Valakhilya = flying wise and virtuous companions, celestial beings; a class of divine personages of
the size of a thumb, produced from the Creator’s body, and said to precede the chariot of the sun
Valmiki = known as the father of Sanskrit classical poetry
vama = left side
Vamadeva = the name of the preserving aspect of the God Shiva
vamana = Vishnu in his fifth incarnation, when he was born as a dwarf to humble the demon king Bali
Vasishta = a celebrated sage, author of Yoga Vasistha; several Vedic hymns, most excellent, best,
richest
vatayana = horse
vayu = air, vital force, wind, vital air
Vedas = the sacred scriptures of the Hindus, revealed by the Supreme Being
vibhuti = might, power, greatness
vimshati = twenty
vini = single movement
vinyasa = a steady flow of connected yoga asanas linked with breath, work in a continuous
movement, going progressively, variation
viparita = reversed, inverted, turned
vira = a brave or eminent man, heroic, chief, hero
virabhadra = a legendary warrior, a powerful hero created out of Shiva’s matted hair
Virancha (Viranchi) = one of the names of Lord Brahma
vishama = uneven, unequal
Vishnu (Vishnu, Narayana, Hari) = the second deity of the Hindu Trinity, All-Pervading essence of all
beings, one who supports, Preserver God
vishuddhi chakra = seat of intellectual awareness, energy center situated behind the throat, the
nervous plexus in the pharyngeal region
vishva = entire, whole
Vishvamitra = a celebrated Hindu Sage, ruler so impressed with Vasistha’s knowledge and
contentment that he became his disciple
vrischika = scorpion
vriksha = tree
vrishta = fallen or dropped as rain
vyaghra = tiger
Y
yajna = Hindu Sacrificial Ceremony
yama = ethical codes for daily life, self-restraint
Yama = the god of death; Yama is also the first of the eight limbs or means of attaining yoga. Yamas
are universal ethical codes for daily life, self-restraint, and moral commandments or ethical
disciplines transcending creeds, countries, age, and time. The five mentioned by Patanjali are: non-
violence, truth, non-stealing, continence, and non-coveting
yantra = to sustain
yoga = union, communion, the path which integrates the body, senses, mind, and the intelligence with