Hindu Gods & Goddesses

by Stephen Knapp

  Brahmachari--a celebate student who is trained by the spiritual master. One of the four divisions or ashramas of spiritual life.

  Brahmajyoti--the great white light or effulgence which emanates from the body of the Lord.

  Brahmaloka--the highest planet or plane of existence in the universe; the planet where Lord Brahma lives.

  Brahman--the spiritual energy; the all-pervading impersonal aspect of the Lord; or the Supreme Lord Himself.

  Brahmana or brahmin--one of the four orders of society; the intellectual class of men who have been trained in the knowledge of the Vedas and initiated by a spiritual master.

  Brahmana--the supplemental books of the four primary Vedas. They usually contained instructions for performing Vedic agnihotras, chanting the mantras, the purpose of the rituals, etc. The Aitareya and Kaushitaki Brahmanas belong to the Rig-veda, the Satapatha Brahmana belongs to the White Yajur-veda, and the Taittiriya Brahmana belongs to the Black Yajur-veda. The Praudha and Shadvinsa Brahmanas are two of the eight Brahmanas belonging to the Atharva-veda.

  Brahmastra--a nuclear weapon that is produced and controlled by mantra .

  Caitanya-caritamrita--the scripture by Krishnadasa Kaviraja which explains the teachings and pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

  Caitanya Mahaprabhu--the most recent incarnation of the Lord who appeared in the 15th century in Bengal and who originally started the sankirtana movement, based on congregational chanting of the holy names.

  Causal Ocean or Karana Ocean--is the corner of the spiritual sky where Maha-Vishnu lies down to create the material manifestation.

  Cit--eternal knowledge.

  Chakra-- a wheel, disk, or psychic energy center situated along the spinal column in the subtle body of the physical shell.

  Chhandas--sacred hymns of the Atharva-veda.

  Darshan--the devotional act of seeing and being seen by the Deity in the temple.

  Deity--the arca-vigraha, or worshipful form of the Supreme in the temple, or deity as the worshipful image of the demigod. A capital D is used in referring to Krishna or one of His expansions, while a small d is used when referring to a demigod or lesser personality.

  Devas--demigods or heavenly beings from higher levels of material existence, or a godly person.

  Devaloka--the higher planets or planes of existence of the devas.

  Dham--a holy place.

  Dharma--the essential nature or duty of the living being.

  Dualism--as related in this book refers to the Supreme as both an impersonal force as well as a person.

  Durga--the form of Parvati, Shiva's wife, as a warrior goddess known by many names according to her deeds, such as Simhavahini when riding her lion, Mahishasuramardini for killing the demon Mahishasura, Jagaddhatri as the mother of the universe, Kali when she killed the demon Raktavija, Tara when killing Shumba, etc.

  Dvapara-yuga--the third age which lasts 864,000 years.

  Dwaita--dualism, the principle that the Absolute Truth consists of the infinite Supreme Being and the infinitesimal individual souls.

  Gandharvas--the celestial angel-like beings who have beautiful forms and voices, and are expert in dance and music, capable of becoming invisible and can help souls on the earthly plane.

  Ganesh--a son of Shiva, said to destroy obstacles (as Vinayaka) and offer good luck to those who petition him.

  Ganges--the sacred and spiritual river which, according to the Vedas, runs throughout the universe, a portion of which is seen in India. The reason the river is considered holy is that it is said to be a drop of the Karana Ocean that leaked in when Lord Vishnu, in His incarnation as Vamanadeva, kicked a small hole in the universal shell with His toe. Thus, the water is spiritual as well as being purified by the touch of Lord Vishnu.

  Gangapuja--the arati ceremony for worshiping the Ganges.

  Gangotri--the source of the Ganges River in the Himalayas.

  Garbhodakasayi Vishnu--the expansion of Lord Vishnu who enters into each universe.

  Gaudiya--a part of India sometimes called Aryavarta or land of the Aryans, located south of the Himalayas and north of the Vindhya Hills.

  Gayatri--the spiritual vibration or mantra from which the other Vedas were expanded and which is chanted by those who are initiated as brahmanas and given the spiritual understanding of Vedic philosophy.

  Goloka Vrindavana--the name of Lord Krishna's spiritual planet.

  Gosvami--one who is master of the senses.

  Govinda-- a name of Krishna which means one who gives pleasure to the cows and senses.

  Gunas--the modes of material nature of which there is sattva (goodness), rajas(passion), and tamas (ignorance).

  Guru -- a spiritual master.

  Hare--the Lord's pleasure potency, Radharani, who is approached for accessibility to the Lord.

  Hari--a name of Krishna as the one who takes away one's obstacles on the spiritual path.

  Haribol--a word that means to chant the name of the Lord, Hari.

  Harinam--refers to the name of the Lord, Hari.

  Hiranyagarbha--another name of Brahma who was born of Vishnu in the primordial waters within the egg of the universe.

  Hrishikesa-- a name for Krishna which means the master of the senses.

  Impersonalism--the view that God has no personality or form, but is only an impersonal force.

  Impersonalist--those who believe God has no personality or form.

  Incarnation--the taking on of a body or form.

  Indra--the King of heaven and controller of rain, who by his great power conquers the forces of darkness.

  Jiva--the individual soul or living being.

  Jivanmukta--a liberated soul, though still in the material body and universe.

  Jiva-shakti--the living force.

  Jnana-kanda--the portion of the Vedas which stresses empirical speculation for understanding truth.

  Jnana-yoga--the process of linking with the Supreme through empirical knowledge and mental speculation.

  Kala--eternal time.

  Kali--the demigoddess who is the fierce form of the wife of Lord Shiva. The word kali comes from kala, the Sanskrit word for time: the power that dissolves or destroys everything.

  Kali-yuga--the fourth and present age, the age of quarrel and confusion, which lasts 432,000 years and began 5,000 years ago.

  Kalpa--a day in the life of Lord Brahma which lasts a thousand cycles of the four yugas.

  Kapila--an incarnation of Lord Krishna who propagated the Sankhya philosophy.

  Karanodakasayi Vishnu (Maha-Vishnu)--the expansion of Lord Krishna who created all the material universes.

  Karma--material actions performed in regard to developing one's position or for future results which produce karmic reactions. It is also the reactions one endures from such fruitive activities.

  Karma-kanda--the portion of the Vedas which primarily deals with recommended fruitive activities for various results.

  Karma-yoga--the system of yoga for dovetailing one's activities for spiritual advancement.

  Kirtana--chanting or singing the glories of the Lord.

  Krishna--the name of the original Supreme Personality of Godhead which means the most attractive and greatest pleasure. He is the source of all other incarnations, such as Vishnu, Rama, Narasimha, Narayana, Buddha, Parashurama, Vamanadeva, Kalki at the end of Kali-yuga, etc.

  Krishnaloka--the spiritual planet where Lord Krishna resides.

  Kshatriya--the second class of varna of society, or occupation of administrative or protective service, such as warrior or military personel.

  Ksirodakasayi Vishnu--the Supersoul expansion of the Lord who enters into each atom and the heart of each individual.

  Kumbha Mela--the holy festival in which millions of pilgrims and sages gather to bathe in the holy and purifying rivers for liberation at particular auspicious times that are calculated astrologically. The Kumbha Mela festivals take place every three years alternating between Allahabad, Ujjain, Nasik, and Haridwar.
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br />   Kuruksetra--the place of battle 5,000 years ago between the Pandavas and the Kauravas ninety miles north of New Delhi, where Krishna spoke the Bhagavad-gita.

  Lakshmi--the goddess of fortune and wife of Lord Vishnu.

  Lila--pastimes.

  Lilavataras--the many incarnations of God who appear to display various spiritual pastimes to attract the conditioned souls in the material world.

  Linga--the shapeless form of Lord Shiva.

  Mahabharata--the great epic of the Pandavas, which includes the Bhagavad-gita, by Vyasadeva.

  Maha-mantra--the best mantra for self-realization in this age, called the Hare Krishna mantra.

  Mahat-tattva--the total material energy.

  Maha-Vishnu or Karanodakasayi Vishnu--the Vishnu expansion of Lord Krishna from whom all the material universes emanate.

  Mandir--a temple.

  Mantra-- a sound vibration which prepares the mind for spiritual realization and delivers the mind from material inclinations. In some cases a mantra is chanted for specific material benefits.

  Manu--the demigod sons of Brahma. Manu is the forefather and lawgiver of the human race. A succession of 14 Manus exist during each day of Brahma, called the manvantaras.

  Manvantara--the series of incarnations of Manus.

  Maya--illusion, or anything that appears to not be connected with the eternal Absolute Truth.

  Mayavadi--the impersonalist or voidist who believes that the Supreme has no form.

  Mitra--the deity controlling the sun, and who gives life to earth.

  Moksha--liberation from material existence.

  Murti--a Deity of the Lord or spiritual master that is worshiped.

  Murugan--means the divine child, the Tamil name for Subramaniya, one of the sons of Shiva and Parvati, especially worshiped in South India.

  Narayana--the four-handed form of the Supreme Lord.

  Om or Omkara--pranava, the transcendental om mantra, generally referring to the attributeless or impersonal aspects of the Absolute.

  Paramahamsa--the highest level of self-realized devotees of the Lord.

  Paramatma--the Supersoul, or localized expansion of the Lord.

  Parampara--the system of disciplic succession through which transcendental knowledge descends.

  Parvati--Lord Shiva's spouse, daughter of Parvata. Parvata is the personification of the Himalayas. She is also called Gauri for her golden complexion, Candi, Bhairavi (as the wife of Bhairava, Shiva), Durga, Ambika, and Shakti.

  Patanjali--the authority on the astanga-yoga system.

  Pradhana--the total material energy in its unmanifest state.

  Prajapati--deity presiding over procreation.

  Prakriti--matter in its primordial state, the material nature.

  Prana--the life air or cosmic energy.

  Pranayama--control of the breathing process as in astanga or raja-yoga.

  Pranava--same as omkara.

  Prasada--food or other articles that have been offered to the Deity in the temple and then distributed amongst people as the blessings or mercy of the Deity. Prema--matured love for Krishna.

  Puja--the worship offered to the Deity.

  Pujari--the priest who performs worship, puja, to the Deity. Purusha or Purusham--the supreme enjoyer. Raja-yoga--the eightfold yoga system.

  Rajo-guna--the material mode of passion.

  Ramachandra--an incarnation of Krishna as He appeared as the greatest of kings.

  Ramayana--the great epic of the incarnation of Lord Ramachandra.

  Rasa--an enjoyable taste or feeling, a relationship with God.

  Shabda-brahma--the original spiritual vibration or energy of which the Vedas are composed.

  Sac-cid-ananda-vigraha--the transcendental form of the Lord or of the living entity which is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss.

  Sadhana--a specific practice or discipline for attaining God realization.

  Sadhu--Indian holy man or devotee.

  Saguna Brahman--the aspect of the Absolute with form and qualities.

  Samadhi--trance, the perfection of being absorbed in the Absolute.

  Samsara--rounds of life; cycles of birth and death; reincarnation.

  Sanatana-dharma--the eternal nature of the living being, to love and render service to the supreme lovable object, the Lord.

  Sankirtana-yajna--the prescribed sacrifice for this age: congregational chanting of the holy names of God.

  Sannyasa--the renounced order of life, the highest of the four ashramas on the spiritual path.

  Sarasvati--the goddess of knowledge and intelligence.

  Sattva-guna--the material mode of goodness.

  Satya-yuga--the first of the four ages which lasts 1,728,000 years.

  Shaivites--worshipers of Lord Shiva.

  Shakti--energy, potency or power, the active principle in creation. Also the active power or wife of a deity, such as Shiva/Shakti.

  Shastra--the authentic revealed scripture.

  Shiva--the benevolent one, the demigod who is in charge of the material mode of ignorance and the destruction of the universe. Part of the triad of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva who continually create, maintain, and destroy the universe. He is known as Rudra when displaying his destructive aspect.

  Smriti--the traditional Vedic knowledge "that is remembered" from what was directly heard by or revealed to the rishis.

  Sravanam--hearing about the Lord.

  Srimad-Bhagavatam--the most ripened fruit of the tree of Vedic knowledge compiled by Vyasadeva.

  Sruti--scriptures that were received directly from God and transmitted orally by brahmanas or rishis down through succeeding generations. Traditionally, it is considered the four primary Vedas.

  Sudra--the working class of society, the fourth of the varnas.

  Svami--one who can control his mind and senses.

  Tamo-guna--the material mode of ignorance.

  Tapasya--voluntary austerity for spiritual advancement.

  Tilok--the clay markings that signify a person's body as a temple, and the sect or school of thought of the person.

  Tirtha-- a holy place of pilgrimage.

  Upanishads--the portions of the Vedas which primarily explain philosophically the Absolute Truth. It is knowledge of Brahman which releases one from the world and allows one to attain self- realization when received from a qualified teacher. Except for the Isa Upanishad, which is the 40th chapter of the Vajasaneyi Samhita of the Sukla (White) Yajur-veda, the Upanishads are connected to the four primary Vedas, generally found in the Brahmanas.

  Vaikunthas--the planets located in the spiritual sky.

  Vaishnava--a worshiper of the Supreme Lord Vishnu or Krishna and His expansions or incarnations.

  Vedanta-sutras--the philosophical conclusion of the four Vedas.

  Vedas--generally means the four primary samhitas; the Rig, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva.

  Virajanadi or Viraja River--the space that separates the material creation from the spiritual sky.

  Vishnu--the expansion of Lord Krishna who enters into the material energy to create and maintain the cosmic world.

  Vrindavana--the place where Lord Krishna displayed His village pastimes 5,000 years ago, and is considered to be part of the spiritual abode.

  Vyasadeva--the incarnation of God who appeared as the greatest philosopher who compiled all the Vedas into written form.

  Yajna--a ritual or austerity that is done as a sacrifice for spiritual merit, or ritual worship of a demigod for good karmic reactions.

  Yamaraja--the demigod and lord of death who directs the living entities to various punishments according to their activities.

  Yantra--a machine, instrument, or mystical diagram used in ritual worship.

  Yuga-avataras--the incarnations of God who appear in each of the four yugas to explain the authorized system of self-realization in that age.