Vedanta Terms Flashcards

1
Q

Advaita

A

Non-dualism

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2
Q

Adi Shankara

A

Great saint from the 7th century; commentator of the Vedanta. Led the revival of Hinduism and established the Shankaracharya monasteries

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3
Q

Agni

A

Fire, digestive fire, one of the ancient Vedic deities

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4
Q

Amma

A

Mother, mother goddess

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5
Q

Amrit

A

Nectar of immortality

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6
Q

Ananda

A

Bliss

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7
Q

Ashram

A

Retreat center, hermitage

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8
Q

Atman

A

Soul

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9
Q

Aura

A

Luminous radiation, field of subtle energy surrounding a physical body

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10
Q

Avatar

A

Direct incarnation of God

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11
Q

Ayurveda

A

Science of life

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12
Q

Bandas

A

To hold, lock or embrace

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13
Q

Bhagavad Gita

A

Epic poem of 18 chapters

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14
Q

Bhajan

A

Devotional hymn

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15
Q

Bija

A

Seed

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16
Q

Bindu

A

Spot; symbol for the universe in its unmanifest form

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17
Q

Brahma

A

Creator of the universe

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18
Q

Brahman

A

The Absolute, totality, all there is

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19
Q

Brahmin

A

Highest of the Indian castes

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20
Q

Chaitanya

A

Consciousness

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21
Q

Dharma

A

Purpose in life

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22
Q

Darshan

A

To see or be in the presence of a holy person or deity

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23
Q

Guru

A

Dispeller of darkness, great teacher

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24
Q

Jai

A

Salutation; glory or victory to. Precedes the name of the person being honored

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25
Q

Japa

A

Repetition of a mantra for a specific number of times

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26
Q

JI

A

Suffix; added to the end of the name of the person being honored or respected

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27
Q

Jiva

A

Personal soul; the embodied soul which identifies itself with the mind and body

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28
Q

Jyoti

A

Light

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29
Q

Jyotish

A

Vedic science of astrology

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30
Q

Kundalinie

A

Spiritual energy lying dormant at the base of the spine which, when awakened, rises to the crown chakra

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31
Q

Lingam

A

Elliptical shape, symbol of the un-manifest form of Lord

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32
Q

Loka

A

Planes or worlds of existence, with different vibrations

33
Q

Maha

A

Great

34
Q

Mahabhutas

A

Great elements

35
Q

Mala

A

String of beads

36
Q

Mantra

A

Instrument or vehicle of the mind, sound which protects and liberates

37
Q

Maya

A

Illusion of the senses

38
Q

Moksha

A

Freedom, liberation

39
Q

Mudras

A

Positions of the eyes, hands or body

40
Q

Nada

A

Sound; energy manifested as sound

41
Q

Nakshatra

A

Lunar constellations

42
Q

Nama

A

Name

43
Q

Namaha

A

Represents the self, curving back within itself to the unmanifest

44
Q

Namaste

A

I bow to you – or – the divine light in my honors the divine light in you

45
Q

Om (Aum)

A

Primordial sound from which all other sounds and mantras have emanated

46
Q

Pada

A

Quadrant of the Nakshatra

47
Q

Para

A

Beyond; beyond the transcendental

48
Q

Patanjali

A

Great saint; founder of the Yoga Philosophy which contains the Eight Limbs of Yoga

49
Q

Prana

A

Life force or vital energy

50
Q

Pranava

A

Primordial sound

51
Q

Prem

A

Love

52
Q

Puja

A

Sacred ceremony

53
Q

Pundit

A

Vedic scholar/vedic priest

54
Q

Purusha

A

Inner self in the sense of personhood; cosmic person or the universe as a single being

55
Q

Rishi

A

Seer, one who sees the Truth, highly evolved person

56
Q

Rudraksha

A

Seeds used for malas, sacred to Shiva

57
Q

Sadhana

A

Performance of spiritual disciplines, to take the practitioner towards and intended goal,

58
Q

Samsara

A

Cycle of birth and death

59
Q

Sanskrit

A

the ancient language of the Vedas

60
Q

Satsang

A

Gathering of people seeking the truth

61
Q

Seva

A

Selfless servic

62
Q

Shakti

A

Dynamic creative principle, Primal Energy, envisioned as feminine

63
Q

Shiva

A

Un-manifest pure potentiality, the destructive and creative forces behind the universe. The first yogi

64
Q

Shanti

A

Peace

65
Q

Siddhi

A

Yogic powers

66
Q

Sutras

A

Threads or stitches; collection of statements with inner meanings

67
Q

Swami

A

Title of respect for a holy or learned person

68
Q

Tulsi

A

Indian holy basil tree. Te wood is made into mala beads sacred to Vishnu, Rama and Krishna

69
Q

Upanishads

A

Collection of 108 Vedic texts exploring higher states of consciousness

70
Q

Vastu

A

Vedic science of architecture and interior design

71
Q

Vedanta

A

The culmination of Vedic wisdom

72
Q

Vedas

A

The four holy books which are the foundation of Vedic understanding. Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda

73
Q

Vedasya

A

Of the Vedas

74
Q

Vishnu

A

Maintainer and harmonizing force of the Universe

75
Q

Yagna (Yagya)

A

Ritual fire ceremony intended to evoke specific archetypal energies

76
Q

Yantra

A

Geometric shape, visual form of a mantra

77
Q

Yatra

A

Pilgrimage

78
Q

Yoga

A

Union of the environment, mind, body, soul and spirit

79
Q

Yuga

A

Four periods of time: Sat (golden), Treta, Dwapara, Kali (least evolved and present period)