Akashic—[in Theosophy] etheric; existing in

Heroides [Latin] — "Heroines", title of Ovid's

the akasa, the subtle, all-pervading medium

Epistles (fictitious letters from ancient hero-

in which every inner and outer event leaves

ines to their absent husbands or lovers).

a permanent trace.

kala-purusa (Kala Purusha) — Time-Spirit.

annam brahma pranam brahma — Matter is

kamaloka — [in Theosophy] "desire-world",

the Reality, Life is the Reality.

the purgatorial realm through which all

asana—fixed posture.

entities must pass after death.

avatara (Avatar) — Incarnation; the descent

Karmic—due to the law of karma, by which

into form, the revelation of the Godhead in

every action has its result for the doer in this

humanity.

life or another.

avidya— the Ignorance; the relative and mul-

kaustubha (Kaustubh) — the gem worn by

tiple consciousness.

Vishnu on his breast.

bhakta—devotee.

Kuthumi (Kutthumi)—one of the two mahat-

brahmajnana— the knowledge of brahman.

mas primarily concerned with the early

brahman — the absolute and omnipresent Rea-

work of the Theosophical Society.

lity.

lila—the cosmic Play.

brahmavidya—the knowledge of brahman.

Logos (pl. Logoi) [Greek]—[in Theosophy]

buddhi—the understanding; the higher knowl-

creative Deity, Demiurge.

edge-faculty.

mahat — "the vast", a name for the gnostic

copras [Bengali] — badge of a servant; sign

level of consciousness.

of authority.

mahatma — a "great soul"; [in Theosophy]

citta (chitta) — mind-stuff; the reservoir of

a Master or spiritual adept of the highest

past mental impressions.

order, especially one of a brotherhood

credo quia impossibile [Latin]—I believe it

watching over the world's progress from a

because it is impossible.

secret home in Tibet.

Devachan [Sanskrit-Tibetan]—[in Theoso-

manas—sense-mind.

phy] a state of mental bliss and rest enjoyed

matra—measure; the quantitative action of

by the Reincarnating Ego after the separa-

Nature.

tion of the higher and lower principles in the

Maurya — or Morya, one of the two mahatmas

astral realms.

primarily concerned with the early work of

devavidya—the knowledge of the gods.

the Theosophical Society.

dharanam — power to hold or support.

maya—the power of self-illusion in brahman.

dharma — the right law of functioning of our

nahusa (Nahusha) — legendary Indian king

life in all its parts.

(said to have temporarily occupied the seat

dhruva (Dhruv) — legendary Indian prince,

of Indra, king of the gods).

"the steadfast one" (said to have been

na kincid api cintayet (Na kinchidapi chintayet)

elevated by his austerities to the position of

— one should not think of anything at all.

the pole-star).

ne plus ultra [Latin] — "not more beyond",

guru — spiritual teacher.

something unsurpassable.

pandita (Pandit) — scholar, learned man.

sophia [Greek] — wisdom, knowledge.

Panth [Hindi] — "path", sect.

srivatsa—a curl of hair on the breast of

Parabrahman — the supreme brahman, the Ab-

Vishnu.

solute.

svabhavaniyatam karma — action determined

paramahamsa (Paramhansa)—"highest swan"

by the inner nature.

(the swan being the symbol of the soul),

tad etat satyam — this is That, the Truth of

liberated man.

things.

paramesvara (Parameshwara) — supreme Lord.

tapasya — askesis, austerity, concentration of

Paramhansa — see paramahamsa.

the will.

pranasakti—life-force.

theos [Greek] — god.

pranayama (pranayam)—the regulated direc-

unmattavat—like a madman; in a God-

tion and arrestation by exercises of breathing

possessed frenzy careless of itself and the

of the vital currents of energy in the body.

world.

pratyahara—the drawing inward of the senses

veda — "the knowledge", the name of the most

from their objects.

ancient and sacred Indian scriptures; the

rajayoga—one of the systems of yoga; an

received name for the highest spiritual

internal discipline by which the mind is

truth of which the human mind is capable.

progressively stilled and taken up into

Vedanta — "the end of the veda", the Upani-

samadhi.

shads (which are a development of the

saksi (sakshi)—witness; the soul as the

substance of the earlier Vedic mysticism,

witness of Nature.

centred around the realisation of brahman);

samadhi—inner trance; the withdrawal of the

also, a later system of Indian philosophy

mind from its limited waking activities into

based on the Upanishads.

freer and higher states of consciousness.

vidya — knowledge.

samaja (Samaj)—society (term used in the

vijnana—comprehensive knowledge; gnosis;

names of certain modern Indian religious

the Truth-plane, ideal mind or supermind

reform movements).

where the One and the Many meet.

samkhya (Sankhya) — an ancient system of

yajnavalkya—ancient sage who figures pro-

Indian philosophy characterised by the

minently in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

analysis, the enumeration, the separative

yasmin vijnate sarvam vijnatam— which being

and discriminative setting forth of the

known, all is known.

principles of our being.

yayati—legendary Indian king (said to have

samskara (sanskara)—association, impres-

transferred his old age to his youngest son

sion, fixed notion, habitual reaction formed

and passed a thousand years in the enjoy-

by one's past.

ment of sensual pleasures).

sanatana dharma (Sanatan Dharma) — the

yoga—union with the Divine or the disci-

eternal religion.

pline by which one enters through an

Sankhya — see samkhya.

awakening into an inner or higher con-

sanskara—see samskara.

sciousness into that union; a generic name

sarvam khalvidam brahma — verily all this

for the processes and the result of processes

that is is the brahman.

by which we transcend our present modes of

sastra (shastra) — systematised teaching and

being and rise to a new, a higher, a wider

science.

mode of consciousness.

satyam Jnanam anantam—Truth-Knowledge-

yogin — one who practises yoga; especially,

Infinity.

one who is established in the realisation of

shastra—see sastra.

yoga.