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Words Starting with A

 

Abhaya (अभय) – fearless

 

Abhayacaraṇāravinda Bhaktivedānta Svāmī (अभयचरणारविन्द भक्तिवेदान्त स्वामी) – (A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada) (born Abhay-Charan De) prolific disciple of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, spread Kṛṣṇa Consciousness worldwide, founder-ācārya of ISKCON

 

Abhimaṇyu (अभिमण्यु) – brave son of Arjuna and Subhadrā, husband of Uttara, and father of Pariksit

 

ācaman (आचमन) – the special cup and spoon filled with water used to purify the surrounding

 

ācaraṇa (आचरण) – behavior

 

ācārya (आचार्य) – a spiritual master who teaches by example

 

acintya-bhedābheda-tattva (अचिन्त्यभेदाभेद तत्त्व) – (lit. “position of inconceivable oneness and difference”) Lord Caitanya’s doctrine on the position of the soul being qualitatively similar to God, but quantitatively different

 

Acyuta (अच्युत) – a name of Kṛṣṇa; the infallible One

 

ādhā (आधा) – 1) see sitārkhāni tāla 2) half 3) a rhythmic form of a symmetrical cycle that uses only half of the cycle

 

adhibhautika (अधिभौतिक) – miseries caused by conflict with other living entities

 

Adhiratha (अधिरथ) – the foster father of Karṇa, former charioteer of Dhṛṭarāṣṭra

 

adhyātmika (अध्यात्मिक) – miseries caused by one’s own mind and body

 

ādi (आदि) – 1) primordial 2) many 3) an ancient eight beat cycle in North Indian tradition 4) common rhythmic of eight beats in the South Indian tradition

 

Ādi Parvaṇa (आदि पर्वण) – the first book of the Mahābharata; describes the genealogy of the Bharata dynasty up to the upbringing of the Pāṇḍavas and Kauravas

 

āditya (आदित्य) – sons of Āditī, the mother of the demigods.

 

Advaita ācārya (अद्वैत आचार्य) – an incarnation of the Lord, who appeared as a principle associate of Lord Caitanya

 

Agastya (अगस्त्य) – the seer who aided Lord Rāma in person and in spirit

 

Aghāsura (अघासुर) – the demoniac python who slain by Kṛṣṇa

 

agni (अग्नि) – 1) lit. fire 2) one of the six melā cakrams

 

Agnideva (अग्निदेव) – demigod of fire

 

agnihotra (अग्निहोत्र) – fire sacrifice performed in Vedic rituals

 

ahańkāra (अहङ्कार) – false ego

 

Ahilyā (अहिल्या) – the wife of sage Gautama; she was deceived by Indra and was cursed by her husband to become a stone. Lord Rāma redeemed her in His early pastimes.

 

ahiḿsa (अहिंस) – nonviolence

 

Ahīrańga (अहीरङ्ग) – having the body of the Ahir notes; D n S’

 

Ahovala (अहोवल) – the divine abode of Nṛsiḿhadeva

 

Airāvata (ऐरावत) – the twelve-trunked elephant of Indra

 

Aja (अज) – father of King Daśaratha

 

Ajāmila (अजामिल) – a fallen brāhmaṇa who was given a second chance by the Lord

 

ājρā (आज्ञा) – command

 

akarma (अकर्म) – “inaction”; action performed in devotional service without seeking benefit

 

akrodha (अक्रोध) – not angry

 

Akrura (अक्रुर) – an uncle of Lord Kṛṣṇa

 

Akṣa-kumāra (अक्ष-कुमार) – the son of Rāvaṇa who was killed by Hanumān

 

akṣara (अक्षर) – letter of the alphabet

 

akṣaram (अक्षरम्) – measures of South Indian rhythmic cycles; analog of the North Indian vibhāga

 

amara (अमर) – immortal

 

Ambā (अम्बा) – 1) form of Durgā 2) the daughter of the queen of Kāśī who was reborn as Sikhaṇḍī to kill Bhīṣma

 

Ambālikā (अम्बालिका) – wife of Vicitravīrya, mother of Pāṇḍu

 

Ambikā (अम्बिका) – wife of Vicitravīrya, mother of Dhṛṭarāṣṭra

 

Aḿśumān (अंशुमान्) – son of King Sagara

 

ānanda (आनन्द) – bliss; happiness

 

ānanda laharī (आनन्द लहरी) – another name for khamak

 

Ānandagiri (आनन्दगिरि) – prominent follower of Sańkarācārya

 

Ananta (अनन्त) – (lit. “without end”) another name of Lord Seṣa.

 

Ańga (अङ्ग) – 1) the land gifted to Karṇa by Duryodhana 2) lit. body 3) part of a rāga 4) various elements of time factors in South Indian rhythms

 

Ańgada (अङ्गद) – 1) son of King Vāli, nephew of Sugrīva, commander-in-chief of the army of apes and bears; 2) the son of Lakṣmaṇa

 

Aniruddha (अनिरुद्ध) – 1) one of the four expansions of the Lord Vasudeva; incarnated on earth as Satrughna during Rāma’s pastimes. 2) son of Pradyumna and grandson of Lord Kṛṣṇa

 

aρjalī (अञ्जली) – offering

 

Aρjanā (अञ्जना) – mother of Hanumān

 

Āρjaneya (आञ्जनेय) – (lit. “son of Aρjanā”) another name for Hanumān)

 

ańk (आङ्क) – a nine beat rhythmic cycle

 

Ansuyā (अन्सुया) – the wife of Atri; known her chastity and exemplary devotion to her husband

 

antarā (अन्तरा) – a musical verse

 

anudrutam (अनुद्रुतम्) – one mātra in length

 

Anupama (अनुपम) – 1) unique 2) brother of Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī; born as Srī Ballabha

 

Anuśāsana Parvaṇa (अनुशासन पर्वण) – the thirteenth book of the Mahābhārata containing the final instructions Bhīṣma gave to Yudhiṣṭhira before passing away

 

anusvāra (अनुस्वार) – the nasal element found in Sanskrit derivates languages; denoted by ḿ

 

aparādha (अपराध) – (lit. “against Rādhā) offense

 

apasvara (अपस्वर) – off-key

 

apasarā (अपसरा) – damsels in the heavenly planets

 

Araṇya Kāṇḍa (अरण्य काण्ड) – the canto describing Lord Rāmacandra’s forest pastimes and Sītā’s kidnapping.

 

Araṇyaka Parvaṇa (अरण्यक पर्वण) – the third book of the Mahābharata describing the twelve years of exile the Pāṇḍavas spent

 

āratī (आरती) – ceremony glorifying the Deities through engaging the senses (offering flowers, ghee lamps, incense, and other authorized items accompanied with chanting of glories of the Deity)

 

arcā-vigraha (अर्चा-विग्रह) – the form of God manifested in the form of a painting or statue (through material elements) in order for devotees to remember Him and offer service to Him; (thus the Deity is no different from the Lord Himself)

 

arcanā (अर्चना) – offering service to the Deity

 

ardha jayatāla (अर्ध जयताल) – a rare 6½ beat cycle

 

Ariṣṭa (अरिष्ट) – (Ariṣṭāsura) a gigantic bull demon who was killed by Lord Kṛṣṇa

 

Arjuna (अर्जुन) – 1) the third oldest Pāṇḍava, son of King Pāṇḍu, who was the charioteer who Lord Kṛṣṇa rode the chariot for; Bhagavad-Gītā was spoken to Arjuna by Lord Kṛṣṇa 2) a type of tree 3) a twenty beat rhythmic cycle

 

āroha (आरोह) – the upward scale of notes

 

Arundhatī (अरुन्धती) – wife of sage Vaśiṣṭha

 

Ārya-vrata (आर्य-व्रत) – ancient name of India, prior to King Bharata’s rule

 

Āryan (आर्यन) – civilized class of men who follows regulations per Vedic scriptures

 

Āsāvarī (आसावरी) – one of the ten thāṭs and a well-known rāga

 

āśrama (आश्रम) – 1) holy residence 2) one of the four developmental stages for human life per Vedic structure

 

Āśramavāsika Parvaṇa (आश्रमवासिक पर्वण) – the fifteenth book of the Mahābharata; discusses the retirement and disappearance of Vidura, Kuntī, Gāndhārī, and Dhṛṭarāṣṭra

 

aṣṭakam (अष्टकम्) – eight-versed poetry

 

aṣṭańga yoga (अष्टङ्ग योग) – the eight step process of meditation, beginning with sitting postures and breath-control, and culminating with realization of the Lord’s form within one’s heart

 

asthayī (अस्थयी) – (also known as “sthayī”) the musical refrain of a song

 

asura (असुर) – demoniac persons

 

aśva (अश्व) – horse

 

Aśvamedha Yajρa (अश्वमेध यज्ञ) – horse sacrifice conducted by prolific kings

 

Aśvamedhika Parvaṇa (अश्वमेधिक पर्वण) – the fourteenth book of the Mahābharata describing the horse-sacrifice per Vedic instruction by Yudhiṣṭhira

 

Aśvatthāmā (अश्वत्थामा) – the immortal son of Droṇa who sided with Duryodhana and killed the Pāρcālas and the sons of the Pāṇḍavas in their sleep

 

ata (अत) – one of the seven original tālams of South Indian music

 

Atikāya (अतिकाय) – son of Rāvaṇa and Dhanyamālinī

 

ātmā (आत्मा) – the spirit soul

 

ātmā-nivedana (आत्मा-निवेदन) – offering oneself to the Lord

 

Atri (अत्रि) – a well-known seer during Lord Rāma’s exile

 

Auḍava (औडव) – a rāga with five notes in one direction

 

Avadha (अवध) – another name of Ayodhyā

 

avanadha-vādya (अवनध वाद्य) – percussion instruments with membranous heads

 

avaroha (अवरोह) – the downward scale of notes

 

āvartana (आवर्तन) – one completed cycle of a rhythm

 

avatāra (अवतार) – descent of the Lord on Earth to exhibit pastimes (loosely defined as ‘incarnation’).

 

avidya (अविद्या) – ignorance

 

Ayodhyā (अयोध्या) – the abode of Lord Rāma mirrored on earth; the capital city of the kingdom of Kośala.

 

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa (अयोध्या काण्ड) – the canto that describes the marriage of Lord Rāma and Sītā, the declaration of coronation of Rāma, and the start of His fourteen year exile.

 

UPDATED: June 6, 2009