OM

Ajnanatimirintasyajnananjanasalakaya

Cakshurunmilitam yena tasmai 

srigurave namah

ADVAITA VEDANTA

D   Krishna Ayyar

 

GLOSSARY FOR ADVAITA VEDANTA

I-P

 

Indriya

The energy of the sense organs

Iswara

Maya cum cidabhasa. Cosmic causal body.

 

 

Jagat

The universe

Jagrat avastha

The waking state

Janma

One life span; birth

Jiva

Synonym of jivatma

Jivabrama aikyam

Identity of the essential nature of Jivatma and Paramatma

Jivanmukta

One who has become liberated while living.

Jivanmukti

Liberation from Samsara in the current life itself

Jivatma

The conglomerate of body, mind and atma

Jnana kanda

The latter part of the Veda dealing with Brahman, Jivatmas and jagat

Jnanadhyasa

The wrong notion mistaking a real entity to be an unreal thing.

Jnanam

(1) Consciousness (2) Knowledge

Jnanendriyas

Sense organs of perception – sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch

Jnani

One who has gained knowledge of one’s identity with Brahman – jivabrama aikyam. The knowledge that one’s real nature is consciousness and that that consciousness is no different from the all pervading consciousness called Brahman

Kamya Karma

Action for selfish ends

Karana sarira

The causal body – the anandamaya kosa

Karma

Action; merit and demerit

Karma kanda

The former part of the Veda dealing with rituals

Karma Yoga

Purificatory spiritual practices as preparation for study of Jnana kanda

Karmaphalam

The enjoyment and suffering  undergone by the jivatma for punya and papa

Karmendriyas

Sense organs of action – action through speech, legs, hands, anus and the genitals

Karta

Doer

Kartrutvam

The sense that one is a doer

Krama mukti

Liberation from samsara after going to the abode of Hiranyagarbha by doing Hiranyagarbha or Iswara Upasana and being taught by Hiraanyagarbha himself

Lakshanam

Features ; characteristics ; definition.

Laya

Dissolution of the universe

Mananam

The process of getting doubts clarifies by discussion with the teacher or by one’s own analysis and reasoning

Manas

Faculty of mind which is of the nature of indecision or doubt; also the emotional aspect of antahkarana

Manomaya kosa

The mind and the five sense organs of perception

Maya

Unevolved names and forms resting, as a lower of reality, in Brahman

Mithya

That which is experienced but has no real existence of its own

Moksha

Liberation from samsara

Mumukshutvam

Intense yearning for moksha

Nama roopa

Name and form

Nididhyasanam

The process of dwelling on the core of the teaching to overcome the habitual identification with the body mind complex

Nimitta karanam

Intelligent cause

Nirakara

Formless

Niravayava

That which has no parts

Nirguna

Attributeless

Nirvikalpa

Divisionless

Nirvikara

Changeless

Nitya

Eternal

Pancabhootas

The five basic compounds – space, air, fire water and earth

Pancakosa viveka

Enquiry into one’s real nature by analyzing the five kosas

Papa

Demerit, i.e., in the system of  karma, the debit entry in the ledger, as it were, for bad action or bad thought, to be discharged by imposing  suffering on the jivatma in the same birth or in some future birth.

Paramartika satyam

Absolute reality

Paramatma

Brahman

Parinama

Transformation

Prajnaam Brahma

The consciousness which is the nature of the individual is none other than the all pervading consciousness called Brahman

Prakarana grantha

Works expounding Sruti

Prakriti

Literal meaning is ‘nature’.  However, it  is used as a technical term synonymous with Maya

Prama

Right knowledge

Pramanam

The instrument of knowing

Pramata

The knower

Prameyam

The known

Prana

The energy that regulates the physiological functions of living beings – five in number – prana, apana, vyana, samana and udana – responsible for functions such as respiration, circulation, digestion,  metabolism, ejection , locomotion, action etc. – generally referred to as ‘vital airs’

Pranamaya kosa

The five pranas and the five sense organs of action

Prarabdha karma

The quota of punya and papa allotted to be exhausted by enjoyment or suffering in a particular janam

Pratibhasika satyam

Subjective reality

Pratyabhinja

Recognition.

Pratyagatma

When the all pervading consciousness is referred to as the consciousness recognizable by oneself in oneself, it is called Pratyagatma

Punya

Merit, i.e., in the system of karma, the credit entry in the ledger, as it were,  for good action or good thought – to be discharged by conferring enjoyment or comfort on the jivatma in the same birth or in some future birth

Purushartha

(1) Goals in life – material prosperity called artha, enjoyment called kama, merit gained by observance of one’s duties in accordance with scriptural commandments and prohibitions called dharma and moksha (2) free will