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Glossary
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Abisheka :        Holy bathing of an idol in a temple

Adeenam :       Head of a Hindu Organization of Saivism tradition.

Adi Sankara:        (1788 -1820 ) one of the legendary figures of Indian
tradition who is regarded as the chief propagator of advaita vedanta. He is
also considered to be one of the greatest dialecticians of Indian tradition.
According to Sankara Brahman is identical with Atman. There is no reality
other than Brahman. He wrote commentaries on ten major Upanishads. See
also advaita.

Advaita   :      According to Sankara, Brahman is identical with Atman. There is
no reality other than Brahman. Advaita means there is no two.

Agna  :       a kundalini chakra in between the eyebrows.

Ahankara :        Ego

Anahatha :        a kundalini chakra situated above the stomach, solar eclipse.

Artha  :       the economy, one of the four major Hindu concepts.

Aum : Primordial Sound


Bandasura    :     a demon.

Baskaracharya  :       (1690-1785) A great scholar, born in Maharashtra and
lived in Tanjore. Aslo known as Bhaskrarayar/Basuranandaananda Nathar.

Bala  :       the female child.

Brammanda Purana :        A holy scripture of Hinduism.

Chariya :        one of the four ways to realize the ultimate in Hinduism,idol
Worship.

Chakra :        an imaginary wheel, center of energy, in the body.

Darsanas:  Doctrines of Realization

Dhandini   :      Minister Goddess of Sri Lalitha.

Dharma :       Righteousness.

Devi :        Goddess.
Devi Sukta:         a holy Hindu script which praises Devi.

Deva :        the heavenly persons, celestials.

Dvaita  :       (Duality) The name given to Madva Vedanta. According to this
system,God, the individual soul (Jivas) , and the world of matter are regarded
as separate and real.

Dosha:         an astrological combination of planets in a horoscope which gives
problems in life.

Durga:         Goddess of Courage.


Ganesha :        Hindu God, who should be worshipped in the beginning of any
activity to remove all obstacles.

Gnana :        one of the four ways to realize the ultimate in Hinduism, the
ultimate knowledge.

Gopuram :        a pyramid like structure over a Hindu Temple.

Guru:         the holy master.

Guru Ganapathy :        Lord Ganesha in the form of Guru.

Indra  :       the celestial head.

Japa :the chanting of a word repetitively

Jeeva Samadhi   :      the final attainment of a Hindu sage after identifying
himself with God.

Jyothisha :        the art of Astrology.


Kali Yuga  :       one of the 4 great ages. According to Hinduism , there are
four ages, they are Kiruthayuga (17,28,000 years) Thiretha Yuga (12,96,000
years) Dwapara Yuga (8,64,000 years),Kali Yuga  (4,32,000 years)

Kameshwara   :      Lord Shiva, the consort of Sri Lalithambiga.


Kama: one of the four major concepts of Hinduism, means of desire.

Kamaraja Kuta :        a part of Sri Vidya Mantra.

Karma : Action or activity

Kriya :  one of the four ways to realize the ultimate in Hinduism,performing
rituals.

Kundalini:  A coiled female snake, the latent energy at the base of the spine.

Kundalini Yoga :        Invoking the serpent power in the Mooladhara Chakra.


Lakshmi :        the Hindu Goddess of wealth.

Lakshmi Narasimha   :      the incarnation of Lord Vishnu who killed Hiranya,
a lion faced God with human body.


Manmata:       the Hindu god of Love.

Mantra    :     a holy letter or word.Mantra- Transcendental chant

Mandrini   :      the minister of Sri Lalithambiga.

Manipura  :      a kundalini chakra above the naval.

Maha: Great, powerful, mighty.

Marga :        a spiritual path.

Meru :        it is the model of three-dimensional representation of universe, the
golden mountain believed to be in the center of holy Islands like Manidivipa,
Ratnadvipa etc.,

Moksha:         emancipation from the earthly bondage.

Moolamantra    :     the root letter word to invoke divine energy.

Mooladara:         a kundalini chakra at the end of spine.

Mudra:  A seal, postures especially with hands and face.

Muruga   :      the commander of the celestial army.


Naga Dosha   :      the curse of snakes.

Naradha :        a wandering saint of Hinduism.


Navamsa:     an astrological calculation which divides a zodiac sign into 9
parts.

Nirguna     :          Attainment of realization through worshiping God without
assuming any attributes.

Nyaya :       one of the orthodox systems of Indian thought by the great sage
and seer Gauthama. This school of thought is primarily concerned with logic
and epistemology. It is also known as anviksiki and darka. It is the philosophy
of logical realism.

Omkar: The syllable OM.(Aum)

Panchabuthas: The five elements; earth, water, fire, air and sky.

Pancha Dasakshari Mantra :       a 15 syllable Sri Vidya mantra.

Panchakshari Mantra: a five syllable mantra of  Saiva tradition

Parihara :        remedy.

Peetam:  head of the Hindu Monastery.

Prakriti:   Active, Cause of the evolution, constant in the midst of changes,
Objective.

Puja  :               worship.

Purusha   :     Conscious, Non-active, subjective


Rasi   :      a sign of the Zodiac.

Sadaka  :       one who practices spiritual life, a student.

Skanda:        a form of lord Muruga, Son of Lord Siva.

Saguna     :    Path of attainment through worshiping God with divine qualities.

Sahasranama :       One Thousand  praising names of Devi.

Sahasrara:         the thousand petals chakra over the head.

Sakthi   :      the Hindu Goddess of strength.  Power, strength, cosmic energy
realized as the female principle.

Sakthi Kuta     :    a part of Sri Vidya Mantra.

Sankhya  :       One of the orthodox systems of Indian Philosophy. It was
founded by the great sage and seer Kapila. According to Sankhya, there are
two prime categories - prakruti and purusha. Sankhya and yoga are
considered to be the twin systems.

Saraswathy :        the Hindu Goddess of Education.

Siva   :      the Hindu God of destruction, one of the Hindu trinity.

Sri     :    Goddess Lakshmi. A Sanskrit single syllable which indicates the
Universal divinity.

Sri Vidya:         a spiritual path to attain realization.

Sonitha Pura :        the capital of Bandasura.

Sukracharya:         the preceptor of demons.

Sukshmana Nadi     :    one of three states of breathing , Ida - the right breath,
Pingala -the left and sukshmana the central breath.

Sri Chakra :        a diagrammatic representation of the universe with 43
triangles used in the worship of Devi.

Siddha:  prophet or adept, one who has psychic power

Subrapatham:         a holy prayer to invoke God in the morning.

Swatishtana  :       a kundalini chakra below the naval.

Trishadi :        a holy script with 300 praising names of Sri Lalithambiga.

Taraka  :       a demon.

Upasaka  :       a worshipper who practices a particular mode of worship.

Vakbava kuta   :      a part of Sri Vidhya Mantra.


Vaisesika  :       It is one of the six orthodox systems of  Indian philosophy
founded by Kanada.This school is closely associated with Nyaya.
Etymologically the term ‘VAISESIKA’ means distinction. This system is called
thus because of its specialty over the other systems. The most important
feature of this school is its doctrine of ‘Particularity’.

Vana Badhrakali    :     the Hindu Goddess of forests.

Vedic Astrology     :    a part of Hindu holy scripture to predict human life
events based on Astronomy.

Vishnu     :                    the Hindu God of protection.

Vishudhi  :       a kundalini chakra in the neck.

Yagna  :       fire ritual worship of Hindus.

Yoga :        one of the four ways to realize the ultimate in Hinduism, meditation.
And it is one of the six orthodox systems of Indian philosophy founded by the
great seer and sage Patanjali. Sankhya and yoga form the twin systems of
orthodox Indian philosophy. Yoga believes that the only way for an individual
soul to merge with god is to follow a system of yogic exercises to attain mystical
ecstasy and total trance where reality ceases to exist.