Glossary

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada: Spiritual master and Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Sampradaya Acharya for the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya, translator/author/publisher of more than 160 books, including Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Chaitanya-charitamrita.
Ananda: bliss.
Bhagavad-gita: (literally "Song of God") the primer in Vedic studies or "Bible" of India, spoken by Krishna 5,000 years ago to His disciple Arjuna, teaching the fundamental principles of repeated birth and death, transmigration of the soul, distinction between matter and spirit, material elements and material nature, action and inaction, the aim of life, the object of sacrifice, austerity and renunciation, yoga process, duty, devotion to God.
Bhakti: love, devotion to God.
Bhakti-lata-bija: the holy name, the seed of devotional service, implanted in the heart of the sincere disciple by the spiritual master.
Bhakti-yoga: the system of cultivating bhakti or pure devotion to God, untinged by sense gratification or philosophical speculation.
Bhava: the preliminary stage of transcendental love of God.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: incarnation of Krishna who appeared in 15th century at Navadvipa in Bengal to inaugurate the Sankirtan movement, the congregational chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.
False ego: misidentification of the soul with matter (the body and mind).
Goloka Vrindavan--see also Krishnaloka
Guru: spiritual master.
Hare Krishna maha-mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
This is the great chant for deliverance of the mind. These names have been recommended especially for the present age, Kali-yuga.
Harinama Sankirtan: congregational chanting or especially singing of the holy name, accompanied by musical instruments and dancing.
Kali-yuga: the age of quarrel, the fourth and last age in the cycle of a maha-yuga and the age in which we are now living. Kali-yuga lasts 432,000 years, of which 5,000 years have already passed.
Karma: fruitive action, for which there is always a reaction, good or bad.
Kirtan: glorification of the Supreme Lord through sound vibration, chanting the holy name of Krishna.
Krishna consciousness: spiritual self-realisation, knowing the self to be spirit soul, part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna and thus the eternal servant of Krishna.
Krishnaloka: the spiritual abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, situated in the Vaikuntha, spiritual sky, above the heavenly planets.
Maha-mantra--see also Hare Krishna maha-mantra
Mantra: (man=mind + tra=deliverance) a pure sound vibration to deliver the mind from its material inclinations, a prayer or hymn.
Maya: (ma=not + ya=this) illusion, one of Krishna's energies, which deludes the living entities into forgetfulness of the Supreme Lord.
Prasadam: food offered to Krishna and consequently sanctified or spiritualised.
Rasa: the spiritual taste or flavour of a personal relationship with the Supreme Lord.
Sach-chid-ananda: the spiritual form of the Lord and the eternal transcendental form of the living entity, which is full of bliss, knowledge and eternity.
Sankirtan: congregational singing or chanting of the holy name, fame and pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, the sacrifice prescribed in the scriptures for this age, Kali-yuga.
Shikshastaka: the eight verses written by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Srimad-Bhagavatam: the Bhagavat Purana, the scripture compiled by Vyasadeva to describe and explain Krishna's pastimes, the complete essence of all the Vedic knowledge.
Swami: one who can control his mind and senses, a renunciate.
Vaikunthas: the eternal planets of the spiritual sky.
Vedas: (literally, veda=knowledge) the four Vedas (Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva) and their supplements (Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Puranas, Mahabharata, Vedanta Sutra, etc.).
Vishnudutas: messengers of Krishna.
Yajña: sacrifice
Yamadutas: messengers of Yamaraja
Yamaraja: the minister of death and the lower planets under the authority of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna.
Yoga: linking the consciousness of the infinitesimal living entity with the supreme living entity, Krishna.
Yogi: one who practices yoga

Kirtan: Ancient Medicine for Modern Man

Glossary