Hinduism: A Short History (61 page)

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Authors: Klaus K. Klostermaier

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classical work of etymology.
niṣkala
without part; undivided, complete.
nitya
eternal.
nivṛtti
withdrawal.
Nṛsiṇha
man-lion; one of the
avatāras
of Visnu.
nyāya
rule, method; motto; logic; syllogism.
pāda
foot; verse, part of a text.
Padārtha
category (in Vaiśeṣika system).
padma
lotus.
pañca
five; e.g.,
pañcāgni
is five fires.
pañcāṅga
the traditional Indian calendar.
Pāñcarātra
branch of Vaiṣṇavism.
pañcāyātana-pūja
worship of five gods.
paṇḍit(a)
learned man; honorific title.
pantha
path, way; e.g.,
Kabīr-pantha
is the religious sect founded by Kabir.
pāpa
sin.
para
beyond; supreme; liberation.
paramārthika
that which concerns ultimate reality.
paraṃparā
tradition.
paraśurāma
Rama with the battle-ax; one of the
avatāras
of Visnu.
Pārvatī
daughter of the mountains; name of Śiva’s consort.
pāśa
fetter.
paśu
animal; cattle; in Śaivasiddhanta: unliberated person.
paśupati
“lord of the cattle,” name of Śiva.
piṇḍa
small ball of rice which is offered to ancestors as oblation.
piśāca
imp; ogre.
pīṭha
place sacred to Śāktas
pitṛ
ancestor, forefather;
pitṛyāna
is the path of the ancestor.
prabhā
splendor.
pradakṣinā
respect shown through certain actions.
pradhāna
head; source; in Sāṁkhya system, ground from which everything develops.
Prajāpati
Lord of creatures; creator.
prakaśa
splendor.
prakṛti
matter; nature.
pralaya
dissolution of the world.
pramāda
error.
pramāṇa
logical proof; means of cognition.
prāṇa
life breath.
prāṇava
the mantra OM.
prāṇāyāma
breath-control.
prapanna
one who has surrendered to God.
prapatti
(formal) act of surrender to God.
prārabdha
remainder of karma from former births.
prārthana
prayer.
prasāda
grace, share of food offered to deity.
prasthāna trayī
triad of authorities
(Upaniṣads, Bhagavadgītā, Brahmasūtras)
.
pratibiṃba
reflection; mirror-image.
pratijñā
recognition; proposition.
pratisarga
dissolution of the universe.
pratisiddha karma
forbidden action or ritual.
pratyabhijñā
recognition.
piratvahāra
withdrawal of the senses
pratyakṣa
immediate (sense) perception.
pravṛtti
inclination; active liberation.
prāyaścitta
atonement (through certain prescribed acts).
prayatna
effort.
premā
love; used as technical term for spiritual love.
preta
soul of a deceased who has not (yet) received offerings.
prīti
amity; love.
pṛthivi
earth.
pūjā
(image) worship.
punarjanma
rebirth.
punarmṛtyu
redeath.
puṇya
merit.
Purāṇa
old; proper name of class of authoritative scriptures.
purohita
class of Vedic priests.
puruṣa
man; person; supreme being; spirit.
puruṣārtha
aim of human life.
puruṣottama
supreme person.
puṣpa
flower.
puṣṭimārga
special form of
bhakti
.
putra
son.
putra-ma
ga
way of the son; third rank in Śaiva-siddhānta.
rāga
passion; in music, basic tune.
rāgānuga bhakti
“passionate love”; special form of
bhakti
.
rajas
excitement; one of the basic three
guṇas
.
rājayoga
“royal way” name of Patañjali’s
yoga
system.
rajñī
splendor.
rakṣasa
goblin.
Rāma
main hero of the
Rāmayāṇa;
general name for God.
Rāmārajya
Rāma’s rule; “kingdom of God.”
Rāmayāṇa
“Rama’s Adventures”, a large epic poem, ascribed to Vālmīki. There are many vernacular re-creations of this original work like Tulsīdās’
Rāmcaritmānas
.
rasa
juice; sentiment.
rasa-līlā
theatrical reenactment of scenes from the life of Kṛṣṇa.
rati
pleasure; proper name of consort of god of Love.
ratna
jewel; pearl; often used as honorific title.
ratrī
night.
ṛk
hymn.
ṛṣi
seer; wise man.
ṛta
(Vedic) law of the world (moral and cosmic).
rudra
reddish; name of Vedic god; name of Śiva especially in his frightful aspect.
rudrākṣa
“Rudra’s eye”; rough, round seed of an Indian shrub, used in garlands by Śaivites.
Rukminī
Kṛṣṇa’s spouse.
śabda
sound; word; scriptural authority.
Saccidānanda
the Supreme Being (being, consciousness, bliss).
sadācāra
morality; good behaviour.
ṣaḍdarśana
the six orthodox systems.
sādhana
means (to gain liberation).
sādhaka
one who practices a
sādhana
.
sadhāraṇā dharma
common law; religion common to humankind.
sādhu
“holy man”; mendicant.
sādhvī
a female ascetic.
sāgara
sea; great mass of things.
saguṇa
with qualities.
saguṇa brahman
brahman with attributes.
sahajā
natural; in-born.
sahāmārga
the way of the companion; the second rank in Śaiva- siddhānta.
sahasra-nāma
“thousand names,” litany with 1000 names and titles of a deity.
śākhā
branch; a school of thought or practice.
sākṣātkāra
bodily vision of the supreme.
sākṣī
witness; the Supreme as present in humans.
śākta
follower of Śakti cult.
śakti
power; name of Śiva’s consort.
śālagrāma
ammonite; symbol under which Viṣṇu is present.
sālokya
sharing the same world; one of the stages of liberation.
samādhi
deep concentration; death; memorial.
sāman
Vedic tune.
sāmānya
equality; category in
Vaiśeṣika
.
samāvāya
similarity.
samāveśa
togetherness.
sambhoga
enjoyment.
saṃdhya
twilight; dusk and dawn; prayers recited at dawn.
saṃdhya-bhāṣa
words with double meaning.
saṃhitā
collection; name of class of authoritative scriptures.
sāmīpa
nearness; stage of liberation.
samjñā
understanding.
Sāṁkhya
figure, number; proper name of philosophical system.
saṃkīrtaṇa
congregational singing.
saṃnyāsa
renunciation.
saṃnyāsī
ascetic, homeless mendicant.
saṃpradāya
a religious order or sect.
saṃsāra
world; connoting constant cyclic change.
saṃskāra
rites; “sacraments.”
samskṛta
artfully composed, refined, name of old Indian high language.
samyama
concentration.
sanātana dharma
eternal law; “Hinduism.”
śaṅkha
conch shell.
sanmārga
“the true way”; highest stage in Śaiva-siddhānta.
śānti
peace.
Santoṣa
contentment.
Śaraṇa-gati
seeking refuge.
sarga
creation; emanation.
sāraṅga
bowstring.
śarīra
body.
sārūpa
of equal form.
śāstra
doctrine; treatise, authoritative teaching.
śāstrī
one who knows the traditional doctrine; Bachelor of Arts.
sat
being, truth.
satī
“faithful,” wife who (voluntarily) dies with deceased husband.
satsȧng(a)
“gathering of the righteous,” religious meeting.
sattva
being; nature; virtue; one of the three
guṇas
.
satya
truth; reality.
śauca
purity.
saulabhya
benevolence.
sauśilya
kindness.
savitṛ
sun God.
sāyujya
togetherness.
śeṣa
“endless,” world-serpent upon which Viṣṇu rests.
seva
service.
siddha
accomplished; saint.
siddhi
accomplishment; in
yoga
, extraordinary faculties.
śikhā
tuft on the crown of the head.
śikhara
spire-like elevation over central sanctuary.
śikṣā
instruction.
śīlā
good behavior; morality.
Sītā
furrow; proper name of Rama’s consort.
Śiva
“propitious,” proper name of major Hindu deity.
śloka
double verse.
smasāna
cremation ground.
smṛti
what has been committed to memory; proper name for a certain class of scriptures.
soma
intoxicating drink used in vedic sacrifices.
spaṇḍa-śāstra
treatise of vibrations, branch of Kāśmīr Śaivism.
sphoṭa
boil; idea; connection between letter and meaning.
śraddhā
faith.
śrāddha
last rites.
śrautasūtras
ritual texts dealing with public Vedic sacrifices.

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