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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Acharya a spiritual master who teaches by his own example.
a brahmin religious master.
Advaita non-dual (indicating, when referring to the Lord, that there is no difference between His body and He Himself).
a branch of Vedanta philosophy emphasizing the unity of the individual and God.
Agni the demigod who controls fire.
Aggressor a person who start a fight or war with another person.
Ahimsa the principle of not using violence.
Akarma action for which one suffers no reaction because it is performed in Krishna Consciousness.
Ananda transcendental bliss.
Archana the process of Deity worship.
Aryan one who knows the value of life and has a civilization based on spiritual realization.
Ashram or Ashrama a place where people who have withdrawn from society live apart as a group.
one of the four spiritual orders of life - brahmachari - ashrama (or student life);
grihasta - ashrama (or married life);
vanaprastha - ashrama (or retired life) and
sannyasa - ashrama (or the renounced order of life).
Ashtanga yoga = (ashta = eight + anga = part) a mystic yoga system propounded by Patanjali in his Yoga-sutra and consisting of eight parts - yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi)
Asura (a= not + sura = godlu) demon any of the evil spirits or giants who frequently with the demigods.
Atma or Atman the self (refers sometimes to the body, sometimes to the soul, and sometimes to the senses).
Avatara or Avatar an incarnation of the Lord who descends from the spiritual world to the material Universe with a particular mission.
Avidya (a = non + vidya = knowledge) ignorance.

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Bhagavan or Bhagwan (bhag = opulence+ van = possessing) the possessor of all opulencess which are generally six - wealth, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge and renunciation; an epithet of the Supreme Person or God
Bhakta a devotee, or one who practises devotion (bhakti)
Bhakti love of God; purified service of the senses of the Lord by one's own senses; devotional service to God
Bhakti yoga the system of cultivation of bhakti (or pure devotional service) which is untinged by sense gratification or philosophical speculation; a spiritual practice emphasizing bhakti
Brahmachari celibate student, first of the four ashrama
Brahmacharya the first stage in the life of a man who keeps closely to Vedic customs and duties before marriage
Brahma jijnasa spiritual inquiry into one's own identity
Brahmajyoti (brahma = spiritual + jyoti = light) the impersonal effulgence emanating from the body of Krishna.
Brahmanloka the abode of Lord Brahma
Brahman 1) the infinitesimal spiritual soul;
2) the all-pervading impersonal aspect of Krishna;
3) the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Brahmana the intelligent class of men, according to the system of social and spiritual orders; a member of the highest order in Vedic society according to occupational divisions
Brahma samhita a very ancient Sanskrit scripture of the prayers of Brahma to Govinda, recovered from a temple in South India by Lord Chaitanya
Buddhi yoga (buddhi = intelligence + yoga = mystic elevation) the practice of devotional service. Action in Krishna consciousness is buddhi yoga, for that is the highest intelligence

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Chaitanya charitamrita biography of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu written and compiled by Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami
Chandala dog-eater; the lowest class of human beings
Chandra the demigod who rules the moon; the moon-god
Chandraloka the moon; the abode of Chandra
Chariot an open vehicle with two wheels, pulled by horses, used in ancient (old) times
Chaturmasya a vow of austerity for four months during the year

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Darshan viewing the Deity
Deva a demigod or godly person
Devakinandana (Devaki = Krishna's mother + nandana = joy) Krishna, the joy of Devaki)
Dharamshala building where people can rest on a journey, especially one for pilgrims
Dharma the capacity to render service, which is the essential quality of a living being; duty
Dvapara yuga or Dwapara yuga the third age of the cycle of a maha-yuga. It lasts more than 4,320,000 years

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Ekadashi a special day for increased remembrance of Krishna or Vishnu which devotees observe twice a month by fasting and hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord

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Gandharavas the celestial singers of the heavenly planets.
Ganges or Ganga the sacred river which flows from northern to eastern India. One is recommended to bathe in the river for purification
Garuda a creature, half human and half eagle, on which Lord Vishnu rides; a giant eagle who acts as the carrier of Lord Vishnu
Gayatri Mantra a transcendental vibration chanted by the brahmanas for spiritual realization
Goloka a name of the planet of Krishna
Goswami a swami, master of the senses
Govinda one of Krishna's names. "One who gives pleasures to the land, the cows and the senses."
Grihastha householder (second) stage of life.
Guna any of the three qualities of matter - sattva (goodness), rajas (passion) and tamas (ignorance)
Gunavataras the three incarnations who control the three modes of material nature: Brahma controls passion, Vishnu goodness and Shiva ignorance
Guru spiritual master or instructor

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Hanuman the great monkey devotee who served the Lord in His incarnation as Lord Ramachandra; the son of Pavan, the god of the air, and famous for his courage and being devoted to Lord Rama
Hare Krishna Mantra Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare - the maha-mantra ( or great chant for deliverance). Krishna and Rama are the names of the Lord, and Hare addresses the energy of the Lord. These names have been particularly recommended for chanting in this age
Hari one of the names of Lord Vishnu or Krishna
Hatha yoga a system of yoga that emphasises bodily exercises to help control the senses
Hrishikesha one of the names of Krishna, the master of all senses

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Ikshvaku a son of Manu who received the knowledge of Bhagavad-Gita in the past
Indra the king of the heavenly planets
Indraloka the planet where Lord Indra resides
Ishvara the Supreme Controller

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Jagannatha one of Lord Krishna's names, the Lord of the universe. He is worshipped in eastern India, especially in Orissa
Janaka a great self-realized king and father-in-law of Lord Rama
Janmashtami a festival celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna
Japa soft chanting of the Holy Names of God peformed with the aid of prayer beads
Jayanti an anniversary
ji honorific suffix added to almost any name as a term of endearment - e.g. Guruji, Mataji
Jiva (jivatma) the soul or atomic living entity
Jnana knowledge. Material jnana does not go beyond the material body. Transcendental jnana discriminates between matter and spirit. Perfect jnana is knowledge of the body, the soul and the Supreme Lord
Jnana yoga the spiritual practice that emphasizes spiritual knowledge as the way to salvation
Jnani one who is engaged in the cultivation of knowledge (especially by philosophical speculation). Upon attaining perfection, a jnani surrenders to Krishna

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Kailash the home of Lord Shiva in the Himalayas
Kala eternal time
Kali a demigoddess (to whom worshippers may offer meat); the black form of Lord Shiva's wife who is worshipped by Shakta Sect. She wears a necklace of skulls
Kali Yuga the age of quarrel, darkness and hypocrisy, the fourth and last age in the cycle of a maha-yuga. This is the age in which we are now living. It lasts for a total of 432,000 years, of which more than 5250 years have already passed
Kaliya Serpent snake that Krishna punished for poisoning the Yamuna River
Kalki the tenth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He will arrive on a white horse at the end of Kali-yuga to destroy miscreants
Kama desire, pleasure
Kama the god of love, Cupid
Kamsa Krishna's wicked uncle who always tried to kill Krishna but was ultimately killed by Him
Kapila an incarnation of Vishnu or Krishna who appeared in Satya yuga as the son of Devahuti and Kardama Muni and expounded devotional Sankhya philosophy. (There was also an atheist called Kapila, but he was not an incarnation of the Lord)
Karanodakashayi Vishnu (Maha Vishnu) He lies within Causal Ocean and breathes out innumerable universes
Karma 1) material action performed according to scriptural regulation
2) action pertaining to the development of the material body
3) any material action which will incur a subsequent reaction; the concept that whatever you do creates a reaction that you will receive in the future
4) the material reaction one incurs due to fruitive activities
5) fate
Karma yoga 1) action in devotional service
2) action performed by one who knows that the goal of life is Krishna but is addicted to the fruits of his activities
Karna son of Kunti and half brother of Pandava brothers. He sided with Duryodhana to fight against the Pandavas in Kurukshetra
Kartikeya the son of Pravati and Shiva, the god of war. Also known as Subrahmanya or Skanda
Katha a tradition of telling stories
Kaurava any of the sons of King Dhritarashtra in Mahabharata
Khichri a cooked dish of rice, dal and vegetables
Khir or Kheer 1) (northern and western India) a sweet dish of rice boiled with milk and sugar
2) milk that is made thicker and sweeter by being boiled with sugar. It is served as a dessert in eastern India
Kirtan 1) glorification of the Supreme Lord 
2) a type of song used in religious worship usually about the life of Krishna and sung by a group that repeats lines sung by the main singer
Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead, also known as Govinda or Gopala; the original name of the Supreme Lord in His original transcendental form; the Speaker of Bhagavad-Gita
Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami the author of Chaitanya Charitamira (Biography of Lord Chaitanya)
Krishna karma doing all work for the sake of Krishna
Krishna katha telling stories about the life of Krishna
Krishnaloka the planet in the spiritual world where Krishna resides
Kshatriya 1) a member of the second highest caste, traditionally of rulers and warriors
2) the adminstrative or protective occupation according to the system of four social and spiritual orders
Kshetra  field of activities, the body of the conditioned soul
Kshetrajna  (kshetra = field or body + jna = knowing) one who is conscious of the body. Both the soul and the Supersoul are kshetrajna, for the individual soul is conscious of his own particular body and the Supersoul is conscious of the bodies of all living beings
Kshirodakashayi Vishnu  the Vishnu expansion of the Supreme Lord who enters into the heart of every created being and into every atom. He is also called the Suersoul
Kumara or Kumar  a young man who is not married 
Kumaras  four brahmachari sons of Lord Brahma, who became great devotees of the Lord and great authorities on devotional service
Kumari  a young woman who is not married
Kumbha Mala  a Hindu bathing festival held on the river banks of any of the sacred cities Allahabad, Hardwar, Nasik or Ujjain
Kund  small lake or pond or Kunda
Kundalini  (in Tantra) the divine power believed to exist in the base of the spine. Its' symbol is a coiled snake
Kunti  the mother of the five Pandavas and the aunt of Lord Krishna
Kurukshetra  name of a place of pilgrimage held sacred since ancient times. It is located near modern New Delhi, India; place where Mahabarata War took place more than five thousand years back 
Kuvera or Kubera  the god of wealth; the treasurer of the demigods

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Laddu a round sweet made from ghee, sugar and other ingredients
Lakh one hundred thousand, written as 1,00,000
Lakshman the younger half-brother of Rama in the famous epic `Ramayana'
Lakshmi the goddess of fortune, consort of Lord Vishnu
Lassi a drink made from yogurt or curd
Lila or Leela transcendentalist pastime or activity performed by God or His devotee
Linga phallic symbol which is used in the worship of Lord Shiva
Loka a planet

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Ma a mother
Madana-mohana a name of Krishna "the enchanter of even Cupid"
Madhusudana a name of Krishna, "killer of Madhu demon"
Maha great
Maha-mantra the great chanting for deliverance - Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Mahabharata a Sanskrit epic written by Srila Vyasadeva and describing the adventures of the Pandavas. Bhagavad-Gita is the heart of Mahabharata
Mahadeva one of the names of Lord Shiva 
Maharaj or Maharaja king, ruler, sannyasi
Maharshi great rishi, spiritual leader 
Mahatma a great soul, a deeply spiritual person
Mahasamadhi the state of death, seen as a deep trance in the case of a spiritual leader
Maha-tattva the total material energy
Mahavira the religious personality who preached Jainism
Maha-Vishnu See `Karanodakashayi Vishnu'
Mala a garland
Mandir a temple
Mantra (man = mind + tra = deliverance) a pure sound vibration to deliver the mind from its material inclinations

Naga (in the Vedic literature) = a creature that is half human and half snake
Nakula one of the younger brothers of Arjuna
Namasthe or Namaskar a way of greeting somebody in which the hands are placed together as in prayer and the head is bowed
Nanda Maharaja Lord Krishna's foster father
Nandi the bull carrier of Shiva, found in many the temples of Shiva
Narada Muni a great devotee of the Supreme Lord Vishnu, who can travel anwhere in the spiritual or material worlds to preach the glories of the Lord
Natarja a name for Shiva as Lord of the dance and the cosmic dancer
Narasimha half-man half-lion incarnation of the Lord, who killed Hiranyakashipu and saved Prahlad
Navagraha nine planets
Nirguna (nir = without + guna = quality) not possessing attributes (when applied to God, refers to the appearance of material attributes)
Nirvana freedom from material existence or the end of the process of materialistic life

Om or Supreme Omkara the transcendental syllable which represents Krishna and which is vibrated by transcendentalists for attainment of the undertaking sacrifices, charities and penances
Om tat sat the three transcendental syllables used by brahmanas for satisfication of the Supreme when chanting Vedic hymns or offering sacrifice. They indicate the Supreme Absolute, the Personality of Godhead 

Pandavas the five sons of king Pandu; Yudhisththira, Arjuna, Bhima, Nakula and Sahadeva

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