BEGINNERS VEDIC DICTIONARY
(See the back of your Gita for pronunciation guide)

ATMA - "self"--can refer to the body, mind or the soul
ACARYA - A spiritual master who teaches by his own example
ARATI - Greeting ceremony for the pleasure of the Deities
ARYAN - A member of a spiritually advanced civilization
ASHRAM - A place of residence for those engaged in the strict practice of
         spiritual life
ASURA - The opposite of a godly person (sura), in other words demoniac
        person
AVATAR - One who descends, an incarnation of the Lord
AUSTERITY - (i) To voluntarily accept conditions which may not be very
                comfortable for the body but are conducive for spiritual
                life.
           (ii) To accept the order of the spiritual master
                unconditionally.
          (iii) To do something for the pleasure of Krsna which we may not
                be inclined to do, or not to do something which we may
                feel inclined to do under the guidance of the spiritual
                master (see also Bhagavad Gita chapter 17, texts 14-17)
BHAGAVAD GITA - The song of God (BHAGAVAN)
BHAKTIVEDANTA - "The end (anta) of all knowledge (veda) is devotion to
                Krsna." (Bhakti) or/"the conclusion of the Vedas is
                bhakti."
BHAJAN - Singing a song glorifying Krsna, usually done whilst sitting
BHAKTA - A devotee or one who practices devotion
BHOGA - Foodstuffs or prepared food before being offered to Krsna for His
        enjoyment
BRAHMACARI - Celibate student or monk (he wears saffron-coloured cloth)
BRAHMAN - Spirit
BRAHMANA - A priest-like teacher in spiritual life
BRAHMA MUHURTA - The auspicious time about 1 1/2 hours before dawn, that
                 is especially conducive for spiritual practices
BURFI - A sweet made of condensed milk
CADAR - A cloth shawl
CAPATI - A flat, dry cooked bread
CARANAMRTA - The nectar from the lotus feet of the Lord which cures one's
             material disease (see Nectar of Devotion page 84)
DAHL - A nutritious soup made from lentils (very good for you!)
DANDAVATS - To bow down lying flat like a stick (danda) with hands fully
            outstretched at the feet of a superior Vaisnava
DARSHAN - (lit: "to see") when a devotee comes before the Guru or the
          Deities, is seen by Them, and is blessed with spiritual
          understanding and advancement
DHARMA - The capacity to render service which is the common denominator of
         every living being
DEVA - Demigod or godly person (lit: "div"- to shine, therefore "deva"
       means "shining one")
DHOTI - The robe that a male devotee wears
ECSTASY - A transcendental happiness that comes from a genuine spiritual
          affection for the Lord and His devotees
EKADASI - A special day for increased rememberance of Lord Krsna, which we
          observe twice monthly (11 days after the new moon and 11 days
          after the full moon). We fast from all grains and beans on this
          day.
GAYATRI MANTRA - A special mantra that a devotee murmurs silently,
                 morning, noon and evening after he/she has received
                 second initiation. The BRAHMANA THREAD is a thread
                 awarded to a male devotee which he uses when chanting his
                 gayatri mantra. A devotee saying this mantra should not
                 be interrupted.
GHEE - Purified or clarified butter used for frying
GODBROTHER/SISTER - When one is initiated one accepts a spiritual master
                    as one's spiritual father who represents the Supreme
                    Father. Therefore, any of his disciples become your
                    Godbrother or Godsister. His own Godbrothers are your
                    God uncles and they are described in the sastras to be
                    as worshipable as your spiritual master and so one
                    should be very respectful to them.
GOPI - Transcendental cowherd girl or milkmaid, exemplifying the highest
       devotion for Krsna
GOPA - Transcendental cowherd boy friend of Krsna
GRHASTHA - Married devotee (he wears white clothes)
GULAB - A round, fried sweet made of powdered milk soaked in thick syrup
        that used to be called an "Iskcon bullet" when the movement was
        first started
GURU - A bona fide spiritual master (lit: guru means "heavy" with
       spiritual knowledge)
GURUDEV - The spiritual master, who represents God, the demigods and all
          the godly persons.
GURUKULA - The "place of the guru" or school
HALAVA - A sweet preparation made from semlina roasted in butter
HARI NAM SANKIRTAN - congregational chanting of the holy name in a public
                     place for the benefit of everyone
INITIATION - The formal ceremony of accepting the spiritual master as
             one's lifelong friend and master and at this time one vows to
             follow the 4 regulative principles (which anyone, even
             staying as a guest in our temples is supposed to maintain)
             for the rest of one's life; to chant at least 16
             rounds, and to rise early every day for mangala arati. In
             ISKCON one does not generally take this 1st initiation for at
             least one year after joining, so that a candidate for
             initiation can be sure to clearly understand exactly what he
             is doing.
ISTAGHOSTI - (lit: "talking about Krsna") A discussion amongst devotees
             for the purpose of helping one another along the path of
             spiritual understanding.
JAGAT GURU - Guru for the whole world
JAPA - Chanting the Holy Names on beads
"JAYA!" - "All Glories!" (to Lord Krsna and the spiritual master) or all
          "victory!"
JNANA - Knowledge of the distinction between the body, soul and Supreme
        Soul
KACORI - A vegetable delicacy that was a favourite of Srila Prabhupada's
         throughout his life
KALA - Eternal time
KALI - Goddess of the material energy
KALI-YUGA - Age of quarrel, the last in the cycle of four ages
KARMA - (i) Material action performed according to scriptural regulations
       (ii) Action pertaining to the development of the material body;
      (iii) Any material action which will incur a subsequent reaction;
       (iv) The material reaction one incurs due to fruitive activity
KARMI -  One who is engaged in the above process of fruitive work
KHIR - Sweet rice
KARATALS - Small cymbals made of bell metal (lit: "kara"-hand "tal"-bell)
KIRTAN - Singing the Holy Name and dancing
KURTA - A shirt that a male devotee wears
LADDU - A sweet made of gram flour and butter
LAKSMI - Goddess of fortune, or money when used for Krsna
LILA - Pastime of the Lord or His pure devotee
LOTUS FEET - This term is often used in reference to Lord Krsna, and
             Krsna's pure devotee. Lord Krsna is so beautiful that by
             looking at the most beautiful aspects of the creation only
             can we get an idea of what He is like. The lotus is such an
             object. We start looking at Krsna beginning at His feet
             because Krsna never leaves there, His feet always rest
             on that lotus. Similarly, Krsna's pure devotee enjoys the
             same freedom and stance on the lotus of the spiritual
             kingdom. In the Bhagavad Gita Lord Krsna gives the example of
             how a lotus is not touched by the water in which it stands.
             Similarly, the self realized soul is not touched by the
             material energy although he is acting within it.
MAHA MAHA PRASADA - That prasada which comes directly from the plate of
                    the Guru - it is the most purifying of all
MAHAPRABHU - A name for Lord Caitanya, the greatest (maha-great) of all
             masters
MAHA PRASADA - That prasada that has been offered directly on the altar to
               the Deities
MANGALA - auspicious
MANTRA - A hymn or pure sound vibration that delivers ("tra") the mind
         ("mana") from material conditioning
MAHA MANTRA - The "greatest" mantra
MAYA - ("ma"-not, "ya"-this illusion) an energy of Krsna's which deludes
       the living entity into forgetfulness of the Supreme Lord
MAYAPUR - The transcendental abode ("dhama") where Lord Caitanya appeared
          and eternally resides
MAYAVADI - Impersonalist or voidist adhering to the belief that ultimately
           God is formless and without personality, and that he is also God
MODES - 3 qualities of this material world; sattva-goodness,
        rajas-passion, tamas-ignorance
MRDANGA - Special double-headed drum, very sweet to hear, used in kirtana
MUKTI - The liberated stage--ultimate liberation means to be situated in
        one's original position as the eternal servant of the Supreme
        Personality of Godhead, this is known as 'vimukti'
NARAYANA - A name for Krsna in His four-armed form as the Lord of
           Vaikkuntha, the spiritual world
OBEISANCES - Bowing respectfully to a Superior Vaisnava or Krsna
OMKARA - OM, the transcendental syllable which represents Krsna and which
         is vibrated by transcendentalists for attainment of the Supreme
         when undertaking sacrifices, charities and penances
PAKORA - A vegetable delicacy coated in batter and fried
PANDAVAS - The five sons of King Pandu; Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula
           and Sahadeva
PARABRAHMAN - The Supreme Spirit
PARAMATMA - The Supersoul ("param"-Supreme, "atma"-soul). The localised
            form of the Lord within the heart of every living entity
PARAMPARA - Disciplic succession through which spiritual knowledge is
            transmitted
POURI - A flat bread fried in ghee
PRABHU - "Master". A devotee, although he naturally considers himself the
         humble servant of everyone, represents the Supreme Master,
         Mahaprabhu, and so is adressed as prabhu. Devotees respectfully
         adress each other as prabhu, always prepared to serve each other
         in loving exchanges.
PRABHUPADA - (1) The master ("Prabhu") at whose feet ("pada") all other
                 masters sit (BTG no.64)
             (2) The spiritual master who occupies the post or position
                 ("pada") of the representative of the Lord
             (3) "Prabhu" also means 'master of the senses' like 'svami'
             (4) "Prabhu" - "Lord", "pada" - position = "He who has taken
                 the position of the Lord" (22/8/73)
PRAJALPA - Useless, inconsequential, mundane talking that benefits no-one
PRASADA - "Mercy", or a term used for food or anything else after it has
          been offered to the Lord
PREMA - Real love of God
PUJA - A ceremony for the worshipping of the Guru or the Deity, the person
       offering the worship called the PUJARI
RADHARANI/SRIMATI - (a respectful address to a female person)
                    RADHARANI is Lord Krsna's personal pleasure potency.
                    She is Krsna's personal energy and is therefore
                    non-different from Him. Her name comes from the word
                    "aradhana", to 'give worship' - She is the best
                    worshipper or devotee of Krsna.
RAMA - (1) Name of the Absolute Truth as the source of unlimited pleasure
       (2) Incarnation of the Lord as a perfect King (Lord Ramacandra)
       (3) A shortening of the Lord's name "Balarama"
RASA - Relationship between the Supreme Lord and the living entities (5
       principal varieties)
RASAGULLA - A round cheeseball boiled in a light syrup (it makes a
           squeaking sound when you eat)
SAKABDA - a dating system often used in India - (to make it a.d. simply
          add 79 yrs.
SADHU - Holy man, devotee
SAMADHI - Trance or absorbtion in Krsna consciousness
SAMOSA - A delicacy, enveloped in pastry and fried (similar looking to a
         small pastry)
SANATANA-DHARMA - The eternal religion of a living being, which is to
                  render service unto the Lord
SANDESH - A sweet made of curd cheese
SANKIRTAN - The congregational glorification of the Lord by singing, and
            dancing or, a term used for the propagation of the Lord's
            glories
SANNYASI - A teacher in the renounced order (lifelong monk) respectfully
           addressed as "maharaja"
SAREE - The dress that is worn by the feminine sex
SASTRA - Revealed scripture ("sastra"-to rule by weapons)
SASTRIC - To rule by scripture
SIKHA - traditional tuft or lock of hair retained at the back of the head
        which differentiates a vaisnava "personalist" from the other
        "impersonalists" (such as shaven-headed Buddhist monks). Devotees
        usually tie it a slip knot after bathing
SIMPLY WONDERFUL - A sweet, given this name by Srila Prabhupada, which is
                   made of powdered milk, icing sugar and butter
SLOKA - Verse
SRILA - A respectful term which shouold be used when addressing the Guru,
        ie. Srila Prabhupada
SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM - The beautiful story of the Supreme Personality of
                    Godhead
SUNDARA - beautiful
SUBJI - vegetable preparation
SWAMI - Or Goswami - one who can control the mind and senses
TAPASYA - Voluntary acceptance of some material trouble for progress in
          spiritual life
TILAK - A special clay, like "fuller's earth" that a devotee annoints the
        body with as a temple of the Lord
TRANSCENDENTAL - A state which is above the material modes of nature, on
                 the platform of eternity
TRIDANDA - The rod (danda) that a Sannyasi carries signifying that three
           items, body, mind and words are all exclusively dedicated to
           the service of the Lord. The small curved piece at the top of
           the danda indicates that also his soul is surrendered to Lord
           Krsna.
TRIDANDI SANNYASI - a devotee who has accepted the Tridanda or sannyasa
                    initiation
TURMERIC - The powdered spice which has a strong colour and purifies the
           blood
VASUDEV - Father of Krsna
VASUDEVA - Lord Krsna the son of Vasudev
VAISNAVA - Devotee of Visnu (or God)
VEDAS - Scriptures coming from God (lit: "veda" means knowledge)
VIJNANA - The science of devotional service whereby one realises oneself
          to be the eternal servant of Krsna
VISNU - A name for Krsna as the creator, maintainer and destroyer of the
        material worlds
VRINDAVAN - The site of Lord Krsna's transcendental village pastimes,
            exhibited when He was present on earth about 5,000 years ago;
            Lit: "Forest" (vana) of Tulasi trees (Vrnda)
VYASASANA - The seat (asana) of Vyasa or one representing Vyasa. Only a
            bonafide Guru is allowed to sit on the Vyasasana
VYASADEVA - The greatest philosopher of ancient times, who, as an
            empowered incarnation of the Lord compiled the Vedic
            literatures
YAJNA - Sacrifice (pronounced Jagya)
YOGA - (lit: "plus") to link, join, connect, yoke, etc with the Lord


