Glossary
All terms are Sanskrit in origin unless otherwise noted by (U) Urdu ̄, (T)
Tamil, (AV) Avestan, or (A) Arabic.
abhinaya (abhi-naya)performance of a mood (rasa) in dance or drama (see
also:rasa,ra ̄ga,ta ̄la ̄, mudra ̄).
abhis.eka (abhi-sheka)“anointing,” refers to the act of pouring of water upon
temple icons; other liquids may also be used, e.g., ghee or honey; this is
usually the first ritual performed on an icon each day. It may also refer to
the inauguration of a king.
a ̄ca ̄ rya ̄ (a ̄-charya)teacher, usually in the sense of a guru.
adhvaryu priest associated with the Yajur Veda, the prose Vedawhich gives
detailed explanations of Vedic rituals.
advaita (a-dvaita)“non-dualism”; concept often associated with forms of
Veda ̄nta philosophy (see also: dvaita).
a ̄ gama (a ̄-gama)ritual manual; different a ̄gamasare used by various sects
(e.g.,S ́aiva ̄gamas,Pa ̄ñcara ̄tra ̄gamas,Vaika ̄nasa ̄gamas).
ahim.sa (a-himsa)Jain concept of non-violence or harmlessness; abstention
from injury to living things.
ajı ̄va (a-jı ̄va)“non-life entity”; important concept in Jainism (see also: jı ̄va).
a ̄jı ̄vika (a ̄-jı ̄vika)materialist; name of a heterodox philosophical movement.
akam (T) poetic term from can.kampoetry of Tamil Nadu; refers to the
world of home, and is characterized by love (see also: pur
̄
am).
alam.ka ̄ra “ornamentation” or embellishment, particularly used in language
as a literary technique, e.g., metaphors, plays on words, similes, puns.
a ̄ laya-vijña ̄na (a ̄-laya-vi-jana ̄na) “storehouse consciousness”; Maha ̄ya ̄na
Buddhist term, especially associated with the Yoga ̄ca ̄ra school of
Buddhism.
ana ̄ tman (an-a ̄tman)“no-self”; opposite or negation of a ̄ tman; a fundamental
concept in early Buddhism.
anatt ̄a “no-self”; Pa ̄li spelling of ana ̄tman.