"A yoga Life is an awareful life" - Swami Dayananda Saraswati
Key Sanskrit Terms
A Akarma – Inaction Akṣara - Imperishable, eternal, unchanging; that which is God {see ch 8} Ahaṃkāra - I-maker; ego; sense of me/mine that is separate or individualized {part of the anta-karana} Anta-karaṇa - Inner Instrument {what we called mind, which is made of four parts}
manas -emotions; likes and dislikes
buddhi - intellect; discernment
citi -memory
ahamkāra -I-maker; ego; sense of a separate "me"
Ātma - Self Avatāra – descended star, Incarnation of God Apara Brahma - Imminent God {that aspect of God that is the manifestation}
B Bhagavān - God Bhāva - state, condition {see BGE chapter 8} Buddhi - discernment capacity of the mind; intellect Brahma - The Big; God; Creator
C Citi - memory {part of anta-karana; aspect of the mind}
D Daiva - Deity, a God / Goddess; names for aspects of cosmic order {see ch 8 of BG Essentials} Deha - That which is given Dharma - rightness; natural law; morality; that which is in alignment with nature; God manifest as natural law {see ch 3 of BG Essentials}
Svadharma - Individual dharma; one's own purpose {which will also always align with svadharma}
Sāmānya dharma - Universal dharma; that which causes no unnecessary harm; golden rule
Dhyāna - meditation, contemplation, reflection, concentration, thought, appreciation Dṛg Dṛśya Viveka - discerning between the seer and the seen {subject and object} {see ch 2 of BG Essentials}
Dṛg - the seer; the Self; the Subject
Dṛśya - object; that which is observable / seeable
Viveka - discernment
J Jnana - Wisdom; knowledge Karma – action; includes cause + effect; ritual
Sancita Karma – accumulated past actions; the balance of karma yet to fructify
Āgama Karma - current actions taking place that will have results in the future; karma created (or yet to be created in this life}
Prarabdha Karma - the karma that will fructify in the present life that is; the effects of past actions that will come in this life
I Iśvara - God, lord K Krṣṇa - An incarnation of the lord Vishnu, who's role is to restore dharma; the dear friend and teacher of Arjuna; the one who distills the teachings of Vedānta {see class 1 of BG Essentials} Kṣara - perishable, changeable, the nature of the world {see ch 8}
L Loka - abode {see ch 8 of BG Essentials}
M Manas - emotional capacity of mind; measurer; likes and dislikes Mithyā - Part of the satya-mithya equation, mithya is dependent truth {in the cup-clay metaphor, the cup is mithya and the clay is satya; both are real, but the reality of the cup is dependent on the reality of the clay} {see class 2 of BG Essentials} Mumukshu - One who is committed to seeking moksha {liberation} {see class 6 of BG Essentials}
N Nirguṇa - without qualities
P Para Brahma - Transcendent God {that aspect of God that is more than or beyond and unaffected by manifestation} Parama - supreme Paramparā - lineage Pramāna - a means of knowledge; Vedānta is a pramāna to come to know the truth of the Self Prasāda Buddhi - the inner attitude that all is given; the inner understanding that all is a gift from God; one of the key inner attitudes of karma yoga Puruṣartha - Four pursuits of human life
Artha - Security
Kāma - Pleasure
Dharma - Alignment with natural law; morality
Mokṣa - Freedom; space; liberation
S Saguṇa - with qualities Sannyāsa - renunciation {see class 5 of BG Essentials} Satya - Part of the satya-mithya equation, satya is independent truth {in the cup-clay metaphor, the cup is mithya and the clay is satya; both are real, but the reality of the cup is dependent on the reality of the clay whereas the clay remains the same unchangeable clay}. {see class 2 of BG Essentials}
Ś Śraddhā - Commitment; faith {see class 4 of BG Essentials} Śreyas - Unbreakable happiness which doesn't come and go {see class 2 of BG Essentials} Samskāra - Deep Impression from repetition of past action and thought {see class 6 of BG Essentials}
V Vairāgya – not attaching the wrong value to objects of the world; recognition that no object can solve your fundamental problem of inadequacy or dissatisfaction; non-coloring {see class 4 + 5 of BG Essentials} Vikarma – wrong action
Y Yajna - Ritual; ritual sacrifice {see ch 8 as well as ch 4}
In gratitude.
The teachers with whom I have studied Bhagavād Gīta and other Vedānta texts, and which were profoundly utilized in this course.
The translations and commentaries that I refer to again and again, which were greatly appreciated in my preparation for this course.
Gīta Home Study Course, Swami Dayananda Saraswati more here Srimad Bhagavād Gīta, Swami Dayananda Saraswati more here The Teaching of the Bhagavād Gīta, Swami Dayananda Saraswatimore here The Bhagavād Gīta, Victory Over Gratitude, A.K. Arun more here Patanjali Yoga Sūtras, In the Light of Vedānta, A.K. Arun more here The Value of the Values, Swami Dayananda more here
Luckily, in this teaching tradition, imitation and repetition is prized. Any lessons of value in this course are due to the gifts of my teachers and their teachers... all the way back to Bhagavan. Any fault, mistake or offense is mine alone. May the blessings of the teachings of Krishna, passed down through the generations shine through here, in spite of my own limitations, may I have the right words and attitude that these teachings may have a positive impact in others. - Love, Kaya