Vocabulary
Atman the Self
ananda bliss
asanas postures, as in yoga
bhakti heart
bhava chakra the wheel of rebirth
Brahma God as the creator
Brahman God as absolute and total reality
chit awareness
guna attributes or qualities of existence
hatha yoga yoga based on mastery of the body
Indra God as power, light and victory
dharma the universal laws, the way things are
japam the practice of repeating the name of God constantly
jiva the soul
jnana intellect
ishta devata chosen ideal... a chosen path towards moksha
karma literally: work, the law of consequence and responsibility
nirguna without attributes
nirvana the state of existence on Brahman’s level
maya magic, illusion
moksha the liberation from the world, enlightenment
prakrti inactive consciousness, roughly synonymous to Atman
purusa nature, as in things of the world
raja royalty
rajas desire
Rudra god as the storm
saguna with attributes
samadhi a yogic state of union with God
samkhya the hindu theory of renunciation and renunciation of action
samsara reincarnation, the life and rebirth cycle
sannyasin one who neither hates nor loves anything, the liberated individual
sat being
sattva clarity
tamas dark inertia
trimurti the trinity: Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva-creator, preserver, destroyer
Varuna God as the preserver of order
yoga yoke, discipline… the hindu theory of spiritual discipline and disciplined action