eleventh day (of each half-month); sacred to Vaiṣṇavas.
ekāgratā
one-pointedness, single-mindedness.
ekaśṛṅga
one-horn (unicorn); the fish-descent (of Viṣṇu) with one horn, on which Manu fastened his raft and thus was saved in the great flood.
gaddī
throne, seat, headship (as of a
maṭha)
.
gandharva
celestial musician.
Gaṇeśa
lord of the celestial armies; elephant-headed son of Śiva and Pārvatī.
garbha
womb;
garbha-gṛha;
innermost sanctuary of the temples.
Garuḍa
Viṣṇu’s vehicle; gryphius.
ghāṭ(a)
steps; especially flight of steps leading to a river or tank.
gopa
cowherd
gopī
milk maid.
gosvāmī
lord of cows; title for high-ranking Vaiṣṇavas of certain communities.
grāma-devatās
village deities.
guṇa
quality.
guru
elder; spiritual master; teacher in general.
gurūpāsati
surrender to the master (as part of initiation)
guru-paraṃparā
lineage of gurus, succession of guru and disciple.
hala
plough, attribute of Balarāma.
halāhala
poison churned up from the Milk Ocean, consumed by Śiva in order to save the world.
hara
literally, the one who takes away; name of Śiva.
hari
literally, the yellowish green one; name of Viṣṇu.
harṣa
joy.
hasyā
laughter.
Hayaśirṣa
“horse-head,” an
avatāra
of Viṣṇu.
hetu
cause.
hiṃsā
violence, killing.
hindūtva
“hindu-dom”, Hinduism as a cultural and political over against
“hmdu-dharma”
as a religious concept.
hiraṇyagarbha
literally, golden womb; in cosmology the first being.
hita
beneficial, good.
hitavācana
well-intentioned speaking.
hlādinī
enjoyment.
hlādinī-śakti
“power of enjoyment,” one of the three
śaktis
of Kṛṣṇa.
homa
fire oblation.
hotṛ
class of Vedic priests.
hṛdaya
heart; core of something.
icchā
wish, desire.
indriya
sense organs.
īrṣyā
envy, jealousy.
iṣṭa
preferred, wished for.
iṣṭa-deva(tā)
the god of one’s choice.
īśvara
Lord; God.
itihāsa
history; technical term for the epics.
japa
repetition of the name of God or a
mantra
.
jātī
birth; race, family, “sub-caste.”
jaya
victory; also as greeting – “hail.”
jīva(-ātman)
life; individual living being.
jñāna
knowledge.
jñānaniṣṭha
state of being firmly and irrevocably established in ultimate knowledge.
jñāni
a knower (of the absolute).
jyotis
light
jyotir-liṅga
“liṅga formed of light,” twelve famous
Śiva-liṅgas
which are not made by human hands.
jyotiṣa
one of the auxiliary sciences of the Veda: astronomy and astrology.
jyotiṣṭoma
a seasonal sacrifice for the departed.
kaiṁkārya
“service”, used in connection with service of God in heaven as ultimate aim
(kaimkārya-prāpti)
.
kaivalya
“aloneness;” ultimate aim of
yoga
.
Kāla
time; black colour; fate; death.
Kālamukha
black-mouth; name of Śiva; name of a Śaivite sect.
kālī
the “black one”; name of the terrible form of the goddess.
kālī-yuga
age of strife; last period in each world-era
(kalpa)
.
kalkin
the future (last)
āvātara
of Viṣṇu in the form of a white horse.
kalpa
world-era, day of Brahmā (432 million years); ritual; one of the auxiliary sciences of Veda.
Kalpa-sūtras
texts describing sacrificial rituals.
kāma
desire, lust, love; name of god of love.
kāmadhenu
“wish-fulfilling cow.”
kāmya-karma
ritual performed to fulfill a particular wish.
kāṇḍa
part (of a text).
kāpalī
literally one with a skull; name of followers of certain Śaivite groups.
kāraṇa
cause; title of the Supreme Being; God.
karma
work; action; result of an action.
kārya
worship of an image through various acts.
kavaca
“armour”, “protection”; designation of certain prayers invoking the protection of a deity.
kavi
poet, wise man, omniscient.
keyura
earring, attribute of images of deities.
khadga
sword, attribute of images of deities.
kīrtaṇa
congregational religious singing.
kleśa
suffering; pain.
kośa
sheath; cover; treasury; lexicon.
kriyā
activity; skill; exercises.
krodha
anger.
kṛpā
favor; grace.
Kṛṣṇa
black; proper name of the most famous
avatāra
of Viṣṇu.
kṛta-yuga
the first age in each world era; the golden age.
Kubera
god of wealth, king of the
yakṣas
, friend of Śiva.
kukṣi
chest.
kuṃbha
waterpot; astronomically, sign of Aquarius.
kuṃbha-melā
a great gathering at specific holy places every twelfth year.
kuṇḍalinī
serpent; in Tantricism, life-energy.
Kūrma
tortoise; one of the
Avatāras
of Viṣṇu.
lakṣana
characteristic; attribute; sign.
līlā
play.
liṅga
characteristic sign; subtle nature; phallic symbol of Śiva.
lobha
greed.
loka
world; sphere.
loka-nātha
Lord of the world.
loka-pāla
guardian of the world.
mada
intoxication; dementia.
mādhava
sweet like honey
(madhu);
proper name of Kṛṣṇa; proper name of several famous philosophers.
madhurasa
literally, honey sentiment; highest love and affection.
mādhurya bhāva
“feeling of sweetness”, highest degree of
bhakti
.
madhya deśa
“middle country”, Central (North-) India, the best place for Brāhmins to live in.
mahā
great.
Mahābhārata
“The Great Bhārata (Narrative)”; a huge epic and a veritable encyclopedia of Hinduism.
mahā-pāpa
“great sin,” unforgivable action.
mahant(a)
head of a monastic establishment.
maharṣi
great sage; honorific title.
mahat
great; in the Sāṁkhya system, first evolute (intellect).
mahātmā
great soul; honorific title.
māhātmya
eulogy, text praising a particular place.
maheśvara
great lord; proper name of Śiva.
mahiṣa
buffalo; proper name of a demon killed by Devī.
maithuṇa
copulation; pair; astronomically, Gemini.
makara
crocodile; alligator.
mala
stain.
mālā
garland; chain; “rosary” of beads.
maṃsa
meat.
mānasa
mind borne.
māna
pride; idea, concept; honor.
manas
mind.
māṇava
relating to Manu; human.
mānava-dharma
laws given by Manu (for humankind).
maṇḍala
circle; section of
Ṛgveda
.
maṇḍapa
covered hall; tent.
maṇḍira
palace; temple.
maṅgala
auspicious, lucky.
maṅgala-śloka
an opening verse or prayer of a text to ensure that the undertaking is auspicious.
maṇi
jewel.
mantra
word, formula (especially from scriptures).
Manu
ancestor and lawgiver of humankind.
manvantara
an age of one (of fourteen) Manu (432 million years); according to Hindu tradition we live now in the seventh
manvantara
(seven more are to follow before the end).
mārga
way; street; especially in metaphor, path of salvation.
marjāra
cat,
marjāra-mārga
, “the cat’s way.”
markaṭa
monkey,
markaṭa-mārga
, “the monkey’s way.”
Marut
wind; wind god.
maṭha
monastic establishment.
matsya
fish.
māyā
fiction.
melā
fair, assembly.
Mīmāṃsā
inquisition; system; proper name of one
darśana
.
mithyā
futility; false; e.g.,
mithyā-jñāna
is false knowledge.
mleccha
“barbarian,” somebody who does not belong to Hindu culture.
moha
delusion.
mokṣa
liberation.
mṛtyu
death.
mudrā
(hand) pose.
mukta
one who is liberated; e.g.,
jīvan-mukta
is one liberated while still living in the body.
mukti
liberation.
mukti-dātā
giver of liberation, title of Visnu.
mūla
root.
mūla-prakṛti
primary matter.
mulayahan
name of demon, personification of evil, subdued by Śiva.
mumukṣu
one who desires liberation.
muni
literally, one who keeps silence; ascetic; “monk.”
mūrti
literally, embodiment; figure; image.
muśala
hammer, attribute of images of deities.
nādī
river, (body) vessel, nerve.
nāga
superior being; snake; naked, heretic.
naimittika karma
non-obligatory ritual for the purpose of obtaining a particular object.
nāma-japa
repetition of name(s) of God.
nāmakīrtaṇa
congregational singing of the name(s) of God.
nāma-rūpa
name and form; individuality.
nāmaskāra
greeting in a spirit of worship.
Nandi
Śiva’s vehicle; a bull.
nāraka
hell.
nāsadīya
title of a famous Ṛgvedic hymn beginning with
nāsad
(“there was not”).
nāstika
heretic; someone who denies the authority of the Veda.
nāstikya
irreligiosity.
nāṭarāja
“King of Dance,” title of Śiva.
nātha
lord.
Viśvanātha
, “Lord of the Universe.”
nigama
Veda; authoritative scripture.
nigamana
quotation (from
Veda);
in logic: deduction, conclusion.
nīla
dark blue.
Śiva nīlakantha:
Śiva with a dark-blue throat.
nirguṇa
without qualities or attributes.
Nirukta