Sanskrit Dictionary - S

Index

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S

Sahita pranayama – connected Samadhi in which there is a flow of consciousness from the witness,
witnessing and witnessed.
Samadhi – The mind when it is cleared of thought-waves, achieves sameness or identity with the object
of its concentration.  This may be a gross object, or the organ of perception, or the sense of ego.  This
achievement of sameness or identity with the object of concentration is known as samadhi.
Samadhi – absorption in the Atman; When, in meditation the true nature of the object shines forth, not
distorted by the mind of the perceiver, that is absorption.  Samadhi is much more than perception; it is
direct knowledge.’
Samana – pranic air current in the middle region of body facilitates assimilation of prana and food.
Samyama – is simply a convenient technical term which describes the three-fold process by which the
true nature of an object is known – concentration, meditation and absorption.
Samskaras – the tendencies, potentialities and latent states which exist in the subconscious and
unconscious areas of the mind.  Are built up by the continued action of the thought-waves.
Sankhya – style of philosophy; belief that each individual creature and object has its separate, but
identical, Purusha.
Sanskrit– ancient language used in yoga
Santosha: A Niyama.  Cheerfulness, contentment, acceptance of one’s lot in life, untroubled by envy and restlessness.
Sattwa – represents an energy; that is pure, ideal and tranquil; one of the gunas
Satya:    A yama.  Truthfulness in the thought, word & deed. Ramakrishna would say ‘true spirituality
consists in making the heart and lips the same.’  Speaking your truth or staying mute are both powerful
ways to practice.
Savasana– corpse pose
Samprajnata Samadhi- Consciousness of the triad of Knower /Knowledge/Known.  SEVEN
STAGES OF KNOWLEDGE – Stage 4
Sattvapatti – Attainment of Sattwa. (Purity) SEVEN STAGES OF KNOWLEDGE – Stage 4
Savichara - reflective
Savitarka – with deliberation
Shakti– vital energy force, creative, potential force, vehicle of consciousness.  The female aspect of the
Ultimate Principle; the kinetic agent of consciousness, symbolized as the wife of Siva.
Shatkarma – cleansing techniques; the six yogic techniques of purification – dhauti, vasti, neti, trataka,
nauli, kapalabhati
Siddhasana – pose of perfection; classical meditative posture in which sustained pressure is exerted on
the mooladhara chakra by the left heel pressing the perineum.  Others call it vajrasana, muktasana or
guptasana.
Siddhis– exceptional powers
Siddha – an adept or perfected person; one who has developed his/her psychic and pranic capacity to
the point of mastery.
Simhasana - lion pose
Sitali – a cooling pranayama, where the tongue is rolled
Sitkari – a cooling pranayama – an alternate for those who cannot roll their tongue
Siva – the Lord of Yoga, God, Ganesa (gana=legions; isa=master)
Sloka– verse
Soucha– A yama.  Cleanliness of body and environment; purity is cleanliness, both physical and mental.
Subecha – longing for the Truth.  Rightly distinguish between permanent & impermanent.  Cultivated
dislike for worldly pleasures.  Acquired mastery over organs, physical & mental.  Feels a deep yearning
to be free from Samsara (cycle of birth, death and rebirth). SEVEN STAGES OF KNOWLEDGE –
Stage 1
Surya- sun
Suryabhedana – a warming pranayama where one inhales through the right nostril and exhales out the
left.
Susunna - the susunna channel is the cord that runs up and down the spine and links all the chakras
together (from Chakra one to chakra seven), from earth chakras too human and planet and star chakras.
The udana looks like a vertical cord where all the chakras pour their life energy of consciousness and
information into it and that's where they all collect.
Sushumna – a central passage along the spine; energy conduit for kundalini
Sutra – is the bare thread of an exposition, the absolute minimum that is necessary to hold it
together, unadorned by a single bead of elaboration.
Svadhistana – literally means one own abode; second chakra in the spinal column, above mooladhara,
associated with the sacral plexus and governing the urogenital system.
Svadyaya:  A Niyama.  Self study which includes the study of spiritual books
Swastikasana – auspicious pose
Sabdanuviddha [sh^ubdunuviddh]: associated with sound
Sad guru [sud guru]: true guru
Sada Siva[sudaa sh^iv]: Siva as eternal goodness
Sadhak(a) [saadhuk]: a spiritual aspirant; one who follows a method of spiritual discipline; the stage following mumuksku, where the seeker becomes convinced that he is the beingness or consciousness
Sadhana [saadhun]: method of spiritual practice; path
Sadhana-chatushtaya [saadhun chutushtuya]: the four qualifications expected in an aspirant
Sadhu [saadhu]: ascetic; sage; pious or righteous man; a sanyasin
Sadhu seva [saadhu sev]: service rendered to sages
Sadhya [ ]: thing to be accomplished
Sadsisya [sudsh^ishya]: true disciple
Sadyomukti [sudyomukti]: immediate Liberation
Saguna [sugun]: with attributes
Saguna upasana [sugun upaasun]: meditation on Brahman with attributes
Sagunabrahman [sugunubruhm]: the Absolute conceived of as endowed with qualities
Sahaja [suhuj]: natural; one's natural state
Sahaja jnani [suhuj j^naani]: sage in the state of sahaja nirvikalpa samadhi
Sahaja nirvikalpa samadhi [suhuj nirvikulp sumaadhi]: natural state of absorption in the Self with no concepts
Sahaja samadhi [suhuj sumaadhi]: samadhi which comes naturally and is present always
Sahasradala [ ]: the thousand petalled lotus; center of illumination in crown of the head
Sahasrara [suhusraar]: the highest yogic center located in the brain
Sajatiya [sujaateeya]: of the same kind
Sakama [sukaam]: with desire
Sakshat [suk^shaat]: here and now
Sakshatkaram[suk^shaatkaarum]: direct realization
Sakshi(n) [suk^shi(n)]: witness; the Self
Sakti (shakti) [sh^ukti]: power; energy; force
Sakti pata [sh^ukti paat]: descent of divine power on a person
Sama [sum]: equal, common
Samadhi [sumaadhi]: advanced state of meditation; absorption in the Self; Oneness; the mind becoming identified with the object of meditation
Samana [ ]: one of the ten vital airs
Samanya [saamaanya]: common, general, ordinary
Samasta [sumust]: whole
Samatva [sumutva]: equality
Sambodhi [sumbodhi]: Supreme Enlightenment
Sambogakaya [ ]: the body in which Enlightened Beings enjoy the rewards of liberation from worldly things and in which they can appear to other beings in insubstantial form
Samjna [sumj^na]: discernment
Samjnana [sumj^naan]: awareness; perception
Samkalpa(s) [sumkulp]: fancies
Samrajya [saamraajya]: empire
Samsara [sumsaar]: the realm of relativity, transience and illusion; the process of worldly life; the bondage of life, death and rebirth
Samskara(s) [sumskaar]: innate tendencies; impressions created by previous actions and thoughts
Samskrta [sumskr^t]: the impermanent; Chinese yu wei
Samvid [ ]: true awareness
Samvit [sumvit]: consciousness; knowledge
Samyak-sambodhi [sumyuk sumbodhi]: Supreme Enlightenment
Samyamana [ ]: one-pointedness of mind
Sanchita (s. karma) [sunchit kurm]: accumulated karma of former births that still remains to be experienced
Sandeha [sundeha]: doubt
Sanga [sung]: association; brotherhood
Sangsara [sumsaar]: see samsara
Sankalpa [ ]: intention; thought; desire; imagination; volition, mental activity, tendencies and attachments
Sankhya [saankhya]: one of the six systems of Indian philosophy
Sannidhi [sunnidhi]: presence
Sannyasa (sanyasa) [sunnyaas]: asceticism, renunciation
Sannyasasrama [sunnyusaash^rum]: the last of the four stations of life
Sannyasi(n) [sunnyaasi(n)]: an ascetic; one who belongs to the fourth stage of life
Santi [sh^aanti]: peace
Santodanta [ ]: one who is calm and self-controlled
Sanyasin [sunnyaasin]: see sannyasin
Sarira [sh^ureer]: body
Sariri[sh^ureeri]: dweller in the body
Sarira traya [sh^ureer truya]: the three bodies, namely the physical, subtle and causal
Sarupa [ ]: with form; having form
Sarva [surv]: all
Sarvajna [survuj^na]: omniscient
Sarvajnatvam [survuj^nutvum]: omniscience
Sarvatma bhava [survaatma bhaav]: abidance in Oneness
Sarvesvara [survesh^vur]: the supreme Lord
Sastra(shastra) [sh^aastra]: scripture; science; a sacred treatise or a commentary on a sutra
Sat [sut]: good; existence; being; reality
Sat-chit-ananda [sut chit aanund]: being-consciousness-bliss
Satsang(a) [sutsung]: association with the wise
Sattva (satva, sattwa) [suttva]: purity; one of the three primal qualities of prakriti - described as white
Sattvapatti [sutvaaputti]: realization; one of the seven stages of enlightenment
Sattvic [saattvik]: pure
Satya [sutya]: Truth; the real
Savikalpa samadhi [suvikulp sumaadhi]: a state of concentration in which the distinction between the knower, knowledge and known is not yet lost
Sayujya [saayujya]: union; identity
Shadadhara [shudaadhaar]: the six yogic centers
Shakti [sh^ukti]: see sakti, prakriti; represented mythologically as the wife of a god; Reality; Self; Power of Creation
Shastra [sh^aastra]: see sastra
Siddha [same]: one who has acquired supernatural powers and is capable of working miracles; a perfected Yogi
Siddhi [same]: supernatural power; realization; attainment
Sila [sh^eel]: the moral precepts observed by Buddhism
Sishya [sh^ishya]: disciple; fit student
Siva [sh^iv]: God as destroyer and restorer of worlds
Sivoham [sh^ivohum]: I am Siva
Sloka [sh^lok]: a stanza in Sanskrit; a verse of praise
Skanda [skunduH]: younger son of Siva; leader of the divine hosts
Skandha [ ]: one of the five components (skandhas) of personality; inherited tendencies, physical and mental
Smriti [smr^ti]: memory; scriptures other than the Vedas
Soham [sohum]: I am He (Brahman)
Sparsa [spursh^]: touch
Sphurana (sphurna) [sphurun]: manifestation; throbbing or breaking; bursting forth; vibration
Sraddha [sh^ruddhaa]: faith; earnestness
Sravaka [sh^ruvuk?]: one who approaches the Dharma as a result of hearing it preached
Sravana [sh^ruvun]: hearing of the Truth, from the Guru
Srishti drishti [sr^shti dr^shti]: gradual creation
Srota [sh^rot]: hearer
Srotra [sh^rotra]: ear
Sruti [sh^ruti]: sacred text; Vedas, heard by sages in their transcendental state and transmitted to disciples by word of mouth
Sthitaprajna [sthitupraaj^na?]: one established in wisdom
Sthiti [same]: being; existing
Sthula [sthool]: gross
Sthula sarira [sthool sh^ureer]: physical body
Stotram [stotrum]: hymn of praise
Stuti [same]: devotional singing
Subhechcha [sh^ubechchh; conjunct 'ch' and 'chh']: desire for enlightenment; one of the seven stages of enlightenment
Suddha [sh^uddh]: pure
Suddha sattva [sh^uddh suttva]: essentially pure
Suddha sattva svarupa [sh^uddh suttva svuroop]: the form of purity
Sukha [same]: happiness
Sukha asana [sukh aasun]: easy and comfortable sitting posture
Sukshma [sook^shm]: subtle
Sukshma sarira [sook^shm sh^ureer]: subtle body
Sunya [sh^oonya]: blank; the Void
Sunyata - the emptiness of all separate things; the impermanence and unreality of all forms
Sunyavadin [sh^oonuvaadin]: nihilist
Sushumna (susumna) [sushumn]: one of the yogic nerves, through which the kundalini rises
Sushupti (susupti) [sushupti]: dreamless sleep
Sutra [sootra]: string; aphorism; actual teaching attributed to Gautama Buddha or very occasionally someone else
Suvasana [suvaasunaa]: good tendency
Svagata [svugut]: within itself
Svami [svaami]: see swami
Svapna [svupna]: dream; dreaming state
Svarga [svurg]: heaven
Svaroopa(swarupa) [svuroop]: essential nature; true nature of Being; real form, unconditioned by rajas (activity) and tamas (inertia)
Svarupa nishta [svuroop nishtha]: abidance in the Self
Swami [svaami]: mystic or yogi; one who is in control of himself; one's own master
Swaraj [svuraaj]: independence
Swatantra [svutuntra]: independence
Swechcha [svechchh; conjunct 'ch' and 'chh']: of one's own will

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