Glossary

Manas

• 20.08.2026 • 3 min. reading • 18 просм.

• 20.08.2026 • 3 min. reading • 18 просм.

Manas (Sanskrit: manas) is the perceptive and reflective aspect of the inner instrument that connects the sense organs with buddhi (the discriminative intellect). Manas gathers sensory impressions, forms mental representations, generates intentions, and vacillates between different decisions. The word manas derives from the Sanskrit root man, meaning “to think,” “to reflect,” or “to imagine.” The terms manana (reflection) and mantra are derived from the same root. Manas literally means “that by which one thinks.” The English word “mind” conveys only part of its meaning, since manas also encompasses attention, imagination,

Moksha Dharma

• 21.07.2026 • 2 min. reading • 11 просм.

• 21.07.2026 • 2 min. reading • 11 просм.

Moksha-dharma (Sanskrit: mokṣa-dharma) is the path of Liberation; a spiritual discipline aimed at the ultimate cessation of the cycle of birth and death and the attainment of unity with the Absolute. The term is composed of two roots: mokṣa — “liberation,” “release” (from the root muc — “to let go, to release”) and dharma — “law,” “path,” “that which sustains” (from the root dhṛ — “to hold”). Literally, it means “the law of liberation,” “the path leading to release.” Distinction from Other Dharmas In Sanatana Dharma, there are various kinds of dharma: varna-dharma (the duty of one’s social class), ashrama-dharma (the duty

Prakriti

• 21.07.2026 • 2 min. reading • 12 просм.

• 21.07.2026 • 2 min. reading • 12 просм.

Prakriti (Sanskrit: prakṛti) is primordial material nature, the root energy of the manifest world; the primary cause of all forms, objects, and phenomena in the universe. The word is formed from the prefix pra, meaning “forward” or “primordially,” and the root kṛ, meaning “to do” or “to create.” Literally, it means “that which creates primordially,” or primal matter. In Samkhya texts, prakriti is contrasted with purusha—pure consciousness, spirit. Purusha and prakriti constitute the two fundamental principles of existence: spirit and energy, the observer and the observed. The Three Gunas and the Mechanism of Creation In it

Vairagya

• 31.05.2026 • 3 min. reading • 19 просм.

• 31.05.2026 • 3 min. reading • 19 просм.

Vairagya (Sanskrit vairāgya) is dispassion, inner non-attachment to objects of the senses, desires, and the fruits of actions. In Sanatana Dharma, vairagya is one of the main qualities of a sadhaka, without which viveka, sadhana, and the aspiration toward moksha do not acquire firm strength. The word comes from vi-rāga: the prefix vi indicates separation, removal, while rāga means passion, coloring, attachment. Therefore, vairagya is a state in which consciousness is no longer colored by the thirst for possession and is not captivated by the transient phenomena of samsara. Inner renunciation Vairagya is not reduced to an e

Guru Yoga

• 31.05.2026 • 2 min. reading • 16 просм.

• 31.05.2026 • 2 min. reading • 16 просм.

Guru Yoga (Sanskrit guru-yoga) is the practice of the sacred connection between a disciple and a spiritual teacher, the attunement of consciousness to the wave of the Absolute through resonance with the enlightened mind of the Master. The word consists of two roots: guru — “heavy,” “weighty,” “one who dispels darkness” (from gu — “darkness” and ru — “dispelling”), and yoga — “connection,” “union.” Guru yoga literally means “union with the one who dispels the darkness of ignorance.” Hindus know: without this connection, the spiritual path is like sailing in the ocean without a compass — one can circle endlessly among the wa

Viveka

• 30.03.2026 • 4 min. reading • 23 просм.

• 30.03.2026 • 4 min. reading • 23 просм.

Viveka (Sanskrit: viveka) is discernment between the real and the unreal, the eternal and the transient, Ātman and non-Ātman. In Sanatana Dharma, viveka is discriminative wisdom, without which sādhana remains mixed and the mind continues to take māyā for reality. The word comes from the Sanskrit root vic — "to divide," "to separate," "to distinguish" — with the prefix vi, indicating separation and precise recognition. Therefore, viveka means not mere rationality, but the inner clarity of buddhi, which separates nitya — the eternal — from anitya — the temporary. Such viveka is placed by the śāstras at the beginning of the p

Samsara

• 29.03.2026 • 3 min. reading • 23 просм.

• 29.03.2026 • 3 min. reading • 23 просм.

Saṃsāra (Sanskrit: saṃsāra) is the continuous cycle of birth and death in which the soul wanders until attaining Liberation. It is neither a place nor a punishment; it is a state of consciousness conditioned by ignorance of one’s true nature. The Sanskrit word saṃsāra is formed from the root sṛ — "to flow," "to move" — with the prefix sam, indicating continuity and cyclicality. Literally, it means "unceasing flow" or "endless wandering." In Vedic literature, this term denotes not so much the external world as the very state of involvement in the cycle: birth → action → death → new birth. Closely related expressions are the