Abhisheka - Ritual bath of a deity or indi- | Adya - Lit. “first, original." Used as a
vidual; if the latter it is initiatory.
synonym for the Adishakti, the first or Adesha - Instruction, command (by the original Shakti which manifests from
guru).
the absolute and is the Mother of all Adhibhautika - The mundane or terres- the worlds.
trial sphere of action. The lower three Aghora - Lit. “non-terrifying." Aghora is Chakras, Muladhara, Svadhishthana, the most extreme of all Indian sects, Manipura, are for adhibhautika concentrating on forcible conversion
accomplishments.
of a limited human personality into a Adhidaivika - The celestial or astral
divine personality. sphere, the world of gods and god- Aghori - A practitioner of Aghora. desses beyond both the physical and Agni - “Fire”; the God Fire. the spiritual. The three Chakras in the Agnihotri - One who performs the Vedic head called Golata, Lalata, and Lalana fire sacrifice called Agnihotra, the are for the adhidaivika.
offering of milk or rice into a sacred Adhyatmika - The spiritual world, the fire in the morning and evening.
realm of the Self. The upper three Ahamkara - “I-maker”; the ego. Chakras, Anahata, Vishuddha, and
Ajagara - “Python." Ajna, are for the adhyatmika.
Ajagara Sadhana - A meditation in which Advaira - “Non-dual”; the designation of
one becomes like a python. a system of philosophy characterized
Ajna - “Command”; name of the Chakra by the notion of the ultimate non-dis
located at the center of the forehead, tinction between the individual self
between the eyes. and the absolute Brahman or God.
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Akartum - “Not to perform"; that which
is impossible for ordinary beings, referring to the adhyatmika, the spiri
tual world. Akula-Shiva - the Absolute Unmani
fested; opposite of both Kula and
Shakti. Alaksha - “Unmarked; without charac
teristic." Amrita - “Immortal”, nectar. Amsha - “Part, fraction.” Anahata - “Unstruck”; the name of the
heart chakra. Anahata Nada - “The sound which does
not arise by striking”; the sound of
the Anahata Chakra. Ananda - “Bliss.” Anjaneya - “Descendant of Anjani”; a
name of Hanuman, the monkey king, because his mother was named
Anjani. Anubhavi - “Experiencer.” Anusthana - An extended series of ritual
or meditational sessions. Anusvara - The nasal sound “m” that
comes at the end of many Sanskrit words; its shape is a horizontal upward-pointing half moon (see
bindu). Anyathakartum - “To alter, act other
wise”, that which is beyond both the spiritual and the mundane and is inconceivable to humans, referring to
the adhidaivika or astral world Apsaras - A class of semi-divine females
who can change their shape at will; they move between water (ap) and
clouds (saras). Aryaputra - “Son of a nobleman." Asana - “Seat, yogic posture.” Ashta - “Eight.” Ashta Pasha - The Eight Snares which
bind us to the world: lust, anger, greed, delusion, envy, shame, fear and
disgust. Asura - “Demon, anti-god.” Atharvan - Name of an ancient Vedic
sage. Arma/Atman - The soul, the indwelling
spirit which animates a living being.
The Jivatma is the individual spirit which imagines itself trapped in a physical form, subject to the limita tions of embodied existence. The Paramarma is the Universal Soul, the totality of spirit in the cosmos. All Jivas or Jivatmas belong to the Para
matma. Avatara - “Descent, incarnation;” usually
denoting one of the ten incarnations of Vishnu: Matsya (the fish), Kurma (the tortoise), Varaha (the boar), Narasimha (the man-lion), Vamana (the dwarf), Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, and Kalki (the
future incarnation). Baccha - “Child” (Hindi, masculine). Balavant - “Strong, powerful.” Bandha - “Binding; a bond or fetter”; a
sealing of a part of the subtle nervous
system through yogic manipulation. Bandha Koshtha - Constipation. Bhairava - “The Terrifier”; a ferocious
form of Shiva who often serves as a guardian deity. (also cf. Aghora glos
sary) Bhairavi - A ferocious form of the God
dess;. A woman who gains an attributeless state in sadhana comes
back as a celestial Bhairavi or Yogini. Bhajan - Religious song or singing. Bhakti - Religious or spiritual devotion. Bhava - Any emotional or spiritual state. Bhedana - “Dividing, breaking.” Bhogi - “Enjoyer”; usually characterized
as the opposite of “yogi.” Bhojana - A meal. Bhu - “Existence”, name of the Earth
Goddess. Bhu Garbha - “Womb of the earth.” Bhuta - “A being”; usually, however, it
refers to a disembodied spirit. Bhuta Agni - “The fire of life.” Bhuta Shuddhi - Ritual purification
(shuddhi) of unwelcome spirits from
the body. Bija - “Seed.” Bija Mantra - Any monosyllabic mantra,
which is a “seed” representation of a God or Goddess.
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GLOSSARY
Dattatreya - Name of a sage, son of Atri
and Anasuya who was worshipped as a deity in the form of the triad
Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Daya - “Compassion.” Deepaka - Name of a Raga or musical
melody: the Kindling or Igniting Mel
ody. Deva - “Deity, celestial being.” Dhabawala - One who carries a vessel
(dhaba); refers to men who bring hot home-cooked lunches to hundreds of thousands of workers in Bombay
every day. Dhara - The power to hold or fix, the syl
lables of the word Radha reversed. Dharana - “Concentration.” Dhuni - The fire tended by a sadhu. A
sadhu is said to sit “on” his dhuni, meaning close to it, concentrating on
Bindu - The dot appearing over the anus
vara in superscript position in Indian scripts. The half moon and dot above che line are the anusvara and bindu. More esoterically bindu refers to a point or position without dimension;
thus, the source of all sound. Brahmana - A member of the priestly
class of society. Brahmarshi - A high level sage or rishi. Buddhi - “Intellect.” Chaitanya - “Consciousnes.” Chillum - A pipe used to smoke mari
juana or hashish mixed with tobacco. It is three or four inches long and is straight, tapering from a wide bowl to
a thin mouth. Chakra - “Wheel”; a sensitive subtle ner
vous plexus. The six Chakras usually described are the Muladhara, in the perineum; the Svadhishthana, in the pubic region; the Manipura, at the navel; the Anahata, near the heart; the Vishuddha, in the throat; and the Ajna, in the center of the forehead. From the Ajna one moves into the Sahasrara, which is not actually a Chakra. However, Aghora adds three more Chakras, all located in the head:
Golata, Lalata, and Lalana. Chakra Puja - A ritual in which one or more male tantric practitioners sur rounds himself or themselves with female tantrics (8, 16, or 64 are rec ommended numbers). Sexual rela tions are the culmination of the long ritual which includes many offerings during which both males and females
self-identify with deities. Chit - “Consciousness, subjectivity.” Chit Shakti - The power of conscious
ness or subjectivity which identifies
with the Unmanifested Absolute Dakshina - Payment or offering of grati
tude after the completion by a guru or
priest of a teaching or ritual. Dama - Physical self-control. Damaru - Shiva’s small drum. Dasharatha - Name of a great king, father
of Rama.
Dhyana - “Meditation.” Digambara - “One whose raiment is the
sky;” a naked mendicant, usually of
the Jain religion. Diksha - An initiation. Droha - “Treachery.” Dvapara Yuga - “Eon of one-half”; name
of the third Yuga in the series of four, in which one-half of the dharma or righteousness of Satya Yuga remains. In Dvapara Yuga the primary sadhana and means of achieving
desires is austerities (tapas). Five Great Elements - The elemental
constituents of the physical universe:
earth, water, fire, air, space. Gana - “Attendents.” Gandharva - A celestial musician. Ganesha - The elephant-headed god, son
of Shiva and Uma (gana + isha, lord
of attendents). Ganesh(a) Paran - A raga for Ganesha
during which Ganesha must come if
sung correctly. Garbha - “Womb.” Gati - “Gait, mode;” there are 108 gatis
of sound (nada, q.v.). Numerologi cally 108 adds up to 9, the number of chakras in the body, according to
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AGHORA II: Kundalini
i
Aghora. Which gati of nada you hear depends on your past karmas, present
tendencies, ancestry, etc. Ghata - “Pot.” Ghata Sthapana - “Establishing of a pot;”
name of a rite performed at the com mencement of the Nava Ratri festival during which a clay pot is decorated and consecrated or established, then
worshipped as the Goddess. Ghee - Clarified butter. GO - “Cow” (secondarily “sense organ”
and “sacred word”); name of the
supreme ideal world (loka) of Krishna. Gopi - “Female cowherd;” the gopis
were devotees of Krishna, Gotra - 1) System of Vedic lineage ances
try, deriving from “protection of
cows”; 2) “Protection for the senses.” Granthi - “Knot.” Granthi Bhedana - The piercing of the
knots which obstruct the free move
ment of Kundalini in the nadis (q.v.). Guna - Lit. “qualities” or “attributes.”
The Three Gunas are the three funda mental attributes of conditional or limited existence: Sativa (equilib rium), Rajas (activity), and Tamas (inertia). In its purest state the mind is pure Sattva, and the two chief mental disturbances are Rajas (overactivity)
and Tamas (inactivity). Gunatita - “Beyond the gunas.” Guru Bhakti - Devotion to the guru. Guru Droha - An offense or act of treach
ery against the guru. Guru Purnima - The full moon of the
Indian month of Ashadh (usually in mid-July), during which the guru is
worshipped. Halahala - The world-threatening poison
drunk by Shiva that turned his throat
blue. Hanuman - The monkey king of the
Ramayana who is the archetypical
devotee. Hara - “The snatcher”; name of Shiva as
the Lord of Death. Hiranyakashipu - A great demon king,
father of Prahlada (q.v.), was eviscer
ated by Narasimha, the man-lion aval
ara of Vishnu. Hiranyaksha - A demon king, elder
brother of Hiranyakashipu (q.v.), was killed by Varaha, the boar avatara of
Vishnu. Homa - General term for any ritual in
which offering into a consecrared fire
is the primary action. Indriya - “Sense”; five senses are enu
merated: touch, smell, taste, sight,
hearing Isha - “Lord.” Jahnavi - A name of the Ganges River,
also a word for the sacred thread worn
by Brahmanas and others. Janaka - A king of great spiritual prow
ess; father of Rama’s wife Sita. Jathara - “Belly.” Jathara Agni - “Fire of the belly”; the
digestive fire. Japa - Systematic repetition of a mantra
or sacred name. Japamala - A rosary on which japa is per
formed, Jata - “Matted locks”, worn by many
sadhus (q.v.). Jeevan Samadhi - “Living trance;” the act
of deliberately entering into a state of permanent samadhi, tantamount to death. This act is only possible for the greatest saints, such as jnaneshwar, and often will happen in a cave, after which the saint’s disciples will seal off
the entrance. Jiva - The individual personality which
undergoes rebirth, because the kar mas stored in the causal body need a physical body to permit their expres
sion. (see Atma) Jnana - Transcendent wisdom. Knowl
edge (Vidya) is an outward projection or objectivization of this innate, living
wisdom. Jnani - One who has attained ordinary
spiritual knowledge. Kala - “Time.” Kala Ratri - The Black Night, the night
just before Dipavali, the new moon of the month of Ashvin.
(3081
GLOSSARY
Kali - The lowest throw of the dice. Kali Yuga - The fourth of the four ages
through which the cosmos passes in cycles of 4,320,000 years. Kali Yuga is supposed to last 432,000 years, and is characterized by lack of interest in spirituality among the populace, which leads to materialism, atheism, and the perpetuation of various cruel ties by stronger beings onto weaker
ones. Kalpa - A time period or epoch consist
ing of the tour eons or yugas (q.v.) Kanda - “Division, chapter;” also “bulb,”
or something bulbous, such as the nadi plexus where the breath or prana called Apana can be made to move
upward instead of downward. Kandarpa - “Onion; beauty;” name of
Kamadeva, the god of love. Kanya - “Maiden.” Kartana - “Cutting.” Kartum - “To do;” that which is difficult
to do, but is doable. This refers to the
adhibhautika, the mundane world. Kaula - Followers of Tantra who perform
the practice of Rasa Vidya in order to turn Kundalini into Kula Kundalini
(q.v.). Kavi - “Inspired poet.” Kevala - “Isolated, exclusive, alone.” Kevala Kumbhaka - Cessation of breath
ing for a lengthy period. Only when there is kevala kumbhaka can one’s mind become completely firm, after
which worship will become steady. Kedara - Name of a Raga (q.v.), the
“Field Melody”, sung to attract
Krishna Khanda - “Broken; a part or limb.” Khanda Manda Yoga - A sadhana during
which the practitioner cuts off his own arms and legs with a sharp cleaver, and throws them into a roar ing fire. After twelve hours these limbs reemerge from the fire and rejoin his
body. Khandana - “Breaking, dividing, destroy
Kilana - “Nailing”; particularly ritually
nailing an ethereal being or deity to a
specific location with mantra. Kirtan - “Devotional song”, often accom
panied by discourse. Kirtankar - “One who leads devotional
singing and discourse.” Krida - “Play”; particularly unconscious
play, such as rati krida (“love play”). Krida is controlled by someone or something other than the being who is playing. In love play, the glands and the genitals do the controlling, not the two people who romance each
other. Krura - “Cruel.” Krura Ratri - “Cruel Night”; the night
before the spring festival called Holi, on the full moon of the month of
Phalguna (in March). Kshatriya - “Warrior”; a member of the
warrior castes. Kula - “Family”; “Supreme Conscious
ness of the Universe”; “form”; see
Kula Kundalini. Kula Kundalini - “Freed Kundalini.” After
the Kundalini is uncoiled and straight ened out along the Six Chakras, She takes the form of the Goddess who is meant to be worshipped by the family
(kula) into which you have been born. Kumbha - “Pot.” Kumbhaka - Holding of the breath, ren
dering the abdomen and chest like a
pot. Kundalini - Cosmic energy that manifests
along the spine and within the chakras (q.v.); the source and force of
all experience. Kurma - “Tortoise"; name of an avatara of
Vishnu. Laya - “Rhythm, dissolution;" see Pra
laya.
Lila - “Cosmic play”; distinct from Krida
(q.v.). The divine play of Rishis and deities, especially Krishna and Rama, is called Lila, cosmic pastimes in
which They are always in control. Linga - The phallic shaped symbol of
Shiva.
ing."
Khara - “Donkey."
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AGHORA II: Kundalini
Ma - Vimalananda’s generic term for the
Mother Goddess, the cosmic potenți ality for creation. All females were to him embodiments of this universal principle of motherhood and mother
liness. Madhu - “Honey.” Only honey can offer
sweetness to the body without being
digested first. Madhura - This word has the suffix ‘ra’
following “madhu”. The ‘ra’ refers to the Fire Element. Anything that is madhura must first be digested before its sweetness can be released into the system. Of the four levels of speech only Para is truly madhu, All other lev els are madhura to various degrees because they must first be digested by the listener before their effect can be
felt. Madhyama - “Middle, in between”; the
second level of speech, midway between the mundane and the spiri
tual; mental speech or intention. Madira - “Wine”, one of the Five M’s.
Esoterically, Fire, of the five elements. Maha - “Great, immense, cosmic.” Maha Atharvan - Designation of a Maha
Kaula whose Kundalini is completely awakened; As such he has gone beyond the limitations of the Atharva
Veda, which is the source of Tantra. Maha Bhava Samadhi - Emotional high
lights, a state of madness with uncon
trollable love and joy. Maha Maya - “Great or cosmic illusion”;
the covering on the individual self. Mahakala - The God of Death. Maha Kaula - Designation of a Kaula
after a ritual initiatory bath (abh
isheka) has been performed on him. Mahanubhavi - “Great Experiencer”, said
of Rishis (q.v.). Mahapurusha - “Great Soul"; refers to
any being who has become immortal as a result of sadhana (q.v.). Rishis (q.v.), Munis (q.v.), Naths and Sid
dhas are all Mahapurushas. Maharaj - “Great King"; also a common
designation of a saint, who has
achieved dominion over the spiritual
world. Maha Rasa - Transcendental flavor. Maha Ratri - “Great Night", otherwise
called Maha Shiva Ratri, occurring on the night before the new moon during the lunar month of Magha (February
or early March). Mahavira Balavant - “Great and Powerful
Hero”, description of Hanuman. Maithuna - “Sexual intercourse,” one of
the Five M’s. Esoterically, Ether, of the
five elements. Mamsa - “Meat,” one of the Five M’s.
Esoterically, Air, of the five elements. Manda - “Embellishment; creation.” Mandana - “Decorating, adorning; creat
ing.” Mantra Siddhi - “Perfection of mantra";
the result of successful sadhana such as purushcharana (q.v.); the manifes tation of the deity inherent in the
mantra. Mantra Chaitanya - A stage of sadhana
(q.v.), beyond tadrupata (q.v.), when there is total union of consciousness
and mantra. Manu - A being who is the progenitor of
the races who live on the earth during
a Manvantara (q.v.). Manvantara - A period of time compris
ing seventy cycles of the Four Yugas
(q.v.). Marga - “Path.” Marjana - Part of a purushcharana during
which one’s mantra is recited while water is sprinkled about the body
(mariana). Maryada - “Bounded, encompassed." Maryada Purushottama - Perfection
Encompassed; said of Rama. Matsya - “Fish;" the name of the fish
incarnation of Vishnu. One of the Five M’s; esoterically, Water, of the five ele
ments. Maya - “Illusion"; usually indicates cos
mic illusion. Maya Shakti - The power of uncon
sciousness or objectivity which identi fies with the world, the manifestation
[3101
GLOSSARY
of the Absolute. Megha - “Cloud”; name of a raga (q.v.).
If you want rain you play Megha in a
certain way and rain will come. Mleccha - “Barbarian”; one of the com
mon Sanskrit words for any foreigner. Moha - “Delusion.” Moha Ratri - “Night of Delusion”, which
is Krishna’s birth night, occurring in the month of Shravana (August or
early September). Mudra - “Parched grain”, one of the Five
M’s. Esoterically, Earth, of the five ele
ments. Muladhara - The first chakra, located at
the perineum. Munda - “Skull.” Munda Sadhana - A spiritual practice
that employs skulls. Muni - An advanced being (yet lower
than a Rishi (q.v.)), who communi cates telepathically or through the
eyes. Nada - “Sound.” Nada Brahman - The music of the
spheres, the Absolute expressed as the
sound Om. Nada Yoga - Sadhanas which employ
music. In Nada Yoga the Nada Brah
man is worshipped. Nadi - Ethereal nerves; the body has
72,000, which are conduits of prana
(q.v.). Naga - “Serpent, naked”; a naked Sadhu who gives up everything except his
fire. Naga Kanya - “Serpent princess.” Nara - “Man.” Narasimha - “Man-lion”, the name of
this avatara of Vishnu. Narayana - A name of God, esp. of
Vishnu. Nath - “Lord”; a highly advanced being,
an Aghori. Niranjana - “Stainless.” Nirvikalpa - “Without option.” Nirvikalpa Samadhi - A state of con
sciousness in which all dualities are finally transcended and only aware
ness of the Paramatma (Ultimate Real iry) remains. No consciousness of
body or individuality is left. Nishkalanka - “Stainless”; name of Kalki,
the final Avatara of vishnu. Nivrtti - Inward movement of conscious
ness toward its source. Niyama - The second limb of yoga, inter
nal disciplilne. Nyasa - Ritual placement of a deity in a
part of the body Ojas - That essence of physical energy
which produces the aura as well as
immunity (Ayurveda). Paan - A common digestive consisting of
the highly astringent areca nut and other ingredients wrapped in the pun
gent betel leaf. Pakhawaj - A large two-headed drum. Para - “Beyond"; the fourth and highest
level of speech, purely telepathic.
Only Rishis can access Para. Parashurama - “Rama with the axe”; the
sixth avatara of Vishnu. Pasha - “Noose." Pashu - “Animal”; Vimalananda’s etymol
ogy: “he who is snared (like an animal for sacrifice) by a pasha”, referring to
any of the Eight Snares (Ashta Pasha.) Pashyanti - “Seeing"; the third level of
speech, seeing with the divine eye, clairvoyant perception. Certain immortals, including Naths and
Munis use pashyanti. Pitri - “Father; deceased ancestor.” Pitri Tarpana - A ritual performed for a
deceased human, usually a father or mother or other progenitor, to satisfy any lingering cravings that individual might have had. Properly performed, this assures the individual an auspi cious rebirth and enables him or her
to maintain their spiritual progression. Prahlada - Son of the demon king Hiran
yakashipu (q.v.); a devotee of Vishnu. Pralaya - The periodic dissolution of the
universe in which everything is returned to to the first (pra-thama ) rhythm (laya): the Absolute. This occurs at the end of each Kali Yuga,
سط
AGHORA II: Kundalini
usually caused by natural calamities. Prana - “Breath, life force." The five
major breaths are prana ( the forward moving breath that regulates the pro cess of breathing), apana (the down ward-moving breath that regulates evacuation), samana (the evenly-dis tributing breath that regulates diges tion), vyana (the all-pervasive breath that provides movements of the limbs and joints), and udana (the upward moving breath that pervades the
head). Prana Pratishtha - “Establishing prana”; a
tite in which prana is infused into an
image of a deity. Pranayama - “Control of the Breath”; any
practice of breath-control. Prasad - Any substance, usually food,
which has been offered to a deity or saint, or to the image of a deity or saint, and which is then partaken of by a disciple or devotee. Prasad is sup posed to contain a tiny amount of the deity’s or saint’s Shakti, which can exert a spiritualizing effect on the par
taker. Prasadika vani - “Words gifted from
God.” Pratyahara - “Withdrawal” of the senses;
the fourth limb of classical yoga. Pravrtti - External movement of con
sciousness toward manifestation. Prayoga - “Procedure”; any ritual or med
itational procedure Prema - “Love, esp. romantic love.” Puja - “Ritual adoration”, especially of a
deity or guru, with objects symbolic of purity, divinity, or grace such as flow ers, incense, sweet fruit, coconut, etc. However, puja can also be performed mentally, and Aghoris can perform external puja with impure objects
such as menstrual blood and feces. Purnatmaka - “One whose nature is full
ness.” Pumnatmaka Purushottama - Perfection
Personified, said of Krishna. Purnima - “Full-moon." Purushcharana - A lengthy and highly
controlled sadhana designed to
achieve Mantra Siddhi. Mantra Siddhi - For that you need to fol
low a specific process called purush charana. First determine how many repetitions of japa you can do in a year. You must then do the same num ber every day. After completing that, ten percent of the total number must be offered as oblations into a homa fire. Then ten percent of that number must be offered into water (tarpana). Ten percent of that number must be then recited as you sprinkle water about your body (marjana). Finally, ten percent of that number is offered as bhojana, gifts of food, usually to
children. Purushottama - “Supreme person, high
est being.” Pushti - “Grace, prosperity." Pushti Marga - A path (marga) of Krishna
devotion founded by Vallabhacharya
(1479-1531). Raga - “Melody"; any Indian musical
scale. Rajya - “Kingdom." Rakshasa - “Demon." Rama Rajya - “Rama’s kingdom", sym
bolic of the ideal state wherein peace,
harmony and dharma prevail. Rasatmaka - “Full of blissful emotion”,
said of Krishna. Rasa - “Flavor, emotion.” Rasa Vidya - “Knowledge of flavor”;
Tantric alchemy Ratri - “Night.” Ravana - Name of the demon king who
abducted Rama’s wife Sita, later killed
by Rama. Ravi - “Sun.” Rishi - Lit. “Seer.” Anything a Rishi sees
or perceives becomes reality, because a Rishi is an ethereal being of the highest class, one who is almost totally unlimited, who can travel any where in the cosmos and do anything at all. The Rishis “saw” the hymns of the Vedas, from which all the knowl edge of ancient India was derived.
(312)GLOSSARY
Rnanubandhana - The bondage of kar
mic debt. Roti - Generic name for Indian bread,
usually indicating a chappati. Rudra - Lit. “the Crier,” or “He Who
makes others cry.” Rudra is the ancient name for Shiva, the god of death, and is so called because He makes everyone cry who comes into contact with Him, because He sepa rates them from their limited exist ence, to which they are tightly
attached. Rupatita - “Beyond form.” Sadashiva - “Eternal Shiva”, the state in
which Shiva and Shakti are united. Sadashiva’s left side is female and right side male, unired through the
operation of Kundalini. Sadhaka - One who practices a sadhana. Sadhana - Any spiritual practice. Aghora
Sadhana is designed to replace the Aghori’s personality with his deity’s personality by creation of the deity’s
form in the Aghori’s subtle body. Sadhu - “A good person”; a wandering
religious mendicant. Saguna - “With attribute, with form”;
The Absolute can be expressed as Saguna or manifested, such as the form of a deity, or Nirguna, formless
and unmanifest Samadhi - A state of profound or one
pointed consciousness, trance. Samagri - “Collection, assemblage, espe
cially of materials used for worship.” Samaya - “Time, occasion”; especially for
regular functions such as worship or
eating Sampradaha - “Complete incineration.” Sampradaya - “Sect, tradition.” Samsara - The cycle of birth and death,
ensnarement in the web of worldly
existence. Samskara - Personality characteristic. Samyama - “Complete control.” Sangama - “Confluence”, as of rivers
meeting Sanjivani - An herb that can restore the
dead to life, brought from the Himala
yas by Hanuman to save Lakshmana,
the brother of Rama. Sankalpa - “Intention; certainty.” Sankhya - “Number", e.g. the number of
repetitions of japa that must be pre
formed. Sarangi - A mid-sized string instrument
played with a bow. Sarvavidya - The totality of manifested
knowledge. This is a Siddhi which involves control of all Shakti in the
cosmos. Satya Yuga - “The eon of truth”; the first
and longest of the four yugas. In Satya Yuga, in which dharma or righteous ness operates at maximum capacity, there is no disease or discord, and people obrain everything they need by
power of will. Setu - “Bridge." Setu Bandha - The building of the bridge
by Hanuman’s army of monkeys from India to Lanka in order for Rama’s army to cross the waters and rescue Sita. Esoterically, the internal Setu Bandha connects the Muladhara Chakra to the Manipura Chakra,
bridging the Svadhishthana Chakra. Shaivism - Sectarian worship of Shiva or
his aspects. Shakarpala - A type of sweet. Shakti - Energy; the ability to perform
some action. Shakti is always female
in Indian philosophy. Shaktipat - “Descent of Shakti.” Shaktipat Diksha - “Initiation by transfer
ence of Shakti.” Shalagrama - Fossil ammonite represen
tative of Vishnu. Shat - “Six,” Shat Prayoga - “Six Rituals or Proce
dures”; rituals of black magic which cause death, delusion, discord, hatred, obstruction, and enchant
ment. Shava - A corpse. Shavasana - A yoga pose (asana) in which
the pratitioner lies down like a corpse (shava) in order to release and relax completely
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Shita - “Cool.” Shruti - “That which is heard”, indicat
ing the Veda because it has been
transmitted orally Shuddha - “Pure, purified.” Shuddha Advaita - “Pure non-dualism”;
name of the philosophy of the Pushti
Marga founded by Vallabhacharya. Shuddhi - “Purification.” Shudra - “Laborer”; member of the
hereditary castes of laborers. Shunya - “Emptiness, nothingness”; in
the Shunya state all names and forms become extinct, and one is only aware of one’s own individuality. The entire universe is contained in the Shunya
state, in unmanifested form. Siddha - An “accomplished one.” Any
one who has obtained a Siddhi, or supernatural accomplishment, is a Siddha. Vimalananda restricted his use of the word Siddha to indicate those beings who have achieved
immortality. Siddhi - “Perfection, accomplishment”;
especially success at sadhana. Simha - “Lion.” Six Tastes - An Ayurvedic category:
sweer, sour, salty, bitter, pungent or
spicy, and astringent. Smarahara - Name of Shiva. After the
God of Love (Smara) disturbed his meditation, Shiva destroyed (hara)
him with a single glance. Smashan - A channel ground; an area in
which dead bodies are burned or bur ied. This word is derived from “ash mashana,” or “place where rocks lie,” which suggests that burial was once
more common in India than it now is. Smrti - “Memory, that which is remem
bered”; recorded tradition, distinct from Shruti, the Veda, revealed tradi
tion. Sthana - “Location.” Sthapana - “Establishing.” Sudarshana - “Well-seeing.” Sudarshana Chakra - Vishnu’s discus. Sura - A god (identical to deva). Surya - “Sun.”
Sushumna - The central nadi through
which the Kundalini Shakti travels. Svapneshvari - “Goddess of Dreams.” Svatantra - “Independent, self-function
ing”, a primary goal of Tantra. Tadrupata - “A state of being similarly
formed”; a stage of sadhana, beyond tanmayata (q.v.), in which the practic tioner becomes identical with the
deity Tanmayata - “Togetherness”; a stage of
success at sadhana in which the prac titioner is with the chosen deity at all
times. Tapas - “Heat, austerities, penance”; kar
mas are bumed away by tapas. Tara - The Goddess Tara, She Who
Causes One to Cross Over; from the
Sanskrit, “to cross, swim.” Tarpana - Offerings into water . Tattva - Lit. “thatness.” A category of
existence. For example, the Three Gunas are Tattvas because they are attributes, and the category of attribu tion is a Tattva. The Atma is also a Tat
tva. Tirthankara - “Ford-Maker”; name for
any of the 24 founders of the Jain reli gion. Esoterically, a Tirthankara is one whose Kundalini has successfully
passed through all Six Chakras. Trataka - A form of meditation in which
one stares fixedly at an object such as a candle flame. If done properly it can open the third eye. In Treta Yuga peo ple used trataka to obtain prana from
the sun. Treta Yuga - “The eon of three-quarters”;
in which one-fourth of the dharma or righteousness of Satya Yuga is lost and three-quarters remains. In Treta Yuga,
sacrifice (yajna) is the main sadhana. Triveni Sangama - The confluence, at
Allahabad or Prayaga, of the three riv ers Ganga, Yamuna, and the unseen Sarasvati. Esoterically, it is located at the Ajna Chakra in the forehead, where the Surya and Chandra Nadis, the energy channels of the right and left sides, respectively, which generate
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GLOSSARY
heat and coolness, meet the Sus-1
humna (q.v.). Tulsi - Holy basil. Turiya - “The fourth"; the state of con
sciousness beyond the three ordinary states of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep, in which one realizes identity
with the Absolute Brahman. Upanayana - The Vedic ceremony of
investiture of the sacred thread Jah navi [q.v.), Yajnopavita), the Gayatri mantra, and eligibility to study the
Veda Vaikhari - The first and lowest level of
speech; vocal or physical speech, it can only be used for mundane com
munication with external objects. Vaishya - “Merchant”; a member of the
merchant class. Vajroli - A yogic practice in which fluid is
sucked into the penis or vagina by muscular force. During the sex act Vajroli can be used to suck up the partner’s secretions for both physical
and spiritual benefit. Valmika - “Anthill or termite mound.” Vamana - The dwarf incarnation of
Vishnu, he rescued the world from
the designs of the demon king Bali. Vanara - “Monkey”; Vimalananda’s ety
mology: after evolution (va) a monkey has the potential to become a human
(nara). Vani - “Speech” Varaha - The boar Avatara of Vishnu. Vasana - A tendency of the individual
personality which produces habitual modes of action. often inherited from one’s ancestors. Vasanas make people do what they do in spite of themselves because of the power of the inherent
tendency. Videha - “Bodiless"; name of the king
dom of Janaka (q.v.). Vidya - “Knowledge." Vidyut - “Lightning.” Vidyut Lata - “Lightning creeper”; said
of Kundalini. Vijnana - Practical spiritual knowledge,
higher than jnana. In vijnana one
becomes a Siddha (q.v.), an immortal, because the ego has become abso
lutely purified. Vijnani - One who possesses Vijnana. Vikalpa - “Option; uncertainty.” Vimala - “Stainless.” Vimalananda - “Stainless bliss"; a proper
name. Virodha Bhakti - “Perverse devotion";
said, for example, of Hiranyakashipu, whose hatred of Vishnu was so power ful that he remembered Him con
stantly Visha - “Poison." Vishesha - “Special, extraordinary.” Vishuddha - The Fourth Chakra, taken
from the words vishesha shuddhi
(“special purification”) Wah - An exclamation of amazement,
surprise or revelation. Yajna - Vedic fire ritual. În yajna, deities
in ethereal worlds are invoked, then fed with the fragrance of smoke from
the various burnt offerings. Yajnopavita - The sacred thread worn by
Brahmans and others (also jahnavi) Yakshini - A Hindu angel; an etherial
being who was once human and because of his ability in sadhana
attained to this status after death. Yama - Also called Dharmaraja, or King of
Righteousness. He is the judge of the dead, evaluating their activities while on Earth and determining which para dise or hell they go to while awaiting rebirth. Also, the first limb of yoga,
external discipline. Yantra - A diagram which acts as a recep
tacle for the power of a mantra. Tantra is the ritual by which the Yantra is empowered by the mantra. Any sub stance can be used for a Yantra, but Vimalananda averred that the best of all possible Yantras is the human
body. Yogini - See Bhairavi. Yuga - The Four Yugas or eras are Satya
Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga and our era, Kali Yuga.
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Shri Yantra (continued from page 12)
The Mahavidya goddess Tripurasundari is also known as Sodasi-the divine sixteen year old goddess.’ She is of a beautiful red complexion with four arms holding a bow, noose, arrow and trident hook. She sits astride the prone body of her white Shiva in sexual union, supported by a throne whose four pedestals are the gods Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra and Indra. This form of the Shri Yantra was worshipped for many decades by Telang Swami in the Anapurna temple of Benares.
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