The Wisdom Jar

Glossary

Sanskrit and Hindi terms in plain English, plus multilingual ingredient names.

Labeled glass jars of Indian herbs and spices on a stone surface.

A plain-English companion to the Sanskrit and Hindi terms you'll meet across The Wisdom Jar — from doshas and digestion to the spices in your kitchen jar.

Ayurvedic foundations

Ayurveda/aa-yur-VAY-da/: The 'science of life' — a 5,000-year-old Indian system of medicine built around diet, daily routine, herbs, and balance of the doshas.
Dosha/DOH-shuh/: One of three biological energies — Vata, Pitta, Kapha — that govern every body and mind. Health is the balance between them.
Vata/VAA-tuh/: The air-and-space dosha. Governs movement, breath, nerves. Aggravated by cold, dry, irregular routines.
Pitta/PIT-tuh/: The fire-and-water dosha. Governs digestion, metabolism, intelligence. Aggravated by heat, spice, skipped meals.
Kapha/KUH-fuh/: The earth-and-water dosha. Governs structure, immunity, lubrication. Aggravated by cold, heavy, oily foods and inactivity.
Agni/UG-nee/: Digestive fire — the body's ability to break down food, thoughts and impressions. Strong agni is the cornerstone of Ayurvedic health.
Ama/AA-mah/: Undigested residue from weak agni. Believed to be the root of most disease in Ayurveda.
Prakriti/PRUH-kri-tee/: Your constitutional type at birth — the unique mix of doshas you are born with.
Vikriti/VI-kri-tee/: Your current state of imbalance, as opposed to your prakriti. What Ayurveda actually treats.
Ojas/OH-jus/: The subtle essence of vitality, immunity and glow. Built by good digestion, rest, and unhurried meals.

Practices & rituals

Abhyanga/ub-HYAN-gah/: Daily warm-oil self-massage. Calms vata, nourishes skin, mobilises joints.
Dinacharya/DIN-uh-char-yuh/: Daily routine — waking, oiling, eating, sleeping at consistent times in tune with the sun.
Ritucharya/RI-too-char-yuh/: Seasonal routine — adjusting food, sleep and self-care to the changing season.
Panchakarma/PUN-cha-KAR-ma/: A five-step Ayurvedic detoxification programme. Done under a vaidya, not at home.
Nasya/NAS-yah/: Putting medicated oil drops into the nostrils to clear the head and sinuses.
Jala neti/JUH-la NAY-tee/: Nasal rinsing with warm saline water using a small pot — a yogic hygiene practice.
Pranayama/pra-na-YA-ma/: Conscious breath-work practices that steady the nervous system.
Champi/CHUM-pee/: Warm-oil head massage, traditionally done weekly to nourish hair and calm the mind.

Preparations & forms

Kadha / Kashaya/kah-DAH / kuh-SHAH-yuh/: A simmered herbal decoction — herbs boiled until the water reduces by half or more.
Churna/CHOOR-nuh/: A dry, finely ground herbal powder, usually taken with warm water, honey or ghee.
Lehyam / Avaleha/LAY-hyum/: A jam-like herbal paste — Chyawanprash is the most famous example.
Ghrita/GHRI-tuh/: Medicated ghee — herbs cooked into clarified butter as the carrier.
Taila/TYE-luh/: Medicated oil — sesame, coconut or mustard oil infused with herbs.
Asava / Arishta/AH-sah-vah / a-RISH-ta/: Naturally fermented herbal tonics, mildly alcoholic.
Lepa/LAY-pah/: A paste applied externally to the skin — for blemishes, swelling or pain.
Anupana/ah-noo-PAH-nuh/: The 'vehicle' a herb is taken with — warm water, milk, honey or ghee — to carry it deep into the tissues.

Common kitchen herbs (Sanskrit / Hindi → English)

Haldi: Turmeric (Curcuma longa).
Adrak / Sunthi: Fresh ginger / dried ginger powder.
Methi: Fenugreek seeds and leaves.
Jeera: Cumin seeds.
Saunf: Fennel seeds.
Dhania: Coriander — fresh leaves or seeds.
Ajwain: Carom seeds — strong digestive aid.
Hing: Asafoetida — pungent resin used for gas and bloating.
Tulsi: Holy basil — sacred plant used for cough, immunity and stress.
Neem: Azadirachta indica — bitter leaves used for skin and blood.
Amla: Indian gooseberry — highest natural source of vitamin C in Ayurveda.
Ashwagandha: Withania somnifera — adaptogen used for strength, sleep and stress.
Brahmi: Bacopa monnieri — herb traditionally used to support memory and calm.
Shatavari: Asparagus racemosus — women's tonic in Ayurveda.
Triphala: A blend of three fruits — amla, haritaki, bibhitaki — used for gentle bowel and eye care.
Giloy / Guduchi: Tinospora cordifolia — immunity and fever herb.
Pippali: Long pepper — kindles digestion and supports the lungs.
Elaichi: Cardamom — green or black, freshens breath and aids digestion.
Dalchini: Cinnamon bark.
Laung: Cloves.
Kali mirch: Black pepper — helps absorb turmeric and other herbs.
Gur / Jaggery: Unrefined cane sugar, the traditional sweetener in Ayurveda.

Tastes, qualities and clinical terms

Rasa: Taste — sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, astringent. Each balances different doshas.
Virya: The heating or cooling potency of a substance.
Vipaka: The post-digestive effect of a food or herb on the body.
Prabhava: A herb's unique, unexplainable action — beyond rasa, virya or vipaka.
Sattva / Rajas / Tamas: Three qualities of the mind — clarity, activity, inertia. Food and routine influence which one dominates.
Snehana: Oleation — internal or external oiling, often before a detox.
Swedana: Therapeutic sweating, usually after snehana, to mobilise toxins.
Rasayana: Rejuvenation therapy — practices and herbs that nourish tissues and extend healthy life.
Vaidya: A qualified Ayurvedic physician.
Carminative: A substance that relieves gas and bloating — fennel and ajwain, for example.
Adaptogen: A herb that helps the body adapt to stress — ashwagandha, tulsi, brahmi.