Sutton Gita Flashcards
Abhyāsa
Regulated practice of a particular discipline.
Acharya
A teacher or interpreter of scripture, typically revered by groups of followers.
Ādityas
The twelve most prominent among the Vedic gods; the sons of Aditi.
Advaita
Non-dualism; a strand of Vedanta philosophy that teaches absolute unity of ātman and Brahman, the individual self and the absolute reality.
Ahaṁkāra
That part of our psychological makeup that gives us a sense of selfhood. Can also mean ‘pride’ and ‘arrogance’.
Akshara
That which does not decay; term applied to both individual ātman and to the Supreme Deity.
Antaryamin
The indweller; a term that can indicate either the ātman or the expansion of the Deity that is present in every being alongside the ātman.
Apana
The outward breath.
Āsana
A sitting posture, as in yoga practice.
Asura
A group of powerful superhuman beings who are generally vicious in nature and who are the eternal enemies of the gods.
Ātman
The spiritual entity that is present within every living being and which brings life to inert matter.
Avatāra
One who crosses down; a manifestation of the Supreme Deity appearing in this world to restore the order of dharma set in place by the creation.
Avidyā
Ignorance, absence of knowledge.
Avyakta
Non-manifest, invisible; a term applied to the state of existence before creation.
Bhagavān
The exalted one, God; a term used for Krishna in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Bhajan
A devotional song performed to glorify a deity
Bhakti
Devotion; one of the paths advocated by the Bhagavad-gītā to achieve spiritual perfection
Brahma Sūtras
An early text compiled by Badarayana that purports to summarize the teachings of the Upanishads. Regarded as an authoritative source by acharyas of Vedanta
Brahmacharya
Celibacy or sexual restraint.
Brahman
The ultimate reality that is the source of the world and is the world. Brahman is considered to be that which is all things, but for some acharyas, it is a term that dontes the Supreme Deity. In the Gītā, it is also used to be ‘the Vedic scriptures’ and ‘the basic substance of matter’.
Buddhi
The intellect; that part of a person’s mental composition that analyzes information and makes decisions based on that information.
Buddhi-yoga
The withdrawal of the intellect from material desires so that action is performed with no aspiration for personal gain.
Dāna
Charity
Deva
A deity; a term that can be applied either to the one Supreme Deity or any of the lesser divine beings
Dharma
Right action; there are a number of other meanings for the word, but in the Gītā it means ‘acting properly in accordance with pre-ordained rules or in relation to virtue.’
Dhriti
Resolve, determination
Dhyāna
Meditation; controlling the mind and turning the vision inwards in order to gain direct perception of the ātman.
Duḥkha
Sorrow, misery, suffering.
Dvaita
Dualism; the understanding that the individual ātman and the Supreme Deity (Brahman) are absolutely and eternally distinct
Guṇas
The three strands or qualities that pervade everything material and exert an influence over our lives, our mentality, and the manner in which we conduct ourselves.
Īshvara (Isha)
The controller; the Supreme Deity. The term is sometimes used for the ātman.
Japa
Quiet or silent recitation of a prayer or mantra.
Jīva, Jīva-bhūta
Another term used for the ātman, although it tends to apply to the ātman in its state of bondage in this world
Jñana
Knowledge; either an understanding of mundane affairs or the realization that brings enlightenment and liberation.
Jñana-kanda
That portion of the Vedas that contains revelations about the nature of the self and the world. Typically applied to the Upanishads
Jñanin
One who possesses knowledge; an enlightened person
Jñeya
That which should be known; typically applied to the ātman, the object of knowledge
Kaivalya
Aloneness, separation; a term for liberation used in Sāmkhya teachings to indicate the separation of the true self from matter.
Kāla
Time
Kali-yuga
In Hindu cosmology, the present age, which is regarded as a period of decline and degradation amongst humanity
Kalpa
A period of creation from the time of the manifestation of the world until its withdrawal
Kāma
Desire, lust
Karma
Action and reaction.
Karma-kanda
The portion of the Vedas that gives instruction on ritual acts to worship the Vedic deities
Karma-yoga
The performance of action without attachment or desire for gain; a part of the path leading to liberation from the world
Kripa
Compassion
Krodha
Anger
Kshara
That which decays; the opposite of akshara; usually applied to anything that is material, although not to prakriti itself
Kshatriya
The second of the four varnas; the social class that includes warriors and rulers
Kshetra
The field; a Sāmkhya term for the body and the material manifestation
Kshetrajña
The knower of the field; a synonym for ātman and purusha
Mahābhārata
The vast Indian scripture of which the Bhagavad-gītā is one short passage.
Mahatma
Great soul; a term of respect used for those who are enlightened
Manas
The mind; that part of our psychological makeup that receives and categorizes perceptions received through the senses.
Mantra
A hymn, prayer, or sacred sound; often used in meditation.
Māyā
Illusion or divine power; used to denote the force that keeps living beings in a state of illusion about their own identity and that of the Supreme Deity
Moksha
Liberation, release; a term used to denote the state of liberation from the cycle of karma and rebirth.
Mūrti-pūjā
Worship of a deity in the form of a sacred image
Nirvāna
An equivalent term for moksha; liberation from rebirth.
Pandita
A learned scholar, or one who has achieved a state of enlightenment
Papa
Sin, wicked action that produces unwanted karmic results; may also refer to these results as well
Paramatman
The Supreme Soul; sometimes used to indicate the individual living entity and sometimes for the expansion of the Deity accompanying the individual ātman through the cycle of rebirth
Parvan
A chapter or section of a composition. The eighteen books of the Mahābhārata are referred to as parvans
Pinda
Offerings made on behalf of departed ancestors to ensure their well-being in the afterlife
Pradhāna
Prakriti in its non-differentiated unevolved form; primal matter.
Prakriti
Matter in both its non-differentiated primeval form and in its evolved variegated form as well. In its non-differentiated state, it is also referred to as pradhāna and avyakta.
Prāna
The inward breath; also used to denote life itself or the breath of life
Pranayama
A part of the yoga system that involves regulation of the breathing process.
Prapatti
Absolute surrender to the will of the Deity and complete dependence upon him
Priya
Beloved, one who is loved
Puṇya
Piety, virtue; forms of action that lead to a favorable karmic result.
Puranas
A group of eighteen Sanskrit works, mostly composed after the Bhagavad-gītā, some of which describe the deeds performed by Krishna and other avataras.
Purusha
A person, a man; a synonym for ātman frequently used in Sāmkhya teachings.
Purushottama
The Supreme Person; a term for the Supreme Deity which Krishna applies to himself
Rājas
Passion, energy; one of the three guṇas, indicated by desire, passion, and intense activity for personal gain.
Rakshasa
A type of powerful evil being inimical towards the gods and said to roam the forests at night
Ramayana
An early Hindu scripture that recounts the life and deeds of the Rāma avatāra.
Rishi
A sage or holy man; the rishis were the original recipients or ‘hearers’ of the Vedas
Sādhu
A wise and holy person; often, a wandering mendicant who is capable of giving spiritual instruction
Samādhi
The final state of yogic perfection, when the mind is absolutely tranquil and all thought processes are brought under control.
Sāmkhya
An early system of Indian thought that emphasizes the absolute distinction between prakriti and purusha, matter and spirit, and liberation through the knowledge of that distinction.
Samnyāsa
Renunciation of the world; often in relation to individuals who renounce their previous lives in pursuit of spiritual perfection
Sattva
Truth, goodness, light; the first of the three guṇas; that which inspires virtue, knowledge, and joy in individuals.
Shaivite
A devotee of Shiva who regards Shiva as the Supreme Deity
Shanti
Peace, tranquility; a state of consciousness achieved through yoga practice
Shastra
A text or scripture that gives instruction
Shruti
That which is heard; the Vedic texts, including the Upanishads
Shūdra
The fourth of the varnas; a member of the social class that is duty bound to perform work in the service of others
Smriti
Scriptures that do not form a part of the Vedas, being composed by human beings.
Sukha
Happiness, joy
Suta
A charioteer; considered to be of lower birth
Svabhāva
One’s inherent nature that is formed by a particular configuration of the guṇas; it is shaped by previous actions and exists within an individual from the time of birth
Tamas
Darkness, ignorance; the lowest of the three guṇas, promoting indolence, stupidity, impurity, and disregard.
Tapas
Acts of austerity undertaken in the hope of gaining some material or spiritual reward.
Tyāga
Renunciation, as defined by Krishna in Chapter 18 of the Gītā
Upanishads
Sacred texts from the Vedas that reflect on the true nature of the world and the individual
Vairāgya
Detachment from material desires; an important element in the practice of yoga.
Vaishnava
A devotee of Vishnu who regards Vishnu as the one Supreme Deity
Vaishya
A member of the third of the four social classes who is expected to live by trade and agriculture
Varnas
The four original social classes, Brahmins, kshatriyas, vaishyas, and shūdras
Veda(s)
The original revelation of the sacred truth divided into four parts, the Rig, the Sama, the Yajur, and the Atharva Veda
Vedanta
A group of religious and philosophical systems based on the teaching of the Upanishads, Brahma Sūtras, and Bhagavad-gītā.
Vijñāna
Practical knowledge, or knowledge that brings a higher form of realisation
Vishva-rupa
The form of the Deity that embodies the entire universe
Yajña
The ancient ritual prescribed in the Vedas whereby offerings to the gods are made into the sacred fire
Yoga
In the Bhagavad-gītā, a range of different religious practices. More specifically, the practice of mental restraint and inward meditation
Yoga-maya
The divine potency by which the order of the universe is held in place and living beings are kept in a state of illusion
Yoga-sūtras
A work composed by Patañjali later than the Bhagavad-gītā which discusses the philosophy and practice of the yoga system
Yogin
A person who successfully engages in yoga practice.
Yuga
One of the four ages in Indian cosmology; in the Bhagavad-gītā, the term is also used to indicate the total time period of all four yuga ages combined
Yukta
Sometimes translated as ‘integrated,’ but more generally successful engagement in yoga practice
