Sanskrit Glossary of Terms for Traditional Kundalini Science

Ajna Chakra. The Brow center, the sixth energy center in the subtle body, correlated with the area of the brain behind and between the eyebrows.
Anahata Chakra. The Heart center, the fourth energy center in the subtle body, correlated with the physical location in the spine at the level of the heart in the area between the breasts.
Anandamaya Kosha. The subtlemost of the five sheaths covering the core Self, made of the peaceful bliss experienced beyond mind; the causal body.
Annamaya Kosha. The densest of the five sheaths, made of food; the gross physical body.
Apana vayu. The vital energy of the subtle body correlated with the pelvic region with its seat in Muladhara, the Root center; responsible for downward flow, excretion.
Atman. Pure Consciousness in an individual, the One within; the core from which the five koshas emanate.
Bana Linga. The column-shaped movement in Susumna nadi in Anahata chakra.
Bandha. A lock or contraction of a part of the body designed to contain vital energy flow in the subtle body, usually at the anus, abdomen, and throat.
Bhakti yoga. The spiritual path of devotion to God.
Bindu. The point at the pinnacle of Brahma nadi that is the place of Self-illumination.
Brahma Granthi. The knot in Saraswati nadi in Muladhara chakra.
Brahma nadi. The innermost of the four central coaxial Shakti nadis of Mehru Danda, the central column, ending at the top of Brahma Randhra at Bindu.
Brahma Randhra. The twelve innermost petals of Sahasrara lotus, correlated with the top of the head at the fontanel, with Bindu at its center.
Buddhi. The function of mind responsible for discernment, insight; higher intellect.
Chakra. A matrix of nadis in the subtle body; six are major.
Chitta. The storehouse of past mental impressions, the mind stuff.
Chitrini nadi. The third of the four central coaxial Shakti nadis of Mehru Danda, yields knowledge of the entire subtle system; ends in Brahma Randhra..
Dalas. The petals of the Thousand Petal lotus, Sahasrara padma; the brain centers; the fifty chakra petals with twenty representatives each in Sahasrara.
Doshas. The three constitutional types in Ayurveda (kapha=earth/water, pitta=fire, vatta=air).
Golhat. The minor chakras in the cheeks that are accessed from Manas point in Lower Ajna chakra.
Granthi. Knots: Three in Saraswati nadi at the Root, Heart, and Brow centers; ten in Chitrini nadi above and below each chakra; three knots in the heart.
Gunas. The three basic qualities of nature: peace-sattva, action-rajas, inertia-tamas.
Hamsa Pita. The place of prana around the petals of of Brahma Randhra.
Hrit padma. The sacred heart lotus located to the left of Anahata chakra, accessed from Makara point in upper Ajna chakra. Connected to Brahma Randhra and accessing Bindu, it yields a Complete process.
Ida nadi. Located to the left of Susumna, it is the nadi connected to the left nostril and associated with qualities of the right hemisphere of the brain: feminine, moon, and receptivity.
Itara Linga. The domed energy column formed by Susumna nadi in Lower Ajna chakra.
Jiva. The individual soul or divine within; also jivatma.
Jnana yoga. The path of intellect involving study, contemplation, and meditation.
Kapala Kapatam. The Gateway to the Skull, a subtle membrane below Ajna chakra.
Kandarpa vayu. The name of Apana vayu as it spins in Muladhara chakra.
Karma. The law of action and consequence; past actions lead to present/future conditions.
Karma yoga. The path of loving, selfless service to the Divine with no expectation of gain.
Koshas. The five sheaths covering and emanating from the One, consisting of the physical, energy, mental, discernment, and celestial layers.
Kriya. Spontaneous movements of the physical body caused by action of the vayus.
Kundalini Shakti. The divine spiritual Power within; whether static or dynamic.
Lakshmi Alaya. The place at the top of Bana linga in Anahata chakra that supports the connection of Manas and Hrit padman, and where Lakshmi nadi touches Susumma.
Lakshmi Nadi. A cul-de-sac Shakti nadi parallel to Pingala nadi to the right of Susumna nadi extending from Muladhara, touching Anahata, ending at Hamsa Pitha.
Laya yoga. The yoga of dissolution; the tattvas (subtle elements) absorbed into their subtlest essence; the manifest returned to the Source.
Linga. A domed energy column; formed by Susumna nadi in the Root, Heart, and Brow chakras.
Maha Moksha Dvara. The Great Gateway to Liberation above Vishuddha chakra.
Maha yoga. The “highest” yoga; Kundalini yoga.
Makara Point. An experience above the cap of Itara linga in Upper Ajna chakra; where the deep sleep state beyond mind is consciously experienced.
Manas. The function of mind that doubts and manages sensory motor reflexes.
Manas padma. The mind lotus, located to the right of Anahata chakra and accessed from Manas point in Lower Ajna chakra, it has eight petals associated with the basic human emotions.
Manipura Chakra. The third energy center in the subtle body, correlated with the level of the solar plexus in the area above the navel and below the diaphragm.
Manomaya Kosha. The mental sheath.
Mehru Danda. The central energy pillar consisting of four co-axial nadis (Susumna, Vajra, Chitrini, Brahma) correlated in the physical body with the spinal column. Constitutes four of the six Shakti nadis.
Mudra. A spontaneous hand/arm gesture that expresses the movement of vayus occurring in a Kundalini process.
Muladhara Chakra. The root chakra, the first energy center in the subtle body, correlated with the physical location at the base of the spine in the perineum, where the unreleased Kundalini Shakti remains coiled in her dormant static state.
Nadi. A subtle energy channel or current on which the vayus or Kundalini flow.
Padma. Lotus, including Sahasrara, Manas, and Hrit or one of the chakras after it is opened.
Parabindu. Beyond Bindu and the stages of samadhi in Plateau; Self-realization, Turiya.
Pingala nadi. The solar energy channel to the right of Susumna, connected to the right nostril and associated with qualities of the left brain hemisphere: masculine, active.
Prana. The vital energy in a human being that has five major functions; a synonym for vayu.
Prana vayu. The vayu in the chest region with its seat in Anahata chakra; responsible for respiration, circulation, and vitalization.
Pranayama. A breathing practice that directs the flow of prana in a particular way.
Pranamaya Kosha. The energy sheath, second of the five koshas; contains the vayus, nadis, chakras, dalas, tattwas.
Raja yoga. The holistic eight-limbed yoga described in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras consisting of yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.
Rajas. The guna with the quality of activity, restlessness, drive, desire.
Sahasrara Padma. The Thousand-petal lotus corresponding in the physical body with brain function.
Samabhyasa. Alternate nostril breathing without retention; it balances the function of the brain hemispheres and purifies the nadis.
Samana vayu. The vital energy correlated to the abdominal region with its seat in Manipura chakra; it regulates assimilation and digestion.
Samskara. A latent impression/tendency/pattern/habit in the subconscious mind carried over from previous lives.
Sanatana Dharma. Way of the ancient ones; the philosophy and spiritual way of life of India.
Sankhini nadi. Extends outside Mehru Danda from the anus to the middle of the brain, the stem and pericarp of Sahasrara lotus; conducts heat from Muladhara to Sahasrara.
Saraswati nadi. A cul-de-sac Shakti nadi outside the central channel Mehru Danda on the left side, parallel to Ida nadi, extending from Muladhara to the edge of Hamsa Pitha near Brahma Randhra; yields a deflected rising.
Sat Chakra Nirupana. “Description of six chakras,” a major text of Kundalini science.
Sattva. The guna with the quality of peace, balance, light.
Shakti. Divine Power Consciousness.
Shakti nadi. The six nadis through which Kundalini Shakti, Divine Power Consciousness, can flow.
Siddha. An adept; an enlightened being elevated to an exalted spiritual status.
Siddha yoga. Yoga of the “adepts,” Kundalini yoga.
Siddhis. Special powers arising spontaneously from spiritual process or from focused effort.
Sri Yantra. The sacred geometrical diagram depicting the entire manifest universe, which is the goddess Sri.
Susumna nadi. The outermost nadi of Mehru Danda, correlated in the physical body with the spine; ends in upper Ajna chakra at Makara point.
Svadhisthana Chakra. The energy center correlated with the genitals, the second chakra.
Svara. The flow of breath; a yoga based on the science of breathing.
Tamas. The guna with the quality of inertness, heaviness, dullness, ignorance.
Tantras. Texts describing yogic practices and their results; yogic research treatices.
Tattva. A subtle element, an evolute of Prakriti in Samkhya philosophy.
Turiya. The fourth state beyond the three states of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep.
Udana vayu. The vayu with its seat in the Throat chakra that controls speech, intellect, will, and upward flow.
Udapidah. The minor chakras in the ears accessed from Manas point in Lower Ajna chakra.
Upanishad. The last part of the Veda upon which the philosophy of Vedanta is based.
Vajra nadi. The second Shakti nadi in Mehru Danda, starting in the genital and going unimpeded through two or five belts to the brain center petals, ending in at Hamsa Pitha in the Thousand-petal lotus Sahasrara.
Vasanas. Deep-seated strong desires; habitual drives and urges carried over from previous lives.
Vayu. One of five major vital energies or pranas: Apana, Samana, Prana, Udana, Vyana.
Veda. The most ancient scriptures; the foundation of Indian philosophy (Sanatana Dharma).
Vedanta. The philosophy based on the Upanishads, the last part of the Veda.
Vijnanamaya Kosha. The fourth kosha, the sheath of discernment, buddhi.
Vishnu Granthi. The knot in Saraswati nadi in Anahata chakra.
Vishuddha Chakra. The Throat chakra, the fifth energy center.
Vyana vayu. The vital energy with its seat in Svadhistana chakra that is dispursed throughout the subtle body; forms the aura.
Yoga. A spiritual method that leads to spiritual union; the practical, dualistic Indian philosophy based on Samkhya that includes many spiritual practices.
Yoga Sutras. The aphorisms of Patanjali that describe Samadhi Yoga, Raja Yoga.

 

 

English Glossary of Terms for Traditional Kundalini Science

From Kundalini Vidya, Joan Shivarpita Harrigan, 2007. Patanjali Kundalini Yoga Care. Kundalinicare.com