The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism (2 Vol Set)

(pratyaksha), which includes magical or
yogic insight as well as direct sensory
perception; inference (anumana),
which ultimately depends upon direct
experience; and testimony (shabda),
which can be either scriptural or the
instruction of one’s teacher. Some philo-
sophical schools also include a fourth
source, analogy (upamana), but those
who do not recognize this categorize it
as another form of inference. The first
three are accepted by all philosophical
schools except for the materialists, who
recognize only perception. The Purva
Mimamsaschool affirms two additional
pramanas—presumption (arthapatti),
and knowledge from absence (abhava)—
which they argue give one knowledge.
The root meaning of this term comes
from the verb “to measure”; thus these
are tools for measuring and interpreting
the world we experience.

Pramukh Swami

(“President Swami,” b. 1921) Title of
Shastri Narayanswarupdas Swami, the
present spiritual leader of the
Swaminarayanreligious community.
Swaminarayan Hinduism is based on
the life and teachings of Sahajananda

Swami (1781–1830), who because of his

piety and charisma was deemed by his

followers an avatarof the god Vishnu.

Pramukh Swami is the uncontested

head of the Akshar Purushottam

Samstha, a branch of the Swaminarayan

movement that separated from the par-

ent group in 1906. He is a strict ascetic

who serves as religious teacher (guru) to

an estimated million followers all over

the world. His devotees (bhakta) are

predominately members of the Gujarati

community and mostly affluent mer-

chants, making the movement finan-

cially robust.

Prana

(“breath”) As a collective noun, the

name for the five “winds” considered to

be responsible for basic bodily func-

tions. The first of these, located in the

chest, is labeled by the general term

prana. Because it performs those func-

tions necessary for sustaining life—res-

piration, the movement of food into the

stomach, and the circulation of blood

through the body—its name is often

used to designate all five winds. Of the

other four winds, apana(in the anal

region) is concerned with elimination,

Prana

Pramukh Swami, the present spiritual leader of the Swaminarayan religious community.