Part of our learning experience is encountering new vocabulary terms. Some of you are new to Dharma culture and Yogic philosophy, so some of the words and cultural “givens” that I reference in class will be unfamiliar. Though we try to avoid technical terms in class, when speaking freely I may forget or make a tangential statement with technical terms, some that are in Sanskrit.
It’s easy enough to look up words on the internet, but some terms can have dozens of potential meanings or interpretations. Most are unrelated to what we will learn in class. To help, I offer the following words and short definitions that relate to our practice to clear any confusion.
I think it will be rewarding to everyone to be familiar with some Sanskrit words and their meanings as it will ensure that we have a common vocabulary, I won’t have to explain them in class, and your study of art outside of class will be much more rewarding.
Entire books have been written on some of these terms and the wisdom traditions they represent. For the sake of brevity, only the Sanskrit terms used in this book that do not appear in English dictionaries are included, and definitions are short, addressing only how the word is used in this book. Curious readers are encouraged to dig deeper by consulting books in the “Resources and References” section.
Glossary of Sacred Art Terms
Includes excerpts from the Shakti Coloring Book: Goddesses, and the Power of Sacred Geometry ©2015 Ekabhumi Charles Ellik published by Sounds True. Boulder, CO.
abhaya: “peace, safety, security.” A symbolic hand gesture (mudrā) of assurance, with the fingers pointing upward. As an attribute, it represents fearlessness.
agni: “fire.” The fire element; the energetic quality of transformation, illumination, and heat, associated with upward movement, digestion, intelligence, charisma, mutability, the sense of sight, and the abdominal region of the body. Name of the god of fire.
ahaṁkāra: “I-maker.” The mental faculty of personal ego or individuation.
ākāśa: “space”, “spiritual sky.” The space element. An ethereal fluid filled with consciousness and power that pervades the manifest universe as well as the other Great Elements. It is associated with consciousness, expansiveness, the vibratory quality of sound, the sense of hearing, and the area of the body from the eyebrows to the top of the head. See also: mahābhūtas.
alaṅkāra: “ornamentation.” Invoking the power to attract (and thus protect) through physical and ritual beautification.
abide: remain; continue; stay. To accept without opposition; tolerate; endure.
acute (angle) when two lines connect, resulting in a narrow angle of less 90°; a sharp end.
aniconic: not forming a recognizable image; a non-figurative representation of a deity; objects representing but not depicting a deity.
āp or āpas: “water, watery.” The water element; the energetic quality of fluidity, connection, and nourishment, associated with emotions, bodily fluids, the sense of taste, and the pelvic region of the body.
apex: tip; top-most point; vertex; the summit.
artha: “wealth, objective, prosperity.” The activity of accumulation; the dharmic pursuit of wealth for basic material needs, quality of life, and the ability to be generous. One of the four aims of human life. See also dharma, kama, moksha.
āsana: “seat.”A physical posture or stance, usually with symbolic or ritual significance. Many are prescribed in yogic systems for improving physical and spiritual health.
asura: “anti-god.” Titans; opponents of devīs. Not to be confused with lesser demons or malevolent spirits; they are also known as the “jealous gods” who exemplify vices.
Axis: a central line; a line bisecting a body; the line around which a body rotates.
bhakti: “attachment, devotion, to partake in.” Religious fervor felt as love for a specific deity. A devotional spiritual practice based on faith and a longing for personal union with the divine.
bhāva: “to become.” A state of mind, sentiment, mood, condition, or emotion. Intrinsic states of being from which rasas arise.
bhukti: “enjoyment.” Worldly success.
bhūpura: “earth wall.” The large square area that encompasses most deity yantras, usually penetrated by four gates. It represents the earth element and symbolizes a deity’s ability to manifest her or his power in physical form.
bīja: “seed.” A sound form that carries an energy pattern. The potency of a mantra.
bindu: “seed.” The center of a yantra and/or the center of the universe.
buddhi: “intellect, reason, discernment.” The faculty of judgment. The intellectual or discriminating mind.
canvas: surface upon which art is created; a rough cotton fabric used for painting.
cylinder: A solid (or barrel shape) resulting from a single plane wrapped around a single axis, similar to a tube. An object with a circular diameter and parallel two flat ends.
cakra: “circle” or “wheel.” A circular object or group. Also used as a term for the many energetic nodes of the human subtle body, which are variously described as resembling lotuses or spinning wheels of colored light.
citta: “mind, consciousness, thought.” The faculty of mind. Mental activity, or that aspect of mind where mental impressions are stored.
citra: “shining” A deity
circumference: the outer boundary of a circular area; perimeter. The length of such a boundary.
devī: “shining,” “playful,” or “illuminated.” A deity, celestial being, or pattern of consciousness who exemplifies virtues. Masculine: deva.
dharma: “duty, virtue, morality, observance.” All that upholds the cosmic order. Spiritual duty or responsibility. Divine law. A righteous mode of conduct. Playing out one’s destiny in an ethical manner, both in relation with others and according to one’s own nature. One of the four aims of human life. See also artha, kāma, mokṣa.
dyad: Two units; group of two; couple, pair, dual entity. Two monads.
dikpāla (a.k.a., lokapāla ): “direction guard.” Specific guardian deities invoked during rituals to protect a sacred space. There are four cardinal directions (north, south, east, west) and the diagonals (northeast, southeast, northwest, southwest). Depending on the tradition, another deity will be invoked for the center or two for the zenith and nadir.
guṇa: “string,” “thread,” or “quality.” A state or principle or tendency of universal nature (prakṛti). The three guṇas of sattva, rajas, and tamas are present in various proportions in every aspect of reality.
hexad: Six units; group of six; sextet, sextuplet. Six monads.
hue: a gradation or variety of color.
icchā: “will, desire.” One of three primordial powers of the Great Goddess. See also kriyā, jnāna.
icon: an image, representation, or picture (usually of a deity or sacred personage).
Iḍā Nāḍī: “refreshing artery.” One of three main channels of the subtle body, originating and exiting on the left side and depicted as white (or pink) in color. It is associated with the moon, coolness, passivity, what is known, and inhalation.
jnāna: “knowledge.” One of three primordial powers of the Great Goddess. Super-consciousness, rather than book-knowledge or data. See also icchā, kriyā.
Jyotiṣa: “science of light.” The Vedic astrology of India, based upon visible lights in the sky.
kāla: “time (destiny, fate, death),” “black (or dark),” “art (skill),” or “segment.” A complex word that changes meaning depending on the context in which it is used. In regards to its use in (or as) the name of a deity, “time” and “black” are functionally inseparable.
kalākāra “art author.” Artist.
kāma: “desire, wish, pleasure.” Personal and social fulfillment. One of the four aims of human life. See also artha, dharma, moksha.
kriyā: “action.” One of three primordial powers of the Great Goddess. See also icchā, jnāna.
kuṇḍalinī-śakti: “coiled power.” An aspect of the subtle body that rests at the base of the spine in a coiled form when dormant. Many yogic practices are designed to “awaken” this latent power and direct it up Suṣumna Nāḍī toward the crown, though it also moves spontaneously. A form of the Great Goddess.
liṅga: “sign, mark.” A symbol of ultimate consciousness beyond qualities (Shiva). It may be egg-shaped or phallic, usually made of stone and resting in a circular base, known as a pīṭha or yoni. It represents Shiva’s generative power and is analogous to the cosmic pillar of fire from which Shiva emerges in myth.
mahā: a prefix meaning “great.”
mahābhūta-s: “great elements.” The five densest elements that comprise manifest reality: space (ākāśa), air (vāyu), fire (agni), water (āp or āpas), and earth (pṛthvī).
mālā: “garland.” A string of prayer beads (rosary) or garland of fresh flowers.
manas: “perception, thought, mind.” The faculty of attention. That aspect of mind associated with volition and the organs of perception (jnānendriya) and action (karmendriya). Sometimes used as “mind” in general terms. See also citta, ahaṁkāra, buddhi.
maṇḍala: “circle.” A cosmic diagram. Seat of a deity. Sacred space.
mandorla: “almond.” See “vesica piscis.”
mantra: “mind device.” A power word. The energy pattern of a deity in linguistic or sound form. A phrase continuously repeated.
mokṣa: “liberation.” Release from all attachments, the wheel of karma, and rebirth.
monad: A basic irreducible unit; single entity.
mudrā: “seal.” A gesture (usually made with the hands) adopted to express a specific power or to direct the body’s flow of energy.
mukti: “salvation.” See also moksha.
mūrti: “embodiment, form.” The body or physical representation of a deity.
mūrtikar: “carver of forms.” A sculptor.
nāḍī: “artery.” Channels or conduits of energy in the subtle body. Of the many nadis, three are most important: Iḍā, Pingalā, and Suṣumnā.
nadir: lowest point
nyāsa: “applying.” Placement of mantras to ritually divinize the body. Consecration.
obtuse (angle) when two lines connect, resulting in a wide angle of more than 90°; not sharp; blunt.
Oṁ: “the Absolute, amen, so-be-it, yes.” The primordial sound of all manifestation.
pentad: Five units; group of five; quintet, quintuple entity. Four monads.
Piṅgalā Nādī: “reddish artery.” One of three main channels of the subtle body, originating and exiting on the right side, and depicted as red in color. It is associated with the sun, warmth, activity, knowing, and exhalation.
pīṭha: “seat.” The location of a deity. See also shākti pītha.
prakṛti: “nature, original substance.” The primal motive force that is the basis of all action in the universe. The source of all matter and energy. The feminine half of divinity. See also puruṣa.
prāṇa: “breath.” Life force, vital air, subtle breath of the body that flows through the nādīs.
puruṣa: “spirit.” Both the individual soul (without gender) and the quiescent Supreme Soul. Pure consciousness that permeates all manifestation. The masculine half of divinity. See also prakriti.
rajas: “activity, passion.” The tendency of Nature to express motion, energy, transformation, and growth. The aspect of creation that upholds the activity of nature (prakṛti). One of the three guṇas.
recursive: “run back.” To occur again; return.
sādhanā: “realization, means (of attainment).” Regular spiritual practice or discipline.
saṃkalpa: “will; purpose; determination.” A vow; declaration of intent; ritual observance.
ṣatkona: “hexagram.” A six-pointed star formed by two superimposed triangles.
sattva: “purity, equilibrium, essence, existence.” That aspect of Nature that is pure, harmonious, rarified, orderly, peaceful, and lucid. It is depicted as white in color. One of the three guṇas.
shade: a variety of color mixed with black; a color of darker hue; lack of illumination.
Śakti: “to be able” or “power.” Primordial energy of universe, creativity, fertility. Personified as the feminine dynamic, yet present in all things and beings. A name or epithet for the Great Goddess that can also be used for any female.
Śiva: “kindly one” or “auspicious one.” A name for God in his role as destroyer. Along with Brahma (creation) and Vishnu (preservation), he is one of the three core deities of the Hindu tradition. The supreme god of Shaivites. The male dynamic (puruṣa). Consciousness.
spanda: “vibration.” The pulse of creation and destruction, the dance of Shiva.
Sthāṇu: pillar; motionless; fixed. A name of Śiva.
sthapati: “building-father.” A master architect.
Suṣumṇa Nādī: “gracious artery.” Central of three main channels of the subtle body, located within the spine, depicted as golden or cobalt blue in color. Neither hot nor cold in nature, it is described as “the cool fire.” The seven major chakras are apertures or expressions of Suṣumnā. Many preliminary yogic practices are designed to clear blockages in this channel, allowing the primal energy of a yogi to rise from pelvic floor to crown. It is associated with the knower and the upward-and-outward movement of subtle energy. See also nādī, cakra, kuṇḍalinī-śakti.
symbol: something used for representing another thing, often something immaterial.
tamas: “darkness.” Lethargy, ignorance, entropy, inertia, decay. Nature of transformation. One of the three guṇas. Density, contraction, resistance, dissolution.
Tantra: “expansion-device” or “spreading wisdom-that-saves.” A sacred text. A divinely revealed body of knowledge with practices for both spiritual liberation and worldly success.
tattva: “true principle, essence, elementary property.” The elements, states of realization, or aspects of reality described in yogic philosophy. There are various lists of different numbers of Tattvas, depending on the lineage, up to 36. They include the five great elements, or mahābhūtas.
tetrad: Four units; group of four; quartet, quadruple entity. Four monads.
tint: a variety of color mixed with white; a hue of less than full saturation; a pale color.
tone: value; reference to the amount of light absorbed or reflected.
triad: Three units; group of three; trio, triple entity. Three monads.
tri-guṇa: “triple thread.” Three primordial principles of manifest reality: sattva, rajas, and tamas. See also guṇa.
triśula: “trident.” A weapon with a long handle and three sharp prongs. When held as an attribute of a deity, it represents will, knowledge, and action.
vesica piscis: “vessel of the fish” an elliptical almond-shaped figure with two points that resembles the bladder of a fish. Usually made by the intersection of two arcs or two over-lapping circles.
vertex: highest point; apex; summit; top.
vertices: pural form of “vertex;” many points.
yantra: “vessel; container; device.” A pattern of forms designed to focus attention and hold spiritual power. Usually comprised of geometric figures, letters, and mantras.
yoni: “source; origin; female genitals; womb.” The womb of the universe. A symbolic object representing the divine feminine (Śakti) in which a liṅga rests. A dish-like platform (sometimes square or triangular) in which a stone cylinder is inserted to create an icon of Śiva and Śakti conjoined in union.
Maitreya Larios is a scholar and practitioner of the ancient and living traditions of India. He has been a practitioner of Indian spirituality since he was 9 years old.
In 2013, he obtained a doctorate in classical Indology from the University of Heidelberg in Germany, where he is currently employed as a research fellow. He wrote his dissertation on the living Vedic traditions of Maharashtra, which will appear as a book in late 2015.
He is most excited about being a student of Sanskrit and philosophy and about igniting that enthusiasm in his students. His personal journey over the 26 years of studentship in this tradition has been a humbling experience, but it is a path that he assures brings the most amazing transformations.
Besides his area of expertise as a scholar of Indian culture and religion, Maitreya is passionate about photography, visual arts, traveling and vegan/vegetarian cooking.
He is happily married and a father to a beautiful boy named Kabīr.
Few artists have the power to create an indelible impact on the minds of their audiences through their art form and one such name in the world of Kathak is Shambhavi Dandekar. Shambhavi Dandekar as an accomplished Indian Kathak master performer, has carved a niche for herself through her sheer talent, unique performances and unparelled choreography, that has brought her recognition on the national as well as the international platforms.
As a young dancer, Shambhavi started her training under the able guidance of her own mother and renowned Guru Pandita Maneesha Sathe, a celebrated dancer and a teacher in her own right. Shambhavi then went on to complete her intense training in ‘laya and tala’ or rhythm and beats from Table virtuoso “Taalyogi” Pandit Suresh Talwalkar. Along with her top-notch traditional dance training, Shambhavi also has a strong academic educational background with a Bachelors in Commerce and two Masters degrees in Dance. Furthermore, she also holds Diplomas both in French and Sanskrit.
Shambhavi has more than 20 years of teaching experience at an undergraduate and a graduate level at various dance education institutions in India. She has also started her own international school of dance in 2008, called ‘Shambhavi’s International School of Kathak’ or SISK. SISK is a prominent and a thriving international institution with five branches in India and the United States of America with over 400 students and a staff of 15 teachers who are trained by Shambhavi herself.
SISK has produced many a talented student over the years. Shambhavi’s years of experience, intellectual understanding and analysis of the nuances of the art form, has helped her create stellar performers out of her dedicated students. Many of her students are emerging as budding Kathak professionals. Shambhavi guides performers and students all over the world through workshops and master classes.
Shivani is a meditation teacher and multi-disciplinary artist, and the founder of Living Sanskrit. Born both American and into the yogic tradition, she is devoted to preserving and accurately practicing ancient indigenous wisdom in modern times and non-native contexts.
Shivani first heard Sanskrit in the womb, and not a day has gone by without it. She grew up immersed in dharma culture, yogic teachings, and sacred practices under the guidance of her spiritual teacher and also her grandmother.
Living Sanskrit is the culmination of a long-held dream to keep this tradition alive and share its magnificent gifts with the world.
Shivani started teaching meditation in 2001, and professionally a few years later at the suggestion of her spiritual teacher. Since then, Shivani has shared meditation with thousands of people at venues that range from corporate offices to hospitals to schools. From 2008-2014, Shivani was a Fellow with the Berkeley Initiative for Mindfulness and Law, leading retreats and weekly meditation sessions at Berkeley Law School.
Alongside teaching, Shivani is a prolific artist, photographer, and writer. She is a graduate of the Waterfront Conservatory and Playhouse, a member of the California Bar, and has a J.D. from the University of Southern California and a B.A. in Rhetoric with minors in Theater, Business Administration, and South Asian Studies from the University of California, Berkeley.
She lives with her beloved husband Nick in Redwood City, California, where she can often be found dancing, gardening, listening to birdsong, and hiking in nature.
Ekabhumi is an award-winning poet, author, illustrator, yoga instructor and arts educator with 18 years of international teaching experience. Through a ritualized and meditative creative method, he makes artworks for ceremonial and educational use that help people deepen their spiritual practice, recognize the divinity of common experiences, and find meaning in the beauty of our world. His artworks may be found in yoga studios, private homes, and on altars around the world. He is currently part of the core faculty of livingsanskrit.com.
His name was given by his first guru during a formal initiation ceremony into a tantric yoga lineage in 2005. Since that time, he has studied with many spiritual teachers and traditional artists both in India and the States. His art teachers include eminent western figurative painters like Domenic Cretara, as well as Newar artist Dinesh Charan Shrestha, Bikaner-style miniature painter Mahaveer Swami, Thangka painter Andy Weber, and yantra painter Mavis Gewant.
Ekabhumi’s writing and artwork has been published widely, appearing in anthologies and journals like The Poetry of Yoga, Berkeley Fiction Review, and Pearl, as well as books like Tantra Illuminated by Christopher Hareesh Wallis and Awakening Shakti by Sally Kempton. His instructional Shakti Coloring Book and the uplifting Bhakti Coloring Book are now available world-wide from Sounds True Press.
Though his first love is the arts, he has a wide range of interests that are reflected in his many past occupations: event producer, stock options broker, handyman, journalist, ski boot fitter, competitive surfer and champion sailor. He toured internationally as a performance poet, and the poets he coached won numerous regional and national titles. He facilitated writer’s groups, hosted poetry readings, and organized spoken-word festivals for nearly 20 years, culminating in the acclaimed 2009 Individual World Poetry Slam.
Ekabhumi is an inspiring, playful yet methodical teacher who helps students cultivate deeper intuitive states. For nearly two decades, he variously taught yoga, painting, public speaking, and creative writing to students ranging from kindergarten to post-graduate level. Much of his time is now spent creating educational material about interpreting, making, and utilizing sacred art of the dharma traditions. On weekends, he can be found in his garden practicing silence and learning directly from Nature.
Hema Patankar has spent her life immersed in study, practice and service to the Vedic tradition. It began when she was a teenager irresistibly attracted to the sound of Sanskrit and images of yogis who had become profoundly wise and blissful through meditation.
An alumni of a gurukula in Western India, Hema spent over 30 years intimately engaged with the traditions that have emerged from the Vedas. She worked on research, translation, and editorial projects in the company of learned pandits and scholars. She assisted with yajnas – ancient fire ceremonies – and rituals, which allowed her to get extraordinarily close to the living practice of Vedic traditions. She immersed herself in the sādhana of singing Sanskrit hymns and the songs of the poet saints, which she studied intensively with her Gurus and traditional devotional singers. She became known for devotional singing, and taught students from around the world.
Hema has a passion for the preservation of sacred Vedic heritage. For several years she was the Executive Director of the Muktabodha Indological Research Institute. There she spearheaded the development of an extensive online collection of rare Sanskrit texts. She nurtured the establishment of a traditional Vedic school where an endangered branch of the Vedas is preserved. She also directed the video documentation of remarkable Vedic rituals and brought rare texts on Śaiva philosophy and Vedic ritual to publication.
She later studied traditional Āyūrveda and earned a Vaidya Bhusana (vaidyabhūṣaṇa) Ayurvedic Practitioner degree. She is President of the Board of Trustees of Vedika Global, a school for the study and practice of traditional Āyūrveda and Vedic sciences. She has published articles on Āyūrveda, the Bhakti tradition, and the preservation of Vedic manuscripts. Most recently she edited a text on Vedic full and new moon rituals. Her current writing focuses on the intersection of living Ayurveda with the rituals and philosophy of the Vedic tradition.