The detailed vocabulary that follows will help you understand the many key Sanskrit terminology used in Ayurveda.
abhyanga - anointing body with oil or ghee
accha peya - pure cow's ghee
agni - bodily fire, particularly digestive fire
ahamkara - ego; the "I" notion; cosmic memory recorder of all lives
ahara rasa - ingested nutrients, before they are digested
aja - goat; one who transcends the cycle of births
ajna - limitless power; name of sixth chakra
akasha - space; principle of vacuity
akshitarpana - herbal decoction used to revive eyes
alambusha - one of fourteen nadis; starts at anus and ends in mouth
alepanam - application of astringent plaster
alochaka - fire of eyes; one of five fires of Pitta
ama - undigested, foul-odored remnants of food in bodily channels
anahata- fearless, unafflicted; nature of the black antelope, symbol and name of fourth chakra
anna lepa sveda - fomentation therapy where poultice is applied to whole body
annam - literally, "that which grows on the earth"; food
annavaha srotas - digestive system or channels
antahkarana - inner or psychic instrument, referring to the mind (manas), intellect (buddhi) and ego memory (ahamkara)
anuvasana - decoction generally used in enema therapy
apana - one of five bodily airs; air controlling ejection of bodily wastes
artava - menstrual fluid
artava dhatu - ovum
artavavaha srotas - menstrual system or female reproductive channels
ashmaghna sveda - sudation on a hot stone slab
ashtapana - another term used for decoction enema therapy
Astanga Hridaya - Ayurvedic text written by Vagbhatta
asthi dhatu - bone and cartilage tissue
Atharva Veda - one of four principle Vedas
Atman - indwelling spirit; soul within body; Conscious Self
avagahana sveda - sudation in a hot tub
avalambaka - water dosha of heart; one of the five waters of Kapha
avapeda nasya - introduction of soft paste into the nasal passages
Ayurveda - knowledge of life; Vedic science of health
bala - strength
bandhana sveda - fomentation therapy where poultice is applied to a localized area of the body
baspa sveda - fomentation occurring in a traditionally designed wooden box, whereby the head of the person remains outside of the box
Bharata Bhumi - ancient name of India, land of Bharata; land of dharma
bhasma - literally, "ash"; incinerated metal or mineral used as potent, powdered remedy
bhrajaka - heat of the skin; one of the five fires of Pitta
bhu sveda - sudation on heated surface of the earth
bija - seed mantra
bodhaka - water of the tongue; one of the five waters of Kapha
brahmacarini - student of the Vedas; observing a monastic life
Brahma Randhra - most sacred aperture of the body, situated at the center of the cranium
brahmin - spiritual caste; one of the four castes delineated in the Hindu scriptures
brhmana - tonification or strengthening therapy
buddhi - faculty of personal wisdom; resolve of the mind; the intellect;
Buddhi - Mercury, son of Shiva; deity who rules Wednesday
chai - Indian tea mixed with milk
chakra - wheel; seven energy centers of consciousness in the body
Charaka - ancient Ayurvedic scholar
Charaka Samhita - Charaka's treatise on Ayurveda
churna - powder
collyrium - Ayurvedic salves for eyes
darbha - type of grass used in Ayurvedic medicine
deva (devata) - generic name for the gods in the Hindu scriptures
devadatta - one of the five subsidiary airs
Devanagari - means of communication between the gods; later, translated as
Samskritam (Sanskrit); one of several scripts in which Sanskrit may be written
dhanamjaya - one of five subsidiary airs
dhani - audible or imperfect sound
dhara chatti - see dhara patra
dhara patra - treatment pot made from metal or clay used to drop oil on head
dharane - to sustain
dharma - right action according to the laws of nature
dhatu - tissue element of the body
dhmapana - introduction of medicated powders into the nasal passages via a straw or tube
dhoma nasya - inhalation of medicated vapors
dhoti - cloth to wrap the lower body
dosha - literally, "that which can go out of balance"; bodily humor
droni - traditional massage table made from woods such as sandalwood, bilva, khadira, and arjuna
Gaja - Lord of herbivorous animals and keeper of earth's memory of plants and herbs; the elephant that represents the fifth chakra
gandhari - one of fourteen nadis; begins below the left eye and ends at the big toe of the left foot
gandusa - retention of fluid in the mouth
Ganesha - Ganapati; elephant-headed Lord, son of Shiva; one who blesses all beginnings and renders them auspicious; remover of obstacles
garbha-pinda - fluid state of embryo; cosmic womb
ghara - earthen pot
go - cow; sacred scripture
Gopala - protector of the scriptures and of cows; another name for Lord Krishna
grisma - Sanskrit term for summer, one of the six seasons in Ayurveda
guna - attribute or respect, as in the three gunas of Maya
guru - quality of heaviness; spiritual teacher; Guru - Jupiter; deity who rules Thursday
gurukula - traditional school for disseminating knowledge of Vedas
hastajihva - one of fourteen nadis; begins below the right eye and ends at the big toe of the left foot
hemanta - Sanskrit term for early winter, one of the six seasons in Ayurveda
holaka sveda - sudation on a daubed surface of the earth
ida - one of two main nadis; begins in the left genital and ends at the left nostril; breath which flows through the left nostril; lunar nadi
indriyas - five senses
Isvara - Vedic name for the omniscient Lord, when used in association with creation
japa - repetition of mantras
jentaka sveda - sudation in a specially designed sweat lodge
jiva - individual soul
jivana - invigoration; life
kala- nutritional membrane for tissues; "body crystal"
kalari- ancient form of martial arts originating in south India
kala vasti - series of sixteen enemas
kambalika - soup made with yoghurt, urad bean and sesame oil
kapha - biological water humor
karma - bondage to action; cause of rebirth
karma vasti - series of thirty enemas
karna purana - dripping fluids into the ears
karshu sveda - sudation in an earth pit
kavalagraha - holding liquid in the mouth for a comfortable period of time
khada - spicy vegetable or herbal soup generally made with buttermilk
kichadi - mixture of rice and mung bean
kitta - waste
kledaka - water of digestion; one of the five waters of Kapha
krekara - one of the five subsidiary airs
Krishna - Gopala, protector of the scriptures and teacher of self-knowledge in the Bhagavad Gita
krushara- thick grain gruel
kuhu - one of fourteen nadis; begins in the throat and ends in the genitals
kumbhika sveda - sudation from a pitcher of warm decoction
kundalini - primal energy of manifestation symbolized by a coiled serpent at the coccyx of the spine
kupa sveda - sudation on a daubed surface of the earth
kurma - one of the five subsidiary airs
kuti sveda - sudation in a specially designed sweat lodge
langhana - depletion or reducing therapy
lassi - traditional Indian beverage made from yoghurt, milk, and fragrant herbs, generally taken after meals to aid digestion
lepa - plastering body with medicated substances
majja dhatu - bone marrow and nerve tissue
makara - crocodile; symbol of sensual movement and trickery
mala - garland; rosary of beads
malas - bodily wastes
mamsa dhatu - muscle tissue
manas - mind
manda - cooked rice at the bottom of the pot
Mangala - Mars; deity who rules Tuesday
manovaha - channels that carry mental energy
mantha - thin gruel made from rice and ghee
mantra - sacred sounds; group of sounds cosmically designed to stimulate certain physical and physic centers of body
mardana - mild pressure massage
marma - anatomical reflex points of the body; vital seats of pranic energy
marsha nasya - introduction of medicated oils into the nasal passages
masala - combination of spices ground together; spicy mixture
masthiskya - medicinal paste applied to the head
maya - cosmic, creative power; manifestation; relative reality
medas - fat
medas dhatu - fat tissue
moksha - a "state" in which the potential material and vibrations for future rebirths on all planes of existence are completely resolved; liberation from the cycle of birth and death
mutravaha srotas - urinary system
nadi - subtle channel within the nervous system made of fine threads of fluid; refers to the gross form in terms of nerves, veins, and so on; pathways of breath; Ayurvedic name for pulse
nadi sveda - steam application through a hose
naga - one of the five subsidiary airs
nasya - nasal insufflation
navana nasya - insufflation of unctuous substances or powders to clear nasal passages
niruha - oils generally used in Ayurvedic enema therapy
odana- thick porridge
ojas - perfected essence of dhatus when bodily system is in excellent order; glow of health
paca kizhi sveda - sudation with green leaf poultice
pachaka - one of the five fires of Pitta; fire of digestion in the stomach
padabhyanga - Ayurvedic foot massage
padaghata - anointing feet with oil
pancha karma - five cleansing therapies of Ayurveda: emesis, enema (two forms), purgation, and nasal medications
parisheka - fomentation with an affusion of Ayurvedic herbs
Patanjali - founder-renovator of the classical Yoga system
payasam - sweet fluid porridge
payasvini - one of fourteen nadis; located in the right ear lobe and connecting with the cranial nerves
peya - decoction made from rice and ghee
phala - fruit
phanita - sticky candy made from sugar cane juice
pichu - process of placing an oil soaked cloth on the forehead
pinda sveda - fomentation therapy with use of a poultice wrapped in a bolus
pingala - one of two main nadis; begins in the right eye and ends in the right genital; solar power; breath of right nostril
pitta - biological fire humor
prabhava - specific action without regard to the general rule of the three stages of taste; exception to the rule; special action of herbs
pradeha - non-absorbent plaster
prakriti - first creation; individual constitution
pralepa - thin, cold layer of plaster
prana - life breath; first of the five airs of the body; vital force; air of the heart
pranavaha - channels that carry prana; force of prana, or breath
pranayama - yogic breathing exercises
prasthara - fomentation on a bed of poultice
prinana - joy infused from nature
puja - religious ceremony
purana - fullness
purishavaha srotas - excretory system
pusha - one of fourteen nadis; begins at the right ear and ends at the big toe of the left foot
rajas (rajasic) - activity or aggressive force of creation; one of the three gunas rakta dhatu - blood tissue
rakta moksha (mokshana) - therapeutic blood letting
raktavaha srotas - circulatory system (hemoglobin portion)
ranjaka - heat of the blood, operating in liver; one of the five fires of Pitta
rasa - initial taste in the three stages of taste; literally, "external beauty," or "maturity"
rasa dhatu - plasma tissue
rasayana - rejuvenation therapy
Rawal - religious head of the Hindus
rtusandhi - junction between two seasons or two phases within a season
rukshana - dehydration therapy
rupa - form
sadhaka - the third fire found in the heart, central to the activity of Pitta; also the one who performs sadhana (the wholesome activities which bring us into harmony with nature)
sadhana - wholesome activity practiced with presence of mind in harmony with nature; helps to revive and awaken cognitive memory
sadhu - simple person
sahasrara - literally, "a thousand petals"; seventh chakra; spatially boundless dwelling
saindhava (sendha namak) - Ayurvedic rock salt
sama - three doshas in a state of sameness
samadhi - silent breath
samana - air of the stomach; one of the five airs of Vata
samhita - text
samskaras - karmic impressions from past lives carried in the subtle body
samvahana - shampooing the body with a warm decoction
sankara sveda - generic name for fomentation therapy where poultice is used
sarada - Sanskrit term for autumn, one of the six seasons in Ayurveda
Saraswati - goddess of knowledge; one of fourteen nadis; begins at the base of the tongue and ends in the vocal chords; sonority of vocal prowess
sattva (sattvic) - central aspect of the three gunas; cosmic force of balance and contentment
shakti - cosmic feminine force; power, energy, power of consciousness
shamana - therapy which nurtures and adds strength to the body; palliative measure
Shani - Saturn; deity who rules Saturday
shankhini - one of fourteen nadis, begins in the throat and ends on the left side of the anus
shikha - crest of the head
shiro abhyanga (shirobhyanga) - anointing the head with oil; head massage
shirodhara - dripping medicated decoction on the forehead
shiro tarpana - application of oil to the head
shirovasti - applying oil to the shaven head
Shiva - pure being or pure consciousness
shodhana - therapy which consists of elimination procedures; purification measure
shukra - collective refined essence belonging to shukra dhatu; refined emotion of love; semen, reproductive fluid; the ovum of the female;
Shukra - Sanskrit name for Venus; deity who rules Friday; giver of happiness or fame
shukra dhatu - sperm
shukravaha srotas - male reproductive system or channels
sisira - Sanskrit term for late winter, one of the six seasons in Ayurveda
sirovirechana - snuff inhalation therapy
slesaka - water of the joints; one of the five waters of Kapha
sleshma - another name for Kapha or phlegm
sneha - extravagant love; lubrication; name of the enema treatment in which only half cup of oil is used
snehana - external oelation of the body; lubrication therapy
snehapana - internal lubrication of the body
snehika dhoomapana - herbs mixed with oil or fat for therapeutic smoking
soma - potent nectar taken by the devas to give eternal strength; pleasure principle at work behind mind and senses
srotas - channels, as in the thirteen channels of circulation
sthambana - retention therapy
suksma - subtle
Surya - Sun; deity who rules Sunday
Sushruta - ancient Ayurvedic scholar
sushumna - central and main nadi, within spinal column, which accommodates all nadis
svedana - sudation or fomentation of body; sweat inducing therapy
swami - renunciate; one who knows Brahman and the Self to be One
taila - oil
Taittiriya - literally, "three birds"; one of the Upanishads which deals with Self-knowledge
takra dhara - medicated buttermilk
tamas (tamasic) - inert aspect of creation; one of the three gunas
tanmatra (tanmatric) - quantum energy aspect of the subtle elements that pervade both subtle and gross bodies
tarpaka - water of the sense organs; one of the five waters of Kapha
tarpana - thick gruel of rice, bean, black pepper and ghee
tejas - cool, refined universal fire; subtle, fire of the mind
tikta ghrita - pure ghee combined with bitter herbs
tridosha - three doshas in a state of balance
ubtan - fresh ground legume or grain flour traditionally used to cleanse the skin
udana - air of the throat; one of the five airs of Vata
udvartana - oil or dry massage for Kapha disorder
upadhatu - secondary tissue of the body
upanaha sveda - generic name for fomentation therapy where poultice is used
Upanishad - ancient Vedantic scripture of India
utkarita - pudding made from milk, yoghurt or cream
uttara vasti - douching enema
Vagbhatta - ancient Ayurvedic scholar
vairechanika dhoomapana - therapeutic smoking of dried herbs
vajikarana - aphrodisiac; virilization therapy
vamana - therapeutic vomiting; emesis therapy
varna - pure vibration; unmanifest sound
varsa - Sanskrit term for rainy season, one of the six seasons in Ayurveda
varuni - one of fourteen nadis, which originates between the throat and left ear and ends at the anus
vasanta - Sanskrit term for spring, one of the six seasons in Ayurveda
vasti - Ayurvedic enema therapy
vasti netra - hose used in enema therapy
vasti putaka - enema bag
vata - biological air humor
vayu - air or wind; another name for Vata
veda - knowledge
Vedanta - culmination of Vedas in the philosophy of knowledge of the Self
Vedas - ancient books of knowledge presenting the spiritual science of awareness; first knowledge on earth
Vedic - belonging to the Vedas
vicarana sneha - medicated ghee
vilepika - mixture of four parts water and one part rice
vipaka - post-digestive effect of herbs
virechana - purgation therapy; one of five cleaning actions used in pancha karma
virya - energetic effect of herbs as heating or cooling
vishvabhesaja - healing secret of the universe; universal medicine
vishvodara - one of fourteen nadis; exists in the umbilicus and energizes bodily prana
vyana - air of circulation; one of the five airs of Vata
vyayama - natural forms of exercise
Yama - Lord of death
Yama damstra - period of time between November 22 and December 9 when the earth begins its northward rotation around the sun
yashasvini - one of fourteen nadir; companion nadi to pingala which runs
from the left ear to the big toe of the right foot
yavagu - mixture of six parts water and one part barley yoga - psycho-physical practices aimed at Self-knowledge
yogavaha - that which enhances the effect of what it enjoins
yoga vasti - series of eight enemas
yogin (yogi) - one whose life is devoted to the practice of sadhanas to attain union with God
yusha - bean soup
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