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200 Key Sanskrit Yoga Terms

Discerning dharma from kharma or bhakti from shakti is an important lesson for all yoga students—whether you are a beginner or a long-time yogi.

By Georg Feuerstein

a b c d g h i j k l m n o p r s t u v

Hamsa ("swan/gander"): apart from the literal meaning, this term also refers to the breath (prana) as it moves within the body; the individuated consciousness (jiva) propelled by the breath; see jiva-atman; see also parama-hamsa

Hatha Yoga ("Forceful Yoga"): a major branch of yoga, developed by Goraksha and other adepts c. 1000 C.E., and emphasizing the physical aspects of the transformative path, notably postures (asana) and cleansing techniques (shodhana), but also breath control (pranayama)

Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika ("Light on Hatha Yoga"): one of three classical manuals on hatha yoga, authored by Svatmarama Yogendra in the fourteenth century

Hiranyagarbha ("Golden Germ"): the mythical founder of yoga; the first cosmological principle (tattva) to emerge out of the infinite Reality; also called Brahma

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Reader Comments

Padma	Not once have I read anywhere that Ayurveda (it is in the Hindu religious texts) or Yoga for that matter come from the Hindu (Vedic) teachings. Why are people so damn intellectually dishonest?? It's not "ancient Indian" as Indian is a nationality and Yoga's roots are HIndu (Hinduism is a religion).
Preet	Ashrama ("that where effort is made"): a hermitage; also a stage of life, such as brahmacharya, householder, forest dweller, and complete renouncer (samnyasin) Shram means effort, Ashram means letting go of the efforts, a place u go to let of efforts
Akash	This is a good glossary of Sanskrit words. The pronunciation will be challenging for Westerns. I'd suggest listening to Sanskrit or Hindi (national lang. of India and directly derived from Sanskrit) pronunciations. The most common issue is the pronunciation of the ending "a" that is often used in anglicized Sanskrit It is not used as much if at all in the real language. E.g.Yoga, Pranayama, etc . I'd suggest finding an audio site preferably with words pronounced by an Indian.