Glossary

Abdulla	Abdullah Ansari of Herat, a Sufi master.
Abhisheka	A ceremonial bath performed in the worship of a deity.
Adhomukha	shvanasana
	The downward-dog posture in yoga.
Adi Shankara	Enlightened master from Bharat who lived only 32 years in the eighth century CE. Greatest exponent of the doctrine of or non-dualism, Advaita Vedanta whose movement restored glory to the declining vedic tradition and Hinduism during that period. Shankara established the Hindu order of monks which continues unbroken till today.
Agamya	The actions one constantly does out of free will after taking birth on planet Earth. These are not born out of true desires but from desires borrowed from society, by looking at others.
Aham Brahmasmi
	Literally means 'I am god.' means 'I am'; means 'god' or 'supreme Aham Brahman being'. The statement refers to the essence of the soul which is ever identical to god.
Ahankar	The false identification of the pure inner self with the outer world; a form of ego that makes you project a false identity of you to the outer world.
Ajapa japa	Chanting a sacred chant involuntarily.
Ajna chakra	The sixth energy center located between the eyebrows. Means 'command' or 'will' in Sanskrit. This is blocked by one's own ego. chakra
Akbar	Moghul emperor
Albert Einstein	Scientist and Nobel laureate.
Allopathy	Generally refers to western medicine.
Amrutasya putraha	Sons of Immortality.
Anahata chakra	Subtle energy center in the heart region related to love.

Anahata Dhvani The primordial sound of creation Om.

Anal-Haq	I am the Truth. Said to have been constantly uttered by the Sufi master Mansur, who was hanged to death for this sacrilege.
Ananda	Literally means 'that which cannot be reduced'.
Ananda Ashtanga	Eight fold path of bliss, referring to eight practices each of which leads to awareness
Ananda darshan	Ananda Darshan or Energy Darshan refers to the blessing given by a master imparting his energy to the recipient.
Ananda Gandha	chakra Situated in between the navel or and heart or , manipuraka chakra chakra anahata Ananda Gandha is the point where all collapse into one. THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM's chakras healing initiation to a disciple energizes the and initiates the Ananda Gandha disciple into Nithya Spiritual Healing.
Ananda Sankalpa
	Blissful Affirmation is the second step in the process. Ananda Ashtanga
Anandamaya	kosha Bliss Sheath is the fifth and final energy layer in the five layers known as koshas. A meditative journey through the five is the essence of THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM's koshas Atma Spurana Program.
Anima	is one of the eight powers, referring to the power of Anima siddhi yogic decreasing one's body size to that of a minute particle.
Annamacharya	Mystic saint composer of South Bharat.
Annamalai Swamigal	Disciple of Ramana Maharishi in the temple town of Tiruvannamalai, whose teachings led to THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM's deep spiritual experience at the age of 12.
kosha Annamaya	Food or Physical sheath, the first of the five or energy sheaths. koshas
Annie Besant	Theosophist and Hindu freedom fighter, writer and orator.
Anubhava	Experience, especially knowledge born out of repetitive experiences.
Appar	Tamil poet saint and author of Thevaram, devotional songs in praise of enlightened master Shiva. One of the most prominent of the 63 Nayanmars, Tamil saints who were devotees of Shiva.

Term	Definition
Arati	Fire ritual performed at the end of most worship done with lighted vedic lamps or camphor, accompanied often by devotional songs.
Arihanta	Term used for , spiritual leaders of the Jain religion. Tirthankars
Arjuna	Warrior prince and the third of the five brothers of the Pandava family in the great Hindu epic Mahabharata. He was a disciple of enlightened master Krishna who received the wisdom in the Bhagavad Gita from Krishna.
Arunachala	Literally the unmoving red mountain in Tiruvannamalai in Tamilnadu in South Bharat, this mystical hill is considered a representation of lord Shiva.
Arunagiri Yogeeshwara
	The temple of Arunachaleswara in Tiruvannamalai is built on the living energy tomb of Arunagiri Yogeeshwara, who is considered an incarnation of enlightened master Shiva.
Asana	Physical posture and one of the eight paths of yoga in Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga. must be stable and comfortable. Asana
Ashram	A monastery for Hindu or Buddhist monks.
Ashrama	The four stages in one's life: as a student, as a married brahmacharya grihastha householder, at the end of a productive married life and as vanaprastha sannyasi a person who renounces all material aspects in life.
Ashramite	Resident of ashram.
Ashtanga namaskar
	Prostrating to a deity or master by lying on the floor with all eight limbs of the body touching the earth.
Ashtanga yoga	Eight limbs or paths of Patanjali's Yoga: (discipline) niyama (rules), yama asana , (body postures), (breath control), pratyahara pranayama (concentration), (meditation) and (bliss). dharana dhyana samadhi
Ashtavakra	An enlightened sage who was born with eight crooked limbs. He is the vedic author of the Ashtavakra Gita.
Atma deepo bhava
	Buddha's message to his disciples exhorting them: 'Be a lamp unto your Self '.
Atma gnana	Self Realization.
Atma sharanagati	Surrender of the Self.
Atman	Soul, spirit, consciousness etc as referring to the individual imperishable energy that is a holographic image of the Cosmic Consciousness or Brahman
Atmano mokshartham jagat hitaya cha	'For one's own salvation and for the welfare of the world', this is the motto of the Ramakrishna Order coined by Swami Vivekananda.
Ayurvaidyans	Practitioners of the traditional Hindu medicinal system of ayurveda.
Ayurveda	Traditional Hindu system of medicine, literally means knowledge of Ayurveda life.
Ayurvedic	Related to , the traditional Hindu system of medicine. ayurveda
Bardos	Literally 'interval between two things' as in the Tibetan Book of the Dead, referring to different phases of the passage of the spirit.
Bayazid	A 9th century Persian Sufi saint.
Bhagavad Gita	Ancient Hindu scripture, delivered by enlightened master Krishna, and considered the essence of the Upanishads or scriptures.
Bhagavan	Used as a title of veneration with great masters, literally meaning 'prosperous'.
Bhagavan Mahavir
	Vardhamana Mahavira was the 24th and last Jain or enlightened tirthankara one, and established the tenets of the religion of Jainism, founded in Bharat and now practiced by millions worldwide.
Bhagavatam	The foremost epic of Hindu religion describing the incarnations of Vishnu, especially his incarnation as Krishna. It was written by Vyasa, who was also the author of the or epic Mahabharata. itihasa
Bhaja Govindam	Collection of 32 (sometimes 34) devotional verses composed by enlightened master Adi Shankara. This is considered to be the essence of Vedanta and non duality. Advaita,
Bhakti	Devotion.
Bhakti yogi	A person who follows the path of devotion, , as a means to bhakti yoga enlightenment.
Bharatanatyam	Classical South Hindu dance form.
Bhava	Emotional mood, referring here to the five emotional ways in which a disciple can interact with the master.
Bhujangasana	Cobra posture in Yoga, in which the head is raised while lying down.
Bidadi ashram	THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM's spiritual headquarters in Bidadi township, about 30 km from Bangalore city.
Big Bang	Cosmological model of the universe where the universe is considered to have originated from a highly dense initial state at some time in the past, and continues to expand to this day.
Bija	Seed.
Bija mantra	Seed or an energized chant that is specific to a deity or master. mantra
Birbal	Advisor to Moghul emperor Akbar.
Black hole	A theoretical region of space in which the gravitational field is so powerful that nothing, not even light can escape from it.
Bodhidharma	A disciple of Buddha and mainly responsible for spreading Buddhism as Zen Buddhism.
Brahma	The Creator amongst the Hindu Trinity of Gods.
Brahmaanda	Cosmos or macrocosm as opposed to the individual microcosm. pindanda,
Brahmachari	A vedic student, usually referring to a young celibate monk.
Brahmacharinis	A female vedic student, usually referring to a young celibate monk
Brahmagnana	Knowledge of the Absolute.
Brahman	Absolute, Cosmic Consciousness, Formless god etc all referring to the Universal Energy source of which the individual energy of the soul is a holographic part.
Brahmanda Purana
	A collection of 12,000 verses in what is usually considered the last and eighteenth Hindu or epic This is the story of the creation of the universe purana purana by Brahma.
Buddha	Enlightened master and founder of the religion of Buddhism.
Buddhi	Intelligence.
Buddhism	Religion founded by enlightened master Buddha.
Carl Jung	Renowned 20th Century Swiss psychiatrist and contemporary of Sigmund Freud. He was renowned for his work on the 'collective unconscious'.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

A 15th century mystic from Bengal, Bharat steeped in devotion to enlightened master Krishna. His followers are known as Gaudiya Vaishnavas.

• Chakras Energy centers in the body. Literally means 'wheel' based on the experience of mystics who perceived these energy centers as whirlpools of energy. There are seven major chakras along the spine: muladhara, swadhishthana, manipuraka, anahata, vishuddhi, ajna and sahasrara.
• ChakshuEnergy behind the power of sight.

Chandogya Upanishad

One of the oldest and primary Upanishads or scriptures.

Charles Leadbeater Theosophist..

Chidambaram	A place in South Bharat famous for its ancient temple dedicated to enlightened master Shiva in his dancing form as Nataraja and where he is represented as the space energy.
Chin mudra	Palms upraised with thumb and forefinger forming a circle and other three fingers outstretched.
Chitta	Memory.
Chittakasha	The middle part of the three space or definitions. First is akasha or ghatakasha the physical space. is the third infinite space of Consciousness. Mahakasha
Christianity	Religion based on teachings of Jesus Christ.
Cleve Backster	A polygraph expert who studied behavior of plants subjected to threats and affection using the lie detector equipment.
Dakshinamurthy Swamigal	Enlightened master from South Bharat.
Darshan	Literally 'sight', referring to the vision of the divine, a deity or master.
dasa bhava	One of the five forms of relationships between master and disciple. Dasa refers to the emotional mood of the disciple as a servant in surrender to bhava the master, exemplified by Hanuman's relationship with Rama.
Dasoham'	Means 'I am the servant' signifying surrender to master.
Dattatreya	Representation of the Hindu Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva in one incarnation.
Deepak Chopra	A medical doctor who writes and teaches spirituality in USA. His works on wellness related to mind-body integration have been bestsellers.
Devi	Supreme goddess in Hinduism, Cosmic Mother.
Dhamma	Representing the teachings of the enlightened master. Buddha spoke of the three elements of his mission, Buddha the master, his teachings and his community. dhamma sangha
Dhammapada	Teachings of Buddha in scriptural form.
Dharana	Concentration. The sixth limb of Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga.
Dharma	Sanskrit equivalent of the Pali word used by Buddha. Also translated as 'righteous behavior'. dhamma
Dharmo rakshati rakshitaha	A vedic scriptural statement that means: protects those who protect it. Dharma
Dhauti	A yogic practice of cleansing intestines.
Dheera	Courageous person. Term used by Swami Vivekananda in exhorting his followers.
Dhyana	Meditation. Seventh of the eight limbs of Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga.
DNA	Deoxyribonucleic acid, the building block of all living beings containing the genetic code.
Dr Charles Townes
	Nobel laureate in physics for work related to maser and laser.
Dr. Bruce Lipton	Molecular cellular biologist and author of 'The Biology of Belief', renowned for his seminal work in relating genetics to conditioning.
Dr. Masaru Emoto	Japanese scientist and author of 'The Hidden Messages in Water' showing the effects of one's thoughts and words on water and therefore on living beings.
Draupadi	Princess in the Hindu epic Mahabharata who was married to all five warrior brothers of the Pandava family.
Dukkha ateeta	Beyond sorrow and pain.
Dukkha Harana	'Removal of sorrows' meditation that is part of THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM's Life Bliss Programs. Addresses the root energy center muladhara
Dvija	Twice born. Refers to the state of awakening of Consciousness.

		Machine which uses electrodes attached to the scalp to measure brain wave
activity.

• Engram Shortened form for engraved memories, referring to value systems, beliefs and conditioning memories that are stored in our unconscious mind, which drive us in our thoughts and actions.
• Freudian Referring to teachings of Austrian psychologist and father of modern psychiatry Sigmund Freud.
• Gananaatha Refers to Hindu god Ganesha.

GanasDevotees of enlightened master Shiva.

• Ganga The most celebrated river in Bharat, considered holy by all Hindus.
• Gayatri mantra Considered to be one of the most powerful mantras in the vedic tradition, Gayatri was the initiation mantrafor all young students.

Psychological condition of constant worry leading to stress and fatigue.

• George Gurdjieff Greek Armenian mystic and spiritual teacher famous for his principle of Fourth Way, corresponding to the turiya state in vedictradition. GnanaKnowledge.

• Gnana shaktiEnergy of knowledge.

• Gnana yogiOne who follows the path of knowledge for Self Realization.

• Goddess Saraswati Hindu goddess of learning

• Gomukh Source of river Ganga.

GopisWomen who tended cows who were devotees of enlightened master Krishna.

GuruSpiritual master.

Guru Granth Sahib Scripture of the Sikh religion.

• Guru KrupaCompassion of the master.
• Guru Nanak Founder of Sikh religion.
• Guru pujaRitual worship of the master.
• Gurukul Vedic educational institution.

Gurus	Spiritual masters.
Haasya Dhyana	Laughter meditation.
Hamsa Mantra	Also called soham mantra, it is practised by intoning 'hmmm' while inhaling and 'sssooo' while exhaling.
Hanuman	The monkey god revered by Hindus and a disciple of Rama.
Hara	Seat of the soul in Japanese tradition, corresponds to swadhishthana chakra subtle energy center related to fear
Hatha Yoga	A form of Yoga developed by Yogi Swatmarama focusing on the physical aspects of Patanjali's ashtanga yoga
Himalayas	The mountain range that separates Hindu sub continent from Tibetan plateau and home of the tallest peak Mount Everest. In Sanskrit means the temple of snow.
Hinduism	Religion of most Hindus. Developed from the principles of vedic sanatana dharma, the eternal law, that gave rise to other religions such as Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism etc.
Hindus	Followers of Hindu religion, estimated at over a billion people.
Homas	Vedic rituals to connect to the elemental energy of fire.
Hoo kara	Hoo sound produced from the mouth during exhalation in meditation.
Hreem	Bija mantra or seed relating to feminine energy.
Iccha shakti	Energy of desire. The other two are kriya shakti, energy of action and gnana shakti, energy of knowledge.
Ida nadi	Ida nadis, is one of the three major energy pathways in the body. Arises from the root energy center. Ida is the left nadi, ends at the left nostril, is feminine, cool, represents the moon.
Idli	South Hindu delicacy, a rice lentil steamed dish.
Issac Newton	Physicist and mathematician, pioneer of classical physics.
Institute of HeartMath	A not for profit organization promoting heart based living.

Isa vasya Upanishad

One of the major and oldest vedicscriptures.

Ishwara	Supreme.
J. Krishnamurthi	Renowned Hindu philosopher.
Jagat	Universe.
Jain	Follower of the religion of Jainism.
Jain sutras	Scriptures of Jainism, mainly teachings of Mahavira.
Jalaluddin Rumi	13th century Persian Sufi poet
marana chakra Janma	Cycle of birth and death.
Japa	Repetition of a mantra or sacred syllable either silently or loudly.
Jataraagni	Inner fire that sustains life.
Jeeva	Usually the imperishable spirit that dwells in all living beings.
Jeevan mukta	A person who achieves liberation from the cycle of birth and death during one's lifetime.
Jeevan mukti	The state of mukta or who achieves liberation from the cycle of birth and death during one's lifetime.
Jesus Christ	Founder of Christianity.
John C Maxwell	Leadership expert and writer.
John Gardner	Author of many leadership books.
Juliet	Female lead character in English poet Shakespeare's play 'Romeo and Juliet'.
Junaid	9th century Sufi master.
Karana sharira	Causal layer, the fifth energy layer in us, corresponding to deep sleep. The source of conditioned memories or engrams.
Kabir	Mystic devotional poet of Bharat.
Kalpataru	Boon-giving tree.
Kalpataru darshan	A meditation darshan program of THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM.
Kamandalu	Water pot carried by Hindu monks.
Kapha	Energy related One of the three doshas or attributes of the body in Ayurveda. to the elements of water and earth. Kapha is structure and lubrication.

Kapilavastu	Kingdom where enlightened master Buddha was born.
Karma	The vedic concept of one's freewill actions deciding one's destiny.
Karma bandha	Bound by one's actions, since they are performed with vested interests.
Karma mukta	Free of one's actions, because they are performed without attachment.
Karma yoga	The path of Self Realization by fulfilling one's responsibilities without attachment.
Karmic	Referring to karma.
Karurar	South Hindu mystic saint upon whose immortal remains, the temple at Tanjore is believed to have been built.
Kathopanishad	One of the major Upanishad or scriptures that features the interaction between Yama, Hindu god of death and a young boy Nachiketa.
Kayakalpa	Body rejuvenation and anti ageing technique of ayurveda, traditional Hindu system of medicine.
Keertans	Devotional songs.
Khalil Gibran	20th Century Lebanese American poet best known for his 'The Prophet'.
King Harishchandra	Legendary Hindu ruler who was renowned for keeping his word at whatever cost.
King Janaka	Hindu king of the kingdom of Videha with the capital of Mithila, well-known for his righteousness.
Kirlian photography	High voltage photograms used to record auras of living beings.
Konganavar	Hindu saint and disciple of Bogar, upon whose immortal remains, Tirupati temple is said to have been built.
Koshas	Five energy sheaths around the physical body. Described in detail in the vedic text, Taittreya Upanishad.
Krishna	Enlightened master from Bharat who delivered the Truths of the Bhagavad Gita.
Kriya	Action.
Kriya shakti	Energy of action. Other two energies are energy of desire and energy of knowledge.

Kshana	Interval between two thoughts.
Kuchela	Childhood friend of enlightened master Krishna who exemplifies the relationship of friendship between master and disciple.
Tantra Kulaarnava	Ancient literature said to be authored by enlightened master Shiva.
Kumbh Mela	Spiritual gathering which happens once in three years in Bharat at one of the four places of Prayag, Hardwar, Ujjain and Nasik on the banks of sacred rivers.
Kundalini shakti	Extraordinary potential energy which is hidden inside every human body. If it is awakened, it will take you to a different plane of consciousness or existence.
Kunti	In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, the mother of the five Pandava brothers who stood for righteousness.
Lamas	Buddhist monks.
Leela	Divine play, especially that of Krishna.
Rama	Prince of the kingdom of Ayodhya in the Hindu epic Ramayana.
Madhura bhava	The relationship of beloved between master and disciple.
Madhyapantha	'Middle Path' prescribed by enlightened master Buddha. It represents the power of witnessing that causes one to be in moderation without being pushed and pulled into extremes of emotions.
Madurai	Temple town in south Bharat. A major pilgrim center with the temple to Meenakshi and her consort Sundareshwara, an aspect of enlightened master Shiva.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging	Equipment and technique for body imaging providing greater contrast to soft tissues than X rays.
Maha bhava	The ultimate expression in master disciple relationship transcending all ordinary relationships.
Mahabharata	The Hindu itihasa or epic whose central characters are the five Pandava princes, their hundred Kaurava cousins and enlightened master Krishna.
Mahakaasha	The third space of the infinite beyond.

Mahamantra	Humming meditation that energizes the anahata chakra and taught as part of THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM's Life Bliss Programs.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi	20th Century Hindu spiritual teacher and promoter of transcendental meditation TM.
Mahavakya	Great sayings from the Upanishads. There are four: Aham Brahmasmi, Tat Tvam Asi, Ayam Atma Brahma and Prajnanam Brahma. All four mean that You are the Divine.
Mahavira	Vardhamana Mahavira was the 24th and last tirthankara or enlightened one, and established the tenets of the religion of Jainism, founded in Bharat and now practiced by millions worldwide.
Mamakar	Inner ego that constantly says that you are smaller than what you think you are.
Manas	Mind.
Manasa sharira	Mental layer of energy.
Manickavasagar	One of the 63 Nayanmars, devotees of enlightened master Shiva from Tamilnadu.
Manipuraka chakra	Subtle energy center located near the navel region, related to the emotion of worry.
kosha Manomaya	The third mental energy sheath in the five koshas or energy sheaths.
Mantra	Literally means 'that which shows the way'. Sacred syllables that have a powerful positive vibrational effect.
Mara	The demon of evil in Buddhist tradition.
Maslow	American psychologist famous for his concept of the five layered hierarchy of needs.
Matru bhava	The relationship of a child to a mother in the context of master disciple relationship.
Maya	Literally 'That which is not'. The concept that life is but a dream, however real it may seem while being experienced.
Meenakshi	The goddess at Madurai in south Bharat. She is said to be a saint upon whose immortal remains, the temple has been built.

Part 18: Living Enlightenment (Gospel of THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM)

Meerabai	Princess of Chittor, a devotee of Krishna, mystical poetess and singer, who was ill-treated by her husband for her devotion to Krishna.
Milarepa	Tibetan Yogi and disciple of Tibetan Buddhist teacher Marpa.
Mithyam	Impermanent, opposite of nithyam which is eternal.
Mithyananda	Someone who represents and teaches impermanent happiness.
Moksha	Liberation through Self Realization.
Mrutyunjaya	Chant for victory over death.
Mudra	Signs formed with hands during yoga practices, especially meditation, to distribute and seal energy within the body.
Mukti	Liberation through Self Realization
Muladhara chakra	Subtle energy center at the root of the spine, related to the emotions of greed and lust.
Muruganar	A disciple of enlightened master Ramana Maharishi and Tamil poet who composed many verses about Ramana.
Na maha	'I am not' or 'I surrender'. Most Hindu ritual mantras end with this statement.
Nalanda	A great Buddhist center of learning in modern day Bihar in Bharat comprising a university and library.
Namaskar	Hindu custom of greeting. Means 'I bow to you'.
Namo	Homage, refers to masters and deities as in Om namo narayanaya, with reference to Vishnu.
Namo Arihanta	I bow down to Arihanta, the Jain master and deity.
Narmada	Fifth largest Hindu river starting from Vindhya Hills in central Bharat flowing east to west joining the Arabian Sea.
Nataraja	Enlightened master Shiva in the dancing form in the temple of Chidambaram in south Bharat.
Nawab	A noble of the Mogul empire.
Nayanmars	Tamil devotee saints of enlightened master Shiva, 63 in number, whose life stories are told in the book Periya Puranam.
Neti	Nasal cleansing technique of yoga.

| Changes in brain structure based on experiences. | | Goddess of sleep. | | The longest river in the world flowing through Sudan, Egypt etc in Africa. | | Liberation through Self Realization. | | Nirvana Shatakam A collection of six verses sung by enlightened master Adi Shankara at the age of eight to introduce himself to his master, Govindapada. | | Connected to nirvana. The nirvanic layer is the seventh and final energy layer in our body mind. | | Eternal Bliss. | | Meditation developed by THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM as the daily meditation for his followers. | | Eternally liberated person. | | Namaskar | | One of the techniques taught in Nithya Yoga, taught by teachers ordained by THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM | | THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM's teachings of yoga based on the body language of Patanjali, taught by his teachers. | | Eternal. | | Spurana Eternal flowering of bliss. | | The second limb of Patanjali Ashtanga Yoga, concerning codes of behavior. | | Oedipus and Electra complexes Sexual desire of father to daughter and mother to son as defined by Freud. | | The sacred syllable and symbol that represents creation in Hinduism. | | The sound of Om. | | Russian philosopher, mathematician and student of enlightened master George Gurdjieff. | | The five activities of a divine being: creation, sustenance, rejuvenation, creating illusion, removing illusion. | | The five princes in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. Their father was Pandu. |

Parabrahma	Supreme Being.
Parama Shiva	Supreme.
Paramahamsa	Literally means Supreme Swan. Title bestowed on enlightened beings.
Paramahamsa Yogananda	An enlightened master well known for his book 'Autobiography of a Yogi'. He founded Self Realization Fellowship movement in USA in 1920.
Paramasthiti	Supreme state.
Patanjali	A sage of ancient Bharat and author of Yoga Sutras, which is considered the foundation of the system of yoga.
Periya Puranam	A Tamil classic by Sekkizhar on the lives of the 63 Nayanmars, the devotee saints of enlightened master Shiva.
Peter Drucker	Management guru considered to be the father of modern management
Pindanda	Individual microcosm as against or universe. brahmanda
Pingala nadi	is one of the three major energy pathways in the body. nadis, Pingala Pingala ends in the right nostril, is hot and masculine, represents the sun.
Pitta	One of the three or attributes of the body in . Energy created doshas Ayurveda by the dynamic interplay of water and fire. They cannot change into each other, but they modulate or control each other and are vitally required for the life processes to occur.
Placebo	A substance given as medicine but without any verified therapeutic effect.
Placebo effect	Effect of placebos in curing people of illnesses.
Polygraph	Lie detector machine.
Pondicherry	A state in South Bharat neighboring Tamilnadu.
Poornima	Fullmoon day.
Prana	Life energy or life force.
prana sharira	The second layer of energy body in the seven layer system.
The second sheath of energy in the 5 layer system. Pranamaya kosha kosha
Pranayama	Breath control, one of the eight limbs of the Ashtanga yoga of Patanjali.
Pranic	Related to or life energy. prana

Prarabdha	Mindset and desires that we bring into this world when we are born.
Pratyahara	Fifth limb of Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga referring to turning away from sensory inputs.
Puja	Hindu ritual worship.
Purashcharanam	Repetition of mantra.
Purusha	In Sankhya philosophy it is the male principle pure passive consciousness, as different from the active female principle Prakriti
Purusha Suktam	A chant dedicated to or the Supreme. vedic Purusha
Quantitative Electro	Encephalography Study of brain waves.
Radha	Chief among the or cowherd women devotees of enlightened master gopis Krishna.
Raja sannyasi	King amongst monks.
Rajas	One of the three or attributes of nature. Attribute of aggression. gunas
Rama	Prince of the kingdom of Ayodhya in the Hindu epic Ramayana.
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa	Enlightened master from West Bengal in Bharat. His chief disciple was Swami Vivekananda.
Ramana Maharishi
	Enlightened master, based in Tiruvannamalai in South Bharat. He taught the method of Self-inquiry, asking oneself, 'Who am I?', as the path to Self realization.
Ramana Purana	Stories about enlightened master Ramana Maharishi.
Ramanuja	Founder of the or modified duality principle. Along with Adi Vishishtadvaita Shankara and Madhva, considered to be one of the three great teachers of Hindu philosophy.
Ramayana	Hindu or epic about prince Rama. The original version was written by itihasa poet sage Valmiki.
Ras Leela	The spiritual interaction of enlightened master Krishna with the or cowherd gopis women devotees.
Rene Descartes	French philosopher scientist famous for his saying 'I think, therefore I am'.

Rishis	sages Vedic
Romeo	Male lead character in English poet Shakespeare's play 'Romeo and Juliet'.
Rudraksh	Seed of a tree used for Hindu rituals and for wearing. Retains energy of meditation.
Sadashiva Brahmendra
	18th century Tamil saint and music composer.
Sadasoham	I am always Brahman. I am always conscious.
Sadhana	Spiritual practice.
Sahaja	Spontaneous divine joy.
The seventh and final energy center at the crown of the head. Considered to Sahasrara chakra be a gateway rather than an energy center.
Sakha bhava	Mode of friendship between master and disciple as with that of Arjuna and Kuchela with Krishna.
Sakshi	Witness.
Salem	A city in Tamilnadu.
Samadhi	The eighth and final limb of , refers to the uniting of the individual Ashtanga Yoga consciousness with the universal consciousness. Same as , moksha, mukti nirvana etc.
Samhara	Dissolution.
Samsara	Cycle of birth and death.
Samsara sagara	Ocean of birth and death.
Samsari	One who is caught in or cycle of birth and death. samsara
Samskara	Engrams or deeply engraved memories.
Sanchita	Bank of accumulated from which we choose to bring into this birth a karmas few as prarabdha karma
Sangha	Community.
Sankalpa	Vow or promise.
Sannyas	Renunciation.
Sannyasi	One who has renounced, a monk.

Saris	One piece garment worn by Hindu women.
Satan	Representation of evil.
Satori	High state of consciousness.
Satsangs	Gatherings for prayer, meditation and spiritual purpose.
Sattva	One of the three or attributes of nature. Attribute of passive action. gunas
Self	Individual spirit, that which is imperishable when body and mind perish.
Self-Realization	Awareness that one is the Cosmic energy.
Shaastra	Scriptures.
Shaastra-shastras	Scriptures as tools.
shakti	Energy.
Shakti	The supreme female principle, Cosmic Mother.
Shakti Dharana	A meditation taught by THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM to all Nithya Spiritual Healers.
Shanmukhi Mudra	A in which eyes, ears, nose and mouth are covered while meditating. mudra
Shastra	Weapon
Shirdi Sai Baba	An enlightened master worshipped by Hindus and Muslims alike. Lived in Shirdi near Nasik in Bharat.
Shiva	Enlightened master from Bharat. The word literally means 'causeless shiva auspiciousness'.
Shiva lingas	Representation of enlightened master Shiva as a symbol of rejuvenation combining male and female principles.
Shiva Sutras	A collection of teachings of Shiva in epigram form as techniques. Includes Vignana Bhairava Tantra, Guru Gita, Tiru Mandiram etc.
Shiva Tandava	Cosmic dance of Shiva as Nataraja, seen in Chidambaram.
Shraddha Saburi	Sincere commitment and perseverance. The essence of Shirdi Sai Baba's teachings.
Siddha	One who is a practitioner of the spiritual techniques.
Siddhis	Yogic powers that arise during spiritual journey.
Sister Nivedita	Anglo Hindu disciple of Swami Vivekananda.
Socrates	Greek Philosopher. Contemporary of Plato

Same as Hamsa
Mystical dimension of Islam.
Followers of Sufism, a mystical dimension of Islam.
Mystical dimension of Islam.
is one of the three major energy pathways in the body. Arises Sushumna nadis, from the root energy center. is the central pathway of the muladhara, Sushumna energy and ends in the at the crown of the head. kundalini sahasrara
Deep sleep.
Spiritual techniques offered in epigram form.
One's right path.
Swadhishthana chakra
Spleen energy center between base of spine and navel. Blocked by fear.
A honorific term used for a sannyasi, a monk.
Swami Sri Yukteshwar Giri Master of enlightened master Paramahamsa Yogananda.
Dream.
Taittreya Upanishad
One of the major or scriptures that explains the concepts of the Upanishads five elements and five or energy sheaths. koshas
A center of learning mentioned in the Hindu epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata, now a world UN heritage site in North eastern Pakistan.
One of the three or attributes of nature. Attribute of inaction. gunas
Tanjore art paintings Devotional paintings from South Bharat that use semi- precious stones and gold as adornment.
Technique. A form of spiritual teaching that predates Vedas.
Ancient tradition of achieving enlightenment through spiritual techniques vedic
or practices, meditations and ritual worship.

Tat tvam asi	One of the great Truths meaning 'That Art Thou'.
Tathata	Suchness.
Thanjavur	Town in South Bharat famous for its massive temple and learning and cultural heritage.
Pratyakatma	chaitanya jagrat Awakening of the Consciousness and inner Self.
Tirupati	Famous temple to Vishnu as Venkateshwara or Balaji in Andhra Pradesh, South Bharat.
Tiruvannamalai	Temple town where THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM was born and raised.
Transcendental Meditation-Sidhi	Yogic powers said to occur upon practice of advanced TM techniques.
Transcendental Meditation™
	Meditation technique popularized by Mahesh Yogi.
Turiya	Fourth state of consciousness in which there are no thoughts and only awareness.
Tyagaraja	18th century south Hindu Carnatic music composer.
Upanishad	Scriptures that form the essence of the ancient texts of the Vedas. Literally means 'sitting with the master'. There are eleven main that have Upanishads been commented on by enlightened master Adi Shankara.
Vaastu Shastra	science of space, how we interact with the space around us. Vedic
Vajrasana	A Yoga posture of sitting with the knees folded and your feet tucked asana under, with the bottom resting on the heels.
Vak	Energy behind speech.
Vakya	Statement.
Vali	Monkey King in the Hindu epic Ramayana who is killed by prince Rama.
Vanaprastha	sannyas The third stage of life according to the tradition, where the wife and vedic husband lead the rest of their married life in spiritual activities in pursuit of the ultimate Truth.
Vasana	Mindset.