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 Words beginning with Gutturals - Non-dual Shaivism of Kashmir

 

Ka Kha Ga Gha Back to Trika's Glossary
Although "kṣa" is generally considered to be quite a consonant, it is lastly a "conjunct" formed from "ka" and "sa". Thus, the words beginning with "kṣa" have been placed together with those beginning with "ka".

 

 Ka

*Sanskrit terms occurring in the definitions have generally their own definition in the Glossary as well.

1. कञ्चुक Kañcuka The five sheaths or coverings of Māyā. Their names are as follows: Kalā (limitation in respect of action), Vidyā (limitation in respect of knowledge), Rāga (attachment or limitation in respect of will), Kāla (notion of time or limitation in respect of bliss) and finally Niyati (notion of space or spatial limitation).
2. कण्ठ Kaṇṭha An epithet of Viśuddhacakra at the base of the throat. Viśuddhacakra is a particular pranic center situated exactly there. In fact, the word "kaṇṭha" literally means "throat".
3. कन्द Kanda A kind of bundle of subtle channels of energy. It is like an egg. It is situated at the base of the spinal column and extends from one inch above perineum up to the navel, that is, twelve inches high and four inches wide approximately. From this egg-like Kanda, all nāḍī-s or subtle channels arise.
4. करण Karaṇa (1) The means of Knowledge (Jñāna) and Action (Kriyā), that is, Antaḥkaraṇa (the group formed from intellect, ego and mind). (2) One method pertaining to Āṇavopāya in which you meditate on your own body --aided by Mudrā-s or Seals-- as a compendium of the entire universe.
5. करणेश्वरी Karaṇeśvarī The group of "Khecarī, Gocarī, Dikcarī and Bhūcarī". These four are śakti-s or powers. Khecarī has to do with the knower or experient. Gocarī has to do with the Antaḥkaraṇa of that knower or experient. Dikcarī is connected with the sense organs of him, and finally Bhūcarī is related to the existent objects. In short, this is another way to classify the group of tattva-s or principles.
6. कर्म Karma It literally means "action, deed, rite". From a philosophical viewpoint, it means the accumulated effect of actions in past and present lives. The precept "as one sows, so shall one reap" is the base of the Karmic law. In sum, every action you do leaves behind it an impression (saṁskāra) that has the power to cause either joy or sorrow in the future according to the respective nature of the action from which it is originated.
7. कर्मेन्द्रिय Karmendriya The five powers of action (not the physical organs associated with them): speaking (Vāk), prehensile (Pāṇi or Hasta), locomotion (Pāda), excreting (Pāyu) and sex (Upastha).
8. कला Kalā (1) The primordial Power. A synonymous with "Śakti". (2) The five powers over which the 36 tattva-s or principles are firmly founded. Here you are their names: Śāntyatītā, Śāntā, Vidyā, Nivṛtti and Pratiṣṭhā. They are the subtle aspects of objectivity. From Śāntyatītā the first two tattva-s shine forth. From Śāntā 3rd to 5th do. From Vidyā 6th to 12th do. From Pratiṣṭhā 13th to 35th do. And finally, from Nivṛtti just 36th tattva emerges. (3) Part; particle; aspect. (4) One of the five Kañcuka-s. Kalā is the tattva that brings about limitation in respect of action. It arises when Śiva contracts His Supreme Power of Action or Kriyāśakti.
9. कलाचक्र Kalācakra The entire Sanskrit alphabet, from "a" to "kṣa". Although the letter "kṣa" is not formally included in the Sanskrit alphabet because it is really a conjunct and not a single letter, it is sometimes considered to be the last letter of the alphabet. "Cakra" means "group" and "Kalā" means "Śakti" or "Supreme Power". Other names for this group are as follows: Mātṛkacakra, Mātṛcakra and Devīcakra.
10. कलाशरीर Kalāśarīra That whose body or nature is activity. It is an epithet of Kārmamala.
11. कारण Kāraṇa Cause.
12. कार्ममल Kārmamala One of the three mala-s or impurities. Kārmamala pertains to limitation in respect of action. It awakes in a limited being the erroneous notion that: "I am a doer".
13. कार्य Kārya Effect. The objective universe is also known as "Kārya" because it is the "effect" of a higher "Kāraṇa" or Cause (Śiva).
14. काल Kāla Time. A synonymous with Kālatattva.
15. कालतत्त्व Kālatattva Principle of Time. Time. It is simply the aggregate of past, present and future. It is the tenth tattva or category in Trika. However, at this level Time is not completely operating in the form we know it, but it is just a notion of division into parts (kāla). This tattva arises when Śiva contracts His Supreme Bliss or Ānandaśakti.
16. कालपद Kālapada It is a technical name for the great toe of the right foot. The ordinary name would be "daksiṇapādāṅguṣṭha".
17. कालशक्ति Kālaśakti The power that determines the sense of succesion. This sense of succession will lastly bring about in Śiva (You) the sensation of time being elapsed.
18. कालाग्नि Kālāgni The fire (agni) of (the end of) Time (kāla). It is the universal fire that consumes all. In Trika "consumption" is not a synonymous with "destruction". Not at all. Consumption is a process of returning to the primordial unity. For example, when you meditate on Kālāgni consuming all around, you are really becoming one with all around. This is the correct understanding. No idea of sins and impurities being consumed in Trika. Śiva is all.
19. कालाध्वा Kālādhvā Lit. "the temporal course". The subjective side of Ṣaḍadhvā (the six courses of manifestation), which consists of: Varṇa, Mantra and Pada. The other side is Deśādhvā or "spatial course".
20. कुटिलाकृति Kuṭilākṛti A curved (kuṭila) form (ākṛti) in which the vital energy flows before the awakening of Kuṇḍalī or Kuṇḍalinī.
21. कुण्डली Kuṇḍalī A synonymous with Kuṇḍalinī.
22. कुण्डलिनी Kuṇḍalinī The Supreme Power or Śakti lying coiled up in Mūlādhāra. Since She is always awake, one does not need to awaken her as a matter of fact. He only needs to become conscious of Her. This concept is a vital one.
23. कुमारी Kumārī A particular epithet of the Supreme Power of Will or Icchāśakti (that is responsible for the manifestation of all this universe). She is known as "kumārī" because (1) She carries on the universal manifestation, (2) dissolves (mārī) Māyā (the energy creating differences and separation) and (3) is a virgin damsel serving Śiva --She is virgin since She has not given birth to any child (universe)--. When a Yogī becomes conscious that "He is Śiva", his Power of Will (1) carries on the world-process as a divine play, (2) dissipates Māyā or the veil covering his essential nature, and (3) serves him as a faithful virgin damsel. It is to be noted that from Trika's viewpoint, no universe actually has been manifested because "all" is the body of Śiva (You). In that sense, the Power of Will is as a virgin damsel with no child at all, that is, without any universe.
24. कुम्भक Kumbhaka Retention of breath.
25. कुल Kula An epithet of Śakti, the Supreme Power. It is Śakti shining forth in the form of 36 tattva-s or categories of manifestation.
26. कुलमार्ग Kulamārga An epithet of Śāmbhavopāya. It literally means "The way of Kula", that is, the discipline for achieving Enlightenment.
27. कुलाम्नाय Kulāmnāya A Śākta system (that is, a system based on the Śakti's viewpoint) in which you attain to Enlightenment through Sanskrit alphabet.
28. कुहन Kuhana Magic or tickling of the armpit.
29. कूटबीज Kūṭabīja A technical name for the letter "kṣa". It literally means "the most excellent seed letter".
30. कृत्रिम Kṛtrima Lit. "made artificially, not naturally or spontaneously produced". In Trika, all that is constructed by thoughts is Kṛtrima. Reality lies beyond the net of thoughts.
31. केवल Kevala Alone, isolated.
32. केवली Kevalī Lit. "one who is alone or isolated". In Trika, this term is used regarding a person who has attained to final Liberation.
33. कैवल्य Kaivalya Lit. "isolation, aloneness". A state in which one is freed from Māyā.
34. कोटि Koṭi Point.
35. क्रम Krama Lit. "Succession". One system closely allied to Trika in which you go through "successive" stages in order to achieve final Liberation. This system is based on Śāktopāya. It is also known as Mahānaya and Mahārthadarśana.
36. क्रममुद्रा Kramamudrā A succession of Nimīlanasamādhi and Unmīlanasamādhi.
37. क्रिया Kriyā Activity, action.
38. क्रियायोग Kriyāyoga Lit. "Yoga of action". An epithet of Āṇavopāya, which is also known as Kriyopāya.
39. क्रियाशक्ति Kriyāśakti Power of Action. The power by which Śiva assumes any form He wishes. It is predominant in Sadvidyā (the fifth tattva or category according to Trika).
40. क्रियोपाय Kriyopāya Idem Āṇavopāya.
41. क्रीडा Krīḍā Play or sport. In Trika this word is often used in the sense of "Divine Play of Consciousness". In other words, the entire universe being looked upon a Play of Śiva.
42. क्षेत्र Kṣetra Lit. "field", but in Trika is a holy place of pilgrimage.
43. क्षेत्रज्ञ Kṣetrajña Lit. "knower of the field". An epithet of the limited individual.
44. क्षेम Kṣema Conservation and preservation.
45. क्षोभ Kṣobha Agitation. In Trika agitation is synonymous with indentifying oneself with his subtle and gross bodies.

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 Kha

1. ख Kha The vast expanse of consciousness of the limited individual. Of course, this is not the Highest Expanse of Consciousness but a intermediate stage in the universal manifestation. It is associated with the causal body of an limited subject. One experiences "bliss" there if compared to the "ordinary happiness" experienced in wakefulness. However, the aforesaid "bliss" is not the Supreme One.
2. खत्रय Khatraya A synonymous with "Ākāśatraya" (the three ethers or spaces). The three Kha-s or spaces are Śakti, Vyāpinī and Samanā. These three stages belong to the twelve stages of Om̐. When one repeats the sacred word, the sound goes through 12 stages. Śakti is experienced in the skin, Vyāpinī at the root of the Śikhā (the tuft of hair on the head) and Samanā in the Śikhā itself.
3. खेचरी Khecarī (1) A class of śakti-s belonging to Vāmeśvarī. Khecarīśakti-s are related to the causal body and subsequently to pramātā or experient (Puruṣa). The other śakti-s of Vāmeśvarī are Gocarī, Dikcarī and Bhūcarī. (2) Lit. "one who moves in Kha".
4. खेचरीमुद्रा Khecarīmudrā There are four kinds of Khecarīmudrā: (1) The well-known Khecarīmudrā described in Haṭhayogapradīpikā, in which you turn your tongue backward into the palate. (2) Seated in the lotus posture, with the back erect like a stick, you concentrate your mind on the navel region and then you lead the mind up to Khatraya situated within the cranium. Afterward you should move upward (toward Unmanā) with the help of Khatraya. (3) You turn your tongue backward just as in the first kind of Khecarīmudrā. But, a concentration on the Ājñā (the Cakra situated in the space between the eyebrows) must be added to your practice of Khecarīmudrā. (4) Śivāvasthā or the state of Śiva. In short, the Supreme State of Śiva in which you experience Divine Bliss and Omnipresence. This State is the Highest Expanse of Conciousness.
5. ख्याति Khyāti Knowledge. A synonymous with "jñāna". It may also be interpreted as "wisdom".

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 Ga

1. गगनाङ्गन Gaganāṅgana Cicchakti (cit-śakti), that is, the power of Consciousness. A synonymous with Śiva or Cit.
2. गन्ध Gandha It literally means "odor". Idem Gandhatanmātra.
3. गन्धतन्मात्र Gandhatanmātra It is one of the five Tanmātra-s or subtle elements. It is the "pattern odor" by which one perceives the different odors. The other four Tanmātra-s are: Śabda, Sparśa, Rūpa and Rasa.
4. गर्भ Garbha (1) Akhyāti or primordial ignorance; (2) Mahāmāyā.
5. गुण Guṇa Quality of Prakṛti.
6. गुणत्रय Guṇatraya The three Guṇa-s or qualities of Prakṛti, viz. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. The Guṇa-s are contracted forms of the three supreme powers of Icchāśakti (Rajas), Jñānaśakti (Sattva) and Kriyāśakti (Tamas).
7. गुरुवक्त्र Guruvaktra "The mouth of the Guru". It stands for Divine Grace or Anugraha.
8. गोचरी Gocarī A subspecie arising from Vāmeśvarī. Gocarī is a group of śakti-s or powers related to Antaḥkaraṇa. The word "go" has two principal meanings: (1) cow; (2) sense. The thoughts in Antaḥkaraṇa are like "cows" walking hither and thither. Likewise, Antaḥkaraṇa is the seat of the senses and that is why Gocarī are connected with it.
9. ग्रन्थि Granthi Psychic knot.
10. ग्राहक Grāhaka Experient, knower, subject. It is also the second stage in Karaṇa (a practice of Āṇavopāya), in which you become conscious of the Ahaṅkāra (ego) and Buddhi (intellect).
11. ग्राह्य Grāhya Object of experience; knowable. It is also the first stage in Karaṇa (a practice of Āṇavopāya), in which you pay attention to all knowable objects around. In Karaṇa there are seven stages: (1) Grāhya, (2) Grāhaka, (3) Cit or Saṁvit, (4) Niveśa or Sanniveśa, (5) Vyāpti, (6) Tyāga and (7) Ākṣepa.

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 Gha

1. घोरा Ghorā The "terrible" śakti-s or powers that lead individual souls to worldliness.
2. घोरतरी Ghoratarī Those "very terrible" śakti-s or powers that lead individual souls to complete misery in this world.

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