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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.

31 resultsfor “Mãyã” · clear

asat-purush: A false sant. An asat-purush person believes that all male and female svarups in this world have been created through Mãyã and the Purush, Virãt, and svarup of Bhagvãn, implying that all of these svarups are manifestations of Bhagvãn Himself. He also believes that if his mind is attracted towards a higher or lower svarup of either a male or female, he should perform dhyãn upon that very svarup in order to attain instantaneous samãdhi.
ãtmã: 1) The pure jeev, which is distinct from the three bodies and three mental states, and distinct from the indriyas, the antah-karans, worldly desires, or any other traces of Mãyã. It is imperishable and eternal, does not undergo births or deaths, and it leaves a physical body after that body dies and assumes another physical body. Infinite in number. 2) That which pervades, inspires, and controls.
avidyã: Knowledge and understanding of all that has evolved from Mãyã, and is mãyik. False understanding of the nature of reality. Ignorance.

Bhagvãn: God. Supreme being. Lord of all. Bhagvãn is unparalleled, omnipotent and the all-doer, omniscient, omnipresent, the ocean of all forms of bliss, does not have any attributes of Mãyã, is divine, and is always taking birth on earth for His bhaktas. Resides within the ãtmã. Also called Parbrahm, Paramãtmã, Purushottam, Krishna Nãrãyan, and Swãminãrãyan.
bhãgvat dharma: 1) Dharma related to Bhagvãn. The dharma which avatãrs of Bhagvãn come to establish, and the dharma which was adopted by Nãrad, the Sanakãdik, Shukji, Dhruv, Prahlãd, Ambrish and other bhaktas. This form of dharma is not different from bhakti itself. 2) Collective term for dharma, gnãn, vairãgya, and bhakti coupled with the knowledge of Bhagvãn's greatness. This will lead a person to become an ekãntik bhakta who crosses Bhagvãn's Mãyã and attains His dhãm. 3) Also called ekãntik dharma.
Brahm: 1) The dhãm of Bhagvãn. It is eternal, complete with all gun, luminous, and flawless. Also called Akshar, or Akshar-Brahm, or Akshardhãm. 2) Fourth of the five eternal entities, which transcends everything except Purushottam (jeev, ishvar, Mãyã, and Brahm, and Parbrahm).

ekãntik dharma: Collective term for dharma, gnãn, vairãgya, and bhakti coupled with the knowledge of Bhagvãn's greatness. This will lead a person to become an ekãntik bhakta who crosses Bhagvãn's Mãyã and attains His dhãm. Also called bhãgvat dharma.

gun: 1) Good quality or trait. (pronounced goon) 2) Principle quality of Prakruti or Mãyã. There are three in total: sattva-gun (goodness and awareness), rajo- gun (passion and desires), and tamo-gun (darkness, ignorance, and laziness). All beings are affected by the influence of one or a combination of these three gun of Mãyã until they become gunãtit. The gun bring out different types of moods in a person: a person in sattva-gun is calm, and peaceful; a person in rajo-gun
gunãtit: Beyond the three gun of Mãyã (sattva-gun, rajo-gun, tamo- gun). That which has no trace or influence of Mãyã.

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.

jeev: 1) That which is living. Infinite in number. Individual, embodied ãtmã still bound by Mãyã and consequently undergoing the cycle of births and deaths. The jeev is not separate the three bodies (sthul, sukshma, and kãran) and the three mental states (jãgrat, svapna, and sushupti), whereas the ãtmã is distinct from everything. 2) First of the five eternal entities (jeev, ishvar, Mãyã, and Akshar, and Parbrahm). 3) Sometimes used to mean the same as ãtmã.

Mahã-Mãyã: See Prakruti.
mãyã: That which obstructs a bhakta from focusing on Bhagvãn. [Gadhadã I – 1].
Mãyã: 1) Power of Bhagvãn used as the fundamental 'substance' of creation. It is composed of the three gun, is both jad and chaitanya, eternal, nirvishesh, and in its dormant state (before the time of creation) – it houses all jeevs and ishvars, and all the tattvas. It is inspired by, controlled by, and dependent on Bhagvãn. The jeevs and ishvars must go beyond Mãyã (eradicate it within themselves) in order to attain Akshardhãm. Everything in the world is produced from the products of Mãyã. Also called Prakruti. 2) Third of the five eternal entities (jeev, ishvar, Mãyã, and Brahm, and Parbrahm).
mãyik: That which is composed of the products of Mãyã. False. Worldly. That which is destroyed.
mukta: Free. Released. A liberated soul. A resident of any dhãm of Bhagvãn who has been freed from life in the lower loks to a more spiritually elevated state. There are varying levels of muktas: the muktas of Badrikãshram, Shvet-Dvip, Vaikunth, and Golok. The highest level of mukta, akshar- mukta, has attained ultimate kalyãn and is free from the bondage of Mãyã and the cycle of births and deaths. [Sãrangpur – 17].

niranjan: Describes a person whose eyes are not affected by mãyã in the form of attractive objects.
nirgun: 1) Without gun. Not possessing any qualities of the three guns of Mãyã – sattva-gun, rajo-gun, and tamo-gun. Beyond all mãyik qualities. Divine. 2) Extremely subtle. [Kãriyãni – 8].
nirvishesh: Description of that which is without any responsibilities. This describes Mãyã in her causal state when she is without all of the things that may develop from her (the twenty-four tattvas).

Paramãtmã: Greater than the ãtmã. God. Supreme being. Bhagvãn. Lord of all. He is unparalleled, omnipotent and the all- doer, omniscient, omnipresent, the ocean of all forms of bliss, does not have any attributes of Mãyã, divine, always taking birth on earth for His bhaktas. Resides within the ãtmã.
Parbrahm: Beyond Brahm. God. Supreme being. Bhagvãn. He is unparalleled, omnipotent and the all-doer, omniscient, omnipresent, the ocean of all forms of bliss, does not have any attributes of Mãyã, divine, always taking birth on earth for His bhaktas. Resides within the ãtmã. Also called Paramãtmã, Parbrahm, Krishna Nãrãyan, and Swãminãrãyan. Highest of the five eternal entities (jeev, ishvar, Mãyã, and Brahm, and Parbrahm).
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.
Purushottam: God. Supreme being. Bhagvãn. He is unparalleled, omnipotent and the all-doer, omniscient, omnipresent, the ocean of all forms of bliss, does not have any attributes of Mãyã, divine, always taking birth on earth for

rajo-gun: Quality of passion. One of the three gun of Mãyã (Prakruti) characterised by incoherence and desires for the vishays. When rajo-gun prevails, the antah-karan becomes polluted and many disturbing thoughts regarding desires for the vishays arise, making it difficult to worship Bhagvãn’s murti. Also, when rajo-gun is predominant, the rewards of any karmas performed by a jeev are experienced in the svapna state. The products of rajo-gun include lust, and desires for enjoying sense pleasures. [Kãriyãni – 1] [Gadhadã II – 43].

sãnkhya: Fundamental belief of the Sãnkhya philosophy. It proposes that all that evolves from Mãyã is perishable and vain. After developing thoughts of sãnkhya, the bhakta gradually becomes detached from worldly, mãyik objects and become further absorbed in Bhagvãn.
sattva-gun: Quality of goodness. One of the three gun of Mãyã (Prakruti) characterised by awareness and vairãgya

tamo-gun: Quality of darkness. One of the three gun of Mãyã (Prakruti) characterised by unconsciousness and ignorance. When tamo-gun prevails, no thoughts arise in the antah-karan, and a person experiences a feeling of emptiness. Also, when tamo-gun is predominant, the rewards of any karmas performed by a jeev are experienced during the state of sushupti. The products of tamo-gun include laziness, sleep, anger, and greed. [Kãriyãni – 1] [Gadhadã II – 43].
tattva: An element. That which is produced from Mãyã. There are twenty-four tattvas that have evolved from Mãyã: the five gnãn-indriyas, the five karma-indriyas, the five prãns, and the four antah-karans.
trigunãtmik: The three gun of Mãyã – sattva-gun, rajo-gun, tamo-gun.

Upanishad: Collection of philosophical texts written by the ancient rushis, that primarily revolves around the discussion of the nature of the ãtmã, the world, mãyã, and reality. Of the 108 Upanishads, ten are considered to be the ‘principal Upanishads’ upon which philosophers and ãchãryas have written commentaries.

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.