Hinduism Glossary of Terms – B

bahir (pUja, mukha ……) = outside
Bahirmukhata = Externalization, extroversion of consciousness
Baindavi kala = Baindavi-pertaining to Bindu or the knower, Kala -will power. Baindavi kala is that freedom of Parama Siva by which the knower always remains as the knower and is never reduced to the known, svatantrya sakti
Bala = Cid-bala, power of the true Self or Universal Consciousness.
Bandha = (1) Bondage; (2) Limited knowledge (3) Knowledge founded on primal ignorance (4) Yogic practice in which certain organs of the body are contracted and locked.
Bandham = Bond ; fetters.
Bala = Cid-bala, power of Universal Consciousness or true Self.
Bauddha ajnana = The ignorance inherent in Buddhi by which one considers his subtle or gross body as the Self on account of asuddha vikalpas
Bauddha jnana = Considering oneself as Siva by means of suddha vikalpas
Bethabetham = Being nondual and dual.
bhAga = part
bhagavan = glorious, divine
bhakta = devotee
Bhakti (apara) = Devotion; intense feeling and will for being united with Siva.
Bhakti (para) = The constant feeling of being united with Siva and the supreme bliss of that consciousness.
Bharita = plenitude, fulness
bhasma, thiruniiru = ash, vibhUti
bhAShya = commentary, elucidation
Bhava = Existence both internal and external; object
Bhavana = The practice of contemplating or viewing mentally oneself and everything else as Siva; jnana yoga; Sakta upaya; creative contemplation; apprehension of an inner, emergent divine consciousness.
Bhava-sarira = Consideration of sound, etc. as one’s Self.
Bhairava (apara) = Siddhas who have unity-consciousness and consider the whole world as identical with Self.
Bhairava (para) = Parama Siva; the Highest Reality. This is an anacrostic word, bha, indicating bharana, maintenance of the world, ra, ravana, or withdrawal of the world, and va, vamana or projection of the world.
Bhairava Agama = Sixty-four Saiva Agamas that teach non-dualism.
Bhairava (Teachers) = Liberated Sivas who are established in unity-consciousness and teach the sixty-four non-dualistic sastras
Bhairavi = Sakti of Bhairava
Bhairava mudra or Bhairavi mudra = This is a kind of psycho-physical condition brought about by the following practice ‘Attention should be turned inwards; the gaze should be turned outwards, without the twinkling of the eyes’.
Bhairava Samapatti = Identity with Parama Siva
Bheda ; Betham = difference ; Duality.
Bhoga = experience, sometimes used in the narrow sense of ‘enjoyment’.
Bhokta = experient
Bhrumadhya = the centre or middle of the eye-brows.
Bhucari = Sub-species of Vamesvari, connected with the bhavas or existent objects. Bhu means existence; hence existent objects are the sphere of ‘bhucari’
Bhumika = Role
Bhuta = Gross physical element
Bhutakaivalya = Withdrawal of the mind from the elements.
Bhuta-jaya = Control over the elements.
Bhuta-prthaktva = Detachment of the essential Self from the elements.
Bhuta-sarira = Consideration of the gross physical body as the Self
Bhuvana = becoming; place of existence; world; place of being, abode.
Bhuvana adhva = The third spatial existence, namely world. There are 108 bhuvanas
Bija = (1) Visva Karanam sphurattatma parasaktih i.e., the active light of the highest Sakti which is the root cause of the universe. (2) vowel. (3) The mystical letter forming the essential part of the mantra of a deity. (4) The first syllable of a mantra.
bIja (mantra) = seed (mantra)
Bijavasthapana = setting of the seed, esoteric meaning, ‘vilaya’-concealment of true nature.
Bindu or Vindu = (1) A point, a metaphysical point. (2) Undivided Ligth of Consciousness. (3) The compact mass of sakti gathered into an undifferentiated point ready to create (4) Parah pramata, the Highest Self or Consciousness. (5) Anusvara or nasal sound , suggesting the fact that Siva in spite of the manifestation of the universe is undivided. (6) A specific teja or light appearing in the centre of the eye-brows by the intensity of meditation.
Bindu = written also as Vindu, a point; a metaphysical point; ghanibhuta sakti,- the compact mass of Sakti gathered into pramata-the highest Self or Consciousness; the anusvara or nasal sound indicated by a dot on a letter indicating the fact that Siva in spite of the manifestation of the universe is undivided.
Bodha = Enlightenment; spiritual awakening.
Bhoga = Enjoyment
Bhouddam = Buddhism, exoteric as it is now called, denying the existence of the Soul and God, and proclaiming the supremacy of the human Reason of Buddhi alone.
Brahm = (Neuter gender) ; (Literally) means Great ; Supreme Being ; The Omnipresent Being.
Brahma = The deva of creation. One of the trimUrti (In Sankara Vedanta) Pure foundational Consciousness without activity; unlimited knowledge devoid of activity. (In Saiva Philosophy) Pure foundational consciousness full of svatantrya sakti i.e. unimpeded power to know and do any and every thing; parama Siva
Brahmajnana = The knowledge of Brahman
Brahmanadi = Susumna or the central pranic channel or nerve.
Brahmanirvana = Resting in pure jnana tattva devoid of activity; the state of Vijnanakala
Brahmarandhra = The Sahasrara Cakra ; the pranic centre at the top of the head.
Brahma-sutra = An authoritative treatise on Vedanta philosophy ascribed to Vyasa. Same as Vedanta-sutras
Brahmavada = Sankara Vedanta
Brahmananda = The fourth stage of ananda (joy) in anavopaya experienced by resting of consciousness on Samana prana resulting from the unified combination of multifarious objects.
brahman = Supreme Being, Absolute
brAhmaNa = 1. one pursuing brahman, one of the four sections of society
2. portion of vedas describing the application of the mantras
brahmarandhram = aperture in the head of the head through which the soul is said to escape on leaving body
Buddha = One awakened to the light of consciousness
Buddhi = Reason ; one of the four Andakaranas ; Sometimes the higher mind; the super-personal mind; the ascertaining intelligence; the intuitive aspect of consciousness by which the essential Self awakens to truth.
buddi = intellect
Buvana = The whole material universe.