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Sanskrit Dictionary
 
     This glossary contains close to 900 common Sanskrit words that a person practicing yoga would come across. We have used diacritical marks in as many words as possible, to help the reader pronounce each word correctly. Please refer to the pronunciation guide below. A list of sources for this glossary is given at the end.
 
Alphabet  Pronounced as 
A Awe
Ī Ee
Ū Oo
Chh Hard - midway between ch & sh - as in chaw
Haw
Gaw with g nasal
ā Ah
E Eh
Ch In chosen
Alphabet  Pronounced as 
Rh (r hard)
ṁ&ṅ Ong as in song
Naw as in gnaw
Rhi
T Th (soft)
v Wa
Ś orṣ Sh as in shilling
Taw (hard)
y Yaw

H
Ha - First syllable of the word 'hatha', which is composed of the syllables 'ha' meaning the sun, and 'tha' meaning the moon. The object of hatha-yoga is to balance the flow of solar and lunar energy in the human system

Halā sana - Plough posture

Haṁsa - Swan

hana - Abandoning everything that is fit to be discarded. Liberation

Hā nopā ya - Hā nopā ya

Hanumā n - The monkey god, with extraordinary strength and prowess. One of the immortals in the Hindu pantheon

Hastha - Hand

Hastijihvā nā ḍḹ - Name of one of the nā ḍḹs sad to be located behind the idā nā ḍḹ , terminating near the right eye, regulating the function of sight

Haṭha - Force or overcoming will

Haṭha yoga - The way to realization through a rigorous discipline of the body

Haṭha Yoga Pradḹpikā - A celebrated text book on haṭha yoga written by swā tmar ā ma.

Havaṅ - An offering of fire in Hindu worship

Heya - A thing fit to be abandoned or discarded

Hiraṇya garbha - Omniscient and all-pervading creator

Hṛdaya - Heart; the psycho-physical centre where one feels pleasure and pain

Hṛdayā ṅjali mudrā - Folding of hands in front of the heart in respectful salutation to the dweller within

Hum - A mantra of agni and Ś iva.

 
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