acarya one who teaches by personal example. Acaryas in the pure Vaishnava line instruct people and initiate them into the Supreme Lord’s devotional service.

ananda bliss

avatara a “descent” of the Supreme Lord to the material world in one of His many forms

Bhagavadgita the essential teachings on progressive spiritual life and pure devotion to the Supreme Lord spoken by the Supreme Lord Himself, Krishna, to His friend Arjuna at Kurukshetra in the last moments before the great battle. Vyasadeva included the Bhagavad-gita in the Bhishma-parva of the Mahabharata.

Bhagavata Purana , or Srimad Bhagavatam, one of the most important texts in Vaisnavism, gives the account of Krishna’s life, and other incarnations of Vishnu - composed around 900 AD

bhajana loving devotional service to the Supreme Lord, performed favorably and free from the selfish motives of profit and liberation.

bhaja the imperative form of “to worship”.

bhakti devotional service to the Supreme Lord. Bhakti in practice is the prime means of spiritual success, and perfected bhakti, pure love of God, is the ultimate goal of life. (Although it is not confined to any one deity of Hinduism, Krishna has become the most important and popular focus of the devotional and ecstatic aspects of Hindu religion. The bhakti movements devoted to Krishna developed in southern and eastern India from the late 1st millennium AD, and spread to the rest of India by the middle of the 2nd millennium. )

bhakti yoga the spiritual discipline of linking to the Supreme Lord through pure devotional service.

bhava ecstasy in love of God. Various kinds of bhava join together as the components of prema.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura an acharya in the Gaudiya Vaishnava disciplic succession; the father of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.

bolo the imperative form of “to chant” or “to say.” (Bengali).

Brahma the first finite living being in the material creation. He was born from the lotus growing from the navel of Garbhodaka-shayi Vishnu. At the beginning of creation, and again at the start of each day of his life, Brahma engineers the appearance of all the species and the planets on which they reside. He is the first teacher of the Vedas and the final material authority to whom the demigods resort when belabored by their opponents.

brahmana (brahmin) a member of the most intelligent class among the four occupational divisions in the varnashrama social system.

Causal Ocean the substance (originally a cloudlike darkness in one corner of the spiritual sky in Vaikuntha) from which the material world is created. Prakriti, material nature, resides eternally within it. To initiate the material creation, Lord Maha-vishnu glances at Prakriti, thus agitating her to begin expanding the material elements. Viewed from inside the material universe, the same Causal Ocean appears like a surrounding shell of water and is named the river Viraja.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (Chaitanyadeva) the form in which the Personality of Godhead Krishna made His advent in 1486 at Mayapura, West Bengal, and acted in the guise of His own devotee. He taught the pure worship of Radha and Krishna, primarily by sankirtana, the congregational chanting of Their names.

Chaitanya-charitamrita the biography and philosophy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, written by Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami.

chandra the moon

chintamani the mystic “philosopher’s stone,” which can produce anything one desires. In Vaikuntha the land is made of cintamani stones.

dharma “religious principles,” or, more properly, individual duty. In another sense, dharma is the inseparable nature of a thing that distinguishes it, like the heat of fire or the sweetness of sugar.

Gauda the ancient kingdom of West Bengal where Lord Chaitanya’s eternal abode, nondifferent from Vrindavana, manifests itself on earth.

Gauda (-desha) the ancient kingdom of West Bengal where Lord Chaitanya’s eternal abode, nondifferent from Vrindavana, manifests itself on earth.

Gaudiya Vaishnava (sampradaya) the school of pure devotion to Radha and Krishna founded by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His followers. It formally descends from the Brahma-Madhva sampradaya through Lord Chaitanya’s initiation by Sri Ishvara Puri.

Gaudiya Vaishnava a follower of Lord Chaitanya.

Gaura (Gauranga, Gaurasundara) a name of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu meaning “golden”

Gaura-Nitai Lord Chaitanya (Gaura) and Lord Nityananda (Nitai).

gayatri a prayer chanted silently by brahmanas at sunrise, noon, and sunset.

gopi a cowherd girl or woman; especially Krishna’s young girlfriends in Vraja, who are His most intimate devotees.

gopi-manjaris Srimati Radharani’s most confidential maidservants.

Gopinatha Krishna, the Lord of the gopis.

goswami one who controls his mind and senses; title of one in the renounced order of life. May refer specifically to the Six Goswamis of Vrindavana, who are direct followers of Lord Chaitanya in disciplic succession, and who systematically presented His teachings.

Govinda Krishna, the proprietor of the cows, the earth, and the senses of His devotees; “one who gives pleasure (vinda) to the cows (go) and senses (also go); may also refer to Lord Chaitanya’s personal servant.

grihastha a member of the household order of life, the third stage of spiritual progress in the varnashrama social system.

guru a spiritual master. The gurus who initiate one and instruct one in pure Krishna consciousness are to be honored equally with the Supreme Lord.

Guru Maharaja (Gurudeva) title of respect given to one’s own spiritual master.

Hamsa Lord Vishnu’s incarnation as a swan, who gave instructions to Brahma and his sons.

Hanuman Lord Ramachandra’s most faithful eternal servant, who has the body of a kimpurusha, a humanlike monkey. Hanuman, son of Anjana, was minister to Sugriva in the monkey kingdom Kishkindha.

Hara Lord Siva.

Hare the vocative form of Hara, another name of Radharani; refers specifically to the internal spiritual energy of the Lord.

Hari The Supreme Lord, Krishna or Vishnu.

Haridasa Thakura a great devotee of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu; known as the namacharya, the master who taught the chanting of the holy names by his own example.

hari-nama The holy names of Krishna and the process of chanting them in pure love.

harinama sankirtan refers to public chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.

hari-nama-diksha (initiation) formal initiation of the disciple by the spiritual master into the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.

hari-namamrita the nectar of chanting Krishna’s names.

harmonium an organlike keyboard instrument that produces tones with free metal reeds actuated by air forced from a bellows, either pumped by hand or foot.

This instrument is not a native Indian instrument - it is a European instrument which was imported to India in the 19th century, where it is also known as peti or baja. Although it is a relatively recent introduction, it has spread throughout the subcontinent. Today, it is used in virtually every musical genre except the south Indian classical.
The keyboard is European, but it has a number of drone reeds which are particularly Indian. European models came in both hand pumped and foot pumped models. The foot pumped models disappeared in India many years ago mainly because the foot pedals required one to sit in a chair; something which is unusual for an Indian musician.

hatha-yoga the system of practicing sitting postures for sense control.

hridaya-grantha lit., “the knot in the heart.” Refers to material bondage of the living entity resulting from sexual attraction.

Hrishikesha the Supreme Lord Vishnu, or Krishna, master of everyone’s senses.

Jahnava Devi the exalted wife of Nityananda Prabhu

jaya “Victory!” or “All glories!”

jiva an eternal finite spirit soul, qualitatively equal with the Supreme Soul.

Kali is the destructive and creative aspect of God as the Divine Mother in Hinduism. Kali is the fierce aspect of Devi, God's energy, i.e., Shakti or God as the Divine Mother, who is fundamental to all other Hindu deities. Her name seems to be a female version of the word 'kala' (Sanskrit for 'time' or 'dark') Some of her greatest 'bhaktas' (loving devotees) are to be found in the West Bengal, South India and Kashmir traditions. Best known is the saint Shri Ramakrishna. A vast poetic tradition evolved around Kali as a loving albeit often unpredicatble mother, of infinite tenderness to her devotees. Among these greats of the Bengali literature on Kali are Ramprasad Sen.

Kali Yuga the fourth of four repeating ages that form the basic cycles of universal time. In each Kali-yuga the world degrades into quarrel and dishonesty. The present Kali-yuga began 5,000 years ago and will continue for another 427,000 years. Kali is also the name of the ruler of the yuga.

Kamala the goddess Lakshmi, eternal consort of the Supreme Lord Vishnu.

karma material action and its reactions.

karma-yoga the process of God realization by dedicating the fruits of one’s work to God.

Kashi Varanasi (Benares), the favorite city of Lord Siva, located on the river Ganga between Prayaga and Patna. It is one of the seven holy places that grants liberation.

kartals Traditional hand cymbals used in indian song and music. ...

kirtana
The primary devotional practice of chanting the Supreme Lord’s glories.

Krishna (chandra)
The Supreme Personality of Godhead in His original form, enjoying as a youthful cowherd with His family and friends in Vrindavana and later as a valiant prince in Mathura and Dvaraka.

Krishna Chaitanya
The name received by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu from His sannyasa-guru, Sri Keshava Bharati. See Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

krishna-prema pure ecstatic love for Krishna. It is the perfection of life.

lila pastimes,” the eternal activities of the Supreme Lord in loving reciprocation with His devotees. Unlike the affairs of materially conditioned souls, the Lord’s lilas are not restricted by the laws of nature or impelled by the reactions of past deeds. Finite souls who enter those lilas also become completely free.

Lakshmi (devi) the eternal consort of the Supreme Lord Vishnu. She presides over the infinite opulences of Vaikuntha, and her partial expansion dispenses opulences in the material world; money.

Lakshmi-Narayana expansions of Radharani and Krishna worshiped in the mood of awe and reverence, as in the Vaikuntha planets.

Lalita one of Srimati Radharani’s intimate friends, who are Her principal expansions, the original potencies behind all spiritual and material creations. Being a little older than Radharani, Lalita often advises Her on proper behavior.

lotus feet with the lotus regarded as an emblem of beauty in the material world, the term “lotus” is accepted to describe the all-pure and all-attractive feet of the Supreme Lord or His pure devotee

Madhurya lit., “sweetness.” Refers to the sweet conjugal pastimes of Krishna and the gopis.

Mahadeva “The great god,” Siva

maha-mantra the great chant for deliverance: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Mahabharata the epic history of “greater India” composed by Dvaipayana Vyasa. One chapter is the Bhagavad-gita.

maha-bhava the ultimate limit of devotional ecstasy, found only in Sri Radha and some of Her intimate servants. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who was Sri Krishna in the mood of Sri Radha, also displayed such ecstasy.

Mahaprabhu supreme master of all masters; refers to Lord Chaitanya.

mahatma - "great soul", a liberated person who is fully Krsna conscious

mahat-tattva - the total material energy

mantra - a trancendental sound or Vedic hymn

maya - illusion; the energy of the Supreme Lord that deludes living entities into forgetfulness of their spiritual nature and of God

mukti - liberation from material existence

Om (Omkara) - the sacred syllable that represents the Absolute Truth

paramatma - the Supersoul; the localized aspect of the Supreme Lord; the indwelling witness and guide who accompanies every conditioned soul.

Mirabai a great poetess/saint born in India in 1504. She expressed in a beautiful style her intense and deep love of God. She composed hundreds of poems in a simple, unpretentious style. They are full of vivacity and feelings. No poetess in the history of India enjoys a greater respect than Meera. Her poems have gained a unique popularity and are sung by the rich and the poor alike, even to this day. She spent her life dancing In trance and singing the attributes of her Beloved Krishna till she left this mortal world in 1550 to be to be united with Him.

mrdanga a double-headed clay drum which is used in the performance of devotional songs.

Nanda (Gopa) the king of the cowherds of Vraja. He and his wife Yashoda, the greatest of devotees in the mood of parents, raised Krishna from His infancy until He left Vraja for Mathura.

Narayana the Personality of Godhead as the Lord of Vaikuntha, the infinitely opulent spiritual world.

Narada Muni a great devotee of Lord Krishna who travels throughout the spiritual and material worlds singing the Lord’s glories and preaching the path of devotional service.

Nirvana cessation of all material activities. Buddhists and other impersonalists regard nirvana as requiring obliteration of individual existence, but Vaishnavas regard ceasing from material activities to be only the beginning of real spiritual life, in which an individual acts in pure devotional service.

Om (Omkara) - the sacred syllable that represents the Absolute Truth

Nityananda Nitai, Nimai (as a child) - the incarnation of Lord Balarama who is a principal associate of Lord Chaitanya.

Padma the goddess of fortune, Lakshmi

Parvati Lord Siva’s eternal consort, especially in her incarnation as the daughter of the Himalaya mountains (Parvata).

prakriti material nature.

Pranamas an offering of respect by joining ones hands

prasada the remnants of food and other items offered to the Supreme Lord. By accepting Krishna’s prasada one can rapidly become purified and achieve pure love of God.

prema pure ecstatic love of God.

prema-bhajana personal worship of the Supreme Lord in ecstatic love.

prema-bhakti spontaneous devotional service to the Supreme Lord in ecstatic love.

premananda the ecstasy of pure love of God.

prema-rasa the transcendental taste of pure love of God.

puja formal worship of the Supreme Lord or some demigod or respected person.

pujari a devotee who performs the direct worship and service of the Deity in a temple.

Puranas the histories of the universe, supplements to the Vedas. There are eighteen major Puranas and many secondary ones. The major Puranas are divided into three groups of six, meant for readers in each of the three modes of material nature.

Radha (-rani, Radhika) Krishna’s original pleasure potency, from whom all His internal energies expand. She is His eternal consort in Vrindavana and the most dedicated and beloved of His devotees.

Rama (-chandra) an incarnation of the Supreme Lord as a perfect righteous king, born as the son of Dasharatha and Kaushalya. Rama is also a name of Lord Krishna, meaning “the source of all pleasure,” and a name of Lord Balarama and Lord Parashurama. As part of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, refers to the highest eternal pleasure of Lord Krishna; may also refer to Lord Balarama or Lord Ramacandra.

rasa “transcendental taste.” The five primary spiritual rasa are moods in relationship with the Supreme Lord: reverence, servitude, friendship, parental affection, and conjugal love. Rasa also indicates the boundless pleasure enjoyed in such reciprocations.

sac-cid-ananda eternal existence, consciousness, and bliss,” the constitutional nature of the Supreme Lord and the finite living beings. The Supreme Lord’s sac-cid-ananda nature is always manifest, but that of the jivas is covered by material illusion when they rebel against the Lord.

Saci (devi) the mother of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and wife of Jagannatha Mishra of Navadvipa.

Saci-nandana Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, “the darling son of Saci.”

Sadhana practices for achieving pure devotional service; more generally, the means for achieving any goal.

sadhana-bhakti pure devotional service in practice, which purifies the heart and brings one toward spontaneous loving service to the Supreme Lord.

sadhana-siddha a devotee of the Supreme Lord who has become perfect by practicing sadhana bhakti

sadhu a saintly person.

sadhu-sanga the association of saintly persons.

sahajiya a class of pseudo devotees who take the conjugal pastimes of Krishna and the gopis cheaply and who do not follow the proper regulations of vaidhi-bhakti.

Saivite a devotee of Lord Siva.

Salagrama-shila a Deity of Lord Narayana in the form of a small black stone marked with cakras and other symbols. These shilas, obtained only from one location on the river Gandaki and typically worshiped by brahmanas in their homes, can each be recognized by unique markings as a specific incarnation of the Lord.

Sama Veda One of the four Vedas, the original revealed scriptures. It contains sacred musical compositions based mostly on the hymns of the Rig Veda and employed in the more elaborate Vedic sacrifices, the soma-yajnas.

samadhi 1. Fully matured meditation, the last of the eight steps of the yoga system taught by Patanjali. A perfected devotee of the Supreme Lord also achieves the same samadhi. 2. The tomb of a pure devotee of the Lord.

Samhitas the collections of mantras that comprise the original Vedas.

sampradaya a school of philosophy or religion. According to the Padma Purana, there are four authorized Vaishnava sampradayas, founded by Lord Brahma, the goddess Lakshmi, Lord Siva, and the four Kumara sages. In Kali-yuga these schools have been reestablished by the acharyas Madhva, Ramanuja, Vishnu Svami, and Nimbarka. The sampradaya of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is officially connected with the Madhva line, but incorporates teachings of all four sampradayas.

samsara the cycle of repeated birth and death, which continues until one gives up one’s rebellion against the Supreme Lord.

samskaras Vedic purificatory rites of passage.

Sanatana eternal.

sanatana - dharma the “eternal religion” described in the Vedic shrutis and smritis and practiced by faithful followers for countless generations.

sankirtana congregational chanting of the names and glories of Krishna, which is the prime means for spiritual success in the current Age of Kali.

sannyasa the renounced order of life. See sannyasi.

sannyasi a man in the renounced order, the final stage of spiritual progress in the varnashrama system. Sannyasis take a vow of lifetime celibacy.

santi peace.

Sanskrit is one of the first if not the only, written, ‘spiritual’ language – it is among the earliest attested members of the Indo-European language family and is not only the premier classical language, but also an official language of India. It enjoys much the same position in Indian culture as Latin and Greek do in Europe. Its vast religious and literary tradition is most famously found in Hindu and Vedic texts.
The first Sanskrit text known to us is the Rig-veda , part of the early canon of Hinduism, the Vedas. Most Sanskrit texts available today were composed in ancient and medieval India.
Sanskrit has not changed since 500 B.C., when it was meticulously codified by Panini. Sanskrit stopped being further refined precisely because it had become the sufficient instrument to facilitate human liberation, the ultimate purpose of human life. There simply was no need to go further. The enlightenment of the Buddha at exactly the same time in history could be viewed as an auspicious confirmation of the culmination of millennia of yogic research.

saram essence.

Sarasvati the goddess of learning. Also, one of India’s great sacred rivers. In the modern age the river is almost totally invisible, but a short stretch of it appears from the Himalaya mountains, near Vyasadeva’s ashrama, just north of Badarika. The Sarasvati joins underground with the Ganga and Yamuna at Prayaga.

sarod the sarod (sa-rohd) is one of India's national native instruments, with 8 or 10 main playing strings, and 15 sympathetic. It is about the size of a guitar and sits in the player’s lap in a similar style. The strings are plucked with a coconut shell plectrum(pick), and they are fretted using either the fingertips or using the fingernails, which gives a clearer tone, on a steel fretboard. The body is still covered with goat skin, on which the bridge sits.

shabda-brahma transcendental sound, considered by Vedic philosophy to be self-evident proof of knowledge.

shabda sound.

shakti potency, power

sharanagati the process of surrender; a collection of songs by Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Shiksashtakam eight verses of instruction in devotional service written by Lord Chaitanya.

shiksha-guru an instructing spiritual master.

shraddha faith.

shravana the primary devotional practice of hearing the glories of the Supreme Lord.

shravanam kirtanam hearing and chanting, the basic methods of devotional service in practice.

shreyas activities which are ultimately beneficial and auspicious when performed over time.

shruti “What has been heard,” the original Vedas, meant to be passed on orally from generation to generation without change. They are considered coexistent with the Supreme Lord Himself and so in need of no author.

shuddha-bhakta a pure devotee of the Supreme Lord.

shuddha-nama the pure chanting of the name of the Supreme Lord.

shuddha-sattva “pure goodness,” the nonmaterial, incorruptible substance of the spiritual world. Also, the pure consciousness in which one can realize the Personality of Godhead.

shyama the dark-blue color, not seen in the material world, that is the hue of Krishna’s body.

siddha one who has perfected one’s spiritual practice.

siddha-deha the spiritual body.

siddhas a class of celestial beings advanced in spiritual discipline and naturally possessed of the eight mystic powers, such as the abilities to become atomic in size and to control other people’s minds.

siddha-svarupa the perfection of one’s original spiritual characteristics.

siddhi perfection, one of the eight mystic yogic perfections.

Sikhism comes from the word Sikh, which means a strong and able disciple. A Sikh is a person who believes in One God (impersonal) and the teachings of the Ten Gurus, enshrined in Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book. This religion was founded by Guru Nanak, who was born in 1469 to a Hindu family. Sikhism emerged in an environment heavily permeated with conflicts between the Hindu and Muslim religions and was somewhat influenced by reform movements in Hinduism (e.g. Bhakti, monism, Vedic metaphysics, guru ideal) as well as Sufi. While Sikhism reflects its cultural context, it certainly developed into a movement unique in India. Its followers (Sikhs) believe it to be an authenticated new divine revelation. A Sikh should balance work, worship and charity - and meditate by repeating God's name, nama japam (another Hindu practice), to enhance spiritual development. Salvation, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji said, does not mean entering paradise after a last judgment, but a union and absorption into God, the true name. Sikhs believe in neither heaven nor hell. They strive for the grace of the Guru during the human journey of the soul.

sishumara a dolphin-shaped constellation encircling the polestar. It is sometimes worshiped as a visible form of the Supreme Lord.

Sita (-devi) the eternal consort of Lord Ramachandra. She appeared as the daughter of King Janaka of Videha.

Siva the special expansion of the Supreme Lord who is uniquely neither God nor jiva. He energizes the material creation and, as the presiding deity of the mode of ignorance, controls the forces of destruction.

Sivaloka the personal abode of Lord Siva in the last shell that covers the material universe, the shell of false ego.

Six Goswamis six great disciples of Lord Chaitanya who wrote many books on devotional service and who established the major temples in Vrindavana.

smarana the devotional practice of remembering or meditating on the Supreme Lord, especially by focusing on His names, forms, pastimes, and devotees.

smriti “What is remembered,” the secondary Vedic literatures, which need not be passed down verbatim but may be reworded by the sages who transmit them in each age. The Puranas and Dharma-shastras are among the smritis.

soma the juice of a sacred plant, offered in the more elaborate Vedic sacrifices to the principal demigods. The performers of these sacrifices who are entitled to drink the soma juice gain elevation to heaven.

sphurti vision.

Sri a name for Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune.

Srila “Endowed by the goddess of fortune,” a respectful title used by Gaudiya Vaishnavas for their spiritual masters.

Srila Prabhupada His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Also known as the Bhagavata Purana, it teaches unalloyed devotional service to Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Sriman “Having the favors of the goddess of fortune,” an honorific used with the names of respected males.

Srimati the female form of the title Sriman.

Subhadra Krishna’s sister, also known as Yogamaya. She is Krishna’s internal energy who arranges His pastimes and fosters spontaneous love for Him by making His intimate devotees forget He is God.

sudarshana cakra the disc weapon of Krishna or Vishnu, which the Lord uses to dispatch those who dare to attack Him or His devotees.

sukrti – spiritual pious activities practiced over millions of lifetimes; devotional merit

sundara-arati evening worship of the Deity in the temple.

supersoul an expansion of the Supreme Lord as an all-pervading personal presence in the universe and in the heart of every living entity.
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sutra a Vedic aphorism.

svarupa literally, own form. The true, essential nature of the soul, or of any particular thing.

svarupa-siddhi the perfection of one’s eternal relationship with Lord Krishna.

Svetadvipa “The white island,” the abode of Lord Kshirodaka-shayi Vishnu. It is a spiritual planet manifest within the material world, in the Ocean of Milk.

swami one who controls his senses; a title of one in the renounced order of life.

Syamasundara a name of Krishna, meaning “blackish,” and “beautiful” (sundara).

tilaka auspicious marks, of sacred clay and other substances, applied daily on the forehead (and sometimes on various limbs as well) to dedicate one’s body to God.

tulasi the sacred plant most beloved of Krishna. Tulasi is a form of the gopi Vrinda, the expansion of Srimati Radharani who owns the Vrindavana forest. Without the leaves of the tulasi plant, no offering of food is accepted by Lord Vishnu, and no worship to Him is complete.

tantras scriptures that teach mantra chanting and Deity worship, especially for persons not initiated into study of the original Vedas. There are separate tantras for Vaishnavas and Saivites. The most important Vaishnava tantras are the Pancaratra Agamas.

Vaisnava a devotee of the Supreme Lord Vishnu. Since Krishna and Vishnu are different aspects of the same Supreme Person, devotees of Krishna are also Vaishnavas.

Vedas the original revealed scriptures, eternal like the Supreme Lord and thus in need of no author. Because in Kali-yuga the Vedas are difficult to understand or even study, the Puranas and epic histories, especially Srimad-Bhagavatam, are essential for gaining access to the teachings of the Vedas.

Vedic pertaining to the Vedas, or more broadly, following or derived from the Vedic authority.

Vishnu the Supreme Lord in His opulent feature as the Lord of Vaikuntha, who expands into countless forms and incarnations.

Vraja (-bhumi) the eternal place of Krishna’s pastimes with the cowherds, manifest on earth in the district of Mathura.

vraja-bhakti the pure devotion for Krishna of the residents of Vraja.

vraja-bhava the ecstatic mood of the devotees of Vraja.

Vrinda (-devi) A principal gopi, a direct expansion of Srimati Radharani. She is the presiding deity of Vrindavana forest, and the tulasi plant is her expansion. She and grandmother Paurnamasi make all the behind-the-scenes arrangements for Radha and Krishna’s daily pastimes.

Vrindavana (-dhama) Krishna’s most beloved forest in Vraja-bhumi, where He enjoys pastimes with the cowherd boys and the young gopis; also, the entire district of Vraja.

Vyasa-puja worship of the spiritual master, who represents Srila Vyasadeva, on his appearance day.