ACK: Glossary

Asafoetida: a strong-smelling spice used in small quantities to flavor savories, soups, and vegetable dishes.

Ayur-veda: (eye' yoor vay' dah) Vedic scriptures dealing with preventive and curative medicine.

Bhagavad-gita: (bha gah vahd' gee' tah) the sacred dialogue spoken five thousand years ago between Lord Krsna and His devotee Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, in India. It has five main topics: the Absolute Truth, the living entities, material nature, time, and karma. Bhagavad-gita is the essence of Vedic knowledge.

Bhakti-yoga: devotional service to the Supreme Lord.

Caitanya-caritamrta: (chat tan' yah chah ritahm ri tah) the biography of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu written over four hundred years ago by Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu: (chat tan' yah mah ha prah bhoo) the incarnation of Krsna who came five centuries ago, in the role of His own devotee, to teach the process of devotional service by chanting the holy names of God.

Chapati: (chah pah' tee) flat, round whole-wheat bread, cooked on a griddle and held over a flame until it inflates like a balloon.

Dal: (doll) husked and split lentils used to make savories, sweets, and soups; the soup made from such lentils.

Dosa: a sort of Indian pancake, sometimes stuffed with spiced potatoes.

Ekadasi: (ay kah' dah shee) the eleventh day of both the waxing and waning moon. On Ekadasi, devotees of Krsna simplify their diet by abstaining from grains, beans, and peas, and increase their remembrance of Krsna by intensifying their chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra and other devotional activities.

Garam masala: (literally, "hot spices") a blend of powdered spices added to a dish at the end of the cooking.

Ghee: clarified butter. Its delicate flavor and special qualities make it the best of all cooking mediums.

Gulab jamun: (goo luhb' jah mon) a sweet made of deep-fried powdered milk balls, soaked in rose-flavored syrup.

Halava: a dessert made from toasted grains, butter, and sugar.

Hare Krsna mantra: a sixteen-word prayer composed of the names Hare, Krsna, and Rama: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Hare (ha ray') is the personal form of God's own happiness, His eternal consort, Srimati Radharani. Krsna, "the all-attractive one," and Rama, "the all-pleasing one," are names of God. This prayer means "My dear Radharani and Krsna, please engage me in Your devotional service." The Vedas recommend the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra as the easiest and most sublime method of awakening one's dormant love of God.

ISKCON: the abbreviation for the International Society for Krsna Consciousness; the Hare Krsna Movement.

Karhai: (car' high) a deep, rounded pan with handles on both sides, used for deep-frying or pan-frying.

Karma: fruitive action, which always produces a reaction, good or bad.

Krsna: a name for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, meaning "infinitely attractive."

Masala: (mah sah' lah) a blend of spices.

Panch masala: a mixture of five whole spices used in preparing vegetable dishes.

Paneer: a fresh cheese with many uses in Indian cooking.

Prasada, or prasadam: (prah shahd', or prah shah' dum) "the mercy of Lord Krsna." Food prepared for the pleasure of Krsna and offered to Him with love and devotion. Because Krsna tastes the offering, the food becomes spiritualized and purifies anyone who eats it.

Puri: a small deep-fried flat bread made from white flour, wholewheat flour, or a mixture of both.

Raita: fruits or semicooked vegetables in lightly seasoned yogurt.

Sabji: (sub' jee) vegetable or vegetable dish.

Samosa: a deep-fried turnover, stuffed with cooked fruits or spiced vegetables.

Srila Prabhupada: (1896-1977): (shree' lah prah' bhoo pahd) the founder and spiritual master of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness. Srila Prabhupada was a fully God conscious saint who had perfect realization of the Vedic scriptures. He worked incessantly to spread Krsna consciousness all over the world.

Srimad-Bhagavatam: (shree' mahd bhah'gah vah tum) the scripture composed by Srila Vyasadeva (the literary incarnation of Lord Krsna) to describe and explain Lord Krsna's pastimes.

Tava: a slightly concave cast-iron frying pan used for cooking chapatis and other flat Indian breads.

Thali: (tal' lee) a low-rimmed metal plate.

Vaisnava: (vie' shnav ah) a devotee of Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Vedas: (Vedic literatures): scriptures compiled five thousand years ago in India by Srila Vyasadeva, an incarnation of Lord Krsna. The Vedas conclude that the ultimate goal of human life is to reestablish our eternal loving relationship with Krsna (God).

Vrindavana: (vrin dah' vun) the village in North India where Lord Krsna lived as a child; the supreme transcendental abode of the Supreme Lord in the spiritual universe.

Yogi: a transcendentalist, one who strives to attain the Supreme.