Dealing with Deities: The Ritual Vow in South Asia

Glossary

257 Glossary The words in this glossary represent a wide variety of languages found in South Asia. Because the glossary terms listed here often occur in slightly variant forms in several related languages, we indicate the language grouping (rather than the language) from which each term is derived. The three major language groupings are: 1) Indo-European (IE), a group that includes Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Marwari, Sanskrit, Bengali, Oriya, Rajasthani, Sinhala, Persian, and Pali, among others; 2) Dravidian (DR), a grouping that includes Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, and Telugu; and 3) Semitic (SM), a grouping that includes Arabic and Hebrew, among others. Abhisheka (IE) Ritual involving the bathing or anointing the image of a deity, usually in a temple. Adi Granth (IE) Sikh sacred scripture. Also known as Guru Granth Sahib. Akal Purakh (IE) Sikh term for “God.” Akhand Path (IE) Sikh ritual involving the continuous recitation of the Guru Granth Sahib. Ampara (IE) A group of Qur’anic chapters commonly recited during ritual prayer. Amrit (IE) “Nectar of immortality,” in the Sikh tradition used in ritual contexts. Amritdhari (IE) A Sikh who has been initiated into the Khalsa. Anahar (IE) A grain diet; the basic Hindu vegetarian diet. 258 Glossary Ankappiratittai (IE) Prone rolling of the body on the ground around a temple. Anushthan (IE) A predetermined spiritual undertaking for a specified length of time. Arude (IE) Literally, “occupying a seat.” The term also connotes being possessed by a spirit. Asanam (IE) A ritual meal, or the act of offering a ritual meal. Ashrama (IE) The fourfold system of life stages in classical Hinduism . Astangasilla (IE) Sanskrit and Pali for the eight traditional precepts, used in reference to special Buddhist observance days. Atiyen (DR) “I am [your] servant;” a word used by poet saints in the Tamil bhakti tradition to refer to themselves in relation to Shiva. Atme (IE) A birth into one of the many worlds into which all living beings are serially born. Ayambil (IE) The vow to eat only one sitting per day of tasteless food. Bachan (IE) “Word,” in giving one’s word to do or not do something . Bana (IE) Khalsa Sikh attire. Bara (IE) A Sri Lankan Buddhist vow. Baraka (SM) A divine blessing in Bangladeshi Islam. Batha (IE) Cooked rice. Bhakris (IE) Term for flat cakes fried on a griddle. Bhakta (IE) A person devoted to a god or a goddess. Bhakti (IE) Love or devotion, usually for a deity. Bhavana (IE) A devotional mood. Bodhisattva (IE) Someone who has taken a vow to become a Buddha. Brata (IE) Linguistic variant for “vow.” Bratu nemu (IE) Vow of truthfulness in the Sikh tradition. Glossary 259 Chaitra (IE) Auspicious lunar month for summer festivals. Dan (IE) Offerings or gifts. Danaya (IE) Alms-giving. Danrdiya (IE) The largest sub-order of Ramanandi ascetics. Dargah (IE) A Muslim Shrine. Dasasila/Dasasil (IE) The ten (dasa) precepts (sila) observed by world renouncers who do not become a monk or a nun. Deva sabha (IE) An assembly of deities. Devalaya (IE) A temple dedicated to a deity. Devatas (IE) Minor Hindu deities. Deviyo (IE) Deity. Dharma (IE) Law, custom, duty, or religion. Dhikr (IE) Prayer of remembrance in Islam. Dhuni (IE) The sacred fire of an ascetic. Digambar (IE) “Sky-clad,” the smaller of the two Jain sects whose monks go naked. Dua (IE) Petitionary prayer in Islam. Dudhahar (IE) A diet limited to milk products. Ghat (IE) Steps or a platform on a riverbank. Gopuram (DR) Entrance tower leading to a temple. Grahayo (IE) Astrological planets. Guna (IE) Quality, a characteristic. Gurdwara (IE) A Sikh place of worship. Guru Granth Sahib (IE) Sikh sacred scripture. See also Adi Granth Guru vandan (IE) Guru worship, the formal prayers made to living or deceased mendicants. Hadith (SM) In Islam, a collection of sacred stories about Muhammad. Harimandir Sahib (IE) A term for the Sikh Golden Temple in Amritsar. 260 Glossary Hundi (IE) A receptacle for offerings in sacred shrines. Also called untiyal. Imanfikan (IE) A term used in Sikhism for those who fail to value their faith in God. Jagara (IE) Nightlong vigil, associated with rituals or celebrations. Jai Kara (IE) A slogan signifying victory, uttered in Sikh ritual contexts. Jinas (IE) Jain teachers of infinite wisdom who have escaped the world of karmic rebirth. Kaba (SM) Central religious shrine in Mecca. Kacchahira (IE) A pair of short breeches worn by the Sikh male. Kangha (IE) A...