Glossary

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G

Gadä	a club.
Gadädharé	the Supreme Lord, carrier of the club.
Gajendra	the king of the elephants. He was saved from a crocodile by Lord Viñëu and awarded liberation.
Gändhäré	the saintly, faithful wife of King Dhåtaräñöra and the mother of one hundred sons.
Gandharvas	demigod singers and musicians.
Gaëeça	the demigod in charge of material opulence and freedom from misfortune. He is a son of Lord Çiva and the scribe who wrot e down the [Mahäbhärata].
Ganga	the Ganges River .
Gäïjä	marijuana.
Garbhädhäna-saàskära	the Vedic ceremony of purification to be performed by parents before conceiving a child.
Garbhodaka Ocean	the body of water that fills the bottom part of each material universe.
Garbhodakaçäyé Viñëu	the second Viñëu expansion, who enters each universe and from whose navel grows a lotus upon which Lord Brahmä appears. Brahmä then creates the diverse material manifestations.
Garga Muni	the family priest for the Yadu dynasty.
Garuòa	Lord Viñëu's eternal carrier, a great devotee in a birdlike form.
Garuòa Puräëa	one of the eighteen [Puräëas,] or Vedic historical scriptures.
Gauòéya-Mädhva-sampradäya	the Vaiñëava disciplic succession of bona fide spiritual masters coming through Çréla Madhväcärya and Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu; the followers in that tradition.
Gauòéya Vaiñëavas	devotees of Lord Kåñëa coming in disciplic succession from Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu.
Gauòéya Vaiñëava-sampradäya	the line of spiritual masters descending from Lord Caitanya.
Gauracandra	the "golden moon," Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu.
Gaurakiçora däsa Bäbäjé	the disciple of Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura who was the spiritual master of Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura.
Gaurakåñëa	[See:] Caitanya Mahäprabhu
Gaura-pürëimä	the appearance day of Lord Caitanya.
Gaurasundara	the beautiful, golden-compleioned Lord, Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu.
Gäyatré mantra	the Vedic prayer chanted silently by [brähmaëas] at sunrise, noon and sunset.
Ghee	clarified butter.
Giridhäré	the Supreme Lord, Kåñëa, the lifter of Govardhana Hill.
Giriça	[See:] Çiva
Go-däsa	a servant of the senses.
Godhead	the ultimate source of all energies.
Gokula	[See:] Våndävana
Gokuleçvara	Lord Kåñëa, the master of Gokula.
Goloka Våndävana (Kåñëaloka)	the highest spiritual planet, Lord Kåñëa's personal abode.
Gopa-jäti	[See: Vaiçyas]
Gopäla	the Supreme Lord, Kåñëa, who protects the cows.
Gopäla Bhaööa Gosvämé	one of the six Vaiñëava spiritual masters who directly followed Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu and systematically presented His teachings.
Gopé-jana-vallabha	the Supreme Lord, Kåñëa, who is dear to the [gopés].
Gopés	Kåñëa's cowherd girl friends, who are His most surrendered and confidential devotees.
Gopéçvara	[See:] Çiva
Gosvämé	a controller of the mind and senses; the title of one in the renounced, or [sannyäsa,] order.
Govardhana	a large hill dear to Lord Kåñëa and His devotees. Kåñëa held it up for seven days to protect His devotees in Våndävan from a devastating storm sent by Indra.
Govinda	the Supreme Lord, Kåñëa, who gives pleasure to the land, the senses, and the cows.
Govinda däsa Öhäkura	an author of important Vaiñëava songs.
Grämya-karma	mundane activities.
Gåhamedhé	a materialistic householder.
Gåha-vrata	one attached to the material duties of family life.
Gåhastha	regulated householder life; the second order of Vedic spiritual life; one in that order.
Gujarat	a province in north-western India .
Guëa-avatäras	Viñëu, Brahmä and Çiva, the presiding deities of the three modes of nature.
Guëas	the three modes, or qualities, of material nature: goodness, passion and ignorance.
Guru	a spiritual master.
Guru-dakñiëä	a disciple's gift to his spiritual master, collected by begging and given as a token of gratitude.
Guru-kula	a school of Vedic learning. Boys begin at age five and live as celibate students, guided by a spiritual master.
Guru-püjä	worship of the spiritual master.