ADHIKARI—Fit aspirant (Uttama: Good; Madhyama: medium; Adhama: inferior)
Agni—Fire
Ahamkara—Ego
Aisvarya—Material or spiritual wealth Ajna-Chakra—Cavernous plexus Akasa—Ether, space, sky Alasya—Lethargy, inertia Anahata—Cardiac plexus Anga—Subordinate step, limb Anima—Subtlety, reducing body in size Antahkarana—Internal psychic organ, mind Apana—Vital energy functioning in excretion Apas—Water
Arambha—A state reached in Pranayama
Asana—Bodily position, posture
Ashtanga—Eight limbs (of Patanjali’s Raja Yoga)
Astika—Believer of God or the Vedas Asura—Demon, evil tendency in man Asuri—Devilish
Atman—Divine soul in man, the Supreme Self Avadhani—Attentive, concentrated Avastha—State
BANDHA—A lock in Yogic posture Bandhu—Relative, one connected by relation Bhakta—Devotee Bhakti—Devotion
Bhastrika—Bellows (a kind of Pranayama)
Bhati—To shine Bhava—(Devotional) attitude Bheda—Difference, splitting Bija—Seed, source
Bijakshara—Seed-letter containing latent power of Mantra Brahmachari—Celibate, student of scriptures Brahmanda—Macrocosm, Brahma’s egg Brahmarandhra—Head fontanelle at the top of head Buddhi—Intellect, understanding, reason
CHAKRA—Wheel, plexus Charu—Boiled milk and rice Chit—Consciousness Chitta—Mind-stuff, subconscious mind
DAIVI—Divine
Dama—Control of outer senses
Deva(ta)—Deity
Dhairya—Heroism, valour
Dharma—Duty, virtue, righteous way of living
Dhyana—Deep meditation
Dridhata—Firmness
GAYATRI—A very sacred Mantra in the Vedas Ghata—A state reached in Pranayama Granthi—Knot
(of nerves or psychic energy)
Grihastha—Householder
HAMSA—Swan, Divine Self
Hiranyagarbha—Cosmic intelligence, cosmic mind, Brahma IDA—Psychic nerve-current flowing through nostril; lunar
Indriya—Sense of perception whether physical (Karma Indriya) or internal current (Jnana Indriya) Ishta—Object of desire, chosen ideal
JAPA—Repetition of a Mantra
Jivanmukti—Liberation while still in body, the state of Jnana or Knowledge, Wisdom of Brahman
Jivatman—Individual soul
KALA—Ray, part, aspect Kapala—Skull Kamala—Lotus
Karma—Action (Sanchita: accumulated; Prarabdha: to be worked out in this life; Agami: being freshly formed)
Karuna—Mercy
Kevala Kumbhaka—Cessation of breath spontaneously
Khechari Mudra—Applying elongated tongue to the posterior palate in Hatha Yoga Kriya—Action
Kumbhaka—Period between in-and-outgoing breath Kundalini—Serpent-power coiled up at the
Muladhara Chakra Kutir—Living quarters (of a Sadhaka)
LINGA SARIRA—Subtle body
MADHYAMA—Pranayama with 32 Matras Mahima—Siddhi of making oneself huge Manas—Mind
Matra—A second, time-measure Mitahara—Moderate diet Moksha—Liberation, release Mudra—
Symbolic hand-position Mumukshutva—Intense longing for liberation
NADI—Astral tube carrying Prana Nauli—Abdominal churning exercise Nirvikalpa—Without modification of the mind Nishkama—Selfless, unselfish Nishpatti—Consummation, ratio
PADMA—Lotus
Para—Super, higher, (highest)
Paramahamsa—The highest class of Sannyasins Parichaya—A state reached in Pranayama Pindanda—Microcosm
Pingala—Psychic nerve-current in right nostril, solar Pralaya—Dissolution of the cosmos Prana—Vital energy, life-breath, life-force Pranava—The mystic syllable ‘OM’
Pranavadin—One who advocates the theory of Prana
Pranayama—Breath-control
Prasvasa—Expiration of Breath
Pratyahara—Abstraction of senses
Prithvi—Element of earth with density and fragrance characteristic to it
Puja—Worship, adoration Puraka—Inhalation
SADHAKA—Spiritual aspirant Sadhana—Spiritual practice
Sahaja—Natural, true, native
Sahasrara—1000 petalled lotus at the crown of head
Sakti—Power
Sama—Control of mind, tranquillity
Samadhi—State of superconsciousness, perfect absorption of mind in Yoga Sambhavi—A Yogic technique of concentration Sampat—Quality, wealth
Samsara—Life through repeated births and deaths, process of worldly life Samskara—Impression, prenatal tendency Sandhya—Junction (of sunrise and sunset)
Sannyasa—Renunciation of social ties, 4th state in Hindu life
Santi—Peace, quietness
Sastra—Scripture, word of authority
Satavadhani—One who does 100 things at the same time
Shatchakras—The six Chakras or nerve-plexuses
Sraddha—Faith
Sthula—Gross
Suddhi—Purity
Sukshma—Fine, subtle, indivisible Surya—Sun
Sushumna—Nerve-current in spinal canal from Muladhara to crown of head
Svaha—Word uttered while offering an oblation, offering to God, exclamation used in offerings
TAMAS—Darkness, inertia, dullness Tandri—Drowsiness
UDANA—Vital force near the throat Upanishad—Vedantic scriptures, end of Vedas
Urdhvareto-Yogi—A Yogi whose energies have been sublimated into spiritual power Utsaha— Cheerfulness, enthusiasm
VAIRAGYA—Indifference, disgust for worldly things and enjoyments
Vajra—Firmness, thunderbolt
Vak—Speech
Vasana—Subtle desire
Vayu—Wind, vital air, Prana
Vichara—Enquiry into nature of Self or Truth
Virya—Seminal fluid
Visuddha—Laryngeal plexus
Viveka—Discrimination
Vritti—Thought-wave, mental whirlpool
Vyana—All-pervading Prana
Vyavahara—Worldly activity, phenomenal, relative world
YAAMA—A period of three hours Yajna—Sacrifice Yatra—Pilgrimage Yoga—Union with God