GLOSSARY OF

SIKH, SANT MAT AND RADHASOAMI TERMS

 

Several of the definitions for the following terms were derived from Glossary of Radhasoami Faith

(Soami Bagh: S.D. Maheshwari, 1967).

 

Adi Granth: Sikh holy scriptures; also referred to as the Guru Granth Sahib

Adi Purush: Eternal Being.

Advaita: Non-dual; of one or uniform nature.

Agam Lok: The inaccessible region; a sub-division of Sach Khand, the highest plane of consciousness.

Ami: Amrit, nectar.

Anami Lok: Anami means the Nameless, the Absolute, and Lok means region; thus it refers to "The Nameless [Highest] Region."

Anami Purush: Nameless Being; Impersonal Supreme Being.

Anand Swarup: All bliss.

Ashram: Spiritual center or home; oftentimes the residence of a guru.

Audible Life Stream: Inner Sound Current; the name was coined by Julian P. Johnson.

Bani: Sound; word; book; writings.

Beas: A small village situated on the banks of the Beas River in the Punjab; center for the Radhasoami Beas Satsang.

Bhai: Brother disciple.

Bhajan: A form of spiritual practice; listening to the internal

sound or shabd.

Bhakti: Devotion or love; reverence for a sacred object or person.

Bhanwar Gupha: Literally means "rotating cave" or "whirling cave;" fourth spiritual region.

Bibi: Sister disciple.

Brahm: Kal Purush; Universal Mind; Lord of Creation but not highest Being.

Brahma: The Creator god in Hinduism.

Brahman: In Hinduism means Absolute Reality beyond attributes.

Brahmin: Highest caste in Hinduism; usually refers to the priestly class.

Chela: Servant; disciple; follower.

Darshan: Vision or sight, particularly of some saint or holy person.

Dastarbandi: Tying of the turban; ceremony where the successor of a guru is formally installed.

Daswan Dwar:. Literally the tenth door; in terms of the Radhasoami cosmology it means the third spiritual region where one has cast off the universal mind; the abode of a free soul.

Dayal: Merciful or graceful; compassionate.

Dera: Camp or colony; Radha Soami Colony on the banks of the River Beas in the Punjab.

Dharma: Customary observance of caste; religious observances; good works or merit.

Dhun: Sound; melody.

Dhyan: Meditation; contemplation; a form of spiritual practice; beholding the form of one's guru within.

Dristi: Seeing; looking at, usually referring to observation of one's guru.

Dwar: Door; gate; passage; access.

Faqir: An ascetic, a devotee; a saint.

Gaddi Nasheen: The seat of the guru.

Granth: Scripture; term usually given for the holy writings of the Sikh gurus.

Guru: A spiritual guide; one who is an object of reverence; a religious teacher; literally means heavy, weighty.

Gurubhai: Brother of the guru.

Gurubhakti: Devotion to the guru.

Gurumukh: One who is guided by a guru.

Gyani: One who knows, understands fully; a mystic steeped in knowledge.

Huzur or Hazur: Honorific title meaning your Majesty or Highness, usually

given to highly revered saints or gurus.

Jagat: The world, the universe.

Jap: Repeating prayers from scripture or the name of a deity.

Jiva: Individual entity; surat (spirit) bound to pind (body).

Jivan Mukti: Liberation or enlightenment while living.

Jnana: Spiritual knowledge.

Kal: Time; death; calamity or evil.

Kaur: means princess; name for female Khalsa Sikhs

Khalsa: members represent orthodox Sikhism

5Ks: kesh (uncut hair); kirpan (sword); kara (bracelet); kaach (short briefs); kangha (comb)

Logos: A Greek term referring to the Word; in Radhasoami terms refers the shabd or inner sound current.

Lok: A division of the universe into different regions, like spiritual or terrestrial.

Maharaj: Great king or person; a deified teacher; an honorific title for gurus.

Maharishi: Great sage or wise man.

Mat: Doctrine; belief; sect or religious persuasion.

Maya: Illusion; unreality; trick or deceit.

Mehr: Love; kindness; grace; mercy.

Mukti: Liberation; deliverance; re-absorption of the spirit into the Supreme.

Nad: A load roaring sound; a spiritual sound; inner music; shabd.

Nadipurush: One who is an adept in nad (or shabd).

Nal: Path; passage.

Nam: Name; spiritual sound.

Nam-Dam: Receiving nam; the ceremony where the guru instructs the disciple into the techniques necessary for shabd yoga meditation.

Nij Mat: Original doctrine.

Nij Rup: True form of the Supreme.

Niranjan: Void of passion or emotion; free of falsehood; in Radhasoami refers specifically to the presiding deity of the first region (Sahans-dal-kanwal).

Nirankar: Formless.

Nirguna Bhakti: Nirguna means without attributes or qualities, and bhakti means devotion or worship; a nirguna bhakti mystic, then, worships God as devoid of all properties; another name used for Sant Mat (teachings of the saints).

Nirvana: Liberated from existence; final emancipation from matter and the necessity for further transmigration.

Panch Nam: Panch means five in Hindi and Nam means name; in this context Panch Nam stands for the Five Holy Names given at the time of initiation in the Beas related satsangs.

Panth: Sect or group; usually refers to a religious movement which follows the teachings of some guru or master.

Param Dham: Supreme abode.

Parampara: Guru lineage.

Param Sant: Supreme saint; a saint who has reached the highest

stage.

Parmarth: Spiritual way of life; spiritual work.

Pathi: One who reads or chants from the sacred scriptures.

Perfect Master: Honorific title often given to Radhasoami gurus by their disciples.

Prashad: Sanctified object; food or other articles blessed by spiritual teacher.

Puja: Worship; reverence; homage.

Purush: The original source of the universe; the Supreme Being, referred to in Radhasoami often as Radhasoami Dayal.

Radhasoami: Swami (or Soami) literally means Master/Lord, and Radha stands for Soul; it is usually interpreted as "Lord of the Soul."

Radhasoami Anami Purush: The Supreme Lord.

Radhasoami Dham: Dwelling place or region of the Supreme Being.

Ringing Radiance: Inner sound current or shabd, coined by Colin Garbett.

Rup: Form; figure; shape; face; beautiful appearance; spiritually

cognizable manifestation.

Sadhu: Holy man, following a path or spiritual discipline; mystic.

Sampradaya: Guru tradition or lineage.

Sahans-dal-kanwal: Land of a thousand lights; the first region in the Radhasoami spiritual cosmology; the astral region.

Samadh: Burial tomb; usually holy place where departed guru's remains are kept.

Sangat: Congregation.

Sant: Saint; holy person.

Sant Mat: The teachings of the saints.

Sat: True; actual; eternal.

Satguru: A [true] master or spiritual teacher.

Sat Nam: True Name.

Satsang: Place where the spiritual service is held; congregation of earnest devotees.

Satsangi: Disciples of the Radhasoami Faith.

Shabd: Word; sound; spiritual sound.

Simran: Internal repetition of prayers; in Radhasoami the spiritual repetition of the holy name(s).

Singh: Last name given for Khalsa Sikhs; popular last name for

Sikhs in the Punjab and elsewhere.

Soami: Lord; sovereign; spiritual preceptor.

Surat Shabd Yoga: Surat refers to spirit and Shabd to the sound current; hence, it is the union the soul with shabd; the spiritual exercise by which the current of consciousness is applied to the hearing of the sound within; joining the mind and the attention to the sound current.

Swarath Sant: One who has no guru, yet is enlightened; a born saint.

Trikuti: Second spiritual region; literally means "Three Prominence."

Updesh: Instructions; initiation; direction.

Yoga: Union; joining; in Radhasoami refers to uniting the surat with the sound current.

Yogi: One who performs yoga; a devotee; an ascetic; one who has mastered death.