Appendix A

Sanskrit Glossary

Agni. Fire.

Ahamkara. Self-will, the ego, mask. The principle in man which makes himself feel separate from others.

Ajna chakra. Command centre; the centre of consciousness between the eyebrows, also known as the third eye.

Akasha. One of the finest of the elemental particles, a substratum of the property of sound.

Alochaka. One of the five types of pitta, which resides in the eyes. Its main task is to capture images of objects external to the body.

Ama. Improperly digested food which, when it becomes fetid, produces toxins that lodge in the body.

Annamaya kosha. The sheath around the body, nourished by food and aligned to the physical self.

Anandamaya kosha. The sheath of bliss which surrounds the body.

Asana. A particular posture for the practice of meditation or certain exercises to promote health.

Artha. An ‘object of pursuit’, referring to abundance or money.

Asthi. Bone tissue; one of the seven dhatus which supports the body, giving it shape and protection.

Ayurveda. The science of life. Ayur means ‘life’ and veda means ‘knowledge’.

Bodhaka. One of the five types of kapha, which is located at the root of the tongue and the pharynx and enables the sense of taste.

Brahma. The creator, taking the universe as his body, manifesting the energy of creation.

Buddhi. The faculty of the mind, from budh, ‘to awake, to understand’. The discriminative faculty.

Chakra. ‘Wheel’; name of centres of consciousness which are described as being strung along the spine and related to nerve centres which govern the bodily functions.

Dhanvantari. The physician to the gods and incarnation of Vishnu, who represents the true healer in all beings.

Dharma. From dhri, ‘to support’: that which is established; law; justice; duty; the prescribed course of conduct; that which supports.

Dhatu. The basic structural tissues (there are seven) of the body, which support and nourish the body.

Dosha. Literally a fault, defect or blemish. Three humours are principally responsible for maintaining the integrity of the human body, governing all biological and psychological functions.

Ghee. Clarified butter.

Guna. Quality; three attributes which are in balance before the evolution of creation takes place.

Kama. Desire; one of the three pursuits of life, commonly ascribed to all humans.

Kapha. One of the three doshas associated with the body; the bodily fluids.

Kicharee. Dish made up of mung beans and rice, which is very easy to digest.

Kledaka. One of the sub-types of kapha which moistens the food in the stomach.

Kosha. One of five sheaths which compose the subtle body.

Mahabuhta. The five elements which make everything in the universe.

Majja. One of the seven dhatus, or bodily tissues, whose function is to nourish reproductive tissue and fill up the bones.

Mamsa. One of the seven dhatus, or bodily tissues, whose main function is to provide physical strength.

Manas. The mind.

Mano-maya kosha. The mental sheath which surrounds the body.

Meda. One of the seven dhatus, or bodily tissues, whose function is to lubricate the body.

Moksha. Liberation, freedom and release from the limitations of the ego.

Ojas. Refined essence of kapha dosha, which gives lustre, strength and a strong immune system.

Pachaka. One of the five sub-types of pitta dosha, which resides in the area between the stomach and the duodenum. Its action is comparable to that of bile and pancreatic enzymes.

Panchakarma. A system involving five different types of deep cleansing of the body.

Pitta. One of the three doshas, or bodily humours, which is responsible for all the physio-chemical reactions in the body.

Prakriti. Primal nature or matter. Also a person’s constitution, which is determined at birth.

Prana. Breath or life force. One of the five vital winds governing the body, mainly responsible for respiratory and mental functions.

Pranamaya kosha. The sheath of the vital breath which surrounds the body.

Pranayama. Yogic control of the breath.

Rajas. One of the three gunas or forces governing the creation. Rajas is responsible for action.

Rakta. One of the seven dhatus responsible for the circulation of prana in the body via the blood.

Ranjaka. One of the five pitta sub-types, located in the liver and spleen, and mainly responsible for the formation of blood.

Rasa. The first of seven dhatus, closely related to lymph, which circulates nutrients to every cell in the body.

Sadhaka. One of the pitta sub-types, it is responsible for enthusiasm, intelligence and memory.

Samana. One of the vata sub-types located in the stomach and duodenal area. The most important function is the separation of food materials and wastes in the body.

Samkhya. The main philosophy which underlies Ayurveda, meaning ‘to enumerate’.

Sattwa. The purest aspect of the three gunas; the sentient principle which gives harmony, purity and light.

Shleshaka. One of the five sub-types of kapha, it protects the joints by keeping them lubricated.

Shukra. One of the essential seven dhatus, shukra is concerned with reproduction.

Sphota. Sound, vibration from which the universe emanated.

Srotas. The minute channels of the body responsible for the transport of prana and nutrients throughout the body.

Tamas. One of the three gunas or states of energy related to inertia and groundedness.

Tarpaka. One of the five sub-types of kapha, which is found in the head and functions to protect the brain and sensory organs.

Tejas. The superfine essence of pitta, which among other things governs metabolism and gives radiance.

Udana. One of the five sub-types of vata dosha. Its seat is in the area of the navel, and it regulates the upward movement of prana.

Vata. One of the three doshas, or humours, governing the body. It is related to air and space, and responsible for the circulation of everything in the body.

Vedas. Important scriptures of ancient India.

Vedanta. Known as the ‘end of the Vedas’. One of the six philosophical systems which underpins Ayurveda. It teaches the essence of the Vedas and was founded in the Upanishads.

Vyana. One of the sub-types of vata dosha; the ‘vital air’ which circulates blood in the body.

Vyanamaya kosha. The subtle intellectual sheath which surrounds the body.