Glossary

The path of selfless service.

 Another name for the second, six-faced son of Shiva.  He has six faces

Body or sheath.

Mudra consisting of turning the tongue backwards so that the ‘nectar’ flowing down from the Sahasrar,  after the rise of Kundalini, is arrested.

Short for Kedarnath - a pilgrimage place in the Himalayas.

Region.

 Lit. sheath, vessel, layer.

Divine incarnation of Lord Vishnu, historically over 3500 years ago, Krishna is one of the most popular gods of the Hindu pantheon.  A Yadava prince and the central character of the epic Mahabharatha, His discourse to his chief disciple Arjuna in the form of the Bhagavad Gita is the most sacred of Hindu scriptures.     

Twentieth century spiritual Master of great repute.

Lit. act, rite. Refers to a certain class of yogic practices.  Inward action as opposed to karma, or external action.

Anger, aversion.

A beautiful lake at the Mysore University that has been an inspiration for many poets and writers.

A mountain peak in the Western Ghats - a powerful spiritual destination.  Samadhi of Subramanya the six faced yogi, son of Shiva.

A major spiritual and religious festival on the banks of river Ganga.  During this time millions of spiritual aspirants converge on the banks of the river Ganga and take a ceremonial dip.  A nexus of cosmic energy every twelve years, celebrated at Allahabad and other places in India by a gathering of sages and mystics.      

Breath retention during yogic practice, especially in the practice of pranayama.

 Vermilion or red powder made of turmeric and lime worn by the Hindus at the point of the third eye on the forehead.

A popular Indian sweet, in the form of  lemon-sized balls.

Indian term for 100,000. Usually used in conjunction with money, so one lakh rupees equals 100,000 rupees.

Lit. the first form; the primordial form.  An energy form consecrated for worship, generally associated with Lord Shiva.

An adjective or prefix meaning great, mighty, powerful, lofty, noble.

One of India’s great national epics, which revolves around the conflict between two royal families, the Pandavas and Kauravas, in the great battle of Kurukshetra, approximately 1424 B.C. The plot illustrates simple truths and ethical principles.    

Great God, a common epithet for Shiva.

Great goddess, a common epithet for Parvathi, the consort of Shiva.