The Bhagavad Gita by Eknath Easwaran

glossary ╯
Mādhava Another name for Krishna, “of the Madhava clan.”
Madhusūdana “Slayer of Madhu,” a name for Krishna, who killed
the demon Madhu.
Mahābhārata Name of the great Indian epic composed some 2,500
years ago, traditionally attributed to the sage Vyāsa. It
relates the conflict between the descendants of Pāndu (the
forces of light) and those of Dhritarāshtra (the forces of
darkness).
manas The mind; specifically, the faculty which registers and stores
sensory impressions.
mantram [or mantra ] A holy name or phrase; a spiritual formula.
Manu The father of the human race, the Hindu equivalent of Adam
or the first man.
Mārgashīrsha The lunar month that falls in November – December.
Marīchi A Vedic demigod. The name means “particle of light.”
Māyā Illusion; appearance, as contrasted with Reality; the creative
power of God.
Meerā A woman saint of medieval India remembered for her songs
to her beloved Krishna.
Meru A mythical mountain said to stand at the center of the world
or cosmos. The gods dwell on Meru in beautiful cities,
amidst flowering gardens.
moksha Liberation, salvation, illumination.
Nakula One of the junior Pāndava brothers.
Nārada The divine musician and sage who is a devotee of Sri Krishna.
Nirvāna [ nir “out”; vāna “to blow”] Complete extinction of self-will
and separateness; realization of the unity of all life. (See also
Notes, p.268.)
nirvikalpa samādhi A state of spiritual awareness in which there is
no perception of duality, of inside or outside, of subject and
object; merger in the impersonal Godhead.
Om [or Aum ] The cosmic sound, heard in deep meditation; the
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