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Glossary: S

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listen sabji
lit, “vegetables.”
listen sac-cid-ananda
“Eternal existence, consciousness, and bliss,” the constitutional nature of the Supreme Lord and the finite living beings. The Supreme Lord’s sac-cid-ananda nature is always manifest, but that of the jivas is covered by material illusion when they rebel against the Lord.
listen Saci (-devi)
The mother of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and wife of Jagannatha Mishra of Navadvipa.
listen Saci-nandana
Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, “the darling son of Saci.”
listen sad-guru
a bona fide spiritual master.
listen sadhaka
A practitioner of devotional service or some other authorized spiritual discipline.
listen sadhana
Practices for achieving pure devotional service; more generally, the means for achieving any goal.
listen sadhana-bhakti
Pure devotional service in practice, which purifies the heart and brings one toward spontaneous loving service to the Supreme Lord.
listen sadhana-siddha
A devotee of the Supreme Lord who has become perfect by practicing sadhana-bhakti.
listen sadhana-siddhi
the achievement of perfection by the practice of regulated devotional service.
listen sadhu
A saintly person.
listen sadhu-sanga
The association of saintly persons.
listen sa-guna
“With qualities.” In reference to the Supreme Lord, the term signifies that He has form and personality.
listen Sahadeva
One of the twin sons of Madri, who were the youngest of the five Pandavas. At Yudhishthira’s Rajasuya sacrifice, Sahadeva had the honor of proposing that Krishna be given the first worship.
listen sahajiya
a class of pseudo devotees who take the conjugal pastimes of Krishna and the gopis cheaply and who do not follow the proper regulations of vaidhi-bhakti.
listen Saivite
A devotee of Lord Siva.
listen sakama-bhakta
A devotee whose service attitude is mixed with material motives.
listen Sakata (-asura)
A demon who assumed the form of a cart. When Mother Yashoda left the infant Krishna sleeping under the cart, Krishna kicked the cart with His little foot and killed the demon.
listen sakhi
girl friend, refers to Srimati Radharani’s intimate girlfriends, who assist Her in Her service to Krishna.
listen Sakuni
Duryodhana’s Uncle who gambled with the Pandavas on Duryodhana’s behalf, forcing the Pandavas into exile.
listen Salagrama-shila
A Deity of Lord Narayana in the form of a small black stone marked with cakras and other symbols. These shilas, obtained only from one location on the river Gandaki and typically worshiped by brahmanas in their homes, can each be recognized by unique markings as a specific incarnation of the Lord.
listen Salva
A demon who used a flying city to attack Dvaraka and was killed by Krishna.
listen Sama Veda
One of the four Vedas, the original revealed scriptures. It contains sacred musical compositions based mostly on the hymns of the Rig Veda and employed in the more elaborate Vedic sacrifices, the soma-yajnas.
listen samadhi
1. Fully matured meditation, the last of the eight steps of the yoga system taught by Patanjali. A perfected devotee of the Supreme Lord also achieves the same samadhi. 2. The tomb of a pure devotee of the Lord.
listen Samba
One of Krishna’s favorite sons, the first son of Jambavati.
listen sambandha
knowledge of one’s original relationship with Krishna.
listen Sambara
The demonic son of Kashyapa and Danu who kidnapped Pradyumna, Krishna’s first son, when the boy was ten days old. Pradyumna later killed him.
listen Samhitas
The collections of mantras that comprise the original Vedas.
listen samosa
a savory, stuffed, deep-fried pastry.
listen sampradaya
A school of philosophy or religion. According to the Padma Purana, there are four authorized Vaishnava sampradayas, founded by Lord Brahma, the goddess Lakshmi, Lord Siva, and the four Kumara sages. In Kali-yuga these schools have been reestablished by the acharyas Madhva, Ramanuja, Vishnu Svami, and Nimbarka. The sampradaya of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is officially connected with the Madhva line, but incorporates teachings of all four sampradayas.
listen samsara
The cycle of repeated birth and death, which continues until one gives up one’s rebellion against the Supreme Lord.
listen samskaras
Vedic purificatory rites of passage.
listen Sanaka (-kumara)
The oldest of the first four sons of Lord Brahma. Sanaka and his three brothers are great masters of yoga who teach the science of pure Krishna consciousness. His brothers are named Sanat, Sanandana, and Sanatana.
listen sanatana
eternal.
listen Sanatana Goswami
one of the Six Goswamis of Vrindavana.
listen sanatana-dharma
The “eternal religion” described in the Vedic shrutis and smritis and practiced by faithful followers for countless generations.
listen sandesha
a Bengali sweet made from fresh milk curd.
listen Sandipani
A sage residing in Avanti who was the teacher of Krishna and Balarama, after they moved to Mathura. They learned from him all the sixty-four traditional arts in sixty-four days.
listen sanga
association.
listen Sankara (-acharya)
The most influential teacher of the impersonal Advaita philosophy in Kali-yuga. According to the Padma Purana, he is an incarnation of Lord Siva sent to earth by Krishna to bewilder the atheistic with distortions of the teachings of Vedanta.
listen Sankarshana
Another name of Lord Balarama. Also, one of Lord Narayana’s quadruple expansions in Vaikuntha. Balarama is the original Sankarshana, since Narayana is Lord Balarama’s expansion.
listen Sankhacuda
A demon killed by Krishna for trying to kidnap Krishna’s girlfriends.
listen Sankhya
The philosophical study of reality by analysis of its elements. Sankhya was originally taught in Srimad-Bhagavatam by Kapiladeva, an incarnation of God, but was much later misrepresented in an atheistic form by another Kapila.
listen sankirtana
Congregational chanting of the names and glories of Krishna, which is the prime means for spiritual success in the current Age of Kali.
listen sannyasa
The renounced order of life. See sannyasi.
listen sannyasi
A man in the renounced order, the final stage of spiritual progress in the varnashrama system. Sannyasis take a vow of lifetime celibacy.
listen santa-bhakta
a devotee in the mood of shanta-rasa.
listen santa-rasa
passive love of God; the relationship with the Supreme Lord in neutrality.
listen santi
peace.
listen saram
essence.
listen Sarasvati
The goddess of learning. Also, one of India’s great sacred rivers. In the modern age the river is almost totally invisible, but a short stretch of it appears from the Himalaya mountains, near Vyasadeva’s ashrama, just north of Badarika. The Sarasvati joins underground with the Ganga and Yamuna at Prayaga.
listen sari
Vedic women’s dress.
listen sarupya (-mukti)
Of the five types of liberation, the one in which one attains a form similar to the body of God.
listen Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya
A prominent scholar of Navya-nyaya logic and Vedanta who tried to instruct Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and then surrendered to Him. He is regarded as being in fact one of Lord Chaitanya’s closest eternal associates.
listen Satrughna
The youngest of Lord Ramachandra’s three brothers. He is an incarnation of Lord Aniruddha, one of the first four expansions of Lord Narayana.
listen Sat-sandarbha
treatises on the Vedic scriptures, written by Srila Jiva Goswami.
listen sattva
goodness.
listen sattva-guna
Among the three modes of material nature, the mode of goodness. It encourages knowledge, peace, and purity.
listen sattvic
imbued with goodness.
listen sattvika-bhavas
In the development of pure love of God, ecstasies that arise automatically, without conscious intention. They are eight in number.
listen Satya (-loka)
Lord Brahma’s planet, the topmost and purest region within the material creation.
listen Satyabhama
One of Krishna’s eight principal queens, the daughter of Satrajit. At her request Krishna brought the parijata flower by force from heaven.
listen Satyavrata
A sage who encountered Lord Matsya, the fish incarnation of Vishnu, and later became the current Manu, Vaivasvata.
listen Satya-yuga
The first of four repeating ages that form the basic cycles of universal time. During its 1,728,000 years, purity and spiritual competence are prominent.
listen Saubhari
A sage who while meditating under the water of the Yamuna saw a pair of fish mating and became sexually aroused. He then approached King Mandhata and begged from him the hand of his fifty daughters. After enjoying family life for some time, he revived his interest in renunciation.
listen sayujya (-mukti)
Of the five types of liberation, the one in which one merges into the existence of God and forgets one’s individual personality. Vaishnavas consider it most unfavorable to devotional service.
listen Sesha
See Ananta.
listen seva
service.
listen Seva-kunja
the site of the rasa dance in Vrindavana.
listen shabda-brahma
transcendental sound, considered by Vedic philosophy to be self-evident proof of knowledge.
listen shabda
sound.
listen Shaivite
a worshiper of Lord Siva as the Supreme Lord.
listen shakti
potency.
listen shakty-avesha avatara
An empowered incarnation, usually a finite jiva deputized to exemplify a particular opulence of the Supreme Lord.
listen shaphari fish
Cyprinus saphore, a small bright fish that glistens when darting about in shallow water.
listen Sharanagati
the process of surrender; a collection of songs by Bhaktivinoda Thakura; the name of an ISKCON farm in Ashcroft, British Columbia, Canada.
listen shari
a female parrot.
listen shastra
Revealed scripture, or an authorized textbook in any subject.
listen shenai
a woodwind instrument, similar to an oboe.
listen shikha
A tuft of hair grown at the crown of the head of male Vaishnavas.
listen Shiksashtakam
eight verses of instruction in devotional service written by Lord Chaitanya.
listen shiksha-guru
An instructing spiritual master.
listen shiksha
instruction.
listen shishya
disciple or student.
listen shiva-tattva
The unique category occupied by Lord Siva, that of neither jiva nor God. He is infallible but comes into contact with the illusory material energy.
listen shloka
a stanza of Sanskrit verse.
listen shraddha
1. Faith. 2. The offering of worship and food to one’s departed parents and forefathers, normally done once a year.
listen shravana
The primary devotional practice of hearing the glories of the Supreme Lord.
listen shravanam kirtanam
Hearing and chanting, the basic methods of devotional service in practice.
listen shreyas
activities which are ultimately beneficial and auspicious when performed over time.
listen shrikanda
A rich sweet prepared from condensed yogurt.
listen shri-murti
The Deity of the Supreme Lord established in a temple for regular worship.
listen shruti
“What has been heard,” the original Vedas, meant to be passed on orally from generation to generation without change. They are considered coexistent with the Supreme Lord Himself and so in need of no author.
listen shruti-phala
lit., “the fruit of hearing.” A benediction of material or spiritual success given as a result of faithfully hearing various pastimes of the Lord and His devotees.
listen shuddha-bhakta
A pure devotee of the Supreme Lord.
listen shuddha-nama
The pure chanting of the name of the Supreme Lord.
listen shuddha-sattva
“Pure goodness,” the nonmaterial, incorruptible substance of the spiritual world. Also, the pure consciousness in which one can realize the Personality of Godhead.
listen shudra
A member of the laborer class, the last of the four occupational classes in the varnashrama social system.
listen shudrani
A shudra woman.
Shukadeva Goswami
the sage who originally spoke the Srimad-Bhagavatam to King Parikshit just prior to the king’s death.
listen shyama
The dark-blue color, not seen in the material world, that is the hue of Krishna’s body.
listen Sibi
A pious king who was tested by the demigods Indra and Agni, disguised as a hawk and a pigeon. To save the life of the pigeon, Maharaja Sibi allowed his own flesh to be eaten by the hawk. The two demigods then revealed their identities and blessed Sibi.
listen siddha
One who has perfected one’s spiritual practice.
listen Siddha-bakula
the tree in Puri under which Haridasa Thakura lived and chanted the holy name.
listen siddha-deha
the spiritual body.
listen siddhanta
the perfect conclusion according to Vedic scriptures.
listen siddhantic
Relating to siddhanta.
listen siddhas
A class of celestial beings advanced in spiritual discipline and naturally possessed of the eight mystic powers, such as the abilities to become atomic in size and to control other people’s minds.
listen siddha-svarupa
the perfection of one’s original spiritual characteristics.
listen siddhi
Perfection, one of the eight mystic yogic perfections.
listen simhasana
Lit., “lion seat,” an altar or throne.
listen Sishumara
A dolphin-shaped constellation encircling the polestar. It is sometimes worshiped as a visible form of the Supreme Lord.
listen Sishupala
A king of Cedi who viciously insulted Krishna at Yudhishthira’s Rajasuya sacrifice and lost his head to Krishna’s Sudarshana disc.
listen Sita (-devi)
The eternal consort of Lord Ramachandra. She appeared as the daughter of King Janaka of Videha.
listen Siva
The special expansion of the Supreme Lord who is uniquely neither God nor jiva. He energizes the material creation and, as the presiding deity of the mode of ignorance, controls the forces of destruction.
listen Sivaloka
The personal abode of Lord Siva in the last shell that covers the material universe, the shell of false ego.
listen Six Goswamis
six great disciples of Lord Chaitanya who wrote many books on devotional service and who established the major temples in Vrindavana.
listen smarana (m)
The devotional practice of remembering or meditating on the Supreme Lord, especially by focusing on His names, forms, pastimes, and devotees.
listen smriti
“What is remembered,” the secondary Vedic literatures, which need not be passed down verbatim but may be reworded by the sages who transmit them in each age. The Puranas and Dharma-shastras are among the smritis.
listen soma
The juice of a sacred plant, offered in the more elaborate Vedic sacrifices to the principal demigods. The performers of these sacrifices who are entitled to drink the soma juice gain elevation to heaven.
listen sphurti
vision.
listen sri
A term of respect given to men, male deities, and sacred objects or literatures; a name for Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune.
listen Sri Lakshmi
the eternal consort of the Supreme Lord Narayana.
listen Sridama
One of Krishna’s closest friends, the brother of Srimati Radharani.
listen Sridhara Svami
The author of the oldest existing commentary on Srimad-Bhagavatam.
listen srila
“Endowed by the goddess of fortune,” a respectful title used by Gaudiya Vaishnavas for their spiritual masters.
listen Srila Prabhupada
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
listen Srila Prabhupada-lilamrita
the biography of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, written by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami.
listen Srimad-Bhagavatam
Also known as the Bhagavata Purana, it teaches unalloyed devotional service to Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
listen sriman
“Having the favors of the goddess of fortune,” an honorific used with the names of respected males.
listen srimati
The female form of the title Sriman.
listen srivatsa
A curl of white hair on the chest of Lord Vishnu that represents the goddess of fortune and distinguishes Him from His liberated devotees who have attained sarupya.
listen sthayi-bhava
continuous love of Godhead in devotional service.
listen Subhadra
Krishna’s sister, also known as Yogamaya. She is Krishna’s internal energy who arranges His pastimes and fosters spontaneous love for Him by making His intimate devotees forget He is God.
listen Sudakshina
A son of the king of Kashi. After Krishna killed that king, Sudakshina performed a fire sacrifice to unleash a demon to kill Krishna. But the demon failed in that mission, returned to Kashi, killed Sudakshina, and burned his city to the ground.
listen Sudama Brahmana
A school classmate of Krishna’s who later, being impoverished, visited Krishna in Dvaraka to ask for aid but asked Him for nothing and yet returned home and found his poor hut transformed into a palace.
listen sudarshana cakra
The disc weapon of Krishna or Vishnu, which the Lord uses to dispatch those who dare to attack Him or His devotees.
listen Sudharma
The royal assembly hall of the Yadavas, which Krishna brought by force from Indra’s heaven.
listen Sugriva
The king of Kishkindha, a kingdom of monkeys. He and his monkey army helped Lord Rama invade Lanka and defeat the demon Ravana.
listen Suka (-deva)
A great renounced sage, son of Dvaipayana Vyasa. He heard Srimad-Bhagavatam from his father and later repeated it to Maharaja Parikshit.
listen Sukra (-acharya)
The spiritual master of the demons and ruling deity of the planet Venus. He instructed Bali not to give charity to Lord Vamana and rejected Bali when Bali disobeyed.
listen sumanah flowers
flowers of Feronia elephantum, the wood apple; dull red or greenish flowers born in panicles.
listen Sumeru
The great mountain that is the axis of the universe. It is also called Meru and Mahameru. It extends upward through the center of the earthly planetary system, and on its upper peak lies Satyaloka, the abode of Lord Brahma.
listen sundara-arati
evening worship of the Deity in the temple.
Supersoul
an expansion of the Supreme Lord as an all-pervading personal presence in the universe and in the heart of every living entity.
listen Surasena
A great Yadava king, father of Vasudeva and Kunti. The province of Surasena, which includes the Mathura district, is named after him.
listen Surya
The sun-god, currently Vivasvan; also, the sun planet.
Suta Gosvami
Ugrashrava, the son of Romaharshana who succeeded his father as speaker of the Puranas and epics to the sages at Naimisharanya after his father was killed by Lord Balarama. He spoke the Mahabharata, all the Puranas, and finally Srimad-Bhagavatam.
listen Sutala (-loka)
Among the seven subterranean heavens, the one third closest to the earth. Bali Maharaja lives there, with Lord Vamana as the guard at his gate.
listen Sutapa
The husband of Prishni and father of the Supreme Lord’s incarnation Prishnigarbha. Sutapa in his previous life had been Kashyapa, the father of Lord Vamana, and after his life as Sutapa he became Vasudeva, Krishna’s father.
listen sutra
a Vedic aphorism.
listen svabhava
one’s individual nature.
listen Svar (Svarga, Svargaloka)
The heavenly domain (above Bhuvarloka) of Indra, king of the demigods.
listen svarat
the independent quality of the Supreme Lord.
listen Svarupa Damodara Goswami
Lord Chaitanya’s secretary and constant companion who helped the Lord experience the attitude of Radharani.
listen svarupa
Literally, own form. The true, essential nature of the soul, or of any particular thing.
listen svarupa-siddhi
the perfection of one’s eternal relationship with Lord Krishna.
listen Svayambhuva Manu
the original father of the human race.
listen svayamvara
The ceremony in which a princess may choose her own husband.
listen Svetadvipa
“The white island,” the abode of Lord Kshirodaka-shayi Vishnu. It is a spiritual planet manifest within the material world, in the Ocean of Milk.
listen swamiji
lit., “great master.” A common term of respect addressed to sannyasis.
listen swami
one who controls his senses; a title of one in the renounced order of life.
listen Syamantaka
A jewel able to produce heaps of gold and assure prosperity and good health. The sun-god gave it to his devotee Satrajit, who lost it and suffered misfortune after refusing Krishna’s request to place it in the care of King Ugrasena. Krishna eventually recovered the jewel and returned it to Satrajit, who offered it to Krishna along with his daughter Satyabhama.
listen Syamasundara)
a name of Krishna, meaning “blackish,” and “beautiful” (sundara).
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