Sanskrit Glossary
A growing reference for Sanskrit terms used throughout The True Yoga, with accurate IAST transliteration, pronunciation, meaning and context.
Sanskrit is the language of Yoga, with sound and meaning understood to be intimately connected. The vibration and precise pronunciation of a Sanskrit word are how its meaning is expressed, which is one reason preserving the integrity of the language matters.
This glossary is here to make these words easier to recognize, pronounce and understand as they arise in your practice and study.
A
Abhyāsa
ab-hyā-sa
Practice; repeated or sustained effort.
In Yoga philosophy, abhyāsa refers to steady, consistent practice cultivated over time. It's the effort made toward remaining established or steady, the quality of persistent application.
Ahiṃsā
a-hiṃ-sā
Non-harming; non-violence.
Ahiṃsā is the first and foundational yama in Patañjali’s aṣṭāṅga system, and is often regarded as the principle upon which the other ethical restraints rest. It asks the yogi to cultivate non-harming in thought, word, and action, toward all living beings, including oneself.
Āsana
ā-sa-na
Seat; posture.
The Sanskrit term commonly used today for Yoga postures, originally carrying the sense of a comfortable and steady posture, particularly for meditation.
D
Dhāraṇā
dhā-ra-ṇā
Concentration; holding the attention steadily.
The sixth limb of Patañjali’s aṣṭāṅga system, dhāraṇā is the deliberate gathering of attention toward a chosen point or object.
Dhyāna
dhyā-na
Meditation; sustained meditative awareness.
The seventh limb of Patañjali’s aṣṭāṅga system, dhyāna describes an increased stilling of the fluctuations of the mind, beyond the more deliberate concentration of dhāraṇā.
P
Prāṇa
prā-ṇa
Vital energy; life force.
Prāṇa refers to the vital force associated with life and animation, not simply to the physical breath. It's the energy that is vital to all life.
Prāṇāyāma
prā-ṇā-yā-ma
The cultivation and regulation of prāṇa.
The fourth limb of Patañjali’s aṣṭāṅga system, prāṇāyāma is commonly translated as "breath control." More precisely: prāṇa (vital energy) + āyāma (extension, expansion). So it is the extension, expansion of prāṇa through practices involving the breath in order to cultivate, regulate and distribute prāṇa within our organism.
Pratyāhāra
prat-yā-hā-ra
Withdrawal or inward turning of the senses.
The fifth limb of Patañjali’s aṣṭāṅga system, pratyāhāra follows prāṇāyāma and continues the inward movement of practice by drawing the senses away from external stimulation and turning awareness toward the subtler dimensions of inner experience.
S
Sādhanā
sā-dha-nā
Spiritual practice; disciplined practice undertaken toward an aim.
Sādhanā can include the various practices a practitioner uses for inner transformation, such as meditation, prāṇāyāma, mantra, study or āsana.
Samādhi
sa-mā-dhi
Absorption; profound meditative integration.
The final limb of Patañjali’s aṣṭāṅga system, samādhi is the state of pure consciousness, pure awareness, complete absorption.
Saṃskāra
saṃ-skā-ra
Mental impression; a conditioning pattern left by previous experience.
Saṃskāras are the subtle impressions left in the mind by our experiences, actions, thoughts, and reactions. They're not necessarily conscious memories, but latent patterns of conditioning that can influence how we perceive, interpret, and respond to future experience.