Dance Glossary

Grace — divine blessing freely given.

Bestowed grace; the one who granted.

Shiva's small hourglass drum.

A god; a shining, celestial being.

Divine, heavenly, of another order.

Terrifying, fearsome, dreadful.

A name of Vishnu.

Victory — an exclamation of praise.

A family, clan or lineage.

The mind, or the heart — the seat of feeling.

A king.

A serpent.

Beautiful, handsome, fair.

A boon — something asked for and granted.

A sacrificial fire ritual — yagna.

The eye, or the gaze.

performed, having danced

Cowherd, a member of the cowherd community.

Came, has come

All, entire, complete, whole, universal

Bliss, joy, supreme happiness, spiritual delight

The cardinal number five.

Mother, female parent, or a motherly figure.

That (demonstrative adjective)

Demon, evil being, rakshasa

Lord Murugan, the six-faced deity.

Six abodes, holy places of Murugan.

He, him, his (respectful singular)

Beautiful one; oh beautiful one.

Beauty, or beautiful one (vocative).

Beautiful one, handsome one

Beautiful, lovely, attractive, pleasing to the senses.

Destroyer, one who destroyed

To sound, ring, or play (an instrument)

Child

Bestower of boons; Bharata, brother of Rama.

To Bharata

A name for a Hindu goddess.

I meditate upon, contemplate, or imagine.

Fearsome, terrifying, dreadful, formidable

Adornment, ornament, decoration, embellishment.

On earth; in the world

Sound of anklets or bells jingling.

Demon's name; fierce, terrible, violent

Gods, celestial beings

Epithet for Vishnu, the Supreme Being.

Shiva, the supreme lord.

To me, for me, also to me

My, mine (possessive pronoun)

Holding, bearing, or carrying.

Always, forever, eternally, continuously

Everywhere, all around, in all directions

My, mine

Burning, radiating heat, scorching.

Beauty, loveliness, charm, grace.

Elephant

Music, song; or an onomatopoeic sound.

A name for the Hindu deity Ganesha.

Lord Ganesha, elephant-headed deity.

Movement, gait, course, or manner of going.

Beautiful young woman, often fair-skinned

An epithet for Lord Muruga (Kartikeya)

Guha

Destroyer, remover; an epithet for Shiva.

Destroying, removing, taking away, dispelling.

Hand; also, a hand gesture.

Heart — the organ of emotion and feeling.

Younger brother, younger one

No, not, does not exist

Here — in this place.

Yet, still.

This, here

Two, both

This

World, universe

Tricks, mischief, magic, illusion

People, folk; or, onomatopoeic sound of bells.

Love, affection, deep emotional attachment.

Hindu goddess, a fierce form of Parvati.

Behold, see, look, observe, perceive.

To see, to witness.

Song, music; forest, grove.

Protected, guarded, preserved.

To protect, guard, preserve

Protected, guarded, saved.

showing, having shown

To pass, cross, walk past, go beyond

Crossed, having crossed, transcended, passed over

Imperative verb 'say' or 'tell'

Art, skill, branch of knowledge

Krishna, a Hindu deity

A name for the Hindu deity Krishna.

Do, make, perform (imperative)

Learned, cultivated, acquired through study

A specific type of dance composition

To destroy, remove, or vanquish

Listen (imperative)

To hear, to be heard

Ankle bells, small bells worn on the feet.

Bow, specifically Lord Rama's divine bow.

Million, crore; peak, mountain summit.

Dark cloud; took, received, captured.

A name of the Hindu deity Vishnu.

In the clan/family or in the tank/pond.

Name of Lord Muruga/Kartikeya

Grievance, complaint, shortcoming, deficiency, lack.

Divine play, sport, pastime

World, realm, or plane of existence

Worlds, realms, planes of existence.

To cause, to ordain, or to design.

Son, male offspring

To rejoice, be joyful, or cause joy.

To rejoice, to be happy, to delight

Royal crown

Great, mighty, grand, supreme, eminent, powerful.

I (first-person singular pronoun)

Mountain, hill; often part of a place name.

Mountains; garlands, necklaces.

Husband, consort, spouse

Husband, consort, beloved spouse

Mind, heart, inner self (vocative)

In the mind, mentally, with the mind

Jewel, gem, precious stone, bead

Human beings; mortals.

mankind, human race

Who chant the Vedas

Garment made of bark, bark cloth

Nephew

and

Intoxicating, mesmerizing, enchanting, captivating.

Lord Vishnu, a principal Hindu deity.

Illusion, delusion, magic, unreality.

Peacock — a large, colourful bird.

Riding the peacock.

Rain; a shower or downpour.

On, upon, towards, on top of

On, upon, with (as recipient of emotion)

Cloud, often dark or blue

Music, melodies, musical compositions, harmonious sounds.

Very much, exceedingly, greatly.

Demon's name; head

Time, instance, occasion, turn

Broke, shattered, snapped (past relative participle)

Broke, snapped, shattered

Name of a Hindu deity, son of Shiva

A kiss, an act of pressing lips.

Pearl

Completely, entirely, wholly, fully, without remainder.

Kiss, a tender touch of the lips.

To dance, dancing, the act of dancing

Sound, especially musical or cosmic sound.

Day, days, or time

Name; or, we (inclusive first-person plural pronoun).

I also; I too

The art or act of dancing, performance.

Of dance

Walking, having walked

River

To seek, to desire, to pursue

Jewels, ornaments; smile, laughter.

Salutations, homage, obeisance, reverence, bowing down.

Salutations to; obeisance; reverence

Salutations, homage, obeisance, reverence.

Shiva's bull mount and gatekeeper

Young woman, lady, maiden.

Dance, especially a classical or divine performance.

Shiva as Nataraja, the cosmic dancer.

Lord of dance, an epithet of Shiva

Lord, master, protector

Blue, dark blue, sapphire-colored

Water; you (plural/respectful)

You alone, It is you, You indeed

You

In the heart

Fire, often associated with divine power.

True, genuine, authentic, inherent, own, real.

State, condition, status, position

You (second person singular pronoun)

Fullness, abundance, collection, multitude, completeness.

Eternal, everlasting, constant, always, perpetual.

Shadow

Ankle bells, anklets worn on the feet.

To sound, echo, resound, jingle

One; a single (item); an indefinite article.

Every, each

Foot, feet; to sing, to chant.

Milk

World, earth; or, see, behold (imperative)

In the world, on earth

Foot, feet, or footwork

in a boat

Lotus feet, often of a deity or revered person.

To bow, prostrate, or offer humble obeisance.

Bowing, worshipping, revering, submitting (to).

Supreme, highest, ultimate, transcendent, excellent.

Supreme, ultimate, highest, excellent.

A sacred mountain and pilgrimage site.

Great, large, grand, extensive, important

Obtaining, receiving, getting, acquiring, gaining

To praise, extol, laud, commend, glorify.

When, time, occasion, period

Dear, beloved, fond of, or lover of.

Fond of, dear, beloved, pleasing

Fame, glory, renown, praise.

Praised, glorified, extolled

City, town; bestow, grant, do.

Epithet for Rama, descendant of Raghu

King, ruler, or royal; pertaining to a monarch.

The Hindu deity, an incarnation of Vishnu.

Rama, a Hindu deity, avatar of Vishnu.

The Hindu deity Rama, an avatar of Vishnu.

Ravana, the demon king of Lanka.

An epithet for Rama, descendant of King Raghu.

Name of an ancient royal dynasty

Epithet for Lord Rama, from the Raghu dynasty

Is (auxiliary verb, present continuous)

Royal, supreme, chief, king.

An epithet for the deity Rama.

Sun

Form, appearance, shape, image, aspect.

Always, forever, eternally, continuously, at all times.

Matted hair, often of ascetics or deities

Thousand, thousands.

All, complete, entire, whole

Female friend, companion, confidante

Oh friend, female confidante

Difficulties, troubles, distress

Praised, worshipped, extolled.

A mythical lake or pond of reeds

all, every, complete, entire

Sita, consort of Rama

Sita, consort of Rama

goes, will go, that which goes

Having gone, proceeding

Join, unite, come together, meet

Served, worshipped, attended to, revered.

Moon, the celestial body.

Supreme Hindu deity, the Destroyer and Transformer.

To Lord Shiva; for Lord Shiva

Some, a few, certain, unspecified quantity.

Name of a goddess, wife of Rama.

The Hindu deity Shiva

Sadness, sorrow, grief, distress.

To say, to tell, to speak, to describe.

Saying, speaking, telling, uttering, chanting.

Tells, narrates, speaks

Demon Soorapadman, a powerful asura

Preservation and destruction; existence, dissolution.

Joy, happiness, pleasure, comfort

Gods, celestial beings, deities

Gods and demons, or devas and asuras

Son, male offspring.

Circling, rotating, or moving around something.

Son, male offspring.

Lord, master, deity

Sorrows, suffering, distress, affliction.

To dance or leap; having brought or given.

Feet, especially of a revered person or deity.

Rhythm, especially in music and dance

Rhythmic syllable (bol) used in percussive sequences.

Rhythmic syllable marking an end or conclusion.

In the rhythmic cycle (talam)

Younger brother

The Tamil language

Golden, made of gold, or resembling gold.

In, on, at, within a place or context.

Direct object marker

in, within

Rhythmic syllable; percussive sound in dance and music.

Wearing, bearing, holding, carrying, sustaining.

suffered, struggled, was distressed

Searching for, seeking

Encompassing the directions, vast, immense.

1. Sacred place, Chidambaram. 2. No, not, never.

Divine, sacred, auspicious, holy, revered

Beautifully, gracefully, auspiciously, divinely, sacredly.

Holy feet, often of a deity or guru.

Ending rhythmic syllable, a concluding flourish.

Female friend, companion, confidante.

Sorrow, suffering, distress, affliction

With, along, then, immediately, thereupon

World, universe, earth, realm.

Uma, the divine Mother, consort of Shiva.

You (singular, accusative case)

with you

Attained, obtained, or received

Life, soul, vital essence, animating principle.

Slaying, killing, destruction of an enemy.

Reason, manner, way, kind, type

Mount, vehicle, carrier

Enemy, foe, adversary.

Placed, kept, or put.

Auxiliary verb: you caused/made an action to happen

Proper noun: Name of Lord Muruga's consort

In/into the forest, woods, or grove.

came, arrived, has come

Boon, blessing; excellent, best.

At the doorstep, at the entrance

Springtime, the season of spring.

Courage, bravery, valor, heroism, might.

Answer; bull (Shiva's mount).

Brahma, the creator god.

Obstacles, impediments, difficulties, hindrances

bow, a weapon

Karma, especially negative karma; obstacles, hindrances.

So that karma or obstacles are removed.

A principal Hindu deity, the Preserver.

The universe, the world.

astonishing, amazing, wondrous

Foster mother of Krishna