The proper names of people and places are always capitalized. In addition to proper names, the words on this list that have “Capitalize” indicated are capitalized. All other words are not capitalized except when they begin a sentence.
A
aalasya - idle, slothful
aarti – "Aa" means "towards" and "rati" means "the highest love for God" in Sanskrit. Aarti is performed at the end of a puja and involves the circling of an aarti tray or candle accompanied by the singing of songs in praise of the Divine. When we offer light to the Divine, the light element within gets enlightened.
abhanga – Marathi four- or -six-line verse. Sung version also known as bhajan.
Abraham – (2000 B.C., Mesopotamia) One of the ten Primordial Masters. The founding patriarch of the Israelites.
achetna – unconsciousness (noun feminine)
adhara – support
adharma – anti-dharma
adhyatma – spirituality
adi – primordial (adjective)
Adi Guru Dattatreya – Capitalize. The primordial guru
Adi Kundalini – Capitalize. The primordial kundalini
Adi Shakti – Capitalize. Shri Mataji is the Adi Shakti, the primordial feminine Power who created the universe.
Adi Shankaracharya – (788-820) Indian saint, philosopher and poet who wrote the Saundarya Lahiri, every couplet of which is a mantra in praise of the Mother.
adogati – downward movement
advaitha – one personality, completely integrated
agni – fire (noun, feminine)
Agni Devata – Capitalize. God of fire
Agnya – Capitalize. The sixth chakra.
ahamkara – egotism
ahamkaraanand – pleasure of the ego
ahinsa – non-violence (noun feminine)
ajwain – a well-known Ayurvedic spice
akash – the sky (noun masculine)
akriya – inactivity
Ahladadayini – Capitalize. Giver of joy. Shri Radhi is known by this name.
alakshmi – one who has everything but behaves like a beggar with no Lakshmi principle.
Allah hu Akbar – “God is great.”
amrit – nectar, flow of bliss
Anahat – Capitalize. The Heart Chakra.
ananya – not different, not the other.
ankur – sprout (noun, masculine)
anu – molecule
ashtanga – eight steps. Patanjali wrote the Yoga Sutras which describe the ashtanga, the eight steps of yoga.
asur – a demon (noun masculine)
atit – past (adjective and noun, masculine), beyond (adverb).
Atma – the Spirit. Capitalize when referring a manifestation of the Divine
Amritanubhava (Ambrosial experience) – a treatise by Saint Gyaneshwara wherein he gives an account of the Atma or Spirit.
Atma sakshatkar – Self-realization
atulaniya – beyond comparison
Aum – Capitalize. The sacred word prefixed and suffixed to the Veda mantras symbolizing God Almighty.
Aumkara – Capitalize. The Logos. The first sound made when Sadashiva and the Adi Shakti separated.
avaduta – a powerful, highly-evolved realized soul who is a master.
avidya – spiritual ignorance
B
bansuri – flute. The musical instrument which represents the Vishuddhi Chakra. Shri Krishna is generally depicted holding a flute.
betel leaf, betel nut- An auspicious leaf that is used to decorate the coconut for puja. Betel nut is also used to honor esteemed individuals and in the preparation of Ayurvedic medicines.
Bhairava – Archangel Michael
bhaktaa – devotee
bhakti – devotion
Bhakti Yoga – Capitalize. The path of devotion, but in modern times it has become blind devotion. Sahaja Yoga is enlightened devotion.
bharud – Maratha dramatic poem, much used by saint Eknath.
bhavasagar – The ocean of mundane existence or ocean of illusion, what Einstein refers to as relativity.
Bhim – One of the Pandava brothers in the ancient Hindu epic, the Mahabharata.
bhram – misunderstanding (noun masculine)
bhranti – confusion
Bhu – Earth. Capitalize when referring to the planet.
bija mantras – sounds made by the Kundalini when she rises and passes through the chakras.
bodha – enlightened one.
Brahmachaitanya – Capitalize. The all-pervading Power and the vibration of consciousness.
Brahmadeva – The Deity of the Swadisthan Chakra, the God of the Hindu Trinity who created the universe. He incarnated only once in human form, as Hasrat Ali.
brahmarandhra – apex of the brain
brahmin – literally, one who is twice born and can feel the brahmananda, or divine bliss. Also, the highest of the castes in caste-ridden Indian society.
Buddham sharanam gacchami – “I surrender to Shri Buddha.”
C
chaitanya – energy or vibrations
chamatkar – miracle
Chhindwara – The birthplace of Shri Mataji in India.
chintamani – a person who removes the worries of others.
Communism – Capitalize only when referring to the Communist Party movement. Lowercase in references to the philosophy: “Many people believed communism would bring about equality.”
Confucius – (551 B.C.) One of the ten primordial masters. Chinese statesman whose philosophy emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity.
D
daan – gift, donation, charity
Dadu Dayal – Rajasthani realized saint. 16th century. Founder of the Dadu Panth.
darshan – physical presence of a divine incarnation
Deity, Devata – aspects of God. Capitalize when referring to a specific deity, “Shri Krishna is the Deity of the Vishuddhi Chakra. However, we do not capitalize the non-specific use of the word, “All the deities are anxious to help you.”
desha – country (noun, masculine)
Devanagari – Capitalize. Phonetic language used by the devas, based on the bija mantras. The script used originally by the brahmins, or high castes. Now the standard script for several north Indian languages including Hindi and Marathi.
Devi – Capitalize. The Goddess.
Dhanteras – Capitalize. First day of Diwali. The auspicious thirteenth day of the dark fortnight of the month of Ashwin when Hindus begin the adoration of Shri Lakshmi and purchase new household utensils.
dharma – innate sense of righteousness guiding human ascent. Righteousness as the sustaining factor of ecology and evolution.
Dhumal – Indian sahaja yogi from the early years of Sahaja Yoga.
dhyana – meditation
divine – only capitalize when the word is a stand-in for God (the Divine), not when used as an adjective.
Duryodhan -–The villain of the great ancient Indian saga, The Mahabharat, who was the leader of the Kauravas.
Dwapar Yuga – Capitalize. The second age in the cycle of yugas, each of thousands of years in length.
dvija – twice-born
E
Earth - Capitalize when referring to the planet, not capitalize when referring to dirt or in the expression “what on earth.” Capitalize when Shri Mataji refers to Mother Earth.
East – Capitalize when referring to Asia, to the Communist bloc during the cold war or to the region of the United States. Lowercase as a point of the compass.
Eastern bloc – Do not capitalize “bloc” (a bloc is a group of people or nations with a common interest who are working together).
ego – the side of the psyche which develops the individual identity.
Ekadesha – Capitalize. The eleven destructive powers of Shri Kalki.
ektara – one-stringed musical instrument
Eknath (Ekanatha) – 16th century (b.1533) Maratha saint born in Paithan. Disciple of Janardana Swami. Wrote the Jogawa sung by sahaja yogis (Songbook: Marathi 7). Rescued the Gyaneshwari from the pandits and restored the text (inc. the section on Kundalini) to Gyaneshwara's original. Also wrote bharuds (dramatic poems), abhangas, and translated with commentary parts of the Sanskrit Bhagavata Purana and the Valmiki Ramayana into Marathi.
F
Fatima – The daughter of the prophet Muhammed, an incarnation of the Gruha Lakshmi principle.
G
Gagangiri Maharaj - (1906-2008). A realized soul and yogi/guru in the Nath tradition, named after the place he settled in. Sent seekers to Shri Mataji in Bombay in the early 1970s after which Shri Mataji visited him on his hilltop, recounting later the story where She invoked the rain to teach him love.
ganas – angels
Ganapati – Chief of the ganas, Lord Ganesha.
Gandhi – Mahatma Gandhi, father of the modern Indian nation.
Ganesha Atharva Sheersha – Capitalize. Praises of Shri Ganesha, God’s aspects of innocence, wisdom and contentment.
Ganga – the sacred Ganges River.
gatha – Marathi word for a collection of works by an author, thus Tukaram Gatha.
Gauri – The divine virgin, power of purity, the Kundalini.
glani – exhaustion. (e.g. exhaustion of dharma, exhaustion of mind)
God – Capitalize all words which are standing in for the name of God, such as all-pervading Power, primordial Power, God Almighty, etc. However, we do not capitalize the non-specific use of the word, “The word ‘polytheistic’ means the worship of more than one god.”
Gora – Maratha potter-saint, contemporary of Gyaneshwara and Namdev.
gotra – the family tree showing one's lineage.
granthi – knot
Gruha Lakshmi – Goddess of the left Nabhi. Gruha Lakshmi also represents the housewife.
Gudi Padwa – Festival celebrated in India as New Year’s Day, marking the beginning of vasant or spring.
guna – quality or tendency.
guru – teacher or master. Capitalize only when referring to a real guru, not a false guru or gurus in general.
Guru Nanak(a) – (1469A-1539) Punjab, India. One of the primordial gurus, founding teacher of the Sikh religion.
gyana – knowledge of the supreme Spirit.
Gyaneshwara – (AD 1275-97). A realized Maratha saint of the lineage of Nath Panthis. He wrote Gyaneshwari and two other works, Amritanubhava (Ambrosial experience) and Changadeva Pasashti (letter to Changadeva). He lived in Alandi, near Pune. At twenty-two, he left his physical body and took his samadhi. This is the Hindi version of his name, as used by Her Holiness Shri Mataji. His Marathi name is variously transcribed in western languages as Jnaneshw(v)ara, Dnyaneshw(v)ara, and as Jnanadeva..
Gyaneshwari – In this book (also known as the Bhavarthadpika), Saint Gyaneshwara translated the Bhagavad Gita into Marathi with his own commentary. In the sixth chapter, he revealed the nature of the Kundalini. This is the Hindi rendering (as used by HHSM) of the Marathi word found transcribed in English as Jnaneshwari and Dynaneshwari.
H
haj – a pilgrimage to Mecca (noun, masculine).
haldi – turmeric (noun, feminine)
Hamsa Chakra – Capitalize. Part of the Vishuddhi Chakra, situated between the eyebrows and having the qualities of discretion and discrimination. Also called the Lambica Chakra.
hams – a swan (noun, masculine)
handa – urn
hunter – an archaic word in English, which means a big stick. It remained in use in British India long after it was discontinued in the UK.
Hanumana – Archangel Gabriel
harijan – an untouchable (noun masculine)
Hatha Yoga – Capitalize. "Ha" is the right side or Sun channel and "tha" is the left side or Moon channel. A yoga of the sympathetic nervous system.
havan – a ceremony which invokes the fire element to burn away evil (noun, masculine).
He – capitalize when referring to God or a male deity.
Heart – capitalize when referring to the Anahat Chakra.
Heaven – capitalize when referring to the realm where God resides. Lowercase when referring to an idyllic setting, “the day at the beach was heaven.”
hell – lowercase.
Her – capitalize only when referring to Shri Mataji or a female deity, not in normal usage (although a capitalize reference to Shri Mataji may not be suitable for general readership).
Hindustan – Capitalize. India (noun, masculine).
hinsa – violence (noun, feminine).
hinsak – violent (adjective).
hiran – a deer (noun, masculine).
Hiranyagarbha – the collective Brahmadeva
Hiranyakashipu – Demon king who ruled over areas of Afghanistan and part of Egypt. Shri Vishnu incarnated as Narasinha to kill Hiranyakashipu and to save Prahlad.
His – capitalize when referring to God or a male deity.
hit – welfare, well-being (noun masculine)
Holi – Capitalize. Festival of colors. Festival goers splash colored water on one another (noun, feminine).
hriday – the heart (noun masculine).
I
Ibrahim – See Abraham.
Ida Nadi – Capitalize. The left channel
incarnation – Although we capitalize the names of specific incarnations, we do not capitalize the word “incarnation” when used in a general sense, “All the incarnations are available to help us.”
Isa Masi – Capitalize. Lord Jesus Christ.
J
Jagadamba – Shri Durga as the Mother of the Universe.
jagran – to awaken
Jani, or Janabai – Maratha realised maid-servant of Namdev. Wrote abhangas dedicated to Vithoba (the Lord as Vitthal)
jatipati – caste system
jivatma – the individual soul
K
Kabir(a) – Realized saint from Bihar. 16th century. Used Sahaj terms frequently in his songs.
kalash – an oval pitcher tapered at the bottom with an opening on top used to hold a coconut symbolizing auspiciousness.
Kali – Capitalize. Fierce form of Parvati.
Kali Yuga – Capitalize. The age of darkness.
Kaliya – The several-headed serpent whom Shri Krishna fought in His childhood.
Kalki – The forthcoming tenth incarnation of Shri Vishnu.
kalpataru – A wish-fulfilling tree. A tree purported to grant all desires.
karma – Consequences of past actions.
Kartikeya – Capitalize. The Deity of the right Mooladhara. Also known as Kumara, He is Shri Ganesha's brother.
kila – fort
King – Capitalize the title when used with or before the name of the king. Do not capitalize the title if it is used instead of the name. Examples: The king will address his countrymen. We think of kings as sitting on elaborate thrones . King Rama was a benevolent ruler.
kirtan(a) – a sung performance of abhangas, bhajans, bharuds, in the Maratha tradition. Also in North India.
Kiyama – Capitalize. In the Koran, the name given to the Resurrection Time.
Koran – See Qur’an
Krita Yuga – Capitalize. The age of transformation and actualization of spiritual experience that follows Kali Yuga and leads to Satya Yuga.
kriya – action
Kubera – Capitalize. God of wealth.
kundalini – do not capitalize when meaning a person’s kundalini, can be capitalize when meaning the universal or Adi Kundalini.
L
Lakshmi, Mahalakshmi – Goddess of the Nabhi Chakra, not to be spelled with an “x.”
Lao Tze – (604 B.C., China) One of the ten primordial masters. Founding teacher of Taoism.
loka – cosmic realm
love – only capitalize when the word is used as a stand-in for God.
M
madhuri – sweetness, pleasantness (noun, feminine).
madhurya – sweetness, pleasantness (noun, masculine).
mahant – saintly, but not realized.
Mahakali – Capitalize. Divine seed energy of existence and destruction.
Mahalakshmi – Capitalize. Divine seed energy of evolution.
Maharashtra – A state in western India where the Ganesha principle is very strong. Named from the concept of Maharashtra-desha/dharma expounded by Saint Ramdasa.
Mahars – the untouchables of Maharashtra. Chokha is their best known saint.
Mahasaraswati – Capitalize. Divine seed energy of creation.
Mahavira – Incarnation of the superego of God.
mandala – System of awareness energy around a chakra.
Manipur – Nabhi Chakra
Marathi – language spoken by Shri Mataji
maryada – not “mariada.” Decorum, propriety of behavior, ethical self-restriction (adjective, neutral gender).
Maryada Puroshottama – Capitalize. Shri Rama was called this as He was the one who established the maryadas.
Matri – Mother. Capitalize when referring to Shri Mataji. “Matru” in Marathi.
maun – mum, quiet, silent, speechless (adjective).
mauni – under a vow not to speak (adjective).
maya – Illusion, delusion, confusion.
medha – brain
medulla oblongata – the lower portion of the brainstem which controls autonomic functions and relays nerve signals between the brain and spinal cord.
Modi – the script used to write Marathi before Devanagiri. Also: the business classes of India. Also: the name of an early sahaja yogi.
Mohammed Sahib – (570 AD, Mecca) One of the ten primordial gurus. Also known as Pagambar. Founder of Islam. He spoke about the day of judgment in Sura XXXVI and Sura VII of the Qur'an. His daughter is Shri Fatima.
Mooladhara – Capitalize. The first chakra. It means ‘the root that sustains’.
Moses (1300 B.C.) Egypt. One of the ten primordial masters. On Mount Sinai, God proclaimed the Ten Commandments to Moses. These are the ten sustenance points in man representing the ten petals of the Nabhi Chakra.
Mother – capitalize only when referring to Shri Mataji, not in normal usage.
Mother Earth – Capitalize. Also known as Dhara, “the one who sustains us.”
Muhammed, Muhammed-sahib – The prophet Mohammed.
Muktabai – (lit. mukta=liberated; -bai = woman) sister of Gyaneshwara. Best known for her Tatiche Abhanga (song of the door, addressed to her brother). Sang of the Kundalini as the ant rising to the sun.
My – Capitalize when Shri Mataji refers to Herself (although a capitalize reference to Shri Mataji may not be a suitable choice for general readership).
N
Nabhi – The third chakra. Capitalize. Also known as Manipur.
nadi – channel
Nadigranth – A book written by the first great astrologer, Bhrigumuni, in which he made clear predictions about Shri Mataji’s work.
Namadeva (Namdev) (1270-1350) – Marathi-speaking realized colleague of Gyaneshwara. Later went north to the Punjab. Not to be confused with the lesser known (and later) Gujarat holy man of the same name who may have met Guru Nanak.
namaz – prayer in Islam.
Navaratri – Capitalize. The nine days and nights when the Goddess fights the demons and saves Her children from negativity.
nariyal – coconut. An auspicious fruit that represents Shri Ganesha.
neer – water (noun, masculine)
neti – vessel with a spout used for cleansing the Hamsa Chakra.
nimboo – lemon
nira – pure (adjective) this was shown as “neera,” but we don’t use “neerananja” we use “nirananja.” Nor do we use neeraj or neermala – see below.
niraj – lotus
nirakar – formless (adjective)
nirmal – clean, clear, pure, unsullied, spotless, stainless (adjective).
Nirmal Nagar – Spotless city or town. Capitalize. Name given to the sahaj property in Canajoharie.
nirvana – salvation (noun, masculine).
nirvichar – thoughtlessness
nirvighn – unobstructed (adjective)
nirvikalpa – thoughtless and doubtless awareness (noun).
nirvikar – immutable, invariable (adjective).
nirvinrodh – unanimous(ly), unopposed, uncontested (adjective and adverb).
nirvivad – incontrovertible, indisputable, irrefutable (adjective).
Nivritti – elder brother of Gyaneshwara. Received his realization from a Nath yogi.
O
Omkara – Capitalize. The first sound created, the word.
P
Palam Vihar – an area in Delhi.
Pandharpur – town in Maharashtra sacred to the bhakti sants who went (and still go) on pilgrimage to its temple dedicated to Lord Vittala.
pandit – a scholar
pani – water. “Jal” is also water. Also see “neer” and “toyam.”
Paramatma – Capitalize. Means “the supreme Soul.” The Universal Unconscious. God.
Paramchaitanya – Capitalize. The all-pervading power of God’s love.
parasympathetic – one of three divisions of the autonomic nervous system
parivartan – transformation
parmanu – atom
Parsis – a sect in Mumbai, of Persian descent.
Pasayadan – epilogue to the Gyaneshwari.
pashu – Animals are called pashus. Pashu comes from “pasha” meaning the bondage of the laws of God.
Pashupati - Capitalize. Shri Shiva is known as Pashupati. All animals are under His bondage of laws.
pati – husband
patram – A leaf of a tree or of a flower.
payal – anklet
peetha – seat
phalam – The fruit of a tree, consequence, reward.
Pingala Nadi – Capitalize. The right channel in our subtle system.
pitre – father. “Pitru” in Marathi.
power – Only capitalize when the word is a stand-in for God.
pragya – enlightened knowledge
prakriti – Nature or the natural condition or state of anything.
pranava – vibrations, the sound of the all-pervading Power.
prathana – prayer
pratiahamkara – The opposite of ego/superego.
Pratishthan – The name of Shri Mataji’s house near Pune. Named after the historical Pratishthana (now Paithan) associated with the Satavahana (Shalivahan) empire of Shri Mataji's ancestors.
puja – Do not capitalize unless referring to the name of a specific puja, such as Shri Ganesha Puja, Adi Shakti Puja, Birthday Puja, etc.
punya – A good deed, righteous action (noun, masculine).
purana– a sacred text, usually in Sanskrit.
Purusha – Capitalize. The Spirit
pushpam – flower
Q
qawwali – The devotional music of the Sufis of India.
Qur'an (Koran) – Capitalize. The holy book of Islam.
R
Radha – Shakti of Krishna
Raja Janaka – (10000 B.C., India) One of the ten primordial masters, a king and father of Shri Sita, also called “Videha.” Rajo guna – One of the three attributes of nature which manifests as the activating force, the power to be (noun, masculine). Mode of operation of Mahasaraswati.
Raksha Bandhan – Capitalize. A festival held on the full moon day of the month of Shravan (the fifth month of the year according to the Hindu calendar - one of the rainy months) when sisters tie a sacramental thread on the wrist of their brothers representing life-long protection.
Rama – The seventh incarnation of Shri Vishnu.
Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950) – South Indian saint whose teachings are very much in the tradition of Sahaja Yoga.
Ramananda Swami – guru of Kabir.
Ramdasa – (1608-1681). The guru of Shivaji Maharaj. Wrote Dasbodha and Manobodha. The founder of Maratha collective identity known as Maharashtra-desha/dharma.
Ramma – One of the names of Shri Ganesha's Mother, Shri Parvati. Ramma is the Devi who plays in the heart. (See 1986 Ganesha Puja on the naming of children.)
Raul Bai – The name of an early Indian sahaja yogini.
Ravana – The king of the demons.
Ravidas (Raidas) – 16th century realized saint, contemporary of Kabir, and fellow-disciple of Ramananda Swami.
realization – (“realization” in the US and Canada, “realisation” in the UK, Australia and elsewhere)
renu – Sub-atomic particles, i.e. neutrons, electrons and protons.
ritambhara pragya – Innate enlightened knowledge of divine love which knows how to fashion nature and when to change seasons. A new state of being made possible by Shri Mataji in which we see, feel and experience everywhere the object of our worship.
Ru'ah - (Ruach; Rhor; Ruha) - the Holy Spirit or Paramchitanya in the Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac and Arabic languages.
S
saakaar – Having a form (adjective).
sabbhyachar – Good manners, mannerly conduct (noun, masculine).
sabbr – patience (noun, masculine).
sadhak – practitionerOne engaged in or devoted to spiritual achievement and accomplishment (noun, masculine).
Sadashiva – Capitalize. God Almighty.
sadhna – devotional practice (noun, feminine).
sadhu, sadhuni – A hermit (noun, masculine). Sadhuni is the feminine form.
sahaj, sahaja – spontaneous (adjective). Do not capitalize in normal usage when meaning spontaneous; for example, “It happened in such a sahaj manner.” However, the term Sahaja Yoga is capitalized.
Sahaja Yoga – Capitalize. But unless you are using the word as part of the name of a system of yoga (Sahaja Yoga, Raja Yoga, Hatha Yoga), do not capitalize the word “yoga.”
sahaja yogi – To avoid the appearance of egotism or propaganda, we do not capitalize the term sahaja yoga.
Sahajiya – the Buddhist ascetics who first used the word 'Sahaja', c.8th CE.
sahasr – one thousand (adjective).
Sahasrara – Capitalize. The seventh chakra. Often pronounced Sahastrara.
Sai Nath of Shirdi – ( d.1918.) Sufi saint who lived in Shirdi, Maharashtra. One of the ten primordial masters. Also known as Sai Baba of Shirdi.
saakshaat – verily, in truth
saakshaatkaar – in Her physical form.
sakshi – the witness (noun, masculine).
samadhi – A state of collective consciousness attained in uninterrupted meditation (noun, feminine).
samarpan – Dedication, surrender (noun, masculine).
samashti – Enlightened vision that perceives the whole from its parts, when one perceives the atma to be a part of the Paramatma.
samprati – At present. Now.
sampoorn – Whole; entire; complete (adjective).
samriddh – prosperous (adjective).
samriddhi – prosperity (noun, feminine).
samuhik – collective (adjective).
samul – Having roots, well-founded (adjective). From the root (adverb).
samved – The second of the four Vedas (noun, masculine).
samviddhi – enrichment, growth (noun, feminine).
sanatan – eternal, ancient (adjective)
sanchalak – a director (noun, masculine).
sangha – A word originating in Pali and Sanskrit, now mostly associated with Buddhism. In Sahaja Yoga, a community of realized souls. Shri Mataji has referred to the Sangha Shakti as the “collective” amongst sahaja yogis.
sanjivani – A plant with powers to revive the dead. Shri Hanumana brought sanjivani for Shri Lakshman when He was mortally wounded on the battlefield.
sankalp – Determination, resolve, resolution, will (noun, masculine).
sankat – A crisis or emergency (noun, masculine).
sankoch – Enlightened restraint. Knowing how far to go (noun, masculine).
sanmaarg – Path of virtue (noun, masculine).
sansaar – the world (noun masculine).
sanskaar – Impressions from the past that leave a powerful stamp on our consciousness (noun, masculine).
sanskaari – cultured, well-reared (adjective).
sanskriti – culture (noun, feminine).
sanstha – an institution (noun, feminine).
sansthan – an institute (noun, masculine).
sant – Indian word often translated in English as “saint”: sant is from the Sanskrit santah (masculine; verb, 'to be'); saint is from the Latin sanctus (adjective, 'holy').
santulan – balance (noun, masculine).
santulit – balanced (adjective).
santoor – Indian musical instrument which represents the Nabhi Chakra.
santusht – satisfied, content (adjective).
sanyaas – renunciation, asceticism (noun masculine).
sanyasi – an ascetic (noun, masculine). One who rejects worldy goods and travels as a beggar seeking Self-realization.
sayyam – self-restraint, control, check (noun, masculine).
sari – A sari, garment worn by Indian women (noun, feminine).
sarod – A stringed musical instrument which relates to the Agyna Chakra.
satkarm – virtuous action, deed (noun masculine).
Sattva guna – The quality of purity and goodness, the subtlest of the three forces of nature which manifests in a state of balance and is the most conducive to our ascent (noun masculine). Mood, mode of operation of Mahalakshmi
satpath – The path of virtue, good (noun, masculine).
saattvik – Endowed with the qualities of purity and goodness (adjective).
satyagraha – Insistence on the truth. Passive resistance offered to uphold truth as practiced by Gandhi during the Indian freedom movement (noun, masculine).
Satya Yuga – Capitalize. The Golden Age.
savikalp – Possessing variation or allowing for distinctions, alternatives or options; differentiated (adjective).
Self – Capitalize when referring to the spirit Self, but not in normal usage
Self-realization – Capitalize. Following advice by Grégoire de Kalbermatten, we capitalize only the word “Self” and use a hyphen. “Realization” is a just a common noun, the Self is a reflection of the Divine and so we spell it Self-realization. In our view, we should only capitalize words used to refer to the Divine. Note: “Realization” in the US and Canada, “Realisation” in the UK, Australia and elsewhere.
Shalivahana (a.k.a. Satavahana) – Royal dynasty in Central India. Paithan (Prathistan), near modern Aurangabad was their capital. Shri Mataji's parents were direct descendants of this royal dynasty.
Sharmadayini – Giver of bliss. (See 1986 Ganesha Puja on the naming of children)
She – Capitalize only when referring to Shri Mataji or a female deity, not in normal usage (although a capitalize reference to Shri Mataji may not be a choice made for a general readership)
shennai – Indian piped musical instrument. It vibrates the Mooladhara Chakra and is considered auspicious to be played at marriages.
Shivaji – (17th century) Realized King who united the Marathas against the invading Moguls.
shloka -– Sanskrit verse, similar to a stanza.
shraddha – faith
Shri -Sanskrit title of veneration. Although there are multiple spellings commonly used, e.g. Shri, Sri or Shree; we use Shri, being the spelling used by Shri Mataji.
shuddha – pure
siddhi – superhuman power
sindur – Vermilion powder, dabbed on the forehead and at the parting of the hair (sithi) (noun, masculine).
sitar – An Indian stringed instrument which vibrates and relates to the Sahasrara Chakra.
skanda – a section or chapter in a sacred text, such as a purana.
soul – do not capitalize
Socrates – (469 B.C.) One of the ten primordial masters. Greek philosopher who made important contributions to the fields of ethics, logic and epistemology (what it means to "know" something as opposed to merely having an opinion).
spirit – do not capitalize
Srivastava – The surname of Shri Mataji and Her husband, Sir C.P.
sthita pragya – An enlightened state described by Lord Krishna in the Gita where one becomes a self-contained witness.
stotra – Divine praise. A prayer.
stree dharm – The duty of a woman.
subconscious – field of the Ida Nadi and the superego.
Sukrat – Socrates
superego – Side of the psyche which stores conditionings and past experiences.
supraconcious – the field of the Pingala Nadi and the ego.
Sushumna Nadi – Capitalize. The central channel of evolution and revelation, part of the subtle system.
sushupti – deep sleep
Swadisthan – Capitalize. The second chakra.
swarup - Shape, form, appearance, character, nature (noun, masculine).
swastika – Benedictory or auspicious symbol representing balance.
swayambu – Innate fonts of divine vibrations emanating from Mother Earth. Examples are: Stonehenge, Uluru, Astavinayaks in Maharastra and sacred places in the Himalayas.
T
tabla – Indian drum-like instrument which relates to the Heart Chakra.
Tagore – Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941). Bengali realised writer.
Tamo guna – The quality of darkness or ignorance (noun, masculine). The Mahakali aspect of the three forces of nature.
tamsik – Pertaining to, related to or inspired by tamo guna (adjective).
Tandava – Capitalize. Shiva’s dance of destruction.
tantra – Instrument. Mechanism of the subtle system. Also a text with instructions for spiritual ascent, as in Hevajra Tantra. Unfortunately this word is often misidentified with Tantriks who believe the Kundalini is a sexual power. This belief is against Sahaja Yoga.
tap/tapas – devout austerity, asceticism (noun, masculine).
tapassvi – an ascetic (masculine noun and adjective).
tapassya – penance, asceticism (noun, feminine).
tattwa – an element, essence, principle, factor (noun, masculine). Capitalize only when referring to a divine principle such as the Guru Tattwa, the Lakshmi Tattwa.
tej – glow, splendor, brilliance (noun, masculine).
Ten Commandments – Capitalize. As recorded in the Bible, the Ten Commandments were written by God and given to Moses on Mount Sinai in the form of two stone tablets. In Sahaja Yoga, we learn they correspond to the ten valences of human beings.
tez – sharp, sharp-pointed (adjective).
toyam – water
Tree of Life – Capitalize. The subtle system and the chakras.
truth – Only capitalize when the word is used as a stand-in for God.
Tukaram (1598-c.1649) – Lived in Dehu, near Pune. Famous for his abhangas (sung verses).
tulsi – an auspicious leaf, similar to basil, said to be pleasing to Shri Vishnu, that is used as a therapeutic herbal tea
turiya - turiya means fourth, so the turiya state is the fourth state, the state of thoughtless awareness where there is no thought, only innocence and vibrations.
V
vahak – a carrier, a vehicle (noun, masculine).
vahan – a vehicle, a conveyance (noun, masculine).
Vaikuntha – Capitalize. Celestrial abode of Shri Vishnu.
vak shakti – The power of speech granted by Shri Saraswati.
valay – a ring or circle (noun, masculine).
vansh – dynasty, lineage (noun, masculine).
veena – The stringed musical instrument of India which vibrates the Swadisthan Chakra. Shri Saraswati is generally depicted holding a veena.
viddwan – learned; a scholar (adjective and masculine noun).
Vidur - one of the characters in the Mahabharata. The son of a maid, he was a realized soul. Shri Krishna was fond of him and used to visit him.
vidya – knowledge
vilamba – space of silence between two thoughts
viman – an airplane or aircraft (noun, masculine).
Virat – Capitalize. The great primordial Being. God manifested.
Vishuddhi – Capitalize. The fifth chakra.
Vishnu – God’s aspect of evolution
vishwa – world. “vishu” in Marathi.
Void – Capitalize when referring to the area around the Nabhi Chakra, the Bhavasagara.
vyashti – Narrow vision that perceives the part to be separate from the whole, i.e. the ego feels separate from the collective identity.
W
Wamuran – A Sahaj ashram near Brisbane in Queensland, Australia.
West – Capitalize when referring to the region of the United States, to Europe and the Americas, to the group of nations that opposed the Communists or to a specific region so named: West Texas. Lowercase as a point of the compass.
Western – Capitalize when referring to the region of the United States, to Europe and the Americas or to the group of nations that opposed the Communists. But: western New York, western France, western movie.
white – Lowercase this racial designation and all others derived from skin color (black, brown, yellow, red).
Y
yama niyama – This is the first step in Ashtanga (see meaning of Ashtanga). This first step includes disciplining, exercise, control of attention and then cleansing.
yantra – technique
yoga – lowercase unless part of the name of a system of yoga; for example, Sahaja Yoga, Raja Yoga, Hatha Yoga.
“Yogakshema vahamyaham” – Shri Krishna said this to Arguna in the Gita. It means that we will get our well-being after we get yoga (union with the Divine).
Yogeshwara – Shri Krishna, the Ishwara (God) of yoga.
yuga – Period of time, thousands of years long, that occurs in a cyclic or spiral progression. Only capitalize when referring to a specific yuga, such as Kali Yuga.
Z
Zarathushtra – (1000 B.C., Persia). One of the ten primordial masters. Founding teacher of the Zororastrian religion.