Acarya – Teacher by example, especially a spiritual teacher.
Aksema – Adversity.
Avidya Tantra – The negative side of Tantra, wherein psycho-spiritual power is used for crude purposes.

Cadar – Loose wrapper used as a cover for the upper body.
Caturvarga – Literally, “four classes”; the four basic kinds of mental drives of human beings.
Catuspathii – An ancient education centre oriented towards the teaching of Saḿskrta literature.

Dharma – Spirituality; the path of righteousness in social affairs.
Dharma Sadhana – Spiritual practice as a way of life.
Dharmika Sadhana – Spiritual practice, not necessarily of a deeper nature.
Dhyana – Meditation in which the psyche is directed toward consciousness; the seventh limb of Astauṋga Yoga.

Garam Masala – Hot spices.
Gopa – Cowherd,a devotee of Parama Puruśa.
Guru – Spiritual master: in ancient days any schoolteacher was also considered a guru.

Jama – Any kind of stitched shirt.
Jiiva – Individual living being.
Jiivátma – Unit consciousness, the consciousness of a living being.

Kamiij – Collarless stitched shirt.
Kaola – A practitioner of Tantra who has succeeded in raising the kundalinii.
Kapha – See Vayu, pitta, kapha and rakta.
Ksatriya – One of the ancient social divisions – those who were devoted to the defense of the country.
Ksema – Well-being.
Kurta – Long-sleeved collarless shirt.

Muni – A saintly person devoted to intellectual pursuits.

Niiti – Morality.
Nirguna Bhakti – Non-attributional devotion.

Pandita – Literally, “one on the path of self-knowledge”; a Saḿskrta scholar.
Papa – Sin.
Parama Puruśa – Supreme Consciousness.
Paramashiva – Supreme Consciousness.
Paramatman – Supreme Consciousness in the role of witness of Its own Macro-psychic conation.
Payjama – Loose pants.
Piitha – Controlling point.
Pitta – See Vayu, pitta, kapha and rakta.
Polao – A food made of fine rice, ghee and Spices.
Prakrti – Cosmic Operative Principle.
Purohit – Priest.
Puruśottama – Cosmic Nucleus.

Rakta – See Vayu, pitta, kapha and rakta.
Rśi – Sage; also, one who, by inventing new things, broadens the path of progress of human society.
Ruti – Flat bread made from whole-wheat flour.

Sádhaka – Spiritual practitioner.
Saguna Bhakti – Attributional devotion.
Satya – “Satya” has no English synonym. “Parahitarthe vaungmanasa yatharthatattvam satyam,” i.e., “The right spirit in the use of words and actions, with the intention of welfare, is satya.” Satya may be different from rta (literal truth). For a clearer understanding of satya and rta, please refer to the book A Guide to Human Conduct.
Shakta – A follower of the Shakti cult, the branch of Tantra in which Shakti, Cosmic Operative Principle, is the pivotal point.
Sadhana – Intuitional practice.
Shaeva Tantrik – A follower of the Shiva cult, the branch of Tantra in which Shiva is the pivotal point.
Shastra – Scripture.
Shloka – A Saḿskrta couplet expressing one idea.
Shúdra – One of the ancient social divisions – those who were devoted to physical labour.

Tantra – Supreme spiritual science as propounded by Lord Shiva. It emphasizes courageous vigour, both in internal meditation and external action to overcome all fears and weaknesses.

Vaeshya – One of the ancient social divisions – those who were devoted to making money through trade, commerce or agriculture.
Vaesnava – A follower of the Visnu cult, the branch of Tantra in which Visnu is the pivotal point.
Varga – Literally, “class”: one of the four kinds of basic mental drives of human beings.
Varna – Literally, “colour”; a social division, whether based on underlying psychological reality, or, as in casteism, based on heredity. See also Ksatriya, Shúdra, Vaeshya, Vipra.
Vayu, Pitta, Kapha and Rakta – Vayu comprises (1) the ten basic energy flows in the body, performing specific functions; (2) the gas that is created in the digestive tract, lungs, etc., when the energy flows become distorted. Pitta is the expression of the luminous (fire) factor in the human body, responsible for digestion and preservation of body heat. Examples of Pitta are the liver bile and pancreatic juice. Kapha denotes mucus, phlegm, and all physical factors such as some factors of the blood which tend to create mucus. Rakta is blood.
Vihara – Monastery
Vipra – One of the ancient social divisions – those who were devoted to scholarship.