Sanskrit words are spelled throughout this book without diacritical marks but otherwise in the standard indological fashion—with the following exceptions, made in the interest of better pronunciation:
ṛ becomes ri (pronounced like “rea” in “real”)
| c | ch (pronounced like “ch” in “such”) |
| ch | chh (aspirated “ch,” i.e., with slightly more breath) |
| ś | sh (like “sh” in “hush”) |
| ṣ | sh (also like “sh” in “hush”) |
Vowels are pronounced in standard ways, except:
i |
ee (like “ee” in “feed”) |
e |
a (like “a” in “cake”) |
ai |
i (like “i” in “bike”) |
au |
ow (like “ow” in “cow”) |
Consonants are also pronounced in standard ways, except:
ph p (aspirated “p” as in “part,” not “f”).
Whole Sanskrit sentences transliterated in the notes and in some of the appendices do employ the standard system, and here in this glossary both styles are used. Words appear first in our simplified, anglicized way in boldface and then in the indological manner italicized and in parentheses. Quotation marks are used to indicate a comparatively literal rendering.
Vowels (omitting two that rarely occur):
a like “u” in “mum”: manas (both vowels: muhnuhs)
ā like “a” in “father”: Nāgārjuna (naa-gaar-joo-nuh)
i like “y” in “baby”: mukti
ī like “ee” in “feed”: Śrī (shree)
u like “u” in “pull”: mukti
ū like “oo” in “moon”: sva-rūpa (svuh-roo-puh)
ṛ like “rea” in “really” (while turning the tip of the tongue up to touch the palate): Ṛg Veda
e like “a” in “maze”: tejas (tay-juhs)
ai like “i” in “mine”: Jaina
o like “o” in “go”: yoga
au like “ow” in “cow”: yaugika (yow-gee-kuh)
Consonants and semivowels (which are best understood as a particular class of consonants) are pronounced roughly as in English. A few special cases are worth noting:
kh exactly like “k” in Sanskrit—that is, like the “k” in “kite”—except aspirated, that is, breath out, as with “keel”: mukha
All other aspirated consonants follow the same principle: “gh” like “g” except aspirated, “th” like “t,” and so on.
c like “ch” in “churn”
ch is another aspirate, same principle: sac-chid-ānanda
ñ like “n” in canyon
ṭ There is no English equivalent: a “t” sound (as in “tough”) but with the tip of the tongue touching the roof of the mouth.
ṭh aspirated “ṭ”
ḍ like “d” in “deer” but “lingualized” as with “ṭ”
ḍh aspirated “ḍ”
ṇ lingualized “n” sound
There are three sibilants:
ś like “sh” in “shove”
ṣ lingualized “sh” sound
s like “s” in “sun”: sūrya
Special sounds:
ḥ calls for breath following a vowel. For example, duḥkha (“pain”) is pronounced as follows: “du” and then breath (very short) and then “kha.”
ṃ This is shorthand for all nasals, the particular type determined by the class of the following consonant: “ṇ” is guttural, “ñ” palatal, “ṇ” lingual, and “ṇ” dental. For example, the “ṃ” in “Sāṃkhya” is equivalent to “ṇ,” since “kh” belongs to the guttural class.
The “hat” symbol (^) is used for vowel sandhi or “combination” when two words are compounded (e.g., tāḍa, “mountain,” compounded with āsana, “pose, posture,” results in tāḍâsana, Mountain Pose). The hat (^) designates that a vowel so marked is long (or is the dipthong e or o) because of sandhi in the bringing together of the two separate words. For example:
tāḍâsana (tāḍa + āsana)
jnāñêndriya (jñāna + indriya)
śāmbhavôpāya (śāmbhava + upāya)
abhyasa (abhyāsa) repeated exercise or practice
adhikara (adhikāra) prerequisite, yogic prerequisite
adhikarin (adhikārin) person who is qualified, entitled, “fit” (by yogic practice, etc., for yogic experience, God’s grace, etc.)
adho-mukha shvanasana (adho-mukha-śvanâsana) “Downward-Facing Dog,” an important asana for basic conditioning
adhyasa (adhyāsa) superimposition
adrishta (adṛṣṭa) unseen (moral) force, impersonal cosmic force of karmic payback
Advaita Vedanta (advaita-vedānta) a prominent school of classical philosophy subscribing to an Upanishadic monism (“All is Brahman,” including—and especially—the seemingly individual consciousness or self)
agni (agni) fire, psychic fire
ahamkara (ahaṃkāra) egoism; the individuating principle (tattva) in Samkhya
ahimsa (ahiṃsā) nonharmfulness; see note 17 to chapter 3
ahimsika (ahiṃsika) one who practices ahimsa (q.v.)
ajna chakra (ājñā-cakra) third eye, the “command” chakra where tantrics say is heard the “directive” of the divine or one’s highest self
akasha (ākāśa) ether, the medium of sound, one of five material elements, according to almost all classical views; sometimes “space”
alankara shastra (alaṃkāra-śāstra) aesthetics, the “science of ornament,” the classical tradition of literary criticism in particular
alaya vijnana (ālaya-vijñāna) “storehouse consciousness”; a principal concept in early Yogacara Buddhism
amrita (amṛta) nectar of immortality
anahata chakra (anāhata cakra) the “heart” center, where tantrics say the “unstruck” sound can be heard, the chakra where bhakti is felt
ananda (ānanda) bliss, spiritual ecstasy; the nature of Brahman considered affectively, according to Vedanta
anandamaya kosha (ānandamaya-kośa) body made of bliss, ananda, the kosha nearest the intrinsic nature of the self, atman
anatman (anātman) “no self” or “no soul,” an important Buddhist doctrine
anavopaya (aṇavôpāya) the Kaula way of the minute, for those of coarse natures
anekanta-vada (anekânta-vāda) nonabsolutism, positive perspectivalism, the “doctrine of many-sidedness”; the metaphysical stance of Jaina philosophers
anga (aṅga) limb, subordinate part
animan (aṇiman) thinness; siddhi of shrinking
anirvachaniya (anirvacanīya) “impossible to say”; the Advaita view of the onto-logical status of the everyday world in relation to Brahman
anjali mudra (añjali-mudrā) “hands cupped in offering,” prayer position
anjaneyasana (añjaneyâsana) Crescent Moon Pose—a matronymic for Hanuman, the monkey king, who is a great bhakta
annamaya kosha (annamaya-kośa) body made of matter, “food,” anna, the physical body
anta (anta) end, extreme
anubhava (anubhava) experience, awareness (perceptual, inferential, and other veridical awarenesses)
anumana (anumāna) (cogent) inference; a knowledge source or pramana (q.v.) according to practically all classical schools
anusara (anusāra) alignment
anuvyayasaya (anuvyavasāya) apperception, cognition of cognition, according to Nyaya
anyatha khyati (anyathā-khyāti) “presentation of something as other than what it is,” the view of perceptual error that stresses the reality of the thing misperceived and the reality of the thing which the presented object is misperceived as
aparigraha (aparigraha) nonpossessiveness, the fifth yama (q.v.) according to the Yoga Sutra
apta (āpta) expert; a person whose testimony is reliable
apurvaka (apūrvaka) without causal intermediary
ardha uttanasana (ardba uttānâsana) “half” uttanasana
artha (artha) wealth; goal, object
arthapatti (artbâpatti) postulation, presumption; circumstantial implication—deemed an independent pramana by Mimamsa and some other classical philosophers, but a form of inference (inference to the best explanation), according to Nyaya
asamprajnata samadhi (asamprajñāta-samādhi) yogic trance without any meditational prop according to the Yoga Sutra; utter yogic self-absorption; equivalent to enlightenment and brahma vidya according to some Vedantins
asana (āsana) poses and meditational postures taught as part of disciplines of yoga
asat (asat) nonbeing, bad
ashrama (aśrama) spiritual and yogic retreat; stage of life
ashtanga namaskara (aṣṭâṇga-namaskāra) “eight-points bowing”
ashtanga yoga (astânga-yoga) “eight-limbed yoga” of the Yoga Sutra: (1) yama, (2) niyama, (3) asana, (4) pranayama, (5) pratyahara, (6) dharana, (7) dhyana, and (8) samadhi
asmita (asmitā) egoity, the principle of individuation in Samkhya; egoism
asteya (asteya) nonstealing, the third yama (q.v.) according to the Yoga Sutra
atman (ātman) self; the Upanishadic term for our truest or most basic consciousness; universal Self
avadhuti (avadhūti) central channel; see sushumna
avatara (avatāra) divine incarnation, e.g., Krishna and Rama
avidya (avidyā) spiritual ignorance; in much Vedanta, lack of direct awareness of Brahman, the true self, or God
ayur-veda (āyur-veda) medicine (“knowledge of life”)
avyakta (avyakta) unmanifest
badha (bādha) epistemic defeating or “blocking,” e.g., experiential sublation, as a veridical perception of a rope correcting an illusory perception of a snake; epistemic or justificational defeating
bandha (bandha) “bond,” binding, lock; a muscular lock that redirects pranic energy
bhagavad (bhagavad) blessed, divine
bhakta (bhakta) devotee
bhakti (bhakti) devotional love
bhakti yoga (bhakti-yoga) yoga of love and devotion
bhashya (bhāṣya) commentary
bhastrika (bhastrikā) “bellowslike” rapid breathing, a form of pranayama
bhava (bhāva) natural emotion: see sthayi bhava
bhava chakra (bhāva-cakra) wheel of birth, death, and rebirth, according to Buddhism
bhavana (bhāvanā) enlivening or re-enlivening (as of an intention, samkalpa)
bhoga (bhoga) enjoyment
bhramari (bhramarī) “humming,” exhaling with sound like a bee (bhramara), a form of pranayama
bhuta (bhūta) gross element (earth, water, fire, air, and ether)
bodhisattva (bodhisattva) one who is capable of a final extinction of individual personality in an ultimate nirvana but who retains form out of compassion for sentient beings; the yogic ideal of Mahayana Buddhism
brahmacharya (brahma-carya) sexual restraint, celibacy, the fourth yama (q.v.) according to the Yoga Sutra
brahma randhra (brahma-randhra) the cranial cleft through which runs the “central channel,” sushumna (q.v.)
brahma sakshatkara (brahma-sākṣātkāra) immediate awareness of Brahman; brahma-vidya (q.v.)
brahma vidya (brahma-vidyā) yogic knowledge of Brahman, the Absolute (or God); the summum bonum, according to Vedanta
Brahman (brahman) the Divine Absolute; the One; the God, ishvara (q.v.); the key concept of the Upanishads and all Vedanta (q.v.) philosophy
Buddha (buddha) “the Awakened”; an epithet of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, after his enlightenment or nirvana (q.v.)
buddhi (buddhi) rational intelligence
Buddhism (bauddha-darśana) world religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha or “Awakened One,” who taught that a supreme felicity and end to suffering occur in a special experience called nirvana and who laid out a way or ways to attain it
buddhi yoga (buddhi-yoga) discipline for the higher intelligence
chakra (cakra) occult center of consciousness, “wheel” of occult energy
chandra namaskara (candra-namaskāra) Moon Salutations, a series of asanas
Charvaka (cārvāka) the classical Indian philosophic school of materialism, religious skepticism, and hedonism
chaturangasana (catur-aṇgâsana) Four-Limbs Pose, a planklike asana with elbows in under the ribs
chikirsha (cikīrṣa) “desire to do”
chin mudra (cin-mudrā) the “consciousness seal (or gesture)”
chitta (citta) thought and emotion, mind stuff
chitta-vritti-nirodha (citta-vṛtti-nirodha) stilling of the fluctuations of thought and emotion; the definition of yoga given by the Yoga Sutra
darshana (darśana) world view or philosophy, a “viewing”
deha (deha) body
devi (devī) female divinity, “goddess”; superconscient power of one’s higher self
dharana (dbāraṇā) concentrated perseverance; meditation or concentration (especially in movement)
dharma (dharma) (1) duty, right way of action; (2) quality or state of awareness; (3) property
dharma kaya (dharma-kāya) Dharma body of the Buddha (see dharma)
dhyana (dhyāna) meditation (proper)
dosha (doṣa) fault, disorder
drishti (dṛṣṭi) gaze, sight
duhkha (duḥkha) pain and suffering
ekagrata (ekâgratā) one-pointedness of mind, “exclusive concentration”
gariman (gariman) weight; dignity; siddhi of immovability
gita (gītā) song
gopi (gopī) cowgirl (gopis are famously beloved of Krishna, symbolizing individual souls)
granthi (granthi) psychic “knot” blocking the flow of shakti in the chakras and central channel
guna (guṇa) quality, property; twenty-four are enumerated in the early Nyaya–Vaisheshika literature, including cognition (jnana), which is a quality resting in the self (atman); mode or strand of nature, according to Samkhya (see sattva, rajas, and tamas)
guru (guru) teacher, venerable person
hamsa (haṃsa) (Siberian) crane, swan, goose; the symbol of the transmigrating self or soul (jivatman)
hatha (haṭha) force, obstinancy, necessity
hatha yoga (haṭha-yoga) type of self-discipline emphasizing postures, pranayama, and mudra (q.v.) as means to pierce occult granthi, open chakras, and awaken
kundalini (q.v.)
hetu (reason) reason, inferential mark or sign
hetvabhasa (hetv-ābhāsa) “pseudo-reason,” fallacy
hita (hita) “favorable”; an Upanishadic word for subtle connections or canals of subtle energies (see nadi)
ida (iḍā) earth; moon; devotion as goddess; channel or nadi that runs from the left nostril, pranic channel
indriya (indriya) sense organ or faculty
ishita (iṣita) “desired,” wanted; siddhi of mastery of the body and the manas (thought mind and focus)
ishta-devata (iṣṭa-devatā) “preferred divinity”
ishvara (īśvara) God, the “Lord”; viewed as the equivalent of Brahman in theistic Vedanta
ishvara-pranidhana (īśvara-praṇidhāna) “concentration on God,” “surrender to the Lord” (a term appearing in the Yoga Sutra that has been variously interpreted)
Jainism (jaina-darśana) an ancient Indian religion founded by Mahavira, c. 500 B.C.E., who, like the Buddha, propounded a “supreme personal good”; in later periods, Jaina philosophers addressed a broad range of issues
jalandhara bandha (jālandhara-bandha) throat lock, the “netting” lock (see bandha)
japa (japa) yoga of repetition of mantras such as om
Jataka (jāṭaka) stories of the Buddha’s previous incarnations, a portion of the Pali or southern canon
jivan mukti (jīvan-mukti) “living liberation,” a living person’s attainment of spiritual enlightenment
jivatman (jīvâtman, jīva) individual, living person, transmigrating self
jnana (jñāna) cognition, consciousness
jnana yoga (jñāna-yoga) yoga of meditation
jnanendriya (jñānêndriya) sense organ, any of the five faculties of sense perception and knowledge
kaivalya (kaivalya) aloneness or independence: the summum bonum according to Samkhya and the Yoga of the Yoga Sutra
kama (kāma) pleasure, especially sexual pleasure; sensory gratification
kama-vasaya (kāma-vāsaya) the siddhi of dwelling wherever desired
karma (karman) (1) “action”; (2) habit; the psychological law that every act creates a psychic valency to repeat the act; (3) sacrifice, ritual
karma yoga (karma-yoga) yoga of action and sacrifice or giving
karmendriya (karmêndriya) organ of action, such as locomotion as an ability
karuna (karuṇā) compasssion
Kaulism (kula-marga) “Way of the Family” (kula), an important stream of Kashmiri Shaivism
kaya (kāya) body
khechara (khecara) mudra with the tongue curled back to touch the palate, eyes rolled back with all attention on the ajna chakra (q.v.)
klesha (kleśa) affliction; five are listed in the Yoga Sutra (sutra 2.3: see appendix C) as obstructing spiritual accomplishment
kosha (kośa) sheath, body
Krama (krama) “sequence”; a stream of Kashmiri Shaivism (see note 5 to appendix D)
kriya (kriyā) action; series and combinations of asanas and movements with breath, outlined in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and other yoga manuals
krodha (krodha) anger
kshana (kṣaṇa) moment, point-instant
kula (kula) “family” (see notes 5 and 12 to appendix D)
kumbhaka (kumbhaka) breath retention or halting, on either the inhale or the exhale; a technical term of pranayama practice
kundalini (kuṇḍalī, kuṇḍalinī) occult serpent power; divine energy said to be asleep in the lowest or mula chakra, the awakening of which is in tantra taken to be equivalent to enlightenment and jivan mukti (q.v.)
kusha (kuśa) grass or straw said to be suitable for covering the ground for asana practice and meditation
ku-yogin (ku-yogin) bad yogin
laghiman (laghiman) lightness; siddhi of lightness
lila (līlā) play, sport; as a concept belonging to Vedanta, the world as Divine play
linga-sharira (liṇga-śarīra) subtle body comprised of sense data or subtle elements transmigrating with the jiva or individual soul
loka (loka) world, field of vision
Madhyamika (mādhyamika) Buddhist “school of the Middle” (avoidance of extremes) founded by Nagarjuna
maha bandha (mahā-bandha) “great lock” comprised of the simultaneous performance of mulct, uddiyana, and jalandhara bandhas (q.v.)
maha vakya (mahā-vākya) “great statement”; one of eighteen or so Upanishadic statements taken by Shankara and other Vedantins to have special import for Vedanta philosophy
Mahayana (mahāyāna) northern Buddhism; the “Great Vehicle”
maitri (maitrī) friendliness, loving-kindness
manas (manas) sense mind, the inner sense, the internal organ, the conduit of sensory information to the perceiving self, soul, or consciousness, according to several classical schools
mandala (maṇḍala) cosmic circle, graphic representation of the universe
mangala (maṅgala) “doing something auspicious,” such as chanting om, making a flower offering, etc.
manipura (maṇi-pura) the navel chakra, the “city of jewels”
manomaya kosha (manomaya-kośa) body or kośa made of lower or sensuous intelligence, manas
manonmani (manonmanī) “mind without mind,” a name for samadhi or the supreme state accessible through yoga according to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika
mantra (mantra) verse of the Veda; words or sound with occult power to aid meditation, open chakras, etc.
marga (marga) way, path
matsyasana (matsyâsana) Fish Pose
maya (māyā) illusion, cosmic illusion, according to Advaita Vedanta; according to Vedantic theists, “(self)-delimitation” (from the root ma, to measure or delimit: see note 14 to chapter 5)
Mimamsa (mīmāṃsā) “Exegesis”; long-running school of classical philosophy devoted to defending the scriptural revelation of the Veda
mudra (mudrā) “seal,” gesture; attitude; form imitating that of an enlightened guru, channel to yogic experience
mukti (= mokṣa) “liberation,” enlightenment
mula bandha (mūla-bandha) root lock
muladhara chakra (mūlâdhāra-cakra) the lotus center at the base of the spine where the kundalini serpent power rests (normally) asleep
murchchha (mūrcchā) fainting, swooning; type of pranayama in which the breath is retained for an extended period
nada (nāda) sound, in particular occult or internal sounds
nada-yoga (nāda yoga) the yoga of concentrating on internal sounds
nadi (nāḍī) pathway for prana and shakti (q.v.)
namas te (namas te) “salutations to thee”; see note 26 to chapter 1
naya (naya) perspective
nirbija samadhi (nirbīja-samādhi) “trance without any seed (of a samskara that would force one back to the waking state)”—Yoga Sutra 1.51 and 3.8
nirguna (nirguṇa) without attributes
nirvana (nirvāṇa) extinction (of suffering); enlightenment; the experience of the “void” (of desire and attachment); the summum bonum in Buddhism (although in Mahāyāna the goal is to become a bodhisattva [q.v.])
nirvikalpaka jnana (nirvikalpaka-jñāna) indeterminate awareness, “concept-free” awareness, nonpropositional awareness
niyama (niyama) (personal) restraints, the second limb of ashtanga-yoga, comprising: (1) shaucha, (2) santosha, (3) tapas, (4) svadhyaya, and (5) ishvara-pranidhana (q.v.)
Nyaya (nyāya-darśana) “Logic”; a school of realism and common sense prominent throughout the classical period, from the Nyaya Sutra (c. 200) on, developing out of canons of debate and informal logic; explicitly combined with Vaisheshika in the later centuries beginning with Udayana (c. 1000); focused on issues in epistemology but also defending yoga practice
padmasana (padmâsana) Lotus Pose
parama-purushartha (parama-puruṣârtha) “supreme personal good”
paramita (pāramitā) perfection; six moral and spiritual perfections are exhibited by a bodhisattva (q.v.), according to Mahayana Buddhism: (1) charity, (2) uprightness, (3) energy, (4) patience, (5) concentration (samadhi), and (6) wisdom (prajñā)
parampara (param-parā) lineage of teachers or gurus
parshvottanasana (parśvôttānâsana) Side Stretch
pingala (piṇgala) channel or nadi that runs from the right nostril, pranic channel; “Sun”
plavini (plāvinī) “floating”; type of pranayama in which the breath is swallowed into the stomach
pradhana (pradhāna) root form of nature or prakriti according to Samkhya
prajna (prajñā) wisdom; spiritual insight; one of the “perfections,” paramita (q.v.) or marks of a bodhisattva (q.v.), according to Mahayana Buddhism
prakamya (prākāmya) siddhi of irresistible will
prakara (prakāra) predicate content, the “way” something appears
prakriti (prakṛti) nature conceived as operating mechanically, without intrinsic consciousness; a principal Samkhya concept
pramana (pramāṇa) source of knowledge; justifier; according to Nyaya, there are four: perception, inference, anology, and testimony
prana (prāṇa) breath; inhalation; type of wind or vital air or energy animating certain bodily functions; life or vital energy (see note 15 to appendix A)
pranamaya kosha (prāṇamaya-kośa) body made of life energy, prana
pranayama (prāṇâyāma) breath control
pranidhana (praṇidhāna) devotion, meditation, devotional surrender
prapanca (prapañca) worldly display
prapatti (prapatti) surrender (to God)
prapti (prāpti) “obtaining”; siddhi of cognition at a distance
prasarita padottanasana (prasārita-pādôttānâsana) Widespread Forward Fold
prasanga (prasaṅga) a form of philosophic argument: reductio ad absurdum, dialectical difficulty; Nagarjuna’s refutational method
pratibandhaka (pratibandhaka) “blocker,” obstruction; epistemic defeater
pratitya samutpada (pratītya-samutpāda) interdependent origination; the Buddhist doctrine that each event comes to be in interdependence with all other events
pratyabhijna (pratyabhijñā) recognition
pratyahara (pratyāhāra) “withdrawal” from the sense organs to cognize only sense data, or, in some interpretations, external objects directly through the manas (q.v.)
pratyaksha (pratyakṣa) perception; a source of knowledge, pramana (q.v.), according to Nyaya and practically all classical philosophy
puja (pūja) ceremony of worship
purusha (puruṣa) individual conscious being, person
rajas (rajas) guna of passion and activity
rasa (rasa) aesthetic “flavor,” “juice”; aesthetic experience, relishing; see the list on p. 153
rishi (ṛṣi) seer-poet, author of mantras of the Rig Veda; enlightened seer who, with other seers in some instances, originates a tradition of yoga or a skill or craft
rupa skandha (rūpa-skandha) sense data, form, and matter as comprising a “band” of an individual (see skandha)
sachchidananda (sac-cid-ānanda) Existence-Consciousness-Bliss, a popular Vedantic characterization of Brahman in itself; sat = pure being, the self-existent, chit = consciousness or consciousness force, ananda = delight, bliss, self-delight
saguna (saguṇa) with attributes
sahasradala (sahasra-dala) “thousand-petaled (lotus),” divine center or chakra connectioning occultly with the brahma-randhra and sushumna (q.v.), four fingers above the head
sahasrara (sahasrâra) “thousand-spoked (wheel)”; see sahasra-dala
saholi (saholī) retention of sexual fluids and energy (for women, vajroli for men)
sahridya (sahṛdaya) the aesthetic expert or connoisseur, “like-hearted” member of an audience
sakshatkartavya (sākṣāt-kartavya) to be made immediate in experience
sakshin (sākṣin) witness
sama sthiti (sama-sthiti) Equipose Stance, the starting and finishing position of a series or flow of asanas
samadhi (samādhi) yogic trance, “enstacy,” the ability to shut off mental fluctuations (see note 1 to chapter 5)
samagri (sāmagrī) collection of causal factors together sufficient for an effect
samana (samāna) “equalizing breath,” one of five pranas mentioned in the Upanishads and manipulated in pranayama
samapatti (samāpatti) “yogic balance”; see note 13 to appendix C
samatva (samatva) balance, equinimity
samjna skandha (saṃjña-skandha) skandha (q.v.) of cognition, thought
samkalpa (saṃkalpa) intention
Samkhya (sāṃkhya-darśana) “Analysis”; an early school of Indian philosophy according to which the “supreme personal good” is achieved through psychological disidentification
samnyasa (saṃnyāsa) renunciation
sampradaya (sampradāya) yogic lineage
samprajnata samadhi (samprajñāta-samādhi) samadhi “with prop”; the penultimate stage of yogic accomplishment according the Yoga Sutra; see asamprajnata-samadhi
samsara (saṃsāra) transmigratory existence, the wheel of birth and rebirth, worldly existence
samskara (saṃskāra) disposition; mental disposition, memory or subliminal impression
samskara skandha (saṃskāra-skandha) skandha (q.v.) of mental connectives, rationality
samyama (saṃyama) control through conscious identification and extension of self
sandhi (sandhi) euphonic combination
santana (santāna) stream of psychological elements (dharma) said by Buddhist philosophers to comprise personal identity
santosha (santoṣa) contentment, self-acceptance; the second niyama (q.v.) according to the Yoga Sutra
sapta bhangi (sapta-bhaṅgi) seven styles or truth values, according to Jaina philosophers, i.e., seven combinations of three truth values, truth, falsity, and indeterminacy
sarga (sarga) creation, emanation
sarvangasana (sarvâṅgâsana) Shoulder Stand (“All-Limbs Pose”)
sat (sat) being; good
sat-karya-vada (sat-kārya-vāda) theory that the effect in some sense preexists in the cause; view of causality appearing in Samkhya and Vedanta
satta (sattā) beingness
sattva (sattva) guna (q.v.) of intelligence and purity
satya (satya) truth; telling the truth, the second yama (q.v.) according to the Yoga Sutra
savikalpa jnana (savikalpaka-jñāna) determinate awareness, propositional awareness, verbalizable awareness
setu bandhasana (setu-bandhâsana) Bridge Pose
seva (sevā) service
shabda brahman (śabda-brahman) Brahman as the Creative “Word”
shakha (śākhā) branch of Vedic recension
shakti (śakti) divine energy, power of God; the Goddess
shakti pata (śakti-pāta) descent of shakti; divine grace
shaktopaya (śāktôpāya) way of the Shakta, the devotee of divine energy (shakti)
shambhavopaya (śāmbhavôpāya) way of Shambhu, Shiva
shanta rasa (śānta-rasa) relish of spiritual peace
shanti (śānti) spiritual tranquility, peace
shastra (śāstra) an individual science or craft; a scientific textbook
shaucha (śauca) cleanliness; the first niyama (q.v.) according to the Yoga Sutra
shavasana (śavâśana) Corpse Pose
shirshasana (śīrṣâsana) Head Stand
shishya (śiṣya) “fit to be instructed,” student
shitali (śītalī) Cooling Breath, inhaling through the rolled tongue, a form of pranayama
shiva (śiva) kind, agreeable; Shiva, the Great God (maha-deva)
shlesha (śleṣa) pun, double meaning
shoka (śoka) grief
shri (śrī) beauty, divine beauty; an honorific used in the sense of “blessed” or “revered,” e.g., “Shree Ramakrishna”
shruti (śruti) “hearing”; scripture; the Veda, including the Upanishads, according to Vedanta and other schools
shunyata (śūnyatā) emptiness; void vibrant with compassion, according to Mahayana Buddhism
siddhanta (siddhânta) established view, proven position
siddhasana (siddhâsana) Perfection Pose
siddhi (siddhi) occult power, perfection
sitkari (sītkārī) Hissing Breath, inhaling through the teeth, a form of pranayama
skandha (skandha) band, aggregate of psychological elements, i.e., grouping of qualities (dharma), according to Buddhist philosophies (see figure 4B)
spanda (spanda) pulsation
sthayi bhava (sthāyi-bhāva) abiding emotional state; see the list on p. 153
stotra (stotra) hymn
sukhasana (sukhâsana) Easy Seat
sukshma sharira (sūkṣma-śarīra) subtle body, astral body, pranic body to include the mental kośas
surya bhedana (sūrya-bhedana) Splitting the Sun Channel, inhaling through the right nostril and exhaling through the left, a kind of pranayama
surya namaskara (sūrya-namas-kāra) Sun Salutations, a series or flow sequence of asanas
sushumna (suṣumnā) centralmost nadi connecting the muladhara and sahasrara (q.v.) centers or chakras, the central channel
sutra (sūtra) “thread”; a philosophic or another type of aphorism
svadharma (sva-dharma) a person’s individual dharma (q.v.)
svadhishthana (svâdhiṣṭhāna) “self-established,” self-support; second chakric center (counting from the bottom or muladhara) said to be related to sexual and “lower-life” energies; location of the kundalini serpent power, according to a minority
svadhyaya (svâdhyāya) self-study (in the light of a yogic text), the fourth on the Yoga-sutra’s list of niyamas (q.v.)
svaprakasha (sva-prakāśa) “self-illuminating,” self-lit; an Upanishadic doctrine of self-consciousness
svarupa (sva-rūpa) own nature, own form
svasamvedana (sva-samvedanā) self-reflexively perceiving; cognition as self-cognizing, a Buddhist view of consciousness
syad-vada (syād-vāda) “maybe” ism, perspectivism; the view that each opposing philosophic position has some validity, championed by Jaina philosophers
syat (syāt) maybe
tadasana (tāḍâsana) Mountain Pose
tamas (tamas) guna (q.v.) of dullness and inactivity
tanha (tanhā) thirst, desire
tanmatra (tan-mātra) subtle element; sense data
tantra (tantra) systematic instruction; “web” or (more literally) “woven fabric” of belief; family of related religious and philosophic systems using feminine imagery in ceremonies and stories, a movement valuing nature as an expression of shakti (q.v.) or the Goddess (sh ri, q.v.)
tapas (tapas) asceticism, yogic “heat,” yoga in general
tapasya (tapasyā) asceticism, yoga in general
tarka (tarka) hypothetical reasoning, drawing out implications; spiritual or metaphysical reasoning, according to Abhinava Gupta, the most important “limb” (anga) of yoga
tattva (tattva) reality, “that-ness”; principle of being or reality
tejas (tejas) heat and warmth; enthusiasm, energy; spiritual energy
tirtha (tīrtha) holy place, “crossing” (between worlds)
Trika (trika) “Triad,” stream of Kashmiri Shaivite tantra; see note 5 to appendix D
tvam (tvam) “you,” second-person personal pronoun
udana (udāna) “up-breath,” one of five pranas mentioned in the Upanishads and manipulated in pranayama
uddiyana bandha (uḍḍīyana-bandha) stomach lock
ujjayi (ujjāyī) “victorious breath,” deep breathing with contraction of the epiglottis, a form of pranayama
upalakshana (upalakṣana) (conversational) indicator, e.g., “hovering crows” in the conversation pointing out Devadatta’s house, “It’s the one where the crows are hovering”
Upanishad (upaniṣat) “secret doctrine”; various prose and verse texts (appended to the Vedas, q.v.) with mystical themes centered on an understanding of the self and its relation to the Absolute or God, called Brahman; the primary sources for classical Vedanta philosophy and the first texts advocating yoga practices
upaya (upāya) way, means; yogic means (for Abhinava Gupta on four upaya: see note 7 to appendix D)
urdhva hastasana (ūrdhva-hastâsana) Raised-Hands Pose
urdhva-mukha shvanasana (ūrdhva-mukha-śvānâsana) Upward-Facing Dog
uttanasana (uttānâsana) Standing Forward Fold
vada (vāda) theory or perspective of interlocking beliefs
vairagya (vairāgya) dispassion, disinterestedness
Vaisheshika (vaiśeṣika) Atomism; a classical philosophy focusing on ontological issues, sister to Nyaya
vaishishtya (vaiśiṣṭya) relationality, typically the relation between a property and its bearer or locus
Vajrayana (vajra-yāna) the “Lightning-Bolt Vehicle,” a stream of Buddhist tantrism (see note 7 to chapter 5)
vajroli (vajrolī) retention of sexual fluids and energy (for men, saholi for women)
vama marga (vāma-marga) the left-hand path
vasana (vāsanā) mental disposition or samskara that spans lifetimes, generalized subliminal impression and force; karma
vashita (vāśitā) siddhi of dominion over external elements
vata (vāta) vital air, form of prana
Veda (veda) “(revealed) knowledge”; the four Vedas, comprising principally hymns to gods and goddesses; the oldest texts in Sanskrit
vedana skandha (vedanā-skandha) skandha (q.v.) of sensation, feeling
Vedanta (vedânta) originally an epithet for the Upanishads (“end of the Veda”); school of classical Indian philosophy based on the Upanishads and the Brahma Sutra and centered on a concept of Brahman, comprising several subschools, Advaita (q.v.) and theistic Vedanta in particular
vidya (vidyā) spiritual knowledge
vijnanamaya kosha (vijñānamaya-kośa) sheath or body made of higher intelligence, vijnana
vijnana skandha (vijñāna-skandha) skandha (q.v.) of consciousness
vijnapti matra (vijñapti-mātra) “consciousness only”; a central doctrine of Yogacara Buddhism
vikalpa (vikalpa) possibility, imagination
vimarsha (vimarśa) self-consciousness; reflection
viparita-karani (viparīta-karaṇī) mudra or kriya that involves wholesale “reversal” of psychic energies
vira-bhadrasana-ka (vīra-bhadrâsana-ka) Warrior One
virasana (vīrâsana) Hero’s Pose
visheshana (viśeṣana) qualifier, property; adjective
vishuddhi (viśuddhi) the “pure,” the throat chakra, center of inspiration
vishayata (viṣayata) objecthood, intentionality
viveka (viveka) “discrimination,” especially of purusha from prakriti according to Samkhya
vritti (vṛtti) modification (of awareness)
vyavahara (vyavahāra) conventional discourse; everyday speech; taken by classical philosophers as prima facie evidence
yajna (yajña) sacrifice, ritual
yama (yama) (ethical) restraints, the first limb of ashtanga-yoga: (1) ahimsa, (2) satya, (3) asteya, (4) brahmacarya, (5) aparigraha (q.v.)
yana (yāna) religious career, vehicle for salvation
yantra (yantra) diagrams the contemplation of which is said to absorb attention
yaugika pratyaksha (yaugika-pratyakṣa) yogic perception
yoga (yoga) connection, relation; self-discipline; “union” with higher self or God
Yoga (yoga-darśana) the philosophy of the Yoga Sutra; a philosophy that advocates and defends yoga practices
Yogachara (yogâcāra) Buddhist idealism