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Dictionary
| S.No. | Word - K | Sound | Description | Key Word |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | kaivalya | See mokṣa | See mokṣa | k |
| 2 | kala | Part (portion); art (music, etc.); tongue | Kalā refers to a ‘part’ of anything, esp. if it is one sixteenth of the whole. Kalā is often used with moon to refer to the crescent moon. Kalā may also refer to the arts such as music, drawing, etc. In certain contexts (esp. in Haṭhayoga) it refers to the tongue. | k |
| 3 | kala | Time; death | Kāla is the general way of saying ‘time’. This includes a specific amount of time (5 minutes, 2 hours, etc.), a particular time (31st January, 8 am) or time as an abstract concept. Kāla also refers to death. | k |
| 4 | kalagni | The fire responsible for dissolution | Kālāgni is the fire that causes the end of the world in stories, before the world is recreated. It is said to be located in the nether regions of creation and come upwards, burning the entire creation with it. | k |
| 5 | kalpita | Created purposefully with respect to a siddhi | A siddhi that is acquired through yoga for the purpose of worldly use is called kalpitā. If a siddhi arises incidentally and is not the purpose of yogic practice, it is called akalpitā. | k |
| 6 | kama | Want; desire | Kāma refers to any wish or desire. Usually this is in the context of sense objects. It is kāma which is at the root of saṃsāra since the person (puruṣa) yearns for external objects and does actions (see karma). When these actions give results, he enjoys them, but when they do not, for whatever reason, the person experiences sorrow, anger or confusion. These prevent the mind from staying in one place which is the goal of yoga. Through vairāgya (q.v.), which is the absence of kāma, the yogī is able to divert the mind away from the objects (see viṣaya) and seek mokṣa (q.v.). | k |
| 7 | kamalasana | kamalasana | kamalasana | k |
| 8 | kamarupa | Taking any form at will (siddhi); a particular spot in the body | Kāmarūpa is composed of kāma meaning wish and rūpa meaning form. It refers to a person who can take any form that he desires whenever he wishes. This is a kind of siddhi obtained through yogic practice. In the context of Haṭhayoga, it is the name given to a place between the mūlādhāra and svādhiṣṭhāna cakras which is otherwise called yonisthāna or yoni. This is used when describing āsanas or bandhas | k |
| 9 | kamavasayitvam | Kāmāvasāyitva (siddhi). | Kāmāvasāyitva refers to the ability to place oneself wherever one wishes. It is one of the siddhis attained at samādhi and one of the aṣṭaiśvarya (q.v.). It may be attained through specific dhyānas as well. | k |
| 10 | kampa | Shaking; tremor | ‘Kampa’ refers in general to ‘shaking’. It also refers to the shaking of body parts, also known as ‘tremor’ which is a symptom in a medical sense. Various procedures in yoga solve bodily ailments. In this context, procedures have been given for reducing and removing kampa. The moderate level (madhyama) of prāṇāyāma causes kampa temporarily. | k |
| 11 | kandaha | Bulbous (starchy) root or tuber; lump; swelling; knot; bulb-shaped object | Kanda refers to a bulbous or tuberous root such as potato or yam which may be used for food. It may also refer to any lump, swelling or knot in the body (which is bulb-shaped). In the context of yoga, it is used to refer to a specific bulb-shaped knot in the body located above the genitals but below the navel. This has relevance when specifying the nāḍīs and the action of kuṇḍalinī and prāṇa therein. | k |
| 12 | kandayoni | k | ||
| 13 | kaniyas | Youngest; smallest | While ‘kanīyas’ usually means the youngest, it is often used as synonym of ‘adhama’ when referring to prāṇāyāma (see prāṇāyāma). | k |
| 14 | kantha | Throat | The throat is important in the context of yoga since it is one of the main places of udāna, an important type of vāyu, according to most texts (see udāna) and since Suṣumnā which moves along the spine, passes through the neck. It is also the location of the Viśuddha cakra, an important cakra (see viśuddha). The word ‘kaṇṭha’ is also used in several places when describing āsanas or bandhas to indicate the positioning or role of the neck in these cases. | k |
| 15 | kanthakupa | The cavity below or in the throat | Kaṇṭhakūpa refers to a cavity that exists below or within the throat. According to Yogasūtra (3.29), saṃyama done on the kaṇṭhakūpa eliminates hunger and thirst. | k |
| 16 | kanthamudra | See jālandhara | See jālandhara | k |
| 17 | kapalabhati | Kapālabhāti (procedure) | Six procedures (kriyās) are enumerated in works on Haṭhayoga, together called ṣaṭkriyā or ṣaṭkarma. One of them is the Kapālabhāti. It involves performing recaka (exhalation) and pūraka (inhalation) in rapid succession, like the bellows of a blacksmith. It is said to reduce kapha, which is an important requirement for practice of yoga. | k |
| 18 | Kapha | Phelgm; | Kapha (doṣa) (See doṣa) | k |
| 19 | karanam | Doing; helper; act; sense organs; principal cause | Karaṇa refers to the act of ‘doing’, or an ‘act’ that was done. It can also, based on the context, refer to the ‘helper’ who does the action. In philosophical literature, the latter meaning is often used and applied to the sense organs, which are the helpers for interacting with the outside world and for experience (see indriya). Karaṇa is also used to refer to a principal cause for an object, without which the object cannot exist (see kāraṇa). | k |
| 20 | karanam | Cause | Kāraṇa means ‘cause’. This is an important concept in Indian philosophy due to the idea that cause and effect accompany each other, implying that any object in the world, which is an effect, has an associated cause. When the relationship between causes and effects are thoroughly understood, the connections between the objects in the world can also be understood. Thus, the study of this cause and effect is crucial to understand the world, as seen through the eyes of Indian philosophy. Causes are split into three kinds: 1. Upādāna (or samavāyin, the material cause) – this is the cause that makes the material of the effect. A cloth is composed of several threads that have been woven together. The threads are the upādāna-kāraṇa or samavāyikāraṇa for the cloth. If a table is made of pieces of wood, then wood is the upādāna-kāraṇa for the table. 2. Sahakārī (or asamavāyin, the supporting cause) – these are the causes which support the constituent materials so that they are held together. In case of the cloth, this is the connection between the threads (their weave) which holds together the cloth. For a table, this is the glue between the pieces or the nails that link pieces together and hold the table. 3. Nimitta (the instrumental cause) – these are the causes that are themselves not part of the object but ensure that the object comes together. For a cloth, this is the loom, the weaver, etc. and for the table, this would be the carpenter, his tools, etc. A further classification of causes involves those which are the karaṇas. These are the causes without which the object can never be produced and are thus essential in its production. Thread, the loom and the weaver are all essential for production of cloth, hence these are karaṇas. | k |
| 21 | karanatrayam | The three causes (see kāraṇa) | The three causes (see kāraṇa) | k |
| 22 | karma | Action; deed | Karma refers to any act, deed or action done by a person (or living thing). However, karma has further nuances in meaning and is one of the core concepts of all philosophical systems of Ancient India. This is due to a philosophical principle that good actions bring good results and bad actions bring bad results, an idea which permeates across Indian thought. Some of these are directly visible in everyday life; for example, bad food or lifestyle causes deterioration in health. However, this cause and effect principle applies to those things that have no apparent cause as well. This is part of the larger concept of dharma, a world order beyond mortal humans, which upholds justice. For this reason, actions which have not been acknowledged by other humans as good or evil also bring results, for example, a donation to a needy person done in secret, brings favourable experiences for the donor, or a clandestine theft brings unfavourable experiences for the thief. When good or evil acts are not visible, they are attributed to those acts which were done in a previous life. This is because of another philosophical principle which states that every cause must have an effect and vice versa. The idea that one’s own actions gives rise to experiences, thus leads to the idea of rebirth. In summary, the results of actions occur on three levels: birth, life (and health) and experience (favourable or unfavourable) (see bhoga for details). The results are more properly called karmaphala (fruits of actions) or vipāka (maturation), (see vipāka for details) and the set of actions which have been already done and which will give result in the future are called karmāśaya. Examples of good actions include (on a religious level) yajñas, pūjās, etc., (on a general level) charity, help or support, doing one’s own duty (as per one’s position or place in a situation) or any other action that brings favourable results to oneself or to another person (or creature). Examples of evil acts include theft, injury, insult, slander, murder, refusal to acknowledge duty, or any other action that brings unfavourable results to oneself or another person (or creature). A good act is retained as a ‘puṇya’ in the karmāśaya while an evil act is retained as a ‘pāpa’ (see puṇya and pāpa for details). A person who has understood this cycle of birth and death (saṃsāra, q.v.), will do several good acts so as to pile up puṇya for the future (the existing life or the lives after), so as to experience good things. However, much like currency, after its effect wears out, it is exhausted and needs to be earned again. The person thus remains stuck in this never-ending cycle of earning and spending. In order to escape saṃsāra (see mokṣa for details), it is necessary to remove the effects of one’s past actions and avoid doing further actions that will give results (see aśuklākṛṣṇa). Various procedures are stated in yoga for this (e.g. dhāraṇā) including whole systems such as karmayoga (q.v.). | k |
| 23 | karmashaya | Stock of actions (awaiting maturation) | Over the course of time, a person performs several actions. Indian philosophical schools hold that each of these actions has a result. A person who does good deeds gets good experiences and a person who does bad deeds gets bad experiences (see karma for details) These are carried over across lives and manifest as favourable or unfavourable births (family, situation, etc.), lifespan, health and experiences (see bhoga for details). The stock of all actions done which are yet to manifest is called karmāśaya and shortened to āśaya. Upon maturation, the result is called vipāka (q.v.) | k |
| 24 | karmayoga | Yoga (path) of action (karma) | Several paths have been stated across philosophical literature in order to attain mokṣa, however they may be summarized into three principal methods: karmayoga, jñānayoga and bhaktiyoga (see yoga for details). Karmayoga involves surrendering the results of actions to God. Whatever comes as a result is accepted with equanimity. This includes rituals and general day-to-day actions. A common name for this in yoga texts is īśvarapraṇidhāna. | k |
| 25 | karmendriyam | The motor organs | Karmendriya is composed of karma meaning ‘action’ and indriya. Any organ which facilitates communication of the person with the outside world is indriya, including the sense organs (jñānendriyas) which receive information and the motor organs (karmendriyas) which act upon wishes. The karmendriyas are five in number: organs of speech, hands, feet, anus and urethra (and genitals) which facilitate speech, manipulation (actions of the hand, see ādāna), locomotion and excretion (for the last two) (see indriya for complete description). | k |
| 26 | karuna | Compassion; pity; sympathy | ‘Compassion’, ‘pity’, ‘mercy’, ‘sympathy’ – these nuances are covered in the word karuṇā. It is mentioned as yama (such as the Devī Bhāgavata 7.35.6) or as a general rule (such as the Garuḍa Purāṇa 49.21) in some places in which case, the word dayā, which has the same nuances, is used instead. Compassion is an essential quality that the yogī is expected to have. (For situations where this is required, see maitrī) | k |
| 27 | karyam | To be done; work; motive; effect | Kārya means ‘to be done’ or ‘work’. It can also mean ‘motive’. In the context of philosophy, it refers to the effect that arises from a cause (see kāraṇa) | k |
| 28 | kashtamaunam | Complete silence | Kāṣṭhamauna is composed of kāṣṭha meaning ‘log’ or ‘piece of wood’ and mauna meaning ‘silence’. It refers to the oath (vrata) of silence where a person has no communication with the outside world and remains stationary like a log. This is a form of tapas (penance). It is distinguished from ākāramauna where the person does not speak but communicates in other ways such as through gestures or with writing | k |
| 29 | kaushiki | Kauśikī (nāḍī) | Various nāḍīs are mentioned in texts on yoga, one of which is Kauśikī. As per the Triśikhibrāhmaṇopaniṣad, Kauśikī originates in the kanda and stretches upto the toes. | k |
| 30 | kavi | Poet; thinker; intelligent; wise; skillful | Kavi is a poet. However, it can also refer to anyone who is intelligent, wise or skillful. Oftentimes, it is applied as an epithet to various Gods or to Brahman. | k |
| 31 | kayarupam | Form of the body | Kāyarūpa is composed of kāya meaning ‘body’ and rūpa meaning ‘form’, specifically visual form as perceived by someone else. Through saṃyama, i.e. dhāraṇā, dhyāna and samādhi, on the form of the body, the yogī attains the ability to become invisible, which is a kind of siddhi. | k |
| 32 | kayasampad | Grace (bodily) | . Kāyasampad is composed of kāya meaning ‘body’ and sampad meaning ‘wealth’, ‘prosperity’ or ‘riches’. Yogasūtra (3.45) defines this as a combination of good form, grace and strength. These occur through saṃyama on forms of Prakṛti. | k |
| 33 | kayasiddhi | Synonym of aṣṭaiśvarya (q.v.) | Synonym of aṣṭaiśvarya (q.v.) | k |
| 34 | kevalakumbhaka | A particular type of Kumbhaka. | Prāṇāyāma where breath can be held comfortably for long periods of time without recaka (exhalation) or pūraka (inhalation) is called kevalakumbhaka meaning ‘only kumbhaka’. | k |
| 35 | kham | Empty space; ether; sky; cavity; hollow; aperture; sense organ | Kha, in its most basic sense means ‘empty space’ or ‘hollow’. It also means ‘ether’ or ‘sky’ and is a synonym of ākāśa (q.v.). It can also mean ‘aperture’ or ‘cavity’ (in an anatomical sense) or ‘sense organ’. | k |
| 36 | khanda | Portion; sugar candy; Khaṇḍa (name) | Khaṇḍa refers to a portion of a whole. It can also mean ‘sugar candy’, a type of confection made of large sugar crystals. Khaṇḍa is also the name of a siddha who practiced Haṭhayoga, and who is mentioned in the Haṭhayoga Pradīpikā. | k |
| 37 | khechari | Khecarī (mudrā) | Khecarī is the name given to a particular mudrā used in Haṭhayoga and in other places. It is derived from kha meaning ‘empty space’ or ‘aperture’ and carī meaning ‘moving’. There are two ways to do it. The first method is given in the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa (3.42.12-14). It involves entwining the right hand over the left hand and holding the two hands skywards. Using the hands, the Yonimudrā must be performed. This type of mudrā is used prominently in the worship of Devī and is mentioned in texts that describe this, such as Yoginī Hṛdaya (1.67-68). It is a method of dhāraṇā. The second method is given in texts of Haṭhayoga including the Yoga Upaniṣads. This involves curving the tongue backwards (just as is done for pronouncing ṭ, ḍ, ṇ. ṣ, etc. but further) and making it, enter a hole that exists in the skull (kapālakuhara) or the palate. The eyes must focus on the region between the eyebrows at the same time. A person who regularly performs this mudrā is freed from old age and disease | k |
| 38 | khyati | Declaration; assertion; fame; name; title; perception; knowledge | Khyāti has three major meanings: ‘declaration’, ‘fame’ and ‘perception’. The last meaning is special to yoga. Understanding something in a particular way is called khyāti. For example, the definition of avidyā is seeing the eternal, pure, happiness-giving and puruṣa, in that which is non-eternal, impure, sadness-causing and non-puruṣa. Here, the act of perceiving one thing in a particular way is khyāti. | k |
| 39 | kilbisham | See pāpa | See pāpa | k |
| 40 | klesha | Pain; anguish; distress | Kleśa in general parlance refers to ‘pain’, ‘anguish’ or ‘distress’. In Yoga, these are five in number: a. Avidyā (ignorance) b. Asmitā (egotism) c. Rāga (desire) d. Dveṣa (aversion) e. Abhiniveśa (clinging to life) These are five misconceptions (viparyayas) that arise in the mind that strengthen the power of the guṇas and bind the person to saṃsāra. They themselves cause the fruition of actions. These need to be overcome through practice of yoga for attainment of mokṣa. | k |
| 41 | kleshatanukaranam | Reduction of kleśas | Kleśatanūkaraṇa is composed of kleśa (q.v.) and tanūkaraṇa which is ‘reduction’ or ‘thinning out’. Through the processes of yoga, the kleśas are progressively reduced until they become non-existent. The yogī then attains mokṣa. | k |
| 42 | krishna | Black; Kṛṣṇa (God) | Kṛṣṇa as an adjective means ‘black’. In this context, it has technical meaning (see aśuklākṛṣṇa). As a noun, it refers to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the incarnation of Viṣṇu, who is widely worshipped across India and elsewhere. He is one of the main interlocutors in the Bhagavadgītā, in which he converses with Arjuna and teaches him several principles in philosophy and yoga. He is equated with Brahman. | k |
| 43 | kriyayoga | A class of activities | Kriyāyoga is composed of kriyā meaning ‘activity’ or ‘action’ and yoga (q.v.). Yogasūtra (2.1) defines it as a combination of tapas, svādhyāya and īśvarapraṇidhāna. These are necessary activities required for yoga and are mentioned in the niyamas. | k |
| 44 | krukara | Kṛkara (vāyu) | Kṛkara is used in some texts on yoga in connection with the system of ten prāṇas. The first five are ‘Prāṇa’, ‘Apāna’, ‘Samāna’, ‘Udāna’, and ‘Vyāna’, which are used in other technical subjects (such as Āyurveda) as well. The other five are Nāga’, ‘Kūrma’, ‘Kṛkara’, ‘Devadatta’ and ‘Dhanañjaya’ and are used in yoga. Kṛkara is responsible for hunger (kṣut) and thirst (pipāsā). | k |
| 45 | krutartha | A liberated person | A person who has attained mokṣa is called kṛtārtha. The purpose (artha) of his endeavours (mokṣa) is complete (kṛta). | k |
| 46 | kshama | Patience; forbearance; earth | Kṣamā means ‘forbearence’ or ‘patience’. It occurs as a yama or niyama in various texts and is a necessary quality for the yogī. It is also an epithet of Earth (pṛthivī). | k |
| 47 | kshana | Instant; moment | Kṣaṇa stands for ‘instant’ or ‘moment’. Vyāsabhāṣya (3.52) explicitly defines it as the smallest interval of time just as paramāṇu is the smallest unit of space. Alternatively, it is the time taken for a paramāṇu to move from one position to another. | k |
| 48 | kshara | Perishable | That which is perishable or that which wanes or decays over time is called kṣara. Its opposite is akṣara. Brahman is unchanging (i.e. akṣara). Any person who has attained mokṣa, is in union with Brahman and hence akṣara himself. However, every other living being is kṣara, in that it dies over time. | k |
| 49 | kshetra | Field (farming); land; property; place (enclosure); body; Prakṛti | ‘Field’, ‘land’, ‘property’ and ‘place’ are common meanings of kṣetra. In the context of philosophy and yoga, kṣetra most often refers to the body, which is considered as the field for the jīva that resides in it. Given that the jīva is separate from the body, the destruction of the body (called kṣetranāśa) does not imply the destruction of the person. The jīva is called kṣetrajña (he who knows the kṣetra) (see puruṣa). In Sāṅkhya, kṣetra denotes Prakṛti (q.v.) | k |
| 50 | kshetrajna | Jīva; puruṣa; one who knows the kṣetra (see kṣetra and puruṣa) | Jīva; puruṣa; one who knows the kṣetra (see kṣetra and puruṣa) | k |
| 51 | kshetranasha | Destruction of the kṣetra (body); death (see kṣetra) | Destruction of the kṣetra (body); death (see kṣetra) | k |
| 52 | kshetri | The one who resides in the kṣetra (body) (see kṣetra and puruṣa) | The one who resides in the kṣetra (body) (see kṣetra and puruṣa) | k |
| 53 | kshiptam | Thrown; cast; sent; scattered | Kṣipta in a general sense refers to an object that is ‘thrown’. In yoga, it is also the name of one of the five cittabhūmis, the others being mūḍha, vikṣipta, ekāgra and niruddha. (see bhūmi) | k |
| 54 | kshiram | Milk; sap; water | Kṣīra denotes ‘milk’ or any milk-like sap (or latex) that comes from plants. In rare cases, it denotes water (this is clear from the context). The liquid, usually called amarī, that oozes from the skull and is preserved through some procedures in Haṭhayoga is also sometimes called kṣīra (see amarī) | k |
| 55 | kshut | Hunger; sneeze | When the root word is ‘kṣudh’, its meaning is ‘hunger’ (derived from root ‘kṣudh’). When it is ‘kṣut’, the meaning is ‘sneeze’ (derived from root ‘kṣu’). In the nominative forms (prathamā vibhakti) and in compounds (samāsa), both these show up as ‘kṣut’, hence they have been given together here. Kṣut (hunger) is an important bodily function and must be addressed appropriately. This is done by eating the correct kinds of foods in the correct amounts, an idea which is spelt out in several places as a niyama or an overarching statement (see atīvabhojana). Saṃyama on the kaṇṭhakūpa brings the ability to control hunger and thirst according to the Yogasūtra (3.29). | k |
| 56 | kuhu | Kuhū (nāḍī) | Kuhū is one of the nāḍīs mentioned in yoga. It is responsible for hunger or for excretion according to different texts. | k |
| 57 | kumbhaka | Retention of breath; voluntary cessation of breath. | Kumbha refers to a pot. Holding the breath inside, making the body like a filled pot is called kumbhaka. It is one of the three phases of prāṇāyāma, the other two being recaka (exhalation) and pūraka (inhalation). By definition, prāṇāyāma involves the cessation of the flow of inhalation and exhalation (see Yogasūtra 2.49). Through practice of kumbhaka, this is achieved easily. Eight types of kumbha are used in Haṭhayoga (refer Haṭhayoga Pradīpikā 2.44): 1. Sūryabhedana 2. Ujjāyī 3. Śītalī 4. Sītkārī 5. Bhastrikā 6. Bhrāmarī 7. Mūrcchā 8. Plāvinī | k |
| 58 | kumbhika | See kumbhaka | See kumbhaka | k |
| 59 | kumbhikaranam | To perform kumbhaka (q.v.). | To perform kumbhaka (q.v.). | k |
| 60 | kundalini | Kuṇḍalinī (yoga) | Kuṇḍalinī is the name given to a specific object that is said to reside within the body. It is described in texts on Haṭhayoga and other esoteric literature. It is said to exist in a specific point in the lower regions of the body – either at the mūlādhāra, between the anus and genitals, in the sacral bone or some other locations in the same area. It remains coiled like a serpent, hence it is often called a serpent. Prāṇa usually flows through the Iḍā and Piṅgalā, however, in order to attain a steady mind, it needs to flow through the Suṣumnā. The path for it to enter Suṣumnā is blocked by kuṇḍalinī. Through specific practices, kuṇḍalinī is made to move away from this position and accompany prāṇa in going up the Suṣumnā. The process for this to happen is translated into English as “awakening”, in the sense of waking something that was sleeping. As it moves upwards, it passes through various cakras. When it reaches the highest point of the crown (sahasrāra), the mind is completely calm and attains the state of samādhi. It is stated in the Devī Bhāgavata (7.35.49), that the sahasrāra is considered to be the seat of Śiva and kuṇḍalinī is considered as Devī, who moves towards that place. For this reason, kuṇḍalinī is often called Īśvarī or Śakti (appellations of the Goddess). Once there, the union of Śiva and Devī produces a certain nectar. This is offered back to them and to various divinities. Kuṇḍalinī is then brought back down. This process is repeated daily so as to ease away the bonds of saṃsāra. | k |
| 61 | kundalinisthanam | Location of kuṇḍalinī (q.v.) | Location of kuṇḍalinī (q.v.) | k |
| 62 | kurma | Tortoise; a particular vital air. | Kūrma means ‘tortoise’. It is the word used in some texts on yoga in connection with the system of ten prāṇas. The first five are ‘Prāṇa’, ‘Apāna’, ‘Samāna’, ‘Udāna’, and ‘Vyāna’, which are used in other technical subjects (such as Āyurveda) as well. The other five are Nāga’, ‘Kūrma’, ‘Kṛkara’, ‘Devadatta’ and ‘Dhanañjaya’ and are used in yoga. Kūrma is located in the skin and bones. It is also said to be responsible of the blinking of the eyes, in these texts. | k |
| 63 | kurmanadi | A particular nāḍī | Kūrmanāḍī is a nāḍī located in the chest. Saṃyama on this nāḍī brings stability and firmness (sthairya). | k |
| 64 | kurmasanam | Kūrmāsana (āsana) | Kūrmāsana is composed of kūrma meaning ‘tortoise’ and āsana meaning ‘posture’. The body, head and neck are to be kept straight, i.e in one straight line. The two ankles are to be placed crosswise under the scrotum. | k |
| 65 | kutilangi | See Kuṇḍalinī | See Kuṇḍalinī | k |