Detailed meanings for Sanskrit and spiritual terms.
Advaita
Non-duality; the philosophical doctrine that Brahman alone is real and the apparent multiplicity of the universe is illusory
Core principle of Advaita Vedanta philosophy
Brahman
The ultimate, infinite, unchanging reality or consciousness that is the source of all existence; the absolute ground of being
The non-dual ultimate reality in Advaita philosophy
Atman
The eternal, unchanging self or soul; individual consciousness; Brahman as it exists within each being
Individual consciousness that is identical to Brahman
Maya
The creative power of illusion; the principle of appearance that creates the apparent separation of the many from the one
Explains how multiplicity arises from non-dual Brahman
Sat-Chit-Ananda
Being-Consciousness-Bliss; the three primary characteristics of Brahman - existence, consciousness, and infinite peace
The nature of ultimate reality in Advaita
Vedanta
The concluding portion of the Vedas; the philosophical school based on the Upanishads and Brahma Sutras
The philosophical tradition within which Advaita exists
Upanishads
Ancient Sanskrit philosophical texts that form the basis of Vedantic philosophy; literally 'to sit near'
Primary sources for Advaita Vedanta teachings
Moksha
Liberation from the cycle of birth and death; the ultimate goal of spiritual practice in Hindu philosophy; freedom through realization of non-duality
The goal of Advaita practice
Self-realization
Direct experiential knowledge of one's true nature as Atman/Brahman; the realization of non-duality
The ultimate achievement in Advaita practice
Jnana
Direct, experiential knowledge or wisdom; one of the paths to liberation; knowledge of the identity of Atman and Brahman
The primary path emphasized in Advaita
Jnani
One who possesses jnana; a self-realized being or sage who has attained enlightenment
A person who has realized the non-dual truth
Avidya
Ignorance; lack of knowledge of one's true nature; the root cause of bondage and suffering
The fundamental problem addressed by Advaita
Vidya
Knowledge; particularly the knowledge of Brahman; enlightenment or wisdom that dispels ignorance
The cure for avidya in Advaita practice
Discrimination
The ability to distinguish the eternal from the temporary, real from unreal; a key practice in Advaita
Essential practice for spiritual progress
Viveka
Discrimination between the eternal and non-eternal; discernment between reality and illusion; a prerequisite quality for spiritual seekers
One of the four qualifications for spiritual practice
Vairagya
Dispassion or non-attachment; freedom from desire for worldly pleasures; detachment from the fruits of action
A prerequisite quality for spiritual practice
Guru
Spiritual teacher; one who has realized the truth and guides students toward liberation
Essential for transmission of Advaita knowledge
Shankara
Great Advaita philosopher and saint (8th century) who systematized Advaita Vedanta philosophy
Most influential teacher in Advaita tradition
Adi Shankara
The founder and primary exponent of Advaita Vedanta (788-820 CE); established four monastic orders
Historical figure central to Advaita philosophy
Vivekachudamani
The crest-jewel of discrimination; a famous Sanskrit text attributed to Adi Shankara on spiritual practice and self-knowledge
Key textual work on Advaita path
Brahma Sutras
Aphoristic texts on Brahman; one of the three main sources of Vedantic philosophy; also called Vedanta Sutras
Foundational text for Advaita philosophy
Non-duality
The state or realization that there is only one reality without a second; no separation between observer and observed
Core truth of Advaita
Duality
The apparent perception of two or more separate entities; subject-object relationship; characteristic of unenlightened consciousness
What Advaita seeks to transcend
Illusion
False perception or appearance; the misunderstanding of multiplicity as ultimately real; closely related to Maya
How the material world is understood in Advaita
Bondage
The state of being trapped in the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth due to ignorance of one's true nature
The problem Advaita seeks to solve
Liberation
Freedom from the cycle of rebirth; the ultimate goal of spiritual practice; same as Moksha
The purpose of Advaita practice
Samsara
The cycle of birth, death, and rebirth; the phenomenal world of suffering; continuous cycle of existence
What one seeks to transcend through Advaita
Karma
The law of cause and effect; actions and their consequences; determines the nature of future births and experiences
Explains individual circumstances and necessity of spiritual practice
Dharma
Duty, righteousness, virtue; the moral law governing individuals and society; one's rightful path
Foundation for spiritual practice in Advaita
Samadhi
State of deep meditative absorption; complete integration of mind and consciousness; a state of union with ultimate reality
Advanced state in meditation practice
Meditation
Focused concentration on the nature of reality; practice of dwelling on the truth of non-duality
One of the main practices in Advaita
Dhyana
Meditation; sustained contemplation on a single object or truth; meditation in Hindu and Buddhist philosophy
Practice of dwelling on truth
Consciousness
Awareness; the fundamental nature of existence; that which illuminates all experience; Brahman as the conscious principle
Essential nature of ultimate reality
Chit
Consciousness; pure awareness; the conscious principle of existence
Aspect of Sat-Chit-Ananda
Bliss
Ananda; supreme happiness or peace; the nature of Brahman and liberation; beyond pleasure and pain
Aspect of Sat-Chit-Ananda
Ananda
Bliss or supreme joy; the eternal peace and happiness of Brahman; transcendent joy
Aspect of ultimate reality
Being
Existence; Sat; the principle of pure existence underlying all reality
Aspect of Sat-Chit-Ananda
Sat
Being or existence; that which is eternally present and unchanging; the reality principle
Aspect of Sat-Chit-Ananda
Renunciation
Giving up attachment to worldly things; spiritual practice of releasing desires and ego
Path to liberation in Advaita
Detachment
Freedom from emotional or mental attachment; the ability to remain unaffected by worldly events
Necessary quality for spiritual progress
Teacher
Spiritual guide; one who transmits knowledge; a Guru in the tradition
Essential role in Advaita teaching
Student
Spiritual seeker; disciple; one who receives teaching from a Guru
Role in the teacher-student relationship
Shishya
Disciple or student in Sanskrit; one who learns from a Guru
Traditional term for spiritual student
Sadguru
True Guru; an enlightened master who has realized the truth and can lead others to liberation
Ideal form of spiritual teacher
Enlightenment
Spiritual awakening; realization of one's true nature; the state of being free from ignorance
The goal of Advaita practice
Suffering
Pain and dissatisfaction resulting from ignorance; the fundamental condition of unenlightened existence
What Advaita seeks to eliminate
Dukha
Suffering or pain; unsatisfactoriness; the inherent condition of phenomenal existence
Sanskrit term for suffering
Desire
Craving or want; attachment to objects; source of bondage and suffering in Advaita view
What must be transcended for liberation
Ego
Individual sense of identity; the false 'I' thought; attachment to individual personality; obstacle to realization
What must be dissolved in Advaita practice
Mind
The faculty of thinking, feeling, and willing; collection of mental modifications; instrument of knowledge in individual
Key focus in meditation practice
Manas
Mind; the faculty of thinking and desiring; one of the instruments of knowledge
Sanskrit term for mind
Intellect
Buddhi; the faculty of discrimination and understanding; the instrument of wisdom
Important faculty in Advaita practice
Buddhi
Intellect or intelligence; the discriminating faculty; the instrument of decision and judgment
Sanskrit term for intellect
Senses
The faculties of perception including sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch
Limited instruments of knowledge that must be transcended
Indriyas
Sense organs; the five organs of perception and five organs of action
Sanskrit term for senses
Body
Physical form; gross physical manifestation; considered insentient matter in Advaita
What covers the eternal Atman
World
Phenomenal manifestation; the apparent universe; appearance within consciousness
Understood as Maya in Advaita
Universe
The totality of manifested existence; creation; apparent multiplicity arising from non-dual Brahman
What is transcended in realization
Creation
The manifestation of the universe; appearance of multiplicity; not creation in the sense of beginning
How universe is understood in Advaita
God
Ishvara; the personal aspect of Brahman; creator and sustainer of the universe as conceived by dualistic mind
Understood as Maya in Advaita
Ishvara
The Lord; personal God; the manifestation of Brahman through Maya; associated with omniscience and omnipotence
The creator aspect in Advaita philosophy
Truth
Reality as it is; Brahman; that which is eternally present and unchanging
Core focus of Advaita realization
Reality
That which is eternally present and unchanging; Brahman; the ultimate nature of existence
What Advaita seeks to reveal
Knowledge of Brahman
Experiential realization of one's identity with Brahman; direct knowledge of non-duality
The ultimate knowledge in Advaita
Self-knowledge
Knowledge of one's true nature as Atman; understanding of identity with Brahman
Key to liberation in Advaita
Atma-jnana
Knowledge of the Self or Atman; direct realization of one's true nature
Sanskrit term for self-knowledge
Mantra
Sacred sound or phrase; tool for meditation and concentration; holds spiritual power
Used in Advaita practice
Mahavakya
Great saying; the four essential statements from Upanishads (Tat Tvam Asi, Aham Brahmasmi, etc)
Core truths of Advaita teaching
Tat Tvam Asi
That Thou Art; fundamental Upanishadic teaching that Atman is identical to Brahman
Most important Mahavakya
Aham Brahmasmi
I am Brahman; declaration of identity between individual self and ultimate reality
Key Mahavakya in Advaita
Prajnanam Brahma
Consciousness is Brahman; the ultimate reality is pure consciousness
Mahavakya emphasizing consciousness
Ayam Atma Brahma
This Atman is Brahman; direct identification of individual self with ultimate reality
Mahavakya in Mandukya Upanishad
Nirvikalpa Samadhi
State of meditation without any mental modifications; highest form of samadhi; absorption in formless consciousness
Ultimate meditative state in Advaita
Savikalpa Samadhi
State of meditative absorption with some subtle mental modifications; consciousness of subtle duality still present
Intermediate stage of meditation
Contemplation
Sustained deep thinking on spiritual truths; reflection on the meaning of teachings
Part of the Advaita path
Manana
Reflection or intellectual analysis; stage of understanding teachings through reasoning
Second stage after hearing teachings
Nididhyasana
Deep meditation on the truth; sustained contemplation; the final stage of spiritual practice
Third and final stage of Advaita practice
Shravanam
Hearing or listening to spiritual teachings; the first stage of spiritual practice
Foundational step in Advaita path
Witness Consciousness
The eternal unchanging awareness that observes all mental and physical phenomena; Sakshi
Nature of true Atman
Sakshi
The witness; consciousness that observes but is unaffected by experience
Sanskrit term for witness consciousness
Observer
Consciousness that witnesses all experience; the eternal subject that remains unchanged
Essential concept in Advaita
Observed
The objects of experience; that which is witnessed; the objective world
Distinguished from observer in Advaita
Subject-Object
The dualistic relationship between observer and observed; fundamental to phenomenal experience
What must be transcended
Identification
False association of consciousness with body and mind; misidentification as individual doer
Root of bondage
Disidentification
Separating consciousness from identification with body and mind; recognizing as witness
Process of liberation
Reincarnation
Rebirth; the process of consciousness taking on new bodies due to karma and vasanas
Cycle from which Advaita offers liberation
Rebirth
Taking on a new body and life; reincarnation; consequence of karma and desires
Understood as illusion in Advaita
Vasana
Subtle mental impression; deep habitual tendency; the seed of future karma and desires
Must be purified for liberation
Samskara
Mental impression or conditioning; groove in consciousness from past actions and thoughts
Shapes present experience and future births
Thought
Mental modification; vritti; content of consciousness; something arising in awareness
Must be transcended in meditation
Vritti
Mental modification or wave; thought or mental state; disturbance in consciousness
Sanskrit term for thought
Witness
Pure consciousness that observes all phenomena without involvement; the true self
What one realizes as the true nature
Doer
The false sense of individual agency; ego's claim to be the cause of actions
False identification in Advaita
Enjoyer
The sense of individual experiencing pleasure or pain; false claim of consciousness to enjoy
False identification transcended
Action
Deed; karma; what is done; in Advaita, apparent but not ultimately real
Realm of individual perspective
Peace
Shanti; freedom from mental disturbance; the natural state of consciousness
Result of spiritual realization
Shanti
Peace; absence of disturbance; the natural state of consciousness
Sanskrit term for peace
Silence
Absence of thought and sound; return to the source; natural state of consciousness
Characteristic of meditation
Emptiness
Freedom from content; absence of limiting identification; spaciousness of consciousness
Nature of pure awareness
Fullness
Completeness; absence of lack; the nature of Brahman that needs nothing
Characteristic of enlightenment
Permanence
Eternal unchanging nature; characteristic of Brahman and Atman
Distinguishes reality from illusion
Eternity
Timelessness; existence beyond past, present, and future; nature of Brahman
Characteristic of ultimate reality
Immutability
The quality of being unchanging; characteristic of Brahman that never changes
Essential nature of reality
Infinity
Boundless nature; characteristic of Brahman that has no limits
Nature of ultimate reality
Unity
Oneness; non-separation; the fundamental truth that all is one
Core insight of Advaita
Oneness
The state of being one; unity of all existence in Brahman; ultimate truth
Result of realization
Merger
The ultimate dissolution of individual consciousness into Brahman; samadhi
Final stage of realization
Dissolution
The apparent dissolution of mind, body, and world in higher consciousness
What happens in deep meditation
Absorption
Complete merging of individual awareness into universal consciousness; samadhi
State of meditation
I-sense
Sense of individual identity; false sense of 'I'; ego identification
What must be transcended
Individuality
The sense of being a separate entity; individual personality; limited identity
What is transcended in realization
Personality
The unique characteristics of an individual; ego-identity; false sense of separate self
Transcended in enlightenment
Experience
Lived encounter with phenomenal reality; subject-object relationship; temporary and limited
Transcended in ultimate knowledge
Perception
Awareness through senses; subject-object knowing; limited knowledge
Limited form of knowledge
Sensation
Felt experience through senses; physical or emotional feeling
Content of limited consciousness
Feeling
Emotional or physical sensation; vritti in consciousness
Mental modification to transcend
Emotion
Mental state with affective quality; mental modification; content of ego-consciousness
Transcended in enlightenment
Love
Spiritual love; love of truth; unconditional love arising from non-duality
Expression of realized state
Compassion
Sympathy and concern for all beings; natural expression of non-dual realization
Fruit of enlightenment
Forgiveness
Release of resentment; seeing the illusory nature of wrong; freeing oneself
Expression of wisdom
Acceptance
Allowing things as they are; absence of resistance; surrender to reality
Attitude in Advaita practice
Surrender
Giving up resistance to what is; submission to reality; devotion to truth
Important in spiritual practice
Letting go
Release of attachment; ceasing to hold; freedom through non-grasping
Key practice in Advaita
Release
Freedom through letting go; liberation from holding; the action of surrendering
Path to freedom
Freedom
Moksha; liberation; absence of bondage; the natural state
The goal of Advaita
Autonomy
Independence; self-determination; the freedom of consciousness from limiting conditions
Aspect of liberation
Independence
Freedom from dependence; autonomous existence; Brahman as self-sufficient
Nature of ultimate reality
Self-sufficiency
Completeness needing nothing; the nature of Brahman and enlightened consciousness
Characteristic of liberation
Wholeness
Completeness; integrity; the nature of consciousness as whole and undivided
Experience in enlightenment
Perfection
The flawless nature of Brahman; completeness without defect
Nature of ultimate reality
Divine
Relating to God or ultimate reality; characterized by transcendence
Nature of Brahman
Sacred
Set apart as holy; of ultimate significance; relating to the divine
What manifests in spiritual context
Holy
Sacred; pure; connected to the divine or ultimate reality
Nature of enlightened states
Purity
Freedom from contamination; clarity of consciousness; lack of limiting impressions
Prerequisite for realization
Clarity
Lucidity of mind; clear understanding; absence of confusion
Develops through practice
Understanding
Clear comprehension of truth; intellectual grasp followed by realization
Stage in Advaita path
Comprehension
Complete understanding; grasping the full meaning
Step toward realization
Grasp
Intellectual understanding; conceptual knowledge; initial comprehension
Before direct realization
Concept
Mental idea or notion; abstract thought; intellectual construct
Limited form of knowledge
Idea
Thought; mental construct; concept in consciousness
Mental content to transcend
Notion
Idea or conception; mental impression; thought
Limited mental content
Transcendence
Going beyond; rising above; the nature of consciousness that transcends all limitations
Ultimate nature of being
Transcendent
Existing beyond or above the physical; exceeding ordinary limits; relating to ultimate reality
Nature of Brahman
Ultimate
Final; most important; relating to Brahman or the highest truth
Descriptor of final reality
Supreme
Highest; foremost; the supreme reality which is Brahman
Ultimate nature
Absolute
Perfect; free from all conditions and limitations; Brahman; unconditioned reality
Ultimate reality in Advaita
Unconditioned
Free from all conditions and limitations; not dependent on anything; the nature of Brahman
Essential characteristic of reality
Limitation
Boundary or restriction; that which confines; what consciousness transcends
What is overcome in realization
Condition
State or circumstance; what qualifies or modifies; maya operates through conditions
What conditioned reality is bound by
Boundary
Limit or edge; division; what consciousness transcends in realization
Creates apparent separation
Separation
Division; apparent lack of unity; what is transcended in non-dual realization
Result of avidya
Division
Act of dividing; apparent multiplicity; what creates duality
Illusion in Advaita
Fragmentation
Breaking into pieces; appearance of multiplicity from one; what maya creates
False appearance in Advaita
Multiplicity
Many-ness; appearance of many; apparent diversification from unity
What is transcended in realization
Diversity
Variety; the appearance of different forms and qualities; maya's manifestation
In illusory realm
Variety
Diversity; many different kinds; the phenomenal world's characteristic
Apparent but not ultimately real
Difference
Distinction; lack of identity; what appears in ignorance
Illusory appearance
Distinction
Difference; marking as separate; appears in ignorance
What doesn't ultimately exist
Identity
Sameness; complete correspondence; realization that all is one consciousness
Ultimate truth in Advaita
Sameness
The quality of being identical; lack of difference; oneness
What is revealed in realization
Equality
Being the same in status or value; same consciousness in all
Realized perspective
Non-discrimination
Absence of making distinctions; seeing all as one; undifferentiated consciousness
Realized state
Impartiality
Not favoring one over another; equal regard for all; perspective of non-duality
Attitude of enlightened being
Fairness
Just and impartial treatment; equitable view; perspective of unity
Expression of realization
Justice
Fair treatment and judgment; natural order; dharma
Expression of understanding