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Dictionary
| S.No. | Word - Y | Sound | Description | Key Word |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | yama | Yama (aṅga); Yama (God); death | Yama has two meanings. In yoga, yama refers to the first aṅga. Yamas are a set of restrictions that are imposed upon oneself that help in cultivating a sense of discipline. These are to be maintained at all times and in all conditions and situations. The standard list is that of the Yogasūtra (2.29), which delineates five yamas: ahiṃsā (non-violence), satya (truthfulness), asteya (refraining from theft), brahmacarya (celibacy) and aparigraha (non-possession) (see respective words for details). Variant lists exist in several other texts, including the Yoga Upaniṣads and some Purāṇas among others. Each yama list caters to the methods of yoga that are mentioned in that particular text. Yamas are closely connected with niyamas (q.v.), which comprise the second aṅga in yoga. Some texts combine these two and provide a single list of rules that a yogī is supposed to follow. Yama also refers to God of Death and by extension, death itself. | y |
| 2 | yashvini | Yaśasvinī (nāḍī) | Yaśasvinī is the name of a nāḍī that is referred to in Haṭhayoga. It is said to exist in the vicinity of the left ear. | y |
| 3 | yati | See sannyāsī | See sannyās | y |
| 4 | yoga | Joining; addition; mixture; acquisition; union; combination; connection; arrangement; endeavour; exertion; zeal; method; stratagem; use; Yoga (philosophy) | Yoga is a highly nuanced term that occurs across the entirety of Indian literature. The basic meaning of yoga is ‘joining’ or ‘addition’. From this, all of the above nuances are derived. The context and derivation for these is given as follows: a ‘mixture’ is made of several things that are added together. Hence yoga can mean ‘mixture’. This is especially in the context of medicines (or a similar usage) where ingredients will be mixed together and prepared in a particular way. ‘Acquisition’, ‘union’ and ‘combination’ are directly derived from ‘addition’. ‘Connection’ derives from ‘joining’. When things are added together in a particular way, an ‘arrangement’ arises. The meaning of yoga is further extended in two ways: on one hand, it can mean ‘endeavour’, ‘exertion’ or ‘zeal’, and on the other hand, it can mean ‘method’, ‘stratagem’ or ‘use’. In the context of philosophy, the joining (yoga) refers to the attaining of the individual person (jīva) with the larger, singular and eternal Brahman. Various methods are described across philosophical literature for this purpose, and each of these is also called yoga (yoga here means ‘method’). The basis of all methods lies in the fact that a disinterest in worldly affairs is to be developed and the mind must remain completely calm (see vairāgya). While there are several methods to achieve this joining, they may be classified into three major yogas: 1. Jñānayoga (‘joining’ through knowledge): By understanding the nature of the world through logical discourse, the person understands the nature of life and living as well as that of Brahman (or puruṣa). He separates his self from the mind and other objects (see puruṣa). The mind progressively calms down since the person is able to reconcile with the true nature of objects. A certain disinterest may also arise in the mind of such a yogī (see vairāgya). In due course of time, when this disinterest grows significantly, and the mind simultaneously grows calmer, he is able to separate himself from saṃsāra (q.v.). 2. Karmayoga (‘joining’ through action): A person lives and acts in the world. When the results of these actions (see karma) are submitted to Īśvara, the expectation to gain something from these actions ceases, whether they be rituals or day-to-day activities. Whatever comes as a result is accepted with equanimity. The mental calmness that thus results clarifies the nature of things and cultivates vairāgya. When expectation has completely ceased, the mind is still and puruṣa reveals itself. 3. Bhaktiyoga (‘joining’ through devotion): Devotion is directed towards the deity of one’s liking (iṣṭadevatā). Various acts of devotion may be undertaken, such as worshipping an idol in different ways, listening to stories of that deity, etc. The mind becomes engrossed in the thought of that form of the deity. Progressively, the mind becomes calmer and the person expects nothing from the outside world. Apart from these, Yoga is the name of one of the six āstika (orthodox) philosophies, much of whose logical basis is set through the Yogasūtras of Patañjali. Like other philosophical schools, Yoga also provides a comprehensive picture on the nature of existence, the world and mokṣa. However, it distinguishes itself from other schools in being equally devoted to the practical methods of attaining mokṣa. This process is realised through an eight-step path, where each step is called aṅga (‘limb’, q.v.) and the set of eight is called aṣṭāṅga (‘eight-limbed’, referring to the whole process). As such, each philosophical school prioritises a different method to reach mokṣa – Sāṅkhya and Advaita Vedānta favour jñānayoga, while Viśiṣṭādvaita and Dvaita forms of Vedānta favour bhaktiyoga. The Bhagavadgītā puts forth the opinion that the Yoga philosophy is a kind of karmayoga. This arises from the fact that īśvarapraṇidhāna is one of the core principles of yoga (see karmayoga). The exact definition of what should constitute yoga, or how yoga should be defined in the context of mokṣa is discussed at length in several texts, so much so that each text may have its own definition. These definitions should be interpreted in the context of the paths to mokṣa and the actual practices suggested in that texts. | y |
| 5 | yogangam | See aṅga | See aṅga | y |
| 6 | yoganidra | Mixed state of yoga and sleep; Durgā | Yoganidrā is a specific state where the person is in yoga, i.e. is joined with Brahman, but has various qualities of sleep at the same time. It is esp. used when speaking of Viṣṇu who is said to be in yoganidrā at certain occasions in Vaikuṇṭha, his abode. This sleep of Viṣṇu is also personified by some as a form of Durgā. | y |
| 7 | yogi | A person who practices yoga (q.v.) | A person who practices yoga (q.v.) | y |
| 8 | yoni | Source; origin; species; perineum | Yoni has three major meanings in the texts of yoga. It can mean ‘source’ or ‘origin’. It can also mean ‘species’ such as humans, monkeys, animals, etc. When giving instructions for āsanas, it can also mean perineum in which case, it often appears as yonisthāna. | y |
| 9 | yonimudra | Yonimudrā (procedure) | Yonimudrā is the name given to a specific produre. It is used in Haṭhayoga as well as in some worship methods for Devī. The method stated in Haṭhayoga is as follows: after adopting the siddhāsana, the yogī should close the ears, eyes and nostrils with fingers. He must inhale through the mouth while performing the kākī mudrā (a particular mudrā), retain the breath and combine the prāṇa and apāna. This rouses kuṇḍalinī (q.v.). For worshipping Devī, the following mudrā procedure is suggested: the middle fingers must be bent and placed over the pointing fingers. The ring fingers are placed in the middle with that of the right hand placed over that of the left hand. They must also be with the pointing fingers. The little fingers are placed above all the others pointing slightly downwards. The thumb is placed over all other fingers. This worship method is a kind of dhāraṇā. | y |