Appendix B - Glossary of theosophical and sanskrit terminology
*s mark
entries from H. P. Blavatsky's Theosophical Glossary
- to enable 7-bit encoding and easy pronunciation, long vowels have been doubled, rather than use diacritic marks. The term is in these cases also simply written without diacretical marks like this Aakaasha (akasha).
- This glossary is based on but larger than the one provided by Yanthe Hoskins in her book Foundations of Esoteric Philosophy from the Writings of H.P. Blavatsky.
- For Sufi Terminology there is a smaller glossary.
- * aakaasha (akasha)
- The subtle, spiritual essence which pervades all space.
- akarma
- inaction
- anta
- end
- antahkarana
- mind
- apara
- lower
- asat.h
- appearing as unreal, unreal
- Brahman and related concepts
- daurmanasya
- despair
- * dhyaan chohans (dhyan chohans)
- Arch-angels or high spiritual intelligences. Usually thought not to be embodied.
- * dzyan
- Wisdom, divine Knowledge.
- Higher Manasic studies
- studies that involve not only the intellect, but also the spiritual intelligence, so to speak.
- * kaarana (karana)
- Cause
- * karma
- literally, action; universal law of cause and effect which governs rebirth and the world of samsara
- karmaaNaM (karmanam)
- the fruits of actions
- karmaaNi (karmani)
- deeds
- karmabandhaM
- bondage of reaction
- karmajaan.h (karmajanh ???)
- born of work
- karmaNaa (karmana)
- by work
- karmaNi (karmani)
- in action
- karmaphala
- the result of an action
- karmaphalaM
- the results of all activities
- karmasaN^ginaaM
- who are attached to fruitive work
- karmasu
- in all activities
- karma-viparyaya
- m. perversity of action, perverse action, mistake
- Lower Manasic aspects
- thinking in service of personality and emotional selfinterest.
- * mahat
- Universal Intelligence and Consciousness, cosmic consciousness
- mahat.h
- great man
- mahattonmaada (mahatonmada)
- macromania
- mahattva
- largeness
- * manas
- Mind; the reincarnating principle in man, the Higher Ego, the reasoning ability of the mind
- manasaa (manasa)
- by the mind
- Manasic
- (from manas)
- * manvantara
- A period of manifestation or cosmic activity, n. epoch, the period or age of a Manu (it comprises about 71 {mahaa-yugas} [q.v.], which are held equal to 12,000 years of the gods or 4,320,000 human years or 1/14th of a day of Brahma
- * maayaa (maya)
- Illusion; the cosmic power which renders phenomenal existence possible.
- mula
- root
- * mulaprakriti
- Undifferentiated substance; the root of matter.
- * naastika (nastika)
- Atheist, or rather, one who does not worship any gods or idols.
- nityasattvasthaH
- in a pure state of spiritual existence
- paraa (para)
- higher, universal, beyond, supreme, other
- * parabrahman
- Beyond Brahman; the impersonal, nameless universal Principle; the Absolute.
- paraaM (param)
- transcendental
- paraamaanasashaastra (paramanasashastra)
- parapsychology
- paramaartha (paramartha)
- highest purpose
- * prakriti
- Nature in general, as original
substance.
(eternal nature) - * pralaya
- A period of rest between manvantaras or periods of activity
- * purusha
- Spirit
- samaasataH (samasatah)
- in summary
- samudaaya-satya (samudaya-satya)
- the apparent reality of the aggregate
- samvr.tti-satya
- empirical truth
- sarva-karma-sannyaasa (sarva karma sanyasa)
- omniscience
- * sat
- The one ever-present Reality; the divine Essence or Be-ness.
- sat-asat
- real-unreal
- satkaarya (satkarya)
- good or useful work particularly helpful to many
- sattva
- inner strength, orderliness, the quality of goodness in everything natural, pure, steady, goodness, illumination, the mode of goodness
- satya
- honesty, truth
- satyasya satyam
- the true of the true
- satyopaadhi (satyopadhi)
- true limitation
- Skandas
- thoughtforms that are the building blocks of the personality (this definition is much simplified).
- sumanasya
- benevolence
- * upaadhi (upadhi)
- A basis or vehicle of something less material than itself.