PALTU SAHIB SAYS IN HIS BANI, “A lot of people talk about Naam, but very few people really know about Naam.” Then He continues in the Bani, and says, “Only a True Master, tells us about the Naam.”
So, there are more than a hundred crore mantras of various deities that are there currently. But Swami Ji Maharaj says, “All these mantras, which are in letters, which are descriptive, they will all come to an end.”
True Naam is that unspoken language, or Shabd, which we get connected to at the time of our initiation. The Naam or Shabd is what the True Masters give us, which resonates at the back of the Eye Center. That is beyond description, and that will not end like other mantras. That Shabd has come from SatNaam and is resonating at the back of the Eye Center at the Tenth Door. And that is what illuminates and gives the energy to the body. That Shabd is called Naam by the Masters.
So, during initiation, when the Masters give us Five Names to be repeated, those Names are also descriptive. Those Names are the names of the Lords of the planes above, but nevertheless, as they are letters and descriptive, they also will come to an end. But these letters, these Naams, the Five Names that are given during initiation, there is a lot of charging behind these Names because of the Masters. And that is why there is a lot of power in this Naam. These Five Names are given to us so that we can collect our scattered thoughts and attention, which are outwardly focused now, and by doing the Simran and the contemplation of the Master within, we are able to assimilate all our thoughts in the mind at the back of the Eye Center.
So, when we focus our attention within at the back of the Eye Center with the help of these Five Names and the contemplation of the Master, and we come above and leave all our other nine doors and come to the Tenth, then the Master manifests Himself there. And, with His Grace, the Shabd, or the Sound Current, manifests.
So, the course of these Five Holy Names that are given to us to be repeated gets completed, and then the soul gets connected to the Sound Current, or the Shabd, which is resonating above. And then, through this connection, the soul goes upwards. The whole breadth of worlds within to God Almighty, to SachKhand, is through Shabd. So, it is through that Shabd only that the soul has come down. And it is on that Shabd only that the soul will rise and go back to SachKhand.
So, as the soul connects to the Shabd, it starts progressing within, and then it leaves its astral form. It goes into the causal. Then, from the causal, it goes beyond. Both the soul and the Master take the form of the Shabd within, and then, on the Shabd, the soul progresses further and goes up.
To do this, we have to get the Grace of the Masters. And we get the Grace of the Masters by doing more and more Simran and Bhajan. And with that, and the help of the Satsang that the Masters give out in the outward form, we are able to progress within and get His Grace.
As the karmas reduce or get redeemed, the mind becomes purer, and we are able to then progress and go within. So, there is more and more need of doing Simran and Bhajan. To see all the things within, we have to do as much Simran and Bhajan as possible.
So, the time is good, and the environment and ambience is quiet. We should make the most of this time, and close our eyes, and sit for our Simran and Dhyan.
Quotes
-
Radha aad surat ka naam
Soami aad shabad nij dham
Surat Shabdah aur Radha Soami
dono naam ek kar janiSwamiji Maharaj -
Sab Darti kagaj karu,
lekhani sab ban rayee,
sath samundra ki massi karu,
Guru gun likha na jayeeSant Kabir Saheb -
Ek Ghadi, Adhi Ghadi,
Adhi se bhi Adh;
Tulsi Sangat Sadhu ki,
Kaate Koti Apradh -
Je so chanda ugve ,
Suraj chade hazaar.
Ete chanan hundea,
Gur bin ghor andhaar.
Aarti : Hindu religious ritual, part of puja, in which light from wicks soaked in ghee (purified butter) or camphor is offered to one or more deities by circulating an 'Aarti plate' or 'Aarti lamp' around a person or deity; also esoterically refers either to an intense pull towards the inner Light, or to the manifestation of the inner Radiant Form of the Guru
Abhyas : Spiritual exercises or devotional practices, such as meditation or austerities
Adi Granth Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib : Primary scripture of the Sikh religion; originally compiled in 1604 by Bhai Gurdas under the direction of Guru Arjan Dev Ji; renamed Guru Granth Sahib by the Sikh orthodox after the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, left the body; intended to serve as the living Guru in the absence of a recognized living Master
Adi Shesh : Primal being; from Hindu religion (Puranas), the serpent deity who sings the glories of Vishnu in the lower realm of PatalLok on whose many hoods the balance of the worlds of the universe rest; a symbol of the waveform of energy; also known as Nag Shesh
Agam Lok : One of three purely spiritual realms above Sach Khand; lit. “Inaccessible, Unapproachable”; second highest spiritual region, just below the highest of Anaami, or Radhasoami Dham
Agamya karma : Thought-produced karma; impressions left on the mind, erased at the time of death
Agastya Rishi : Revered sage; one of the Saptarishi from the Dwapar Yuga whose poetry appears in all the Vedic texts, and is mentioned in the Puranas,Ramayana, and Mahabharata; noted to have great mystical powers
Aghorimat : Indian tantric sect of ascetic sadhus devoted to Lord Shiva who smear their bodies with ash and craft kapalas, skull caps, cut from the top of a human skulls
Agni : Lit. “Fire”; also Vedic God of Fire and his physical manifestation
Agra : City in Uttar Pradesh state of India, at the banks of River Yamuna; site of the Red Fort and the Taj Mahal; capital of the Mogul empire for over one hundred years; historical home of Swami Ji Maharaj and currently the center of the Agra line of Santmat
Agyasini River : River that flows into a cave in southern India where Agastya Rishi did his meditation and penance; today known as the Aghanashini River, which flows into the Arabian Sea near Kumta; believed to originate underground in Sirsi
Ahalya : Wife of Gautama Rishi, created by Brahma with impeccable beauty; varied stories from the Puranas and the Ramayana exist regarding her seduction by Indra and their subsequent punishments invoked by Gautama Rishi; she is later redeemed by Rama and restored to Gautama Rishi
Ahamkar : One of the constituents of the four-petaled lotus of the antahkaran; lit. “I-maker”, faculty that identifies the fluctuations of chit with the Ego-complex; the illusionary identification of the undivided self with limited and limiting perceptions, thus creating the wrong notion of an individual and separate self
Ajaib Singh Ji : Param Sant Satguru; (1926-1997); successor to Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj; spiritual Guru of Ram Singh Ji after the passing of his Guru, Baba Somanath Ji Maharaj
Ajapa : Repetition without conscious effort, like the breath;asSimran becomes perfected, it becomes ajapa
Akbar : Mogul Emperor (1556-1605); third ruler of the Mughal Dynasty; known as King Akbar the Great; held court in Delhi, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, and Lahore; known for his religious tolerance
Akshar : Sanskrit term describing regions starting above the seven planes below the eyes and extending up to and including the Causal Plane, Brahm
Alakh Lok : One of three purely spiritual realms above Sach Khand; lit. “Indescribable, Invisible, Unperceivable”; sixth spiritual region, located below the seventh, AgamLok, and the eighth, Anaami Dham
Alal pakshee : Mythological sky bird that lives in the sky only, laying its eggs in midair, which hatch before hitting the ground; also Anul bird
Aligarh : City in northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh; birthplace of Baba Haridas Ji
Allah : The Arabic name for God Almighty used by Arabic-speaking religions; in Sufism terminology, refers to the Regent of the First Spiritual Region
Allah Hu : Statement giving praise to God (Allah); Persian term for Onkar; in Sufi terminology, refers to the Regent of the Second Spiritual Region
Amar Das Ji : Param Sant Satguru; (1479-1574); successor to Guru Angad Dev Ji; third Guru in the lineage of Sikh Masters; Guru of Ram Das Ji
Amar Khata : “Story of Immortality”; related to Parvati by Shiva in the Amarnath Cave at MtKailash
Amarapur : Term used by Kabir as the “Land of Immortality”
Amin : Wife of Dhani Dharam Das
Amir Khusrow : Sufi Saint; (est 1253-1325); Sufi Master from northern India; disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya; buried near his tomb in Delhi; served in the court of Allaudin Khilji, king of Delhi as a poet and musician; considered to be the originator of the Qawwali devotional Sufi singing and inventor of the Sitar; wrote different divans and masnavis, also in praise of the lives of famous rulers
Amolak Das : Sadhu mahatma; successor to Sri Chand, the son of Guru Nanak; guru of Bishan Das in the UdasiMat of two Shabds
Amrit Vela : Lit. “Time of Nectar” (that, which causes deathlessness); also refers to early morning meditation period from 3:00-6:00 AM
Amritsar : City in India in the northern state of Punjab; location of Sikh's Golden Temple; also a term used for Mansarovar, the Pool of Nectar in the inner region of Par Brahm where all karmas are washed away
Anaami : Highest of three purely spiritual realms above Sach Khand; lit. “Nameless”; also called Radha Soami Dham; home of Anaami Purush
Anahad Shabd : Unstruck music, created without striking any instrument; music of the Astral plane; also Anahad Nad
And, Anda : Astral Realm; lit. “Egg”, second subdivision of Brahmand;lies between the Physical Plane (Pind) and the Causal Plane (Brahm); contains the regions of all gods and goddesses
Andaj : Egg-born creatures; birds and reptiles
Andhra Pradesh : State of India, location of Guddella Ashram, which is presently the home of Ram Singh Ji
Ang : Part of the body or limb, the source of Guru Angad'sname given by Guru Nanak
Angad Dev Ji : Param Sant Satguru; (1504-1552); second in the lineage of Sikh Gurus; successor to Guru Nanak Ji; Guru of Amar Das Ji; credited with having formalized the Gurmukhi script, which was used for the writings of the Sikh's Adi Granth Sahib and the Punjabi language
Ana : 1/16 of a rupee, further divided into 4 paise; demonetized in India in 1957; also ana
Antahkaran : Part, or faculty, of our subtle body; comprises a four-petaled lotus with the petals being - manas, buddhi, chit, ahamkar
Anurag Sagar : Lit. “Ocean of Love”; story of God’s Creation in book form written by Param Sant Satguru Kabir Sahib
Anuraag : Strong love or passion
Apan vayu : One of five pranas or vital airs; controls eliminative functions (excretion, urination, menstruation) and the downward and outward flow of energy in the body
Arjan Dev Ji : Param Sant Satguru; (1563-1606); fifth in the lineage of Sikh Gurus; successor to his father, Guru Ram Das Ji; grandson of Guru Amar Das; Guru and father of Har Gobind Ji; compiled the Sikh's holy book Adi Granth Sahib; started His mission in 1581
Arjuna : Main character in the Mahabharata; third eldest of the Pandava brothers and son of Lord Indra; won Draupadi in combat; married to her together with his four brothers; master of supernatural weaponry and archery; ardent devotee of Lord Krishna
Arya Samaj : Lit. “Noble Society”; sect founded by Swami Dayananda on 7 April 1875 promoting values and practices based on the infallibility of the Vedas; members known as Arya Samaji
Asana : A yogic posture
Ashram : Spiritual retreat, or living quarters, for a community of souls devoted to spiritual practices; a true ashram will only be created around a realized practitioner
Ashtanga Yoga : Eightfold Yoga path or system; described in the YogaSutras of Patanjali and popularized by Swami Vivekananda; starts with Yamas and Niyamas and ends with Samadhi; also known as Raja Yoga
Ashtavakra : Sage; (Treta Yuga); referenced in the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and the Puranas; noted for his physical handicap of 'eight crooked bends'; author of the AshtavakraGita; guru of King Janak
Ashvamedh Yajna : “Horse Sacrifice”; ancient Vedic ritual, where a stallion is selected and left roaming, accompanied by a group of at least hundred warriors;[Whosoever challenges the authority of the king, who has sent the horse, has to fight with his warriors. After one year the horse is guided home. The horse and some other animals are then asphyxiated and a specific ritual is performed to give birth to the new king.]
Asuras : In later Vedic texts and post-Vedic texts, regarded as malevolent 'lords' opposed to the benevolent 'lords', or Devas, within their respective domains
Atma : Soul, spirit
Attar : Arabic term, a fragrant essential oil
Avatar : Incarnation of a lesser deity, who manifests to restore some karmic or ethical imbalance in the world; not to be confused with Saints, Who are primarily concerned with the salvation of souls, with some notable exceptions, like Guru Gobind Singh and some of His predecessors, Who also worked as a kind of avatar to help eliminate the negative forces of Their time
Awadhi : Language classified as Eastern Hindi; spoken primarily in the Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh and Terai belt of Nepal
Ayodhya : Ancient City in India in the state of Uttar Pradesh at the river Sarayu; birthplace of Lord Rama; once capital of the ancient Kosala Kingdom; historical home of Paltu Sahib
Ayurveda : Lit. “Life-knowledge”; A holistic system of health care developed during the first millennium BCE in India; uses three elemental correlations called doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha) for diagnosis and treatment of illnesses and afflictions; herbs, vegetarian diet, massage, yoga, and meditation are some of the modalities used in treatment
Baag : Garden, also bagicha
Baba Kahan : An intoxicated hermit faqir from the village Varaich (or Vadaich) near Beas who was called Kahan Kamala (kamala meaning ‘mad’) and used to wander at the future site of the Dera Baba Jaimal Singh Ji Ashram many years before its construction collecting pebbles, stones and bricks to make a heap there stating, “An emperor will come here and there will be a big city.”; also the name of a second holy faqir at Peshawar whom Masters Sawan Singh and Kirpal Singh used to visit
Babul : Acacia tree or gum arabic tree; tender twigs are used as a toothbrush
Bairagan : Two pieces of wood joined into a T-shape to rest one's elbows on; used when practicing Bhajan (i.e listening to the Sound Current)
Baji Rao II : Peshwa monarch; (1775-1851); younger brother of Tulsi Sahib; last Peshwa of the Maratha Empire
Bajra roti : A flatbread made of pearl millet flour
Bal : Using ones strength to do harm to others
Bala : Disciple and traveling companion of Guru Nanak
Balakh and Bhokara : Two ancient cities, which were both historically important centers of Buddhism, Islam, and Zoroastrianism; associated with the story of king Ibrahim Adham; today Balkh is a district in northern Afghanistan and the Bukhara region lies in modern Uzbekistan
Bali : Benevolent king; born in the Asura race (grandson of Prahlad); became ruler of third netherworld of Patala, Sutala at the hands of Vamana, an avatar of Vishnu; also known as Mahabali
Banaras : City in India on the banks of Ganges River in the state of Uttar Pradesh; also known as Kashi or Varanasi; cultural center of northern India for thousands of years; historical home of Kabir Sahib
Bangali Babu : Initiate of Sawan Singh Ji; also known as Bua Das
Bangalore : Capital city of the Indian state of Karnataka located on the Deccan plateau; site of Baba Somanath Ji's Kengiri Ashram and Baba Ram Singh Ji’s Channasandra Ashram
Bani : Scripture, verses, teachings when associated with a Perfect Master; esoterically, another term for Shabd
Bania : Term for a caste used primarily in the state of Bengal to denote bankers, merchants, and traders
Bank Naal : Lit. “Crooked Tunnel”; very small passage, like the eye of a needle, where the ego has to become very humble to pass through; provides a transitional passage from the Astral plane to Trikuti in the Causal plane; it is here that ones inner vision is reversed; also Bunk Naal
Banslochan : Medicinal lotion produced from bamboo shoots; described as a phenomena produced by rain from the swati nakshatra
Banyan : Outer garment of clothing
Basti : A yogic method of cleansing the colon by drawing warm water through the anus with the help of a little pipe, applying Nauli and UddiyanaBandha, and then expelling it
Basur Raj : An initiate of Guru Nanak who kept returning to his worldly family in subsequent incarnations in lower life forms because of his worldly attachments
Beas : City in India in the state of Punjab; home of Jaimal Singh Ji and Sawan Singh Ji and site of the Dera Jaimal Singh Ji Ashram
Been : Description of the Inner Sound of the Naam in the Fifth Plane (Sat Lok-SachKhand); resembles a snake charmer's reed flute (shawm) or bagpipe; sometimes referred to as sound of harp; also bin
Bellary : City near Guddella in the state of Andhra Pradesh where the false sadhu who requested improper guidance from Ram Singh Ji lived
Betta Ashram : An ashram of Baba Somanath Ji’s at Pahad; managed by Ram Singh Ji for five years between the passing of Somanath Baba Ji and meeting Ajaib Singh Ji
Bhaang : Intoxicating drink or paste made from the buds and leaves of cannabis and then mixed with milk, ghee, mangoes, and Indian spices
Bhagavad Gita : “Song of the Lord”; Sanskrit scripture that is part of the Hindu epic Mahabharata, which presents a synthesis of the concept of Dharma, theistic bhakti, and the yogic ideals of moksha through Jnana-, Bhakti-,Karma-, Raja-Yoga and Samkhya philosophy
Bhai : Brother, spiritual brother
Bhai Bela : Illiterate farmer; devoted disciple of Guru Gobind Singh Ji who received a new word each day as spiritual instruction from his Guru while tending to the Guru's horses
Bhai Lehna : Original name of Guru Angad Dev Ji who became the second in the Sikh Guru lineage
Bhai Manj : Disciple of Guru Arjan Dev Ji who was a rich farmer but had to undergo great hardships during his discipleship; [Pleased with his efforts, Guru Arjan Dev Ji offered him the rule over the three worlds of Kal, but Bhai Manj asked only for the Guru. On further insistence, he requested that subsequent disciples would not have to be put through such rigorous challenges. This resulted in receiving initiation into SuratShabd Yoga being much easier; this practice continued with His Successor, Guru Hargobind, but resulted in a significant increase in total initiates with the mission of Swami Shiv Dayal Singh Ji, which was described as ‘floodgates opening’.]
Bhajan : Devotional practice of listening to the inner Sound Current; devotional song written by a Saint
Bhaji : Fried snack; vegetables dipped in a gram batter and then deep-fried; also pakora
Bhakti : Devotion
Bhandara : Feast under religious auspices, usually connected to some auspicious day or anniversary; also refers to a Saint's Satsang and the meals served thereafter to devotees
Bhanwar Gupha : Lit. “Whirling Cave”; vortex-like region of four rotating Sound Currents above Maha Sunn, the fourth spiritual region; region providing access to the fifth spiritual region, Sach Khand
Bharam : State of mental confusion, misconception, or illusion; duality created by mind when one identifies oneself as different, or separate, from God Almighty; also bhram
Bharthari : Raja, Yogeshwar; (est 13th century); King of Malva Kingdom (modern Ujjain); maternal uncle and companion of King Gopi Chand of Bengal; disciple of Gorakh Nath
Bhavrog : The condition or affliction of having to go through an endless cycle of life and death
Bhes : A person’s outer appearance or façade
Bhringi : Predatory mason wasp that transforms caterpillars into bhringi through its sound
Bhurabhai Hall : Site of Bombay program where Sant Ajaib Singh Ji gave Ram Singh Ji rupees from donations to begin His Ashram in Guddella; also site of current Bombay programs with Baba Ram Singh Ji
Bibi Lajo : Saintly disciple and personal cook of Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj
Bibi Ralli : Woman sevadar who chose to view hell in meditation and was saved by Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj
Bibi Rukko : Disciple of Swami Ji Maharaj who subsequently served as a cook for Jaimal Singh Ji Maharaj
Bibi Shibbo : Devotee of Swami Ji Maharaj who, on one occasion, inspired by devotional singing, left her bath and traveled unrobed to the feet of Swami Ji without being seen by anyone, such was the Master's Grace and protection
Bidi : Kind of Indian cigarette rolled from a tendu leaf (Coromandel ebony) and filled with flake tobacco or other herbs
Bir Singh : Devotee of Kabir Sahib, Raja of Varanasi
Bishan Das Ji : Disciple of Amolak Das in the UdasiMat of two Shabds; first Master of Ajaib Singh Ji prior to his full initiation into Surat Shabd Yoga by Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj
Bombay : City in India in the state of Maharashtra; currently called Mumbai
Brahm, Brahmand : The Causal plane between and and Par Brahm; Lit. “Egg of Brahm” because of its egg-like shape
Brahma : Hindu god; One of the Hindu Trinity; with Vishnu and Mahesh (Shiva); functions as the ‘Creator’ in the lower three worlds; ruler of the second chakra, the regenerative plexus
Brahma Muhurta : Lit. “Brahm’s hour”, period of two Muhurtas (one Muhurta: 48 minutes) before sunrise, said to be an auspicious time for all kinds of spiritual practices
Brahmachari : Spiritual aspirant who practices chastity or, in a broader sense, control of all sense organs
Brahman : Universal Mind; Kal Purush
Brahmanand Ji : Mahatma from Pushkar in Rajasthan; wrote more than 500 bhajans, some of them were reprinted in the Sant Bani Bhajan Book
Brahmin : Considered the highest caste (varna) in Hinduism; specializing as priests, teachers (acharya) and protectors of sacred learning across generations
Bua Das : Another name for Bangali Babu; disciple of Sawan Singh Ji who disciplined himself to not eat unless he had enjoyed his meditation first
Buddhi : Mental ability to form and retain concepts; the intellectual faculty and ability to reason, discern, judge, comprehend, or understand something; one of four parts that constitute the lotus of antahkaran
Bulleh Shah : Muslim Saint, (1680-1757); disciple of Shah Inayat Qadiri, better known as Inayat Shah, a Sufi Master of Lahore; His Sufi poetry is written in the Punjabi language
Calipha : Muslim leader of the highest order; a type of Muslim monarch
Chakor : National bird of Pakistan known as the “Moonbird”; a bird in love with the moon that loves to gaze at it incessantly
Chakra : One of six energy vortexes, associated with six ganglions within the physical body (PindDesh), to be differentiated from Kanwals (Brahmand) and Padmas (Sat Desh)
Chanaa : Dish or meal made with chickpeas or garbanzo beans
Chandool : From the swati nakshatra story, a very small bird that makes a hole in the head of an elephant that produces the gajmukta stone when a raindrop of the swati nakshatra fills that hole
Chapatti : Unleavened Indian flatbread made from a kind of durum wheat flour (atta); also roti
Chappal : Sandal; open-toed shoe
Charan Singh Ji : Param Sant; (1916-1990); grandson of Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj; served as head of Radha Swami Satsang Beas after the passing of Maharaj Jagat Singh Ji
Charandas : Param Sant; (1706-1782); born in Rajasthan, but lived most of His life in or near Delhi; after initiation by Sukh Dev into Surat Shabd Yoga, meditated for twelve years in a cave in the vicinity of Delhi; said to have had fifty-two close disciples; His Gurumukh disciple was Gusain Yuktanand Ji; He was also the Master of Sahjo Bai and Daya Bai
Chaukri : Time equivalent of four yugas: Sat Yuga (1,728,000 years), Treta Yuga (1,296,000 years), Dwapar Yuga (864,000 years), Kali Yuga (432,000 years); a total of 4,320,000 earthly years, or 12,000 divine years; also Chaturyuga
Chaurasi : Lit. “Eighty-four”; the Wheel of 8.4 million life forms; the Wheel of Transmigration, or cycle of births and deaths
Chautra : A perimeter boundary of brick built around a plant or tree designed to retain soil, water, and fertilizer
Chhal : The act of being deceitful
Chidakash : Lit. “Conscious sky or heaven”; Spiritualized elemental ether originating from Sahasdal Kamal; experienced before the appearance of the Radiant Form of the Master within; heavenly region above the eyes; part of the first spiritual region
Chit : Awareness or consciousness, comprehension; one of the four parts of the antahkaran, the faculty to visualize in our mind
Chitragupta : One of the gods; born of the body of Lord Brahma, he is assigned to record all karmic actions in the Akashic Records
Chittor : City in India (Chittorgarh) in the state of Rajasthan; Mira Bai was known as the “Queen of Chittor”
Chudamani : The second son of Dharam Das Ji Who continued the panth of Dharam Das Ji as the first of the forty-two Masters to follow in that chain
Chutney : Spicy Indian condiment made with fruit or vegetables
Crore : Numerically 10,000,000 (ten million)
Crorepati : Individual who’s net worth or value is over a crore or ten million rupees
Dacoit : Bandit, robber; “dacoity” is the anglicized version of the Hindustani word “ḍakaitī”, meaning “armed robber”
Dadar : Densely populated residential and shopping neighborhood in Mumbai's central district, a prominent transit hub with local and national connectivity
Dadu Dayal Ji : HinduSaint; (1544-1603); resided in Rajasthan, mostly in Jaipur state; Guru of Rajjab Ji, who noted down his Master’s compositions, which are known as “DaduAnubhavVani”, a compilation of 5,000 verses
Daitya : One of the demon clans of the Asuras mentioned in the Mahabharata, the Puranas, and the Smritis of Hindu literature; a race of giants who fought as the aggressors with the Devas who had exiled them from heaven; members include Jalandhara, Prahlad and Bali
Dal : Dried pulse made from lentils, split peas, or various types of bean
Dargah : Persian word, lit. “Portal”; shrine to a deceased Saint; originally associated with Islamic Sufism largely found in the state of Punjab; in current times, musical offerings by dervishes and sheikhs based on mystic Sufi poetry are commonly offered to those in attendance
Darshan : Grace or blessing received from seeing or being seen by a Saint, or a person of some spiritual advancement; the “auspicious sight” of a holy person
Das Vidhi NAD : Lit. “Ten sounds” or nads, referring to from ten to twenty different inner sounds resonating from chakrasbelow the Eye Center that can be heard within; [The Das Vidhi Nad sounds do not have the power to pull the soul up, butwith the manifestation of the Radiant Form of the Master within, the soul is connected to the Anahad Shabd, which is the first manifestation of the Sound Current that has the power to pull the soul up from the physical body into the astral realm.]
Dasharath : King of Ayodhya; father of Lord Rama and his brothers: Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrughna
Dasi : Maid, maidservant
Davangiri Ashram : Ashram of Baba Somanath Ji in Davangiri in the state of Karnataka
Daya : Mercy, compassion, grace, opposing force to the law of karma
Daya Bai : Female Saint; (end of 17th century); belonged to the same family as her Master Charandas and moved with Him to Delhi
Dayal : Lit. “Merciful”; another name for Absolute God, Sat Purush
Dayalkari mahatmas : Incarnations of the Positive Power, Saints; also Shabdkari mahatmas
Delhi : Capital City of India; originally founded by the Pandavas and named Indraprastha; over the course of time it was torn down and rebuilt over eight times; historical home of Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj and the site of Sawan Ashram
Dera Baba Jaimal Singh : Name of Jaimal Singh Ji's and Sawan Singh Ji’s ashram in Beas; largely built by Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj
Devi : General term for a Hindu goddess
Dhan : Exclamation meaning “Hail”, “Congratulations”; also Dhanya
Dhani Dharam Das : Saint; Soul that was pursued through four yugas by Kabir Sahib to ensure his salvation, as told in the AnuragSagar; prophesized to be followed by forty-two incarnations of subsequent Masters
Dhanna Jat : Mystic poet; (1415-?); also know as Dhanna Bhagat; received initiation from Swami Ramanand Ji; name appears in a poem of Mira Bai; Adi Granth contains three of his hymns; guru of Trilochan Das
Dhanvantari : Hindu god of Ayurveda; considered to be an incarnation of Vishnu; emerged out of the Ocean of Milk, while it was churned, holding in his hands a pot of Amrit
Dharam : Guidelines for religious and social obligations for living a virtuous life; also Dharma
Dharam Raj : Lord of Judgment, Lord of Death; also known as Yamraj; holder of the accounts of the uninitiated soul's deeds
Dhoti : Traditional men's garment, worn in the Indian subcontinent made of a rectangular piece of unstitched cloth, wrapped around the waist and the legs, and knotted at the waist
Dhruva, Dru : Mahatma; son of king Uttānapāda and his wife Suniti; initiated by Narad Muni at a young age; through determined devotion and renunciation he was given the boon ofbecoming the North Star after his death and, as such, became the ruler of our galaxy
Dhun : Sound Current, synonymous with Shabd, Naam, Logos, etc; lit. “Tune or melody”
Dhunatmak Naam : Shabd; that Name which cannot be spoken or written; Word of God
Dhyan : Meditation, as a state of penetrating and focused attention; with Simran and Bhajan, the means to dispel the illusion of Maya and Kal
Dohavali : Type of Indian poetry composed of couplets written by Kabir in the vernacular Hindi language
Doti : Method of cleansing the intestines by swallowing and extracting 2" strips of cloth soaked in honey
Draupadi : Daughter of Drupada, king of Panchala; born from a sacrificial fire as a result of the performance of the putrakameshti yajna by her father; became the wife of all five Pandava brothers at the direction of her mother-in-law, Kunti; she is one of the central figures in the literary epic, Mahabharata, where the story of the conflict between the Pandavas and the Kauravas is told
Durga : Goddess; most popular form of goddess Devi; in her form as Durga she is not associated with any god and can display benevolent as well as wrathful aspects; within tantric traditions, she is called Shakti; mostly depicted as the slayer of the buffalo demon Mahisasura
Durvaasa Muni : Ancient Rishi; powerful, short-tempered sage; said to be born of the rage of Shiva, which was deposited in the womb of Anasuya, the wife of Atri; cursed the Yadava clan children of a village for mockery
Duryodhana : Eldest of the Kauravas, the one hundred sons of the blind king Dhritarashtra and Gandhari; crown prince of Hastinapur
Dwapar Yuga : “Bronze Age”, with decline in truth and religious values in evidence; 864,000 years in duration with human lifespans of 1,000 years
Dweep : Island; also dveep
Fakir : Sufi ascetic; Sufi equivalent to Sant; someone who has reached the region of Haqq
Gaddi : Lit. “Mattress”; cushion for a throne; or generally, throne or ruling position; term used for conveying succession of a Master in an ashram
Gajmukta : From the swati nakshatra stories, when a bird makes a small hole in the top of an elephant’s head and it receives raindrops during the swati nakshatra period, this precious stone is formed
Gandharvas : Male nature spirits with superb musical skills, frequently depicted as singers in the court of Gods; husbands of the Apsaras; guardians of the Soma; some are part animal, part human, usually bird or horse
Ganesha : Hindu deity; son of Parvati and Shiva; ruler of the sphere of creation at the Muladhara or root chakra at the rectum; identified with the mantra “Om”; revered as the god of wisdom and the remover of obstacles; source of the siddhi mystical powers; distinguished by an elephant head with one broken tusk and protruding belly; also known as Ganapati (“Lord of Hosts”)
Gangajal : Term for blessed water of the Ganges River
Ganges River, Ganga : Longest river in India; site of many Hindu bathing pilgrimages; waters are considered sacred to Hindus
Gangodak : Lit. “Part of the Ganges”; water united with the Ganges, and thus, considered spiritually purified by Hindus
Ganika : Prostitute who was taken to heaven by Vishnu
Ganja : Hemp or marijuana; top leaves and flowers of unfertilized female plants are typically smoked as an intoxicant
Garuda : Hindu deity; the mount of Lord Vishnu, eagle-like; sworn enemy of the Naga serpent race; “devourer of snakes”
Gautama Buddha : Avatar; (est 558 – 491 BCE); ninth incarnation or avatar of Lord Vishnu, according to Vaishnava Hinduism; founder of Buddhism as a religion; established a monastic order in eastern India; adopted the Noble Eightfold Path, or Middle Way, to enlightenment as a means of liberation
Ghadi : Astronomic time reference (an extremely short time) of three hours
Ghala Singh : Devotee of Sawan Singh Ji who plays a part in a story about losing his way in a forest and is saved by the inner Darshan of Sawan Singh Ji Who instructs him on the way back to safety
Ghat : Bank of a river used for bathing, washing clothes, or funeral rites by the poor
Ghat Ramayana : Lit. “Ramayana of the body”; originally written in 1618 by Tulsi Das Ji in the Awadhi language for the common people who were unversed in Sanskrit to introduce them to the secrets of Sant Mat, it received stiff opposition from the religious orthodoxy, so Tulsi Das wrote the Ramcharitmanas (lit. “Lake of the deeds of Rama”), the story of Lord Dasharath and Lord Rama, in its stead; later, in the incarnation of Tulsi Sahib, the Ghat Ramayana was reintroduced
Ghee : Clarified butter
Ghor : Awful, flagrant
Ghuman : City in the state of Punjab; historical home of Hindu Saint Namdev (1270-1350) and site of His shrine; birthplace of Jaimal Singh Ji Maharaj
Girdhari Lal : Gurumukh disciple of Tulsi Sahib; friend of Swami Ji Maharaj; lived in his later years in Lucknow
Gobind Sahib : Sant; (early 18th century); Guru of Paltu Sahib
Gobind Singh Ji : Param Sant Santguru and avatar; (1666-1708); tenth in the lineage of Sikh Gurus; last of the Sikh Gurus recognized by orthodox Sikhism; started the Khalsa military faction to fight the Moguls
Gopi Chand : Raja, Yogeshwar; (13th century?) King of Bengal; companion of the King Bharthari; disciple of Jalandhar Nath
Gopis : Cow herding girls famous within Vaishnava theology for their unconditional devotion (bhakti) to Krishna
Gora Kumbhar : Hindu Saint; (1267-1317); a potter; Guru of Namdev
Gorakhnath : Yogeshwar; (est 13th century); disciple of Matsyendranath, one of the Mahasiddhas; founder of the Nath Hindu monastic movement in India; debated Kabir as a pundit and was humbled in defeat
Gorochan : From the swati nakshatra stories, a medicinal substance produced in the stomach of a cow or bullock after it ingests raindrops during the swati nakshatra period
Govardhan Mountain : Legendary Mountain lifted up by Krishna to protect the villagers from the wrath of Indra’s rain; Indra's defeat began the movement in Hinduism away from sacrificial appeasement and emphasized karma and dharma
Grahasth : Householder; head of a family
Granth : A book, tract, or volume of religious scripture
Guddella Ashram : Present home of Ram Singh Ji in a rural area of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh