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Glossary

You may be in a yoga class and hear the teacher using Sanskrit words for different aspects of body, mind & soul exercises. We thought you might find this list helpful in translating some of the more commonly used terms. Use always the box on the right to navigate our Glossary. Feedback for corrections and additions is welcome: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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G


GANDHARVA
- heavenly musician


GANDHARVA LOKA
- the world of angels


GAYATRI MANTRA
- a mantra from the Rig Veda


GHATAKASH
- inner space of a container or a vessel, inner space of the body


GRANTH
- knot
- BRAHMA GRANTH - "the knot of Brahma", pigtail on the crown of the head tied into a bun


GUNA
- quality, characteristic
- SATTVA GUNA - purity, harmony, light, knowledge
- RAJAS GUNA - passion, suffering, aggression, activity
- TAMAS GUNA - ignorance, darkness, inertia, laziness


GURU
- (GU - darkness, ignorance, RU - light, knowledge), master, spiritual teacher who leads from the darkness of ignorance to the light of the knowledge.


GURU GITA
- ancient poem in which Shiva describes the magnificence of the guru


GURU KRIPA
- the grace of the guru


GURU MANTRA
- personal mantra which a disciple receives from the guru


GURU TATTVA
- the highest principle, (see also "tattva")


GURU VAKYA
- the words of the guru
- SAT(A) GURU - the true Master


GYANA
- see jnana