Sanskrit Words beginning with A

contrary to what is right; evil. See ‘dharma’

Vedic goddess, the 'mother' of the gods

Vedic sun deities, offspring of Aditi

non-dualistic Vedantic philosophy

mystical scriptures pertaining to specific Hindu sects such as Vaisnavaites or Saivites

fire; sacred fire; fire god

non-violence

mother, a compound often used in the names of female goddesses

a nectar which was believed to bestow immortality

bliss; the bliss of union with Brahman

food, rice

forest texts or writings

one of the sons of Pandu and the main (human) character of the Bhagavad Gita

worldly wealth, the pursuit of wealth and social status

an act of worship celebrating light

the migrant invaders of India from approximately 1500 BC; people of spiritual values

yogic postures

non-being, that is to say, the unreality of the world as opposed to the true Being (sat) which is Brahman.

hermitage, retreat or place of quiet and solitude, often in a forest, where a Hindu sage lives alone or with his disciples

the four stages of life in Hinduism

probably the most prestigious of Vedic sacrificial rites, where a horse is sacrificed in a yajna by the king whose supremacy has been acknowledged by the neighboring kings

'Knowledge of Incantations', the fourth Veda

the presence of Brahman as the deepest essence of the self in all entities; the Divine Self, a synonym of Brahman

the sacred sound and symbol which represents Brahman in its unmanifest and manifest aspects

literally 'descents', an incarnation of God, usually the incarnations of Visnu and his consort Laksmi

ignorance

Vedic medical system