Words Starting with A

Krsna Kirtana Songs est. 2001 www.kksongs.org

Words Starting with A

abhaya – fearless

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

Abhimanyu – brave son of Arjuna and Subhadrā, husband of Uttara, and father of Pariksit

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

ācaraṇa – behavior

ācārya – a spiritual master who teaches by example

acintya-bhedābheda-tattva – (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 – a name of Kṛṣṇa; the infallible One

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

adhibhautika – miseries caused by conflict with other living entities

Adhiratha – the foster father of Karṇa, former charioteer of Dhṛṭarāṣṭra

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

ādi – 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 Parvan – the first book of the Mahābharata; describes the genealogy of the Bharata dynasty up to the upbringing of the Pāṇḍavas and Kauravas

āditya – sons of Āditī, the mother of the demigods.

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

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

Aghāsura – the demoniac python who slain by Kṛṣṇa

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

Agnideva – demigod of fire

agnihotra – fire sacrifice performed in Vedic rituals

ahańkāra – false ego

Ahilyā – 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 – nonviolence

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

Ahovala – the divine abode of Nṛsiḿhadeva

Airāvata – the twelve-trunked elephant of Indra

Aja – father of King Daśaratha

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

ājñā – command

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

akrodha – not angry

Akrura – an uncle of Lord Kṛṣṇa

Akṣa-kumāra – the son of Rāvaṇa who was killed by Hanumān

akṣara – letter of the alphabet

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

amara – immortal

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

Ambālikā – wife of Vicitravīrya, mother of Pāṇḍu

Ambikā – wife of Vicitravīrya, mother of Dhṛṭarāṣṭra

Aḿśumān – son of King Sagara

ānanda – bliss; happiness

ānanda laharī – another name for khamak

Ānandagiri – prominent follower of Sańkarācārya

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

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

Aniruddha – 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

añjalī – offering

Añjanā – mother of Hanumān

Āñjaneya – (lit. “son of Añjanā”) another name for Hanumān)

ańk – a nine beat rhythmic cycle

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

antarā – a musical verse

anudrutam – one mātra in length

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

Anuśāsana Parvana – the thirteenth book of the Mahābhārata containing the final instructions Bhīṣma gave to Yudhiṣṭhira before passing away

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

aparādha – (lit. “against Rādhā) offense

apasvara – off-key

apsarā – damsels in the heavenly planets

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

Araṇyaka Parvana – the third book of the Mahābharata describing the twelve years of exile the Pāṇḍavas spent

āratī – 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 – 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 – offering service to the Deity

ardha jayatāla – a rare 6½ beat cycle

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

Arjuna – 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 – the upward scale of notes

Arundhatī – wife of sage Vaśiṣṭha

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

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

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

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

Āśramavāsika Parvana – the fifteenth book of the Mahābharata; discusses the retirement and disappearance of Vidura, Kuntī, Gāndhārī, and Dhṛṭarāṣṭra

aṣṭakam – eight-versed poetry

aṣṭańga yoga – 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 – (also known as “sthayī”) the musical refrain of a song

asura – demoniac persons

aśva – horse

Aśvamedha Yajña – horse sacrifice conducted by prolific kings

Aśvamedhika Parvana – the fourteenth book of the Mahābharata describing the horse-sacrifice per Vedic instruction by Yudhiṣṭhira

Aśvatthāmā – the immortal son of Droṇa who sided with Duryodhana and killed the Pāñcālas and the sons of the Pāṇḍavas in their sleep

ata – one of the seven original tālams of South Indian music

Atikāya – son of Rāvaṇa and Dhanyamālinī

ātmā – the spirit soul

ātmā-nivedana – offering oneself to the Lord

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

auḍava – a rāga with five notes in one direction

Avadha – another name of Ayodhyā

avanadha-vādya – percussion instruments with membranous heads

avaroha – the downward scale of notes

āvartana – one completed cycle of a rhythm

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

avidya – ignorance

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

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa – 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.