Baarat
The grooms entourage

Baba
Generally a term used for an elderly man. Often used for a spiritually wise man

Bada
Big

Bada Guruvaar
A specific Thursday (every month) when seva is conducted simultaneously at all sthans

Barfi
Indian sweetmeat

Barkat
The luck to make your buck last longer

Basant
Spring

Basant Panchmi
An Indian festival that marks the arrival of spring

Beta
Child

Bhaisaab
A term of respect and endearment which means ‘Respected Brother’

Bhakt
Worshipper

Bhagwan
Another name for God or supreme conciousness

Bhav
Emotion

Brahmaand
Universe/Milky Way

Brahmin
A caste in Hinduism. Many priests, teachers and protectors of sacred learning across generations hail from this caste

Brighu Samhita
An ancient Indian astrological classic written by Sage Brighu. It dates to the vedic period and is a compilation of some five lakh detailed horoscopes of people who have lived from then to now.

Budiya
Old woman

Chai
Tea

Chirag
An oil lamp lit in a dargah

Daan
Donation

Dahi
Yoghurt

Dal
Lentils

Damaru
A small two-headed drum, used in Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism. In Hinduism, it is an instrument of Shankar, a manifestation of Shi.

Dargah
The shrine of a Muslim saint

Devi
A goddess/feminine energy

Devta
A masculine deity

Dhaba
A road side restaurant

Dham
Abode

Dhoti
A loose piece of clothing wrapped around the lower half of the body, usually worn by South Asian men

Dhoop
Incense Stick

Dhyan Awastha
A meditative state

Diya
Oil lamp

Divya
Divine

Divya Dhristi
Third eye

Dosa
South Indian snack

Ek Vakya
One liner/sentence

Elaichi
Cardamom, a spice, used as a tool of healing at sthans

Fakir
Usually a term used for a Muslim saint but colloquially it could also refer to any ascetic who lives on alms received from benefactors. A fakir has no sense of possession of material things

Gaddi
Seat of the guru’s power

Gann
A realized part or manifestation; often used to describe a spiritual heir

Gati
Supersonic speed

Ghat
A set of steps near a water body like a river

Gol-gappas
Indian snack

Gileri
An oval base resembling the vagina symbolising feminine power on which a shivling rests, though many a time shivlings do not have a gileri

Grihasth
Householder

Grihasth Ashram
One of the four stages or phases in an individual’s life according to Hindu Philosophy. The grihasth ashram refers to the second phase of life and it implies that one must live as a householder and dutifully engage with one’s familial responsibilities

Gudiya
Young girl

Gunas
The three gunas (sattvic, rajasic and tamasic) or attributes are the subtle energies through which our mind and deeper consciousness function

Guru
A spiritual teacher, guide and mentor

Guru bhai
A male spiritual batchmate or associate

Guruvaar
Thursday

Gurudwara
Shrine of Sikh gurus

Guru-paher
Time band between 1:15 am to 3:30 am

Guru Purnima
Every year, mostly in the month of July, a day is ritually dedicated to the guru and is called Guru Purnima. On this day, disciples (as well as admirers, followers and devotees) thank their guru for his presence in their lives by worshipping him and displaying their gratitude. The guru evaluates the progress of his disciples and assesses how to further their spiritual development, specifically by addressing their shortcomings.

Guru Tattva
The element or essence of the guru within

Gyan Yog
A path to discover consciousness through insights, practice and knowledge

Gyan
Knowledge

Isht
One who can guide us to moksh

Jal
Water energised by the use of mantras. Colloquially referred to as drinking water

Ji
A suffix in Hindi and many other languages of the Indian subcontinent, usually used with a name or title as a an honorific

Jyot
A flame of fire

Kada
An energised bangle that becomes a link between the guru and the shishya (disciple)

Kadai
A frying pan used to cook vegetables

Kanyadaan
Giving away a daughter in marriage

Karma
Connotes the action that leads to the entire cycle of cause and effect (samsar). It applies to all actions including thoughts, words, feelings and deeds

Karma Yog
The practise of selfless action

Karma Yogi
He who practises of selfless action

Karna Sharir
Causal body

Khichdi
An Indian dish made of rice and rentals

Kripa
Grace

Kula
Family lineage

Kusha
Type of grass used to sit on during mantra based meditation

Langar
Distribution of free food through a community kitchen

Lassi
Buttermilk

Laung
Clove, a spice, used as a healing tool at sthans

Lok/Lokas
Dimensions or planes of existence

Lungi
A type of sarong that originated in the Indian subcontinent, it is a
traditional skirt-like lower garment wrapped around the waist, usually below the belly.

Mallik
Consciousness Supreme/param-aatma

Maha Gayatri Mantra
An extened Gayatri mantra which is a highly revered chant from the Rig Veda

Maha Mrityunjay
The Rudra manifestation of Shiv

Maha Mrityunjay Mantra
Also known as the Rudra Mantra and the Tryambakam Mantra, it is a verse of the Rigveda believed to have healing power

Mahurat
An auspicious moment as determined by astrology

Mantra
A word or sound repeated to invoke a higher state of consciousness

Mantra Vidya
Science of mantra recitation

Masaan
Ashes from a cremation ground

Matha tekhna
Bowing one’s head in reverence

Maya
Means ‘that which is not’; maya is the illusion of reality

Moksha
Merger of the jivaatma into the param-aatma, minus all identification of the individual self. Moksh is considered to be the greatest achievement possible by any being

Moorti
Statue

Mukti
Freedom from the cycle of life and death for an extended period of time (thousand or several thousand years) but in an elevated dimensions,

Nandi
The gate-guardian deity of Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva. He is usually
depicted as a bull, which also serves as the mount to Shankar

Nimbu Paani
Lemonade

Nirman Kaya
Subtle energy body

Paath
The practice of mantras while lying down or in a meditative pose with focus

Padmasana
A type of yogic posture

Pandit
A person with knowledge of performing sacred Hindu rituals

Pattisa
Sugar pops

Pindi
Energised formations

Parivaar
Family

Phuliya
Sugarcoated barley grains

Pindi
Energised formations

Prana
Vital energy/breath

Pranpratisthaa
Rituals performed to energize an object/statue

Prakash
Light

Prasaad
An energized offering of food served to visitors at a religious or spiritual centre

Puth
Son

Roop
Form

Roti
Indian Tortilla

Sabzi
Cooked Indian vegetable dish

Samskaars
Impressions/engrams left on the subconscious mind by experiences from current and previous life-times

Samadhi
Final resting place of a siddh guru

Sanchalak
Head/manager

Sanyaas
Renunciation

Satsang
Spiritual discourse

Sattvic
Derived from sattva, which is one of the three gunas (attributes) that define one’s attitude at any point in time. A sattvic disposition indicates that a person is pure, honest and wise

Saptarishi
One of the seven rishis (sages) who extolled the Vedas

Seh Sharir
The ability to dematerialize by re-configuring the atomic structure of the body

Seva
Service

Sevadaar
One who serves other beings

Shakti
Electromagnetic force, contextually used to denote the feminine principle of energy

Shivling/Shivlingam
A symbolic representation of Shiv (the masculine energy)

Shishyas
Disciples

Siddh
Accomplished

Siddh Guru
An accomplished guru who can harness spiritual power to help people

Siddhi
Process of attainment

Sthaapna
Establishment of energy

Sthan
Centre for help and healing

Sukshma Sharir
Spirit or Subtle body

Tantra
Ancient Indian rituals related to physical and material spiritual practices

Tantrik
A practitioner of Tantra

Tapasya
Penance undertaken for spiritual realisation

Tattva
Element or aspect

Taweez
Talisman

Tilak
A saffron or vermilion mark applied on the forehead

Trishul
A trident that represents the energy harnessed by Shiv

Triveni
Meeting point of the three nadis in the human body

Vairagya
Detachment

Vanprashta Ashram
The third of four stages of human life according to Hindu Philosophy. Vanaprastha means “one who gives up worldly life”

Vichar
Thought

Vidya
Knowledge

Viraat Roop
Divine form

Vishay
Object of contemplation

Yagna/Yagya
Sacrifice or offering. Usually refers to a vedic ritual in which fire acts as a medium between human and spiritual energies

Yantra
An occult mystical diagram usually associated with a deity. It can be considered a spiritual graphic and sometimes, a 2-D rendering of a 3-D figure such as a temple

Yagshaala
A sacrificial altar