Exam Sanskrit 2020 Flashcards
Abyasa and vairagya
These two terms go together - constant practice and non-attachment
Abyassa
Constant practice - spiritual practice, prescribed by Patanjali, controlling the mind
Ahamkara
In Sanskrit, “I-making” (akam=”I”, and kara = “make”); also translated as “ego,” or the attachment to ego; a key notion in Samkhya philosophy. Also thought to be the second stage of the development of prakriti, the original stuff of material nature, which evolves into the manifest world. It follows the stage of buddhi (intelligence, perception) in which purusha, once in a state of pure consciousness, i.e. without an object of contemplation, becomes focused on prakriti, and thus on existence outside of itself. From this awareness evolves the ahamkara, or ego-consciousness. It is thus the mistaken consciousness of personality or individuality. It is mistaken because purusha (or the soul/spirit) is incapable of acting; it is prakriti, or essential matter, which acts. Ahamkara in turn gives way to other stages of the transmigration of the soul.
Ardha
Half
Ardva
Downward
Asana
Postures
Attman
the individual soul
AUM
The sound of creation, the universe. The symbol of ultimate reality.
Avidya
Spiritual Ignorance; Obstructs the experience of Purusha; the confusion of the Seer (Purusha) with the seen (Prakriti)
Bandha
The bodies interior locks. bandhas a re employed to gain control of our energy system.
buddhi
higher mind
Chakra
energetic wheel
Chandra
Moon
Chitta
Mind/ mind-stuff. Refers to the mind in its totality- subconscious, conscious, and unconscious. It is separate from Prakriti and Purushu. It is the reflected consciousness of the Purusha on Prakriti. The direct experience of the Purusha provides the ultimate quest.
citta-vritti
“mind chatter,” or “monkey mind,” which as you might guess, refers to the tendency of our minds to flit about from one thought to the next.
Dhanura
Bow
Dharana
One pointed focus. Concentration.
Dhyana
Meditation
Energy, life force
Prana
Fire
Lives in the belly. Agni. We can burn what we do not need in the practice and let it go. It is purifying.
Gunas
The qualities of universal nature.
(three gunas of sattvas, rajas, tamas)
Come from Prakriti - sattva (lightness), rajas (activity), tamas (stability)
Hatha
Effort, force, exertion
Ida
- Left side
- Left nostril
- Right side of brain
- Moon/feminine/creative
- Parasympathetic nervous system
- Tamas
Jnana
by knowledge, knowing
Karmic debt
When you act to cultivate your purpose for being here you experience karmic uptake. When you act against your purpose for being here you experience karmic loss.
kumbhaka
retention of breath
kundalini
divine, cosmic force within our body
manipura
naval
mind
manas
- Nadhi shodhana
alternate nostril breathing
Nadis
- nadi = channel for prana to flow
- 14 major nadis.
Name 5 koshas
Annamaya, Pranamaya, Manomaya, Vijnanamaya, Anandamaya
Nirodhah
Control, regulation, channeling, mastery, integration, coordination, understanding, stilling, quieting. Nirodhah can sound like the suppression or repression of thoughts and emotions, which is definitely not what Yoga is about. Rather, it has to do with a process more like coordinating and setting aside what is not significant or not-self. It is exercised by purposeful Redirection of attention.
Niyama
Internal observances
Pingala
- right nostril
- left brain functions
- sun/masculine/logic
- sympathetic nervous system
- rajas
Prakriti
- Prakriti is nature.
- Creative force of action, the source of form,manifestation, attributes, nature
- We come from Prakriti.
- Purusha did not create Prakriti.
- Prakriti is everything that is changing.
Prana
life force
Pranayama
Prana – energy, life force; ayama – to expand, extend
Pratyahara
Sense withdrawal
Purusha
- Unmanifested.
- Pure existence
- beyond space and time
- Unchanging, compared to the continuously changing Pakriti
- Uncreated
- eternal
- Pure consciousness
- Does not make Pakriti but is infused in Pakriti
Samadhi
A state of complete inner peace
Samkhya
Philosophy that offers a framework for all the levels of manisfestation; deals with prakriti (matter), purusha (consciousness); buddhi (intelligence), ahamkara (ego), gunas, mind (manas), senses, five subtle and gross elements
Dualist - gives us instructions for how we can find the door by clearning away clutter and moving to ultimate reality
- Samskara
- thread, energetic imprint that follows us with our life, some of it we create. If you keep repeating the same behaviour you create a samskara. Normally negative.
- If we are on a good spiritual path, the project is to minimise the number we are generating and working on others.
Sat chitt ananda
Truth/existence, consciousness, bliss
Sava
corpse
Savitur
sun
Savriti
rhythmic breath
shradda
great faith
Shushumna nadi
Main energy channel
Smritih
memory, remembering
Sthira and Sukha
Steadiness and Ease
Uddiyana
flying up
Ujjayi breath
- A form of pranayama used during asana practice to help control and focus our breath
- Breath of victory
Upavistha
seated
Urdva
Upward
Vajra deha
- diamond body
- tantric term used to descrive the process of refining the physical and energy body through the practice of hatha
- intense heat and pressure needed to form the pure crystals of a diamond, the physical and energetic body are cleansed and refined to a radiant strength of clarity through yoga
varaigya
detachment, dispassion
vayu
The movement of air in the body. Vayus: prana/samana/vyana/udana/apana is an energetic force that moves in a specific direction to control bodily functions and activities.
vedanta
philosophy provides contemplative methods of self-inquiry leading to the realisation of ones true nature
Vidya
“right knowledge” or “clarity”
Viparita
reverse
Virabhadra
Warrior
Vritti
Fluctuations, whirl, turn, revolve, activities, changes, operations. Vritti is the practice of constructing concepts of reality from mental impressions. It creates filters that distort perception. When vritti activity ceases, filters are removed and we perceive Reality in its entirety.
Koshas
The five layers or sheaths which envelop the Atman, the Divine Self.
The map of the inner journey. 5 etherial sheaths
Yama
External practice; how to engage in the world.
Yoga
Yoga: to yoke. It referred to the harnessing of animals to carts in order to make use of them. “The concentrated effort applied to the accomplishment of spiritual disciplines designed to bring the practitioner (conveyance, vehicle) to a cessation of identification with the ego-sense, leading to the elimination of the false sense of separation from the Self (union, absorb). As such, Yoga is the means (remedy, cure) to remove the affliction of ignorance and the essence of all spiritual paths”; The experience of union btwn seeker and Purusha.
