Read Layayoga: The Definitive Guide to the Chakras and Kundalini Online
Authors: Shyam Sundar Goswami
Buddhi Intellective mind.
Chakra A subtle circular organization, containing mahabhuta, tanmatra, prana wayu and sensory principle, and situated within the body, not as a part of the material body but as a supramaterial power-centre, only ‘seen’ in thought concentration.
Chandra pranayama Left-nostril inspiratory breath-control.
Chandra-danda Brahma nadi.
Chandra-mandala Indu chakra.
Charana A system of skeletal muscular contraction and control; muscular control.
Chirishka Volition.
Chitrini The third inner force-motion-line within the sushumna, in which the chakras are strung.
Chitta Sense-consciousness; perceptive mind.
Chittakshaya Absorption of sense-consciousness.
Dahana Burning.
Daiwa manas Supernormal mind.
Daiwa prana Supernormal life-force.
Dewata Supreme Consciousness-Power in form; deity.
Dharana Holding-concentration, constituting the 6th stage of the eight-fold yoga (ashtangayoga); the Tantrika term for breath-suspension.
Dhatu A basic constituent of the body.
Dhi Concentrative mind; superconsciousness.
Dhyana Deep concentration, constituting the seventh stage of the eight-fold yoga (ashtaṅgayoga).
Drishi Insight; intellective vision.
Dwadashantabrahmarandhra Nirwana chakra.
Ekadhanawarodhana Bio-energy control.
Ekatanata Unchanging and uninterrupted, deeply concentrated consciousness.
Gunas The three primary attributes.
Hridaya The nonconscious aspect of mind, where post-conscious impressions are stored.
Hridayañjali mudra A mode of aligning hands and fingers to make them hollow.
Ida and Piṅgala The two vital force-motion lines or directions, situated on the left and right side of the vertebral column respectively.
Indriya aharana Pratyahara; sense-withdrawal; sensory control.
Indriya manas Sense-mind.
Indriya sangharana The same as Indriya aharana.
Indriya sanniwesha The same as Indriya aharana.
Indriya-yama The same as Indriya aharana.
Ishtadewata A divine form linked to a particular mantra. When the mantra is made living by japa and concentration, that divine form appears and is ‘seen’ in concentration. Also: the thought-form of Shiwa-shakti as an object of concentration.
Ishwara The Supreme Consciousness in whom both yoga-power and pranic energy are in harmony, but who has full control over prana and has power to transform prana into mind-body.
Jalandhara Chin-lock.
Japa Mantra-practice, that is, the repetition of a mantra (a particular sound-form), verbally, in a low voice or mentally.
Jiwa The embodied being.
Jñanatman Sense-consciousness and intellect; perceptive mind; perceptive consciousness; chitta.
Jñanendriyas Senses.
Kala Time principle.
Kala Life principle.
Kama Desire.
Kamakala Coiled creative omnipotency in sound-form ; the principle of the actualization of the power as sound in a triangular process; an aspect of the supremely concentrated prana as bindu power, endowed with the capacity of transforming pranic force into pranawa, which releases fifty mantra-sound units as matrika and from which the universe of mind-matter comes into being.
Kama-wayu Desire-radiating power.
Kanchupas The powers of limitation which arise from maya.
Kanda-mula (or kanda) Force-concentration centre from which all nadis originate; an oval-shaped, subtle, central nadi-root from which all nadis originate and which is situated inside the coccyx, just below the muladhara.
Kanda-sthana An oval-shaped subtle space in the perineal region having a twelve-petalled centre.
Karana-samaharana Pratyahara; sense-withdrawal; sensory control.
Karmendriyas Conative faculties.
Kewala Non-inspiratory-non-expiratory suspension.
Kewala kumbhaka Automatic breath-suspension caused by pranayamic breathing and deep concentration ; non-inspiratory-non-expiratory suspension.
Khechari mudra An advanced control exercise, by which a latent form of existence is achieved.
Kratu Conative impulse.
Kriti Conation.
Kula Kundalini; the muladhara chakra.
Kulakundalini Kundalini, when in the muladhara centre.
Kumbhaka Breath-suspension.
Kundalini Power-Consciousness dormant at the senso-intellective levels of consciousness, but realizable at the superconscious level.
Kundalini-kapaka Door of Kundalini, that is, the entrance to sushumna.
Kundalirandhra-kanda Wajra nadi.
Kundali-sthana The seat of Kundalini in latent form, that is, in the muladhara centre.
Laya Deep absorptive concentration.
Layakriya Absorption process; absorptive concentration.
Liṅga-form A form which is thicker at its base and gradually tapers to become a point at its apex. Concentration starts at the base and gradually, as it becomes deeper, it automatically passes towards the apex, where concentration is the deepest. So the liṅga-form is an appropriate form for the development of concentration.
Madhyama Subliminal.
Mahabhuta Metamatter. It is that aspect of matter which lies beyond the boundary of elementary particles and anu-point.
Mahakulakundalini Mahakundalini, when residing in the muladhara centre as Kulakundalini.
Mahakundali Mahakundalini.
Mahakundalini Supreme Power in its supreme spiritual aspect.
Mahalaya Supreme absorptive concentration, leading to asamprajñata samadhi,
Mahan I-less supervast consciousness.
Mahan Manas Superconscious mind.
Mahanada-wayu Pranic force, exercising great control, which effects natural breath-suspension; suspensive power of great control.
Mahayoga Supreme yoga; the original yoga, consisting of eight fundamental practices, termed ashtaṅgayoga; asamprajñata samadhi.
Manana Intellection.
Manas Will-mind; sense-mind; the sixth sense; subconscious mind; also mind as a whole—usually termed antahmanas or antahkarana—of which manas as sense-mind is a part.
Manas mandala Manas chakra.
Manas tattwa Principle of mind; mind as a whole.
Manas-nirodhana Sense-mind control.
Manasa-radiation Subconscious radiation.
Manasyana Will
Manasyana manas Will-mind.
Manisha Higher intellection; deeper thought-intellection ; superintellect.
Mantra-chaitanya The process of life-impartation to a waikhari-mantra.
Mati Thought.
Matrika All the fifty particularized sound-forms together.
Matrika-unit A particular sound-form, which constitutes a lettered mantra and is used as a unit.
Matrika-wania Sound-units.
Maya The specific power of Supreme Power as negato-positivity, by which it is possible to manifest a limited phenomenon, such as the universe, in the unlimited sphere of Supreme Consciousness; negato-positivity.
Medha Retentive power.
Mitahara Moderation in eating.
Mudra Control exercise.
Mulabandha Anal-lock.
Mulamantra A special mantra given by the guru directly to a disciple in initiation; the basic mantra.
Nabhichakra A hen’s-eggs-shaped plexus-like subtle centre from which all nadis originate and ramify in all directions.
Nada Causal or unmanifest sound; sound-radiating energy-point; sound-power.
Nadi That which is motional or in motion; a subtle line of direction along which the wayus move, that is, a pranic force-radiation-line. The nadis are no physical channels, neither nerves nor blood-vessels.
Nadi-chakra The nadi-system, i.e. the system formed by the subtle nadis, which originate from the nabhi-chakra and are distributed all over the body; force-motion field; force-field.
Nadi-kanda The subtle central aspect of the nadi system.
Nadi-shodhana Pranic purification.
Nadi-shuddhi The purification of the subtle wayu (vital)-force operating as nadis, that is, force-motion lines.
Narayana Supreme Consciousness, beyond creation ; God in his supreme aspect.
Nigraha Control.
Nirguna-dhyana Deep concentration without any form.
Nirodhika Control.
Nirodhika The power of supreme control.
Nirodhika-wahni The power of supreme control exhibited by Kundalini.
Nirwana Shakti All-absorbing Kundali-power.
Nirwanakala The coiled power which is an aspect of Kundalini, exhibiting absorption-power.
Nirwikala samadhi A synonym of asamprajñata samadhi, that is, non-mens concentration.
Nishkala Having no manifestation of Shakti-Power; power absorbed in Shiwa.
Niyama Observance—the second stage of control or discipline in the eightfold yoga (ashtaṅgayoga).
Niyati Regulatory principle.
Nyasa A special method of purification by placing hands on certain parts of the body with appropriate mantras.
Ojas The basic life-force. It is derived from prana as life-dynamism, and, being infused into matter, transforms it into protoplasm.
Pancha-dharana Concentration, in conjunction with breath-suspension, on the earth, water, fire, air and void principles in stages, with their bija-mantras, in their appropriate centres.
Para Supreme.
Parakundali Supreme Power in its spiritual aspect; Supreme Kundali.
Parama kala Supreme Kundalini.
Parama Shiwa Supreme, infinite and whole Consciousness.
Parasharirawesha A yogic process of entering into another’s dead body to make it alive and functioning.
Pashchima-Liṅga Swayambhu-Liṅga in the triangle of the muladhara centre. It is Supreme Consciousness in a specific form which shows the process of concentration.
Pashyani Radiant.
Pinda Basic force of the body.
Piṅgala See Ida.
Pitha-shakti The holding, i.e. the holding-concentration power.
Plawana Irradiation.
Prajñana Superconcentratedness; superconsciousness.
Prakriti The primary principle of force, mind and matter; primus.
Prana, Pranana Oupanishada terms for expiration.
Prana-apana sangyama Pranayama; breath control.
Prana-mantra Mantra in a vitalized form; a living mantra.
Pranana The central vital force-motion; metabolism.
Pranawa-nada The sound of the first mantra, Ong.
Prana-wayu(s) The basic vital force exhibiting functions or motions; different forms of bioenergy.
Pranayama A system of bio-energy control through short-quick and long-slow breathing and breath-suspension exercises.
Prithiwi mahabhuta Earth metamatter.
Paraka Inspiration.
Purusha Primary consciousness principle.
Raga Pleasure principle; love.
Ragatmika-bhakti All-love.
Rajas The primary energy-principle.
Rasa The water content of the body, including intracellular fluid, interstitial fluid, lymph, plasma water, and fluids in the cartilage and bone.
Rechaka Expiration.
Rodha Control.
Ruchira Oupanishada term for breath-suspension.
Rudra Supreme Consciousness, manifesting the power of absorbing the creation; God who absorbs the universe.
Sagarbha That form of pranayama in which mantra and concentration form parts.
Saguna-dhyana Deep concentration on a form.
Sahaja state Samadhi; superconcentration.
Sahita Inspiratory-expiratory suspension.
Sakala Shiwa Aroused power, remaining as the being of Shiwa.
Samadhi Superconcentration.
Samanana The equilibratory vital force-motion.
Samanya spanda Basic infinitesimal motion, almost uniform in character.
Samata or Aikya A state of oneness when the embodied spirit is absorbed into the Supreme Spirit to become one and the same with it.
Samprajñata samadhi Superconscious concentration.
Samprajñata yoga Superconscious concentration.
Sangjñana Consciousness evoked by sensory impulses; the quality of chitta; sense-knowledge.
Sangskaras Post-conscious and unconscious impressions.
Sangyama Supercontrol.
Sangyoga Superunion.
Saraswatt-chalana A process of muscular motion, consisting of rolling movements of the rectus abdominis muscle from right to left and left to right repeatedly, while assuming the lotus posture and doing sahita suspension with chinlock and anal-contraction. It is specially done for rousing Kundalini.
Sarupa-dhyana Deep concentration on form.
Sarwabhawatmabhawana Multiform consciousness.
Sarwa chitta Multiform consciousness.
Sattwa The primary sentience-principle.
Shabda tanmatra Sound tanon.
Shabdabrahman Kundalinias the source of sound.
Shakti-chakra Power field.
Shaktichalana A control process, consisting of the execution of anal-lock and abdomino-retraction in conjunction with the thoracico-short-quick breathing, while assuming the accomplished or adamantine posture. It helps in rousing Kundalini.
Shambhawa sthana Indu chakra.
Shambhawi A process of concentration by which the external seeing is transformed into an internal gazing.
Shaṅkhini Supreme Kundalini in the spiral form, lying above the sahasrara.
Shitali Lingual breath-control.
Shiwa Supreme Consciousness.
Shiwa-Shakti A stage of non-mens concentration in which Shakti as yoga-power, lying in the being of Shiwa, is experienced.
Shoshana Drying.
Shoucha Cleanliness, consisting of external baths and internal lavage.
Shukra The sexual energy which activates the sexual glands of the female and male to produce sexual secretions, both external and internal.
Siddha mantra A mantra which is living and fully powerful and can accomplish the desired purpose.