A
Abhidheya - comes from the verbal root abhidha, which means
“to set forth or explain,” and the word abhidheya literally means “that which
is worthy of explanation.” The means by which krsna-prema can be
achieved is the fundamental truth (tattva) that is most worthy of
explanation. The means by which the ultimate goal is achieved, is the practice
of sadhana-bhakti.
Abhimana - egoism; the self-conception with which one identifies.
Acarya - spiritual preceptor, one who teaches by example.
Acchadita-cetana - covered consciousness. This refers to living beings such
as trees, creepers, shrubs, stones, and other non-moving beings whose
consciousness is barely detectable.
Acira-sthayi - unenduring, impermanent.
Adharma - irreligion; failure to carry out one’s socio-religious
duties prescribed in the sastra.
Adhikara - eligibility or authority by conduct and temperament to
perform a particular kind of work.
Adhina-tattva - the fundamental truth concerning the jivas who,
being eternally related to Sri Bhagavan as parts to the whole, are adhina (subordinate)
to His will; one of the aspects of sambandhajnana.
Advaita-jnana - knowledge of non-duality. Although in the true sense
this refers to the Supreme Absolute Personality of Godhead who is devoid of all
duality, the Mayavada conception of advaitajnana is that the ultimate
substance, brahma, is devoid of form, qualities, personality, and
variegatedness.
Advaita-siddhi - the perfectional stage of oneness aspired for by those
who cultivate an awareness of indistinct brahma.
Advaita-vada - the doctrine of non-dualism, monism – the doctrine that
emphasizes the absolute oneness of the living entities with God. This is often
equated with the Mayavada theory that everything is ultimately one; that there
is no distinction whatsoever between the Supreme Absolute and the individual
living entities; that the Supreme is devoid of form, personality, qualities,
and activities; and that perfection is to merg oneself into the all-pervading impersonal
brahma. This doctrine was propagated by Sri Sankaracarya (see Glossary
of Names).
Advaita-vadi - one who advocates the doctrine of monism (see
advaita-vada).
Agama - is a part of Veda which deals with the science
of Tantra.
Ahamkara - lit. aham (I) kara (am the doer) i.e.
the false ego.
Ahamta - literally means ‘I-ness’; egoism; self-consciousness.
Aihika - that which relates to iha (the here and now);
that which relates to this material world.
Aihika- sukha - material enjoyment pertaining to this world.
Aisi- sakti -
divine potency, which is known as tatastha-sakti.
Aisi
comes from the word Isa the
Supreme Lord, Master or Controller
(see tatastha-sakti).
Aisvarya - opulence, splendor, magnificence, majesty, supremacy. In regard to bhakti this refers to
devotion which is inspired by the opulence and majesty of the Lord especially
in His feature as Lord Narayana. This type of devotion restricts the intimacy
of exchange between Sri Bhagavan and His bhaktas.
Akarma - the non-performance of auspicious activities or
prescribed duties.
Akhanda - undivided, uninterupted, without a break, like the
flow of a stream of honey.
Akincana - one who considers he has nothing but Krsna. Having nothing
at all, utterly destitute materially. When referring to a Vaisnava, this
usually denotes an ascetic who is devoid of the spirit of material enjoyment
and accepts only the bare necessities for his maintenance. Vaisnavas like the
Pandavas who live in the midst of family and
material opulence only for the service of Bhagavan and who are devoid of any
desire for material enjoyment consider that nothing belongs to them. Everything
belongs to Sri Bhagavan. They are akincana Vaisnavas.
Alam al-mashal - an Islamic term for the spiritual world.
Alankara - ornaments, embellishments etc.
Alankara-sastra - books concerning the literary embellishment of worldly
poetry, etc.
Amnaya - the teachings of the Vedas received through guruparampara
are known as amnaya.
Amutrika-sukha - enjoyment which pertains to the next life, particularly
enjoyment in the celestial planets yet to be attained after the performance of
pious activities.
Ana al-ƒaqq - the Islamic equivalent of the Vedic aphorism aham brahmasmi,
“I am brahma.”
Anadi-bahirmukha - the condition of the jivas in material
existence of being diverted from Krsna from a time without beginning.
Ananda - spiritual bliss, ecstasy, joy, happiness; that which
Sri Bhagavan relishes through His hladini-sakti (see hladini).
Ananya - having no other object; undistracted; devoted to only one
worhipable Lord, no one else.
Ananya-bhakti - exclusive or pure devotion; devotion which is not mixed
with any other desires and has no objective other than Sri Krsna.
Anartha - unwanted desires in the heart which impede one’s
advancement
in bhakti. These anarthas
are of four types: (1)
duskrtottha, those arising from past sins; (2) sukrtottha,
those arising
from previous pious
activities; (3) aparadhottha, those arising
from offenses; and (4) bhakty-uttha,
those arising in relationship
to bhakti.
Anartha-nivrtti - the clearing of all unwanted desires in the heart. This is the third stage in the development
of the creeper of bhakti, which occurs by the influence of sadhu-sanga
and bhajana-kriya.
Anga - limb, division, part; the various practices of bhakti
such as hearing and chanting are referred to as angas (of bhakti).
Anitya - temporary; not permanent or eternal.
Anitya-dharma - impermanent religion; does not accept the existence of
the Supreme Lord or the eternality of the soul.
Antaranga-sakti - Sri Bhagavan’s internal potency (see svarupasakti).
Antarmukha - the inward tendency. Having one’s attention focused inwards
towards the soul and spiritual enlightenment.
Antyaja - a person of the lowest class, outside of the varnasrama
system; literally antya means ‘born last’ and ja means ‘those
people’.
Anubhava - one of the five essential ingredients of rasa.
The actions which display or reveal the spiritual emotions situated within the
heart are called anubhavas. The anubhavas are thirteen in number:
1) nrtya (dancing),
2) vilunthita (rolling on the ground), 3) gita (singing), 4) krosana
(loud crying), 5) tanu-motana (writhing of the body), 6) hunkara (roaring),
7) jrmbhana (yawning), 8) svasa-bhua (breathing heavily), 9) loka-anapeksita
(giving up concern for public image), 10) lalasrava (salivating),
11) atta-hasa (loud laughter), 12) ghurna (staggering about), and
13) hikka (a fit of hiccups).
Anu- caitanya
- infinitesimal spiritual
consciousness, represented
Anu-cit-vastu - infinitesimal spiritual substance; the jivas,
who are conscious entities but minute in size.
Anudita-viveka - one whose spiritual discrimination is not awakened; the
spiritually unconscious.
Anukalpa - refers to acceptance by the bhakta of anu (a
small amount) kalpa (for minimum capability), meaning a quantity of food
(which is not in the category of grains, beans etc.) to maintain sufficient
energy for hari-seva.
Anuraga - (1) attachment in general. (2) spiritual attachment.
(3) a specific stage in the development of prema which has been defined in
Ujjvala-nilamani (14.146) as follows: “Despite regularly meeting and
being already well-acquainted with the beloved, an everfresh sentiment of
intense attachment causes the beloved to be newly experienced at every moment
as if one had never before any experience of such a person. The attachment
which inspires such a feeling is known as anuraga.”
Anusilana - constant practice, study, or cultivation, especially
the culture of spiritual activities.
Aparadha - offenses committed against the holy name, the Vaisnavas,
the guru, the sastras, the holy places, the Deity and so on. The
verbal root radh means to give pleasure or satisfy and the prefix apa
means taking away. Thus the word aparadha signifies all activities
that are displeasing to Bhagavan and His bhaktas.
Apara-sakti - Sri Bhagavan’s inferior or material potency.
Apauruseya - that which is not created by (purusa) man;
divine; that which is transcendental in nature, emanating directly from Sri
Bhagavan; the Vedas.
Aprakrta - transcendental, beyond the influence of material
nature, beyond the perception of the mind and senses, not created by any human,
beyond the material world, situated in Krsna’s transcendental abode,
extraordinary, divine, pure, or consisting of spiritual consciousness and
bliss.
Aprarabdha- karma -
the accumulated stock of reactions to
activities which are lying in a dormant condition and waiting to bear fruit at
some time.
Apurva - unprecedented, extraordinary, unparalleled.
Apsara - the heavenly wives of the Gandharvas; exceptionally
beautiful dancing girls in the court of Indra.
Apurna-jagat - the finite world; the material world.
Arati - the ceremony of offering articles to a Deity, such as
incense, lamp, flowers, and a fan, accompanied by the chanting of devotional hymns.
Arcanam - to worship the Deity in a temple with all different
types of paraphernalia. When
this worship is conducted internally,
it is known as manasi-puja.
Arcanam is one of the nine primary
angas of bhakti.
Aropa- siddha- bhakti
- endeavors which by nature are not
purely constituted of bhakti. The performer of aropa-siddha-bhakti imposes
bhakti onto his activities, meaning he is performing an activity that
isn’t one of the nine limbs of bhakti (navadha-bhakti), or that
isn’t pure enough to be classified as suddha-bhakti, but he is thinking
that his activity is bhakti. Examples of personalities performing aropa-siddha-bhakti are:
Harischandra and Maharaja Sibhi.
Artha-pancaka - Sri Ramanuja’s views on the following five subjects 1)
sva-svarupa (the constitutional nature of the individual self), 2) para-svarupa
(the constitutional nature of the individual self in relation to other
living beings), 3) upaya-svarupa (the means of achieving the highest
goal of life – bhakti), 4) purusartha-svarupa (the highest goal
of life) and 5) virodhi-svarupa (the hinderances to spiritual life).
Arundhati-darsana-nyaya - Arundhati is a very small star, which is situated
close to the Vasistha star in the Saptarsi constellation (the Great Bear). In
order to view it, its location is first determined by looking at a bigger star
beside it, then if one looks carefully one can see Arundhati close by.
Aryan - is derived from the Sanskrit verbal root r meaning
‘to go ahead’ or ‘progress’. Thus arya means one who is on the
progressive path of spiritual advancement. Those who follow the varnasrama system;
those who are advanced in terms of social and religious culture i.e. Hindus.
Asakti - attachment. This especially refers to attachment for
the Lord and His eternal associates. Asakti occurs when one’s liking for
bhajana leads to a direct and deep attachment for the person who is the
object of that bhajana. This is the sixth stage in the development of
the creeper of bhakti, which is awakened upon the maturing of one’s ruci
for bhajana.
Asampurna - incomplete.
Asrama - (1) one of the four stages of life – student, married,
retired, or renounced – in which one carries out corresponding socio-religious duties
in the system known as varnasrama. (2) a hermitage, usually in the
association of others, which is established to facilitate spiritual practices.
Asraya - (1) shelter, support, refuge, protection, container.
(2) the receptacle of prema; Krsna’s bhaktas. Krsna may also
become the receptacle of prema for His bhaktas.
Asraya-alambana - the receptacle of love for Krsna, the bhaktas. This is an aspect of vibhava, one
of the five essential ingredients of rasa (see
vibhava). Although the word asraya also conveys the same meaning
as asraya-alambana, it may often be used in the general sense of shelter
or support. The word asraya-alambana, however, is specifically used to
indicate the receptacle of prema as one of the necessary ingredients of rasa.
It is not used in any other sense. Asta-kaliya-lila
- the pastimes which Krsna performs with His associates in eight periods of
the day. Sadhakas who are engaged in smarana, or remembrance,
meditate on these pastimes. The periods are as follows (times are approximate):
1) nisanta-lila, pastimes at the end of night (3:36 am-6:00 am); 2) prata-lila,
pastimes at dawn (6:00 am-8:24 am); 3) purvahna-lila, morning pastimes
(8:24 am-10:48 am); 4) madhyahna-lila, midday pastimes (10:48 am-3.36
pm); 5) aparahna-lila, afternoon pastimes (3:36 pm-6:00 pm); 6) sayahna-lila,
pastimes at dusk (6:00 pm-8:24 pm); 7) pradosa-lila, evening pastimes
(8:24 pm-10:48 pm); and 8) nakta-lila, midnight pastimes (10:48 pm-3:36
am).
Astanga-yoga - the yoga system consisting of eight parts: yama
(control of the senses), niyama (control of the mind), asana (bodily
postures), pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (withdrawal of the
mind from sensory perception), dharana (steadying the mind), dhyana (meditation),
and samadhi (deep and unbroken absorption on the Lord in the heart).
Asubha-karma - activities producing inauspicious results.
Asvamedha-yajna - a horse-sacrifice of antiquity in which vast wealth is
spent. Formerly the brahmanas were so highly qualified by purity and in
the skill of chanting mantras that the life of the animal would be
rejuvenated. By performing one hundred such sacrifices one could attain the
post of Indra. This sacrifice is forbidden in the age of Kali as there are no
qualified brahmanas to perform it properly.
Atattvika- sraddha - unreal faith; faith which is based
on a false conception of God, which gives rise to self-interested activities
rooted in pride and material desires. Belief which is not rooted in sastra.
Atirikta - separate; apart from.
Atma - the soul; it may also refer to the body, mind,
intellect, or the Supreme Self. It usually refers to the jiva soul.
Atma- nivedanam - to offer one’s very self to
Krsna. When one
offers oneself to the Lord,
he no longer acts for his independent
pleasure. One engages body,
mind, life, and everything in the service
of Sri Bhagavan. This is one
of the nine primary angas of
bhakti.
Atyantiki laghu gopis - are yuthesvaris and also nitya-sakhis.
Sakhis such as Kusumika can be called atyantika-laghus, because
they are gentle in all respects and they are insignificant in comparision with
the other sakhis.
Aupacarika - figurative, metaphorical, attributive (see upacara).
Avaidha - that which is opposed to sastric injunctions.
Avaidha-karma - actions which defy the regulations of sastra.
Avastava-vastu - things which are not eternally existing; worldly phenomena.
Avidya - ignorance, spiritual ignorance, illusion. Ignorance is
of four kinds: to mistake that which is impermanent to be permanent, that which
is full of misery to be blissful, that which is impure to be pure, and that
which is not the self to be the self. Avidya is one of the five types of
klesa, or miseries, destroyed by bhakti.
Avistata - being overpowered by something, or deeply absorbed
in it. Thus, when the bhakta is completely overpowered with affection for
Krsna by the continuous flow of remembrance of His lila, that state is
called raga.
Babaji - a term of respect which is given loosly (frequently
improperly), to sadhus and Vaisnavas, particularly those who have given
up all connection with household life. In the setting of this book, this term
specifically refers to the Vaisnava followers of Sriman Mahaprabhu, who have
given up all the duties and designations of varnasrama society and who
engage almost exclusively in chanting hari-nama. Actual babajis live
as strict renunciates, they do not accept the external garb of sannyasis because
sannyasa is part of varnasrama. They do not wear the sacred
thread of the brahmanas because they have entered into bhavavastha and
are engaged in raga-marga. Such characteristics are to be
accepted only by those on the highest platform of eligibility, who retire from
the world to immerse themselves in private bhajana.
Baddha-dasa - the state of bondage; the state of the jivas in
material existence.
Baddha-jiva - the conditioned soul who is bound by matter. With regard
to the origin of the baddha-jiva this passage states that Bhagavan’s
eternal associates in the spiritual world do not have any contact with and are
completely unaffected by the material energy. Only some of the jivas that
emanate from Maha-Visnu come into the material world. The original Bengali is
as follows:
goloka-vrndavanastha evam paravyoma-stha baladeva o
sankarsanaprakatita nitya-parsada jiva-sakala ananta; tanhara upasya-sevaya rasika;
sarvada svarupartha-visista; upasya-sukhanvesi upasyera prati sarvada unmukha
jiva saktite cit-saktite bala labha kariya tanhara sarvada balavan; mayara
sahita tahandera kona sambandha nai; mayasakti baliya kona sakti achena, tahao
tanhara avagata nana; ye hetu tanhara cit-mandala-madhyavarti evam maya
tanhadera nikata haite aneka dure; tanhara sarvadai upasya-seva-sukhe magna;
dukha, jada-sukha o nija-sukha ity adi kakhani janena na. tanhara nitya-mukta premai
tanhadera jivana; soka, marana au bhaya ye ki vastu, taha tanhara janena na. karanabdha-sayi-maha-visnura mayara prati
iksana-rupa kiranagata anu-caitanya-gana o ananta; tanhara maya-parsva-sthita
baliya mayara vicitrata tanhadera darsana-patharuda-purve ye jivasadharanera laksana
baliyachi, se samasta laksana tanhadera ache, tathapi atyanta
anu-svabhava-prayukta sarvada tatastha-bhave citjagatera dike evam
maya-jagatera dike drstipata karite thakena. e avasthaya jiva atyanta durbala,
kenana, – justa va sevye-vastura krpalabha karatah cid-bala labha karena nai.
inhadera madhye ye saba jiva maya-bhoga vasana karena, tanhara mayika-visaye
abhinivista haiya mayate nitya-baddha. yanhara sevya-vastur cidanusilana
karena, tanhara sevya-tattvena krpara sahita cid-bala labha karatah cid-dhame nita
hana; baba! amara durbhaga, krsnera nityadasya bhuliya mayabhinivesa dvara
mayabadha achi; ataeva svarupartha-hina haiyai amadera e durdasa.
Baddhavastha - same as baddha-dasa.
Bahiranga-sakti - the external or material potency of Bhagavan, also known
as maya-sakti. This potency is responsible for the creation of the material world and all affairs
pertaining to the material world. Because Bhagavan never directly contacts the material
energy, this potency is known as bahiranga, external.
Bahirmukha - having one’s face turned away; having one’s attention diverted
away from some object. This is commonly used with the word Krsna (see Krsna-bahirmukha).
Bahudaka - the second of four stages of sannyasa. When a sannyasi
advances beyond the kuticaka stage, he no longer accepts anything from
home; instead he collects his necessities from many places. This system is
called madhukari, which literally means ‘the profession of bumblebees’.
As bumblebees collect honey from many flowers, so a sannyasi should beg
from door to door but not accept very much from any particular house. The bahudaka
stage has been mentioned in Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.12.43). In his
commentary on this sloka, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura defines
the ascetic in this stage as, one who has relegated the performance of karma
to a secondary position and who gives prominence to transcendental
knowledge.
Banda - an Islamic term for servitor.
Behesht - an Islamic term for the Lord’s spiritual abode,
paradise, or heaven.
Bhagavan - the Supreme Lord; the Personality of Godhead. In the
Visnu Purana (6.5.72-74)
Bhagavan is defined as follows: suddhe
mahavibhuty akhye pare brahmani varttate maitreya
bhagavac-chabda
sarva-karana-karane; sambharteti tatha bhartta
bha-karo ‘rthadvayanvita
neta gamayita srasta ga-kararthas tatha mune;
aisvaryasya
samagrasya dharmasya yasasah sriyah jnana-vairagyayos
caiva sannam
bhaga itingana – “The word bhagavat is used to describe the
Supreme brahma who possesses all opulences, who is completely pure, and
who is the cause of all causes. In the word bhagavat, the syllable bha
has two meanings: one who maintains all living entities and one who is the
support of all living entities. Similarly, the syllable ga has two
meanings: the creator, and one who causes all living entities to obtain the
results of karma and jnana. Complete opulence, religiosity, fame,
beauty, knowledge, and renunciation are known as bhaga, or fortune.”
(The suffix vat means possessing.
Thus one who possesses these six fortunes is known as Bhagavan.)
Bhagavata- pravrtti
- the tendency of the jiva to
seek out and serve the Supreme Person, Bhagavan.
Bhagavat- tattva
- the fundamental conclusions which
regard the Absolute Truth, Bhagavan.
Bhajana - (1) the word bhajana is derived from the verbal
root ‘bhaj’ which is defined in the Garuda Purana (Purva-khanda
231.3):
bhaj ity esa vai dhatu sevayam parikirtitah tasmat
seva budhaih prokta
bhakti sadhana-bhuyasi – “The verbal root bhaj is used specifically in
the sense of seva, or service. Therefore, when sadhana is
performed with the consciousness of being a servant, it is called bhakti.”
According to this sloka, krsna-seva, or loving devotional service
to Krsna is called bhakti. Such service is the intrinsic attribute of bhakti
or bhajana. Therefore whatever services are performed in this
consciousness may be referred to as bhajana. (2) in the general sense bhajana
refers to spiritual practices; especially hearing, chanting, and meditating
upon the holy name, form, qualities, and pastimes of Sri Krsna.
Bhajana- kriya -
taking up the practices of bhakti,
such as hearing and chanting. There are sixty-four primary angas of bhakti,
of which the first four are to take shelter of the lotus feet of sri-guru; to
receive diksa and siksa; to serve one’s guru with great
affection; and to follow the path of sadhus. Without adopting these
practices, there is no question of making any advancement in bhajana. This is the second stage in the development
of the creeper of bhakti which occurs by the influence of sadhu-sanga.
Bhajananandi - one who is absorbed in the bliss of bhajana; one
whose inclination is primarily for bhajana.
Bhakta - a devotee.
Bhakti - the word bhakti comes from the root bhaj,
which means to
serve (see bhajana).
Therefore the primary meaning of the word bhakti
is to render service. Sri
Rupa Gosvami has described the intrinsic
characteristics of bhakti in
Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.1.11) as
follows: anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam
anukulyena
krsnanu-silanam bhaktir uttama – “Uttama-bhakti, pure
devotional
service, is the cultivation
of activities that are meant exclusively for the benefit of Sri Krsna, in other
words, the uninterrupted flow of service to
Sri Krsna, performed through all endeavors of body, mind, and speech, and
through expression of various spiritual sentiments (bhavas). It is not
covered by jnana (knowledge of nirvisesa-brahma, aimed at
impersonal liberation) and karma (reward-seeking activity), yoga or
austerities; and it is completely free from all desires other than the
aspiration to bring happiness to Sri Krsna.”
Bhakti-devi - the goddess of devotion. All potencies
of the Lord have personified forms. In Madhurya-kadambini (1.3) Srila Visvanatha
Cakravarti Thakura explains that bhakti is the svarupasakti of
Bhagavan and that she is yadrccha, which means that bhakti has
her own will. Being sva-prakasa, self-manifest, she is not dependent on
any other agency in order to manifest in a person’s heart. In the Bhagavatam
(1.2.6) it is said: yato bhaktir adhoksaje ahaituky apratihata – “that
by which causeless and uninterrupted bhakti for Lord Adhoksaja arises.”
The word ahaituky in this sloka indicates that bhakti has
no cause. The only cause of bhakti is bhakti herself. Srila Cakravartipada analyzes the meaning of
this statement. He says that bhakti situated in the heart of a bhava-bhakta
is the only cause for her manifesting in others. Since Krsna is under the
control of His unalloyed bhaktas, He has invested such power in them. Therefore sadhana is not the true
cause of bhakti’s appearance. Bhakti-devi,
being self-willed, manifests bhakti in the heart when she is pleased
with the bhakta’s unalloyed service attitude. Ultimately this indicates
that Bhakti-devi acts through the agency of Krsna’s bhaktas who are
situated in the stage of bhava. When they see the sincerity of the sadhaka-bhakta,
the bhakti which is one with the very nature of their hearts is
transmitted into the hearts of the sadhakas. Other than this, there is
no cause for bhakti’s appearance.
Bhakti- kanda - a division of the Vedas relating
to bhakti, which is performed exclusively for the benefit of Sri
Bhagavan.
Bhakti- lata - the creeper of devotion. Bhakti is
likened to a creeper which grows in the bhakta’s heart until it matures
and produces the fruit of love for Krsna. The bija, or seed, of this
creeper is characterized as krsna-seva-vasana, the desire to serve Sri
Krsna. This desire is sown in the heart of the bhakta by the grace of sri-gurudeva
and it manifests externally as sraddha, faith in the conclusions of
the sastra. After its intitial
inception in the form of the bhakti-lata-bija, the creeper develops
through eight successive stages culminating in prema. These stages are sadhu-sanga,
bhajana-kriya, anartha-nivrtti, nistha, ruci, asakti,
bhava, and prema. Each of these are separately described in this
glossary.
Bhakti-lata-bija - the seed of the creeper of devotion. This refers to the
inception of the desire to serve Sri Sri Radha-Krsna in a particular capacity
which is known as krsna-seva-vasana. Within this seed is the undeveloped
conception of bhava. This seed externally manifests as sraddha,
or faith in the instructions and goal described by the sastras. When
this seed is watered by the methods of hearing, chanting, and service to
Vaisnavas, it grows into a luxurious plant and ultimately delivers its fruit of
love of God.
Bhakti- posaka- sukrti
- pious activities which foster bhakti.
This specifically refers to the association of bhaktas and activities
connected to bhakti (see sukrti).
Bhakty-abhasa - externally resembles bhakti but does not have
the true characteristics of bhakti. There are two types of bhakty-abhasa. Chaya-bhakty-abhasa is attained by
association with suddha-bhaktas during kirtana, recitation of Srimad-Bhagavatam,
or other devotional performances. Pratibimba-bhakty-abhasa is the
semblance of bhakti that occurs in the hearts of those who adopt the angas
of bhakti with a desire for bhukti (material enjoyment) and mukti
(liberation). The stage of chaya-bhakty-abhasa
is the result of great fortune,
Bharata-varsa - India (see Glossary of Places).
Bhava-bhakti - the initial stage of perfection in devotion. A stage of
bhakti in which suddha-sattva, or the essence of Sri Krsna’s
internal potency consisting of spiritual knowledge and bliss, is transmitted into
the heart of the practicing bhakta from the heart of one of His eternal
associates and softens the heart by different kinds of tastes. It is the first
sprout of prema, or pure love of God. Bhavabhakti is the seventh
of the eight stages of development of the bhakti-lata, the creeper of
devotion.
In Sri
Brhad-Bhagavatamrta there are five divisions of bhava accepted amongst
bhaktas: 1) jnana-bhakta (e.g. Bharata Maharaja), 2) suddha-bhakta
(e.g. Ambarisa Mahaaraja), 3) prema-bhakta (e.g. Hanuman),
4) prema-para-bhakta (e.g. the Pandavas headed by Arjuna), and 5) prematura-bhakta
(atura means ‘very eager for’, or agitated out of prema e.g.
the Yadavas headed by Uddhava).
Bhavuka - (1) a bhakta at the stage of bhava who
is thus able to
taste spiritual sentiments.
(2) This word is sometimes used in a
slightly derogatory sense to
refer to those who are prone to emotional
displays without possessing
the true characteristics of krsnarati,
or bhava.
Bhedabheda-prakasa - a manifestation simultaneously distinct yet not
separate from Sri Bhagavan.
Bhoga - material enjoyment. Unoffered foodstuffs.
Bhogi - one who indulges in material enjoyment without
restriction; one who seeks material enjoyment as his life’s aspiration.
Bhukti - material enjoyment.
Bhuta - one of the five elements; any living being; a spirit,
ghost or demon.
Bija - a seed (see bhakti-lata-bija).
Brahmacari - the first asrama or stage of life in the varnasrama
system; unmarried student life.
Brahma-gayatri - a Vedic mantra which is chanted at the three junctures
of the day by brahmanas.
Brahma-jnana - knowledge of impersonal brahma; knowledge
aiming at impersonal liberation.
Brahma - the spiritual effulgence emanating from the
transcendental body of the Lord; the all-pervading, indistinct feature
of the Absolute. Depending on the context, this may sometimes refer to the
Supreme brahma, Sri Krsna, who is the source of brahma.
Brahmana - the highest of the four varnas or castes in the
varnasrama system; a priest or teacher.
Brahmani - a female brahmana; the wife of a brahmana.
Brahma-pravrtti - the tendency of the jiva to seek the
all-pervading
brahma.
Brahma-vada - the doctrine of indistinct nirvisesa-brahma which
has as its goal the merging of the self into Krsna’s effulgence.
Brahma-vadi - one who follows the doctrine of brahma-vada.
Brhat-caitanya - infinite spiritual consciousness, represented by Krsna.
Brhat-cit-vastu - vast or infinite spiritual substance; Sri Krsna.
Buddhi-apeksa - the consideration that takes place through one’s intelligence
of the sublime nature of madhura rasa and which in turn assists in
creating lobha.
But-parast - (Muslim) idolatry; worship of material elements,
spirits, or ordinary living beings.
Caitanya - consciousness; the Universal soul or spirit.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu - Sri Krsna appearing in the mood of a bhakta (see
Glossary of Names).
Candala - an outcaste race known to eat dogmeat; one born in
such a race.
Cetana - conscious; an animate being.
Chaya-bhakty-abhasa - a shadow-like semblance of bhakti. This refers
to the activities of neophytes or ignorant people which resemble bhakti,
but which do not have the actual characteristics of suddha-bhakti.
Because these people engage in activities of bhakti only when
associating with real bhaktas, this semblance of bhakti is
connected with true bhakti, but it is transient in nature and is therefore
compared to a shadow.
Chaya-namabhasa - a shadow-like semblance of the pure name. This refers
to a stage of chanting in which the pure name is obscured by ignorance and anarthas
just as the sun, when covered by clouds, does not manifest its full
brilliance.
Chaya-sakti - Sri Bhagavan’s shadow potency known as maya which
binds the living entities in the material world.
Cid-anubhava - direct experience or realization of spirit, one’s
spiritual nature, or the spiritual dimension including Krsna’s name, form,
qualities, pastimes, and abode.
Cid-anuraga - spiritual attachment; attachment for Sri Bhagavan, His
bhaktas, and things related to Him.
Cid-anusilana - spiritual practice or cultivation; the culture of pure
spiritual reality.
Cid-vastu - transcendental or cognitive substance.
Cid-vikrama - see cit-sakti.
Cinmaya - possessing full spiritual nature and consciousness;
composed of pure cognition; spiritual.
Cit - consciousness; pure thought; spirit; spiritual
cognition or perception.
Citta - the heart, thoughts, mind and consciousnes.
Cit-dharma - spiritual nature or the characteristic function of a conscious
being.
Cit-jagat - the spiritual world. The world of pure spiritual
consciousness.
Cit-kala - spiritual time which exists eternally in the present
without any intervention of past or future.
Cit-kana - a particle of spiritual consciousness; a conscious
entity who is spiritual in nature yet minute. This refers to the individual jiva
souls.
Cit-sakti - Sri Bhagavan’s internal potency by which His
transcendental pastimes are accomplished (see svarupa-sakti).
Cit-samadhi - spiritual trance or deep internal perception of spiritual
reality.
Daivi-maya - the divine potency of Krsna which acts in the material
world to bewilder the living entities who are seeking material enjoyment
separate from their eternal and natural relationship with Krsna. This external
potency consists of the three qualities of nature: goodness, passion, and
ignorance.
Damaru - a drum played by Lord Siva; a small two-headed drum shaped
like an hour-glass which, held in one hand, is played by twisting one’s wrist.
The swinging actions causes a ball at the end of each of two strings which are
attached to the drum to hit the drum ends at each turn.
Dandavat-pranama - prostrated obeisances; literally, falling like a danda
(stick) to offer obeisances.
Darsana - seeing, meeting, visiting with, beholding. This word
is
used primarily in reference
to beholding the Deity or advanced
bhaktas. Darsana also means doctrine or philosophical system, as in
vedanta-darsana.
Dasa - a servant; a servant of Krsna.
Dasa - state, condition; disposition; phase, stage.
Dasa-mula - ‘ten-roots’. In the Ayur-veda, the science of
herbal medicine, there are ten roots which, when combined together produce a
tonic which sustains life and counteracts disease. Similarly, there are ten
ontological principles. When these are properly understood and realized, they
destroy the disease of material existence and give life to the soul. The first
of these principles is known as pramana, the evidence which establishes
the existence of the fundamental truths. The other nine principles are known as
prameya, the truths which are to be established. The pramana refers to the Vedic
literature and in particular to the Srimad-Bhagavatam. The Bhagavatam
is the essence of all the Vedas; it reveals the most intimate loving
feature of the Lord’ as well as the soul’s potential to unite with the Lord and
His eternal associates in their play of divine loving exchange. Of the nine prameyas, the first seven
relate to sambandha-jnana, knowledge of the interrelationship between
Sri Bhagavan, His energies, and the living beings, both conditioned and
liberated. The eighth prameya relates
to abhidheya-jnana, knowledge of the means by which the living entity
can become established in an eternal loving relationship with Him. The ninth prameya
relates to prayojana, the ultimate goal to be attained by pursuit of
the transcendental path. That goal is known as krsna-prema, and it takes
on infinite varieties when manifest in the different bhaktas possessing
variegated moods of divine love.
Dasi - a female maidservant of Krsna or Srimati Radhika.
Dasya - (1) the second of the five primary relationships with
the Lord which is established in the stages of bhava or prema;
love or attraction to Krsna which is expressed in the mood of a servant. (2) in this world the general relationship
of practicing bhaktas toward Him is known as krsna-dasya or bhagavad-dasya.
This means simply to recognize that one’s true identity is to be a servant of Krsna.
Dasyam - one of the angas of sadhana-bhakti; to
render service with the pure egoism of being a servant of Krsna. Only when one
renders service with this attitude, giving up false conceptions of the self,
can one’s bhajana practices attain perfection. According to Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu
(1.2.183) there are two kinds of dasya: in its beginning form, dasya
means to offer all of one’s activities to Sri Bhagavan, and in its mature
stage, dasya means to render all kinds of services to Him with the
feeling that ‘I am a servant of Sri Krsna, and He is my master.’ This attitude
is called kainkarya. Dasyam is one of the nine primary angas of bhakti.
Deva-bhasa - ‘the language of the gods’, the language spoken in the
celestial planets; Sanskrit.
Devas - celestial deities; beings situated in the celestial
planets who are endowed with great piety, tremendous lifespans, and superior mental
and physical prowess. They are entrusted with specific powers for the purpose
of universal administration.
Devatas - same as devas.
Devi-bhagavata and Devi-gita - (chapter 9) are two books that
the saktas promote as proving that Devi is the supreme personality. However, the great acaryas and later
scholars have not accepted them as authoritative.
Dhama - a holy place of pilgrimage; the abode of the Lord
where He appears and enacts His transcendental pastimes.
Dharma - from the verbal root dhr meaning ‘to sustain’;
lit. that which sustains; 1) the natural, characteristic function of a thing; that
which cannot be separated from its nature; 2) religion in general. 3) the
socio-religious duties prescribed in sastra for different classes of
persons in the varnasrama system; one’s fixed occupation in relation to
the highest ideals known to man. Dharma is aspired for by persons who
not only desire enjoyment in this world, but who hanker for something more,
like Svarga. For this it is necessary to follow the religious codes outlined in
sastra. By following the religious duties prescribed according to varnasrama,
one can enjoy happiness in this life and attain Svarga. The performance of dharmika
duties is foremost for such people, and therefore their purusartha (goal
of life) is known as dharma.There are many
types of dharma. Stri-dharma (a woman’s dharma) refers to the
duties, behaviour etc., that sustain the proper nature of a woman. Similarly, dharmas
such as purusa-dharma, brahmanadharma, sudra-dharma;
and sannyasa-dharma, are described in dharma-sastras. Ultimately,
however, dharma means the natural attraction of the part for the whole,
the jiva for Krsna. All of these other dharmas are only related
to this temporary body, therefore, in the midst of performing them, one must
cultivate atma-dharma, the soul’s eternal occupation as servant of
Krsna, so that one can reach the point, either now or tomorrow, of sarva-dharman
parityajya, giving up all secondary dharmas and taking full shelter of
Sri Sri Radha-Krsna.
Dharma-sastra - religious sastras, such as Manu-samhita,
delineating the codes of behavior for human beings.
Dharma-visaya - the object of the soul’s spiritual function; the object
of prema; Sri Krsna.
Diksa - receiving initiation from a spiritual
master. In the Bhaktisandarbha (Anuccheda 283) Jiva Gosvami has defined diksa
as follows: divyam jnanam yato dadyat
kuryat papasya sanksayam tasmad dikseti sa
prokta desikais tattva-kovikaih – “Learned exponents of the Absolute Truth declare
that the process by which the spiritual master imparts divya-jnana to
the disciple and eradicates all sins is known as diksa.” He then
explains divya-jnana, or divine knowledge:
divyam jnanam hy atra srimati mantre bhagavat svarupajnanam tena bhagavata-sambandha-visesa-jnanam
ca – “Divya-jnana is transcendental knowledge of the Lord’s form and one’s
specific relationship with the Lord contained within a mantra.” This means
at the time of intiation, the guru gives the disciple a mantra which,
in course of time, reveals the particular form of the Lord who is the object of
one’s worship and the bhakta’s specific relationship with the Lord in
one of the relationships of dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, or madhurya.
Diksa-guru - initiating spiritual master. One who gives a mantra
in accordance with the regulations of sastra to a qualified
candidate for the purpose of worshiping Sri Bhagavan and realizing Him through
that mantra is known as a diksa or mantra-guru.
Diksa-mantra - the mantras given by the guru at the
time of initiation. These mantras include the maha-mantra, brahma-gayatri,
gurumantra, guru-gayatri, gaura-mantra,
gaura-gayatri, gopala-mantra, and kama-gayatri. The guru’s internal
mood of service to Radha and Krsna is transmitted through the medium of these mantras.
This is indicated in the following sloka from Bhakti-sandarbha (Anuccheda 237): yo mantrah sa guruh saksat
yo guru sa hari svayam gurur yasya
bhavet tustas tasya tusto harih svayam – “The mantra (which is given by the
guru) is itself the guru, and the guru is directly the
Supreme Lord Hari. He with whom the spiritual master is pleased also obtains
the pleasure of Sri Hari Himself.” These mantras are invested with divya-jnana,
or transcendental knowledge of Krsna’s form and one’s specific relationship
with Him (see also diksa and mantra).
Divya-nama - the transcendental name of Sri Krsna.
Dravya - objects such as a table, a chair, and so on.
Drdha-niscaya - firm determination or resolve.
Dhrstata - a state of being reckless, bold or courageous. In
chapter twenty-one it is refering to those gopis who have left their
husbands and sons, and have abandoned all the rules and regulations of varnasrama-dharma.
The Dvaraka mahisis do not want to leave all these things; they want to
follow their husbands, and the rules and regulations of varnasrama-dharma.
That is why it is said here that they give up the quality of dhrstata and
serve Krsna just like a housewife. Those who have left all these things and who
have the quality of dhrstata are called sakhis Durjati - degraded
birth or caste.
Durjati-dosa - the defect of a degraded birth; the defect of having
taken birth in a sinful or
outcaste family. Such a defect is due to
prarabdha-karma.
Duskrti - impious or sinful deeds.
Dvija - anyone among the brahmanas, ksatriyas,
or vaisyas who has received a ‘second birth’ through the upanayana-samskara
of being invested with the sacred thread, which prepares one for studying the
Vedas.
Ekadanda - a staff which is carried by the renunciates belonging
to the monistic school and, in particular, the followers of Sri Sankaracarya.
The staff consists of only one rod which symbolizes their goal of attaining
oneness with nirvisesa-brahma.
Ekadasi - is the eleventh day of the waxing or waning moon. Suddha
Ekadasi means that the whole eleventh day of the moon elapses during the
period between one sunrise and the next. Viddha Ekadasi means that the
eleventh day of the moon begins on one solar day (sunrise to sunrise) and
finishes on the next solar day, that is after sunrise on the next day. In case
of viddha Ekadasi, the observances are made on the Dvadasi i.e. the
twelfth day of the moon.
Folklore - (in reference to chapter seventeen), there is a
saying: “To make money by counting the waves.” The explanation is as follows. In ancient times, there was a rich vaisya,
who became famous all over the country as someone who could make money in any
circumstances. Some envious people
poisoned the ears of the local King, and managed to convince him to send the
businessman far away, where he would have no opportunity to make any money. The
King decided to send him to a lonely place near the sea. But this vaisya,
true to his character, sat on the beach counting the waves! Whenever a vessel
passed across the sea, he would stop it by waving his arms, and then say, “You
are not allowed to cross. The King has appointed me to count the waves here,
and your vessel is disturbing them.” He would argue back and forth, and only
relent when he had extracted a bribe. In this way, he became a rich man again.
Ganapatya - a worshiper of Ganesa.
Gandharvas - celestial beings situated in the higher planets who are
especially noted for their expertise in singing and music.
Ganga - the holy river, Ganga, also known as the Ganges (see
Ganga in the Glossary of Places).
Gathana - the formation, structure, or composition of a thing.
Gaudiya Vaisnava Acaryas
- prominent teachers in the line of
Lord Caitanya.
Gaudiya Vaisnava
Sampradaya - the school of Vaisnavism
following in the line of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Gauna - literally means “that which possesses qualities” or
“that which is secondary.” Relates to a quality, having qualities; connected to
the three gunas (qualities of material nature); subordinate, secondary,
unessential.
Gaurabda - a year in the era beginning from the appearance of Sri
Gauranga Mahaprabhu (corresponding to 1486 AD).
Gaura-lila - the divine pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is
identical to Sri Krsna.
Gaura-Nama-Rasa - transcendental taste which comes from chanting the
holy name of Lord Gaura.
Gayatri-mantra - a sacred mantra repeated by brahmanas at
the three junctures of the day. The gayatri mantra is personified as a
goddess, the wife of Brahma and mother of the four Vedas (see diksa-mantra).
Ghata - a landing-stage (as on the bank of a river, pond, and
so on).
Ghata-akasa - is the space that one can see in a pot. (Maha-akasa
is the great unlimited sky).
Godruma - one of the nine divisions of Navadvipa (see Glossary
of Places).
Gopas - the cowherd boys who serve Krsna in the mood of
intimate friendship. This may also refer to the elderly gopas headed by
Nanda Maharaja who serve Krsna in the mood of parental affection.
Gopis - the young cowherd maidens of Vraja headed by Srimati Radhika
who serve Krsna in the mood of amorous love. This may also refer to the elderly
gopis headed by mother Yasoda who serve Krsna in the mood of parental
affection.
Go-sala - shelter for the cows.
Gosvami - one who is the master of his senses; a title for those
in the renounced order of life. This often refers to the renowned followers of
Caitanya Mahaprabhu who adopted the lifestyle of mendicants. Descendants of the relatives of such
Gosvamis or of their sevaites often adopt this title merely on the basis
of birth. In this way, the title Gosvami has evolved into use as a surname.
Leading temple administrators are also
sometimes referred to as Gosvamis.
Grhastha - the word stha means “to reside.” The word grha
means “house,” and also refers to the family members who inhabit a house; as
a verb, it means “to grasp, take on, or accept.” The second asrama or
stage of life in the varnasrama system; family life.
Grhastha-tyagi - one who has renounced household life.
Gulli-danda - a game played with a bat and stick.
Guna - (1) in relationship to Krsna this refers to His
transcendental qualities which are heard, described, and meditated upon by bhaktas
as part of the practice of sadhana-bhakti. (2) qualities of objects
such as hardness and softness. (3) qualities in general such as compassion,
tolerance, and mercy. (4) the three ropes (binding qualities) known as –
sattva (goodness), rajas (passion), and tamas (ignorance).
Gunavatara - the primary presiding deities of the tri-gunas (three
gunas), Visnu, Brahma and Siva presiding over the qualities of sattva,
rajas, and tamas respectively.
Hamsa - the third stage of sannyasa, as mentioned in Srimad-Bhagavatam
(3.12.43). In his commentary on this sloka, Srila Visvanatha
Cakravarti Thakura defines an ascetic in the hamsa stage as jnana-abhyasa-nistha,
one established in the cultivation of transcendental knowledge.
Hari - a name for Sri Krsna (see Glossary of Names).
Hari-katha - narrations of the holy name, form, qualities, and
pastimes of Sri Hari.
Hari-nama - the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. Unless accompanied
by the word sankirtana, it usually refers to the practice of chanting
the Hare Krsna maha-mantra to oneself on a strand of tulasi beads.
Hari-vasara - the day of Lord Hari; this refers especially to Ekadasi;
it also refers to other holy days such as Janmastami and Ramanavami (check
this Glossary for explanation of these terms).
Havisya - rice dried in the sun, cooked with water and mixed with
ghee
Heya - undesirable; fit to be given up; contemptible, base,
vile.
Hladini - this refers to svarupa-sakti which is
predominated by hladini (see svarupa-sakti). Hladini is
the potency which relates to the ananda, or bliss, aspect of the Supreme
Lord. Although the Supreme Lord is the embodiment of all pleasure, hladini is
that potency by which He relishes transcendental bliss and causes others to
taste bliss. When visuddha-sattva is predominated by hladini, it
is known as guhya-vidya, or confidential knowledge. This guhyavidya has
two faculties: bhakti and that which bestows bhakti. It is by these
two agencies that bhakti, which consists of priti (prema),
is manifest. Bhakti which is of the nature of priti is itself a
special feature of guhya-vidya.
Ibada - an Islamic term for divine worship.
Ignorance five types -Lord Brahma first creates these five types of ignorance
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.12.2.). Because of the desire to enjoy maya,
the jiva develops the false ego that he can enjoy material sense
gratification, and then the five types of ignorance - tamah (not knowing
anything about the spirit soul), moha (the illusion of the bodily
concept of life), maha-moha (madness for material enjoyment), tamisra
(forgetfulness of one’s constitutional position due to anger or envy) and andha-tamisra
(considering death to be the ultimate end) – cover his pure, atomic nature.
Isanugata - those who are devoted or surrendered to Isa (Sri Bhagavan);
the Vaisnavas.
Ishqh - an Islamic term for love (spiritual or mundane).
Ista-deva - one’s worshipful deity; the particular form of Krsna
toward whom one is attracted and who is the object of one’s love and service.
Isvara - the Supreme Lord or Supreme Controller.
Itihasa - (1) history in general. (2) a book which contains
instructions on dharma, artha, kama, and moksa, and
narrations of ancient events
(dharmartha-kama-moksanam upadesa-samanvitam purva-vrta katha-yuktam
itihasam pracaksate). This definition is quoted in Gaudiya-Vaisnava-abhidhana.
(3) the fifth Veda. According to both sruti and smrti, the
Itihasa and the Puranas are considered the fifth Veda. Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.12.39) states,
itihasa-puranani pancamam
vedam; and (1.4.20), itihasa
puranan ca pancamo veda ucyate. In his commentary on (1.4.20), Jiva Gosvami
quotes the Mahabharata (Moksa-dharma
340.21), vedan adhyapayamasa mahabharata-pancaman iti, “Vyasa taught
the Vedas along with the fifth of their number, the Mahabharata.”
Similarly in Manu-smrti (3.232) it is said, akhyananitihasams ca. In
his Manu-vartha-muktavali commentary on this sloka, Kulluka Bhatta
(a celebrated commentator on Manusmrti from the twelfth century) states,
itihasan mahabharatadin, “The word itihasan refers to the Mahabharata
and other literature.”
These references establish that the word itihasa specifically
refers to the Mahabharata. Within the Mahabharata is found the Bhagavad-Gita,
which is accepted as the essence of all the Vedas even by Sri
Sankaracarya, who states in the introduction to his Gita commentary, tad idam gita-sastram samasta-vedartha-sarasangraha-
bhutam, “This Gita-sastra is the essence of the purport of
all the Vedas.” This further confirms that the itihasa is part of
the body of Vedic literature. Sruti itself (Chandogya Upanisad 7.1.2)
declares that the Itihasa and Puranas are the fifth Veda among
the body of Vedic literature, itihasam puranam pancamam vedanam vedam.
Jada - inanimate object; worldly, material.
Jada-anuraga - attachment for mundane material objects.
Jada-sakti - the material or external potency also known as maya.
Jadiya-kala - material time which is designated by the divisions of past,
present, and future.
Jaiva-dharma - the constitutional function of the jiva;
unadulterated love for the Supreme Lord.
Jangama - moving living beings such as animals, birds, insects,
aquatics, and humans.
Janma - birth, origin.
Janmastami - the appearance day of Lord Sri Krsna which occurs on the
eighth day of the dark lunar fortnight of the month of Bhadra (August-September).
According to the Visnu Purana, however, Janmastami
occurs on the eighth day of the dark lunar fortnight of the month of Sravana
(July-August). The reason for this difference is that in some years the mukhya-candra-masa,
or principal lunar month falls in Sravana. The mukhya-candra-masa refers
to a lunar month which ends with a conjunction of planets, whereas gaunacandra-masa
refers to a lunar month which ends with an opposition of planets. When the mukhya-candra-masa
occurs in Sravana, Janmastami falls in that month instead of Bhadra.
Japa - loud chanting or soft utterance of the holy names of
Krsna to oneself; usually referring to the practice of chanting hari-nama on
tulasi beads. The word japa comes from the verbal root jap which
means to utter or whisper repeatedly (especially prayers or incantations). In the Sabda-kalpa-druma, japa has
been defined as the utterance of mantras either within the heart or
verbally. In Haribhakti-vilasa (17.155-159) Srila Sanatana Gosvami
describes japa in the following words:
“In the Nrsimha-Purana it is said that japa-yajna is
of three kinds:
(1) vacika (verbal),
(2) upamsu (in a whisper), and (3) manasika (within the mind).
When a mantra is pronounced very distinctly either in a high, low, or
resonant voice it is known as vacika-japa. When a mantra is uttered slowly with slight movement of
the lips and can be heard only by one’s own ears it is known as upamsu-japa. When one meditates on the meaning of the mantra
by application of the intelligence going repeatedly from one syllable to
the next and from one word to the next it is known as manasika-japa.”
Jati - caste, race, or species.
Jati-bheda - caste distinction; the difference between various
castes or species.
Jism - an Islamic term for matter.
Jiva - the eternal individual living entity who, in the
conditioned state of material existence, assumes a material body in any of the innumerable
species of life.
Jnana - (1) knowledge, (2) knowledge which leads to impersonal
liberation: this concerns the atma’s distinction from matter and its identity
with brahma.
Jnana-adhikara - eligibility for knowledge leading to liberation.
Jnana-kanda - a division of the Vedas which relates to
knowledge of the one, undifferentiated spirit known as brahma.
Jnana-mudra - the traditional posture of the hand formed with the tip
of the thumb touching the tip of the index finger.
Jnana-nistha - those who are fixed in the pursuit of monistic
knowledge aiming at liberation.
Jnana-viddha - vaisnava-dharma which is adulterated with jnana, knowledge directed toward the
attainment of impersonal liberation.
Jnana-yoga - the path of spiritual realization through a
philosophical search for truth.
Jnani - one who pursues the path of jnana, or
knowledge, directed toward impersonal liberation.
Kali-yuga - the present age of quarrel and hypocrisy which began five
thousand years ago (see yuga).
Kamya-karma - religious rites performed to obtain some specific material
benefit.
Kanistha-bhakta - the neophyte practitioner of bhakti.
Karatalas - small brass hand cymbals used for devotional songs.
Karma - (1) any activity performed in the course of material
existence. (2) pious activities leading
to material gain in this world or in the heavenly planets after death. (3)
fate; former acts leading to inevitable results.
Karma-adhikara - eligibility for pious action leading to material gain.
Karma-kanda - a division of the Vedas which relates to the
performance of ceremonial acts and sacrificial rites directed toward material benefits
or liberation.
Karma-viddha - vaisnava-dharma which is adulterated with karma, activities directed toward material
benefits.
Karma-yoga - the path to God realization through dedication of the
fruits of one’s work to God.
Karmi - one who pursues the Vedic path of karma directed
toward material gain or elevation to the heavenly planets.
Karya-sakti - the potency by which activity is carried out.
Kaya-vyuha - direct expansions. All the four types types of
Srimati Radhika’s sakhis are nitya-siddha, and they are direct
expansions (kaya-vyuha) of Srimati Radhika’s own svarupa. She
eternally manifests eight bhavas as the eight principle sakhis and
Her four different types of service moods as the four different types of sakhis
- namely, priya-sakhis, narma-sakhis,
prana-sakhis, and parama-prestha sakhis. All these sakhis are kaya-vyuha
direct expansions, whereas the sadhana-siddha gopis are not
expansions. The queens in Dvaraka fall into a different category of expansion
known as vaibhava-prakasa, and the Laksmis in Vaikuntha are vaibhava-vilasa
expansions of Srimati Radharani. The wives of Vamana and other avataras in
Devaloka are also expansions. Durga-devi in this world is a material expansion.
Kayastha - a particular caste in Hindu society; those born from a
ksatriya father and a sudra mother. They are generally
well-educated, and many work as writers. The kayasthas claim to be
descendents of Citragupta (the scribe of Yamaraja).
Kazi - a Muslim magistrate, usually the ruler of a town or
city (like a mayor).
Khicari - a savory dish of rice and dahl boiled together
with ghee and spices.
Khoda - an Islamic term for God.
Kirtana - congregational singing of Krsna’s holy names,
sometimes accompanied by music. This may also refer to loud individual chanting
of the holy name, as well as oral descriptions of Bhagavan names, forms,
qualities, associates, and pastimes. Kirtana is the most important of
the nine angas of bhakti.
Krsna-bahirmukha - being oblivious to Krsna due to having one’s attention
focused outwardly toward the material world; ignorance of Krsna and
enthrallment with material enjoyment. Krsna-dasya
- service to Krsna; the dharma, or spiritual function of the jiva.
In its perfectional state this refers to prema.
Krsna-lila
- the divine pastimes of Sri Krsna
(see lila).
Krsna-prema - pure love for Krsna (see prema).
Krsna-unmukha - those whose attention is focused upon Krsna.
Krsna-vimukhata - the state of having one’s attention turned away from
Krsna; the state of absorption in the material world.
Ksatriya - the second of the four varnas, or castes, in
the varnasrama system; an administrator or warrior.
Ksayonmukha - the decline or diminution of any object or thing; the
stage in which a jiva’s relationship with the material world gradually
diminishes due to engagement in spiritual practice. Ksudra-cetana - possessing minute consciousness; the
living entities.
Kunja - a grove or bower; a natural shady retreat with sides
and a roof formed mainly by trees and climbing plants.
Kuticaka - the first of four stages of sannyasa. According
to the Vedic system, when one first renounces family life, the ascetic will construct
a cottage (kutira) just outside his village and will accept the
necessities for his maintenance from his family members or the villagers. This
stage has been referred to in Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.12.43). In Srila Visvanatha
Cakravarti Thakura’s commentary on the afore-referenced sloka, he
defines the kuticaka stage as svasrama-karma-pradhana,
predominated by the performance of karma which pertains to one’s own asrama,
or stage of life.
Kutira - a cottage or hut.
Laukika - worldly, mundane, secular, pertaining to the material world.
Laukika-jnana - worldly knowledge, knowledge of worldly phenomena.
Laukika-sraddha - worldly regard; faith which is based on custom or tradition and not on a