WORDS & THEIR WORLDS

Glossary

Sanskrit words encountered in the stories, with Devanagari and approximate pronunciation.

Listening uses approximate browser speech, not a reviewed Sanskrit recording. Written hints remain available; voice availability varies by device.

Choose Listen beside a term to try its pronunciation.

धर्म

dharma

Say: DHAR-ma

Duty, ethical order and the way of living that sustains life; its meaning depends on context.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

कर्म

karma

Say: KAR-ma

Action, and the consequences of action in teachings about moral cause and effect.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

आत्मन्

Atman · ātman

Say: AAT-man

The Self; schools differ in their account of its relationship to ultimate reality.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

ब्रह्मन्

brahman

Say: BRAH-man

Ultimate reality in Upanishadic and Vedantic thought. Brahman is distinct from Brahma, the creator deity.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

मोक्ष

Moksha · mokṣa

Say: MOKE-sha

Liberation from samsara, the cycle of rebirth; its nature is understood differently across schools.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

भक्ति

bhakti

Say: BHAK-ti

Devotion and loving dedication to the Divine.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

शक्ति

Shakti · śakti

Say: SHAK-ti

Power or energy; divine power, especially the Goddess in Shakta traditions.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

देव

deva

Say: DAY-va

A divine being or god; the feminine form is devi.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

देवी

Devi · devī

Say: DAY-vee

Goddess; also a title for the Divine Mother.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

तपस्

tapas

Say: TA-pas

Spiritual discipline and austerity, associated with inward effort and transformation.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

यन्त्र

yantra

Say: YAN-tra

A diagram or device; in worship, a geometric form associated with a deity and contemplation.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

पुराण

Purana · purāṇa

Say: pu-RAA-na

A genre of sacred narrative including divine stories, cosmology, genealogies and teachings.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

ज्योतिर्लिङ्ग

Jyotirlinga · jyotirliṅga

Say: JYOH-tir-LING-ga

A radiant form of Shiva’s linga, associated with sacred shrines. The Shiva Purana’s Kotirudra Samhita names twelve principal jyotirlingas.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

इतिहास

Itihasa · itihāsa

Say: i-ti-HAA-sa

Traditional narrative of the past; in this guide, the epic literature of the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Itihasa is named alongside Purana in Chandogya Upanishad 7.1.2.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

ब्रह्मास्त्र

Brahmastra · brahmāstra

Say: brah-MAAS-tra

A divine weapon associated with Brahma. In Sundara Kanda 48, Indrajit uses Brahma’s weapon to bind Hanuman.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

लिङ्ग

Linga · liṅga

Say: LING-ga

An emblem or sign; in Shaiva worship, the linga is a sacred form through which Shiva is worshipped.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

अवतार

Avatar · avatāra

Say: a-va-TAA-ra

A divine descent or manifestation, especially in traditions of Vishnu. Bhagavad Gita 4.6–8 discusses Krishna’s manifestation and its purpose.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

असुर

Asura · asura

Say: A-su-ra

A class of beings who may cooperate with or oppose the devas in sacred narratives. In Bhagavata Purana 8.7, devas and asuras take part in the ocean churning.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

अक्षर

Akshara · akṣara

Say: AK-sha-ra

The imperishable. In Gargi’s dialogue with Yajnavalkya, it names the reality that does not pass away; in other contexts, akshara can also mean a syllable or letter.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

श्रेयस्

Shreyas · śreyas

Say: SHRAY-yas

The truly beneficial or lasting good. In the Katha Upanishad, Yama distinguishes shreyas from what is merely pleasant.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

प्रेयस्

Preyas · preyas

Say: PRAY-yas

What is immediately pleasant or attractive. The Katha Upanishad contrasts preyas with shreyas, the path of lasting good.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

सत्

Sat

Say: SAT

Being, existence or the Real. In Chandogya Upanishad 6, Sat is taught as the one reality from which beings arise, by which they live and into which they return.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

तत् त्वम् असि

Tat Tvam Asi · tat tvam asi

Say: TAT TVAM A-si

“That you are,” the teaching repeated by Uddalaka to Shvetaketu in Chandogya Upanishad 6. Vedanta traditions interpret the relationship expressed by these words in different ways.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

आकाश

Akasha · ākāśa

Say: aa-KAA-sha

Space, sky or the vast expanse. Its philosophical range depends on context; in Gargi’s questioning, the worlds are described as woven in akasha.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

श्रद्धा

Shraddha · śraddhā

Say: SHRUD-dhaa

Trust, reverent confidence or faithful resolve. It can describe the inward seriousness that turns a person toward a teaching or sacred undertaking.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

विद्या

Vidya · vidyā

Say: VID-yaa

Knowledge, learning or insight. In spiritual contexts it may refer to knowledge that dispels ignorance, though its precise meaning varies by text and school.

Source & context Find this term in the heritage

अविद्या