Glossary of Spiritual and Sanskrit Terms

Om Jai Jai Ma!  We have created this Glossary of Terms because we realize that many of these words are not commonly found in the English language (in fact, many of them are from the Sanskrit language, considered one of the oldest, if not the oldest language in the world).  Therefore, particularly if you are new to Sai Maa's teachings, this will help you to translate terms that you may hear Her speak into your own spiritual vocabulary, no matter what your background (Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, or any other tradition). 

It is important to note that Chalanda Sai Ma embraces all religions and spiritual paths.  Her primary teachings are of love and service to humanity.  Sai Maa does choose, however, to use many of these specialized terms since they are also used by Her teacher, Sathya Sai Baba of India.  Some of these names are Gods or Goddesses in the Hindu tradition.  Sai Maa emphasizes that "God(dess) dwells inside of us," and each one represents different divine qualities which can also be found inside of us.  This is similar to Jesus' teaching of "The kingdom of God lies within."

We welcome and value your feedback on this page.  Our intention is simply to offer this information as a resource - consider this page a work-in-progess.  Please don't hesitate to contact Humanity in Unity if you have questions or concerns about the definition given for any term, and/or if you hear other terms which you would like to see defined here.  Simply e-mail us at info@humanityinunity.org  Thank you!   

A
Adonai - Hebrew name for God; "Lord"-relating as merciful, loving,
compassionate (as in feminine)
Ananda - Bliss or happiness
Antakarana - Channel or conduit of Divine energy coming into the top of the
head to the seat of inner instruments of cognition
Archangel - A chief angel in a celestial hierarchy
Ascend - To dramatically increase the vibratory rate of your consciousness;
physical ascension involves raising the vibratory rate of the body
Ascended Master - A Being who has ascended and now teaches or guides the
spiritual progress of humankind from the higher vibratory realms  
Ashram - A community of spiritual aspirants where discipline, meditative
practice and study are pursued
Atma(n) - Self, Higher Self, Supreme Self; its essential nature is Sat Chit
Ananda  - Bliss
Aum (also Om) - The primal sound; the essence of all mantras; the mystical
symbol expressing the universe; the creative sound through which the
universe came into existence
Avatar - The incarnation of God in human form
Ayurveda - The "Science of Life," the 5000 year-old Vedic medical system
with life style and herbal recommendations aimed at creating balance in
one¹s physiology and supporting one¹s spiritual evolution

B
Bhagavadgita - "The Song of God," or "Hindu Bible;" dialogue between Lord
Krishna and Arjuna, it  teaches the eternal truth of life and is considered
the key teaching of the Vedas
Bhajan - A devotional song using sacred names of God which one comes to
realize are actually one name, and that is the name of one¹s own Self
Bhakti - The spiritual path of devotion leading to union with God (or spiritual teacher/Guru)
Brahma - Creator of the universe; one of the three faces of the one Godhead,
along with Vishnu and Shiva (in Hinduism)
Brahman - The absolute, non-dual reality; pure consciousness

C
Chakra - (The correct Sanskrit pronunciation is "Chalk-Ra", not "Shakra") Center of consciousness in the subtle body; there are 6 or 7 major
chakras in humans ranging from the base of the spine to the top of the head;
for example: the crown chakra, the third eye, the heart chakra and the root
chakra
Christ Consciousness - State of consciousness where one realizes union in
Divine Love
Chant - A bhajan; or verbal repetition of sacred devotional phrases or
mantras

D
Darshan - A blessing of spiritual energy transmitted by being in the
presence of a holy person, sacred idol or sacred place
Devi (also Mahadevi) - Goddess; Mother Divine who has many names and
personalities, the most striking of which are Parvati, Durga, and Kali.  See also "Maha"
Dharma - Right action, "duty" or destiny by doing which one evolves most
quickly; also natural laws of cosmic and social order; also the law of
righteousness
Durga -A form of Mother Divine; the Goddess as the transformer who destroys
all ignorance and liberates the seeker; an all powerful warrioress who
fights demons; the consort of Shiva

E
Enlightenment - Liberation, self realization or moksha; a blessed state of
consciousness marked by the absence of fear, desire or suffering where one
permanently experiences their Higher Self as their true nature

F
Flower of Life - A sacred geometric pattern of intersecting circles that
initiates and expands creation

G
Ganesh - "The Elephant God," he is the remover of obstacles and protector,
and invoked before beginning any new undertaking.  Son of Shiva and Parvati
Gayatri - A many-faced form of Mother Divine who is the incarnation of the
most sacred Vedic hymn to the sun and is another consort of Brahma 
Gayatri Mantra - The most sacred mantra dedicated to the Goddess which is a
summary of the entire Veda; The Gayatri is Brahma, is Vishnu, is Shiva, is
the Vedas
Guru (also Guru Deva) - Teacher, spiritual master

H
Hanumanji - The monkey god who is the symbolism of Grace and devotion to God
in the form of Ram
Hara - The one who takes away ignorance, the name of Shiva
Hari - A name of Vishnu, Krishna

I
I AM Presence - Higher Self, Supreme Self (basis of one¹s existence)
Initiation - The ceremony by which the student is instructed in a spiritual
practice by the spiritual teacher/Guru

J
Jai (also Jay or Jaya) - "Hail" or "Glory to"
Japa - Repetition of a sacred name or mantra; it is to bring about a union
of the devotee¹s mind with God, particularly when using a sanskrit mantra
where sound and form are one; often practiced with a mala

K
Kali - A form of Mother Divine; the black Goddess. Perceived from the
relative, Kali is the fiercest form of Mother Divine, yet because of her
relentless pursuit of truth, from the Absolute Kali is seen as total
compassion. Consort of Shiva
Kyrie Eleison - Lord have mercy
Karma - Literally, "action."  The Law of action (as you sow, so shall you reap) which creates a non-material residue responsible for enmeshing one in the cycle of birth and
rebirth
Krishna - The avatar manifestation of Vishnu who is God in the playful,
mischievous, loving form symbolizing the human aspiration for unity with the
Divine
Kundalini - The Divine energy; symbolized by a snake wrapped around the base
of the spine, whose awakening and movement through the chakras brings about
bliss and liberation

L
Lakshmi (also Maha-Lakshmi) - A form of Mother Divine; the Goddess of
prosperity, beauty, and good fortune; consort of Vishnu (see also "Maha")
Lakshman - Devoted brother of Lord Ram
Lingam (or Shivalingam) - A elliptical shaped devotional symbol of Shiva

M
Maa (also Mata, Mataji) - Mother, Divine Mother (carries affection and
respect)
Maha - Great
Mala - A string of beads or a rosary used to recite mantras or sacred names
of deities
Mandir - Temple
Manas - Mind or understanding intelligence
Maya - Ignorance, illusion which veils experiencing the reality of unity and
creates duality
Mantra - A sacred word or phrase used in a prescribed way, often in
repetition
Meditation - A type of spiritual practice; many varieties exist including:
mantra, contemplation, concentration or guided meditation
Merkavah (also Merkaba) - A geometric crystalline energy field surrounding
every human body; also vessel of light or light body vehicle
Metatron - An archangel; Creator of the Light; Divine voice of the Father
Moksha - Liberation
Mother Divine - The feminine aspect of God
Mudra - Finger and hand positions often used in conjunction with pranic
breathing
Murti - Statue which symbolizes God in one of His/Her aspects, which is
ceremonially enlivened through worship to become an "alive" form

N
Namaste - "I honor the God within you;" used as a greeting in India, often
spoken with palms together.  Ram Dass' transliteration of "Namaste" is very beautiful: "I honor the place in you in which the entire Universe dwells.  I honor the place in you which is of love, of light, of truth and of peace.  When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, We are One."

O
Om - See Aum
Om Namah Shivaya - An ancient Sanskrit mantra which translates as "Salutations to Shiva" or "I honor the Lord within me"

P
Paramatman - The Supreme Soul, The Absolute
Parvati - Mother Divine as the beautiful Nature Goddess, "Daughter of the
Mountain;" consort of Shiva
Prana - Breath; the life force
Pranayama - A technique of self development involving control of the breath
Pranam - To bow down in reverence and devotion to the Divine within the form
of one's Guru, a holy being, or symbol of God; this posture allows divine
energy to enter the pineal gland
Prasad - An offering made to God (or Guru) which is then distributed to
devotees
Puja - Worship to invoke the Divine, specific ceremonies performed to a
picture or statue involving offerings.

R
Radha - The beloved Goddess consort of Krishna
Ram (also Rama) - Incarnation of Vishnu, known as the upholder of the universe who
oversees natural law.The archer hero of the Ramayana

S
Sacred Geometry - The knowledge and understanding of the relationship
between geometry, nature and spirituality; examples of this knowledge
include the Merkavah, the Flower of Life and the Star Tetrahedron
Sadhana - Spiritual practice
Sai Baba - Sathya Sai Baba; one of India's most revered spiritual teachers;
Sai Maa Lakshmi Devi's spiritual teacher
Sai Maa - Title given by Sai Baba to Chalanda Maa, it is the avatar name of
Mother Divine and connotes great respect
Samadhi - A state of meditative union with Atman
Samskara - Subtle impressions of past actions contained in the nervous
system
Sanskrit - Sacred language of the Vedas; known for the direct relationship
between the sound/name of its words and the actual form that the word
represents
Saraswati - A form of Mother Divine; Goddess of knowledge, the arts (music,
dance, literature), and Divine wisdom; consort of Brahma
Sattva - Purity, light. harmony, peace
Seva - Service as an act of offering or devotion, done without expectation
of gain
Shakti - Spiritual energy; Divine cosmic force, all pervading energy
Shanti - Peace; often recited three times as a blessing
Shiva - One of the three faces of the Godhead; the transformer who destroys
all ignorance and liberates the aspirant from the suffering of the changing
relative world. His consorts include Parvati, Durga, and Kali
Shiva Shakti   - The uniting of the male and female energies
Siddha - Perfect human being; one whose consciousness has evolved to allow
the mastery of "supernormal" abilities
Siddhi - A supernormal power or ability gained through the harnessing of
subtle energy
Sita - Consort of Ram, the Goddess symbolizing beauty, faithfulness, purity,
and innocence
Sri (also Shri ) -  A title of respect
Sri Yantra - A visual geometric representation of Divine Mother; used in the
meditation on, or the worship of the Divine Being
Star Tetrahedron - A three dimensional geometric shape consisting of two
tetrahedrons (one inverted); part of the Merkavah
Subtle Bodies - Finer human bodies not visible to the normal eye; examples
are: astral body, light body, emotional body, causal body or ascension body
Sushumna - The central subtle energy channel (or nadi) corresponding to the
spinal column through which the Kundalini energy rises to the top of the
head

T
Third Eye - The Ajna chakra between the eyebrows
Trimurti - The three faces of the Hindu Godhead, Brahma (creator), Vishnu
(sustainer), and Shiva (transformer or destroyer)

V
Vedas - Eternal Truth about humankind, the universe, and the nature of
consciousness; cognized by the ancient seers of India and later written into
scriptural form; the Vedas can only be truly known on the level of
consciousness
Vibhuti - Holy ash which has miraculous properties
Vishnu - One of three faces of the Godhead; the sustainer or maintainer of
the universe and divine order; "the infinite ocean of the universe" from
which all springs; Vishnu has appeared on earth as ten avatars. Consort of
Lakshmi

Y
Yagna (also Yagya) - A ritualistic fire ceremony performed to invoke the Divine which
involves specific sequences of mantras and offerings. Said to benefit
individuals, society, and creation
Yahveh (also Yahweh ) - Hebrew name of God used most often in scripture; the
true and original name of the Almighty; also translates "Jehovah"
Yoga   - The practice leading to the state of Oneness with God, union with
God; or that state of Oneness
Yogi - One who practices yoga