From The Gandhi Reader. Homer A. Jack, ed. Indiana University Press. 1956.

Ahimsa - Non-violence (a privative; hirnsa, violence). This is an ancient Hindu precept, proclaimed by Buddha, by disciples of Vishnu, and by Mahavira, founder of Jainism.

Ashrain - Religious community or institution or school; place of discipline and service.

Ba - Familiar title for mother in Gujarati. Used as a title of respect for Mrs. Gandhi.

Bai, behn - A kindly way of addressing a woman.

Bapu - Familiar title for father in Gujarati. Used throughout India as a title of respect for Gandhi.

Bhagavad Gita - The Song of the Divine Lord. This is a poem of 700 stanzas, part of the Mahabharata.

Bhaian - Hymn.

Brahmacharya - Continence, sexual self-restraint; literally, conduct that leads one to God.

Brahman - The essence of the godhead.

Brahmin - The highest caste in Hinduism-those who have knowledge; often, though incorrectly, spelled Brahman.

Charkha - The hand spinning wheel.

Congress - The Indian National Congress, an unofficial political organization.

Crore - 100 lakhs, or 10,000,000.

Darshan - A form of spiritual happiness induced by being in the presence of a cherished person, place, or thing.

Dharma - Religion or religious duty.

Dhoti - The loincloth worn by Hindu men, usually a long piece with ornamental borders that is tucked in at the waist.

Gandhiji - A title of respect for Gandhi, the ji a common suffix of respect corresponding to sir or mister. Sometimes the suffix was used after Mahatma-Mahatmaji.

Ghee, ghi - Clarified butter; it is boiled and the watery particles and the curds are skimmed off.

Gita - Song. See Bbagavad Gita.

Goondas - Rowdies.

Gujarati - Language spoken in the province of Gujarat, India, where Gandhi was born.

Guru - Spiritual guide.

Harijans - A term given by Gandhi to the untouchables (hari, God's; jan, people). See Untouchables.

Hartal - Cessation of work; a form of non-violent demonstration in which all work ceases, shops are closed, etc.

Haveli - A temple for those of the Vaishnava faith.

Hindi - The language of northern India, with Sanskrit roots.

Hindu Mabasabha - A political party of orthodox Hindus.

Hindustani - A language based on Hindi but containing many Arabic and Persian words.

Khaddar (khadi) - Hand-spun or homespun cloth.

Khan - A common suffix to the names of Moslems of all ranks.

Khilafat - A Pan-Islamic movement in India in response to the deposal of the Sultan of Turkey (who was Caliph of Islam) as a result of Turkey's defeat in World War 1.

Kshattriya - The second caste in Hinduism-those who rule.

Lakh - 100,000.

Lathi - A long stick, usually made of bamboo, tipped with brass or iron, often 6 to 8 feet long.

Mahabbarata - The national epic of which Krishna is the divine hero. The Bhagavad Gita is part of the Mahabharata.

Mahasabha - See Hindu Mahasabha.

Mahatma - Great soul (maha, great; atma, soul)

Mantra - Magic name of God; an incantation or formula of prayer sacred to any deity.

Manusmriti - Laws of Manu, a Hindu law-giver; an ancient religious code upholding the caste system and containing accounts of creation.

Maulana - A religious teacher of Islam; man of erudition; an honorific term.

Moksha - Freedom from the cycle of death and rebirth; salvation.

Muslim - Belonging to Islam; frequent Indian spelling of Moslem.

Mussulman - Follower of Islam; frequent Indian spelling of Mohaminedan. Spelled variously.

Pandit - A learned man or teacher, especially a Brahmin, in Hindu religion, law, and science.

Parsi - A Zoroastrian of India descended from Persian refugees.

Pathans - A Mohammedan Afghan people of India's northwest frontier.

Puranas - Sacred Hindu legends.

Rarn Raksha - A recitation of sacred texts asking for the protection of Rama.

Rama - The divine incarnation of the Supreme Being in human form as described in the epic, Ramayana.

Ramanama - The word used for the constant repetition of the name, Rama, as an act of devotion to the Lord.

Ramayana - The sacred epic of north India.

Rupee (Rs.) - The monetary unit of India; present value about 21 cents. Three pies equal one pice; four pice equal one anna; sixteen annas equal one rupee.

Sahib - Mr. or Master; often used in speaking of or addressing Europeans.

Sanatani - An orthodox Hindu.

Sardar - A title meaning leader.

Sari - The principal garment of an Indian woman, being a long piece of cloth wrapped around the waist, a portion covering the bosom and the head.

Satyagraha - Truth-force or soul-force (sat, truth; agraha, firm- ness); non-violent direct action; passive resistance; civil disobedience; non-violent non-cooperation.

Satyagrahi - One who practices satyagraha.

Shastras - Scriptures.

Sheth - Master, a name given to Hindus of importance in Sind and other parts of West India.

Shrijut (Sit.) - A common title equivalent to esquire; often Shri or Srj.

Shrimati - A common title for women.

Shudra - The fourth (and lowest) caste of Hinduism-those who labor.

Sikh - A member of a religious sect founded about 1500 A.D. in the Punjab.

Siva (Shiva) - A god of the Hindu triad, typifying destruction and reproduction.

Swadeshi - Belonging to, or made in, one's own country (swa, self; deshi, country); applied to movement for boycott of foreign goods.

Swaraj - Self-government (Swa, self; raj, government); independence.

Tamil - A language spoken in southern India and Ceylon.

Telugu - The largest division of the Dravidian dialects in southern India.

Untouchables - Castes or communities which, through ancestry, profession, or custom, are looked upon as impure by orthodox Hindus. Also called Scheduled Castes, Depressed Classes, Pariahs, and Harijans.

Upanishads - Hindu religious philosophical discourses.

Urdu - A Persianized Moslem form of Hindustani.

Vaishnava - A sect of Hindus worshiping Vishnu as the one supreme God.

Vaishya - The third caste in Hinduism-those who trade and farm.

Varna - Caste.

Vamashrama dharma - Religion of caste (varna, color; ashrama, place of discipline).

Vedanta - An important Hindu philosophical system.

Vedas - Earliest Hindu religious hymns.

Vishnu - The second god of the Hindu triad; the preserver. The other gods are Brahma, the creator, and Siva, the destroyer and regenerator.