Sanskrit terms relating to
Yoga (योग)
The Sanskrit word 'yoga' is distantly related to the English word "yolk",
as the yolk of oxen.
It's often difficult to distinguish ideas and terms of yoga from tantric
and vedic ones, and from the ideas of Hinduism and aescetic movements such
as Jainism and Buddhism. A lot of borrowing was going on. Also, the
words for similar things may be different among the different groups and
movements. Nonetheless.
This was really more of an exercise for me, in using the Devanagari letters,
as well as a quick review of these concepts.
The romanization of the words is not very consistent. I haven't decided which
I like the best, and kind of mixed them.
religious concepts
- karma
- कर्म (karma)
- dharma
- धर्म (dharma)
- nirvana
- निर्वाण (nirvāna)
- samsara: rebirth
- संसार (sangsāra)
vedic literature
- mantra
- मन्त्र (mantra)
- mandala
- मण्डल (maṇḍala)
- om
- ॐ (aum)
people
- yogi
- योगी (yogī)
- guru
- गुरु (guru)
- swami
- स्वामी (svāmi)
disciplines of yoga
- hatha
- हठ (hatha)
- raja: royal
- राजा (rājā)
other yogic terms
- shaktipata: transmission of spiritual energy
- शक्तिपात (shaktipāta)
- chakra: centers of life forces, "wheel"
- चक्र (chakra)
- asana: posture
- आसन (āsana)
- dhyana: meditation (transliterated to "zen" in Japanese)
- ध्यान (dhyāna)
- shanti: calm
- शान्ति (shānti)
- maya: sometimes means "illusion" (positive or negative)
- माया (māyā)
chakra (centers of life forces)
- sahasrara: consciousness
- सहस्रार (sahasrāra)
- ajna: vision; the third eye
- आज्ञा (ājňā)
- vishuddhi: hearing, expression
- विशुद्ध (vishuddha)
- anahata: the unstruck sound
- अनाहत (anāhata)
- manipura: will
- मणिपूर (maṇipūra)
- swadhisthana: destruction
- स्वाधिष्ठान (svādhiṣṭhāna)
- muladhara: base chakra; excretion
- मूलाधार (mūlādhāra)
vayu (life forces)
- prana: heartbeat and breathing
- प्राण (prāṇa)
- apana: elimination of wastes (excretion and exhaling)
- अपान (apāna)
- udana: sound making
- उड़ाना (uddānā)
- vyana: muscular activity
- व्याना (vyānā)
- samana: digestion and metabolism
- समान (samāna)
associated with chakras
- kundalini: bodily energy (often dormant)
- कुण्डलिनी (kuṇḍalinī)
- pranayam:
- प्राणायाम (prāṇāyām)