गुरु Guru (heavy/venerable) Guru definition Guru, meaning heavy in Sanskrit, refers to a teacher. Heavy can be thought of as a figure who has more understanding, more knowledge, and thus, by virtue of their wisdom, is heavy or a heavyweight. The root, gṝ is used to form words such as gArayate, which means ‘to know’ … Read more
गुरु शिष्य Guru + Disciple Guru Shishya Definition The Guru-Shishya tradition, or parampara, is the teacher-disciple lineage. This is a custom throughout many religions and cultures, from Hinduism and Jainism to Sikhism and Buddhism. Guru Shishya deep dive The Sanskrit phrase is often seen in full as Guru-Shishya parampara, the first part of its translation … Read more
गणेश Ganesha Ganesha definition Ganesha, or Vinayaka, Pillaiyar, or Ganapati, as he is often referred to, is a major Hindu deity that is often referred to as ‘Lord of the People‘. You will probably best recognize him depicted in his elephant-headed form, regularly carrying in his hand a few round Indian sweets (which he is … Read more
गुण Gunas Definition In Hindu and yogic philosophy, the gunas refer to the 3 qualities of matter inherent in everyone and everything. They are sattva, rajas, and tamas, and every being has all three to some degree. The literal translation of the word is “rope,” or “thread,” as in the threads woven together to make … Read more
गणेश मुद्रा Ganesha (Lord of the People) + Mudra (seal) Ganesha Mudra Definition Ganesha Mudra is a Sanskrit term referring to a hasta gesture (a gesture performed with hands and fingers). It is named after the elephant-headed Hindu deity Ganesha. Like all mudras, its purpose is to guide energy flows to certain parts of the … Read more