GLOSSARY - SHRI SHIRDI SAI BABA

Aadhyatmic: Spiritual

Aayudhas: Weapons, arms

Abhaya Hastha: Assuring hands

Abhishek: A Ritual of Bathing God/deity

Adi Devtas: Celestial beings

Adishakthi: The feminine form of Hindu God/signifies power

Aishwarya: Prosperity

Ajnana (Agnana): Nescience/Ignorance

Akshatha: Sacred rice used during Worship

Allah: God, Reference to God in Islam

Arathi: A ritual of showing camphor light in front of God/deity

Artha: Wealth

Ashrams: Place where pious people/hermits/saints reside, hermitage

Askalitha Brahmachari: A perfect celibate

Atma: Soul

Atma Sakshatkara: Self Realization

Avadhuta: Messenger/ Sage

Avatara: Incarnation

Banjara: A nomad

Bhagwan: God

Bhakta: Devotee

Bhakti: Devotion

Bharat: India

Bhoodevi: Goddess of Earth

Brahma: Hindu God of creation, a Trinity

Brahma Vidya: Metaphysics

Brahmananda: Always contented and happy

Camphor Arathi: Camphor light shown clockwise in front of God

Chamaras: Fans

Crore: Ten Million

Dakshina: A token amount paid to a Guru/Priest

Dargahs: Place of Worship of Muslim religion

Darshan: Appearance/Revealing/Sight of God

Dashavathara: Ten incarnations of Vishnu, one of the Trinity in Hinduism

Deeksha: Vow taken for a specific period

Dharma: Righteousness

Dharma Bhoomi: Land of Righteousness

Dharmam Chara: Tread path of Righteousness

Dhuni: Holy Fire

Diksha (Deeksha): Novitiate

Dohe: Poems, verses of two lines

Dwarkamai: Place where Shirdi Sai Baba resides

Fakir: Mendicant

Gaya: Name of a Scared Place in India

Gita/Bhagawad Gita: A Scared Book of Hindu Religion

Gita Rahasyam: Secrets of Bhagawad Gita

Grihasta: Family man/Household

Guru Purnima: Fullmoon day in the Hindu month of Ashada, auspicious for offering prayers to Guru

Gurudwaras: Place of worship of Sikh Religion

Gurukul: Traditional School or learning Place

Gurusthan: Place where Guru resides

Harikatha: Depicting God's story by singing and dancing

Hindi: National Language of India

Holi: A Celebration with colors

Isha Upanishad: A Hindu sacred text dealing with metaphysics

Jagatguru: Guru for the entire world

Jagir: Head of Town/Village

Jholi: Bag

Jnana: Knowledge

Jyotis: Light

Kafni: Long Shirt

Kama: Desire/Lust

Karma: karma - work, action, the law of cause and effect

Karma Bhoomi: Land that believes in the concept of Karma

Kirtans: Songs/Recitals on God

Koel: Nightingale, a sweet-singing bird

Kumkum: Vermillon

Kurmavathara: Incarnation of Hindu God Vishnu in the form of Tortoise, a form of Dashavathara

Lakh: 100,000

Leelas: Miracles

Maha Yagna: Major Sacrifice/Worship

Mahasamadhi: Place where Lord Sai Rests

Mangal Arathi: Arathi shown for the at the end of a ritual

Mangal: Prosperity

Marga: Path

Matsyavathara: Incarnation of Hindu God Vishnu in the form of Fish

Maya: Illusion

Moha: Passion

Moksha: Liberation/Salvation

Mukti: Salvation/Liberation

Munsif: Administrative head of a Village

Naivedya: Food offered to God/deity

Nama Japa: A ritual of repetitive chanting God’s name

Nirvana: Realization

Nitya Parayana: Daily Devotional Reading/Recital

Pada Puja: Offering prayers at Lord's feet

Pada Thirth: Water from washing of Lord's feet

Padukas: Footwear, Sandals/Slippers

Panahabhutha: Fire elements-earth,water,fire,air and sky

Parayana: Devotional Reading within a prescribed period

Prana Shakthi: Inner Life

Pranas: Sensory Organs

Prasad(am): Food/Naivedya consecrated at the worship and distributed to the devotees

Prem Marga: Path of Love

Puja: Worship

Pujari: Priest

Punar Janma: Rebirth

Punya Bhoomi: Sacred Land

Puranas: Epics

Rajadhiraj: King of Kinga, Emperor

Sab Ka Malik Ek Hai: God is one

Saburi: Patience

Sadgati: The Right direction, refers to the Merger with God

Sadguru: Ultimate Guru

Sadhus: Medicants

Sai Avatar: The incarnation of Sai

Sai Koti Nama Likitha: Writing the name "Sai" for 10 million times

Sai Prachar: Propagation of Sai Philosophy

Sai Satcharitha: A text on Life and message of Sai Baba of Shirdi considered sacred by Sai devotees

Saiyuga: Period of Sai

Sakshatkar: In Reality

Samadhi: Abode of Lord Sai

Samadhi Mandir: Place where Lord Sai resides

Samardha Sadguru: Ultimate Guru

Samsara: Worldly life

Sanjeevani: A life-saving medicine/treatment

Sanyas: Hermit, a person that renounced worldly life

Sanyasis: Mendicants

Saptaha Parayana: Devotional Reading of Sri Sai Satcharitha in a week’s time

Sashtanga Namaskar: Prostration on the floor

Sataka: A Cane used by Sai Baba

Satpurusha: A man of virtues

Shastras: Rules regarding conducting rituals

Shiva/Siva: Hindu God of destruction, a Trinity

Shishyas: Disciples

Shlokas: Sacred Verses

Shraddha: Faith

Shri Shirdi Sai Baba: Lord Sai Baba of Shirdi in India

Siddhis: Super Natural Powers

Tahsildar: Village Head

Tapas: Prayer

Tatwa: Philosophy

Telugu: A Language spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India

Thyaga: Sacrifice

Trishul: Trident

Tulasi: Basil, a herb

Udi/Vibhuti: Sacred Ash

Udyapan: Ceremony marking the conclusion of a vratha

Vaidya: Doctor

Vairagya: Renunciation

Vanaprastha: Retiring to the Forest

Vedas: Secred teachings of Hinduism

Vichara Sagara: Ocean of Contemplation

Vishnu: Hindu God of Preservation, a Trinity

Vratams: A ritual of observation of vow

Wada: Building, Resting place of Sai Baba

Yagna: Sacrifice/Worship

Yogi: Raj King of Saints

Yuga: Period