Beginner Yoga Blog
Kevin Parenteau
September 27, 2024
Essential Yoga Terms: A Comprehensive Sanskrit to English Translation Dictionary
Introduction to Yoga Terms and Their Sanskrit to English Translations
Understanding key yoga terms is essential for uncovering the more profound meaning and tradition behind yoga practice. This dictionary offers a comprehensive reference for important Sanskrit words commonly used in yoga, providing their Sanskrit to English translation and meanings. Sanskrit, the ancient language of yoga, holds profound insights that guide practitioners toward physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. By learning these terms, yoga students and teachers can deepen their connection to the practice and understand the philosophical principles that support it.
Whether you are exploring concepts like pranayama (breath control), asana (posture), or samadhi (ecstasy), this guide will help you navigate the rich vocabulary of yoga. Use this dictionary to enhance your understanding of yoga’s spiritual and practical dimensions by grasping the precise meanings behind its sacred terminology.
Note: If you are specifically looking for how to translate yoga poses, we recommend reading our dedicated article on Sanskrit Yoga Poses: How to Translate Asanas and Why for more detailed guidance.
Key Words in Yoga: A Sanskrit to English Translation Guide
A - Yoga Terms
- Abhyasa: Practice; a diligent, repeated effort to steady the mind. It is often paired with vairagya (detachment) in Yoga Sutras to describe the dual path to mastery.
- Acharya (Acarya): A preceptor or spiritual instructor; a title of respect given to someone who guides students in religious or spiritual matters; cf. guru.
- Advaita (“nonduality”): The truth and teaching that there is only One Reality (Atman, Brahman), mainly as found in the Upanishads; cf. Vedanta.
- Ahamkara (“I-maker”): The principle of individuation or ego, responsible for the sense of self; this ego must be transcended to experience union with the ultimate reality. Cf. Asmita; see also buddhi, manas.
- Ahimsa (“non-harming”): The most important moral discipline (yama) in yoga. Ahimsa extends beyond physical nonviolence to include non-harmful thoughts, words, and actions.
- Ajna-cakra (“command”): The sixth chakra, also called the third-eye chakra, is located between the eyebrows. It governs intuition, insight, and perception beyond ordinary sight. Associated with the color indigo, it is the seat of wisdom and inner knowing.
- Akasha (“ether/space”) is the first of the five material elements that compose the physical universe. It also refers to inner space, the space of consciousness (called cid-akasha).
- Amrita (“immortal/immortality”): A designation of the deathless Spirit (Atman, Purusha); also refers to the nectar of immortality that oozes from the crown chakra (sahasrara-cakra) when activated, transforming the body into a “divine body” (divya-deha).
- Anahata-cakra (“unstruck”): The fourth chakra, located at the heart center. It governs love, compassion, and emotional balance. Associated with the air element and the color green, it is the bridge between the lower (physical) and higher (spiritual) chakras.
- Ananda (“bliss”): The condition of supreme joy, an essential quality of the ultimate reality (tattva).
- Anga (“limb”): A fundamental category of the yogic path, such as asana, dharana, dhyana, niyama, pranayama, pratyahara, samadhi, yama; also refers to the body (deha, sharira).
- Annamaya-kosha (“sheath made of food”): The outermost layer of the body, also known as the physical body in the five koshas (sheaths) model.
- Antar Mouna (“inner silence”): A meditation technique involving mindfulness and observation of thoughts.
- Arjuna (“White”): One of the five Pandava princes who fought in the great war depicted in the Mahabharata; disciple of Krishna, whose teachings are in the Bhagavad Gita.
- Asana (“seat”): A physical posture; the third limb (anga) of Patanjali’s eightfold path (ashta-anga-yoga). Referred initially only to a meditation posture, but in hatha yoga, it expanded to include a wide variety of postures.
- Ashrama (“where effort is made”): A hermitage or retreat; also refers to the four stages of life: brahmacharya (student), grihastha (householder), vanaprastha (forest dweller), and sannyasa (renunciate).
- Ashta-anga-yoga, Ashtanga-yoga (“eight-limbed union”): The eightfold yoga of Patanjali, consisting of moral discipline (yama), self-restraint (niyama), posture (asana), breath control (pranayama), sensory withdrawal (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana), and ecstasy (samadhi), leading to liberation (kaivalya).
- Asmita (“I-am-ness”): A term in Patanjali’s eight-limbed yoga that is synonymous with the ego (ahamkara).
- Atman (“Self”): Our true identity is The transcendental Self or Spirit, which is eternal and superconscious. A distinction is sometimes made between the atman (individual self) and the parama-atman (transcendental Self); cf. brahman, see also purusha.
- Avadhuta (“he who has shed [everything]”): A radical renunciate (sannyasin) who often engages in unconventional behavior.
- Avidya (“ignorance”): The root cause of suffering (duhkha), the veil of ignorance that hides the true nature of reality; also called ajnana; cf. vidya.
- Ayurveda, Ayur-veda (“life science”): One of India’s traditional systems of medicine, alongside South India’s Siddha medicine.
B - Yoga Terms
- Bandha (“bond/bondage”): Refers to the bondage of human beings due to ignorance (avidya), leading them to a life governed by karmic habits instead of inner freedom through wisdom (vidya, jnana).
- Bhagavad Gita (“Lord’s Song”) is an ancient and foundational yoga scripture embedded in the Mahabharata. It contains teachings on karma yoga, Samkhya yoga, and bhakti yoga as given by Krishna to Prince Arjuna. Scholars generally dated it between 2,000 and 2,500 years ago.
- Bhakti (“devotion/love”): The love of the devotee (bhakta) toward the Divine or the guru, and vice versa. Bhakti is a path to spiritual liberation through love and surrender.
- Bhavana (“feeling/contemplation”): Culturing a specific quality or mental attitude, such as loving-kindness or compassion, during meditation.
- Brahmacharya: The discipline of chastity also refers to a broader life of moderation and self-control, often related to energy conservation (Ojas) for spiritual growth.
- Brahman (“that which has grown expansive”): The ultimate Reality that is the source of all existence. Cf. Atman, purusha.
- Buddhi (“she who is conscious, awake”): The higher mind is the seat of wisdom and discernment; cf. manas.
C - Yoga Terms
- Cakra or Chakra (“wheel”): Literally, the wheel of a wagon; metaphorically, one of the psychoenergetic centers of the subtle body (sukshma-sharira). In Hindu yoga, seven major chakras are commonly mentioned along the spine, each associated with different qualities and energies. From the muladhara-cakra (base of the spine) to the sahasrara-cakra (crown of the head).
- Cit (“consciousness”): The superconscious ultimate Reality, sometimes paired with ananda (bliss) to describe the state of realization.
- Citta (“that which is conscious”): Ordinary consciousness or mind, as opposed to the superconscious cit.
D - Yoga Terms
- Danda (“staff”): In Hatha Yoga, used as a term for a yogic posture that resembles a staff, such as Dandasana (Staff Pose).
- Deva (“he who is shining”): A male deity representing God or a divine being. Devas include gods such as Shiva, Vishnu, and Krishna. In yoga philosophy, a deva also refers to a high celestial being or angelic figure.
- Devi (“she who is shining”): A female deity or goddess representing the feminine aspect of the divine. Major deities include Parvati, Lakshmi, Saraswati, and Durga, symbolizing various forms of divine power and grace.
- Dharana (“holding”): Concentration, the sixth limb of Patanjali’s eight-limbed yoga, involving intense focus on a single point as a prerequisite for meditation.
- Dhyana (“meditation”): The seventh limb of Patanjali’s eightfold path, referring to the practice of meditation or sustained, focused contemplation. Dhyana involves the continuous flow of concentration on a single object or point of focus, leading to a deep state of absorption and clarity. It is a key step on the path toward samadhi (ecstasy or union).
- Dridha (“firmness”): A quality of mind and body developed through asana and pranayama practice.
- Duhkha (“bad axle space”): Suffering, a central concept in both yoga and Buddhism, arising from ignorance (avidya) of our true nature.
G - Yoga Terms
- Granthi (“knot”): Blockages in the subtle body’s energy pathways (nadi) that prevent spiritual awakening. Three major knots are the brahma-granthi (between Muladhara and Svadhishthana), vishnu-granthi (between the Manipura and Anahata), and rudra-granthi (between Vishuddha and Ajna) along the spine.
H - Yoga Terms
- Hatha Yoga (“Forceful Yoga”): A major branch of yoga emphasizing physical postures (asana), breath control (pranayama), and purification techniques. “Ha” refers to sun energy, and “Tha” to moon energy, symbolizing the balance of opposites.
- Hiranyagarbha (“Golden Germ”): The cosmic seed from which the universe emerges, also called the Golden Egg.
J - Yoga Terms
- Jalandhara Bandha (“throat lock”): A type of energy lock engaged at the throat during pranayama practices to regulate the flow of prana.
K - Yoga Terms
- Kaivalya (“isolation/liberation”): The ultimate goal of yoga, described in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras as a state of absolute freedom from the cycle of birth and death (samsara). Kaivalya is attained when the individual self (purusha) is wholly disentangled from material existence (prakriti), resulting in pure consciousness, eternal peace, and liberation from all forms of suffering.
- Kriya (“action”): In the context of yoga, refers to a cleansing technique or ritual to purify the body, mind, and spirit. Examples include neti (nasal cleansing) and nauli (stomach churning).
M - Yoga Terms
- Manas (“mind”): The lower mind, which processes sensory information but is not the seat of wisdom; cf. buddhi.
- Manipura-cakra (“jewel city”): The third chakra, located at the solar plexus. It represents personal power, self-esteem, and transformation. Associated with the fire element and the color yellow, it controls willpower, metabolism, and self-confidence.
- Moksha (“release”): Liberation from the cycle of birth and death (samsara), often described as the ultimate goal of spiritual practice in yoga.
- Moola Bandha (“root lock”): The contraction of muscles in the pelvic floor, often used in pranayama and meditation to redirect energy upward.
- Muladhara-cakra (“root support”): The first and foundational chakra, located at the base of the spine. It governs survival instincts, grounding, and physical identity. Associated with the earth element and the color red, it is responsible for our sense of safety and security.
- Mudra (“seal”): A symbolic hand or body gesture used in meditation or rituals to direct energy.
N - Yoga Terms
- Nada (“sound/vibration”): Important in Nada Yoga, which focuses on sound as a meditation and spiritual growth tool.
- Niyama (“observance”): The second limb of Patanjali’s eightfold path, focusing on personal disciplines and self-restraint. The five niyamas are purity (saucha), contentment (santosha), discipline or austerity (tapas), self-study (svadhyaya), and devotion to the divine (Ishvara-pranidhana). These practices help to purify the mind and body, leading to inner transformation.
P - Yoga Terms
- Pranayama (“breath extension”): The practice of controlling the life force (prana) through regulated breathing techniques, including conscious inhalation (puraka), retention (kumbhaka), and exhalation (recaka).
- Pratyahara (“withdrawal”): The fifth limb of Patanjali’s eightfold path, referring to the withdrawal of the senses from external objects. In pratyahara, the mind is directed inward, detaching from distractions and focusing on the inner self, preparing for deeper states of meditation. It is considered a bridge between the outer practices (yama, niyama, asana, pranayama) and the inner practices (dharana, dhyana, samadhi).
- Pratyaksha (“direct perception”): A term used in yogic philosophy to describe the direct experience or perception of reality without mental filters.
- Purusha (“male”): The transcendental Self or Spirit, pure consciousness, distinct from prakriti (nature).
S - Yoga Terms
- Sahasrara-cakra (“thousand-petaled”): The seventh and highest chakra, located at the crown of the head. It represents spiritual connection, enlightenment, and union with the divine. Often symbolized by a lotus with a thousand petals, it is beyond any element and is associated with the color violet (purple) or white.
- Samadhi (“putting together”): The final stage in Patanjali’s eight-limbed yoga, a state of union where the meditator becomes one with the object of meditation. Beyond samadhi lies kaivalya, the ultimate liberation.
- Shakti (“power”): The creative, dynamic energy of the universe, often associated with the feminine aspect of the Divine. In Tantra and Kundalini Yoga, Shakti refers to the spiritual energy that lies dormant at the base of the spine.
- Shankara: The great 8th-century proponent of Advaita Vedanta, non-dualistic philosophy.
Shanti (“peace”): A state of inner calm, tranquility, and harmony, often invoked in yogic practice and prayers. The word shanti is commonly repeated three times (shanti, shanti, shanti) at the end of prayers or meditation, symbolizing peace in body, mind, and spirit and physical, mental, and spiritual realms. - Sushumna-nadi: The central energy channel in the subtle body through which kundalini-shakti must ascend to achieve full enlightenment.
- Svadharma (“one’s duty”): A key concept in the Bhagavad Gita, referring to the individual’s righteous duty according to their nature and position in life.
- Svadhishthana-cakra (“one’s abode”): The second chakra, located at the sacral region (below the navel). It governs emotions, creativity, sensuality, and desire. Connected with the water element and the color orange, this chakra influences relationships, pleasure, and adaptability.
- Svastha (“established in oneself”): The Sanskrit term for health, referring not only to physical well-being but to a state of balance and harmony within the body, mind, and spirit. Derived from sva (self) and stha (to be established), it implies being centered, whole, and harmonious with one’s true nature.
T - Yoga Terms
- Tamas (“darkness/inertia”): One of the three gunas (qualities of nature), representing inertia, laziness, and darkness, which must be overcome for spiritual growth.
- Tapas (“heat”): Austerity or disciplined practice, often associated with self-discipline and purification, necessary for spiritual growth.
- Tattva (“thatness”): A principle or category of existence, such as ahamkara, buddhi, and manas; refers to the fundamental nature of reality.
U - Yoga Terms
- Upanishad (“sitting near”): A collection of ancient Sanskrit texts containing some of Vedanta’s central philosophical teachings.
V - Yoga Terms
- Vishuddha-cakra (“pure”): The fifth chakra, located at the throat. It is the center of communication, self-expression, and truth. Connected with the ether/space element and the color blue, this chakra governs our ability to speak and listen authentically.
Y - Yoga Terms
- Yama (“restraint”): The first limb of Patanjali’s eightfold path, consisting of moral disciplines or ethical guidelines. These principles govern behavior and interaction with others and include non-violence (ahimsa), truthfulness (satya), non-stealing (asteya), celibacy or moderation (brahmacharya), and non-possessiveness (aparigraha). Yama helps cultivate a harmonious and ethical foundation for yogic practice.
- Yoga (“union”): A spiritual discipline and practice to achieve union with the ultimate reality or divine. The term derives from the root yuj, meaning “to yoke” or “to join,” and represents the harmonization of body, mind, and spirit. It encompasses a wide range of practices, including physical postures (asana), breath control (pranayama), ethical guidelines (yama and niyama), meditation (dhyana), and concentration (dharana). There are many paths of yoga, including Bhakti Yoga (the path of devotion), Jnana Yoga (the path of knowledge), Karma Yoga (the path of selfless action), and Raja Yoga (the royal path of meditation).
Understanding Yoga Terms Through Sanskrit to English Translation
Incorporating Sanskrit to English translations of crucial yoga terms into your practice deepens your understanding of yoga’s philosophical roots and enhances your connection to its transformative power. Sanskrit is the ancient language of yoga, and knowing the meanings behind commonly used words like asana, pranayama, and samadhi enriches not just your physical practice but your mental and spiritual journey as well. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned practitioner, learning these terms helps bridge the gap between yoga’s physical and spiritual dimensions.
Using this dictionary as a resource can bring more awareness to your practice and develop a greater appreciation for the wisdom behind this ancient tradition. Let this Sanskrit to English Translation guide serve as a stepping stone to exploring the profound insights of the Sanskrit language, bringing clarity and depth to your yoga journey.
Sources: Learn Sanskrit
Kevin Parenteau
Kevin is the Founder and CEO of Asana at Home Online Yoga.
He is a long-time Ashtanga and Yin Yoga Practitioner. Vipassana Meditator, Yoga teacher,
And all-around Yoga Nerd.
Writes on Yoga Asana Practice, Meditation, Chakras, Yoga Education and Philosophy
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