ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Hinduism's Online Lexicon - A-z Dictionary S sacrament: 1) Holy rite, especially one solemnized in a formal, consecrated manner which is a bonding between the recipient and God, Gods or guru. This includes rites of passage (samskara), ceremonies sanctifying crucial events or stages of life. 2) Prasada. Sacred substances, grace-filled gifts, blessed in sacred ceremony or by a holy person. See: prasada, samskara. sacred thread: Yajnopavita. See: upanayana.

sacrifice: Yajna. 1) Making offerings to a Deity as an expression of homage and devotion. 2) Giving up something, often one's own possession, advantage or preference, to serve a higher purpose. The literal meaning of sacrifice is "to make sacred," implying an act of worship. It is the most common translation of the term yajna, from the verb yuj, "to worship." In Hinduism, all of life is a sacrifice--called jivayajna, a giving of oneself--through which comes true spiritual fulfillment.

Tyaga, the power of detachment, is an essential quality of true sacrifice. See: tyaga, yajna. sadachara: (Sanskrit) "Good conduct; virtue, morality." It is embodied in the principles of dharma. See: dharma, yama-niyama, pada. Sadasiva: (Sanskrit) "Ever-auspicious." A name of the Primal Soul, Siva, a synonym for Parameshvara, which is expressed in the physical being of the satguru.

Sadasiva especially denotes the power of revealing grace, anugraha shakti, the third tattva, after which emerge Siva's other four divine powers. This five-fold manifestation or expression of God's activity in the cosmos is depicted in Hindu mantras, literature and art as the five-faced Sadasivamurti. Looking upward is Ishana, "ruler" (the power of revealment). Facing east is Tatpurusha, "supreme soul" (the power of obscuration).

Westward-looking is Sadyojata, "quickly birthing" (the power of creation). Northward is Vamadeva, "lovely, pleasing" (the power of preservation). Southward is Aghora, "nonterrifying" (the power of reabsorption). The first four faces revealed the Vedas. The fifth face, Ishana, revealed the Agamas. These five are also called Sadasiva, the revealer; Maheshvara, the obscurer; Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the preserver; and Rudra, the destroyer. See: Parameshvara, tattva.

sadhaka: (Sanskrit) From sadh, "going straight to the goal." A spiritual aspirant; a devotee who performs sadhana.