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.

17 resultsfor “gnãn” · clear

bhãgvat bhakta: A bhakta who follows bhãgvat dharma, which consists of dharma, gnãn, vairãgya, and bhakti coupled with the knowledge of Bhagvãn's greatness.
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.

ekãntik: The highest spiritual state, in which a person offers perfect bhakti to Bhagvãn along with dharma, gnãn and vairãgya.
ekãntik bhakta: 1) Highest level of bhakta. A person who offers ekãntik bhakti, perfectly possesses all four of the qualities of ekãntik dharma (dharma, gnãn, vairãgya, and bhakti). 2) A person who has no desires other than Bhagvãn, and who worships Bhagvãn while realising himself to be brahm-rup. [Gadhadã I – 11].
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.

gnãn: 1) Knowledge. Spiritual knowledge leading to kalyãn. In particular, the knowledge of the ãtmã, and Bhagvãn’s svarup and His greatness. One of the four attributes of ekãntik dharma. 2) Also used to mean ãtmã-nishthã or ãtmã-gnãn.
gnãn-indriya: Cognitive sense, through which a person can ‘know'. There are five gnãn-indriyas: hearing (ears), touch (skin), sight (eyes), taste (tongue) and smell (nose). They engage themselves in their respective vishays and have the complete knowledge of that vishay. The sense organs are not to be confused with the indriyas (the senses). The sense organs are part of the physical body, whereas the indriyas (senses) are distinct from the physical body.
gnãn-pralay: Destruction by gnãn. A state of individual understanding in which Prakruti-Purush and the entities evolved from them do not come into view, and a person sees only pure chaitanya, within which only the murti of Bhagvãn resides, but no other forms remain. All mãyik influences are destroyed – as if ãtyantik-pralay has taken place for that particular individual.
gnãn-shakti: The power of understanding. Aware of actions. When a jeev enters the jãgrat state, Bhagvãn awakens it from unconsciousness through His gnãn-shakti and makes it aware of its actions.
gnãn-yagna: When a bhakta of Bhagvãn engages in antar-drashti, it is called a gnãn-yagna. Physical activities related to Bhagvãn, such as having the darshan of Bhagvãn, performing His pujã or engaging in kathã and kirtans of Bhagvãn, to see that murti of Bhagvãn within the heart, to perform its pujã, and to bow before it, are all forms of antar-drashti, and are therefore aspects of a gnãn-yagna.
gnãni: A person with gnãn. One of the four types of bhaktas.

indriyas: A sense, through which a person can ‘know’ and ‘perform actions’. There are ten indriyas in total - the five gnãn- indriyas (cognitive senses) and the five karma-indriyas (conative senses), with the mind often taken to be the eleventh indriya. They engage themselves in their respective vishays and have the complete knowledge of that vishay. The sense organs are not to be confused with the indriyas (the senses). The sense organs are part of the physical body, whereas the indriyas (senses) are distinct from the physical body.  five gnãn-indriyas: hearing (ears/shrotra), touch (skin/tvak), sight (eyes/chakshu), taste (tongue/rasnã) and smell (grahn)  five karma-indriyas: speech (voice/vãk), handling (hands/pãni), walking (feet/pãd), excretion (anus/pãyu) and procreation (genitals/upastha)

keval-gnãn: Perfect or ultimate gnãn, as described in the nãstik philosophy. The final state of realisation.

shravan: 1) To listen to talks of Bhagvãn through the ears. 2) The term also means the initial intake of gnãn from any of the outer indriyas. In this sense, darshan, intake of gnãn through the eyes, is also considered a form of shravan. However, the intake of gnãn through the process of shravan (listening) must be strengthened with manan (thinking) and nididhyãs (remember) if it is to lead to the sãkshãtkãr (realisation) of that gnãn.
shushka-gnãn: Dry knowledge. Refers to the Advait philosophy. It is called ‘dry’ as it disclaims the existence of a personal Bhagvãn, and so does not propose any form of bhakti towards Him.
sukshma: Subtle. One of the three bodies of the jeev. It is the subtle body of the jeev, which is composed of nineteen tattvas: the five gnãn-indriyas, the five karma-indriyas, the five prãns, and the four antah-karans. Unlike the sthul body, the sukshma body is not visible and is commonly thought of as the mental body.

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.