devapu ̄ja ̄ act of giving honor to a deity (deva); often performed to an icon
through the giving of flowers, incense, fruit, etc. (see also: pu ̄ja ̄).
devaputra son of god or the gods; a title given to kings.
devı ̄ goddess (see also: deva).
dhamma Pa ̄li word for dharma.
dha ̄ran.a focus or concentration; associated with yogic or meditative practice.
dharma that which upholds the universe; righteousness; law; proper way of
acting; order as opposed to chaos; probably the term that most closely
resembles the Western notion of “religion” (see also: r.ta).
d
̄h
̄immı ̄ (A) “protected” persons; according to Islamic teaching, d
̄h
̄immı ̄are
the non-Muslim members of an Islamic society who must pay tax (jizyah);
in return, they are protected.
dhya ̄na concentration; meditation without objects.
digambara literally, “sky-clad”; refers to Jain ascetics.
dı ̄ks.a ̄ (diksha)initiation.
duh.kha misfortune, suffering, unhappiness; the first of the Four Noble
Truths of Buddhism is that life is characterized by duh.kha.
dvaita dualism (see also: advaita).
garbhag r.ha (garbha-griha)womb-house; the area of the temple in which
the icon resides.
g
̄
h
̄azal (U) a Persian lyric poem; rarely of more than a dozen couplets and
in the same meter.
gopura large entryways to South Indian temples, especially seen in temples
built from the eleventh–twelfth centuries onward. (Tamil: ko ̄puram.)
gr.hastya (griha-sta) householder stage of life (see also: brahmaca ̄ rya,
va ̄naprastha,samn.ya ̄si).
gr.hya (grih-ya)“household”; type of ritual performed in one’s home, often
by a brahman priest.
gun.a quality; Sa ̄m.khya teaches that three strands (sattva,rajas,tamas) are
the fundamental elements of which the universe is composed.
guru teacher; also guru ̄in Sikh context.
h.adı ̄th (A) commentaries on things said or deeds undertaken by the
Prophet Muh.ammad.
h.ajj (A) pilgrimage to Mecca; one of the Five Pillars of Islam is pilgrimage
to Mecca, which should be done at least once during one’s lifetime (also
h.adj
̄j
̄).
hiran.yagarbha golden seed/womb; refers to the creation myth in which the
sun appears to be rising out of the water as it reflects off the water at dawn,
as if the water were a golden seed/womb.
hoama (AV) alsohoma; name of a plant with medicinal and spiritual
properties; also refers to the name of the spiritual being presiding over
thehoamaplant.Glossary 251