maintain temples in that land or a pilgrimage site and to sustain their families

aham

I; embodied self; soul

aham sphurana

the throb of Self-bliss in the Heart ^[1]

aham svarupa

one’s true nature

aham vritti

see Maharshi's Gospel

ahankara

(or ahamkara) the ego-self

ajatavada

Doctrine of no birth, or creation. The Self is immutable. Birth, death and the world process are all appearances.

ajnana

ignorance; knowledge of diversity

akhaṇḍa (अखंड)

undivided, unbroken

akhaṇḍakaravṛṭṭi

combination of 3 words: akhanda, kara, vritti, described by Kunju Swami as synonyms for externalization describing the experience of undivided consciousness

ākāra

mode of mental functioning,^[1] expanse or source

ākāśa

space, ether

the instruments of inner perception: manas, chitta, ahankara and buddhi ^[2]

antarmukha drishti

inward vision

antaryami

“inner witness” or “the one who controls from within.” It can refer to the Higher Self (paramatman) or the power of God residing within the individual soul. The word is derived from antar, (internal, within or inward; and ayami (restrained)

anubhava

direct perception; experience

anugraha

divine grace

anuvaka

the vedas are divided into books, which are divided into maṇḍalas (chapters). The chapters are divided into sections called anuvakas which consist of suktas.

apana

the breath which, upon inhalation,moves down into the body; one of the five vital airs

appalam

derived from the Sanskrit word parpaṭa (पर्पट), meaning a flattened disc. appalam in Tamil, poppadam in Malayalam, papad in Marathi, Punjabi & Gujarati, appadam in Telugu is a very thin, round cake made of black gram flour fried crisp. You can listen to a nice recitation of the Appalam Song on .

aprana

beyond manifest life; devoid of life

arati

worship or praise of one or more gods with a lamp &/or song

arshasamskaram

the old ways, of the Vedic rshis, seers & sages

asana

yogic posture

ashtanga yoga

yoga consisting of eight stages of discipline

ashtottara

108 names repeated in worshipping a deity,

atheetha sthithi

without boundary, limitless; stance, position

atma

(or atman) self; principle of life and sensation

atma dhyana

Contemplation on the Self

atma samarpana

self-surrender

atmanusandhana

Attention or regard to spiritual truth or science of spirit; i. e. knowledge of deity and of self.

atma vichara

enquiry into the Self

avagraha

a conjunction of two vowels, which is pronounced for an audibly longer period of time than is done normally for one

avidya

nescience, ignorance

bhagavan

a commonly used name for God; a title used for one like Sri Ramana who is recognized as having realized his identity with the Self

bahirmukha drishti

outward-turned consciousness

bhajan

devotional songs and hymns to glorify the divine

bhajanam

Sanskrit: भजनम् reverence; originates from the root word bhaj भज् , meaning to revere

bhakta

a devotee

bhakti

devotion and love

bharata

a form of address used by Sri Krishna towards Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita, meaning a shining soul

bhavana

continued meditation; steady concentration of mind

bhiksha

asking for alms; one who lives on alms; the act of making an offering

bhumadhya

The sixth chakra (between the eyebrows) which is the eye of intuition or 'third eye'

bija

seed; origin, core, cause

brahma

Lord of Creation; God as the Creator

brahman

the Absolute

buddhi

intellect; one of the four aspects of the internal organ

chakra

a wheel, a yogic centre of concentration

chandrayana

expiatory fast for a full month, commencing from the full moon, food being diminished every day by one handful during the dark fortnight, and increased in like manner during the bright fortnight

chiranjeevi

Immortal person; Without death; Eternal being; Long lived

chit

absolute intelligence or consciousness

chitta

the mental mode turned towards objects; that aspect of the mind in which impressions are stored

chitta chalanam

thought movement.

atma vidya

contemplation of the deity in the cavity of the Heart

darshan

meeting or seeing a holy person, guru or deity. [from Sanskrit, literally: sight or vision]

deha vasana

attachment to the body

dehatma buddhi

"I am the body" identification

desikan

Desika means an acharya, teacher, guru or guide; literally one who shows the correct direction

deva

a god or celestial being

devata

a deity

devi

the Divine Mother or a goddess

dharana

unwavering fully focused concentration of mind

dharma

virtuous deeds; merit through performance of religious duties; harmonious life; a person’s natural duty; inherent qualities

dhyana

contemplation; the seventh rung in the ladder of eightfold yoga

drik

subject

dr̥ṣṭi

दृष्टि, gaze

drisya

object

ekagrata

one-pointed, single-minded focus or pursuit

ganapati

the elder son of Lord Siva, the remover of obstacles; the same as Lord Ganesa, the chief of Lord Siva’s hosts

giripradakshina

see girivalam, below.

gośālā

protective shelter or sanctuary for cows, cow-shed.

girivalam

to walk slowly around the hill, keeping the hill on your right.

granthi

barrier, blockage, knot.

grihapravesham

dedication, house-warming.

gośālā

being in and occupied with home & family.

gudakesa

an epithet of Arjuna for having conquered sleep; Lord Krishna uses this term in addressing Arjuna

ekantavasam

life in seclusion; living without depending upon others

guna

the three fundamental qualities, tendencies, or stresses which underlie all manifestation; sattva, rajas, and tamas, characterized as white, red and black respectively

hathapranayama

breath-control

homa

sacrifice in fire

hridayam

the Heart (hridi + ayam = centre + this); the seat of Consciousness at the right side of the chest, as experienced and expounded by Sri Ramana Maharshi

indra

the Lord of the devas; the first student of Brahma Vidya; the Divine Mother was his teacher

indriya

sense organs

isa

the supreme Lord

iṣṭa-devatā

favorite or preffered form of the Lord

ishwara

the name of the supreme Lord indicating his lordship of the worlds

jaganmaya

the mystery of the world

jiva

the individual soul or ego

jivan mukta

one who has realized the supreme identity while still in the body

mukti

deliverance while yet in this life

jiva samadhi

entombment while alive

jnana

knowledge of the Absolute transcending form and formlessness

jnana marga

the path of knowledge

jnani

a Self-realized person, a sage; one who has attained realization by the path of knowledge

janmashtami

birthday

kailas

a mountain in the Himalayas; the abode of Lord Siva

kaivalya

absolute Oneness; final emancipation; one of the 108 Upanishads

kali yuga

the last of four ages of the world, namely Krita, Treta, Dwapara, and Kali; Kali is reckoned as having begun in 3102 B.C.

kalpa-vr̥kṣa

iकल्पवृक्ष, wish-fulfilling tree

kāma

desire; physical love, sensual pleasures

kāppu

a. to keep under close watch in order to prevent escape, misconduct, etc.;   b. a thing, person, or group that protects;   c. to keep safe from harm or injury; protect or spare;   d. to keep under close watch in order to prevent escape, misconduct, etc;   e. a thing, person, or group that protects;   f. to look or wait attentively and expectantly;   g. a warning against danger or evil; anything serving as a warning

karana

the five senses, the mind, intellect, will and ego

karma

action, work, deeds; also fruits of action accumulating in three ways as sanchita, prarabdha, and agami; destiny

karama marga

the path of ritual, religious duties, and action

karuna

compassion

katha

story

kathakalakshepa

telling the story through poetry, music and narration

kaupina

loin cloth; undergarment; strip of cloth

kavya-kanth

one who has poetry at his throat (see kāvya)

kevala kumbhaka

retention of breath leading to stilling of the mind, without inhalation or exhalation

kshetra

a sacred place of pilgrimage; in yoga, city, or the field of body

kshetrajna

the conscious principle (known) in the field of the body; the absolute witness aware of the three states of the self: waking, dream, and sleep

Kumbhabishekam

Kumbhabhishekam means the "sprinkling" (abhishekam) of the temple with sacred waters carried in a "water-pot" (kumbha). It is the consecration ceremony for a Hindu temple that is repeated every 12 years.

kundalini

the mystic circle of three-and-a-half coils situated in the umbilical region; the yogic principle of serpent power; primal maya

lakshya

attention, aim or goal

laya

absorption; in yoga, absorption of breath and mind in the Heart

lingam

a vertical column of stone with a rounded end, symbol of the unmanifest Siva

mahanyāsa

great writing(commentary), purification

maharshi

maha rishi - great sage

mahat

the intellectual principle as source of ahamkara — from the Absolute emanates the unmanifest, from it mahat and from mahat the ahamkara

mahatma

a lofty soul; highly spiritual person; master in tune with the infinite

mahavakya

the four vedic proclamations of the truth of Brahman, one each from the Itareya (Aitareya) Upanishad of Rig Veda, Brihadaranyaka of Yajur Veda, Chhandogya of Sama Veda and Mandukya of Atharva Veda; one of the 108 Upanishads explaining the mahavakyas

maheswara

one of the five aspects of Lord Siva, as veiling the truth from souls, till their karma is completely worked out

Malayala rajyam

the Kerala country

manana

contemplation; the second of the three stages of Vedantic realization

manas

mind, reason, mentality; also used as a synonym of antahkarana, the aggregate of chitta, buddhi, manas and ahamkara

maṇḍala

a division or group of sections (anuvakas) of the rigveda

mantra

(or mantram) cosmic sound forms of the Vedas, used for worship and prayer; seed letters for meditation on the form of the Lord; ritualistic incantation

marana

the art of causing death through supernatural powers

math

a meeting place and abode of sadhus; a religio-spiritual institution founded by a saint; monastery

maṭhādipati

head of the maṭh; the superintendent of a monastery

maya

illusion, false appearance; manifestation or illusion personified

maulvi

a respectful term for a learned Muslim

mithya

the false

moksha

liberation; final emancipation; release from transmigration

mouna

silence; the inexpressible; truth of Brahman, expressed by the Brahman-knower by his mere abidance in stillness

mudra

hand-pose in worship and dance

mukta

a liberated person

mukti

liberation

munsif

judge, arbitrator

mutt

see math

nadi

the 72,000 nerves of the body conveying the life force, of which ida, pingala and sushumna are the three main ones; in the state of samadhi all of them are merged in the single para or amrita nadi

nāyaṉmār, nāyaṉār

நாயன்மார் , romanized: Nāyaṉmār, lit. 'hounds of Siva', refers to any of the 63 Tamiḷ Saivite (devoted to Siva) saints who lived during the 6th to 8th centuries CE. see Periya Puranam and sivabhakta-vilasam

naivedyam

food offered to God, नैवेद्य

nasha

destruction

neti-neti

“Not this, not this”, a phrase used to negate everything except the Self.

nididhyāsana

निदिध्यासन - intuninterrupted contemplation; the last stage of Vedantic realization

nirasa

desirelessness

nirvikalpa samadhi

the highest state of concentration, in which the soul loses all sense of being different from the Universal Self, but a temporary state from which there is return to ego-consciousness

nischala bhava

immobility; steadfastness; eternity

niṣkāma-karma

Niṣkāma (निष्काम) refers to without selfish desire or motive; selflessness in performing one’s duty

nishtha

abidance in firm meditation

niyama

discipline; religious duties as ordained for the second of the eight stages of yoga

padma

lotus; a yoga posture in which the right foot is placed on the left thigh and the left foot on the right thigh

pai-maram

palm tree

pakva

fitness, spiritual maturity

paradesi

Paar (world) + Desam (nation), people who travel across nations/kingdoms (paradesam) in the world is called paardesi/paradesi. One who does paradesam, i.e. a foreigner

paramahamsa

One who has attained enlightenment; lit:supreme swan, denoting purity, discrimination and tracendence.

parampada

the supreme state

paramarthika

an epithet of Arjuna, meaning he who destroys his enemy

pārāyaṇa

पारायण — oral recitation

paramatman

the true Self

parivrājaka

wandering ascetic

partha

Arjuna, the son of Pritha; another name for Kunti, his mother

phala

fruit; results of one's effort or actions

pradakashina

A reverential salutation made by circumambulation from left to right (clockwise) so that the right side is always turned towards the person or object circumambulated.

prajñānam

knowledge/wisdom, consciousness/awareness, intelligence/understanding

prajnana ghana

Brahman; the Absolute, immutable knowledge

prakriti

primordial substance out of which all things are created; the primal nature

pramada

swerving from abidance in the Absolute; negligence, inertia, inadvertence, indolence, idleness, sluggishness, inattentiveness, forgetfullness

prana

the first of the five vital airs centred in the Heart; the life force

pranava japa

incantation of Om

pranamaya

breath control

prarabha karma

that part of destiny due to past action (karma) which bears fruit in the present birth

prasthana traya

the triple cannon of Vedanta; the three Vedantic scriptural authorities: Upanishads, Brahma Sutras, Bhagavad Gita

pratyahara

withdrawal of the senses from objectivity: the fifth rung in the ladder of yoga

pranamaya

breath control

punarvasu

the day of Bhagavan’s birth star

purnam

fullness, infinite

purusha

spirit, soul, the living principle, self or consciousness

purushartha

human ends; objectives worthy of human pursuit, dharma, artha, kama and moksha

purushottama

supreme being

puruvasrama

the stage of life or family phase `of a Sannyasi before taking the vows of Sannyasa.

purva janma

previous life

purva punya

past good deeds

putra

"son" in Hindi

raghava

an epithet of Sri Rama as belonging to the line of Raghu

raja yoga

the principal system of yoga as taught by Patanjali

rajas

one of the three primal qualities, described as red, the principle of activity (see guna)

ramana-putra

son of Ramana [hindi]

ramanarajyam

the kingom of the Lord

rishi

sage (see also maharshi)

rudra

Lord Siva in one of his five aspects; God as destroyer

sada siva

the supreme Lord as eternal goodness

sadguru

the great Master, the true or perfect Guru

sadhana

a spiritual quest or path towards liberation; a persistent effort or regular practice

sadhu

an ascetic or one who has renounced the world in quest of liberation

sahasradala

the thousand-petalled lotus; the centre of illumination experienced in the crown of the head on the yogic path

sahasrara

chakra at the crown of the head, typically associated with the fontanelle

sakshi

witness

samadhi

a state in which one has a direct experience of the Self; see savikalpa samadhi and nirvikalpa samadhi

samana

one of the five vital airs

samarpana (समर्पण)

delivering, consigning, handing over, entrusting

samatvam

equanimity; equal consideration towards all.

samskara

tendencies, habits

samudra

large body of water, ocean

samudrakaranadi

Samudra or ocean, akara or expanse, and nadi or river, i.e., where the river merges in the ocean

samvit

the potency of knowledge; consciousness

sanatana dharma

sanatana means eternal, evergreen, perpetual, constant, fixed and primeval or ancient; dharma - a way of living. In a broader sense, dharma means religion or a set of beliefs, practices, teachings, philosophies, laws and moral percepts which are meant to regulate human life upon earth and ensure the liberation of beings.

sanchara-samadhi

a thought-free state of bliss while walking on girivalam / giripradakshina

sanchita karma

accumulated karma of former births that still remains to be experienced

sankalpa

volition, mental activity, thought, tendencies, and attachment

sankhya

one of the systems of Indian philosophy

sannidhi

presence

sannyasa

renunciation

sannyasin

one who has renounced the world

santodanta

one who is calm and self-controlled

sarvadhikari

one who watches over everything

sarvatma bhav

the state of experiencing the Self as all; abidance in the oneness of Being310

sastras

scriptures

sat

existence; pure Being

satchidananda

Being-Consciousness-Bliss

satva

tendency to purity; one of the three gunas

savikalpa samadhi

a state of consciousness in which the distinction between knower, knowledge and known is not yet lost

shakti

(or sakti) the manifesting energy of a divine aspect, represented mythologically as the wife of a God

śāstras

शास्त्र precept, rules, manual, compendium, book or treatise in a general sense; technical or specialized knowledge in a defined area of practice.

shilpa sastras

an ancient umbrella term for numerous Hindu texts that describe arts, crafts, and their design rules, principles and standards (wikipedia article)

shraddha

faith; annual ceremony to honour one's ancestors

siddha

one endowed with supernatural powers and capable of performing miracles; one who has accomplished the end

siddhi

realization, attainment; also supernatural powers

siva

the supreme Lord; one of the Hindu Trinity

sivoham

the incantation ‘I am Siva’

skanda

the younger son of Lord Siva; the leader of the divine hosts; the same as Lord Subrahmanya

smriti

authoritative Hindu scriptures other than the Vedas (Sruti)

Śoṇachala

red-mountain, synonnym for aruṇāchala

sraddha

earnestness, faith; a faithful acquisition of theoretical knowledge of Truth

sravana

hearing of the truth, from the Master

sruti

In Vedic tradition, that which has been heard or communicated from the beginning, sacred knowledge that was only transmitted orally by the Rishis (sages) from generation to generation.

sthitaprajna

firmly abiding in wisdom; contented, calm; firm in judgment and wisdom

stotra

hymns written to praise the god

stuti

any prayer (mantra, suktam, stotra, iaarti, bhajan etc.) offered to god

summa

Tamiḷ word meaing peaceful, natural being, stillness
'summa-iru': 'be still or 'just be'

sushupti

deep sleep

sukta

sukta contains one or more ṛks (verses)

sutra

a universal and concise expression of the essence of a (usually vedic) teaching

savarupa nishta

abidance in the Self

taijasa

the dream state, in which the individual connects with their luminous, subtle body. [see also tejas]

taluk

an administrative sub-division of a district within a state

tamas

darkness, ignorance; one of the three gunas

tanmaya nishta

abidance in the Self

tapas

religious austerities

tat

That; Brahman

tattva jnana

knowledge of Brahman or Atman

tat tvam asi

‘That thou Art’

tejas

power, brilliance, energy or effulgence

thayar

‘blessed mother’ [Tamiḷ]

turiya

the fourth state; the witness Consciousness — ever present and unchanging as against the changing states of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep

udana

one of the five vital airs, whose seat is in the neck

unnadhi nalupadhi

ఉన్నదీ నలుపది (unnadī nalupadi) telugu translation of 'uḷḷadu nārpadu' (Forty verses on Reality)

upadeśa

the spiritual guidance or teaching given by a Guru

upādhi

anything which may be taken for something else; appearances. Also ‘attribute’, ‘trait’, ‘condition’ or ‘limitation’ (as of time and space)

upanishads

philosophical writings forming part of the Vedas

vaikunta

the heaven of Vishnu

vairagya

freedom from worldly desires; dispassion

vasanas

predispositions, tendencies, or propensities of the mind in the present life due to the experiences of former lives

vasudeva

Lord Krishna, as the son of Vasudeva, the Lord whose manifestation all this world is; one of the 108 Upanishads showing the path of Vasudeva

veda

the sacred books of the Hindus: Rig, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva, revealed through the rishis

vedanta

the absolute Truth as established by the Upanishads, Brahma sutras, and Bhagavad Gita as interpreted by Sri Vyasa; the end or consummation of the Vedas

veena

a string instrument

venbā

வெண்பா (venba) is a classical meter in Tamiḷ poetry

vichara

enquiry into the truth of the Self

videhamukta

a liberated being after he has left the body

videhamukti

Self-realization after leaving the body

vijnana

knowledge; discriminating the real from the unreal

vijnana marga

the path of discriminate knowledge

viparīta

inverse, opposite, unfavorable

vishnu

God as preserver; one of the Hindu Trinity

vishaya vasanas

predisposition towards sense enjoyments

vivekaa

discrimination

viyoga

separation

vṛṭṭi (वृत्ति)

literally whirlpool; modifications of the mind (thoughts), experience, mode of awareness

vyana

one of the five vital airs, causing the circulation of blood and pervading all the body

vyaviharika

the phenomenal or empirical

yama

self-control, the first rung in the ladder of the eightfold yoga: abstention from lying, killing, theft, lust, covetousness; the god of death