Aarti – The act of moving the right hand with a lighted lamp in a circular movement in front of the deity and ringing a bell with the left hand singing the glories of God.
Abhav – To dislike, to take offence, to condemn.
Agna – To command or issue an order.
Agri Orient – A fertiliser company where Babubhai and Dadubhai were directors.
Aham / Ahamkar – Ego, pride.
Akshardéri – A temple erected on the place where final rites of Aksharmurti Gunantitanand Swami were performed in Gondal, Gujarat.
Aksharbrahm – One who is in constant communion with God.
Akshardham – Abode of God. Eternal abode of Lord Swaminarayan.
Aksharmukta – Emancipated soul, one devoted to the service of God, ékantik.
Alauvkik – Divine, extraordinary, supernatural, and rare.
Amayik – Super-human qualities.
Anga – A characteristic of a devotee of which there are four :
– Vishwas – One who has indomitable faith in God
– Samjan/Gnani – One who has fully attained the knowledge of God’s ever-transcendental form
– Priti – One who has devotion with exuberant love
Antahkaran – Composite form of mind, intellect, ego. The four inner instruments of the mind, intellect, emotive mind and ego (Mun, buddhi, chitta and aham).
Antardrashti – Introspection.
Arjun – One of the Pandavas, devotee of Lord Krishna.
Avtar or Avtari Purush – Incarnation of God.
Bapa/Yogi Bapa – H.D.H. Yogiji Maharaj.
Benos – Sisters of Gunatit Jyot who have dedicated their lives to the service of God.
Bhabhi – Sister-in-law (brother’s wife)
Bhaios – Brothers of the Gunatit Samaj
Bhajans – Devotional songs, hymns.
Bhakta – Worshipper, devotee of God.
Bhakti – Worship, devotion or service to God.
Bhavatit – One who has attained a spiritual status where good or bad emotions / feelings do not affect him. Beyond emotions.
Brahm – The Supreme Being as the emblem of truth; knowledge and eternal bliss.
Brahma Swaroop – The soul that has attained equivalence & identification with Aksharbrahm and is in permanent communion with Parabrahm
Brahma-roop – Oneness with or identification with eternal God.
Brahma vidya – Spiritual knowledge.
Brahma-Gnani – Knowledge of Brahm and Parbrahm in full divinity.
Brahmi-sthiti – State of dwelling in Brahman.
Buddhi – Intellectual Mind.
Chintvan – Meditation; to think deeply, to ponder and reflect.
Chitta – Emotive mind.
Darshan – A glimpse of a saint, an idol or a deity, vision. Seeing with reverence or adoration.
Dasatvabhav – To act with humility.
Dhabo – A friendly pat on the back given by sadhus to devotees signifying blessings.
Dharma – The religion; the most essential duty; the law of righteousness; that which holds an individual or society together.
Divyabhav – Divine disposition.
Drashta – The embodied soul; the one who sees or witnesses.
Drashya – An outer image or vision.
Ékantik – Single-minded devotee, enlightened soul ; with intense aspiration and attachment to God only.
Ékantik Bhakti – Single minded worship and intense love towards God and His saints.
Gadi Rotlee – A chapatti made with a sweet filling.
Garba – Traditional Indian folk dance.
Gnan-nishtha – Conviction based on spiritual knowledge.
Gnan-Samadhi – The highest state of samadhi in which the aspirant realises his total one-ness with God.
Gondal – The Swaminarayan Temple which was Yogiji Maharaj’s favourite temple – where he spent much of His life.
Grahusta – Married person
Ghustos – Married couples of the Gunatit Samaj.
Gunatit – One who is above the three modes of nature.
Gunatit Samaj – The Divine society of enlightened & liberated souls.
Gunatitbhav – Transcendental eternal state of consciousness or divyabhav with equanimity.
Gunatit Swaroop – One who has attained equivalence & identification with Aksharbrahm in permanent communion with Parabrahm.
Gurnbuddhi – Intellect used to judge the deeds of Gunatit Swaroop, taking offence if the deeds do not seem moral or honest.
Guruhari – Incarnation of God.
Het-nishtha – Conviction based on love for God.
Indriyas – Five sense organs.
Jiv – The embodied soul, the mind, the heart, the spirit.
Jivatma – Illusory consciousness or ignorant consciousness of the self.
Jivbhav – Physical identification with soul or spirit.
Kal – Present age of chaos and conflicts. Also known as the dark age of the four ages.
Kalyan – Ultimate redemption of the soul.
Kam – Yearning desire, a passion for sensual happiness or pleasure, lust.
Karma – Actions; action entailing its consequences.
Karmayog – Working life.
Katha – Spiritual or religious discourses.
Krupa – Compassion, mercy, pity; favour.
Kurukshétra – The battlefield where the epic war between the Pandavas and Kauvravas took place in the time of Lord Krishna.
Lauvkik – Worldly ;ordinary ; as pertaining to popular practice, custom or traditions.
Lobh – Greed, avarice, covetous, intense longing, passion for possession.
Lok – Worldly opinion of oneself.
Mahapuja – Adoration of god with full vedic rites – special kind of puja.
Mahima Mahatmya – Glory of God. Glory of God and his devotees, deep respect for devotees of God.
Man – Pride. A desire to acquire fame, respect, credit or goodwill.
Manushyabhav – To see human nature or tendencies in the divine Gunatit Swaroop.
Maya – One of the five eternal entities.
Mayik – Mortal qualities, worldly qualities.
Moksha – Ultimate redemption.
Mukto – Liberated souls.
Mumukshu – Spiritual aspirant – one seeking salvation or redemption of his soul.
Mun – The mind.
Murti – An idol, a deity or sadhu who is worshipped.
Murti-dharak – One who is in constant communion with Gunatit Satpurush – who can mediate and hold the power of the idol such that he can utilise it to accomplish whatever he wishes.
Nirdoshbhav – Spiritual divine sentiment.
Nirgurn – Beyond the control of the three gurnos(Rajogun, Tamogun, Satvagun) – Elemental qualities of nature.
Nirlobhi – One who is free of greediness, uncovetous.
Nirmani – One who is humble, has no desire to acquire fame, respect. One who is free of pride.
Nirshéhi – One who is free from attachments.
Nirswadi – One who has no choices i.e. regarding tastes or interest .
Nirvikalpa – A trance or samadhi in which the soul has no reservations or doubts. Total surrender.
Nirvikalpa Nischay – Unadulterated faith.
Nischay – A determination – a decision.
Nishkam – One having no inner urge or desires, no passion, non-lusty. One who acts without ulterior motives. Completely un-selfish.
Nishtha – Single minded conviction in God.
Panchvishay – The objects of the five sense organs i.e. Man, Swad, Snéha, Lobh, Kam – the five vices.
Parabrahm – The Supreme Being. Incarnation of God. Known as Parabrahm Purushottam Narayan
Parayan – Reading of religious scriptures within a limited period.
Paroksh – Divine entity which no longer exists physically.
Prakruti – Primordial crude nature.
Prakruti-purush – Crude, natural forces of the world.
Prasadi – Consecrated food; a gift from a deity, sadhu or a saint ; a momento.
Pratyaksh – Personified, living divine being.
Rajogun – Intense passion in worldly activities, covetous, greedy.
Sabdatit – One who has attained a spiritual status where good or bad words do not affect him. – Beyond word.
Sabhakhund – Hall in a temple where prayers are performed.
Sadhna – Efforts or practices necessary to realise one’s spiritual goal; self-discipline and arduous efforts for the attainment of God and self-realisation.
Sadhu – A saint, an ascetic.
Sakshat – In the physical form; incarnate.
Sakshatkar – Realisation, objective perception.
Samadhi – A super conscious state, trance.
Samaiya – Religious festivals.
Sankalpa – Determination; consent of the will, wish or desire for something.
Sanstha – Establishment, a religious institution, an association.
Satpurush – God realised Saint; one who has established rapport with God.
Satsang – The communion with the Saint, Holy fellowship.
Satsangi – A follower of the Swaminarayan faith.
Satvagun – Qualities of righteousness, integrity, morality, honesty and decency.
Satvikta – Quality of morality and honesty.
Savikalpa – A trance or samadhi in which the soul has some reservations or some doubts.
Seva – Services tendered without selfish motives.
Shikshapatri – Scriptures originally written by Lord Swaminaryan.
Snéha – Love and affection.
Sparshan – Divine touch.
Swad – Sense of taste, a fondness of certain foods, Interest in certain things.
Swadharma – One’s own principles and rules. One’s own religion.
Tamogun – Easily angered, hot-tempered; ignorant.
The Lodge – A restaurant where one could eat regular meals.
Ukado – Mixture of milk and water with spices.
Upsham – Peace, tranquillity.
Vartman – Initiation of devotees in the fellowship.
Vatu – Spiritual discourse.
Vimukh Prakran – Process of segregation.
Vruti – Deep desires.
Yuvakos – Youths of the Gunatit Samaj.