Dictionary of common Sanskrit spiritual words
antaHsthA - artha

Note that words appear in order of the Roman alphabet, not the Sanskrit alphabet.

antasta

the Sanskrit term for the “semi-vowels”: y, r, l, v. These are formed by combination of i, RRi, LLi and u, respectively with the vowel a. The word literally means “stand between.”

anubhava

perception, understanding, experience; knowledge derived from personal observation. Intuition as (opposed to reasoning – yukti).

anubhuti

knowledge gained by means of the pramANa-s.

anugraha

grace; literally showing favor or kindness, conferring benefits.

anumAna

inference (in logic); one of the 6 means of obtaining knowledge. See pramana.

anunasika

in the Sanskrit language: sounded through the nose, nasal.

anupalabdhi

non-perception, non-recognition; one of the 6 means of obtaining knowledge. See pramana.

anusvara

(Sanskrit language) This literally means “after sound.” It is represented as aM but is not actually a letter and does not occur on its own. It changes the sound of a letter, causing the associated vowel to be sounded through the nose. In ITRANS, it is represented by M or .n and in Romanised transliteration by a dot, above or below the preceding consonant. The precise nature of the sound is determined by the consonant that follows. It will take on the sound of the anunAsika in the same group as this consonant. e.g. in saMdhi, the sound will be that of n while in shaMkara, it will be that of ~N.

anvaya-vyatireka

a method in logic for determining the truth of something. For example, is the clay or the pot real? anvaya establishes the logical connection that “when the pot is, the clay is.” vyatireka establishes the logical discontinuity that “when the pot is not, the clay is.” Therefore the clay is satya, the pot is mithyA. anvaya means “connection, association”; vyatireka means “distinction, separateness, exclusion.”

anyonya ashyraya

mutual dependence in a “cause-effect” situation such as the chicken and egg example.

ap

water – one of the five elements or pa~nchabhUta. Associated with taste.

apana

one of the five “vital airs,” relating to excretion. More generally refers to rejection of irrelevant material gained from perception etc. and to the formation of limited views.

apara

1) inferior, lower (opposite of para) but may also be
2) having nothing beyond or after; having no rival or
superior.
Context will hopefully clarify which meaning to use!

aparigraha

renouncing of all possessions. One of the five yama-s in Raja yoga.

aparoksha

immediate (relating to gaining of knowledge, i.e. does not require application of reason).

aparokshanubhuti

one of the works attributed to Shankara. The word means “knowledge acquired directly by one of the valid pramANa-s.”

apaurusheya

literally “not coming from men”; used to refer to the shruti – scriptural texts passed on verbatim from generation to generation since their original observation by realised sages. See shruti.

aprameya

immeasurable, unlimited, unfathomable. (E.g. that 'I know that I exist' is aprameya - I do not need any pramANa to tell me this.)

apta-vakya

something reported by another in whom one has faith. Literally “a correct sentence.” Apta means “respected, trustworthy”; vAkya means “statement, declaration.”

arambha

literally “beginning, commencement” but encountered in the context of a material cause in which the effect is clearly distinguishable from its cause but has not actually been transformed, e.g. cloth made from cotton as opposed to butter made from milk.

arambha vada

the theory that the world (i.e. universe) is the result of the coming together of atoms.

arankyaka

a class of religious or philosophical writings closely connected with the brAhmaNa-s and so-called because they were written or studied in the forest.

artha

acquisition of wealth. One of the four puruShArtha-s. See purushartha.