Glossary

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Padma	the lotus flower held by Lord Viñëu. The padma lotus blooms in the moonlight and closes its petals in the sunlight.
Padma Puräëa	one of the eighteen [Puräëas,] or Vedic historical scriptures.
Pädya	water ceremoniously offered for washing an honored guest's feet.
Païca-gavya	five products from the cow, used in bathing a worshipable person. The are milk, yogurt, ghee, cow urine and cow dung.
Païca-mahäyajïa	the five daily sacrifices householders perform to become free from sins committed unintentionally.
Païcarätra	Vedic literatures describing the process of Deity worship. [See also: Närada-païcarätra]
Päïcarätrika-vidhi	the devotional process of Deity worship and [mantra] meditation found in the [Païcarätra] literature.
Païca-çasya	five kinds of grains.
Païcopäsanä	the impersonalists' worship of five deities (Viñëu, Durgä, Brahmä, Gaëeça and Vivasvän) that is motivated by the desire to ultimately abandon all conceptions of a personal Absolute.
Päëòavas	Yudhiñöhira, Bhéma, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva, the five warrior-brothers who were intimate friends and devotees of Lo rd Kåñëa.
Paëòita	a scholar.
Päëòu	the brother of Dhåtaräñöra and father of the five Päëòavas.
Para	transcendental.
Parabrahman	the Supreme Absolute Truth as the Personality of Godhead, Viñëu, or Kåñëa.
Pärakéya-rasa	the relationship between a married woman and her paramour, particularly the relationship between the damsels of Våndävana and Kåñëa.
Paramahaàsa	a topmost, swanlike devotee of the Supreme Lord; the highest stage of [sannyäsa].
Paramätmä	the Supersoul, a Viñëu expansion of the Supreme Lord residing in the heart of each embodied living entity and pervading all of material nature.
Parameçvara	the supreme controller, Lord Kåñëa.
Paramparä	a disciplic succession.
Parä prakåti	the superior energy of the Supreme Lord.
Parärdha	one half of Brahmä's lifetime; 155,520,000,000 years.
Paräçara	the great sage who narrated the [Viñëu Puräëa] and was the father of Çréla Vyäsadeva.
Paraçuräma	the incarnation of the Supreme Lord who destroyed twenty-one consecutive generations of unlawful members of the rulin g class.
Pärijäta flower	a wonderful flower found in the heavenly planets.
Parékñit Mahäräja	the emperor of the world who heard [Çrémad-Bhägavatam] from Çukadeva Gosvämé and thus attained perfection.
Parivräjakäcärya	the third stage of [sannyäsa,] wherein the devotee constantly travels and preaches.
Pärvaté	Saté, Lord Çiva's consort, reborn as the daughter of the king of the Himalayan Mountains .
Päñaëòé	an atheist.
Pätälaloka	the lowest of the universe's fourteen planetary systems; also, the lower planets in general.
Pataïjali	the author of the original [yoga] system.
Paöhana	studying the scriptures.
Paugaëòa	the period of childhood between age five and ten.
Pauëòraka	an enemy of Lord Kåñëa who attempted to imitate Him.
Phala-çrutis	Sanskrit verses granting various benedictions.
Piëòa	an annual offering made to departed ancestors.
Pitäs	forefathers; especially those departed ancestors who have been promoted to one of the higher planets.
Pitåloka	the planet of the ancestors, a heavenly planet.
Pitta	bile, one of the three main elements of the body.
Prabhäsa-tértha	a holy place near Dvärakä.
Prabhu	master.
Prabhupäda, Çréla	the founder and spiritual preceptor of the Hare Kåñëa movement.
Prabodhänanda Sarasvaté	a great Vaiñëava poet-philosopher and devotee of Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu. He was the uncle of Gopäla Bhaööa Gosvämé.
Pracetäs	the ten sons of King Präcénabarhi. They achieved perfection by worshiping Lord Viñëu.
Präcénabarhi	a king who, entangled in fruitive activities, received instructions on devotional service from Närada Muni.
Pradhäna	the total material energy in its unmanifest state.
Pradyumna	one of the four original expansions of Lord Kåñëa in the spiritual world.
Prahläda Mahäräja	a devotee persecuted by his demoniac father Hiraëyakaçipu but protected and saved by the Lord in the form of Nrsiàhadeva.
Prajäpatis	the demigods in charge of populating the universe.
Prajäs	citizens (including all species of life).
Präkämya	the mystic ability to fulfil any of one's desires.
Prakaöa-lélä	the manifestation on earth of the Supreme Lord's pastimes.
Präkåta-sahajiyäs	pseudo devotees of Krsna.
Prakåti	the energy of the Supreme; the female principle enjoyed by the male [puruña].
Pramadä	woman, to whom a man becomes madly attached.
Pramatta	one who is crazy because he cannot control his senses.
Pramlocä	the daughter of the sage Kaëòu by the heavenly society girl Märiñä. She became the wife of the Pracetäs.
Präëa	the life air.
Präëa-maya	(consciousness) absorbed in maintaining one's bodily existence.
Präëäyäma	breath control used in [yoga] practice, especially [añöäìga-yoga].
Präpti	the mystic ability to immediately obtain any material object.
Prasädam	the Lord's mercy; food or other items spiritualized by being first offered to the Supreme Lord.
Praçänta	undisturbed by the modes of nature.
Prasüti	a daughter of Sväyambhuva Manu who was the wife of Dakña.
Pratigraha	accepting charity.
Pratyähära	withdrawal of the senses from all unnecessary activities.
Pravåtti-märga	the path of sense enjoyment in accordance with Vedic regulations.
Präyaçcitta	atonement for sinful acts.
Prayojana	The ultimate goal
Prema	pure love of God, the highest stage in the progressive development of devotional service.
Prema-bhakta	a devotee absorbed in pure love of God.
Priyatama	dearmost.
Priyavrata	the son of Sväyambhuva Manu and brother of Uttänapäda. He once ruled the universe.
Påçni	the name of Devaké in a previous birth.
Påthä	Kunté, the wife of King Päëdu, mother of the Päëòavas and aunt of Lord Kåñëa.
Påthu Mahäräja	an empowered incarnation of Lord Kåñëa who demonstrated how to be an ideal ruler.
Pulaha	one of the seven great sages born directly from Lord Brahmä.
Pulastya	one of the seven great sages born directly from Lord Brahmä.
Puàçcalé	a harlot or unchaste woman.
Puëya-çloka	verses that increase one's piety; one who is glorified by such verses.
Puräëas	eighteen literary supplements to the [Vedas,] discussing such topics as the creation of the universe, incarnations of th e Supreme Lord and demigods, and the history of dynasties of saintly kings.
Pürtam	performance of sacrifice.
Püru	the youngest son of King Yayäti. He agreed to exchange his youth for his father's old age.
Purüravä	a king who was captivated by the celestial woman Urvaçé.
Puruña	the enjoyer, or male; the living entity or the Supreme Lord.
Puruña-avatäras	the three primary Viñëu expansions of the Supreme Lord who are involved in universal creation.
Puruñottama	Lord Kåñëa, who is the Supreme Person.
Pütanä	a witch who was sent by Kaàsa to appear in the form of a beautiful woman to kill baby Kåñëa, but who was instead killed b y Him and granted liberation.