Sanskrit Terms Starting with B

Baddha comes from the Sanskrit root bandh, meaning to bind or tie.

In yogic context, it denotes stability or containment, whether binding the body in a posture or locking energy in a practice.

The term appears in classical texts to describe fixed positions, such as limbs held by hands, as well as internal applications like bandhas.

Recognizing baddha in pose names helps practitioners understand the action involved, signaling that something is meant to be held in place.

Examples include baddha hasta, where the hands are clasped, or bound twists where an arm wraps around the body.

Energetically, creating a bind can intensify sensation, focus awareness, and channel effort into a specific area.

Symbolically, baddha reflects restraint and concentration, teaching steadiness through containment rather than excess movement.

Baddha Konasana combines baddha (bound), kona (angle), and asana (pose).

Traditional Hatha Yoga texts describe it as beneficial for meditation and maintaining hip mobility.

The bound angle refers to the diamond shape created by the legs with the knees open and feet drawn in.

Some classical sources also refer to this posture as Bhadrasana, meaning Auspicious or Throne Pose.

Energetically, it directs prana toward the pelvic region and is often associated with grounding and calmness.

The inward folding of the legs encourages introspection and a cooling, settling effect on the nervous system.

Bahir kumbhaka literally means outer suspension of breath.

The torso is likened to a pot holding prana, with retention occurring after exhalation.

Classical texts describe this form of kumbhaka as more challenging than internal retention because it rests in emptiness.

Practiced gradually, it can quiet the mind and create a deep sense of stillness.

When combined with bandhas, it is said to help direct pranic flow into the central channel.

Bahiranga literally translates to outer limb.

In the eight-limbed system, yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, and sometimes pratyahara are considered bahiranga practices.

These disciplines prepare the body and mind for inner practices like concentration and meditation.

Bahiranga emphasizes that spiritual development begins with tangible, lived actions.

Bahya is the adjectival form related to bahir.

In pranayama, bahya kumbhaka means holding the breath after exhalation.

The term highlights the polarity between outer and inner practices.

Working consciously with bahya aspects supports later inward refinement.

Bakasana comes from baka (crane) and asana (pose).

Classical texts distinguish crane pose from crow pose based on arm position.

The posture strengthens the arms and core while sharpening concentration.

Energetically, it activates the navel center and builds confidence through balance.

Balasana means child pose, reflecting both shape and attitude.

It gently stretches the back, hips, and ankles.

Energetically, it is calming and grounding.

The posture symbolizes humility, surrender, and safety.

Bandha comes from the root meaning to bind or tighten.

The three main bandhas are mula, uddiyana, and jalandhara.

These locks stabilize energy and support concentration.

Physically, bandhas strengthen and protect internal structures.

Symbolically, they represent mastery of attention and life force.

Basti is described in classical Hatha Yoga sources as a purification method used to cleanse the bowels and support health.

Two main forms are commonly referenced: jala basti (using water) and sthala basti (dry, using air suction).

In jala basti, the practitioner traditionally squats in water and uses abdominal control, often including nauli, to draw water into the rectum and colon, then expels it.

Traditional texts claim therapeutic benefits for abdominal and digestive disorders, framing basti as a direct method of cleansing the lower tract.

Ayurveda also uses the word basti for a major therapeutic category involving herbal enemas intended to balance the doshas.

Because this practice is invasive and easy to misapply, it is rarely taught openly in modern settings.

The underlying yogic principle remains consistent: purification of the body supports clarity of mind and steadiness in practice.

Bhajana in Sanskrit carries the sense of adoration or worship, and bhajan refers to expressing that devotion through singing.

Bhajans are typically easy to learn and communal, emphasizing sincerity of feeling over musical complexity.

They have long been a core practice within Bhakti Yoga, with many compositions associated with poet saints and devotional lineages.

As a sadhana, singing bhajans engages emotion, breath, rhythm, and community, directing the heart toward reverence and love.

Many practitioners describe the effect as softening the sense of separateness, where voice and listening merge into shared presence.

In that sense, a bhajan functions as more than a song. It becomes a vehicle for union through sound and feeling.

Bhakti comes from the root bhaj, often explained as to partake in, to share in, or to love.

Bhakti Yoga includes practices such as kirtan, puja, remembrance of the divine, and seva, each meant to refine emotion into devotion.

Devotional relationship can take many forms, including servant, friend, parent, lover, or peaceful adoration, depending on temperament and tradition.

A defining feature of bhakti is accessibility. It welcomes all because everyone has the capacity for love and sincere offering.

In practice, bhakti is expressed as an inner orientation, often linked with Ishvara Pranidhana, a surrendering dedication of effort and outcome.

Over time, this shifts the center of gravity from self-concern toward reverence, trust, and belonging within something larger.

Bhastrika literally means bellows, pointing to strong, symmetrical inhalations and exhalations.

Classical Hatha Yoga sources praise it for its intensity and its ability to generate heat and vitality.

The technique uses rapid diaphragmatic action, with both inhale and exhale active and of similar force.

After a round of bellows breaths, practices often include a deeper inhale and retention, followed by exhale and a pause, to absorb the effects.

Bhastrika is often compared with Kapalabhati, though Kapalabhati emphasizes forceful exhalations while inhalations are more passive.

Energetically, it is commonly associated with activating the navel center and sharpening mental clarity.

Because it is intense, it is typically introduced gradually and avoided in certain conditions such as uncontrolled high blood pressure or pregnancy.

When practiced appropriately, it can leave a practitioner feeling clear-headed, vitalized, and unusually quiet inside after the breath work settles.

Bhava is the fuller Sanskrit form, meaning state of being or emotive attitude, and “bhav” is a common shorthand in modern yoga communities.

In Bhakti Yoga, specific bhavas describe the relational tone of devotion, such as servant, friend, parental love, lover, or peaceful adoration.

More broadly, bhav points to the inner quality behind an action, not only what you do but how you do it.

A posture practiced with a prayerful bhav can feel fundamentally different than the same posture performed mechanically.

Teachers may use the word to invite sincerity, presence, and emotional alignment, so the practice becomes lived rather than performed.

Bhav is what turns technique into expression and discipline into something human and meaningful.

Bhava can indicate an inner condition, including emotion, disposition, and the subtle attitude shaping experience.

In Bhakti Yoga, bhava is considered pivotal, describing the sincere devotional mood that ripens the heart toward deeper absorption.

Some traditions describe a progression where devotion intensifies in feeling and steadiness, sometimes culminating in ecstatic devotional states.

Beyond devotion, bhava also appears in broader Indian and Buddhist contexts as becoming or the process of existence.

For yogis, the practical insight is direct: the inner attitude often shapes the outcome more than technique alone.

Cultivating an elevated bhava can give depth to asana, mantra, meditation, and even daily actions.

Bhava samadhi combines bhava (devotional mood) with samadhi (absorption).

It is commonly referenced in Bhakti traditions where devotion becomes so concentrated that ordinary self-reference recedes.

Compared with other presentations of samadhi, bhava samadhi is often described as emotionally expressive, with devotion remaining central.

Some traditions frame it as absorption in a personal form of the divine, where love and relationship remain present within the experience.

Accounts describe devotional signs such as tears, trembling, or spontaneous chanting, reflecting the intensity of inner feeling.

In this view, bhava samadhi is not treated as a final goal by itself, but as a sign of ripened devotion and concentrated heart.

It reinforces a core yogic principle: the summit can be reached through stillness of mind and also through purity of love.

Bhavana is widely used in yogic and Buddhist contexts to mean mental development and intentional cultivation.

It implies bringing a wholesome state into being through repetition, reflection, visualization, mantra, or feeling.

A closely related yogic application is pratipaksha bhavana, cultivating an opposing thought to counter unhelpful patterns.

In Buddhist usage, bhavana appears in practices such as cultivation of loving-kindness and development of concentration and wisdom.

Tantric systems may also use bhavana to describe creative visualization that shapes perception and energy.

The core idea is training. With sustained cultivation, a chosen inner quality becomes more natural and stable over time.

Bhavana points to the art of becoming through consistent attention, shaping the mind by what it repeatedly returns to.

Bheka is a straightforward Sanskrit animal word meaning frog.

In modern posture usage, Bhekasana is associated with a deep quadriceps stretch and front-body opening while lying on the belly.

Frog imagery can suggest grounded readiness, a low center of gravity, and the capacity to spring, which can be a useful cue for approaching the pose with steadiness.

Frog-related names also appear elsewhere in yoga vocabulary, including Mandukasana, another posture name using a different Sanskrit word for frog.

In short, bheka functions primarily as posture terminology, anchoring the asana in a clear natural image.

Bhoga is commonly linked to the root bhuj, meaning to enjoy, consume, or partake.

In philosophical discussion, bhoga is often paired with yoga as two orientations: pursuit of enjoyment versus pursuit of union and inner discipline.

Classical yoga tends to emphasize vairagya, dispassion, as a safeguard against bhoga becoming raga, craving and attachment.

Another important meaning of bhoga is fruition or experience, as in the lived results of karma, the pleasant and painful outcomes one undergoes.

Some tantric perspectives treat experience itself as workable material, suggesting that pleasure can be met with awareness and transformed rather than rejected.

For modern practice, bhoga becomes a mirror: noticing the pull toward comfort, taste, entertainment, and validation, then relating to those drives with clarity and self-command.

The mature application is enjoyment without clinging, letting life be sweet without letting sweetness become a leash.

Bhrumadhya breaks down as bhru (eyebrow) and madhya (middle or center).

As a concentration point, it is commonly associated with ajna chakra and the development of one-pointed attention.

Some meditation methods use bhrumadhya drishti, a turned-in, slightly upward gaze, as a way to collect the mind.

It is also culturally marked by the bindi or tilak in many traditions, symbolizing insight and inner seeing.

Practically, the gaze can feel intense at first, so it is often approached lightly, with minimal effort and a steady, relaxed face.

The point is less about strain and more about orientation, a gentle gathering of attention toward a single inner axis.

In yoga pose compounds, bhuja typically points to arm action, weight-bearing, or arm positioning.

For example, Bhujapidasana translates as arm pressure pose, describing how the legs press into the upper arms.

It is useful to separate bhuja from bhujanga. Bhuja means arm, while bhujanga is a full word meaning serpent.

In teaching language, “bhuja” can implicitly include the shoulder girdle, since shoulder stability is inseparable from arm function in most asanas.

Recognizing bhuja helps decode posture names quickly and anticipate the main demand of the pose.

Bhujanga is a Sanskrit term for snake, used widely in posture names and metaphor.

Serpent imagery is often tied to yogic symbolism of latent energy, especially kundalini, pictured as coiled and capable of rising.

In movement language, “serpent-like” can describe wave-like spinal articulation and a grounded, alert quality.

It is important to keep the vocabulary clean: bhuja means arm, while bhujanga is serpent, even though the words look similar.

In practice, the serpent image can cue steadiness in the lower body with a smooth, controlled lift through the spine and chest.

The name combines bhujanga (serpent) and asana (posture).

In many modern lineages, Cobra is taught as a foundational spinal extension that can counter rounded posture patterns.

Key elements include lengthening through the spine, grounding the pelvis and legs, and keeping the shoulders broad and stable.

Energetically, the chest opening is often associated with heart-centered qualities, and the serpent image suggests alert, poised vitality rather than aggressive effort.

In vinyasa contexts, Bhujangasana is sometimes used as an accessible alternative to Upward-Facing Dog, emphasizing more back-body engagement and less load through the wrists.

The posture can be approached as a gradual awakening of extension, lifting from the center of the spine with steady breath rather than pushing into height.

Bija is used in Tantra and mantra practice for foundational syllables associated with deities, elements, and chakras.

These syllables are often treated as essences rather than translated words, working through vibration, attention, and repetition.

Bija also functions as a philosophical metaphor for causality and potential, where an unseen source condition gives rise to visible effects.

In yogic psychology, latent impressions are sometimes compared to seeds in the mind that sprout when conditions are favorable.

The practical implication is simple: what is repeatedly planted through thought, speech, and action becomes the garden of experience.

In this way, bija points to the power of the subtle, where a small inner cause can mature into a large outer reality.

In tantric symbolism, bindu is often treated as a point of unity, the concentrated center from which patterns unfold.

In yantra imagery, the central dot can represent singular reality before division into polarity and form.

Some Hatha and tantric models speak of bindu as a vital essence connected with nectar imagery, preserved and refined through advanced practice.

In mantra phonetics, the bindu dot can indicate nasal resonance, adding a subtle vibratory quality to sound.

The shared theme is concentration: bindu points to the power of a single focal point, whether visual, sonic, or energetic.

As a teaching symbol, it carries a simple message: the infinite can be approached through the precision of attention.

Brahmacarya is often explained as conduct that supports realization, sometimes glossed as walking in Brahman.

Historically, it was also the student stage of life, marked by disciplined learning and restraint.

In Yoga Sutra commentary traditions, brahmacarya is typically framed as chastity in thought, speech, and action.

Many modern teachers interpret it as sexual responsibility and energetic stewardship rather than a single rule applied to everyone.

The underlying logic is conservation and redirection: vital energy preserved from compulsive outlet becomes available for clarity, steadiness, and deeper practice.

In a householder context, this can look like faithfulness, honesty, and moderation, with attention to the emotional and ethical dimensions of intimacy.

In a wider sense, brahmacarya can include moderation across the senses, including food, entertainment, and stimulation, because scattered appetite tends to scatter attention.

Practiced with maturity, it is less about repression and more about intelligent alignment of desire with values and purpose.

In the Upanishadic and Advaita Vedanta view, Brahman is the unchanging, infinite reality that is both immanent and transcendent, the substrate of the universe.

It is often described as sat-chit-ananda, being, consciousness, and bliss, while also being beyond complete description and conceptual capture.

A classic teaching uses the metaphor of gold and ornaments: forms change, names change, yet the substance remains one. In this model, all names and forms are expressions of Brahman in essence.

Ignorance is often framed as maya, the power through which multiplicity appears, even though reality is non-dual.

Liberation is the direct knowing that atman is Brahman, a recognition expressed in teachings like Tat Tvam Asi, That Thou Art.

In yoga contexts, Brahman is sometimes used as shorthand for the Universal or the Divine, even though Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras use different technical language, such as purusha and ishvara.

It is important to distinguish Brahman from Brahma, a creator deity, and from brahmin, a social and priestly designation. Brahman refers to the Absolute.

Experientially, deep meditation can reveal a taste of boundless awareness, yet traditional teaching still holds that Brahman is beyond any particular experience.

Buddha comes from the root budh, meaning to awaken, to know, or to understand clearly.

In Buddhist doctrine, awakening involves deep insight into the causes of suffering and the path that ends it, summarized in the Four Noble Truths and lived through the Noble Eightfold Path.

While “the Buddha” usually means Gautama, the term is also a category, describing full enlightenment rather than a single personality.

Yoga and Buddhism use different frameworks and vocabulary, yet both point toward freedom from distorted perception and compulsive reactivity.

In modern spiritual language, people sometimes say “inner Buddha” to point toward an innate capacity for awakening, although traditionally the term buddha is reserved for a complete realization, not simply calmness or insightfulness.

In iconography, buddhas are often shown with specific mudras that symbolize teaching, fearlessness, meditation, or compassion, reinforcing that awakening is expressed through conduct as much as inner realization.

In Samkhya and Yoga philosophy, buddhi is a key component of the antahkarana, the inner instrument of mind, alongside manas, ahamkara, and citta.

Buddhi is the decision-maker and the discriminative capacity, often linked with viveka, the ability to see clearly and choose the skillful over the compulsive.

When buddhi is clouded by emotion, habit, or ego, choices tend to follow impulse. When buddhi is steady, it can observe mental movements without being carried by them.

In classical Yoga Sutra psychology, this matters because buddhi can reflect the light of purusha, pure awareness. A clear buddhi becomes a clean mirror.

In the Bhagavad Gita, buddhi yoga refers to acting with discernment and aligned intention, using intelligence to serve dharma rather than personal grasping.

Meditation, ethical living, and study are often described as ways to refine buddhi, strengthening the mind’s capacity to see through illusion and respond with balance.

The linguistic family is worth noticing: buddhi and Buddha share the same root, underscoring the idea that awakening is intimately tied to clarified intelligence.