Glossary
Śabda Kośaḥ
शब्दकोशः
tai chi chuan: An ancient Chinese system of slow, graceful, meditative, sequential movements. Many of the movements are originally derived from the martial arts, so in certain systems the combat aspect is a central focus. Tai chi, closely associated with acupuncture and founded in the context of Taoism, fosters the circulation and control of chi, “vital energy,” within the body, to enhance health and vitality, physical strength and balance, and to foster a calm, tranquil mind.§
tala: तल “Plane or world; level; base, bottom; abyss.” Root of the name of the seven realms of lower consciousness centered in the seven chakras below the mūlādhāra. See: chakra, hell, Naraka .§
talātala chakra: तलातल चक्र “Lower region.” The fourth chakra below the mūlādhāra, centered in the calves. Region of chronic mental confusion and unreasonable stubbornness. Corresponds to the fourth astral netherworld beneath the Earth’s surface, called Tāmisra (“darkness”) or Talātala. This state of consciousness is born of the sole motivation of self-preservation. See: chakra, Naraka .§
tamas(ic): तमस् “Force of inertia.” The quality of denseness, inertia, contraction, resistance and dissolution . See: guṇa.§
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, now living throughout the world. The official language of the state of Tamil Nadu, India .§
Tamil Nadu: தமிழ் நாடு State in South India, 50,000 square miles, population 55 million. Land of countless holy scriptures, saints, sages and over 40,000 magnificent temples, including Chidambaram, Madurai, Palani Hills and Rāmeśvaram.§
tāṇḍava: ताण्डव “Exuberant dance.” Any vigorous dance sequence performed by a male dancer. There are many forms of tāṇḍava. Its prototype is Śiva’s dance of bliss, ānanda tāṇḍava. The much softer feminine dance is called lāsya, from lasa, “lively.” Dance in general is nartana. See: Naṭarāja.§
tantra: तन्त्र “Loom, methodology.” 1) Most generally, a synonym for śāstra, “scripture.” 2) A synonym for the Āgamic texts, especially those of the Śākta 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 Śaiva tradition. 3) A specific method, technique or spiritual practice within the Śaiva and Śākta traditions. For example, prāṇāyāma is a tantra. 4) 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. See: kuṇḍalinī, sushumṇā nāḍī, tantrism.§
tantric (tāntrika): तान्त्रिक 1) Adjectival to qualify practices prescribed in the Tantra traditions. 2) Referring to the methods of directing the subtle masculine/feminine, aggressive/passive energies that flow between men and women. 3) Also names a practitioner of any of the Tantra traditions. 4) Tantra has today come to commonly refer to sex-based spiritual practices developed in Hinduism (known as “left-handed tantra”) and in other faiths, including Bon, Tibetan Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Judaism and the New Age. See: Śāktism, kuṇḍalinī, rāja yoga, tantra.§
Taoism: A Chinese religion, based on the doctrines of Lao-Tzu, founded 2,500 years ago, advocating simplicity, selflessness and other virtues. Taoism, a potently mystical tradition, is concerned with man’s spiritual level of being. Following is estimated at 50 million, mostly in China and and other parts of Asia.§
tapas: तपस् Also tapasya. “Warmth, heat,” hence psychic energy, spiritual fervor or ardor. Austerity, asceticism, penance. State of accelerated unfoldment and working with the forces through spiritual practices. A state of humble submission to the divine forces and surrender to the processes of inner purification which occur almost automatically at certain stages. In the monastery tapas is administered and guided by the guru . Denotes religious austerity, severe meditation, penance, bodily mortification, special observances; connotes spiritual purification and transformation as a “fiery process” which “burns up” impurities, ego, illusions and past karmas that obstruct God Realization .§
tapasvin: तपस्विन् One who performs tapas or is in the state of tapas.§
tejas: तेजस् “Brilliance, fire, splendor.” Heat or fire, one of the five elements—earth, water, fire, air, ether. Tejas also names the glow of tapas in the shining expression of the tapasvin . Tejas is increased through brahmacharya, control of the sexual energies by lifting the heat into the higher chakras. See: celibacy, ojas, tapas, transmutation.§
temple: An edifice in a consecrated place dedicated to, the worship of God or Gods. Hindus revere their temples as sacred, magical places in which the three worlds most consciously commune—structures especially built and consecrated to channel the subtle spiritual energies of inner-world beings. The temple’s psychic atmosphere is maintained through regular worship ceremonies (pūjā) invoking the Deity, who uses His installed image (mūrti) as a temporary body to bless those living on the earth plane. In Hinduism, the temple is the hub of virtually all aspects of social and religious life. It may be referred to by the Sanskrit terms mandira, devālaya (or Śivālaya, a Śiva temple), as well as by vernacular terms such as koyil (Tamil).§
temptation: Something tempting, enticing or alluring.§
temptress: An alluring, enchanting woman.§
That: When capitalized, this simple demonstrative pronoun refers uniquely to the Ultimate, Indescribable or Nameless Absolute. The Self God, Paraśiva. It is the English equivalent of Tat, as in, Tat tvam asi, “You are That!”§
theistic: The belief that God exists as a real, conscious, personal Supreme Being, creator and ruler of the universe. May also include belief in the Gods.§
Third World: Śivaloka,“Realm of Śiva.” The spiritual realm or causal plane of existence wherein Māhadevas and highly evolved souls live in their own self-effulgent forms. See: Śivaloka, three worlds, loka.§
thought form: Manifestations of astral matter, or odic force, created within the aura of a person, which travel through astral space, or odic force fields, from one destination to another. They have the power to create, preserve, protect and destroy. They can also be seen, just as auras can be seen. See: astral plane, aura, odic force, intellect.§
three worlds: The three worlds of existence, triloka, are the primary hierarchical divisions of the cosmos. 1) Bhūloka: “Earth world,” the physical plane. 2) Antarloka: “Inner” or “in-between world,” the subtle or astral plane. 3) Śivaloka: “World of Śiva,” and of the Gods and highly evolved souls; the causal plane, also called Kāraṇaloka. See: chakra, Naraka.§
tilaka: तिलक Marks made on the forehead or the brow with clay, ashes or sandalwood paste as an indication of Hindu sectarian affiliation.§
time-out: A period of removing oneself or another person from a conflict to allow time to cool off. A technique of positive discipline for raising children with love rather punishment. See: positive discipline.§
tirodhāna śakti: तिरोधानशक्ति “Concealing power.” Veiling grace, or God’s power to obscure the soul’s divine nature. Tirodhāna śakti is the particular energy of Śiva that binds the three bonds of āṇava , karma , māyā 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. See: evolution of the soul, grace.§
tīrthayātrā: तीर्थयात्रा “Journey to a holy place.” Pilgrimage. See: pilgrimage.§
tiru: திரு “Sacred; holy.” The exact Tamil rendition of śrī. Feminine equivalent is tirumati.§
Tirukural: திருக்குறள் “Holy couplets.” A treasury of Hindu ethical insight and a literary masterpiece of the Tamil language, written by Śaiva Saint Tiruvalluvar (ca 200 BCE) near Chennai. See: Tiruvalluvar .§
Tirumantiram: திருமந்திரம் “Holy incantation.” The Nandinātha Sampradāya’s oldest Tamil scripture; written ca 200 BCE by Ṛishi 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 rāja yoga and siddha yoga, and the fundamental doctrines of the 28 Śaiva Siddhānta Āgamas, which in turn are the heritage of the ancient pre-historic traditions of Śaivism. See: Tirumurai, Tirumular.§
Tirumular: திருமூலர் An illustrious siddha yogī and ṛishi of the Nandinātha Sampradāya’s Kailāsa Paramparā who came from the Himalayas (ca 200 BCE) to Tamil Nadu to compose the Tirumantiram. In this scripture he recorded the tenets of Śaivism in concise and precise verse form, based upon his own realizations and the supreme authority of the Śaiva Āgamas and the Vedas. Tirumular was a disciple of Maharishi Nandinatha. See: Tirumantiram, Kailāsa Paramparā, Vedānta.§
Tirumurai: திருமுறை “Holy script.” A twelve-book collection of hymns and writings of South Indian Śaivite saints, compiled by Saint Nambiyandar Nambi (ca 1000).§
tiruvadi: திருவடி The feet of the satguru or his holy sandals, known in Sanskrit as śrī pādukā, worshiped as the source of grace . The guru’s feet are especially sacred, being the point of contact of the divine and physical spheres. See: pādukā.§
Tiruvalluvar: திருவள்ளுவர் “Holy weaver.” Tamil weaver and householder saint (ca 200 BCE) who wrote the classic Śaivite ethical scripture Tirukural. He lived with his wife, Vasuki, famed for her remarkable loyalty and virtues, near modern-day Chennai. There a memorial park, the Valluvar Kottam, enshrining his extraordinary verses in marble. See: Tirukural .§
tithe (tithing): In Sanskrit daśamāṁśa, or makimai in the Tamil tradition. 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. Tithing is given not as an offering, but as “God’s money.”§
tithi: तिथि A lunar day, approximately one-thirtieth of the time it takes the moon to orbit the earth. Because of their means of calculation (based on the difference of the longitudinal angle between the position of sun and the moon), tithis may vary in length. There are 15 tithis in each fortnight (half month). The names of the tithis are Prathamā (new moon), Dvitīyā, Tritīyā, Chaturthī, Pañchamī, Shashṭhī, Saptamī, Ashṭamī, Navamī, Daśamī, Ekādaśī, Dvādaśī, Trayodaśī, Chaturdaśī, and lastly either Pūrṇimā (full moon) or Amāvasyā (new moon). These are sometimes prefixed to indicate either the dark (kṛishṇa) fortnight—when the moon is waning—or the light (śukla) fortnight—when the moon is waxing—e.g., Śukla-Navamī. Most Hindu festivals are calculated according to the tithis.§
trance mediumship: In spiritualism, trance mediumship describes the phenomenon in which the medium leaves the physical body, and a disincarnate being enters or takes control of the body, often giving forth verbal messages to others in attendance, as in a seance. See: samādhi .§
transcend: To go beyond one’s limitations, e.g., “to transcend one’s ego.” Philosophically, to go beyond the limits of this world, or more profoundly, beyond time, form and space into the Absolute, the Self God.§
transcendent: Surpassing the limits of experience or manifest form. In Śaiva Siddhānta, a quality of God Śiva as Absolute Reality, Paraśiva, the Self. Distinguished from immanent. See: Paraśiva.§
transference: Passing something from one place (or state) to another.§
transgress: To overstep or break a law or principle.§
transition: Passing from one state, condition or place to another. A synonym of death which implies, more correctly, continuity of the individual rather than his annihilation.§
transmigration: Reincarnation, the repeated rebirth of the soul in a succession of human bodies.§
transmutation: Change from one form to another. Here, changing or transforming the sexual/instinctive energies into intellectual and spiritual ones. Transmutation means to reverse the forces that constantly flow from the sahasrāra downward into the mūlādhāra. It is lifting the force of sexual impulses that would tend to manifest in visualization, longing for affection and sensual feelings, often leading to masturbation and loss of the sacred fluids. One exception for both men and women is the occurrence of wet dreams, for here the astral, psychic vitality of the actinodic into the actinic energies rises as the odic fluids are released. However, night emissions are to be controlled and may be minimized or eliminated by taking only liquid or light foods in the evening. ¶Monks enhance transmutation by not eating after high noon, not viewing pornography, not mentally conjuring up sexually stimulating images, never joking or talking about sexuality and, of course, not flirting or interacting sensually with women or men. If sexual energies are aroused or one has erred from his disciplines, he performs the appropriate penance (such as fasting) or tantra (such as prāṇāyāma) to correct the matter. The Tirumantiram (verse 1948) states, “If the sacred seed is retained, life does not ebb; great strength, energy, intelligence and alertness: all these are attained.” See: actinic, celibacy, odic, ojas, tejas.§
trikoṇa: त्रिकोण A triangle; symbol of God Śiva as Absolute Reality. Also represents the element fire.§
triple bondage: See: mala, pāśa .§
tripuṇḍra: त्रिपुण्ड्र “Three marks.” The Śaivite sectarian mark, consisting of three horizontal lines of vibhūti (holy ash) on the brow, often with a dot (bindu) at the third eye. The three lines represent the soul’s three bonds: āṇava, karma and māyā. Holy ash, made of burnt cow dung, is a reminder of the temporary nature of the physical body and the urgency to strive for spiritual attainment and closeness to God. See: bindu, tilaka, vibhūti. §§§
triśūla: त्रिशूल A three-pronged spear or trident wielded by Lord Śiva and certain Śaivite ascetics. Symbolizes God’s three fundamental śaktis or powers— icçhā (desire, will, love), kriyā (action) and jñāna (wisdom).§
Truth: When capitalized, ultimate knowing which is unchanging. Lower case (truth): honesty, integrity; virtue.
§
ultimate: Final, last. — Ultimate Reality: Final, highest Truth. God Śiva’s Absolute Reality, Paraśiva.§
unfoldment: Opening gradually, especially in stages. See: evolution, spiritual unfoldment.§
United Nations: UN, a worldwide organization established in 1945, devoted to world peace, promoting economic, social and educational welfare and to creating cultural understanding between nations.§
unmanifest: Not evident or perceivable. Philosophically, akin to transcendent. Śiva is unmanifest in His formless perfection, Paraśiva. See: formless.§
unravel: To undo, to separate, disentangle something entangled.§
upadeśa: उपदेश “Advice; religious instruction.” Often given in question-and-answer form from guru to disciple. The satguru’s spiritual discourses.§
upadeśī: उपदेशी A liberated soul who chooses to teach, actively helping others to the goal of liberation. Contrasted with nirvāṇī. See: nirvāṇī and upadeśī, satguru.§
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 Vedānta and have dominated Indian thought for thousands of years. They are philosophical chronicles of ṛishis expounding the nature of God, soul and cosmos, exquisite renderings of the deepest Hindu thought. See: śruti, Veda, Vedānta.
§
vāhana: वाहन “Bearing, carrying or conveying.” Each Hindu God is depicted as riding an animal or bird vāhana, which is symbolic of a function of the God. For example, Śiva rides the bull, a symbol of strength and potency. Kārttikeya rides the peacock, mayūra, emblem of beauty and regality.§
vairāgya: वैराग्य “Dispassion; aversion.” Freedom from passion. Distaste or disgust for worldliness because of spiritual awakening and the constant renunciation of obstacles on the path to liberation. See: sannyāsa .§
Vaishṇavism (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 Vishṇu as Personal God, His incarnations and their consorts. The doctrine of avatāra (He who descends), especially important to Vaishṇavism, teaches that whenever adharma gains ascendency in the world, God takes a human birth to reestablish “the way.” The most renowned avatāras were Rāma and Kṛishṇa. Vaishṇavism stresses the personal aspect of God over the impersonal, and bhakti (devotion) as the true path to salvation. The goal of Vaishṇavism is the attainment of mukti, defined as blissful union with God’s body, the loving recognition that the soul is a part of Him, and eternal nearness to Him in Vaikuṇṭha, heaven.§
vaiśya: वैश्य “Landowner; merchant.” See: caste.§
vanakkam: வணக்கம் The Tamil equivalent to namaskāra .§
Varāha Upanishad: वराह उपनिषद् A minor Upanishad of the Kṛishṇa Yajur Veda.§
vāsanā: वासना “Abode.” Subconscious inclinations. From vās, “dwelling, residue, remainder.” The subliminal inclinations and habit patterns which, as driving forces, color and motivate one’s attitudes and future actions. Vāsanās are the conglomerate results of subconscious impressions (saṁskāras) created through experience. Saṁskāras, experiential impressions, combine in the subconscious to form vāsanās, which thereafter contribute to mental fluctuations, called vṛitti. The most complex and emotionally charged vāsanās are found in the dimension of mind called the sub-subconscious, or vāsanā chitta. See: saṁskāra, mind (five states), vāsanā daha tantra, vṛitti.§
vāsanā daha tantra: वासनादहतन्त्र “Purification of the subconscious by fire.” Daha means burning, tantra is a method, and vāsanās are deep-seated subconscious traits or tendencies that shape one’s attitudes and motivations. Vāsanās can be either positive or negative. One of the best methods for resolving difficulties in life, of dissolving troublesome vāsanās, the vāsanā 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 supressed emotion as the fire consumes the paper. This is a magical healing process. — mahā vāsanā daha tantra: The special sādhana 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 vāsana daha tantra. Ten pages are to be written about each year. Other aspects of this tantra include writing about people one has known (people check), all sexual experiences (sex check). See also: vāsanā.§
vaṭa: वट The banyan tree, Ficus indicus, sacred to Śiva. Thought to derive from vaṭ, “to surround, encompass”—also called nyagrodha, “growing downwards.” Ancient symbol of the Sanātana Dharma. Its relative, the aśvattha, or pīpal tree, is given in the Upanishads as a metaphor for creation, with the “roots above and the branches below.”§
Vāstu Śāstras: वास्तुशास्त्र Various ancient texts on vāstu, “the science of time and space,” in the words of renowned Indian architect, Sri V. Ganapati Sthapati. The Vāstu Śāstras are categorized as part of the Sthāpatyaveda, science of architecture, classed among the Upavedas, which are secondary Vedic texts discussing such areas as statecraft, health and music. Vāstu unfolds the scientific principles and models of spiritual art and architecture to yield a harmonious flow of energy in the physical environment, giving rise to good health, wealth, intelligence and happiness.§
Veda: वेद “Wisdom.” Sagely revelations which comprise Hinduism’s most authoritative scripture. They, along with the Āgamas, are śruti, that which is “heard.” The Vedas are a body of dozens of holy texts known collectively as the Veda, or as the four Vedas: Ṛig, Yajur, Sāma 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. Each Veda has four sections: Saṁhitās (hymn collections), Brāhmaṇas (priestly manuals), Āraṇyakas (forest treatises) and Upanishads (enlightened discourses) . The oldest portions of the Vedas are thought by some to date back as far as 6,000 BCE, written down in Sanskrit in the last few millennia, making them the world’s most ancient scriptures. See: śruti, Upanishad.§
Vedānta: वेदान्त “Ultimate wisdom” or “final conclusions of the Vedas. ” Vedānta 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 Vedānta schools, ranging from pure dualism to absolute monism. The Vedānta perspective elucidated in Living with Śiva is Advaita Īśvaravāda, “monistic theism” or panentheism, exemplified in the Vedānta-Siddhānta of Rishi Tirumular (ca 250 BCE) of the Nandinātha Sampradāya in his Tirumantiram, which is a perfect summation of both the Vedas and the Āgamas. See: dvaita-advaita, monistic theism.§
Vedic-Āgamic: Simultaneously drawing from and complying with both of Hinduism’s revealed scriptures (śruti) , Vedas and Āgamas, which represent two complimentary, intertwining streams of history and tradition. The difference between Siddhānta and Vedānta is traditionally described in the way that while the Vedas represent man looking for God, the Āgamas hold the perspective of God looking to help man. This is reflected in the fact that while the Vedas are voiced by ṛishis, God or the Goddess is the bestower of truth in the Āgama texts. See: grace, śruti.§
vegetarian: Śakāhāra . Of a diet which excludes meat, fish, fowl and eggs. Vegetarianism is a principle of health and environmental ethics that has been a keystone of Indian life for thousands of years. Vegetarian foods include grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes and dairy products. Natural, fresh foods, locally grown, without insecticides or chemical fertilizers, are preferred. The following foods are minimized: frozen and canned foods, highly processed foods, such as white rice, white sugar and white flour; and “junk” foods and beverages (those with abundant chemical additives, such as artificial sweeteners, colorings, flavorings and preservatives, or prepared with unwholesome ingredients).§
veiling grace: Tirobhāva śakti. The divine power that limits the soul’s perception by binding or attaching the soul to the bonds of āṇava, karma, and māyā— enabling it to grow and evolve as an individual being. See: grace .§
vel: வேல் “Spear, lance.” The symbol of Lord Kārttikeya’s divine authority as Lord of yoga and commander of the devas. (Known as śūla in Sanskrit.) See: Kārttikeya.§
vicarious: Empathizing or sharing in the experience of another person through feeling or imagination.§
vibhūti: विभूति Powerful,” “pervading,” “appearing.” From bhū “existence,” or “manifestation” and vi, “apart.” Holy ash, a whitish powder prepared by burning cow dung along with other precious substances—milk, ghee, honey, etc. It symbolizes purity and is one of the main sacraments offered to God and given to worshipers after pūjā in all Śaivite temples and shrines. Śaivites wear three stripes on the brow as a distinct sectarian mark, as do many Smārtas.§
vibration: A distinctive emotional aura or atmosphere that can be instinctively sensed or experienced.§
vidyārambha: विद्यारंभ “Commencement of learning.” See: saṁskāras of childhood.§
vigil: A one-hour time of sādhana, ideally before sunrise, a regimen of pūjā, chanting of the Guru Mantra, personal japa, scriptural study, haṭha yoga and meditation.§
vīṇā: वीणा Large South Indian popular musical instrument usually having seven strings and two calabash gourds as resonance boxes.§
Vishṇu: विष्णु “All-pervasive.” Supreme Deity of the Vaishṇavite religion. God as personal Lord and Creator, the All-Loving Divine Personality, who periodically incarnates and lives a fully human life to re-establish dharma whenever necessary. In Śaivism, Vishṇu is Śiva’s aspect as Preserver. See: Vaishṇavism .§
viśuddha chakra: विशुद्धचक्र “Wheel of purity.” The fifth chakra. Center of divine love. See: chakra .§
viśvagrāsa: विश्वग्रास “Total absorption.” The final merger, or absorption, of the soul in Śiva, by His grace, at the fulfillment of its evolution. It is the ultimate union of the individual soul body with the body of Śiva—Parameśvara—within the Śivaloka, from whence the soul first emanated. This occurs at the end of the soul’s evolution, after the four outer sheaths— annamaya kośa, prāṇamaya kośa, manomaya kośa and vijñāmaya kośa— have been discarded. Finally, ānandamaya kośa, the soul form itself, merges in the Primal Soul. See: ātman, evolution of the soul, nirvāṇī and upadeśī, samādhi, soul.§
Viśvaguru: विश्वगुरु “World as teacher.” The playful personification of the world as the guru of those with no guru, headmaster of the school of hard knocks, where students are left to their own devices and learn by their own mistakes rather than by following a traditional teacher.§
vital forces: The life-giving energies in the physical body.§
vitala chakra: वितल चक्र “Region of negation.” Region of raging anger and viciousness. The second chakra below the mūlādhāra, centered in the thighs. Corresponds to the second astral netherworld beneath the earth’s surface, called Avīchi (“joyless”) or Vitala. See: chakra, Naraka .§
vivāha: विवाह “Marriage.” See: saṁskāras.§
Vivekananda, Swami: विवेकनन्द Disciple of Sri Ramakrishna who was overtaken by an ardent love of Hinduism and a missionary zeal that drove him onward. He passed into mahāsamādhi at the age of 39 (1863–1902).§
vrata: व्रत “Vow, religious oath.” Often a vow to perform certain disciplines over a period of time, such as penance, fasting, specific mantra repetitions, worship or meditation. Vratas extend from the simplest personal promise to irrevocable vows made before God, Gods, guru and community.§
vrātyastoma: व्रात्यस्तोम “Vow pronouncement.” The traditional purification rite, outlined in the Taṇḍya Brāhmaṇa, to welcome back into a Hindu community. It is performed for Hindus returning to India from abroad and for those who have embraced other faiths.§
vṛitti: वृत्ति “Whirlpool, vortex.” In yoga psychology, names the fluctuations of consciousness, the waves of mental activities (chitta vṛitti) of thought and perception. A statement from Patanjali’s Yoga Sūtras (1.2) reads, “ Yoga is the restraint (nirodha) of mental activity (chitta vṛitti). ” In general use, vṛitti means: 1) course of action, mode of life; conduct, behavior; way in which something is done; 2) mode of being, nature, kind, character. See: mind (individual), rāja yoga.
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Weaver’s Widsom: Gurudeva’s American English translation of the ancient Tamil ethical scripture, Tirukural. See: Tirukural.§
Web browsing: Computer viewing of sites on the World Wide Web on a computer containing information posted by individuals or group or organizations.§
wedding penant. See: marriage pendant.§
wet dream: An involuntary emission of semen during sleep, usually as a result of a sexual dream. Swami Sivananda discusses wet dreams in his Yoga Lessons for Children, Chapter 36 on Brahmacharya. He states, “Many young boys and men suffer from wet dreams. Sri Aurobindo states that an occurrence once a week is normal. To have it more frequently indicates indulgence in sex thoughts.” Sivananda advises a sattvic diet, rising early (as wet dreams usually occur in the last quarter of the night), cold showers, haṭha yoga, fresh fruit and raw foods, not going to bed right after a heavy meal. He says, “The actual essence does not come out during wet dreams. It is only the watery prostatic juice with a little semen. When nocturnal emission takes place, the mind which was working in the inner astral body suddenly enters the physical body vehemently in an agitated condition. That is the reason why emission takes place suddenly.” He concludes, “Do not get depressed or anxious. It is best not to give too much importance to these dreams. Forget them, then they will not trouble you.” See: transmutation.§
winds of the body: The five primary prāṇas or forces of the physical body. When they are in perfect balance, vibrant health is experienced. See: prāṇas.§
worldly: Materialistic, unspiritual. Devoted to or concerned with the affairs or pleasures of the world, especially excessive concern to the exclusion of religious thought and life. Connoting ways born of the lower chakras: jealousy, greed, selfishness, anger, guile, etc.
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Yama: यम “The restrainer.” Hindu God of death; oversees the processes of death transition, guiding the soul out of its present physical body. See: death.§
yama: यम “Reining in, restraint.” See: yama-niyama.§
yama-niyama: यम नियम The first two of the eight limbs of rāja yoga, constituting Hinduism’s fundamental ethical codes, the yamas and niyamas are the essential foundation for all spiritual progress. The yamas are the ethical restraints; the niyamas are the religious practices. Here are the ten traditional yamas and ten niyamas. — yamas: 1) ahiṁsā: “Noninjury.” 2) satya: “Truthfulness.” 3) asteya: “Nonstealing.” 4) brahmacharya: “Divine conduct.” 5) kshamā: “Patience.” 6) dhṛiti: “Steadfastness.” 7) dayā: “Compassion.” 8) ārjava: “Honesty, straightforwardness.” 9) mitāhāra: “Moderate appetite.” 10) śaucha: “Purity.” — niyamas: 1) hrī: “Remorse.” 2) santosha: “Contentment.” 3) dāna: “Giving.” 4) āstikya: “Faith.” 5) Īśvarapūjana: “Worship of the Lord.” 6) siddhānta śravaṇa: “Scriptural audition.” 7) mati: “Cognition.” 8) vrata: “Sacred vows.” 9) japa: “Recitation.” 10) tapas: “Austerity.” See: anna dāna, jñāna dāna, kṛishṇa dāna, rāja yoga, śukla dāna.§
yantra: यन्त्र “Vessel; container.” A mystic diagram composed of geometric and alphabetic designs—usually etched on small plates of gold, silver or copper. Sometimes rendered in three dimensions in stone or metal. The purpose of a yantra is to focus spiritual and mental energies according to a computer-like yantric pattern, be it for health, wealth, childbearing or the invoking of one God or another. It is usually installed near or under the temple Deity. Psychically seen, the temple yantra is a magnificent three-dimensional edifice of light and sound in which the devas work. On the astral plane, it is much larger than the temple itself.§
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. One of the six darśanas, or systems, of orthodox Hindu philosophy. Yoga was codified by Patanjali in his Yoga Sūtras ( ca 200 BCE) as the eight limbs (ashṭāṅga) of rāja yoga. It is essentially a one system, but historically, parts of rāja yoga have been developed and emphasized as yogas in themselves. Prominent among the many forms of yoga are haṭha yoga (emphasizing bodily perfection in preparation for meditation), kriyā yoga (emphasizing breath control), as well as karma yoga (selfless service) and bhakti yoga (devotional practices) which could be regarded as an expression of rāja yoga’s first two limbs (yama and niyama). See: bhakti yoga, kriyā yoga, haṭha yoga, rāja yoga .§
yoga mārga: योगमार्ग See: pāda.§
yoga pāda: योगपाद The third of the successive stages in spiritual unfoldment in Śaiva Siddhānta, wherein the goal is Self Realization. See: pāda, yoga .§
Yoga Sūtras: योगसूत्र The great work by Śaivite Nātha siddha Patanjali (ca 200 BCE), comprising some 200 aphorisms delineating ashṭāṅga (eight-limbed) , rāja (kingly) or siddha (perfection) yoga. Still today, it is the foremost text on meditative yoga . See: Kailāsa Paramparā , rāja yoga, yoga .§
Yogaswami: யோகசுவாமி “Master of yoga .” Sri Lanka’s most renowned contemporary spiritual master (1872-1964), a Sivajñāni and Nātha siddhar revered by both Hindus and Buddhists. He was trained in and practiced kuṇḍalinī yoga under the guidance of Satguru Chellappaswami, from whom he received guru dīkshā. Sage Yogaswami was in turn the satguru of Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, current preceptor of the Nātha Sampradāya’s Kailāsa Paramparā. Yogaswami conveyed his teachings in hundreds of songs, called Natchintanai, “good thoughts,” urging seekers to follow dharma and realize God within. See: Kailāsa Paramparā.§
yogī: योगी (yogin) One who practices yoga, especially kuṇḍalinī or rāja yoga. In Gurudeva’s monastic community, yogīs, or tapasvins, are distinguished by their yellow robes and earnestness in the performance of sādhana and humble service. (Hindi and modern Indian vernaculars. Sanskrit: yogin.)§
yoginī: योगिनी Feminine counterpart of yogī .§
yoke: To join securely as if with a yoke; bind: partners who were yoked together for life. To force into heavy labor, bondage, or subjugation.§
yoking: Joining securely or closely uniting.§
young soul: A soul who has gone through only a few births, and is thus inexperienced or immature. See: soul.§
yuga: युग “Aeon,” “age.” One of four ages which chart the duration of the world, our solar system, according to Hindu thought. They are: Satya (or Kṛita), Tretā, Dvāpara and Kali. In the first period, dharma reigns supreme, but as the ages revolve, virtue diminishes and ignorance and injustice increases. At the end of the Kali Yuga, in which we are now, the cycle begins again with a new Satya Yuga.
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Zoroastrian: Of or related to Zoroastrianism, a religion founded in Persia by Spenta Zarathustra (ca 600 BCE). It has roughly 150,000 adherents today, mostly near Bombay, where they are called Parsis. The faith stresses monotheism while recognizing a universal struggle between the force of good (led by Ahura Mazda) and evil (led by Ahriman).§
Zen: A school of Mahāyāna Buddhism that asserts that enlightenment can be attained through meditation, contemplation and intuition, rather than through faith and devotion.§