Vedānta Glossary

The absolute, infinite, and non-dual reality

The essential self — individual consciousness identical to Brahman

The creative power that manifests the universe of names and forms

Liberation — the end of the cycle of suffering, recognizing oneself as Brahman

Fundamental ignorance — not knowing who you are

The Lord — Brahman seen as creator and ruler of the universe

Absolute fullness — the nature of Brahman as bliss

Direct knowledge of reality — the only means for mokṣa

Apparent — neither real nor unreal, dependent on Brahman

Vital force — the energy that sustains all manifestation of life

The cycle of birth and death — the continuous flow of existence

Quality of clarity and purity — one of the three guṇas

Superimposition — attributing qualities of one thing onto another

Truth — that which does not change across the three periods of time

Empirical level of reality — the world as we experience it

Absolute level of reality — Brahman alone

Apparent level of reality — individual illusion like a dream

Pure existence — that which simply is

Pure consciousness — the principle of knowledge itself

Absolute non-existence — that which can never be

Name and form — the structure of empirical manifestation

The manifest universe — all that is born, exists, and dissolves

Limiting adjunct that makes the unlimited appear limited

The witness — consciousness that observes without being affected

Without limiting attributes — Brahman in its absolute nature

With attributes — Brahman as it appears through māyā

Theory of appearance — the world is an appearance of Brahman

You are That — the great sentence revealing the identity between ātman and Brahman

Great sentence — the central Upaniṣadic declarations on ātman-Brahman identity

The three states of experience — waking, dreaming, and deep sleep

The 'fourth' — consciousness that pervades and transcends the three states

Quintuplication — the process by which the five elements combine

The individual — consciousness apparently limited by body-mind

Accumulated karma — the total stock of past actions not yet fructified

Fructifying karma — the portion already bearing fruit in this life

Future karma — actions being performed now that will generate consequences

Rebirth — the cycle of birth and death driven by karma

Principle / reality — the essential nature of something

Non-duality; absence of real separation

Fundamental qualities of nature: sattva, rajas, and tamas

Transition of consciousness, definitive body-soul separation

Extinction of mental limitations, state of absolute peace

Quality of activity, passion, and transformation

Triple nature of Brahman: existence-consciousness-fullness

True peace as our essential nature

The four qualifications necessary for the study of Vedānta

Resolution — the ability to keep the mind focused on the teaching

The six virtues — the set of mental disciplines for study

Qualified person — one who possesses the qualifications for study

Discrimination between the real and the apparent

Natural dispassion toward transient objects

Control of the outer senses, sensory discipline

One who intensely desires liberation

Forbearance, ability to endure pairs of opposites

Natural withdrawal, cessation of unnecessary activities

Intense desire for liberation

Concentration; one of the ṣaṭ-sampatti

Cosmic order, duty, righteousness, universal law

Action and its invisible result (adṛṣṭa)

Non-violence — absence of intention to cause harm

Grounded trust — placing trust in truth

Demerit — result of actions contrary to dharma

Merit — result of actions aligned with dharma

Desireless action — acting from dharma, not for results

Generosity — the practice of giving with detachment

Truthfulness — speaking truth in a beneficial manner

Own duty — each person's specific responsibility according to their situation

Non-possessiveness — not accumulating beyond what is necessary

Literally 'greetings to you' (namaḥ + te); in the tradition, 'not mine' (na mama) — recognizing the other as distinct from oneself

Fruit; result of an action or knowledge

Renunciation; abandonment

Stage of life; the four traditional phases

Merit; positive fruit of dharmic actions

First āśrama; conduct oriented toward Brahman

Natural classification by mental propensity

Valid means of knowledge — the instrument through which something is known

Direct perception — knowledge arising from sense-object contact

Inference — knowledge derived from a logical reason (hetu)

Word as a means of knowledge — especially the revealed word (Veda)

Comparison — knowledge by analogy with something already known

Presumption — postulating something necessary to explain an observed fact

Non-apprehension — knowledge of the absence of something

The knowing subject — the one who knows

The object of knowledge — that which is known

Doubt; oscillation of the mind between alternatives

Final meaning; intention of the text

True knowledge; valid cognition

Defining characteristic; mark

Absence; non-existence

Indirect; mediated knowledge

Direct realization; immediate perception

Error; cognition contrary to the object

Direct perception; first of the pramāṇas

Primary meaning; literal denotation

Inference; knowledge through reasoning

Postulation; inference by presupposition

Comparison; knowledge by analogy

The sense of individuality — 'the maker of I'

The inner instrument — mind, intellect, ego, and memory

Intellect — the faculty of determination and decision

Mental modification — a thought or state arising in the mind

Latent impression — mental pattern formed by past experiences

The mind as an instrument of knowledge and perception

Dream state; second of the three states of consciousness

Deep dreamless sleep; third of the three states

One of the five prāṇas; responsible for digestion and balance

Sensory or motor faculty

Alternative; mental construction; option among possibilities

One of the five prāṇas; pervades the whole body

Made of mind; the third of the five koṣas

Ego; the I-maker; identification with body-mind

Motor faculty; one of the five motor indriyas

One of the five prāṇas; ascending breath

Made of bliss; the fifth and most subtle koṣa

Sheath; enclosure

One of the five prāṇas; downward breath of elimination

Faculty of knowledge; one of the five sensory indriyas

Made of discriminative intellect; fourth koṣa

Seed; causal potential

Mental modification; activity of the mind

With mental construction; differentiated cognitive

Mental substance, the total mental field

Latent tendency, deep impression, conditioning

The five sheaths — apparent layers covering the ātman

The three bodies — gross, subtle, and causal

Gross body — the physical body made of the five elements

Subtle body — mind, senses, prāṇa, and intellect

Causal body — the primordial ignorance that causes the other two bodies

Primordial nature, material substance of the universe

Pure consciousness, immutable observer

The observed; that which is seen, object of consciousness

The supreme Self, identical to Brahman

Birth; beginning of a bodily existence

The inner Self; consciousness turned inward

Death; end of a bodily existence

The observer; the one who sees

The manifest world; the manifold expansion

Power; potency; inherent capacity

Dissolution; absorption

Real transformation; effective modification

Sustenance; permanence; state

Imperishable; sacred syllable

Creation; manifestation of the universe

Appearance without real transformation

The apparently individuated ātman

Brahman without conditioning attributes

Ignorance; synonymous with avidyā

Future karma; to be produced by present actions

Brahman-effect; Brahman with cosmic attributes

Brahman-cause; Brahman as substrate foundation

Karma accumulated from past lives

Indefinable; neither real nor unreal

Karma in progress; responsible for the current body

Not this, not this; method of negation

Path of devotion; yoga of loving relationship with the divine

Path of discriminative knowledge

Path of action without attachment to the fruit

Sacred syllable; sound symbol of Brahman

Uninterrupted contemplation; meditative assimilation

Liberation in life

Gradual liberation; by stages post-death

Bodyless liberation; release at the death of the jñānī

Darkness, inertia, ignorance — the third guṇa

Teacher who removes the darkness of ignorance

The final knowledge of the Vedas — the portion dealing with self-knowledge

Master — a teacher who teaches and exemplifies the teaching with their life

Disciple — a student who places themselves under a guru's guidance

Lineage — the unbroken chain of transmission of the teaching

Stages of spiritual life or sacred spaces of learning

Vision; philosophical system founded on a perception of reality

Prior objection; contrary position presented for refutation

Established conclusion; final position of the author

Lineage; uninterrupted transmission

Ascetic; one who has controlled the senses

Master; one who teaches by own example and tradition

Formal renunciation; fourth āśrama

Tradition; body of teaching preserved in lineage

Honest debate in search of truth

The Veda as revelation — literally 'that which was heard'

Remembered texts — secondary scriptures that complement the Veda

The three foundations — the three textual sources of Vedānta

Aphorisms on Brahman — logical systematization of Vedāntic philosophy

Commentary — detailed and authoritative explanation of a root text

Introductory text — independent philosophical work preparing for study

Devotional hymn — poem of praise and contemplation

The most concise Upaniṣad — 12 mantras revealing the nature of Om and consciousness

Concise aphorism that condenses a teaching

Quarter; section; also literally 'foot'

Traditional narrative; text that transmits teaching through story

Thematic section of a sūtra-bhāṣya

Tradition — philosophical school transmitted by lineage

Duality — philosophy affirming real difference between God and individual

Qualified non-duality — unity with internal distinction

The ten names — the monastic order founded by Śaṅkara

System of knowledge for expansion of consciousness

Material security and resources as a legitimate life aim

Desire and legitimate pleasures as an aim of human life

Devotion — intelligent and loving participation in Īśvara

Instrument of the mind — sacred sound that leads to silence

The primordial syllable — sonic symbol of Brahman

Union — the means to recognize your true nature

Listening — hearing the teaching systematically from the guru

Reflection — resolving doubts and objections about the teaching

Contemplation — internalizing knowledge until it becomes lived experience

Yoga of action — acting with an attitude of offering and acceptance

Yoga of knowledge — the direct path of self-knowledge

Devotional meditation — directed contemplation on an aspect of Īśvara

Meditation — continuous flow of attention upon an object

Breath regulation — expansion and control of prāṇa

Formal renunciation — exclusive dedication to self-knowledge

Mature discernment — the clear and stable vision of the difference between real and unreal

Purification of the mind — removal of impurities that block knowledge

Investigation — reflective examination of the nature of the self

Worship ritual — structured devotional expression

Ritual offering — any action performed as an offering to Īśvara

Self-study — personal recitation and study of the scriptures

Divine form — sacred representation of Īśvara for worship

Grace / blessing — what returns from an offering to Īśvara

Offering to Īśvara — attitude of dedicating every action to God

Conduct directed toward Brahman, discipline of vital energy

Disciplined spiritual practice for purification of the mind

Complete absorption of consciousness in unity

Complete renunciation of worldly life in pursuit of mokṣa

Selfless service as a path of purification

Mental control, essential qualification of the seeker

Spiritual discipline that purifies and removes obstacles

Sacred texts that reveal the knowledge of Brahman

The song of the Lord — dialogue between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna