Glossary of Terms

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z #

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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, left India for America in 1965, at age sixty-nine, to fulfill his spiritual master's request that he teach the science of Krishna consciousness throughout the English speaking world. In a dozen years he published some eighty volumes of translation and commentary on India's Vedic literature, and these are now standard in universities worldwide. Meanwhile, travelling almost nonstop, Srila Prabhupada molded his international society into a worldwide confederation of asramas, schools, temples, and farm communities. In 1970 he began the Sri Mayapur Project in Sri Mayapur, India, the place where Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the incarnation of God who inaugurated the Hare Krishna movement, appeared nearly 500 years ago. Here he planned and set in motion the development of a spiritual city, a wonderful place of spiritual culture and education which would demonstrate to the world the practical application of Krishna consciousness in every sphere of life. He passed away in 1977 in India's Vrindavana, the place most sacred to Lord Krishna. His disciples are carrying forward the movement he started.

Acarya: a spiritual master, one who teaches by example.

adhibhautika-: miseries caused by conflict with other living entities.

adhidaivika--: miseries caused by the forces of nature or supernatural occurrences.

Adhira--: one who is disturbed by material illusion.

adhyatmika--: miseries caused by one's own mind and body.

Advaita Acarya--: an incarnation of the Supreme Lord, who appeared as a principal associate of another incarnation, Lord CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU.

Age of Kali--: Age of quarrel, the Iron age, See KALI-YUGA.

Ahankara--: The false concept that I am my body or my mind and that those things in relation to this body are mine. eg. my house, my country, my family... this is called the false ego, the meeting point of matter and spirit. This concept of I and mine binds us very tightly to the material world and forces us to take birth again and again. When we let go of these bodily concepts of life we become liberated and freed from the cycle of birth and death.

Akarma--: action that frees one from the cycle of birth and death. Also known as Pure Devotional Service

Akrura--: an uncle of Lord KRSNA.

Amara--: (a - without, mara - death) without death - deathless.

Ananda--: the Supreme Lord's aspect of bliss.

Ananta--: unlimited,

Antaranga-Sakti-: the spiritual, internal potency of the Supreme Lord.

Anumana--: inductive reasoning.

Apapa-viddha--: pure and uncontaminated.

Apara prakriti--: Inferior or material energy.

Apauruseya--: not delivered by any mundane person.

apavarga --: See MUKTI.

Arca-vigraha--(deity): Because we are not able to see the pure spiritual form of God He very mercifully has manifested His presence through material elements, as in a painting or statue of Krsna worshipped in a temple or home. Thus we can see and meditate closely on His beauty. In this form the Lord personally accepts worship from His devotees.

Arjuna--: one of the five PANDAVA brothers; Lord KRSNA became his chariot driver during the battle of KURUKSETRA and spoke to him the BHAGAVAD-GITA.

Aroha--: the ascending process of knowledge.

Arati (Aratrika) -: The process of offering worships to the Supreme Lord by waving auspicious articles before Him. the elements represent the material elements in their pure form and the corresponding sense objects (i.e. sound, form, touch,etc. and are auspicious and purifying. Thus all arati ceremonies offered to the Supreme Lord are auspicious (mangala), but the first arati of the day, in the early morning is considered particularly auspicious for those who participate. "In the Skanda Purana there is the following description of the result of seeing arati (worship) of the Deity: 'If someone sees the face of the Lord while arati is going on, he can be relieved of all sinful reactions coming from many, many thousands and millions of years past.' " (The Nectar of Devotion, Ch. 9)

Asrama--: a spiritual order of life. the four VEDIC developmental divisions of the human life-cycle which are meant to elevate one to spiritual perfection; these begin with brahmacarya (celibacy and study), proceed to grhasta (married life), and vanaprastha (retirement), and culminate in sannyasa (complete renunciation of family life and material obligations). See also VARNASRAMA-DHARMA.

Astakaliya-lila-: the eternal, eightfold daily pastimes of Radha-Govinda.

astanga-yoga--: the eight-step process of meditation, beginning with sitting postures and breath-control, and culminating with realization of the Lord's form within one's heart (the Paramatma). The materialistic art of controlling the airs of the body for transferal to any planet desired.

Asura--: a demon.

Asvatthama--: the nefarious son of the great military teacher DRONA who murdered the children of the PANDAVA brothers while they were sleeping.

atma--: the self (can also be used to refer to: the body, the mind, the intellect, the Super soul (Paramatma) or the individual soul).

Atma·ha--: a killer of the soul.

Atma-tattva-: the science of the soul.

Atyahara-: collecting more than necessary.

avatara--: a "descent," or appearance on earth of the Supreme Lord or His representative.

Avidya--: Without knowledge, Nescience, ignorance.

Avyakta-: the unmanifested stage of creation.

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