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Glossary of Sanskrit Terms

Ibada - an Islamic term for divine worship.
Ignorance five types - Lord Brahma first creates these five types of ignorance (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.12.2.). Because of the desire to enjoy maya, the jiva develops the false ego that he can enjoy material sense gratification, and then the five types of ignorance - tamah (not knowing anything about the spirit soul), moha (the illusion of the bodily concept of life), maha-moha (madness for material enjoyment), tamisra (forgetfulness of one’s constitutional position due to anger or envy) and andha-tamisra (considering death to be the ultimate end) - cover his pure, atomic nature.
Isanugata - those who are devoted or surrendered to Isa (Sri Bhagavan); the Vaisnavas.
Ishqh - an Islamic term for love (spiritual or mundane).
Ista-deva - one’s worshipful deity; the particular form of Krsna toward whom one is attracted and who is the object of one’s love and service.
Isvara - the Supreme Lord or Supreme Controller.
Itihasa - (1) history in general. (2) a book which contains instructions on dharma, artha, kama, and moksa, and narrations of ancient events (dharmartha-kama-moksanam upadesa-samanvitam purva-vrta katha-yuktam itihasam pracaksate). This definition is quoted in Gaudiya-Vaisnava-abhidhana. (3) the fifth Veda. According to both sruti and smrti, the Itihasa and the Puranas are considered the fifth Veda. Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.12.39) states, itihasa-puranani pancamam vedam; and (1.4.20), itihasa puranan ca pancamo veda ucyate. In his commentary on (1.4.20), Jiva Gosvami quotes the Mahabharata (Moksa-dharma 340.21), vedan adhyapayamasa mahabharata-pancaman iti, “Vyasa taught the Vedas along with the fifth of their number, the Mahabharata.” Similarly in Manu-smrti (3.232) it is said, akhyananitihasams ca. In his Manu-vartha-muktavali commentary on this sloka, Kulluka Bhatta (a celebrated commentator on Manusmrti from the twelfth century) states, itihasan mahabharatadin, “The word itihasan refers to the Mahabharata and other literature.” These references establish that the word itihasa specifically refers to the Mahabharata. Within the Mahabharata is found the Bhagavad-Gita, which is accepted as the essence of all the Vedas even by Sri Sankaracarya, who states in the introduction to his Gita commentary, tad idam gita-sastram samasta-vedartha-sarasangraha- bhutam, “This gita-sastra is the essence of the purport of all the Vedas.” This further confirms that the itihasa is part of the body of Vedic literature. Sruti itself (Chandogya Upanisad 7.1.2) declares that the Itihasa and Puranas are the fifth Veda among the body of Vedic literature, itihasam puranam pancamam vedanam vedam.

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Jasa - inanimate object; worldly, material.
Jasa-anuraga - attachment for mundane material objects.
Jasa-sakti - the material or external potency also known as maya.
Jasiya-kala - material time which is designated by the divisions of past, present, and future.
Jaiva-dharma - the constitutional function of the jiva; unadulterated love for the Supreme Lord.
Jangama - moving living beings such as animals, birds, insects, aquatics, and humans.
Janma - birth, origin.
Janmastami - the appearance day of Lord Sri Krsna which occurs on the eighth day of the dark lunar fortnight of the month of Bhadra (August-September). According to the Visnu Purana, however, Janmastami occurs on the eighth day of the dark lunar fortnight of the month of Sravana (July-August). The reason for this difference is that in some years the mukhya-candra-masa, or principal lunar month falls in Sravana. The mukhya-candra-masa refers to a lunar month which ends with a conjunction of planets, whereas gauracandra- masa refers to a lunar month which ends with an opposition of planets. When the mukhya-candra-masa occurs in Sravana, Janmastami falls in that month instead of Bhadra.
Japa - loud chanting or soft utterance of the holy names of Krsna to oneself; usually referring to the practice of chanting hari-nama on tulasi beads. The word japa comes from the verbal root jap which means to utter or whisper repeatedly (especially prayers or incantations). In the Sabda-kalpa-druma, japa has been defined as the utterance of mantras either within the heart or verbally. In Haribhakti- vilasa (17.155-159) Srila Sanatana Gosvami describes japa in the following words: “In the Nrsimha-Purana it is said that japa-yajna is of three kinds: (1) vacika (verbal), (2) upamsu (in a whisper), and (3) manasika (within the mind). When a mantra is pronounced very distinctly either in a high, low, or resonant voice it is known as vacika-japa. When a mantra is uttered slowly with slight movement of the lips and can be heard only by one’s own ears it is known as upamsu-japa. When one meditates on the meaning of the mantra by application of the intelligence going repeatedly from one syllable to the next and from one word to the next it is known as manasika-japa.”
Jati - caste, race, or species.
Jati-bheda - caste distinction; the difference between various castes or species.
Jism - an Islamic term for matter.
Jiva - the eternal individual living entity who, in the conditioned state of material existence, assumes a material body in any of the innumerable species of life.
Jnana - (1) knowledge, (2) knowledge which leads to impersonal liberation: this concerns the atma’s distinction from matter and its identity with brahma.
Jnana-adhikara - eligibility for knowledge leading to liberation.
Jnana-kansa - a division of the Vedas which relates to knowledge of the one, undifferentiated spirit known as brahma.
Jnana-mudra - the traditional posture of the hand formed with the tip of the thumb touching the tip of the index finger.
Jnana-nistha - those who are fixed in the pursuit of monistic knowledge aiming at liberation.
Jnana-viddha - vaisnava-dharma which is adulterated with jnana, knowledge directed toward the attainment of impersonal liberation.
Jnana-yoga - the path of spiritual realization through a philosophical search for truth.
Jnani - one who pursues the path of jnana, or knowledge, directed toward impersonal liberation.

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Kali-yuga - the present age of quarrel and hypocrisy which began five thousand years ago (see yuga).
Kamya-karma - religious rites performed to obtain some specific material benefit.
Kanistha-bhakta - the neophyte practitioner of bhakti.
Karatalas - small brass hand cymbals used for devotional songs.
Karma - (1) any activity performed in the course of material existence. (2) pious activities leading to material gain in this world or in the heavenly planets after death. (3) fate; former acts leading to inevitable results.
Karma-adhikara - eligibility for pious action leading to material gain.
Karma-kanda - a division of the Vedas which relates to the performance of ceremonial acts and sacrificial rites directed toward material benefits or liberation.
Karma-viddha - vaisnava-dharma which is adulterated with karma, activities directed toward material benefits.
Karma-yoga - the path to God realization through dedication of the fruits of one’s work to God.
Karmi - one who pursues the Vedic path of karma directed toward material gain or elevation to the heavenly planets.
Karya-sakti - the potency by which activity is carried out.
Kausi - a small shell used as currency
Kaya-vyuha - direct expansions. All the four types types of Srimati Radhika’s sakhis are nitya-siddha, and they are direct expansions (kaya-vyuha) of Srimati Radhika’s own svarupa. She eternally manifests eight bhavas as the eight principle sakhis and Her four different types of service moods as the four different types of sakhis - namely, priya-sakhis, narma-sakhis, prana-sakhis, and parama-prestha sakhis. All these sakhis are kaya-vyuha direct expansions, whereas the sadhana-siddha gopis are not expansions. The queens in Dvaraka fall into a different category of expansion known as vaibhava-prakasa, and the Laksmis in Vaikuntha are vaibhava-vilasa expansions of Srimati Radharani. The wives of Vamana and other avataras in Devaloka are also expansions. Durga-devi in this world is a material expansion.
Kayastha - a particular caste in Hindu society; those born from a ksatriya father and a sudra mother. They are generally well-educated, and many work as writers. The kayasthas claim to be descendents of Citragupta (the scribe of Yamaraja).
Kazi - a Muslim magistrate, usually the ruler of a town or city (like a mayor).
Khicari - a savory dish of rice and dahl boiled together with ghee and spices.
Khoda - an Islamic term for God.
Kirtana - congregational singing of Krsna’s holy names, sometimes accompanied by music. This may also refer to loud individual chanting of the holy name, as well as oral descriptions of Bhagavan names, forms, qualities, associates, and pastimes. Kirtana is the most important of the nine angas of bhakti.
Krsna-bahirmukha - being oblivious to Krsna due to having one’s attention focused outwardly toward the material world; ignorance of Krsna and enthrallment with material enjoyment.
Krsna-dasya - service to Krsna; the dharma, or spiritual function of the jiva. In its perfectional state this refers to prema.
Krsna-lila - the divine pastimes of Sri Krsna (see lila).
Krsna-prema - pure love for Krsna (see prema).
Krsna-unmukha - those whose attention is focused upon Krsna.
Krsna-vimukhata - the state of having one’s attention turned away from Krsna; the state of absorption in the material world.
Ksatriya - the second of the four varnas, or castes, in the varnasrama system; an administrator or warrior.
Ksayonmukha - the decline or diminution of any object or thing; the stage in which a jiva’s relationship with the material world gradually diminishes due to engagement in spiritual practice.
Ksudra-cetana - possessing minute consciousness; the living entities.
Kunja - a grove or bower; a natural shady retreat with sides and a roof formed mainly by trees and climbing plants.
Kuticaka - the first of four stages of sannyasa. According to the Vedic system, when one first renounces family life, the ascetic will construct a cottage (kutira) just outside his village and will accept the necessities for his maintenance from his family members or the villagers. This stage has been referred to in Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.12.43). In Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura’s commentary on the afore-referenced sloka, he defines the kuticaka stage as svasrama-karma-pradhana, predominated by the performance of karma which pertains to one’s own asrama, or stage of life.
Kutira - a cottage or hut.