Sanskrit Non-Translatables Flashcards
अग्निः
अग्निशुद्धसमं तात GGv61 - “purified in the same way as fire”
Not only fire:
God of Fire–Agni Devata; sacrificial fire; digestive fire. Meaning depends on context.
अग्निः
अग्निशुद्धसमं तात GGv61 - “purified in the same way as fire”
असुर / असुरः
Not only demon, as in the Western sense; includes a sense of lineage, clan, dynasty; generally posses vices, but not always, such as Prahlada; can refer to someone who is only interested in worldliness and not any spiritual pursuit; asuras disrupt yajnas
असुर / असुरः
अहंकार
Not the Western concept of “ego”, but “that which gives a sense of I or I-ness”
अहंकार
अहिंसा
non-violence with proper understanding
अहिंसा
minimizing violence to fit the context of the situation
आकाशः / आकाशम्
विरजं परमाकाशं GGV64, हृदयाकाशमध्यस्थं GGv113
Not only “space” but the substratum of space, time and matter.
आकाशः / आकाशम् is infinite, not finite.
आकाशः / आकाशम् – Sanskrit Non-Translatables p79
विरजं परमाकाशं GGV64, हृदयाकाशमध्यस्थं GGv113
आगम
Not only ritual.
IT IS treatises, scriptures;
(many other meanings)
आगमः
procedures for temple worship, town planning, healing, and many other everyday activities.
आत्मन्
ममात्मा सर्वभूतात्मा
Not “soul”
Self, Consciousness, Brahman, etc.
आत्मन्
ममात्मा सर्वभूतात्मा
आनन्द / आनन्दः
Not only happiness, joy, delight, pleasure
THE SUPREME BLISS OF THE SELF
आनन्द / आनन्दः
Sanskrit Non-translatables p189
इतिहासः
Not only history; refers to the Rāmāyana and Mahābhārata; “expansion or elaboration of an incident which happened in the past”
Use historical facts for the purpose of teaching philosophical or spiritual principles.
इतिहासः
Apte p382; also Sanskrit Non-Translatables p149
इन्द्रिय
Not only the physical senses;
belonging to the subtle body;
Are eleven in number.
इन्द्रिय
कर्म योग
Does not refer to any action done for its reward.
DOES refer to the path of yoga where the seeker performs action without attachment to its fruits.
कर्म योग - Sanskrit Non-Translatables p137
(not in Guru Gita as कर्म योग)
कामः
Not only sensual “lust”;
desire not against dharma; Apte: wish, desire, love
कामः
काव्य / काव्यम्
NOT poetry in the Western sense which focuses on poetry as an art alone.
काव्य (like the Puranas and Itihasas) is used to communicate spiritual knowledge to the common people.
Sanksrit Non-Translatables p182
(not found in Guru Gita)
कैवल्यम्
Not “salvation” in the Christian sense. But ‘purity’ in the sense of being free from worldly entanglements by attaining liberation.
कैवल्यम्
Apte p606: 1 Perfect, isolation, soleness, exclusiveness; 2 Individuality; 3 Detachment of the soul from matter, identification with the supreme spirit 4 Final emancipation or beatitude
गुणः
नित्यं ब्रह्म निराकारं निर्गुणं बोधयेत् परम् । GGv109
Does not simply mean mode or quality. Meaning is dependent on context (see Apte p663).
गुण is the substratum of qualities of prakriti: sattva (equanimity); rajas (greed); tamas (delusion, ignorance.)
गुणः
नित्यं ब्रह्म निराकारं निर्गुणं बोधयेत् परम् । GGv109
गुरुः
Not a teacher of mundane knowledge;
गुरुः
चक्रम्
Not merely physical energy centers.
Six energy centers in the subtle body along the sushumna (subtle central channel).
चक्रम्
Literally: wheel, circle, ring, cycle, etc.; Sanskrit Non-Translatables p125
चित्त
not unconscious mind;
the mind, storehouse of karmic samskaras, “hard disk”
चित्त
See Sanskrit Non-Translatables p111
जीवः
Not the sinful soul as known in the Judeo-Christian tradition.
“Atma in ignorance, which identifies itself with the body, etc.”
जीवः
Apte p740; Sanskrit Non-Translatables p60
ज्ञान योग
≠ Intellectual study in a worldly sense; ज्ञान योग refers to sadhana which leads to identification with the Self.
Requires “prerequisites.”
ज्ञान योग
Sanskrit Non-Translatables p.138
तन्त्रम्
≠ tantric sex
refers to scriptures which are based on experiences of seers and yogis; complementary to the Vedas.
तन्त्रम्
दासः
Not the common use of “slave” – but refers to one who selflessly surrenders to God or Guru.
दासः – from Apte: 1 Slave, servant in general
See Sanskrit Non-Translatables p.168; (not found in the Guru Gita)
देवता
Plural: देवताः
Not angel or god (in the Western sense.)
देवता is an object of adoration and
one who manages the cosmos.
देवता - Apte p835; Sanskrit Non-Translatables p99
ध्यानम्
गुरोर्ध्यानं सदा कुर्यात् GGv19
meditation, reflection, thought, contemplation
(Should not be used to encompass all the yogi’s practices without consideration of the individual steps, of which Dhyana is #7, just before Samadhi.)
ध्यानम्
गुरोर्ध्यानं सदा कुर्यात् GGv19
निर्गुण
≠ qualityless or without qualities
(because these terms are inadequate)
Nirguna Brahman refers to Consciousness without any material qualities.
निर्गुण
पुराणम् / पुराणानि
≠ myths or fantasies; use historical facts for the purpose of teaching philosophical or spiritual principles.
…Name of sacred works by Vyāsa. (Apte)
पुराणम् / पुराणानि
Apte p1033; See Sanskrit Non-Translatables p149
पूजा
≠ ritual
a form of sadhana where the devotee expresses his bhakti towards his personal deity (eg. Arati)
पूजा
ध्यानमूलं गुरोर्मूर्तिः पूजामूलं गुरोः पदम् । GGv76
प्रकृतिः
√कृ
≠ Nature
“the original source or cause of every material thing”
प्रकृतिः
प्राणः
≠ Breath; “that which gives rise to life”
प्राणः - √अन् / √अण्
See Apte p1128 for several interesting definitions.
प्रेमन्
≠ Love
selfless devotion; unconditional love; leads to egolessness
प्रेमन् – √प्री
बुद्धि / बुद्धिः
Not only intelligence as associated with the mind;
Also: understanding, wisdom
Apte: 1 Perception, comprehension 2 Intellect, understanding, intelligence; etc.
बुद्धि / बुद्धिः
From the verbal root: √बुद्ध् - to know, understand, etc.
भक्ति योग
Not devotion in the secular sense; but is the supreme goal of life—to attain perfect love for God, leading to divine communion. Requires a personal form of divine—like a god or guru.
भक्ति योग
See Sanskrit Non-Translatables p139
भाव / भावः
Does not mean mood. Moods change.
Refers to the state of consciousness of a person; one’s own inner state.
भाव / भावः
disposition of mind (Apte)
मनस्
≠ Mind in the Western sense;
includes बुद्धहि , चित्त , अहंकार
is seated in the heart (not the brain)
मनस्
Apte p1234: 1 The mind heart understanding perception intelligence …
माया
गूढविद्या जगन्माया देहे चाज्ञानसम्भवा ।
≠ illusion
The aspect of Shakti that creates a sense of reality of the world.
माया
गूढविद्या जगन्माया देहे चाज्ञानसम्भवा ।
रसः
≠ taste or mellow:* “a complex and sublime psychological concept and not an ordinary material concept…”*
Apte: 1 Sap, juice of trees; 2 A liquid, fluid; 3 Water; 4 Liquor, drink; 5 A draught, potion; 6 Taste, flavor, relish; 7 A sauce, condiment; 8 An object of taste; etc. etc.
रसः
लीला
≠ Pastime, play, sport, hobby.
Connected with the divine activities of Bhagavan; reveals Shakti and springs from divine bliss.
लीला ≠ Pastime
Apte p1368: 1 Play, sport, pastime, diversion, pleasure, amusement
लोकः / लोकौ / लोकाः
त्रैलोक्ये स्फुटवक्तारो
≠ Planet as observed by the physical senses; a realm of existence.
“level of awareness, consciousness”
लोकः / लोकौ / लोकाः
त्रैलोक्ये स्फुटवक्तारो
वायुः
≠ air or wind;
refers to prana in an individual; the principle behind all movement and activity in the universe.
वायुः
विकृतिः
The opposite of संस्कृतिः
Vikriti is destructive behavior, against dharma, which takes the jiva downward or away from the main goal of life, moksha.
विकृतिः
See page 165 of Sanskrit Non-Translatables
शक्तिः
≠ Energy
A sentient principle; has a personality; pervades the cosmos; present in the human body as Kundalinī
शक्तिः
शब्दः
≠ Word*
(from Gurudev’s email 9/25/24)-1 Sound (the object of the sense of hearing and property of आकाश).-2 Sound, note (of birds; men &c.),-3 The sound of a musical instrument.-4 A word, sound, significant word. etc. etc.
शब्दः
शास्त्रम्
≠ scripture in the Western sense; the eternal texts revealed to the rishis; include all the Smritis and Shrutis; the Vedas
शास्त्रम्
श्रद्धा
Does not mean faith, confidence, trust based on casual conviction or blind belief. Literally: “To hold or align your mind with the truth or reality.” Denotes feelings of reverence towards the Divine.
श्रद्धा
श्रद्धा
Does not mean confidence or trust based on casual conviction or blind belief.
Literally: “To hold or align your mind with the truth or reality.” Denotes feelings of reverence towards the Divine.
श्रद्धा
Apte p1573: 1 Trust, faith, belief, confidence. -2 Belief in divine revelation, religious faith; … -5 Respect, reverence. etc. etc.
श्रुतिः
Does not mean “That which is heard.”
Refers to the intuitive hearing during samadhi.
श्रुतिः
Apte: 1 Hearing; 3 Report rumor news oral intelligence ;4 A sound in general; 6 A Vedic or sacred text इति श्रुतिः so says a sacred text; 7 Vedic or sacred knowledge holy learning
संस्कारः
≠ Ritual or Ceremony
an action intended for purification (Hinduism); helps to create identity in a stage of life;
Apte: 1 Making perfect, refining, polishing, 9 Idea, notion, conception, 11 Effect of work, merit of action. 13 impression on the memory
संस्कारः
Not found in Guru Gita; See 2Sep19 in Yoga Vasishtha.
संस्कृतिः
≠ culture
Provides the guiding principles for a person to develop spiritually.
The opposite of vikriti विकृतिः
संस्कृतिः
सगुण
≠ qualified / with qualities
Saguna Brahman refers to Brahman possessing spiritual attributes such as Truth, Knowledge, etc.
सगुण
सनातन धर्म
HINDUISM
is not monotheism or polytheism, etc.
सनातन धर्म
समाधिः
≠ Trance
सम् + आ + ध = perfect concentration
The state of Divine union; the culmination of sadhana.
समाधिः
साधन
≠ Mundane Practice
“Practices in accordance with our Guru’s instructions for the purpose of Self-Realization.”
साधन
(not mentioned in Guru Gita)
सूक्ष्म शरीरम्
≠ Astral Body
It is the subtle body that leaves the physical body at death. Karmic impressions are carried along with it to the next birth.
सूक्ष्म शरीरम्
सेवा
≠ work
सेवा is service done for Guru or God without attachment to its fruit.
सेवा
स्वर्गः
≠ heaven, in the Christian sense;
a subtle realm where the jiva in subtle body resides temporarily. When the karma is exhausted there, the jiva returns to the physical world.
स्वर्गः
हनुमान्
≠ Monkey God (see देवता )
An avatar of Shiva who was incarnated to assist Rama. His qualities: immense strength, knowledge, and devotion.
हनुमान्
ॐ
≠ Amen
ॐ
