Ayurveda should be modern and understandable for everyone, no matter what background you have! Nevertheless, there are some terms that are used over and over again in Ayurveda. Browse this alphabetical list if you want to look up some traditional Sanskrit terms!
| Sanskrit | English |
|---|---|
| Abhyanga | oil massage |
| Agni | digestive fire, metabolic principle, flame of life |
| Agnimandya | reducing the digestive fire |
| Ahara | Food, food intake, dish |
| Ahara-Rasa | Digesta, the first refined nutrient liquid during digestion |
| Akasha | Space, one of the five elements |
| Ama | Digestive toxins, literally “Undigested”, uncooked, raw |
| Ama vishaghna | Eliminating Ama toxines |
| Amapachana | Burning Ama, plants which strengthen the digestion of Ama |
| Amla | Sour |
| Anu Taila | Medicated sesame oil for application in the nose (Nasya-therapy) |
| Anulomana | Conductive, laxative |
| Anupana | Transport medium, vehicle substance for drugs |
| Arishta | Fermented medicinal products from decoction of medicinal plants, ayurvedic medicinal wine, Sanskrit name for Azadirachta indica |
| Asana | Literally “the seat”, body position in Yoga |
| Asava | Fermented medicinal products from extracts of medicinal plants, ayurvedic medicinal wine |
| Asthi | Bones, cartilage, supporting tissue, fifth Dhatu (structure principle) |
| Atharva-Veda | “Knowledge storehouse of atharvāṇas, the procedures for everyday life”. The last of the four Veda skriptures |
| Atma | The self, soul |
| Aushadha (Aushadhi) | Medicine |
| Avaleha | Sweet paste from medicinal plants |
| Ayurveda | System of traditional medicine with historical roots in Indian |
| Bala | Strength, power, vitality, name of Sida cordifolia |
| Balya | Toning, strengthening, tonicum |
| Bhasma | Ayurvedic preparation made out of metals and/or minerals |
| Bhutagni | Metabolic principle for splitting food into the five elements (Mahabhutas) |
| Brimhana | nourish, strengthen, nourishing therapie |
| Brimhaniya | nourish, strengthen, Nutritiv |
| Buddhi | Intellect, distinctive power |
| Churna | Powder |
| Desha | Place, habitat |
| Dhatu | body tissue, structure principle |
| Dhatuagni | “Body tissue fire”, Metabolic principle for promotion, reduction and transformation of tissues |
| Dhriti | Information processing, memory capability |
| Dosha | basic ayurvedic regulation principle in mind and body and in the external nature |
| Dosha Pachana | burns, digests excessive Doshas |
| Dravya | Substance |
| Dravya Guna | Property of substances, the study of the properties and effects of medicinal substances, especially of medicinal plants |
| Ghee (Hindi) | clarified butter |
| Ghrita | clarified butter |
| Grahi | Retaining liquid, constipating |
| Guggulu | Preparations containing as main ingredient the resin of Commiphora Mukul |
| Guna | Property |
| Guru | Heavy |
| Hemanta | first phase of winter |
| Hima | cold infusion |
| Hridyoga | Heart disease |
| Jala | Water (element) |
| Kalka | medicinal paste |
| Kapha | One of the ayurvedic regulation Principles (Doshas) of mind, body and external nature |
| Karma | action, movement, therapy, result of action |
| Kati | Lower back |
| Keshya | Good for hair growth |
| Krimi | pathogenic germs, parasites, worms |
| Kshara | Ashes of plants |
| Kshira | Milk |
| Kvata | Decoction |
| Laghu | Light |
| Langhana | Fast |
| Lauha | iron-containing preparation |
| Lepa | Medical Pack |
| Madhu | Honey |
| Madhura | sweet |
| Maharishi | Great seer |
| Majja | Bone marrow, spinal cord, brain matter, sixth ayurvedic structure principle, body tissue |
| Mala | Waste product, excretion |
| Mamsa | Muscle tissue, third structural principle (Dhatu) |
| Manas | Spirit, soul, mind, thought, psyche, intention, desire, will, mood, mindset |
| Mandagni | weak digestive fire |
| Meda | Adipose tissue, fourth Ayurvedic structure principle |
| Medhya | Increases intelligence, wisdom; improves mental performance, brain tonic, plants to improve brain performance |
| mridu | Soft |
| Mula | Root |
| Nadi | Channel, vessel, meridian, energy path, pulse, blood vessel; to sound |
| Nasya | Therapy over the nasal mucous membranes |
| Ojas | subtle fluid, the finest essence of food, the subtlest quality of Kapha, the foundation of immunity, health, inner happiness and well-being |
| Pachana | digestive, digestive plants |
| Phanta | Tea, warm infusion |
| Pichu | linen cloth, medical expression for locally used linen bag filled with a medicinal herb sud |
| Pitta | one of the three ayurvedic principles of regulation (doshas) of body, mind and external nature |
| Pittahara | reduces, balances imbalances of Pitta |
| Prabhava | pharmacological special effect of a substance or drug |
| Prakriti | nature, the constitution of human |
| Prameha | Group of 20 diseases with increased urinary excretion and pathological urine composition, often used as a term for diabetes mellitus |
| Prana | Life breath, nerve energy, one of the subdoshas of vata |
| Pritvi | Earth (element) |
| Rajas | one of the three “spiritual” qualities, which characterise the behaviour, character trait and emotionality of man, but is also contained as an activity in plants |
| Rajas | one of the three “spiritual” qualities, which characterise the behaviour, character trait and emotionality of man, but is also contained as an activity in plants |
| Rasa | Taste, juice, nourishing, plasma, lymph, first structural principle (Dhatu) |
| Rasa Shastra | literally “the science of mercury”, Textbook of Ayurvedic Alchemy |
| Rasayana | Rejuvenator |
| Ritu | season |
| Ritu-Charya | healthy lifestyle and behavior adapted to the seasons |
| Sama | balanced, healthy |
| Samagni | balanced digestive fire |
| Shamana | calming, balancing |
| Sharira | body |
| Shirobasti | medicinal oil bath on the top of the head |
| Shishira | declining winter, (cold) early spring |
| Shita | cold |
| Smirti | Recalling information, memory |
| Snehana | oiling, oil treatment |
| snigdha | oily, moist |
| Soma | in the ninth mandala of the Rik Veda mentioned juice of a “Soma” plant conferring youth and health; also “immortality potion of the gods” |
| Srotas | Channels, transport systems, in particular channels of microcirculation |
| Shukra | Germ cell tissue, semen, seventh structural principle (Dhatu), bright, pure, clear, white, juice, soma |
| Sutra | thread; vers, aphoristic rule |
| Svasta | Healthy |
| Svasthya | be based in the self, health |
| Sveda | sweat |
| Svedana | Cooking, heating, sweat therapy, heat application, increases persperation |
| Tamas | dull, dark, sluggish; one of the three “spiritual” Gunas; dullness, darkness, inertia |
| Tarpaka | subdosha of Kapha, primarily responsible for nourishing the central nervous system and sensory organs |
| Tikshna | sharp, cutting, intense |
| Tikshnagni | sharp Agni, hyperfunction of the digestive fire |
| Tikta | Bitter |
| Tridosha | the three Doshas |
| Udana | Up moving; one of the subdoshas of Vata |
| Ushna | heating, hot |
| Vaidya | The ayurvedic doctor |
| Vamana | Therapeutic vomiting; emetic |
| Vasanta | Spring |
| Vata | one of the three ayurvedic regulatory principles for mind and body (Doshas) |
| Vayu | wind, air element |
| Veda | knowledge, pure knowledge, science |
| Vipaka | Taste after digestion |
| Virya | potency; one of the Ayurvedic characteristics of medicinal substances |
| Visha | Poison |
| Vyadhi | Illness |
| Yoga | “unity”; India’s traditional philosophical teaching system for physical and mental health and spiritual development |
| Yogavahi | effect supporting; Substances that increase the effect of a drug |
