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Glossary

Sanskrit and Vraj philosophical terms used across the Vachanamrut, Shikshapatri, and Bhaktachintamani, sourced verbatim from Shree Swaminarayan Temple, Bhuj-Kutch's own published Vachanamrut glossary appendix — not written by us.

39 resultsfor “Mãn” · clear

abhimãn: Ego. Arrogance. The feeling of ‘I am something’.
ahinsã: 1) Non-violence – mentally, verbally, and physically. 2) One of the panch-vartmãn: do not kill other living beings, and do not eat meat.
Aniruddha: One of the four forms of Bhagvãn’s Vishvarup svarup. His role is to teach dharma, and to cause the creation of the brahmãnd (Virãt-Purush). During the state of creation, Virãt-Purush worships Aniruddha.
ãtyantik-pralay: Final destruction. Destruction of all of the countless millions of brahmãnds, when even Prakruti-Purush draws

Brahmã: The dev responsible for the creation of the brahmãnd and the life-forms within it. Part of the trinity of devs, along with Vishnu (the sustainer) and Shiv (the destroyer), responsible for the control of one brahmãnd.
Brahmãnand Swãmi: One of the five principal paramhansas who recorded Swaminarayan Bhagwan's discourses word for word, compiling them into the Vachanamrut.
brahmãnd: Individual 'universe' comprising of a system of fourteen loks. There are countless millions of brahmãnds on various planes. Each brahmãnd, created and sustained by a Pradhãn-Purush pair, contains a trinity of Brahmã, Vishnu, and Shiv as the controlling devs. The fourteen loks of each brahmãnd are: Satya-Lok, Tap-Lok, Jan-Lok, Mahar-Lok, Svarg-Lok, Bhuvar-Lok, Mrutyu-Lok, Atal, Vital, Sutal, Talãtal, Mahãtal, Rasãtal, Pãtãl.

dandvat pranãm: Bowing down before Bhagvãn. Men perform ashtãng pranãm with eight parts of their body, whereas women perform panchãng pranãm with five parts of the body. The dandvat pranãm symbolises the breaking of our mãn. The mind must be kept on Bhagvãn while performing the dandvat pranam.
Dvait: Dual. A philosophical principle that proposes the eternally distinct natures of the jeev and Bhagvãn, as opposed to the principle of the Advait philosophy. This is the philosophy accepted by Rãmãnuj-Ãchãrya, Rãmãnand

Hanumãnji: A dev with the svarup of a monkey. He is courageous, brave, and a loyal bhakta of Shree Rãm.

ishvar: 1) Infinite in number. Similar to the jeev with respect to being bound by Mãyã, but are involved in the creation, sustenance, and destructions of the brahmãnds, and are therefore given greater powers by Bhagvãn. Brahmã, Vishnu, Shiv and all entities greater than them upwards to Prakruti-Purush, are considered ishvars.

kriyamãn karma: Deeds whose consequences are in the process of being formed. Current deeds - including words and thoughts - which will eventually be added to the stock of karmas (sanchit karmas) until they 'ripen' to give rewards as prãrabdha karmas, either later in the present life or in a future life.
kudã-panthi: Follower of a cult whose beliefs are against the teachings of the Veds. They falsely state the five 'M’ as a means to kalyãn. They are: madya (alcohol), mãns (meat), matsya (fish), mudrã (occult markings on the body), and maithun (illicit sex). One of the four types of kusangis.

mãn: Pride. When a person wants someone else to acknowledge them as superior.
mãnsi pujã: Mental worship. Form of worship in which a person devoutly performs pujã of Bhagvãn mentally - exactly as he would physically.

Nãrad: An avatãr of Bhagvãn. He incarnated in the svarup of a travelling rushi. Nãrad showed that bhakti is the best way of attaining moksh. He was also a great bhakta of Bhagvãn and has guided many souls on the path of kalyãn by travelling all over the brahmãnd.
Nãrãyan-Muni: One of the names given to Shreeji Mahãrãj by Rãmãnand Swãmi at the time of His initiation as the head of the sampradãy. The other name given was Sahajãnand Swãmi.
nimit-pralay: 1) Stimulated dissolution. Destruction of the lower ten loks of the fourteen loks of a brahmãnd, including Svarg-Lok, Mrutyu-Lok and Pãtãl. This is stimulated by the end of the fourteen-manvantar day of Virãt- Purush, when his equally long night falls. 2) Brahmã’s state of sushupti (deep sleep) – when all of ishvar’s responsibilities are absorbed – which lasts as long as his day. Equivalent to 4.32 x 109 human years.
nirmãni: Without pride.

Pradhãn-Prakruti: Prakruti half of the Pradhãn-Purush pair, ‘conceived’ by Mul-Purush and Mul-Prakruti for the creation and sustenance of each brahmãnd. Also called simply Pradhãn.
Pradhãn-Purush: One of the countless pairs of Pradhãn-Prakruti and Purush ‘conceived’ by Mul-Purush and Mul-Prakruti for the creation and sustenance of each brahmãnd. Subsequently, from each pair of Pradhãn-Purush, the twenty-four tattvas are created, and in turn, the jeevs and ishvars receive their respective bodies.
Pradyumna: One of the four forms of Bhagvãn’s Vishvarup svarup. His role is to explain the tattvas, and to cause the sustenance of the brahmãnd (Virãt-Purush). During the state of sustenance, Virãt-Purush worships Pradyumna.
Prakruti: 1) Divine energy or instrument of Bhagvãn that initiates the creation process by being ‘impregnated’ by Purush – also called Mul-Purush, Mahã-Purush, or Akshar- Purush – and from which countless pairs of Pradhãn and Purush are ‘conceived’ for the creation and sustenance of each brahmãnd. Taken to be feminine in nature, she is composed of the three gun, is both jad and chaitanya, eternal, nirvishesh, and in her dormant state houses all jeevs and all elements. Also called Mul- Prakruti, Mul-Mãyã, and Mahã-Mãyã. 2) Also refers to Pradhãn-Prakruti.
Prakruti-Purush: The pair of Mul-Prakruti and Mul-Purush, from which countless pairs of Pradhãn and Purush are formed for the creation and sustenance of each brahmãnd. Also called Mul-Prakruti-Purush.
prãn: A vital air. Breath. Life force or energy flowing within the primary life-currents of the body, called vãyu, which control crucial bodily functions. There are five main vãyus:  prãn – forward moving air  apãn – air that moves away  samãn – balancing air  udãn – ascending air  vyãn – outward moving air
praudhã: 1) Highest. Best. 2) Used to describe the gopis. The praudhã gopis would do only that which pleases Bhagvãn. In no way would they use any cunning methods to satisfy their selfishness. Their only wish would be to please Bhagvãn. Therefore, they remain happy with whatever pleases Bhagvãn. Also, they would never become angry at, or jealous of the other gopis who are equal to them. They would also abandon vicious natures, such as mãn and matsar, and remain alert in the sevã of Bhagvãn. They would never do anything that would displease Bhagvãn.
Purãn: Ancient. A set of eighteen shãstras recording ancient Hindu events that incorporate ethical and spiritual teachings, most popular of which is the Shreemad Bhãgvat Purãn. The other seventeen Purãns are, namely: the Brahma Purãn, Padma Purãn, Vishnu Purãn, Vãyu Purãn, Nãrad Purãn, Mãrkandey Purãn, Agney Purãn, Bhavishya Purãn, Brahma-Vaivart Purãn, Ling Purãn, Varãh Purãn, Skand Purãn, Vãman Purãn, Kurma Purãn, Matsya Purãn, Garud Purãn, and Brahmãnd Purãn. Forms a portion of the Smruti.
Purush: 1) An akshar-mukta selected by Akshar-Brahm to ‘impregnate’ Prakruti for the creation process, from which countless pairs of Pradhãn and Purush are formed for the creation and sustenance of each brahmãnd. 2) Purush half of the Pradhãn-Purush pair, ‘conceived’ by Mul-Purush and Mul-Prakruti for the creation and sustenance of each brahmãnd. 3) Taken to be masculine in nature, Purush is the controller of Prakruti, and is also distinct from her. He is indivisible, without a beginning, and without an end. He is self-luminous, omniscient, imperishable, satya, kshetragna, and the cause of all the activities that possess a form. He also has a divya body. 4) Also called Mahã-Purush, Mul-Purush or Akshar- Purush.

Rãm/Rãmchandra: An avatãr of Bhagvãn. He incarnated in the svarup of a king. Shree Rãm was the perfect human, the perfect son, the perfect husband, and the perfect king. He was exiled to the forest for fourteen years, with His wife Sitãji and His brother Lakshmanji. When Sitãji was kidnapped by the demon Rãvan, Rãm saved her with the help of Hanumãnji and Lakshmanji, and killed Rãvan.
Rãmãnand Swãmi: The guru who gave the young Nilkanth Brahmachari bhagvati diksha at Piplana in Samvat 1857, naming Him Sahajanand Swami and Narayan Muni. Recognizing Him as gifted with every quality of a true sant, Ramanand Swami handed over leadership of the Sampraday to Him before passing away in Samvat 1858.

sarvagna: The power to see the creation of brahmãnds.
satsang: 1) True company. The practice of associating with Bhagvãn’s sant, other satsangis, the ãtmã, and the sacred shãstras, and also observing vartmãns and niyams. 2) Also refers to the sampradãy, which is the presence of good company.

trimurti: Three devs responsible for the control of a brahmãnd. Brahma (creator), Vishnu (sustainer), Shiv (destroyer).

vairãgya: Detachment. A hatred or strong dislike for the world and its mãyik pleasures (the panch-vishays). Remaining detached from the body and the brahmãnd, and from all things that are the products of Prakruti. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma.
vartmãn: A vow.
Vãsudev: One of the four forms of Bhagvãn’s Vishvarup svarup. His Vãsudev-Nãrãyan role is to be worshipped by the jeevs in the brahmãnd (Virãt-Purush). The four-armed svarup of Bhagvãn. He holds four different weapons: gadã, padma, shankh, and chakra.
vimãn: Flying vehicle.
Virãt-Purush: 1) An ishvar ‘conceived’ by one of the countless pairs of Pradhãn-Purush. A svarup assumed by Bhagvãn through Purush and Prakruti, and through whom He then grants Brahmã and other jeevs their bodies. By nature, he is like a jeev, with his actions also being similar to that of a jeev – but with a lifespan of two parãrdhs (2 x 1017 human years). The creation, sustenance, and destruction of this brahmãnd are his three states. [Gadhadã II – 31]. 2) He is also the physical world (Virãt-Purush) or a brahmãnd, which is a human form. However, it is beyond visualisation due to its immense size. Also known as Purush-Avatãr. [Gadhadã I – 63].
Vishvarup: Literally means ‘svarup of the world’. This svarup was shown to Arjun by Shree Krishna Bhagvãn. The svarup consists of four different forms: Vãsudev, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, and Sankarshan. They each have different roles and responsibilities in a brahmãnd (Virãt-Purush). Sankarshan, Aniruddha, and Pradyumna are the sagun svarups of Vãsudev Bhagvãn, and it is the strength of the upãsanã of Virãt-Purush that he becomes capable of performing the activities of creation, sustenance, and destruction. Also, as long as Virãt-Purush worships these three, his association with Mãyã – in the form of creation, sustenance, and destruction – is not broken. It is when he worships Vãsudev Bhagvãn, who is nirgun, that Virãt- Purush abandons Mãyã and becomes brahm-rup.