VAISHNAVA PARIBHASHA

 VAISHNAVA TERMINOLOGY

   

A list of common terms used in vaishNava parlance.

emperumAn எம்பெருமான் - Lord, Lord NArAyaNa, Our Lord

emperumATTi எம்பெருமாட்டி - Lordess, Lordess ShreedEvi, Our Lordess

panchamOpAyam - Fifth path, which involves treating Guru as God. Madhurakavi AzhvAr considered his Guru NammAzhvAr as his God. Synonyms - AchArya niShTha, antima niShTha, charama parva niShTha.

pirAn -  Lord, God

pirATTi - Lordess,Goddess

aDiyEn - The servant of Lord NArAyaNa, Used to denote the subordinate self without the ego 'I', Having surrendered to Shreeman nArAyaNa seeking his feet as the sole refuge, vaishNavas say 'aDiyEn' instead of 'I'.

dAsan - servant, servitor of Lord NArAyaNa, Synonyms - aDiyEn

perumAL - Lord NArAyaNa, VishNu idol

periya perumAl - Shree RanganAtha

periya kOyil - Shreerangam

tAyAr - Lordess, Mother, Lordess Lakshmi, Mother ShreedEvi

kOyil, kOvil - temple, also refers to Shreerangam Shree RanganAtha temple.

divyadEsam - A VishNu temple sung by one or more of the AzhvArs, temples for which AzhvArs have performed mangaLAshAsanams.

mangaLAshasanam - Poems that glorify vishNu deity in temples (sung by AzhvArs and AchAryas)

divya prabandhams - 4000 hymns sung by AzhvArs, also called "AzhvArin aruLi-cheyal"

pAsuram - A hymn or verse from the 4000 divyaprabandhams.

taniyan - A laudatory verse recited in the beginning of the poem or prose. Example: rAmAnuja dayApAtram gyAna vairAgya bhooshaNam.......

phala shruti - A verse of a poem or shloka, usually the last one, that grants favorable results for the reciter.

aDivaravu - A short line to remember the first word of every verse of a poem or shloka. 

tirumAl - Lord VishNu

tirumagaL - Lordess Lakshmi, ShreedEvi

maNmagaL - Lordess Bhoomi dEvi, bhoodEvi, Goddess of earth.

nAchchiyAr - the wife (Aychchi) of Lord nArAyaNa (Acchchi + nArAyaNa), tefers to female AzhvAr ANDAL, ref: nAchhiyAr tirumozhi.

ubhaya nAchchiyAr - The two consorts of Lord VishNu namely shreedEvi and bhoodEvi.

kOdai, kOdai nAchchiyAr - ANDAL, daughter of VishNuchittan/PeriyAzhvAr, consort of Lord RanganAtha into whom she merged due to true devotion. 

nityavibhooti - VaikunTh, the permanent abode of Lord NArAyaNa, Paramapadam, veeDu (in tamizh)

leelA vibhooti - Lord vishNu's universe and his avatAras.

upAyam - means, path to the goal moksha, Synonyms - prApakam, hita

upEyam - means the goal to be attained, Synonyms - prApyam, purushArtha

pravRitti mArga - 'bhakti yOga' which needs to be done continuously without mistake,  nivRitti mARga - 'prapatti yOga' which needs to be done only once and all responsibilities to be surrendered to Shreeman nArAyaNa.

sharaNyan - The one to whom we surrender, Shreeman nArAyaNa

sharaNAgata  - The one who surrenders, the devotee.

sharaNAgati - surrender, Synonyms - prapatti, nyAsa, bharaNyAsa, AtmasamarpaNa, nikshEpa, prapadana

........some more......coming sooooooon