The Guru Chronicles

Glossary

Aadheenam: ஆதீனம் A Saivite Hindu monastery and temple complex in the South Indian Saiva Siddhanta tradition. The aadheenam head is called the guru mahasannidhanam or aadheenakarthar. §

abhisheka(m): अभिषेक “Sprinkling; ablution.” Ritual bathing of the Deity’s image with water, curd, milk, honey, ghee, rosewater, etc. A special form of puja prescribed by Agamic injunction. Also performed in the inauguration of religious and political monarchs and other special blessings. §

Absolute: Lower case (absolute): real, not dependent on anything else, not relative. Upper case (Absolute): Ultimate Reality, the unmanifest, unchanging and transcendent Parasiva. See: Parasiva. §

acharya (āchārya): आचार्य A highly respected teacher. §

actinic: Spiritual, creating light. Adjective derived from the Greek aktis, “ray.” Of or pertaining to consciousness in its pure, unadulterated state. Describes the extremely rarefied superconscious realm of pure bindu, of quantum strings, the substratum of consciousness, shuddha maya, from which light first originates. Actinic force is the superconscious mind and not a force which comes from the superconcious mind. Commonly known as life, spirit, it can be seen as the light in man’s eyes; it is the force that leaves man when he leaves his odic physical body behind. It is not opposite to odic force; it is different than odic force as light is different than water but shines through it. Actinic force flows freely through odic force. See: kosha.§

actinic body: The soul body or karana sharira. See: soul. §

actinodic: Spiritual-magnetic. Describes consciousness within shuddhashuddha maya, which is a mixture of odic and actinic force, the spectrum of the anahata chakra, and to a certain degree the vishuddha chakra. See: actinic force, odic force, tattva.§

advaita: अद्वैत “Non-dual; not twofold.” Nonduality or monism. The doctrine that Ultimate Reality consists of a one principal substance, or God. Opposite of dvaita, dualism. See: dvaita-advaita, Vedanta.§

Advaita Ishvaravada (Advaita Īśvaravāda): अद्वैत इश्वरवाद “Nondual and Personal-God-as-Ruler doctrine;” monistic theism. The philosophy of the Vedas and Saiva Agamas, which postulates the ultimate oneness of all things and in the reality of the personal Deity.§

Advaita Siddhanta (Advaita Siddhānta): अद्वैत सिद्धन्त “Nondual perfect conclusions.” Saivite philosophy codified in the Agamas which has at its core the nondual (advaitic) identity of God, soul and world, with a strong emphasis on internal and external worship, yoga sadhanas and tapas. Advaita Siddhanta is a term used in South India to distinguish Tirumular’s school from the pluralistic Siddhanta of Meykandar and Aghorasiva. §

Advaita Vedanta (Advaita Vedānta): अद्वैत वेदान्त “Nondual end (or essence) of the Vedas.” The nondual final conclusions of the Vedas. Commonly names the various Indian monistic schools, most prominently that of Shankara, that arose from the Upanishads and related texts. §

Agama (Āgama): आगम The tradition; that which has “come down.” An enormous collection of Sanskrit scriptures which, along with the Vedas, are revered as shruti (revealed scripture). The primary source and authority for ritual, yoga and temple construction. §

Agastya: अगस्त्य One of eighteen celebrated Saiva siddhas (adepts), and reputed to be the f rst gram-marian of Tamil language. He is said to have migrated from North India to the South. His name appears in the Mahabharata, Rama yana and the Puranas and was known to ancient Indonesians. §

agni: अग्नि “Fire.” 1) One of the five elements, panchabhuta. 2) When capitalized, the God of the element fire, invoked through Vedic ritual known as yajna, agnikaraka, homa and havana; the divine messenger who receives prayers and oblations and conveys them to the heavenly spheres. §

ahimsa (ahiṁsā): अहिंसा “Noninjury,” nonviolence or nonhurtfulness. Not causing harm to others, physically, mentally or emotionally. See: yama-niyama.§

ajna chakra (ājñā chakra): आज्ञाचक्र “Command wheel.” The third-eye center. See: chakra.§

akasha (ākāśa): आकाश “Space.” The sky. Free, open space. Ether, the fifth and most subtle of the five elements—earth, water, fire, air and ether. Empirically, the rarefied space or ethereal fluid plasma that pervades the universes, inner and outer. Esoterically, mind, the superconscious strata holding all that exists and all that potentially exists, wherein all happenings are recorded and can be read by clairvoyants.§

all-pervasive: Diffused throughout or existing in every part of the universe. §

anahata chakra (anāhata chakra): अनाहतचक्र “Wheel of unstruck [sound].” The heart center. See: chakra.§

ananda (ānanda): आनन्द “Bliss.” The pure joy—ecstasy or enstasy—of God-consciousness or spiritual experience. §

aniconic: “Without likeness; without image.” When referring to a Deity image, aniconic denotes a symbol which does not attempt an anthropomorphic (humanlike) or representational likeness. An example is the Sivalinga, “mark of God.” See: murti, Sivalinga.§

anjali mudra (añjali mudrā): अञ्जलिमुद्रा “Reverence gesture.” Also called pranamanjali. A gesture of respect and greeting, in which the two palms are held gently together and slightly cupped. Often accompanied by the verbal salutation “namaskara,” meaning “reverent salutation.” The anjali mudra has various forms, e.g., near the chest in greeting equals, at eye level in greeting one’s guru, and above the head in salutation to God. One form is with the open hands held side by side, as if by a beggar to receive food, or a worshiper beseeching God’s grace in the temple. §

antyeshti (antyeshṭi): अन्त्येष्टि “Last rites.” Funeral. §

anugraha shakti (anugraha śakti): अनुग्रहशक्ति “Graceful or favoring power.” Revealing grace. God Siva’s power of illumination, through which the soul is freed from the bonds of anava, karma and maya and ultimately attains liberation, moksha. Specifically, anugraha descends on the soul as shaktinipata, the diksha (initiation) from a satguru. §

arati (āratī): आरती “Light.” The circling or waving of a lamp—usually fed with ghee, oil or camphor—before a holy person or the temple Deity at the high point of puja. The flame is then presented to the devotees, each passing his or her hands through it and bringing them to the eyes three times, thereby receiving the blessings. Arati can also be performed as the briefest form of puja. See: puja.§

archana: अर्चन A special, personal, abbreviated puja done by temple priests in which the name, birthstar and family lineage of a devotee are recited to invoke individual guidance and blessings. See: puja. §

ardha-Hindu: अर्धहिन्दु “Half-Hindu.” A devotee who has adopted Hindu belief and culture to a great extent but has not formally entered the religion through ceremony and taking a Hindu first and last name. Also refers to Easterners born into the faith who adopt non-Hindu names.§

ashrama (āśrama): आश्रम “Place of striving.” Hermitage; order of the life. Holy sanctuary; the residence and teaching center of a sadhu, saint, swami, ascetic or guru; often includes lodging for students. Also names life’s four stages. See: ashrama dharma. §

ashrama dharma (āśrama dharma): आश्रमधर्म “Laws of life development.” Meritorious way of life appropriate to each of its four successive stages (ashramas), observing which one lives in harmony with nature and life, allowing the body, emotions and mind to develop and undergo their natural cycles in a most positive way. The four stages are: brahmacharya: householder, from 24 to 48; vanaprastha:elder advisor, from 48 to 72; and sannyasa: religious solitary, from 72 onward. §

ashramas (āśramas): See: ashrama dharma. §

ashtanga yoga (ashṭāṅga yoga): अष्टाङ्गयोग “Eight-limbed union.” The classical raja yoga system of eight progressive stages to illumination: 1) yama: “Restraint.” Virtuous and moral living. 2) niyama: “Observance.” Religious practices which cultivate the qualities of the higher nature. 3) asana: “Seat or posture.” 4) pranayama: “Mastering life force.” Breath control. 5) pratyahara: “Withdrawal.” Withdrawing consciousness from the physical senses. 6) dharana: “Concentration.” Guiding the flow of consciousness. 7) dhyana: “Meditation.” 8) samadhi: “Enstasy,” “sameness, contemplation/realization.”§

astral body: The subtle, nonphysical body (sukshma sharira) in which the soul functions in the astral plane, the inner world also called Antarloka. See: soul.§

astral plane (or world): The subtle world, or Antarloka, spanning the spectrum of consciousness from the vishuddha chakra in the throat to the patala chakra in the soles of the feet. In the astral plane, the soul is enshrouded in the astral body, called sukshma sharira. See: loka, three worlds.§

asura: असुर “Evil spirit; demon.” (Opposite of sura: “deva; God.”) A being of the lower astral plane, Naraka. Asuras can and do interact with the physical plane, causing major and minor problems in people’s lives. Asuras evolve and do not remain permanently in this state. §

asuric: Of the nature of an asura, “not spiritual.”§

atma(n) (ātman): आत्मन् “The soul; the breath; the principle of life and sensation.” The soul in its entirety—as the soul body (anandamaya kosha) and its essence (Parashakti and Parasiva). One of Hinduism’s most fundamental tenets is that we are the atman, not the physical body, emotions, external mind or personality. See: Paramatman, soul.§

Atmartha Puja: See: Saiva Atmartha Puja.§

Aum: ॐ or औम् (Tamil: ஓம்) Often spelled Om. The mystic syllable of Hinduism, associated with Lord Ganesha, placed at the beginning of sacred writings. In common usage in several Indian languages, aum means “yes, verily” or “hail.” §

aura: The luminous colorful field of subtle energy radiating within and around the human body. The colors change according to the ebb and flow of one’s state of consciousness, thoughts, moods and emotions. §

Auvaiyar: ஔவையார் A saint of Tamil Nadu (ca 800 ce), a contemporary of Saint Sundarar, devotee of Lord Ganesha and Karttikeya, or Murugan, and one of the greatest literary figures in ancient India. Her Tamil primer is studied by children to this day. An earlier traditional date for Auvaiyar, 200 bce, is from a story about her and Saint Tiruvalluvar.§

awareness: Individual consciousness, perception, knowing; the witness of perception, the “inner eye of the soul.” Sakshin or chit in Sanskrit. §

ayurveda (āyurveda): आयुर्वेद “Science of life.” A holistic system of medicine and health native to ancient India, seeking ayus, “longevity,” and arogya, “diseaselessness,” to facilitate spiritual progress. Focus is on balancing energies through methods suited to the individual’s constitution, lifestyle and nature. §

ayurvedic: pertaining to ayurveda.§

Bhairava: भैरव “Terrifying.” Lord Siva as the fiery protector. He carries and is represented by a trishula (trident), a symbol often enshrined as guardian at the entrance to Siva temples. See: Siva. §

bhajana: भजन Spiritual song. Individual or group singing of devotional songs, hymns and chants. §

bhakta: भक्त (Tamil: bhaktar) “Devotee.” A worshiper. One who is surrendered to the Divine. §

bhakti: भक्ति “Devotion.” Surrender to God, Gods or guru. Bhakti extends from the simplest expression of devotion to the ego-decimating principle of prapatti, which is total surrender. Bhakti is the foundation of all sects of Hinduism, as well as yoga schools throughout the world. §

bhakti yoga: भक्तियोग “Union through devotion.” Bhakti yoga is the practice of devotional disciplines, worship, prayer, chanting and singing with the aim of awakening love in the heart and opening oneself to God’s grace. Bhakti may be directed toward God, Gods or one’s spiritual preceptor. Bhakti yoga is embodied in Patanjali’s Yoga Darshana (philosophy) in the second limb, niyamas (observances), as devotion (Ishvarapranidhana). §

bhashya (bhāshya): भाष्य “Talking over, discussion.” Commentary on a text. Hindu philosophies are largely founded upon the interpretations, or bhashyas, of primary scripture. §

Bodhinatha Veylanswami (Bodhinātha Veylanswāmī): போதிநாத வேலன்சுவாமி “Lord of Wisdom, Holder of the Vel.” The current preceptor of the Nandinatha Sampradaya’s Kailasa Parampara, and Guru Mahasannidhanam of Kauai Aadheenam, ordained by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami in 2001. §

Brahma (Brahmā): ब्रह्मा The name of God in His aspect of Creator. Saivites consider Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra to be three of five aspects of Siva. Smartas group Brahma, Vishnu and Siva as a Holy Trinity in which Siva is the Destroyer. Not to be confused with Brahman. See: Brahman; Parameshvara.§

brahmachari (brahmachārī): ब्रह्मचारी An unmarried male spiritual aspirant who practices continence, observes religious disciplines, including sadhana, devotion and service and who may be under simple vows. Also names one in the student stage, age 12 to 24 or until marriage. §

brahmacharini (brahmachāriṇī): ब्रह्मचारिणी Feminine counterpart of brahmachari. §

brahmacharya: ब्रह्मचर्य “Divine conduct.” Controlling lust by remaining celibate when single, leading to faithfulness in marriage. See: yama-niyama.§

Brahmaloka: ब्रह्मलोक The realm of the sahasrara chakra, it is the highest of the seven upper worlds. See: loka. §

Brahman: ब्रह्मन् “Supreme Being; Expansive Spirit.” From the root brih, “to grow, increase, expand.” Name of God or Supreme Deity in the Vedas, where He is described as 1) the Transcendent Absolute, 2) the all-pervading energy and 3) the Supreme Lord or Primal Soul. These three correspond to Siva in His three perfections. Thus, Saivites know Brahman and Siva to be one and the same God, being both Nirguna Brahman and Saguna Brahman. Nirguna Brahman is God “without qualities” (guna); the formless, Absolute Reality known as Parabrahman or Parasiva, totally transcending guna (quality), manifest existence and even Parashakti, all of which exhibit perceivable qualities. Saguna Brahman is God “with qualities;” Siva in His perfections of Parashakti and Parameshvara: God as superconscious, omnipresent, all-knowing, all-loving and all-powerful. The term Brahman is not to be confused with 1) Brahma, the Creator God; 2) Brahmana, Vedic texts, nor with 3) brahmana, Hindu priest caste (English spelling: brahmin). See: Brahma.§

Chakra: चक्र “Wheel.” Any of the nerve plexuses or centers of force and consciousness located within the inner bodies of man. In the physical body there are corresponding nerve plexuses, ganglia and glands. The seven principal chakras are situated along the spinal cord from the base to the cranial chamber. Additionally, seven chakras exist below the spine. They are seats of instinctive consciousness, the origin of jealousy, hatred, envy, guilt, sorrow, etc. They constitute the lower or hellish world, called Naraka or patala. Thus, there are fourteen major chakras in all. The seven upper chakras are: 1) muladhara (base of spine): memory, time and space; 2) svadhishthana (below navel): reason; 3) manipura (solar plexus): willpower; 4) anahata (heart center): direct cognition; 5) vishuddha (throat): divine love; 6) ajna (third eye): divine sight; 7) sahasrara (crown of head): illumination, Godliness. The seven lower chakras are 1) atala (hips): fear and lust; 2) vitala (thighs): raging anger; 3) sutala (knees): retaliatory jealousy; 4) talatala (calves): prolonged mental confusion; 5) rasatala (ankles): selfishness; 6) mahatala (feet): absence of conscience; 7) patala (located in the soles of the feet): murder and malice. See: Narakaloka.§

charya (charyā): चर्या “Conduct.” Service and character building. See: pada, Saiva Siddhanta.§

charya marga (charyā mārga): चर्यामार्ग Same as charya pada. See: charya pada.§

charya pada (charyā pāda): चर्यापाद “Conduct stage.” Stage of service and character building. The foundation for all further spiritual progress. See: pada.§

Chellappaswami (Chellappaswāmī): செல்லப்பசுவாமி “Wealthy father.” Reclusive siddha and 160th satguru (1840-1915) of the Nandinatha Sampradaya’s Kailasa Parampara, he lived on Sri Lanka’s Jaffna peninsula near Nallur Kandaswami Temple in a small hut where today there is a small samadhi shrine. Among his disciples was Siva Yogaswami, whom he trained intensely for five years and initiated as his successor. See: Kailasa Parampara, Natha Sampradaya.§

Chettiar: செட்டியார் A particular clan or caste group of South Indian origin, predominantly a trading and agricultural group. In the varna system, they belong to the Vaishya clan. In Tamil Nadu 14% of the population belongs to the Chettiar community, which includes more than a dozen subgroups, such as the Nattukottai, Nagarathar and Senaithalaivar Chettiars. Chettiar is the third most dominant clan and surname in Tamil Nadu.§

clairaudience: “Clear-hearing.” Psychic or divine hearing, divyashravana. The ability to hear the inner currents of the nervous system, the Aum and other mystic tones. Hearing in one’s mind the words of inner-plane beings or earthly beings not physically present. Also, hearing the high “eee” sound, or nadanadi shakti, through the day or while in meditation. §

conscious mind: The external, everyday state of consciousness. See: mind.§

consciousness: Chitta or chaitanya. 1) A synonym for mind-stuff, chitta; or 2) the condition or power of perception, awareness, apprehension. §

contemplation: Religious or mystical absorption beyond meditation. §

cosmos: The universe, or whole of creation, especially with reference to its order, harmony and completeness. See: loka, three worlds.§

crown chakra: The sahasrara chakra. The thousand-petaled cranial center of divine consciousness at the crown of the head. See: chakra.§

Dakshinamurti (Dakshiṇāmūrti): दक्षिणामूर्ति “South-facing form.” Lord Siva depicted sitting under a banyan tree, silently teaching four rishis at His feet. See: Siva.§

danda (daṇḍa): दण्ड “Staff of support.” The staff carried by a sadhu or sannyasin, representing the tapas which he has taken as his only support, and the vivifying of sushumna and consequent Realization he seeks. Danda also connotes “penalty” or “sanction.” §

darshan(a) (darśana): दर्षन “Vision, sight.” Seeing the Divine. Beholding, with inner or outer vision, a temple image, Deity, holy person or place, with the desire to inwardly contact and receive the grace and blessings of the venerated being or beings. Even beholding a photograph in the proper spirit is a form of darshana. Not only does the devotee seek to see the Divine, but to be seen as well, to stand humbly in the awakened gaze of the holy one, even if for an instant, such as in a crowded temple when thousands of worshipers file quickly past the enshrined Lord. Gods and gurus are thus said to “give” darshana, and devotees “take” darshana, with the eyes being the mystic locus through which energy is exchanged. This direct and personal two-sided apprehension is a central and highly sought-after experience of Hindu faith. Also: “point of view,” doctrine or philosophy. §

dashama bhaga (daśama bhāga): दशमभाग “One-tenth-part.” Tithing. The traditional Hindu practice of tithing, giving one-tenth of one’s income to a religious institution. It was once widespread in India. §

Deity: “God.” The image or murti installed in a temple, or the Mahadeva the murti represents. §

deva: देव “Shining one.” A being inhabiting the higher astral plane, in a subtle, nonphysical body. Deva is also used in scripture to mean “God or Deity.” §

Devaloka: देवलोक “Plane of radiant beings.” A synonym of Maharloka, the higher astral plane, realm of the anahata chakra. See: loka. §

Devaram: தேவாரம் The collected devotional hymns composed by Saints Tirujnana Sambandar (ca 600) Tirunavakarasu (Appar—a contemporary of Sambandar) and Sundaramurti (ca 800). These make up the first seven books of the Tirumurai. See: Tirumurai.§

devasthanam (devasthānam): देवस्थानम् A facility offering food and lodging to religious pilgrims, usually for little or no charge. §

devonic: Of or relating to the devas or their world. §

dharana (dhāraṇā): धारणा “Concentration.” From dhri, “to hold.” See: ashtanga yoga. §

dharma: धर्म From dhri, “to sustain; carry, hold.” Hence dharma is “that which contains or upholds the cosmos.” Dharma has manifold meanings, including: divine law, ethics, law of being, way of righteousness, religion, duty, virtue, justice, goodness and truth. Essentially, dharma is the orderly fulfillment of an inherent nature or destiny. Relating to the soul, it is the mode of conduct most conducive to spiritual advancement, the right and righteous path. There are four principal kinds of dharma, known collectively as chaturdharma, “four religious laws.” 1) rita dharma: “Universal law.” The laws of being and nature that contain and govern all forms, functions and processes, from galaxy clusters to the power of mental thought and perception. 2) varna dharma: “Law of one’s kind.” Social duty. Varna can mean “race, tribe, appearance, character, color, social standing, etc.” Obligations and responsibilities within one’s nation, society, community, class, occupational subgroup and family. 3) ashrama dharma: “Duties of life’s stages.” Human or developmental dharma, fulfilling of the duties of the four stages of life—brahmacharya (student), grihastha (householder), vanaprastha (elder advisor) and sannyasa (religious solitaire). 4)  svadharma: “Personal obligations or duty.” One’s perfect individual pattern through life, according to one’s own particular physical, mental and emotional nature; the application of dharma (dependent on personal karma) reflected in one’s race, community, physical characteristics, health, intelligence, skills and aptitudes, desires and tendencies, religion, sampradaya, family and guru. §

dharmashala (dharmaśāla): धर्मशाल “Abode of righteousness.” A monastery or ashrama, offering religious training for monks and in some cases lay persons on pilgrimage or religious retreat. In Saiva Siddhanta Church, it also refers to branch monasteries of Kauai Aadheenam.§

dhoti (dhotī): धोती (Hindi) A long, unstitched cloth wound about the lower part of the body, and sometimes passed between the legs and tucked into the waist. A traditional Hindu apparel for men. See: veshti.§

dhyana (dhyāna): ध्यान “Meditation.” See: ashtanga yoga.§

diksha (dīkshā): दीक्षा “Initiation.” Solemn induction by which one is entered into a new realm of spiritual awareness and practice by a teacher or preceptor through bestowing of blessings. Denotes initial or deepened connection with the teacher and his lineage and is usually accompanied by ceremony. Initiation, revered as a moment of awakening, may be bestowed by a touch, a word, a look or a thought. Most Hindu schools, and especially Saivism, teach that only with initiation from a satguru is enlightenment attainable. §

Dipavali (Dīpāvalī): दीपावली “Row of Lights.” A very popular home and community festival in October/November when Hindus of all denominations light oil or electric lights and set off fireworks in a joyful celebration of the victory of good over evil and light over darkness. §

dualism: See: dvaita-advaita.§

dvaita-advaita: द्वैत अद्वैत “Dual-nondual; twoness-not twoness.” Among the most important categories in the classification of Hindu philosophies. Dvaita and advaita define two ends of a vast spectrum. —dvaita: The doctrine of dualism, according to which reality is ultimately composed of two irreducible principles, entities, truths, etc. God and soul, for example, are seen as eternally separate. Here are four related terms. —dualistic: Of or relating to dualism, concepts, writings, theories which treat dualities (good-and-evil, high-and-low, them-and-us) as fixed, rather than transcendable. —pluralism: A form of nonmonism which emphasizes three or more eternally separate realities, e.g., God, soul and world. —advaita: The doctrine of nondualism or monism, that reality is ultimately composed of one whole principle, substance or God, with no independent parts. In essence, all is God. —monistic theism: A dipolar view which encompasses both monism and dualism. §

Enlightenment: For Saiva monists, Self Realization, samadhi without seed (nirvikalpa samadhi); the ultimate attainment, sometimes referred to as Paramatma darshana, or as atma darshana, “Self vision.” §

enstasy: A term coined by Mircea Eliade to contrast the Eastern view of bliss as “standing inside oneself” (enstasy) with the Western view as ecstasy, “standing outside oneself.” A word chosen as the English equivalent of samadhi. §

evolution of the soul: Adhyatma prasara. In Saiva Siddhanta, the soul’s evolution is a progressive unfoldment, growth and maturing toward its inherent, divine destiny, which is complete merger with Siva. In its essence, each soul is ever perfect. But as an individual soul body emanated by God Siva, it is like a small seed yet to develop. As an acorn needs to be planted in the dark underground to grow into a mighty oak tree, so must the soul unfold out of the darkness of the malas to full maturity and realization of its innate oneness with God. The soul is not created at the moment of conception of a physical body. Rather, it is created in the Sivaloka. It evolves by taking on denser and denser sheaths—cognitive, instinctive-intellectual and pranic—until finally it takes birth in physical form in the Bhuloka. Then it experiences many lives, maturing through the reincarnation process. Thus, from birth to birth, souls learn and mature. ¶Evolution is the result of experience and the lessons derived from it. There are young souls just beginning to evolve, and old souls nearing the end of their earthly sojourn. In Saiva Siddhanta, evolution is understood as the removal of fetters which comes as a natural unfoldment, realization and expression of one’s true, self-effulgent nature. This ripening or dropping away of the soul’s bonds (malas) is called malaparipakam. The realization of the soul nature is termed svanubhuti (experience of the Self). ¶Self Realization leads to moksha, liberation from the three malas and the reincarnation cycles. Then evolution continues in the celestial worlds until the soul finally merges fully and indistinguishably into Supreme God Siva, the Primal Soul, Parameshvara. In his Tirumantiram, Rishi Tirumular calls this merger vishvagrasa, “total absorption.” The evolution of the soul is not a linear progression, but an intricate, circular, many-faceted mystery. Nor is it at all encompassed in the Darwinian theory of evolution, which explains the origins of the human form as descended from earlier primates. §

Ganesha (Gaṇeśa): गणेश “Lord of Categories.” Or: “Lord of attendants (gana),” synonymous with Ganapati. Ganesha is a Mahadeva, the beloved elephant-faced Deity honored by Hindus of every sect. §

Ganesha Chaturthi (Gaṇeśa Chaturthī): गणेश चतुर्थी The birthday of Lord Ganesha, a ten-day festival of August-September that culminates in a parade called Ganesha Visarjana. It is a time of rejoicing, when all Hindus worship together. §

Ganga sadhana (Gaṅgā sādhana): गंगासाधन A practice for unburdening the mind, performed by releasing the energy of unwanted thoughts. An internal cleansing sadhana of sitting quietly by a river or stream and listening to the Aum sound as the water flows over the rocks. When a thought arises, it is mentally placed into a leaf held in the right hand, then gently tossed into the water. Then a flower is offered to thank the water for carrying away the thought. This is a subconscious cleansing process of letting go of hurts, anger, problems or whatever it is that rises in the mind to disturb the meditation.§

God: Supernal being. Either the Supreme God, Siva, or one of the Mahadevas, great souls, who are among His creation. §

Goddess: Female representation or manifestation of Divinity; Shakti or Devi. Goddess can refer to a female perception or depiction of a causal-plane being (Mahadeva) in its natural state, which is genderless, or it can refer to an astral-plane being residing in a female astral body. §

God Realization: Direct and personal experience of the Divine within oneself. It can refer to either 1) savikalpa samadhi (“enstasy with form”) in its various levels, from the experience of inner light to the realization of Satchidananda, pure consciousness, or 2) nirvikalpa samadhi (“enstasy without form”), union with the transcendent Absolute, Parasiva, the Self God, beyond time, form and space. Here, the expression God Realization is used to name both of the above samadhis, whereas Self Realization refers only to nirvikalpa samadhi. §

Gods: Mahadevas, “great beings of light.” Here, the plural form of God refers to extremely advanced beings existing in their self-effulgent soul bodies in the causal plane.§

Gorakshanatha (Gorakshanātha): गोरक्षनाथ Profound siddha yoga master of the Adinatha Sampradaya (ca 950). Expounder and foremost guru of Siddha Siddhanta Saivism. He traveled and extolled the greatness of Siva throughout North India and Nepal where he and his guru, Matsyendranatha, are still highly revered.§

grace: “Benevolence, love, giving,” from the Latin gratia, “favor,” “goodwill.” God’s power of revealment, anugraha shakti (“kindness, showing favor”), by which souls are awakened to their true, Divine nature. Grace in the unripe stages of the spiritual journey is experienced by the devotee as receiving gifts or boons, often unbidden, from God. The mature soul finds himself surrounded by grace. He sees all of God’s actions as grace, whether they be seemingly pleasant and helpful or not. Grace is not only the force of illumination or revealment. It also includes Siva’s other four powers—creation, preservation, destruction and concealment—through which He provides the world of experience and limits the soul’s consciousness so that it may evolve. More broadly, grace is God’s ever-flowing love and compassion, karunya, also known as kripa (“tenderness, compassion”) and prasada (literally, “clearness, purity”). The concealment power is known as veiling grace, God’s power to obscure the soul’s divine nature, or tirodhana shakti, the particular energy of Siva that binds the three bonds of anava, karma and maya to the soul. It is a purposeful limiting of consciousness to give the opportunity to the soul to grow and mature through experience of the world. §

grihastha (gṛihastha): गृहस्थ “Householder.” Family man or woman. Family of a married couple and other relatives. Pertaining to family life. The purely masculine form of the word is grihasthin, and the feminine grihasthi.Grihasthi also names the home itself. §

guha (guhā): गुहा “Cave.” §

guna (guṇa): गुण “Strand; quality.” The three constituent principles of prakriti, primal nature. The three gunas are: 1) sattva: Quiescent, rarified, translucent, pervasive, reflecting the light of Pure Consciousness. 2) rajas: “Passion,” inherent in energy, movement, action, emotion, life. 3) tamas: “Darkness,” inertia, density, the force of contraction, resistance and dissolution. §

guru: गुरु “Weighty one,” indicating an authority of great knowledge or skill. A teacher or guide in any subject, such as music, dance, sculpture, but especially religion. Often preceded by a qualifying prefix. Hence, kulaguru (family teacher), vinaguru (vina teacher) and satguru (spiritual preceptor). In astrology, guru names the planet Jupiter, also known as Brihaspati. According to the Advayataraka Upanishad (14–18), guru means “dispeller (gu) of darkness (ru).” §

guru jayanti (guru jayantī): गुरु जयन्ती Preceptor’s birthday, celebrated as an annual festival by devotees. A padapuja, ritual bathing of his feet, is usually performed. If he is not physically present, the puja is done to the shri paduka, “revered sandals,”which represent the guru and hold his vibration.§

guru mahasannidhanam (guru mahāsannidhānam): गुरु महासन्निधानम् The spiritual head of a traditional aadheenam. See: aadheenakartar.§

guru parampara (guru paramparā): गुरुपरंपरा “Preceptorial succession” (literally, “from one to another”). A line of spiritual gurus in authentic succession of initiation; the chain of mystical power and authorized continuity, passed from guru to guru. See: sampradaya.§

guru pitham (guru pīṭha): गुरुपीठ“Seat; pedestal; foundation.” 1) A religious seat, such as the throne of the abbot of a monastery. 2) An aadheenam,ashrama or matha established around such a seat of spiritual authority. §

guru-shishya system (guru-śishya system): गुरुशिष्य “Master-disciple system.”An important education system of Hinduism whereby the teacher conveys his knowledge and tradition to a student. Such knowledge, whether it be Vedic-Agamic art, architecture or spirituality, is imparted through the developing relationship between guru and disciple. §

Hanuman (Hanumān): हनुमान् (Hindi) From the Sanskrit Hanumat, “Large jawed.” The powerful monkey God-King of the epic Ramayana and the central figure in the famous drama Hanuman-Nataka. The perfect devoted servant to his master, Rama, this popular Deity is the epitome of dasya bhakti, “servant’s devotion.”§

hatha yoga (hat˙a yoga): हठयोग “Forceful yoga.” A system of physical and mental exercise developed in ancient times as a means of rejuvenation by rishis and tapasvins, used today in preparing the body and mind for meditation. §

Hatha Yoga Pradipika (Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā): हठयोगप्रदीपिका “Elucidation of hatha yoga.” A 14th-century text of 389 verses by Svatmarama Yogin that describes the philosophy and practices of hatha yoga.§

Hindu: हिन्दु A follower of, or relating to, Hinduism. See: Hinduism. §

Hinduism (Hindu Dharma): हिन्दुधर्म India’s indigenous religious and cultural system, followed today by nearly one billion adherents, mostly in India, but with a large diaspora in many other countries. Also called Sanatana Dharma, “Eternal Religion” and Vaidika Dharma, “Religion of the Vedas.” It is a family of myriad faiths with four primary denominations: Saivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism and Smartism. §

homa: होम “Fire-offering.” A ceremony of offering oblations to the Gods through the medium of fire in a sanctified fire pit, homakunda, usually made of earthen bricks. Homa rites are prescribed in the Vedas, Agamas and Dharma and Grihya Shastras. §

Iccha shakti (icçhā śakti): इच्छाशक्ति “Desire, will.” One of Siva’s three primary shaktis.§

ida nadi (iḍā nāḍī): इडानाडी “Soothing channel.” The feminine psychic current flowing along the spine. §

im kaif (īm» kaīf»): (Shum) No awareness, state beyond that of singular awareness. Not a word for Self Realization, but the entry into that nonexperience. Pronounced eem-kaw-eef. See: Shum.§

instinctive: “Natural” or “innate.” From the Latin instinctus, “impelling, instigating.” The drives and impulses that order the animal world and the physical and lower astral aspects of humans—for example, self-preservation, procreation, hunger and thirst, as well as the emotions of greed, hatred, anger, fear, lust and jealousy. §

instinctive mind: Manas chitta. The lower mind, which controls the basic faculties of perception, movement, as well as ordinary thought and emotion. §

internalized worship: Yoga. Worship or contact with God and Gods via meditation and contemplation rather than through external ritual.§

Iraivan: இறைவன் “Worshipful one; divine one.” One of the most ancient Tamil appellations for God. See: San Marga Sanctuary.§

Iraivan Temple: See: San Marga Sanctuary. §

Jagadacharya (jagadāchārya): जगदाचार्य “World teacher.” §

japa: जप “Recitation.” Concentrated repeating of a mantra, silently or aloud, often counting on a mala or strand of beads. A cure for pride and arrogance, jealousy, fear and confusion. §

jayanti (jayantī): जयन्ती “Birthday.” See: guru jayanti. §

jiva (jīva): जीव “Living, existing.” From jiv, “to live.” The individual soul, atman, during its embodied state.§

jivanmukta (jīvanmukta): जीवन्मुक्त “Liberated soul.” One who has attained nirvikalpa samadhi—the realization of the Self, Parasiva—and is liberated from rebirth while living in a human body. (Contrasted with videhamukta, one liberated at the point of death.) This attainment is the culmination of lifetimes of intense striving, sadhana and tapas, requiring total renunciation, sannyasa (death to the external world, denoted in the conducting of one’s own funeral rites), in the current incarnation. While completing life in the physical body, the jivanmukta enjoys the ability to re-enter nirvikalpa samadhi again and again. §

jnana (jñāna): ज्ञान “Knowledge; wisdom.” The matured state of the soul. It is the wisdom that comes as an aftermath of the kundalini breaking through the door of Brahman into the realization of Parasiva, Absolute Reality. Jnana is the awakened, superconscious state (karana chitta) flowing into daily life situations.§

jnana shakti (jñāna śakti): ज्ञानशक्ति “Power of wisdom.” One of Siva’s three primary shaktis. Also a name for Lord Karttikeya’s vel.§

jnana pada (jñāna pāda): ज्ञानपाद “Stage of wisdom.” According to the Saiva Siddhanta rishis, jnana is the last of the four successive padas (stages) of spiritual unfoldment. It is the culmination of the third stage, the yoga pada. Also names the knowledge section of each Agama. See: pada.§

jnani (jñānī): ज्ञानी “Sage.” Possessing jnana. See: jnana.§

jyoti: ज्योति “Light.” In this text, an illumined being.§

jyotisha: ज्योतिष From jyoti, “light.” “The science of the lights (or stars),” Hindu astrology, analyzing events and circumstances, delineating character and determining auspicious moments, according to the positions and movements of heavenly bodies.§

Kadaitswami (Kadaitswāmī): கடையிற்சுவாமி “Marketplace swami.” The 159th satguru of the Nandinatha Sampradaya’s Kailasa Parampara. Born ca 1810; attained mahasamadhi October 13, 1891. Renouncing his career as a judge in Bangalore, South India, Kadaitswami became a sannyasin and trained under the Rishi from the Himalayas, who sent him on mission to Sri Lanka. For decades he spurred the Sri Lankan Saivites to greater spirituality through inspired talks and demonstrating siddhis. He initiated Chellappaswami as the next satguru in the parampara. Kadaitswami’s initiation name was Muktiayanandaswami. See: Kailasa Parampara, Natha Sampradaya. §

Kadavul: கடவுள் “Beyond and within.” An ancient Tamil name for Lord Siva meaning, “He who is both immanent and transcendent, within and beyond.” See: Siva.§

kaif (kaīf»): Pure awareness aware only of itself. It only takes a moment to become aware of being aware; but to hold this state for any length of time, preparation has to be made.§

Kailasa (Kailāsa): कैलास “Crystalline” or “abode of bliss.” The Himalayan peak in Western Tibet; the earthly abode of Lord Siva, a pilgrimage destination for Hindus and Tibetan Buddhists. §

Kailasa Parampara (Kailāsa Paramparā): कैलासपरंपरा A spiritual lineage of 163 siddhas, a major stream of the Nandinatha Sampradaya, proponents of the ancient philosophy of monistic Saiva Siddhanta. The first of these masters that history recalls was Maharishi Nandinatha (or Nandikesvara) 2,250 years ago, satguru to the great Tirumular (ca 200 bce) and seven other disciples, as stated in the Tirumantiram. The lineage continued down the centuries and is alive today—the first recent siddha known being the “Rishi from the Himalayas,” so named because he descended from those holy mountains. In South India, he initiated Kadaitswami (ca 1810–1875), who in turn initiated Chellappaswami (1840–1915). Chellappaswami passed the mantle of authority to Siva Yogaswami (1872–1964), who in 1949 initiated Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927–2001), who in 2001 ordained the current preceptor, Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami (1942–). See: Natha Sampradaya. §

Kali Yuga: कलियुग “Dark Age.” The Kali Yuga is the last age in the repetitive cycle of four phases of time the universe passes through. It is comparable to the darkest part of the night, as the forces of ignorance are in full power and many subtle faculties of the soul are obscured. See: yuga.§

karehana (ka-reh-ā-na): The psychic current within the spine, called ida in Sanskrit, that is pink in color and flows downward, ending on the left side of the body. Feminine-passive in nature, karehana is the physical-emotional energy within the being. §

karma: कर्म “Action,” “deed.” 1) any act or deed; 2) the principle of cause and effect; 3) a consequence or “fruit of action” (karmaphala) or “after effect” (uttaraphala), which sooner or later returns upon the doer. What we sow, we shall reap in this or future lives. Selfish, hateful acts (papakarma or kukarma) will bring suffering. Benevolent actions (punyakarma or sukarma) will bring loving reactions. Karma is threefold: sanchita, prarabdha and kriyamana. —sanchita karma: “Accumulated actions.” The sum of all karmas of this life and past lives. —prarabdha karma: “Actions begun; set in motion.” That portion of sanchita karma that is bearing fruit and shaping the events and conditions of the current life, including the nature of one’s bodies, personal tendencies and associations. —kriyamana karma: “Being made.” §

karma yoga: कर्मयोग “Union through action.” Selfless service. §

Kauai Aadheenam: Monastery-temple complex founded by Sivaya Subramuniyaswami in 1970; international headquarters of Saiva Siddhanta Church.§

kavadi (kāvadi): காவடி A penance offered to Lord Murugan-Karttikeya, especially during Tai Pusam, consisting of carrying in procession a heavy, beautifully decorated, wooden object from which pots of milk hang which are to be used for His abhisheka. Often the penitent’s tongue and other parts of the body are pierced with small silver spears or hooks.§

kavi (kāvi): காவி “Ocher-saffron color.” A Tamil word for the color taken on by robes of sadhus who sit, meditate or live on the banks of the Ganga. Hence the color of the sannyasin’s robes. The Sanskrit equivalent is kashaya.§

khadi (khādī): खादी “Cotton.” Indian handspun and hand-woven cloth. In today’s use, khadi raw materials may be cotton, silk, or wool, which are spun into threads on a spinning wheel called a charkha.§

kirtana (kīrtana): कीर्तन “Praising.” Devotional singing and dancing in celebration of God, Gods and guru. An important form of congregational worship in many Hindu sects. §

kosha (kośa): कोश “Sheath; vessel, container; layer.” Philosophically, five sheaths through which the soul functions simultaneously in the various planes or levels of existence. They are sometimes compared to the layers of an onion. The koshas, in order of increasing subtlety, are as follows. —annamaya kosha (“Sheath composed of food”): The physical or odic body, very coarse in comparison to the faculties of the soul, yet indispensable for evolution and Self Realization, because only within it can all fourteen chakras fully function. See: chakra. —pranamaya kosha (“Sheath composed of prana”): Also known as the pranic or health body, or the etheric body or etheric double, it coexists within the physical body as its source of life, breath and vitality, and is its connection with the astral body. Prana moves in the pranamaya kosha as five primary currents or vayus, “vital airs or winds.” Pranamaya kosha disintegrates at death along with the physical body. See: prana. —manomaya kosha (“Mind-formed sheath”): The lower astral body, from manas, “thought, will, wish.” The instinctive-intellectual sheath of ordinary thought, desire and emotion. It is the seat of the indriyas—the sensory organs (jnanendriyas) and the motor organs (karmendriyas). The manomaya kosha takes form as the physical body develops and is discarded in the inner worlds before rebirth. It is understood in two layers: 1) the odic-causal sheath (buddhi) and 2) the odic-astral sheath (manas). —vijnanamaya kosha (“Sheath of cognition”): The mental or cognitive-intuitive sheath, also called the actinodic sheath. It is the vehicle of higher thought, vijnana—understanding, knowing, direct cognition, wisdom, intuition and creativity. —anandamaya kosha (“Body of bliss”): The intuitive-superconscious sheath or actinic-causal body. This inmost soul form (svarupa) is the ultimate foundation of all life, intelligence and higher faculties. Its essence is Parashakti (Pure Consciousness) and Parasiva (the Absolute). See: soul.§

kovil: கோவில் Tamil word for temple (the formal spelling).§

koyil: கோயில் Ekayil Informal, colloquial spelling of kovil. See: kovil.§

kriya pada (kriyā pāda): क्रियापाद “Stage of religious action; worship.” The stage of worship and devotion, second of four progressive stages of maturation on the Saiva Siddhanta path of attainment. See: pada. §

kriya shakti (kriyā śakti): क्रियाशक्ति “Action power.” The universal force of doing. One of Siva’s three primary shaktis.§

kulaguru: कुलगुरु “Family preceptor” or “family teacher.” The kulaguru guides the joint and extended family, particularly through the heads of families, and provides spiritual education. He may or may not be a satguru.§

kulam: குலம் “Family” or “clan.” Here, one of the five monastic “family” groups at Kauai Aadheenam, each with specific areas of service and responsibility, that collectively encompass all the needs of the monastery.§

kulapati: कुलपति“Family head.” The title of a male family leader, or missionary, in Saiva Siddhanta Church, the head of an extended family of members and students assigned to his oversight. His wife’s title is kulamata.§

kulapati family: The extended family of Church members and students headed by a particular kulapati, or missionary, of Saiva Siddhanta Church.§

kumbha(m): कुम्भ “Jar or pot; water vessel.” Kumbhas, usually metal or clay, are used in temple pujas and homas. §

kumbhabhisheka(m) (kumbhābhisheka): कुम्भाभिषेक “Water pot ablution.” The formal consecration of a new temple and its periodic reconsecration (usually at twelve-year intervals) following renovation and renewal. The rites culminate with the priests’ pouring sanctified water over the temple spires, which resemble an inverted pot, or kumbha. §

kundalini (kuṇḍalinī): कुण्डलिनी “She who is coiled; serpent power.” The primordial cosmic energy in every individual which, at first, lies coiled like a serpent at the base of the spine and eventually, through the practice of yoga, rises up the sushumna nadi. As it rises, the kundalini awakens each successive chakra. Nirvikalpa samadhi, enlightenment, comes as it pierces through the door of Brahman at the core of the sahasrara and enters. Kundalini shakti then returns to rest in any one of the seven chakras. Sivasayujya is complete when the kundalini arrives back in the sahasrara and remains coiled in this crown chakra. §

kundalini yoga (kuṇḍalinī yoga): कुण्डलिनीयोग “Uniting the serpent power.” Advanced meditative practices and sadhana techniques, a part of raja yoga, performed to deliberately arouse the kundalini power and guide it up the spine into the crown chakra, sahasrara. In its highest form, this yoga is the natural result of sadhanas and tapas well performed, rather than a distinct system of striving and teaching in its own right. §

kutir (kuṭīr): कुटीर् “Cottage” or “hut.”§

kuttuvilakku: குத்துவிளக்கு A standing metal lamp kept in the temple, shrine room or home, with several wicks fed by ghee or sesame oil.§

Liberal Hinduism: A synonym for Smartism and the closely related neo-Indian religion. See: neo-Indian religion, Smartism.§

liberation: Moksha, release from the bonds of pasha, after which the soul is liberated from samsara (the round of births and deaths). In Saiva Siddhanta, pasha is the threefold bondage of anava, karma and maya, which limit and confine the soul to the reincarnational cycle so that it may evolve. Moksha is freedom from the fettering power of these bonds, which do not cease to exist, but no longer have the power to fetter or bind the soul. §

Linga(m) (Liṅga): लिङ्ग “Mark.” See: Sivalinga, svayambhu Linga. §

liunasi (līūnasī): (Shum) Feeling life force flowing through one’s nerves within the physical body and subtle body; becoming aware of the energy flow within and around the body.§

locavore: Someone who exclusively (or at least primarily) eats foods from their local area (commonly either 100 or 250 miles, depending on location). By eating locally, most locavores hope to create a greater connection between themselves and their food sources, resist industrialized and processed foods, and support their local economy. §

loka: लोक “World, habitat, realm, or plane of existence.” From loc, “to shine, be bright, visible.” A dimension of manifest existence; cosmic region. Each loka reflects or involves a particular range of consciousness. The three primary lokas are 1) Bhuloka: “Earth world.” The world perceived through the five senses, also called the gross plane, as it is the most dense of the worlds. 2) Antarloka: “Inner or in-between world.” Known in English as the subtle or astral plane, the intermediate dimension between the physical and causal worlds, where souls in their astral bodies sojourn between incarnations and when they sleep. 3) Sivaloka: “World of Siva,” and of the Gods and highly evolved souls. The causal plane, also called Karanaloka. Existing deep within the Antarloka at a higher level of vibration, it is a world of superconsciousness and extremely refined energy. It is the plane of creativity and intuition, the quantum level of the universe, where souls exists in self-effulgent bodies made of actinic particles of light. It is here that God and Gods move and lovingly guide the evolution of all the worlds and shed their ever-flowing grace. §

Mahabharata (Mahābhārata): महाभारत “Great Epic of India.” The world’s longest epic poem. It revolves around the conflict between two royal families, the Pandavas and the Kauravas, and their great battle of Kurukshetra near modern Delhi in approximately 1424 BCE. The Mahabharata is revered as scripture by Vaishnavites and Smartas. §

Mahadeva (Mahādeva): महादेव “Great shining one;” “God.” Referring either to God Siva or any of the highly evolved beings who live in the Sivaloka in their natural, effulgent soul bodies. God Siva in His perfection as Primal Soul is one of the Mahadevas, yet He is unique and incomparable in that He alone is uncreated, the Father-Mother and Destiny of all other Mahadevas. He is called Parameshvara, “Supreme God.” He is the Primal Soul, whereas the other Gods are individual souls. §

maharishi (maharshi): महर्षि “Great seer.” Title for the greatest and most influential of siddhas.§

mahasamadhi (mahāsamādhi): महासमाधि “Great enstasy.” The death, or giving up of the physical body, of a great soul, an event which occasions tremendous blessings. Also names the shrine in which the remains of a great soul are entombed.§

Mahasivaratri (Mahāśivarātri): महाशिवरात्रि “Siva’s great night.” Saivism’s foremost festival, celebrated on the night before the new moon in February-March. Fasting and an all-night vigil are observed as well as other disciplines: chanting, praying, meditating and worshiping Siva as the Source and Self of all that exists. §

mahavakya(m) (mahāvākya): महावाक्य “Great saying.” A profound aphorism from scripture or a holy person. Most famous are four Upanishadic proclamations: Prajanam Brahma (“Pure consciousness is God”–Aitareya U.), Aham Brahmasmi (“I am God”—Brihadaranyaka U.), Tat tvam asi (“Thou art That”—Chandogya U.) and Ayam atma Brahma (“The soul is God”—Mandukya U.).§

Maheshvara (Maheśvara): महेश्वर “Great Lord.” In Saiva Siddhanta, the name of Siva’s energy of veiling grace, one of five aspects of Parameshvara, the Primal Soul. Maheshvara is also a popular name for Lord Siva as Primal Soul and personal Lord. See: Parameshvara.§

mala: मल “Impurity.” An important term in Saivism referring to the three bonds, called pasha—anava, karma and maya—which limit the soul, preventing it from knowing its true, divine nature.§

mala (mālā): माला “Garland.” A strand of beads for holy recitation, japa, usually made of rudraksha, tulasi, sandalwood or crystal. Also a flower garland. §

mambashum (mambashūm): (Shum) A map or diagram written in the Shum language, designating specific areas of the mind to explore in meditation. §

mandapa(m) (maṇḍapa): मण्डप From mand, “to deck, adorn.” Temple precinct; a temple compound, open hall or chamber. In entering a large temple, one passes through a series of mandapas, each named according to its position, e.g., mukhamandapa, “facing chamber.” §

mantra(m): मन्त्र “Mystic formula.” A sound, syllable, word or phrase endowed with special power, usually drawn from scripture. §

matha (maṭha): मठ “Monastery.” See: monastery.§

mathavasi (maṭhavāsi): मठवासि “Monastic; monastery dweller.” See: monk.§

maya (māyā): माया “She who measures;” or “mirific energy.” In Saiva Siddhanta, the substance emanated from Siva through which the world of form is manifested. Hence all creation is also termed maya. It is the cosmic creative force, the principle of manifestation, ever in the process of creation, preservation and dissolution. §

meditation: Dhyana. Sustained concentration. Meditation describes a quiet, alert, powerfully concentrated state wherein new knowledge and insights are awakened from within as awareness focuses one-pointedly on an object or specific line of thought. §

mendicant: A beggar; a wandering monk who lives on alms.§

mental plane: Names the refined strata of the subtle world. In Sanskrit, it is called Maharloka or Devaloka, realm of the anahata chakra. Here the soul is shrouded in the mental or cognitive sheath, vijnanamaya kosha.§

metaphysics: 1) The branch of philosophy dealing with first causes and nature of reality. 2) The science of mysticism. §

Meykandar: மெய்கண்டார் “Truth seer.” A 13th-century Tamil theologian, author (or translator from the Raurava Agama) of the Sivajnanabodham. Founder of the Meykandar Sampradaya of pluralistic Saiva Siddhanta. §

mind (five states): A view of the mind in five parts. —conscious mind (jagrat chitta, “wakeful consciousness”): The ordinary, waking, thinking state of mind. —subconscious mind (samskara chitta, “impression mind”): The part of mind “beneath” the conscious mind; the storehouse or recorder of all experience, whether remembered consciously or not. The holder of past impressions, reactions and desires. Also, the seat of involuntary physiological processes. —subsubconscious mind (vasana chitta, “mind of subliminal traits”): The area of the subconscious mind formed when two thoughts or experiences of the same rate of intensity are sent into the subconscious at different times and, intermingling, give rise to a new and totally different rate of vibration. —superconscious mind (karana chitta): The mind of light; the all-knowing intelligence of the soul. At its deepest level, the superconscious is Parashakti, or Satchidananda, the Divine Mind of God Siva. —subsuperconscious mind (anukarana chitta): The superconscious mind working through the conscious and subconscious states, which brings forth intuition, clarity and insight. §

mind (three phases): A perspective of mind as instinctive, intellectual and superconscious. —instinctive mind (manas chitta): The seat of desire and governor of sensory and motor organs. —intellectual mind (buddhi chitta): The faculty of thought and intelligence. —superconscious mind (karana chitta): The strata of intuition, benevolence and spiritual sustenance. Its most refined essence is Parashakti, or Satchidananda, all-knowing, omnipresent consciousness, the One transcendental, self-luminous, divine mind common to all souls. §

moksha: मोक्ष “Liberation.” Release from transmigration, samsara, the round of births and deaths, which occurs after karma has been resolved and nirvikalpa samadhi—realization of the Self, Parasiva—has been attained. Same as mukti.§

monastery: “Place of solitariness.” Matha. The age-old tradition, carried forward from Lemurian times into the Hindu culture of India, a sacred place where those of the same gender go through their birth karmas together toward realization of the Self. Living under strict vows, they thrive. Most monasteries are cloisters for men, though monasteries for women, headed by female ascetics, also exist in the Hindu tradition. Male and female monasteries are traditionally situated several miles or more from one another. Monasteries, in the correct sense of the word, are for individuals on the path of enlightenment who have arrived at a certain subsuperconscious state and wish to stay there. Therefore, they release various interactions with the world, physically and emotionally, and seek to remain poised in a contemplative monastic lifestyle. The intention of monastic life is to put oneself in a self-imposed intensity where unfoldment of the spirit can be catalyzed more quickly and more fully than in family life, or in a commune or coed ashram situation where the two genders live together. In monasteries, residents are dedicated to transmutation of the sexual energies, therefore celibacy is strictly upheld and there is no fraternizing with the opposite sex. §

monism: “Doctrine of oneness.” 1) The philosophical view that there is only one ultimate substance or principle. 2) The view that reality is a unified whole without independent parts. See: dvaita-advaita. §

monistic theism: Advaita Ishvaravada. The doctrine that reality is a one whole or existence without independent parts, coupled with theism, the belief that God exists as a real, conscious, personal Supreme Being—two perspectives ordinarily considered contradictory or mutually exclusive, since theism implies dualism. §

monk: A celibate man wholly dedicated to religious life, either cenobitic (residing with others in a monastery) or anchoritic (living alone, as a hermit or mendicant). Literally, “one who lives alone” (from the Greek monos, “alone”). Through the practice of yoga, the control and transmutation of the masculine and feminine forces within himself, the monk is a complete being, free to follow the contemplative and mystic life toward realization of the Self within. Benevolent and strong, courageous, fearless, not entangled in the thoughts and feelings of others, monks are affectionately detached from society, defenders of the faith, kind, loving and ever-flowing with timely wisdom. A synonym for monastic. See: sannyasa.§

mridanga(m) (mṛidaṅga): मृदङ्ग A South Indian concert drum, barrel-shaped and two-headed.§

mudra (mudrā): मुद्रा “Seal.” Esoteric hand gestures which express specific energies or powers. Usually accompanied by precise visualizations, mudras are a vital element of ritual worship (puja), dance and yoga. §

mukti: मुक्ति “Release,” “liberation.” A synonym for moksha. §

muladhara chakra (mūlādhāra chakra): मूलाधारचक्र “Root-support wheel.” Four-petaled psychic center at the base of the spine; governs memory. See: chakra.§

murti (mūrti): मूर्ति “Form; manifestation, embodiment, personification.” An image, icon or effigy of God or a God, into which the Deity’s presence is invoked during worship. §

Murugan: முருகன் “Beautiful one,” a favorite name of Karttikeya among the Tamils of South India, Sri Lanka and elsewhere. §

Nada (nāda): नाद “Sound; tone, vibration.” Metaphysically, the mystic sounds of the Eternal, of which the highest is the transcendent Soundless Sound, Paranada, the first vibration from which creation emanates. Paranada is so pure and subtle that it cannot be identified to the denser regions of the mind. From Paranada comes Pranava, Aum, and further evolutes of nada. These are experienced by the meditator as the nadanadi shakti, “energy current of sound,” heard pulsing through the nerve system as a steady high-pitched hum, much like a tambura, an electrical transformer, a swarm of bees or a shruti box. Listening to the inner sounds is a contemplative practice called nada upasana (worship through sound), nada anusandhana (cultivation of inner sound) or nada yoga (union through sound). Subtle variations of the nadanadi shakti represent the psychic wavelengths of established guru lineages of many Indian religions. Nada also refers to other psychic sounds heard during deep meditation, including those resembling various musical instruments. Nada also refers to ordinary sound. §

nadanadi shakti (nādanāḍī śakti): नादनाडीशक्ति “Energy current of sound.” See: nada.§

nadi (nāḍī): नाडी “Conduit; river.” A nerve fiber or energy channel of the subtle (inner) bodies of man. It is said there are 72,000 nadis. These interconnect the chakras. The three main nadis are ida, pingala and sushumna. 1) The ida nadi, also known as chandra (moon) nadi, is pink in color. It flows downward, ending on the left side of the body. This current is feminine in nature and is the channel of physical-emotional energy. 2) The pingala nadi, also known as surya (sun) nadi, is blue in color. It flows upward, ending on the right side of the body. This current is masculine in nature and is the channel of intellectual-mental energy. 3) The sushumna nadi, pale yellow in color, is the major nerve current which passes through the spinal column from the muladhara chakra at the base to the sahasrara at the crown of the head. It is the channel of kundalini. §

nadi jyotisha: நாடி ஜோதிடம் A form of astrology practiced in Tamil Nadu based on the belief that the past, present and future lives of all humans were foreseen by rishis in ancient times and recorded on palm-leaf manuscripts (nadi shastra, or nadi grantha) in an ancient Tamil script. To do a life reading, a nadi astrologer, or shastri, locates the appropriate leaf based upon the person’s thumb print and other factors. Then he interprets the etching on the leaf. This art of divination was made famous by nadi shastris around the Vaitheeswaran Temple, near Chidambaram; the astrology is centered there to this day and practiced by their descendants. §

nadi shastra: நாடி சாஸ்திரம் See: nadi jyotisha.§

nadi shastri: நாடி சாஸ்திரி See: nadi jyotisha.§

naga (nāga): नाग “Serpent,” often the cobra; symbol of the kundalini coiled on the four petals of the muladhara chakra. See: kundalini, muladhara chakra. §

nagasvara (nāgasvara): नागस्वर “Snake note.” A double-reed woodwind about three feet long, similar to an oboe but more shrill and piercing, common in South India, played at Hindu pujas and processions with the tavil, a large two-headed drum.§

naivedya(m): नैवेद्य Food offered to the Deity at the temple or home altar. An important element in puja. See: prasada, puja.§

nakshatra: नक्षत्र “Star cluster.” Central to astrological determinations, the nakshatras are 27 star clusters, constellations, which lie along the ecliptic, or path of the sun. An individual’s nakshatra, or birth star, is the constellation the moon was aligned with at the time of birth. §

namakarana (nāmakaraṇa): नामकरण “Name giving.” §

namakarana samskara (nāmakaraṇa saṁskāra): नामकरण संस्कार “Name giving rite” and formal entry into one or another sect of Hinduism, performed 11 to 41 days after birth. The name is chosen according to astrology, preferably the name of a God or Goddess. At this time, guardian devas are assigned to see the child through life. One who converts to or adopts Hinduism later in life would receive this same sacrament.§

Namasivaya (Nama˙ Śivāya): नमः शिवाय “Adoration (homage) to Siva.” The supreme mantra of Saivism, known as the Panchakshara, or “five syllables.” §

namaskara (namaskāra): नमस्कार “Reverent salutations.” Traditional Hindu verbal greeting and mudra where the palms are joined together and held before the heart or raised to the level of the forehead. The mudra is also called anjali. It is a devotional gesture made equally before a temple Deity, holy person, friend or even momentary acquaintance.§

Nandikeshvara Kashika (Nandikeśvara Kāśikā): नन्दिकेश्वरकाशिका The only surviving work of Nandikeshvara (ca 250 BCE). Its 26 verses are the earliest extant exposition of advaitic Saivism, aside from the Saiva Agamas.§

Nandinatha Sampradaya (Nandinātha Saṁpradāya): नन्दिनाथसंप्रदाय See: Natha Sampradaya.§

Narakaloka: नरकलोक Abode of darkness. Literally, “pertaining to man.” The nether worlds; a gross, hellish region of the Antarloka. Naraka is a congested, distressful area where demonic beings and young souls may sojourn until they resolve the darksome karmas they have created. Here beings suffer the consequences of their own misdeeds in previous lives. Naraka is understood as having seven regions, called talas, corresponding to the states of consciousness of the seven lower chakras. §

Nataraja (Naṭarāja): नटराज “King of Dance” or “King of Dancers.” God as the Cosmic Dancer. Perhaps Hinduism’s richest and most eloquent symbol, Nataraja represents Siva, the Primal Soul, Parameshvara, as the power, energy and life of all that exists. This is Siva’s intricate state of Being in Manifestation. The dance of Siva as Natesha, Lord of Dancers, is the rhythmic movement of the entire cosmos. All that is, whether sentient or insentient, pulsates in His body, and He within it. Both male and female elements are depicted in this icon—as they are in Ardhanarishvara, the “half-female God,” symbol of the inseparable nature of Siva-Shakti. §

Natchintanai: நற்சிந்தனை The collected songs of Siva Yogaswami (1872-1964) of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, extolling the power of the satguru, worship of Lord Siva, adherance to the path of dharma and striving for the attainment of Self Realization. §

Natha (Nātha): नाथ “Master, lord; adept.” An ancient Himalayan tradition of Saiva yoga mysticism whose first historically known exponent was Nandikeshvara (ca 250 bce). Natha—Self-Realized adept—designates the extraordinary ascetic masters (or devotees) of this school. §

Natha Sampradaya (Nātha Saṁpradāya): नाथसंप्रदाय “Traditional doctrine of knowledge of masters,” a philosophical and yogic tradition of Saivism whose origins precede recorded history. This oldest of Saivite sampradayas existing today consists of two major streams: the Nandinatha and the Adinatha. The Nandinatha Sampradaya has had as exemplars Maharishi Nandinatha and his disciples, Patanjali (author of the Yoga Sutras) and Tirumular (author of Tirumantiram). Among its representatives today are the successive siddhars of the Kailasa Parampara. The Adinatha lineage’s earliest known exemplars are Maharishi Adinatha, Matsyendranatha and Gorakshanatha, who founded a well-known order of yogis. See: Kailasa Parampara.§

natyam (nāṭyam): नाट्यम् Literally, “divine dancer.” Here, a Sanskrit and Shum word naming a monk who is a sannyasin or is training to become one. §

neti pot: A small vessel used to pour a saline solution into the nose in order to flush out the nasal passages. Typically it has a spout attached near the bottom, sometimes with a handle on the opposite side. Neti pots are traditionally made of metal, glass or ceramic. Jala neti, “nasal cleansing,” is an ancient hygienic practice integral to ayurveda and yoga.§

New Age: According to Webster’s New World Dictionary: “Of or pertaining to a cultural movement popular in the 1980s [and ever since] characterized by a concern with spiritual consciousness, and variously combining belief in reincarnation and astrology with such practices as meditation, vegetarianism and holistic medicine.” §

nirvani & upadeshi (nirvāṇī & upadeśī): निर्वाणी उपदेशी Nirvani means “extinguished one,” and upadeshi means “teacher.” In general, nirvani refers to a liberated soul, or to a certain class of monk. Upadeshi refers to a teacher, generally a renunciate. Here, these two terms have special meaning, similar to the Buddhist arhat and bodhisattva, naming the two earthly modes of the realized, liberated soul. After full illumination, the jivanmukta has the choice to return to the world to help others along the path. This is the way of the upadeshi (akin to bodhisattva), exemplified by the benevolent satguru who leads seekers to the goal of God Realization. He may found and direct institutions and monastic lineages. The nirvani (akin to arhat) abides at the pinnacle of consciousness, shunning all worldly involvement. He is typified by the silent ascetic, the reclusive sage. §

nirvikalpa samadhi (nirvikalpa samādhi): निर्विकल्पसमाधि “Undifferentiated trance, enstasy (samadhi) without form or seed.” The realization of the Self, Parasiva, a state of oneness beyond all change or diversity; beyond time, form and space. See: samadhi.§

niyama: नियम “Restraint.” See: yama-niyama.§

Odic force: Spiritually magnetic, of or pertaining to consciousness within ashuddha maya, the realm of the physical and lower astral planes. Odic force in its rarefied state is prakriti, the primary gross energy of nature, manifesting in the three gunas: sattva, rajas and tamas. All matter—earth, water, fire and air, as well as thought—is composed of odic force. It is the force of attraction and repulsion between people and between people and their things, and manifests as masculine (aggressive) and feminine (passive), arising from the pingala and ida currents. These two currents (nadis) are found within the spine of the subtle body. Odic force is a magnetic, sticky, binding substance that people seek to develop when they want to bind themselves together, such as in partnerships, marriage, guru-shishya relationships and friendships. It, of itself, is stagnant and unflowing. Odic energy is the combined emanation of the pranamaya and annamaya koshas. See also: actinic, kosha, subtle body, tattva.§

Pada: पद “Step, pace, stride; footstep, trace.” §

pada (pāda): पाद “The foot (of men and animals); quarter-part, section; stage; path.” Names the major sections of the Agamic texts and the corresponding stages of practice and unfoldment on the path to moksha. According to Saiva Siddhanta, there are four padas (charya, kriya, yoga and jnana) which are successive and cumulative; i.e. in accomplishing each one the soul prepares itself for the next. —charya pada: “Good conduct stage.” Learning to live righteously and serve selflessly, performing karma yoga. —kriya pada: “Religious action; worship stage.” Stage of bhakti yoga, of cultivating devotion through performing puja and regular daily sadhana. —yoga pada: Having matured in the charya and kriya padas, the soul now turns to internalized worship and raja yoga under the guidance of a satguru. —jnana pada: “Stage of wisdom.” Once the soul has attained Realization, it is henceforth a wise one who lives out the life of the body, shedding blessings on mankind. §

pādapūjā: पादपूजा “Foot worship.” Ceremonial worship of the guru’s sandals or holy feet, often through ablution with precious substances and offering of fruit and flowers. After the ceremony, the water of the bath, the fruit and other precious substances are partaken of as prasada by the devotees. §

padmasana (padmāsana): पद्मासन “Lotus posture.” The most famous hatha yoga asana, the optimum pose for sustained meditation. The legs are crossed with the feet resting on the thighs, close to the body, with soles upward, resembling a lotus flower. In this pose the intellectual-emotional energies are balanced and quieted. §

paduka (pādukā): पादुका “Sandals.” Shri paduka refers to the sandals of the preceptor, the traditional icon of the guru, representing his venerable feet and worshiped as the source of grace. §

panentheism: “All-in-God doctrine.” The view that the universe is part of the being of God, as distinguished from pantheism (“all-is-God doctrine”), which identifies God with the total reality. In contrast, panentheism holds that God pervades the world, but is also beyond it. He is immanent and transcendent, relative and Absolute. This embracing of opposites is called dipolar. For the panentheist, God is in all, and all is in God. Panentheism is the technical term for monistic theism. See: dvaita-advaita, monistic theism.§

papa (pāpa): पाप “Wickedness or sin;” “crime.” 1) Bad or evil. 2) Wrongful action. 3) Demerit earned through wrongdoing. Papa includes all forms of wrongdoing, from the simplest infraction to the most heinous crime, such as premeditated murder. Each act of papa carries its karmic consequence, karmaphala, “fruit of action,” for which scriptures delineate specific penance for expiation. Those who have awakened psychic sight can clearly see papa in the inner subconscious aura of a person as a colorful, sticky, astral substance. Papa is seen as dark, unrelated colors, whereas its counterpart, punya, is seen as pastels. The color arrangements are not unlike modern art murals. Papa colors can produce disease, depression, loneliness and such, but can be dissolved through penance (prayashchitta), austerity (tapas) and good deeds (sukritya).§

Paramatman (Paramātman): परमात्मन् “Supreme Self,” or “transcendent soul.” Parasiva, Absolute Reality, the one transcendent Self of every soul. Contrasted with atman, which includes all three aspects of the soul: Parasiva, Parashakti and anandamaya kosha. See: Parasiva, Self, soul.§

Parameshvara (Parameśvara): परमेश्वर “Supreme Lord or Ruler.” God Siva’s third perfection, Supreme Mahadeva, Siva-Shakti, mother of the universe. In this perfection, as personal, father-mother God, Siva is a person—who has a body, with head, arms and legs, etc.—who acts, wills, blesses, gives darshan, guides, creates, preserves, reabsorbs, obscures and enlightens. In Truth, it is Siva-Shakti who does all. The term Primal Soul, Paramapurusha, designates Parameshvara as the original, uncreated soul, the creator of all other souls. Parameshvara has many other names and titles, including those denoting the five divine actions—Sadasiva, the revealer; Maheshvara, the obscurer; Brahma, the creator; Vishnu the preserver; and Rudra the destroyer. §

parampara (paraṁparā): परंपरा “Uninterrupted succession.” A lineage. §

Parasiva (Paraśiva): परशिव “Transcendent Siva.” The Self God, Siva’s first perfection, Absolute Reality. Parasiva is That which is beyond the grasp of consciousness, transcends time, form and space and defies description. To merge with the Absolute in mystic union is the ultimate goal of all incarnated souls, the reason for their living on this planet, and the deepest meaning of their experiences. Attainment of this is called Self Realization or nirvikalpa samadhi. §

parivrajaka (parivrājaka): परिव्राजक “Spiritual wanderer.” An itinerent Hindu monk.§

Parvati (Pārvatī): पार्वती “Mountain’s daughter.” One of many names for the Universal Mother. Prayers are offered to Her for strength, health and eradication of impurities. Mythologically, Parvati is wedded to Siva. See: Goddess, Shakti. §

Patanjali (Patañjali): पतञ्जलि A Saivite Natha siddha (ca 200 bce) who codified the ancient Yoga Darshana (philosophy) which outlines the path to enlightenment through purification, control and transcendence of the mind. §

pathashala (pāṭhaśāla): पाठशाल “Place of lessons.” A school for training temple priests. §

Pati: पति “Master; lord; owner.” A name for God Siva indicating His commanding relationship with souls as caring ruler and helpful guide. See: Pati-pashu-pasha.§

Pati-pashu-pasha (Pati-paśu-pāśa): पति पशु पाश Literally, “Master, cow and tether.” These are the three primary elements (padartha, or tattvatrayi) of Saiva Siddhanta philosophy: God, soul and world—Divinity, man and cosmos—seen as a mystically and intricately interrelated unity. Pati is God, envisioned as a cowherd. Pashu is the soul, envisioned as a cow. Pasha is the all-important force or fetter by which God brings souls along the path to Truth. The various schools of Hinduism define the rapport among the three in varying ways. For pluralistic Saiva Siddhantins they are three beginningless verities, self-existent, eternal entities. For monistic Saiva Siddhantins, pashu and pasha are the temporary, emanational creation of Pati, God Siva, destined to be reabsorbed into Him like waves into the ocean; He alone is eternal reality. See: Saiva Siddhanta, soul.§

penance: Prayashchitta. Atonement, expiation. An act of devotion (bhakti), austerity (tapas) or discipline (sukritya) undertaken to soften or nullify the anticipated reaction to a past action. §

pilgrimage: Tirthayatra. Journeying to a holy temple, near or far, performed by all Hindus at least once each year. §

Pillaiyar: பிள்ளையார் Ganesha in the form of the Noble Child. §

pingala (piṅgalā): पिंगला “Tawny channel.” The masculine psychic current flowing along the spine. See: nadi.§

pitham (pīṭha): पीठ “Seat; pedestal; foundation.” 1) The base or pedestal of the Sivalinga, or of any Deity idol. 2) A religious seat, such as the throne of the abbot of a monastery. 3) An aadheenam, ashrama or matha established around such a seat of spiritual authority. §

Pongal festival: See: Tai Pongal.§

pottu: பொட்டு “A drop, small particle, dot.” Small dot worn on the forehead between the eyebrows, or in the middle of the forehead, made of red powder (kunkuma), sandalpaste, clay, cosmetics or other substance. The pottu is known as bindu in Sanskrit, and bindi in Hindi. §

prana (prāṇa): प्राण Vital energy or life principle. Literally, “vital air,” from the root pran, “to breathe.” Prana in the human body moves in the pranamaya kosha as five primary life currents known as vayus, “vital airs or winds.” Prana sometimes denotes the power or animating force of the cosmos, the sum total of all energy and forces. §

pranam(a) (praṇāma): प्रणाम “Obeisance; bowing down.” Reverent salutation in which the head or body is bowed. There are two types of prostration, as follows. 1) ashtanga pranama (“Eight-limbed obeisance”): the full prostration for men, in which the hands, chest, forehead, knees and feet touch the ground (it is the same as shashtanga pranama); and 2) panchanga pranama (“Five-limbed obeisance”): the woman’s form of prostration, in which the hands, head and knees touch the ground (with the ankles crossed, right over the left). A more exacting term for prostration is pranipata, “falling down in obeisance.” §

pranayama (prāṇāyāma): प्राणायाम “Breath control.” Science of controlling prana through breathing techniques in which the lengths of inhalation, retention and exhalation are modulated. Pranayama prepares the mind for meditation. See: ashtanga yoga.§

pranic (prāṇic): Of or related to prana. See: prana.§

pranic body (prāṇic body): The subtle, life-giving sheath called pranamaya kosha. See: kosha.§

prapatti: प्रपत्ति “Throwing oneself down.” Bhakti—total, unconditional submission to God, often coupled with the attitude of personal helplessness, self-effacement and resignation. A term especially used in Vaishnavism to name a concept extremely central to virtually all Hindu schools. See: grace.§

prarabdha karma (prārabdha karma): प्रारब्धकर्म “Action that has been unleashed or aroused.” See: karma. §

prasada(m) (prasāda): प्रसाद “Clarity, brightness; grace.” 1) The virtue of serenity and graciousness. 2) Food offered to the Deity or the guru, or the blessed remnants of such food. 3) Any propitiatory offering. §

pratyahara (pratyāhāra): प्रत्याहार “Withdrawal.” The drawing in of forces. In yoga, the withdrawal from external consciousness. (Also a synonym for pralaya.) See: ashtanga yoga.§

prayashchitta (prāyaśchitta): प्रायश्चित्त “Predominant thought or aim.” Penance. Acts of atonement. An act of devotion (bhakti), austerity (tapas) or discipline (sukritya) undertaken to soften or nullify the anticipated reaction to a past action. Penance is uncomfortable karma inflicted upon oneself to mitigate one’s karmic burden caused by wrongful actions (kukarma). It includes such acts as prostrating 108 times, fasting, self-denial, or carrying kavadi (public penance), as well as more extreme austerities, or tapas. Penance is often suggested by spiritual leaders and elders. §

prayopavesha (prāyopaveśa): प्रायोपवेश “Resolving to die through fasting.” Self-willed death by fasting. §

Pretaloka: प्रेतलोक “World of the departed.” The realm of the earth-bound souls. This lower region of Bhuvarloka is an astral duplicate of the physical world. Bhuvarloka is one of the seven upper worlds: Bhuloka, Bhuvarloka, Svarloka, Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka and Satyaloka. See: loka.§

Primal Soul: The uncreated, original, perfect soul—Siva Parameshvara—who emanates from Himself the inner and outer universes and an infinite plurality of individual souls whose essence is identical with His essence. God in His personal aspect as Lord and Creator, depicted in many forms: Nataraja by Saivites, Vishnu by Vaishnavites, Devi by Shaktas.§

puja (pūjā): पूजा “Worship, adoration.” An Agamic rite of worship performed in the home, temple or shrine, to the murti, shri paduka, or other consecrated object, or to a person, such as the satguru. Its inner purpose is to purify the atmosphere around the object worshiped, establish a connection with the inner worlds and invoke the presence of God, Gods or one’s guru. Atmartha puja is done for oneself and immediate family, usually at home in a private shrine. Parartha puja is public puja, performed by authorized or ordained priests in a public shrine or temple. §

pujari (pujārī): पुजारी “Worshiper.” A general term for Hindu temple priests, as well as anyone performing puja. §

pandit (paṇḍita): पण्डित “Learned one.” A Hindu religious scholar or theologian, well versed in philosophy, liturgy, religious law and sacred science. §

pundit: See pandit.§

punya (puṇya): पुण्य “Holy; virtuous; auspicious.” 1) Good or righteous. 2) Meritorious action. 3) Merit earned through right thought, word and action. Punya includes all forms of doing good, from the simplest helpful deed to a lifetime of conscientious beneficence. Punya produces inner contentment, deep joy, the feeling of security and fearlessness. See also: papa.§

Purana (Purāṇa): पुराण “Ancient (lore).” Hindu folk narratives containing ethical and cosmological teachings relative to Gods, man and the world. They revolve around five subjects: primary creation, secondary creation, genealogy, cycles of time and history. There are 18 major Puranas which are designated as either Saivite, Vaishnavite or Shakta. §

Puranic (Purāṇic): Of or related to the Puranas.§

purushartha (purushārtha): पुरुषार्थ “Human wealth or purpose.” The four pursuits in which humans may legitimately engage, a basic principle of Hindu ethics. They are: dharma, artha, kama and moksha. 1) dharma (“Righteous living”): The fulfillment of virtue, good works, duties and responsibilities, restraints and observances—performing one’s part in the service and upliftment of society. This includes pursuit of truth under a guru of a particular parampara and sampradaya. See: dharma. 2) artha (“Wealth”): Material welfare and abundance, money, property, possessions. Artha is the pursuit of wealth, guided by dharma. It includes the basic needs—food, money, clothing and shelter—and extends to the wealth required to maintain a comfortable home, raise a family, fulfill a successful career and perform religious duties. See: yajna. 3) kama (“Pleasure, love; enjoyment”): Earthly love, aesthetic and cultural fulfillment, pleasures of the world (including sexual), the joys of family, intellectual satisfaction. Enjoyment of happiness, security, creativity, usefulness and inspiration. 4) moksha (“Liberation”): Freedom from rebirth through the ultimate attainment, realization of the Self God, Parasiva. The spiritual attainments and superconscious joys attending renunciation and yoga leading to Self Realization. Moksha comes through the fulfillment of dharma, artha and kama in the current or past lives, so that one is no longer attached to worldly joys or sorrows. See: liberation.§

Rajagopura(m) (rājagopura): राजगोपुर “Royal gateway.” Gopura names a temple entry tower in the South Indian style of architecture. Large temples may have several gopuras. The main tower is the rajagopura. §

rajas: रजस् “Passion; activity.” See: guna.§

rasatala chakra (rasātala chakra): रसातलचक्र “Subterranean region.” The fifth chakra below the muladhara, centered in the ankles. Region of selfishness, self-centeredness and possessiveness. Rasa means “earth, soil; moisture.” See: chakra, Narakaloka.§

reincarnation: “Re-entering the flesh.” Punarjanma; metempsychosis. The process wherein souls take on a physical body through the birth process. §

renunciation: See: sannyasa.§

restraints: See: yama-niyama. §

revealing grace: See: anugraha shakti, grace. §

rishi (ṛishi): ऋषि “Seer.” A term for an enlightened being, emphasizing psychic perception and visionary wisdom. §

Rudra: रुद्र “Controller of terrific powers;” or “red, shining one.” The name of Siva as the God of dissolution, the universal force of reabsorption. Rudra is revered both as the “terrifying one” and the “Lord of tears,” for He wields and controls the terrific powers which may cause lamentation among humans. See: Nataraja, Siva.§

rudraksha (rudrāksha): रुद्राक्ष “Eye of Rudra; or red-eyed.” Refers to the third eye, or ajna chakra. Marble-sized, multi-faced, reddish-brown seeds from the Eleocarpus ganitrus, or blue marble tree, which are sacred to Siva and a symbol of His compassion for humanity. §

Sacrament: 1) Holy rite, especially one solemnized in a formal, consecrated manner which is a bonding between the recipient and God, Gods or guru. This includes rites of passage (samskara), ceremonies sanctifying crucial events or stages of life. 2) Prasada. Sacred substances, grace-filled gifts, blessed in sacred ceremony or by a holy person. §

sadhaka (sādhaka): साधक “Accomplished one; a devotee who performs sadhana.” A serious aspirant who has undertaken spiritual disciplines, is usually celibate and is under the guidance of a guru. He wears white and may be under vows, but is not a sannyasin. §

sadhana (sādhana): साधन “Effective means of attainment.” Religious or spiritual disciplines, such as puja, yoga, meditation, japa, fasting and austerity. §

sadhu (sādhu): साधु “Virtuous one; straight, unerring.” A holy man dedicated to the search for God. A sadhu may or may not be a yogi or a sannyasin, or be connected in any way with a guru or established lineage. Sadhus usually have no fixed abode and travel unattached from place to place, often living on alms. §

sahaja: सहज “Spontaneous, natural,” a term used by Satguru Yogaswami to name the state of the knower of Truth. Ananda Coomaraswamy described it as “a recognition of the identity of spirit and matter, subject and object.” §

sahasrara chakra (sahasrāra chakra): सहस्रारचक्र “Thousand-spoked wheel.” The cranial psychic force center. See: chakra.§

Saiva (Śaiva): शैव Of or relating to Saivism or its adherents, of whom there are about 400 million in the world today. Same as Saivite. See: Saivism.§

Saiva Agamas (Śaiva Āgamas): शैव आगम The sectarian revealed scriptures of the Saivas. Strongly theistic, they identify Siva as the Supreme Lord, immanent and transcendent. They are in two main divisions: the 64 Kashmir Saiva Agamas and the 28 Saiva Siddhanta Agamas. The latter group are the fundamental sectarian scriptures of Saiva Siddhanta. §

Saiva Atmartha Puja (Śaiva Ātmārtha Pūjā): शैव आत्मार्थ पूजा “Saivite personal worship rite.” Home puja, Sanskrit liturgy performed in the home shrine. See: puja. §

Saiva Parartha Puja (Śaiva Parārtha Pūjā): शैव परार्थपूजा “Saivite public worship rite.” Formal temple puja in the Agamic tradition. See: puja.§

Saiva Samayam: சைவசமயம் “Saiva religion.” See: Saivism.§

Saiva Siddhanta (Śaiva Siddhānta): शैवसिद्धान्त “Final conclusions of Saivism.” The most widespread and influential Saivite school today, predominant especially among the Tamil people of Sri Lanka and South India. It is the formalized theology of the divine revelations contained in the twenty-eight Saiva Agamas. For Saiva Siddhantins, Siva is the totality of all, understood in three perfections: Parameshvara (the Personal Creator Lord), Parashakti (the substratum of form) and Parasiva (Absolute Reality which transcends all). Souls and world are identical in essence with Siva, yet also differ in that they are evolving. A pluralistic stream arose in the Middle Ages from the teachings of Aghorasiva and Meykandar. See: Saivism.§

Saivism (Śaivism, Śaiva): शैव The religion followed by those who worship Siva as Supreme God. Oldest of the four sects of Hinduism. The earliest historical evidence of Saivism is from the 8,000-yearold Indus Valley civilization in the form of the famous seal of Siva as Lord Pashupati, seated in a yogic pose. There are many schools of Saivism, six of which are Saiva Siddhanta, Pashupata Saivism, Kashmir Saivism, Vira Saivism, Siddha Siddhanta and Siva Advaita. They are based firmly on the Vedas and Saiva Agamas, and thus have much in common, including the following principal doctrines: 1) the five powers of Siva—creation, preservation, destruction, revealing and concealing grace; 2) the three categories: Pati, pashu and pasha (“God, souls and bonds”); 3) the three bonds: anava, karma and maya; 4) the threefold power of Siva: iccha shakti (“desire; will”), kriya shakti (“action power”) and jnana shakti (“power of wisdom”); 5) the thirty-six tattvas, or categories of existence; 6) the need for initiation from a satguru; 7) the power of mantra; 8) the four padas (stages of spiritual progress): charya (selfless service), kriya (devotion), yoga (meditation), and jnana (illumination); 9) the belief in the Panchakshara as the foremost mantra, and in rudraksha and vibhuti as sacred aids to faith; 10) the beliefs in satguru (preceptor), Sivalinga (object of worship) and sangama (company of holy persons). §

Saivite (Śaivite, Śaiva): शैव Of or relating to Saivism or its adherents, of whom there are about 400 million in the world today. See: Saivism.§

Saivite Shastras (Śaivite Śāstras): शैव शास्त्र The inner-plane prophecy that has guided Saiva Siddhanta Church since Sivaya Subramuniyaswami read it from the akasha in 1973. The Saivite Shastras were written for the Saiva Siddhanta Yoga Order by a group of devas in the Second World, in English. Their purpose is to bring forward the applicable patterns of the Lemurian and Dravidian monasteries, molding the monastics into the culture and ideals expressed therein, including relationships with the guru, attitudes and guidelines for monastic life.§

samadhi (samādhi): समाधि “Enstasy,” “standing within one’s Self.” “Sameness; contemplation; union, wholeness; completion, accomplishment.” Samadhi is the state of true yoga, in which the meditator and the object of meditation are one. Samadhi is of two levels. The first is savikalpa samadhi (“enstasy with form” or “seed”), identification or oneness with the essence of an object. Its highest form is the realization of the primal substratum or pure consciousness, Satchidananda. The second is nirvikalpa samadhi (“enstasy without form” or “seed”), identification with the Self, in which all modes of consciousness are transcended and Absolute Reality, Parasiva, beyond time, form and space, is experienced.§

samayam: சமயம் “Religion.”§

sampradaya (saṁpradāya): संप्रदाय “Tradition,” “transmission;” a philosophical or religious doctrine or lineage. A living stream of tradition or theology within Hinduism, passed on by oral training and initiation. Typically, a sampradaya is represented by many paramparas. §

samsara (saṁsāra): संसार “Flow.” The phenomenal world. The cycle of birth, death and rebirth; the total pattern of successive earthly lives experienced by a soul. §

samskara (saṁskāra): संस्कार “Impression, activator; sanctification, preparation.” 1) The imprints left on the subconscious mind by experience (from this or previous lives), which then color all of life, one’s nature, responses, states of mind, etc. 2) A sacrament or rite done to mark a significant transition of life. §

Sanatana Dharma (Sanātana Dharma): सनातनधर्म “Eternal religion” or “Everlasting path.” It is a traditional designation for the Hindu religion. See: Hinduism. §

sanga(m) (saṅga): सङ्ग “Association,” “fellowship.” Coming together in a group, especially for religious purposes. §

Sankara, Adi: See: Shankara.§

San Marga (San Mārga): सन्मार्ग “True path.” The straight, spiritual path leading to the ultimate goal, Self Realization, without detouring into unnecessary psychic exploration or pointless development of siddhis. San Marga also names the jnana pada. §

San Marga Sanctuary: A meditation tirtha at the foot of the extinct volcano, Mount Waialeale, on Hawaii’s Garden Island, Kauai. Founded in 1970, it is among the many public services of Saiva Siddhanta Church, one of America’s senior Hindu religious institutions. §

sannidhana(m) (sannidhāna): सन्निधान “Nearness; proximity; provost; taking charge of.” A title of heads of monasteries: Guru Mahasannidhana. See: sannidhya. §

sannidhya (sānnidhya): सान्निध्य “(Divine) presence; nearness, indwelling.” The radiance and blessed presence of shakti within and around a temple or a holy person. §

sannyasa (sannyāsa): संयास “Renunciation.” “Throwing down or abandoning.” Sannyasa is the repudiation of the dharma, including the obligations and duties, of the householder and the acceptance of the even more demanding dharma of the renunciate. §

sannyasin (sannyāsin): संयासिन् “Renouncer.” One who has taken sannyasa diksha. A Hindu monk, swami, and one of a world brotherhood (or holy order) of sannyasins. Some are wanderers and others live in monasteries. §

Sanskrit (Saṁskṛita): संस्कृत “Well-made,” “refined,” “perfected.” The classical sacerdotal language of ancient India, considered a pure vehicle for communication with the celestial worlds. It is the primary language in which Hindu scriptures are written, including the Vedas and Agamas. Employed today as a liturgical, literary and scholarly language, but no longer as a spoken vernacular. §

santosha: सन्तोष “Contentment.” See: yama-niyama.§

sapta rishis (sapta ṛishis): सप्तऋषि Seven inner-plane masters who help guide the karmas of mankind.§

sari (sārī): (Hindi, साई) The traditional garment of a Hindu woman. §

Satchidananda (Sacchidānanda): सच्चिदानन्द “Existence-consciousness-bliss.” Lord Siva’s Divine Mind and simultaneously the pure superconscious mind of each individual soul. It is perfect love and omniscient, omnipotent consciousness, the fountainhead of all existence, yet containing and permeating all existence. It is also called pure consciousness, pure form, substratum of existence. A synonym for Parashakti. See: Siva.§

satguru (sadguru): सद्गुरु “True weighty one.” A spiritual preceptor of the highest attainment and authority—one who has realized the ultimate Truth, Parasiva, through nirvikalpa samadhi—a jivanmukta able to lead others securely along the spiritual path. He is always a sannyasin, an unmarried renunciate. He is recognized and revered as the embodiment of God, Sadasiva, the source of grace and liberation. §

satsanga (satsaṅga): सत्सङ्ग “Association with the good.” Gathering in the company of good souls.§

sattva guna (sattva guṇa): सत्त्वगुण “Perfection of Being.” The quality of goodness or purity. See: guna.§

satya: सत्य “Truthfulness.” See: yama-niyama.§

Sat Yuga: सत्युग (Also Satya) “Age of Truth,“ also called Krita, “accomplished, good, cultivated, kind action; the winning die of four dots.“ The first in the repetitive cycle of yugas, lasting 1,728,000 years, representing the brightest time, when the full light of the Central Sun permeates Earth. See: Central Sun, cosmic cycle, yuga.§

sayuja (sāyujya): सायुज्य “Intimate union.” Perpetual God Consciousness. Often sayujya samadhi.§

Self (Self God): God Siva’s perfection of Absolute Reality, Parasiva—That which abides at the core of every soul. See: Parasiva.§

Self Realization: Direct knowing of the Self God, Parasiva. Self Realization is known in Sanskrit as nirvikalpa samadhi; “enstasy without form or seed;” the ultimate spiritual attainment (also called asamprajnata samadhi). See: God Realization.§

seva (sevā): सेवा “Service,” karma yoga, an integral part of the spiritual path, doing selfless, useful work for others, such as volunteer work at a temple, without preference or thought of reward or personal gain. Seva, or Sivathondu in Tamil, is the central practice of the charya pada. §

shakahara (śākāhāra): शाकाहार “Vegetarian diet.” From shaka, “vegetable;” and ahara, “eating; taking food.” See: yama-niyama. §

Shakta (Śākta): शाक्त Of or relating to Shaktism. See: Shaktism.§

Shakti (Śakti): शक्ति “Power, energy.” The active power or manifest energy of Siva that pervades all of existence. Its most refined aspect is Parashakti, or Satchidananda, the pure consciousness and primal substratum of all form. This pristine, divine energy unfolds as iccha shakti (the power of desire, will, love), kriya shakti (the power of action) and jnana shakti (the power of wisdom, knowing), represented as the three prongs of Siva’s trishula, or trident. From these arise the five powers of revealment, concealment, dissolution, preservation and creation. In Saiva Siddhanta, Siva is All, and His divine energy, Shakti, is inseparable from Him. This unity is symbolized in the image of Ardhanarishvara, “half-female God.” In popular, village Hinduism, the unity of Siva and Shakti is replaced with the concept of Siva and Shakti as separate entities. Shakti is represented as female, and Siva as male. In Hindu temples, art and mythology, they are everywhere seen as the divine couple. Within the Shakta religion, the worship of the Goddess is paramount, in Her many fierce and benign forms. Shakti is most easily experienced by devotees as the sublime, bliss-inspiring energy that emanates from a holy person or sanctified Hindu temple. See: Shaktism.§

shaktinipata (śaktinipāṭa): शक्तिनिपाट “Descent of grace,” occurring during the advanced stage of the soul’s evolution called arul, at the end of the sakala avasthai. Shaktinipata is two-fold: the internal descent is recognized as a tremendous yearning for Siva; the outer descent of grace is the appearance of a satguru. At this stage, the devotee increasingly wants to devote himself to all that is spiritual and holy. Same as shaktipata. §

shaktipata (śaktipāṭa): शक्तिपाट Same as shaktinipata. See: shaktinipata.§

Shaktism (Śāktism, Śākta): शाक्ति “Doctrine of power.” The religion followed by those who worship the Supreme as the Divine Mother—Shakti or Devi—in Her many forms, both gentle and fierce. Shaktism is one of the four primary sects of Hinduism. Shaktism’s first historical signs are thousands of female statuettes dated ca 5500 bce, recovered at the Mehrgarh village in India. In philosophy and practice, Shaktism greatly resembles Saivism, both faiths promulgating, for example, the same ultimate goals of advaitic union with Siva and moksha. But Shaktas worship Shakti as the Supreme Being exclusively, as the dynamic aspect of Divinity, while Siva is considered solely transcendent and is not worshiped. See: Shakti. §

Shankara (Śaṅkara): शङ्कर “Conferring happiness;” “propitious.” A name of Siva. Also one of Hinduism’s most extraordinary monks, Adi Shankara (788-820), preeminent guru of the Smarta Sampradaya, noted for his monistic philosophy (Advaita Vedanta), his many scriptural commentaries, and his formalizing of ten orders of sannyasins with pontifical headquarters at strategic points across India. He lived only 32 years, but traveled throughout India and transformed the Hindu world of that time. §

Sharavanabhava (Śaravaṇabhava): शरवणभव “Thicket of reeds.” The mantra which calls upon Lord Karttikeya, son of God Siva and guardian of the spiritual quest, who arose from Sharavana, the sacred lake of primal consciousness. Its mirror-like surface symbolizes a quieted, peaceful mind. This mantra is prescribed for Saivites not yet initiated by a satguru into the mantra Namah Sivaya. §

shastra (śāstra): शास्त्र “Sacred text; teaching.” Any religious or philosophical treatise, or body of writings. Also a department of knowledge, a science; e.g., the Artha Shastras on politics.§

shastri (śāstrī): शास्त्री One who is knowledgeable in shastra (scriptures or books of law). §

shaucha (śaucha): शौच “Purity.” See: yama-niyama.§

shishya (śishya): शिष्य “A pupil or disciple,” especially one who has proven himself and been accepted by a guru. §

shloka (śloka): श्लोक A verse, phrase, proverb or hymn of praise, usually composed in a specified meter. Especially a verse of two lines, each of sixteen syllables. §

Shri Rudram (Śrī Rudram): श्रीरुद्रम् “Hymn to the wielder of terrific powers.” Preeminent Vedic hymn to Lord Siva as the God of dissolution, chanted daily in Siva temples throughout India. It is in this long prayer, located in the Yajur Veda, Taittiriya Samhita, in the middle of the first three Vedas, that the Saivite mantra Namah Sivaya first appears.§

Shum (Shūm): The Natha mystical language of meditation revealed in Switzerland in 1968 by Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. Its primary alphabet looks like this:§

§

shumif (shūmīf): One of four basic perspectives designated in the Shum language and philosophy, the meditative viewpoint of being awareness flowing from one area of the inner mind to another, the mind itself being stationary. Also simply the Shum perspective. In Saiva Siddhanta it includes the deeper meditative practices. It is an advaitic, or monistic, viewpoint.§

shumsimnisi (shūmsimnīsī): The warm thoughts that lead to passion. §

siddha: सिद्ध A “perfected one’’ or accomplished yogi, a person of great spiritual attainment or powers. See: siddhi. §

siddhanta (siddhānta): सिद्धान्त “Final attainments;” “final conclusions.” Ultimate understanding in any field. §

siddhanta shravana (siddhānta śravaṇa): सिद्धान्तश्रवण “Scriptural listening.” See: yama-niyama.§

siddhi: “Power, accomplishment; perfection.” Extraordinary powers of the soul, developed through consistent meditation and deliberate, grueling, often uncomfortable tapas, or awakened naturally through spiritual maturity and yogic sadhana. Through the repeated experience of Self Realization, siddhis naturally unfold according to the needs of the individual. Before Self Realization, the use or development of siddhis is among the greatest obstacles on the path because it cultivates ahamkara, I-ness, and militates against the attainment of prapatti, complete submission to the will of God, Gods and guru.§

simshumbisi (simshūmbīsī»): The actinic energy within the spine; the pure life force, yellow in color, flowing through the spine and out into the nerve system. Simshumbisi is the area of fourteen strong psychic nerve currents of the subsuperconscious state. These fourteen currents, or nadis, include the vumtyeudi and karehana currents, termed pingala and ida in Sanskrit, as well as the central nadi, called sushumna. When a yogi lives in simshumbisi, his consciousness is that of a being, neither man (aggressive) nor woman (passive).§

Siva (Śiva): शिव The “Auspicious,” “Gracious,” or “Kindly one.” Supreme Being of the Saivite religion. God Siva is All and in all, simultaneously the creator and the creation, both immanent and transcendent. As personal Deity, He is Creator, Preserver and Destroyer. He is a one Being, perhaps best understood in three perfections: Parameshvara (Primal Soul), Parashakti (Pure Consciousness) and Parasiva (Absolute Reality). See: Parameshvara.§

Sivadhyana (Śivadhyāna): शिवध्यान “Meditation on Siva.” See: ashtanga yoga.§

Sivalinga(m) (Śivaliṅga): शिवलिङ्ग “Mark (or sign) of Siva.” The most prevalent icon of Siva, found in virtually all Siva temples. A rounded, elliptical, aniconic image, usually set on a circular base, or pitha. The Sivalinga is the simplest and most ancient symbol of Siva, especially of Parasiva, God beyond all forms and qualities. The pitha represents Parashakti, the manifesting power of God. Lingas are usually of stone (either carved or naturally existing, svayambhu, such as shaped by a swift-flowing river), but may also be of metal, precious gemstone, crystal, wood, earth or transitory materials such as ice. See: murti, Saivism.§

Sivaloka (Śivaloka): शिवलोक “Realm of Siva.” See: loka.§

Siva Purana(m) (Śiva Purāṇa): शिवपुराण “Ancient [lore] of Siva.” A collection of six major scriptures sacred to Saivites. Also the name of the oldest of these six texts, though some consider it a version of the Vayu Purana. See: Hinduism, Puranas.§

Sivaratri (Śivarātri): शिवरात्रि “Night of Siva.” See: Mahasivaratri.§

Sivathondu: சிவதொண்டு “Service to Siva.” Akin to the concept of karma yoga. §

Skanda: स्कन्द “Quicksilver;” “leaping one.” One of Lord Karttikeya’s oldest names, and His form as scarlet-hued warrior God. §

Skanda Shashthi (Skanda Shashṭhī): स्कन्दषष्ठी A six-day festival in October-November celebrating Lord Karttikeya’s, or Skanda’s, victory over the forces of darkness.§

Smarta (Smārta): स्मार्त “Of or related to smriti,” the secondary Hindu scriptures. See: Smartism.§

Smartism (Smārtism): स्मार्त् Sect based on the secondary scriptures (smriti). The most liberal of the four major Hindu denominations, an ancient Vedic brahminical tradition (ca 700 bce) which from the 9th century onward was guided and deeply influenced by the Advaita Vedanta teachings of the reformist Adi Shankara. §

soul: The real being of man, as distinguished from body, mind and emotions. The soul, known as atman or purusha, has two aspects, its essence and its form, or body. The essence or nucleus of the soul is man’s innermost and unchanging being, eternally identical with God Siva's first two perfections, Parasiva (Absolute Reality) and Parashakti (Satchidananda, Pure Consciousness). The body of the soul, anandamaya kosha (“sheath of bliss”), is also called the soul body, causal body (karana sharira), innermost sheath, actinic body and body of light. These terms refer to the soul’s manifest nature as an individual being—an effulgent, human-like form composed of light (quantums). See: evolution of the soul.§

sphatika (sphaṭika): स्फटिक “Quartz crystal.” From sphat, “to expand; blossom; to burst open or into view.” See: sphatika Sivalinga.§

sphatika Sivalinga(m) (sphaṭika Śivaliṅga): स्फटिकशिवलिङ्ग “Crystal mark of God.” A quartz-crystal Sivalinga. See: San Marga Sanctuary, Sivalinga, Svayambhu Linga.§

spiritual unfoldment: The unfoldment of the spirit, the inherent, divine soul of man. The gradual expansion of consciousness as kundalini shakti slowly rises through the sushumna nadi. The term spiritual unfoldment indicates this slow, imperceptible process of uncovering soul qualities that are already there, likened to a lotus flower’s emerging from bud to effulgent beauty. §

subconscious mind: Samskara chitta. The storehouse of past impressions, reactions and desires and the seat of involuntary physiological processes. See: mind.§

Subramaniam: சுப்பிரமணியம் (Sanskrit—Subrahmaṇya: “Very pious; dear to holy men.” A name of Lord Karttikeya. §

Subramuniyaswami: சுப்பிரமுனியசுவாமி The 162nd satguru (1927–2001) of the Nandinatha Sampradaya’s Kailasa Parampara. He was recognized worldwide as one of the foremost Hindu ministers of our times, contributing to the revival of Hinduism in immeasurable abundance. He was simultaneously a staunch defender of traditions, as the tried and proven ways of the past, and a fearless innovator, setting new patterns of life for contemporary humanity. §

sub-subconscious mind: Vasana chitta. See: mind (five states).§

subsuperconscious mind: Anukarana chitta. The superconscious mind working through the conscious and subconscious states, which brings forth intuition, clarity and insight. §

subtle body: Sukshma sharira, the nonphysical, astral body or vehicle in which the soul encases itself to function in the Antarloka, or subtle world. The subtle body includes the vijnanamaya kosha (mental, cognitive-intuitive sheath), manomaya kosha (instinctive-intellectual sheath) and, while the soul is physically embodied, the pranamaya kosha (life-energy sheath). After death, the pranamaya kosha disintegrates and the subtle body consists of only manomaya and vijnanamaya. Just before rebirth, or when higher evolutionary planes are entered, manomaya kosha is dropped off as well; at that point, the subtle body consists of only vijnanamaya kosha. Also part of the subtle body are the antahkarana (mental faculty: intellect, instinct and ego—buddhi, manas and ahamkara) and, during physical embodiment, the five jnanendriyas (agents of perception: hearing, touch, sight, taste and smell); and the five karmendriyas (agents of action: speech, grasping, movement, excretion and generation). Its composition spans the 6th to the 36th tattva.§

summa: சும்மா “Stillness.” §

superconscious mind: Karana chitta. See: mind (five states), mind (three phases).§

sutra (sūtra): सुत्र “Thread.” An aphoristic verse; the literary style consisting of such maxims. From 500 bce, this style was widely adopted by Indian philosophical systems and eventually employed in works on law, grammar, medicine, poetry, crafts, etc. §

svadharma: स्वधर्म “One’s own way.” See: dharma. §

svarnasharira vishvagrasa (svarṇaśarīra viśvagrāsa): स्वर्णशरीरविश्वग्रास The final merging with Siva where there exists no individual soul, only Siva. See: vishvagrasa.§

svayambhu Linga(m) (svayambhū Liṅga): स्वयम्भूलिङ्ग Svayambhu Sivalinga. See: svayambhu Sivalinga.§

svayambhu Sivalinga(m) (svayambhū Śivaliṅga): स्फटिकशिवलिङ्ग “Self-existent mark or sign of God.” Names a Sivalinga discovered in nature and not carved or crafted by human hands; often a smooth cylindrical stone, called banalinga, such as found in India’s Narmada River. See: Sivalinga.§

swami (svāmī): स्वामी “Lord; owner; self-possessed.” He who knows or is master of himself. A respectful title for a Hindu monk, usually a sannyasin, an initiated, orange-robed renunciate, dedicated wholly to religious life. As a sign of respect, the term swami is sometimes applied more broadly to include non-monastics dedicated to spiritual work.§

Tai Pongal: தைப்பொங்கல் A four-day home festival held in the Tamil month of Tai (January-February), celebrating the season’s first harvest. Surya, the Sun God, is honored at this time as the giver of all good fortune and as the visible Divine One. Newly harvested rice is ceremoniously cooked outdoors over an open fire in a giant pot (hence pongal, from pongu, “to cook”). The direction of the overflow of boiling milk is an augury for the coming year. §

Tai Pusam: தைப்பூசம் A festival held on the Pushya nakshatra near the full-moon day of January-February to worship Lord Siva or Karttikeya, depending on the locality. It is an important holiday, especially dear to the Tamil people, celebrated with great pomp, fervor and intensity in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Fiji, South Africa and Réunion, often marked by the carrying of kavadi. In Mauritius and Singapore it is a national holiday. §

tali: தாலி Wedding pendant. A gold ornament worn by the Hindu wife around the neck representing her vows of matrimony. Known as mangala sutra in Sanskrit. She reveres it as an image of her husband and ritually worships it during her morning devotions.§

tamas(ic): तमस् “Force of inertia.” See: guna.§

tambura (taṁbūrā): तंबूरा (Hindi) A long-necked, four-stringed fretless lute that provides a drone accompaniment for a singer or instrumentalist.§

Tamil: தமிழ் The ancient Dravidian language of the Tamils, a Caucasoid people of South India and Northern Sri Lanka, who have now migrated throughout the world. The official language of the state of Tamil Nadu, India, spoken by 60 million people. §

tandava (tāṇḍava): ताण्डव “Violent dance.” Any vigorous dance sequence performed by a male dancer. There are many forms of tandava. Its prototype is Siva’s dance of bliss, ananda tandava, in which there are 108 traditional poses. The much softer feminine dance is called lasya, from lasa, “lively.” Dance in general is nartana. See: Nataraja.§

tantra: तन्त्र “Loom, methodology.” 1) Most generally, a synonym for shastra, “scripture.” 2) A synonym for the Agamic texts, especially those of the Shakta faith, a class of Hindu scripture providing detailed instruction on all aspects of religion, mystic knowledge and science. The Tantras are also associated with the Saiva tradition. 3) A specific method, technique or spiritual practice within the Saiva and Shakta traditions. 4) In Shaktism, tantra includes disciplines and techniques with a strong emphasis on worship of the feminine force, often involving sexual encounters, with the purported goal of transformation and union with the Divine. §

tapas: तपस् “Heat, fire; ardor.” Purificatory spiritual disciplines, severe austerity, penance and sacrifice. The endurance of pain, suffering, through the performance of extreme penance, religious austerity and mortification. §

tapasvin: तपस्विन् One who performs tapas or is in the state of tapas. See: tapas.§

tattva: तत्त्व “That-ness” or “essential nature.” Tattvas are the primary principles, elements, states or categories of existence, the building blocks of the universe. Lord Siva constantly creates, sustains the form of and absorbs back into Himself His creations. Rishis describe this emanational process as the unfoldment of tattvas, stages or evolutes of manifestation, descending from subtle to gross. At mahapralaya, cosmic dissolution, they enfold into their respective sources, with only the first two tattvas surviving the great dissolution. The first and subtlest form—the pure consciousness and source of all other evolutes of manifestation—is called Siva tattva, or Parashakti-nada. But beyond Siva tattva lies Parasiva—the utterly transcendent, Absolute Reality, called attava. That is Siva’s first perfection. The Sankhya system discusses 25 tattvas. Saivism recognizes these same 25 plus 11 beyond them, making 36 tattvas in all. §

tavil: தவில் A large drum, native to South India, energetically played at Hindu pujas and processions in accompaniment to the nagasvara, a long, shrill woodwind. §

Tayumanavar: தாயுமானவர் A Tamil Saiva yogi, devotional mystic and poet saint (ca 17th century) whose writings are a harmonious blend of philosophy and devotion. In his poem “Chinmayananda Guru,” Tayumanavar places himself in the lineage of Rishi Tirumular. See: Tirumular.§

teradi: தேரடி “Chariot shed.” Tamil term for the “garage” shelter that houses the temple cart or chariot (ter) in which the parade Deity, utsava murti, is taken in procession on festival days.§

That: When capitalized, this simple demonstrative refers uniquely to the Ultimate, Indescribable or Nameless Absolute: The Self God, Parasiva. §

theism: Belief that God exists as a real, conscious, personal Supreme Being, creator and ruler of the universe. May also include belief in the great Mahadevas (Gods) created by the Supreme Being. §

Third World: Sivaloka, “realm of Siva,” or Karanaloka. The spiritual realm or causal plane of existence wherein Mahadevas and highly evolved souls live in their own self-effulgent forms. See: loka, three worlds.§

three worlds: The three worlds of existence, triloka, are the primary hierarchical divisions of the cosmos. 1) Bhuloka: “Earth world,” the physical plane. 2) Antarloka: “Inner or in-between world,” the subtle or astral plane. 3) Sivaloka: “World of Siva,” and of the Gods and highly evolved souls; the causal plane, also called Karanaloka.§

tirtha (tīrtha): तीर्थ “Passageway; ford.” A bathing ghat or place of pilgrimage, especially on the banks of sacred waters. Also refers to water offered in puja. §

tirthayatra (tīrthayātrā): तीर्थयात्रा “Journey to a holy place.” Pilgrimage. §

Tirukural: திருக்குறள் “Holy couplets.” A treasury of Hindu ethical insight and a literary masterpiece of the Tamil language, written by Saiva Saint Tiruvalluvar (ca 200 bce) near present-day Chennai. One of the world’s earliest ethical texts, the Tirukural could well be considered a bible on virtue for the human race. §

Tirumantiram: திருமந்திரம் “Holy incantation.” The Nandinatha Sampradaya’s oldest Tamil scripture; written ca 200 bce by Rishi Tirumular. It is the earliest of the Tirumurai texts, and a vast storehouse of esoteric yogic and tantric knowledge. It contains the mystical essence of raja yoga and siddha yoga, and the fundamental doctrines of the 28 Saiva Siddhanta Agamas, which are the heritage of the ancient prehistoric traditions of Saivism. As the Agamas themselves are now partially lost, the 3,000-verse Tirumantiram is a rare source of the complete Agamanta (collection of Agamic lore). §

Tirumular: திருமூலர் An illustrious siddha yogi and rishi of the Nandinatha Sampradaya’s Kailasa Parampara who came from the Himalayas (ca 200 bce) to Tamil Nadu to compose the Tirumantiram. In this scripture he recorded the tenets of Saivism in concise and precise verse form, based upon his own realizations and the supreme authority of the Saiva Agamas and the Vedas. Tirumular was a disciple of Maharishi Nandinatha. §

Tirumurai: திருமுறை “Holy book.” A twelve-book collection of hymns and writings of South Indian Saivite saints, compiled by Saint Nambiyandar Nambi (ca 1000). The first seven books are known as Devarams. §

tiruvadi: திருவடி The feet of the satguru or his holy sandals, known in Sanskrit as shri paduka, worshiped as the source of grace. The guru’s feet are especially sacred, being the point of contact of the divine and physical spheres. §

tiruvadi puja: திருவடி பூஜை Ritual worship of the feet of a guru or his holy sandals. See: puja.§

Tiruvalluvar: திருவள்ளுவர் “Holy weaver.” Tamil weaver and householder saint (ca 200 bce) who wrote the classic Saivite ethical scripture Tirukural. He lived with his wife Vasuki, famed for her remarkable loyalty and virtues, near modern-day Chennai. §

Tiruvasagam: திருவாசகம் “Holy Utterances.” The lyrical Tamil scripture by Saint Manikkavasagar (ca 850). Considered one of the most profound and beautiful devotional works in the Tamil language, it discusses every phase of the spiritual path—from doubt and anguish to perfect faith in God Siva, from earthly experience to the guru-disciple relationship and freedom from rebirth. §

tithe (tithing): The spiritual discipline, often a vrata, of giving one tenth of one’s gainful and gifted income to a religious organization of one’s choice, thus sustaining spiritual education and upliftment on earth. The Sanskrit equivalent is dashamamsha, called makimai in the Tamil tradition. §

trishula (triśūla): त्रिशूल A three-pronged spear or trident wielded by Lord Siva and certain Saivite ascetics. Symbolizes God’s three fundamental shaktis, or powers—iccha (desire, will, love), kriya (action) and jnana (wisdom). §

Unfoldment: See: spiritual unfoldment.§

upadesha (upadeśa): ऊपदेश “Advice; religious instruction.” Often given in question-and-answer form from guru to disciple. The satguru’s spiritual discourses.§

upadeshi (upadeśī): उपदेशी A liberated soul who chooses to teach, actively helping others to the goal of liberation. Contrasted with nirvani. See: nirvani and upadeshi.§

Upanishad: उपनिषद् “Sitting near devotedly.” The fourth and final portion of the Vedas, expounding the secret, philosophical meaning of the Vedic hymns. The Upanishads are a collection of profound texts which are the source of Vedanta and have dominated Indian thought for thousands of years. They are philosophical chronicles of rishis expounding the nature of God, soul and cosmos, exquisite renderings of the deepest Hindu thought. §

Vaishnava (Vaishṇava): वैष्णव Of or relating to Vishnu; same as Vaishnavite. A follower of Lord Vishnu or His incarnations. See: Vaishnavism, Vishnu. §

Vaishnavism (Vaishṇava): वैष्णव One of the four major religions, or denominations, of Hinduism, representing roughly half of the world’s one billion Hindus. It gravitates around the worship of Lord Vishnu as Personal God, His incarnations and their consorts. Vaishnavism stresses the personal aspect of God over the impersonal, and bhakti (devotion) as the true path to liberation. §

Vaishnavite: Of or relating to Vishnu; same as Vaishnava. A follower of Vishnu or His incarnations. See: Vaishnavism, Vishnu.§

vasana (vāsanā): वासना “Abode.” Subconscious inclinations. From vas, “dwelling, residue, remainder.” The subliminal inclinations and habit patterns which, as driving forces, color and motivate one’s attitudes and future actions. §

vasana daha tantra (vāsanā daha tantra): वासनादहतन्त्र “Purification of the subconscious by fire.” Daha means burning, tantra is a method, and vasanas are deep-seated subconscious traits or tendencies that shape one’s attitudes and motivations. Vasanas can be either positive or negative. One of the best methods for resolving difficulties in life, of dissolving troublesome vasanas, the vasana daha tantra is the practice of burning confessions, or even long letters to loved ones or acquaintances, describing pains, expressing confusions and registering grievances and long-felt hurts. Also called spiritual journaling, writing down problems and burning them in any ordinary fire brings them from the subconscious into the external mind, releasing the suppressed emotion as the fire consumes the paper. This is a magical healing process. A special form of this discipline is maha vasana daha tantra. It is the sadhana of looking back over and writing about the various aspects of one’s life in order to clear all accumulated subconscious burdens, burning the papers as done in the periodic vasana daha tantra. Ten pages are to be written about each year. Other aspects of this tantra include writing about people one has known and all sexual experiences. §

Veda: वेद “Wisdom.” Sagely revelations which comprise Hinduism’s most authoritative scripture. They, along with the Agamas, are shruti, that which is “heard.” The Vedas are a body of dozens of holy texts known collectively as the Veda, or as the four Vedas: Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva. In all they include over 100,000 verses, as well as additional prose. The knowledge imparted by the Vedas ranges from earthy devotion to high philosophy.§

Vedanta (Vedānta): वेदान्त “Ultimate wisdom” or “final conclusions of the Vedas.” Vedanta is the system of thought embodied in the Upanishads (ca 1500-600 bce), which give forth the ultimate conclusions of the Vedas. Through history there developed numerous Vedanta schools, ranging from pure dualism to absolute monism. §

Vedic-Agamic (Vedic-Āgamic): Simultaneously drawing from and complying with both of Hinduism’s revealed scriptures (shruti), Vedas and Agamas, which represent two complementary, intertwining streams of history and tradition.§

vel: வேல் “Spear, lance.” The symbol of Lord Karttikeya’s divine authority as Lord of yoga and commander of the devas. (Known as shula in Sanskrit.)§

veshti: வேஷ்டி A long, unstitched cloth, like a sarong, wound about the waist and reaching below the ankles. Traditional Hindu apparel for men. It can be wrapped in many different styles. A Tamil word derived from the Sanskrit veshtana, “encircling.” Also called vetti (Tamil) or dhoti (Hindi). §

vibhuti (vibhūti): विभूति “Resplendent, powerful.” Holy ash, prepared by burning cow dung along with other precious substances (milk, ghee, honey, etc). It symbolizes purity and is one of the main sacraments given at puja in all Saivite temples and shrines. §

Vishnu (Vishṇu): विष्णु “All-pervasive.” Supreme Deity of the Vaishnavite religion. God as personal Lord and Creator, the All-Loving Divine Personality, who periodically incarnates and lives a fully human life to reestablish dharma whenever necessary. In Saivism, Vishnu is Siva’s aspect as Preserver. §

vishuddha chakra (viśuddha chakra): विशुद्धचक्र “Wheel of purity.” The fifth chakra. Center of divine love. See: chakra.§

vishvagrasa (viśvagrāsa): विश्वग्रास “Total absorption.” The final merger of the soul in Siva at the fulfillment of its evolution. It is the ultimate union of the individual soul body with the body of Siva—Parameshvara—within the Sivaloka, from whence the soul was first emanated. §

vitala chakra: वितलचक्र “Region of negation.” The second chakra below the muladhara, centered in the thighs. Region of raging anger and viciousness. See: chakra, Narakaloka.§

vrata: व्रत “Vow, religious oath.” Often a vow to perform certain disciplines, such as penance, fasting, specific mantra repetitions, worship or meditation. §

vritti (vṛitti): वृत्ति “Whirlpool, vortex.” In yoga psychology, the fluctuations of consciousness, the waves of mental activity (chitta vritti) of thought and perception. A statement from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (1.2) reads, “Yoga is the restraint (nirodha) of mental activity (chitta vritti).” In general use, vritti means: 1) course of action, mode of life; conduct, behavior; way in which something is done; 2) mode of being, nature, kind, character. §

vumtyeudi (vūmtyēūdī): The current, blue in color, that flows upward, ending on the right side of the body. Called pingala in Sanskrit, this current, masculine-aggressive in nature, is the intellectual-mental energy within the being, the intellectual energy which causes one to think and to become aware of the intellectual mind. Vumtyeudi is one of the currents of simshumbisi.§

Yagam: யாகம் “Worship; sacrifice.” Colloquially, a public feeding. See: yajna.§

yajna (yajña): यज्ञ “Worship; sacrifice.” One of the most central Hindu concepts—sacrifice and surrender through acts of worship, inner and outer. 1) Primarily, yajna is a form of ritual worship especially prevalent in Vedic times, in which oblations—ghee, grains, spices and exotic woods—are offered into a fire according to scriptural injunctions while special mantras are chanted. The element fire, Agni, is revered as the divine messenger who carries offerings and prayers to the Gods. Yajna requires four components, none of which may be omitted: dravya, sacrificial substances; tyaga, the spirit of sacrificing all to God; devata, the celestial beings who receive the sacrifice; and mantra, the empowering word or chant. 2) Manushya yajna or often simply yajna, “homage to men,” is feeding guests and the poor, the homeless and the student. Manushya yajna includes all acts of philanthropy, such as tithing and charity. In Sri Lanka, yajna (Tamil, yagam) also refers to large, ceremonious mass feedings. §

yagasala: யாகசாலை (Sanskrit—yajñaśālā: यज्ञशाला) “Place of worship.” A temporary structure under which Hindu rituals are conducted, such as for elaborate homas or the reconsecration of a temple.§

yama-niyama: यम नियम The first two of the eight limbs of raja yoga, the yamas and niyamas are Hinduism’s fundamental ethical codes, the essential foundation for all spiritual progress. Here are the ten traditional yamas and ten niyamas. The yamas: 1) ahimsa: “Noninjury.” Not harming others by thought, word, or deed. 2) satya: “Truthfulness.” Refraining from lying and betraying promises. 3) asteya: “Nonstealing.” Neither stealing nor coveting, nor entering into debt. 4) brahmacharya: “Divine conduct.” Controlling lust by remaining celibate when single, leading to faithfulness in marriage. 5) kshamā: “Steadfastness.” Overcoming nonperseverance, fear, indecision and changeableness. 7) daya: “Compassion.” Conquering callous, cruel and insensitive feelings toward all beings. 8) arjava: “Honesty, straightforwardness.” Renouncing deception and wrongdoing. 9) mitahara: “Moderate appetite.” Neither eating too much nor consuming meat, fish, fowl or eggs. 10) shaucha: “Purity.” Avoiding impurity in body, mind and speech. The niyamas: 1) hrī: “Remorse.” Being modest and showing shame for misdeeds. 2) santosha: “Contentment.” Seeking joy and serenity in life. 3) dana: “Giving.” Tithing and giving generously without thought of reward. 4) astikya: Ishvarapujana: “Worship of the Lord.” The cultivation of devotion through daily worship and meditation. 6) siddhanta shravana: “Scriptural listening.” Studying the teachings and listening to the wise of one’s lineage. 7) mati: “Cognition.” Developing a spiritual will and intellect with the guru’s guidance. 8) vrata: “Sacred vows.” Fulfilling religious vows, rules and observances faithfully. 9) japa: “Recitation.” Chanting mantras daily. 10) tapas: “Austerity.” Performing sadhana, penance, tapas and sacrifice. Patanjali lists the yamas as: ahimsa, satya, asteya, brahmacharya and aparigraha (noncovetousness); and the niyamas as: shaucha, santosha, tapas, svadhyaya (self-reflection, private scriptural study) and Ishvarapranidhana (worship). See: ashtanga yoga. §

Yama(n) (Yama): यम “The restrainer.” Hindu God of death; oversees the processes of death transition, guiding the soul out of its present physical body. §

yatra (yātrā): यात्रा “Journey.” Pilgrimage. Usually tirthayatra, “journey to a holy place.”§

yoga: योग “Union.” From yuj, “to yoke, harness, unite.” The philosophy, process, disciplines and practices whose purpose is the yoking of individual consciousness with transcendent or divine consciousness. §

yoga pada (yoga pāda): योगपाद The third of the successive stages in spiritual unfoldment in Saiva Siddhanta, wherein the goal is Self Realization. See: pada. §

Yogaswami (Yogaswāmī): யோகசுவாமி “Master of yoga.” Sri Lanka’s most renowned contemporary spiritual master (1872–1964), a Sivajnani and Natha siddhar revered by both Hindus and Buddhists. He was trained by Satguru Chellappaswami, from whom he received guru diksha. Siva Yogaswami was the satguru of Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. Yogaswami conveyed his teachings in songs, published in a book called Natchintanai, “Good Thoughts.” See: Kailasa Parampara. §

yogi (yogī): योगी One who practices yoga. §

yogini (yoginī): योगिनी Feminine counterpart of yogi.§

yuga: युग “Eon,” “age.” One of four ages which chart the duration of the world according to Hindu thought: Satya (also Sat or Krita), Treta, Dvapara and Kali. In the first period, dharma reigns supreme, but as the ages revolve, virtue diminishes and ignorance and injustice increase. At the end of the Kali Yuga, in which we are now, the cycle begins again with a new Satya Yuga.§