Pushtimarg has its own beautiful vocabulary — words from Sanskrit, Braj Bhasha, and Gujarati that you will hear at the Haveli, in bhajans, at home, and in the stories. When you know these words, the whole world of Shreenathji opens up. 🌿
Use the search box to find any word instantly, or browse by the alphabet letters below. 💚
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A
🕉️
Aarti
आरती
A ceremony of waving lamps before the Lord — the flame circles in front of Shreenathji as a gesture of love and honour. The most famous Aarti in Pushtimarg is the Rajbhog Aarti composed by nine-year-old Gusainji.
🌿 "The Rajbhog Aarti is sung at every midday darshan at Nathdwara."
🌾
Akinchan
अकिंचन
Complete humility — having nothing of one's own to offer, relying entirely on the Lord's grace. The highest form of surrender in Pushtimarg. Akinchan Sharanagati means surrendering with absolutely no bargaining, no backup plan.
🌿 "Draupadi raised both hands — Akinchan Sharanagati — and the cloth came."
🍛
Annakut
अन्नकूट
The "mountain of food" festival — celebrated the day after Diwali. Anna = food, Kut = mountain. Hundreds of food preparations are offered to Shreenathji in a great mound, re-enacting the original Govardhan Puja feast.
🌿 "On Annakut, the Haveli fills with the aroma of 56 different preparations."
🎵
Ashtachhap
अष्टछाप
The eight poet-saints whose bhajans are sung in Shreenathji's Haveli every day — Surdas, Kumbhandas, Paramananddas, Govindswami, Chaturbhujdas, Cheetswami, Nandadas, and Krishnadas Adhikari. Organised by Gusainji Vitthalanathji.
🌿 "When you hear kirtan at the Haveli, you are hearing the Ashtachhap poets — 500 years later."
⏰
Ashta-Yama
अष्ट याम
The eight time periods of the day — corresponding to the 8 darshans at the Haveli. The complete cycle of seva from Mangala to Sayan covers all eight Yamas, meaning the Lord is served at every moment of the day.
🌿 "The Ashta-Yama seva structure means no part of the Lord's day is left without loving care."
B
🎵
Bhajan / Bhajans
भजन
Devotional songs sung in praise of the Lord. In Pushtimarg, the Ashtachhap bhajans are the most sacred — composed by the eight poet-saints and sung in the Haveli every day. Singing bhajans is one of the most accessible forms of seva for everyone.
🌿 "Surdas composed thousands of bhajans describing how Shreenathji looks — even though Surdas was blind."
🍛
Bhog
भोग
Food offered to the Lord — not a ritual gesture but the Lord's actual meal. In Pushtimarg, Shreenathji is understood to genuinely eat what is lovingly offered to Him. The Rajbhog (midday offering) is the most elaborate, with dozens of preparations.
🌿 "At the Pratham Milan, Shreenathji said: I have been eating only milk. I am waiting to be properly fed. That is why Bhog matters so much."
🔱
Brahma Sambandha
ब्रह्म सम्बन्ध
The initiation ceremony of Pushtimarg — through which a soul formally becomes the Lord's own. Established at the Pratham Milan when Shreenathji told Mahaprabhuji: create a ceremony to seal My claim on My chosen souls. The first Brahma Sambandha was given to Damodar Das Harsani.
🌿 "After Brahma Sambandha, you are formally part of Shreenathji's family — He has claimed you as His own."
🌿
Braj / Brajbhoomi
ब्रज
The sacred region around Mathura and Vrindavan — the land where Krishna grew up. Includes Gokul, Vrindavan, Govardhan Hill, Barsana, and Nandgaon. In Pushtimarg theology, Braj is the eternal leela-world of Krishna — not just a geographical location.
🌿 "When we do Braj Parikrama, we are walking through the Lord's own eternal world."
C
🍛
Chhappan Bhog
छप्पन भोग
The 56-item offering — Chhappan = 56. Based on 8 prahar × 7 meals per prahar, representing all the meals Krishna missed during the 7 days He held Govardhan. The grand Rajbhog offering aims to make up every missed meal with love.
🌿 "The Chhappan Bhog is our annual way of saying: You missed 56 meals protecting us. Here they all are."
D
👁️
Darshan
दर्शन
Seeing the Lord — and being seen by Him. The curtain at the Haveli opens 8 times a day, and each opening is called a Darshan. In Pushtimarg, darshan is not one-directional: you see the Lord AND He sees you. Both are equally real.
🌿 "The Mangala Darshan before sunrise is the quietest — and many devotees say the most personal — of all 8 darshans."
😔
Dainya
दैन्य
Humility — the recognition of one's own smallness before the Lord. One of the foundational attitudes of Pushtimarg. Dainya does not mean feeling bad about yourself — it means honestly acknowledging that the Lord's grace is far greater than anything you could achieve.
🌿 "Kaliya's wives prayed with Dainya — not listing Kaliya's virtues, just saying: we are at Your feet. That was enough."
G
🏔️
Giriraj
गिरिराज
The King of Mountains — the sacred name for Govardhan Hill. Giriraj is understood in Pushtimarg as the Lord's own geographical svarupa — not a symbol of the Lord, but literally His body present in the landscape. Shreenathji emerged from within Giriraj Govardhan.
🌿 "Jai Giriraj Govardhan — when we say this, we are greeting the Lord in His mountain form."
👨🏫
Goswami / Gusainji
गोस्वामी / गुसाईंजी
Goswami refers to the sacred lineage of Mahaprabhuji's family — the acharyas who have guided Pushtimarg across generations. Gusainji specifically refers to Vitthalanathji — Mahaprabhuji's second son, who organised the Ashtachhap poets and greatly expanded the Pushti tradition.
🌿 "Gusainji composed the Rajbhog Aarti as a nine-year-old child — and it is still sung every day at Nathdwara."
🌸
Gopi
गोपी
The cowherd women of Vrindavan — Krishna's most devoted companions. In Pushtimarg theology, the Gopis represent the ideal Pushti devotee: completely absorbed in the Lord, acting only from love, surrendered beyond any other obligation. The Raas Leela was danced with the Gopis.
🌿 "When the Gopis heard the flute at midnight, they arose exactly as they were and walked toward the sound — that is the model of how we respond to the Lord's call."
🙏
Grace (Kripa / Pushti)
कृपा / पुष्टि
The free, unconditional gift of the Lord's love and protection — not earned, not deserved, simply given because the Lord chooses to give it. The entire path of Pushtimarg is built on the understanding that grace precedes everything. We don't earn the Lord's love — He gives it freely.
🌿 "Pushti means grace — the Lord's sovereign, freely given love. The path is named after what drives it: not our effort, but His grace."
H
🏠
Haveli
हवेली
The Lord's home — the sacred residence of Shreenathji at Nathdwara. Not a temple in the conventional sense, but a living household where the Lord wakes, eats, plays, and sleeps each day. The word Haveli means a large noble residence — reflecting that this is the Lord's own home, not a religious institution.
🌿 "The Haveli at Nathdwara is Shreenathji's home — He manages it Himself through the Tilkayat."
🎶
Haveli Sangeet
हवेली संगीत
The classical music tradition of the Haveli — a specific genre of devotional music developed for the Nathdwara seva. The Ashtachhap bhajans are its foundation. Haveli Sangeet has its own ragas associated with specific darshans and seasons.
🌿 "Haveli Sangeet is one of the oldest living classical music traditions in India — kept alive by the seva families of Nathdwara."
🌿
Hindola
हिंडोला
The swing — and the two-month utsav during Shravan and Bhadrapad when Shreenathji is placed on an elaborately decorated swing each day. Different types of swings — made of flowers, fruits, gold, grains — are prepared each week. The most intimate and tender utsav of the Pushti year.
🌿 "During Hindola Utsav, giving the swing a gentle push is an act of seva — the most Vatsalya gesture of the whole year."
👑
Hukum
हुकुम
Divine command — the Lord's expressed will communicated to the Tilkayat and senior sevaks at Nathdwara. Not human rules or institutional decisions, but the Lord's own preferences about how His household should be run. Every custom at Nathdwara that cannot be traced to scripture traces to a Hukum.
🌿 "The seasonal Pichwai sequence was established through Hukum — the Lord communicated His preference, and it has been kept ever since."
J
🙏
Jai Shreenathji
जय श्रीनाथजी
Victory to Shreenathji — the universal greeting, blessing, and exclamation of Pushtimarg. Said when meeting someone, when something goes well, when the curtain opens at darshan, when waking up, before sleeping. The most versatile and most used phrase in the entire tradition.
🌿 "Jai Shreenathji is not just a greeting — it is an acknowledgement that the Lord is the source of all victory and all goodness."
🌙
Janmashtami
जन्माष्टमी
Krishna's birthday — celebrated on the 8th night (Ashtami) of the dark fortnight of Shravan. The Lord was born at midnight during a thunderstorm in a prison cell. Devotees stay awake until midnight to welcome Him at the exact moment of His arrival.
🌿 "At midnight on Janmashtami, the curtains open at the Haveli — and the entire Haveli erupts in Jai Shri Krishna!"
K
🎵
Kirtan
कीर्तन
Communal singing of the Lord's names and praises — one of the nine forms of bhakti. In Pushtimarg, kirtan means specifically the Ashtachhap bhajans sung at the Haveli and in community gatherings (Satsang). Kirtan sung with a community creates a shared field of devotion.
🌿 "Even just sitting quietly and listening to kirtan with an open heart is a form of seva — called Vaarta-Sravan."
🌿
Kanthi
कंठी
The Tulsi bead necklace worn by initiated Pushti devotees after Brahma Sambandha. Made of sacred Tulsi wood. Wearing the Kanthi is the outward sign that the soul has been formally claimed by the Lord. It is touched in the morning as the first act of the day.
🌿 "Every morning, a Pushti devotee touches their Kanthi first — acknowledging that they belong to the Lord."
L
🌙
Lori
लोरी
A lullaby — sung at the Sayan (bedtime) darshan to help Shreenathji sleep. The Lori is one of the most intimate expressions of Vatsalya in the entire Haveli tradition. A parent singing a child to sleep — this is the model of the Sayan seva.
🌿 "Every night at the Haveli, the priests sing a Lori — and Shreenathji's eyes grow heavy and He sleeps."
🎶
Leela
लीला
The Lord's divine play — His activities in the world. Unlike human actions, which are driven by need or desire, the Lord's Leelas are free, joyful expressions of His nature. Every story of Krishna — Maakhan Chori, Govardhan, Raas — is a Leela.
🌿 "The Leelas of Krishna are not history — they are eternally happening in the divine realm, and our seva participates in them."
M
🌅
Mangala
मंगला
The first darshan of the day — before sunrise. Mangala means auspicious. Shreenathji has just woken up — the atmosphere is quiet, dim, and deeply intimate. Many devotees consider Mangala the most precious of all 8 darshans.
🌿 "The Mangala Darshan happens before 5:30 AM — the most dedicated devotees travel through the night to attend."
👨🏫
Mahaprabhuji
महाप्रभुजी
The loving title for Shri Vallabhacharyaji — the founder of Pushtimarg. Maha = great, Prabhu = Lord, ji = respect. He was the one Shreenathji was waiting for at Govardhan Hill. His meeting with the Lord — the Pratham Milan — is the founding event of the entire tradition.
🌿 "Mahaprabhuji was between eleven and fourteen years old when Shreenathji revealed His full form to him at Govardhan."
🙏
Mukharvind
मुखारविंद
The lotus face of the Lord — the sacred face of Shreenathji's svarupa. The Mukharvind appeared from Govardhan Hill in 1478 CE — 69 years after the arm first appeared. The same day Mahaprabhuji was born. Thakorji's face appearing and Mahaprabhuji's birth on the same day is one of the most celebrated coincidences in the tradition.
🌿 "The Mukharvind darshan — seeing the Lord's face — is what every devotee comes to Nathdwara for."
N
🏙️
Nathdwara
नाथद्वारा
The sacred town in Rajasthan where Shreenathji resides — the Gateway of the Lord (Nath = Lord, Dwara = gateway). Shreenathji chose this location Himself when the cart carrying Him from Braj got stuck and would not move. The wheels sinking into the earth was His signal that He had arrived at His chosen home.
🌿 "Nathdwara receives hundreds of thousands of devotees every year — all coming to see the same svarupa that appeared to Mahaprabhuji at Govardhan."
🙏
Nirodha
निरोध
Complete surrender of one's will to the Lord — one of Mahaprabhuji's most important teachings. Nirodha Lakshanam describes the state where the devotee no longer acts from their own preferences but from the Lord's expressed will. The highest state of Pushti bhakti.
🌿 "Nirodha is not suppression — it is the joyful surrender of the small will to the infinite will that loves us completely."
P
🌿
Parikrama
परिक्रमा
Sacred circumambulation — walking around a holy site as a devotional act. The Braj Parikrama (circumambulation of all the holy sites of Braj) was performed three times by Mahaprabhuji. The Govardhan Parikrama — walking around Giriraj — is one of the most important acts of Pushti devotion.
🌿 "Govardhan Parikrama means walking around the Lord's own body — it is one of the most direct acts of Pushti devotion."
😊
Prasanna
प्रसन्न
The Lord's felt delight — the quality of joy the Lord communicates through His presence during darshan when the seva has been received with pleasure. Gusainji taught that the primary thing the devotee should calibrate their seva to receive is the Lord's Prasanna — not the approval of other devotees or ritual correctness.
🌿 "When the Pichwai was wrong, the Lord's Prasanna was absent — and the right one was put up immediately."
🌸
Prasad
प्रसाद
The blessed remnant — food, flowers, cloth, or any item that has been offered to the Lord and received back as His grace. In Pushtimarg, prasad carries the Lord's direct touch. Eating prasad, wearing prasad clothes, receiving prasad flowers — all are understood as direct contact with the Lord's grace.
🌿 "After the curtain opens following the Rajbhog, what is distributed as prasad carries the Lord's direct blessing."
🎨
Pichwai
पिछवाई
The large painted cloth that hangs behind Shreenathji's svarupa in the Haveli — from pichh (behind) + wai (hanging). Not decorative background, but the world the Lord inhabits at that moment. Changes with seasons and festivals. Established through Hukum — each seasonal Pichwai represents the Lord's own expressed preference.
🌿 "The Lotus Pond Pichwai places Shreenathji in the setting of the Raas Leela — the most famous Pichwai in all of Nathdwara."
💚
Pushti / Pushtimarg
पुष्टि / पुष्टिमार्ग
Pushti means divine nourishment or unconditional grace. Pushtimarg is the Path of Grace — the devotional tradition founded by Mahaprabhuji Vallabhacharyaji. The central understanding: the Lord's grace is primary, not earned. The soul is nourished by the Lord's unconditional love, not by its own efforts or merit.
🌿 "In Pushtimarg, we don't reach the Lord by being good enough. We reach the Lord because He chose us — and then, in His love, we become good."
🧑🤝🧑
Patra
पात्र
A vessel or recipient — in Pushtimarg theology, the concept that certain souls are constitutionally fitted to receive the Lord's grace. Shreenathji told Mahaprabhuji at the Pratham Milan: certain souls are Mine — I have already chosen them. Being a Patra is not earned; it is recognised through the pull toward the Lord one naturally feels.
🌿 "If you feel drawn toward Shreenathji — that pull is the sign you are a Patra. He chose you first."
R
🍛
Rajbhog
राजभोग
The grand midday meal — the most elaborate of the 8 daily bhog offerings at the Haveli. Raj = royal, Bhog = offering. Dozens of preparations including rice, breads, vegetables, sweets, fruits, milk items. The famous Rajbhog Aarti is sung at this darshan. After the offering, the curtains close while the Lord eats.
🌿 "The Rajbhog Aarti — composed by nine-year-old Gusainji — has been sung at every Rajbhog darshan for 400 years."
🌿
Raga
राग
A classical Indian musical mode — each raga has a specific time of day, season, and emotional quality associated with it. At the Haveli, specific ragas are sung at specific darshans and seasons. Govindswami of the Ashtachhap received ragas as direct transmissions from the Lord.
🌿 "The morning ragas at Mangala darshan have a completely different quality from the evening ragas at Sandhya Aarti — the Lord's day has its own musical score."
S
🙏
Seva
सेवा
Service to the Lord — the central practice of Pushtimarg. Not charity or community service, but the specific, loving, daily care of Shreenathji's svarupa: offering food, dressing, singing, celebrating. Seva in Pushtimarg is not duty — it is love expressed through action. Every act done for the Lord's pleasure is Seva.
🌿 "Being kind to others is also Seva — when you smile at someone sad, it is like pouring milk on Shreenathji's arm, like Dhoomar did."
🙏
Sharanagati
शरणागति
Complete surrender to the Lord — the most fundamental act of Pushti devotion. Not a technique or a feeling, but a state of being where the soul stops relying on its own understanding and places everything in the Lord's hands. Kaliya's wives demonstrated it. Draupadi demonstrated it when she raised both hands.
🌿 "Sharanagati is not giving up — it is recognising that the Lord's hands are infinitely more capable than our own."
🌙
Sayan
शयन
Sleep — and the final darshan of the day when Shreenathji goes to sleep. The Sayan darshan is the most tender: the priests change the Lord into night clothes, arrange a bed of flower petals, offer warm milk, and sing a Lori (lullaby). The curtains close — the Lord sleeps — and the Haveli grows still.
🌿 "The Sayan darshan every night shows that the Lord does not just receive grand worship — He desires the most ordinary, intimate acts of love too."
🌿
Shringar
श्रृंगार
The adorning of the Lord — dressing Shreenathji in His daily clothes and jewels. The Shringar Darshan is the morning darshan when this elaborate dressing is complete and the Lord is displayed in His full morning magnificence. The Shringar seva is performed by skilled seva families whose art has been passed down for generations.
🌿 "Each season, Shreenathji's Shringar changes — the colours, fabrics, and jewels are chosen specifically for the season and the utsav."
📚
Shodash Granth
षोडश ग्रंथ
The Sixteen Texts — the 16 sacred compositions of Mahaprabhuji Vallabhacharyaji that form the theological foundation of Pushtimarg. Shodash = 16. Includes the Anubhashya (commentary on the Brahmasutras), Subodhini (commentary on the Bhagavata), Shikshasloki, and others. Together they are considered Mahaprabhuji's own Shri Anga — his sacred body.
🌿 "Mahaprabhuji's entire life was his answer to the Lord's question at the Pratham Milan — and the Shodash Granth is the answer in words."
🏰
Svarupa
स्वरूप
The sacred form — not an idol or statue, but the Lord's actual living presence in a visible form. In Pushtimarg, Shreenathji's svarupa is not a representation of God — it IS the Lord, fully and completely present. The same svarupa that appeared to Mahaprabhuji at Govardhan resides at Nathdwara today.
🌿 "He is not a stone image. He is the living Lord who communicates with His own."
🌿
Smaran
स्मरण
Remembering the Lord — one of the nine forms of bhakti. Keeping the Lord in your thoughts throughout the day: while cooking, working, walking. In Pushtimarg, Smaran of the Lord's Leelas — remembering what He did, how He looked, what He said — is the practice that keeps Vrindavan alive in the heart.
🌿 "The Gopis after Krishna left Braj performed all their daily tasks while their minds were entirely absorbed in Smaran of Him."
T
💚
Thakorji
ठाकोरजी
The most loving, most personal name for the Lord used in Pushtimarg families — especially with children. Literally means "the small noble Lord." It expresses the Vatsalya relationship — addressing the Lord as a beloved child rather than a distant cosmic power. When children say Thakorji, they are speaking to a friend, not a god on a pedestal.
🌿 "Thakorji, You hold this one — I trust You. This is how a child talks to the Lord in Pushtimarg."
🏔️
Tilak
तिलक
The sacred mark applied to the forehead — in Pushtimarg, the specific Tilak is a U-shape representing the Lord's lotus feet, with a red mark in the centre. Applied each morning as the act of consecrating one's day to the Lord. When you apply Tilak, you carry the Lord's mark on your face through the day.
🌿 "Applying Tilak in the morning is saying with your face: today, I belong to the Lord."
👑
Tilkayat
तिलकायत
The hereditary head of the Nathdwara Haveli — descended from Mahaprabhuji through his son Vitthalanathji (Gusainji). The Tilkayat is the Lord's primary household receiver — the person most continuously in Shreenathji's presence and most authorised to receive and transmit His Hukums.
🌿 "The Tilkayat is not just an administrator — he is the Lord's most trusted household servant, the one who sleeps nearest to the Lord's presence."
🌿
Tulsi
तुलसी
The sacred Tulsi plant — the most important plant in Pushtimarg devotion. A single Tulsi leaf placed on any bhog offering makes it complete. The Kanthi (necklace) worn by initiated devotees is made of Tulsi wood. In Pushti theology, Tulsi is inseparable from the Lord — she is His devoted companion.
🌿 "Even the most elaborate bhog is incomplete without a Tulsi leaf. Even the simplest offering with a Tulsi leaf is complete."
U
🎊
Utsav
उत्सव
Festival — a sacred celebration. Pushtimarg has one of the richest utsav calendars in all of Vaishnavism, with celebrations for every season, every significant leela, every mood of the Lord. Utsav is not just remembrance — in Pushti theology, the Lord's leelas are eternally happening, and utsavs are moments when the veil thins and devotees participate directly.
🌿 "There is no month in the Pushti calendar without an Utsav — the Lord's life is one continuous celebration."
V
📖
Vaarta / Varta
वार्ता
A true story — specifically the sacred accounts of the 84 and 252 Vaishnavas who were Mahaprabhuji's devotees. Written down by Gokulnathji (Mahaprabhuji's grandson) so future generations could hear them. Listening to Vaarta is itself a form of seva called Vaarta-Sravan.
🌿 "The 84 Vaishnavas' Vaartas are 84 different answers to the question: how does the Lord's grace operate in a specific human life?"
🌿
Vachanmrut
वचनामृत
The nectar of the Lord's speech — Vachan = speech, Amrut = nectar. In Pushtimarg, the Vachanmrut is not a closed text but the living, ongoing communication of the Lord with His devotees through four channels: the Prakatya narrative, the Hukum tradition, compiled divine utterances, and the ongoing Varta of the devotee's own life.
🌿 "The Vachanmrut is not a book — it is a language. The Lord is speaking all the time. We just have to learn to listen."
💕
Vatsalya
वात्सल्य
Parental love — the complete, selfless, protective love of a parent for a child. In Pushtimarg, Vatsalya is the primary rasa (devotional mood) — the Lord appears as Bal Krishna (the child form) so that the devotee can love Him with the most unconditional, giving, nourishing love that exists. Yashoda's love for Krishna is the model.
🌿 "Shreenathji chose the child form so He could be loved with Vatsalya — the love that gives without calculating return."
😢
Viraha
विरह
Divine separation — the longing for the Lord when He seems distant. In Pushtimarg, Viraha is not a problem to be solved but the highest form of love — the Gopis' state after Krishna left Braj is the supreme example. Missing the Lord deeply is a sign of the depth of love, not its absence.
🌿 "Udhav came to console the Gopis' Viraha — and left having learned that their longing was not suffering but the highest form of devotion."
Y
🌊
Yamuna
यमुना
The sacred river of Braj — flowing through Vrindavan and Mathura. In Pushtimarg, the Yamuna is not just a river but a living divine presence — Yamunaji is addressed with love and reverence. Krishna played on her banks. The Raas Leela happened on her banks. And Vasudeva carried baby Krishna through her waters when she parted to let them through.
🌿 "Jai Shri Yamunaji — the river is addressed as a divine mother, the constant companion of the Lord's Braj leelas."
📖
Every Word Opens a Door
Each word in this glossary is a key — when you know what Sayan means, you understand the bedtime story differently. When you know what Pichwai means, you see the Haveli differently. When you know what Vatsalya means, you understand why Shreenathji chose to be a child.
Keep learning the words — and the world of Thakorji keeps opening wider. 💚
🙏 Jai Shreenathji · Shri Krishnarpanam Astu 🙏