Abhaya: One who has defeated fear; fearless.

Abhaya mudra: The Abhayamudrā "gesture of fearlessness" is a mudrā (gesture) that is the gesture of reassurance and safety, which dispels fear and accords divine protection and bliss

Adityas: In Hinduism, Ādityas meaning "of Aditi", refer to the offsprings of the goddess Aditi and her husband the sage Kashyapa. They are the eight devas or Gods of different elements of nature, according to the Rig Veda.

Adharma: Adharma is the Sanskrit antonym of dharma. It means "that which is not in accord with the dharma". It means immoral, sinful, wrong, wicked, unjust, unbalanced, or unnatural. In the Vishnu Purana, Dharma and Adharma are mythical beings with their respective progenies.

Adi Parishakti: Adi Parashakti is considered the Supreme Being in the Shaktism sect of Hinduism. The Devi-Bhagavata Purana states that Adi Parashakti is the original creator, observer and destroyer of the universe.

Aloo sabzi: A spicy gravy concoction of potatos.

Ambika: The name Ambika is a derivative name from Durga Ma. One meaning of it is the Goddess of the Moon or the Warrior Goddess. In Sanskrit word ambikā is "mother". It is the name of the mother of our protagonist Bhairavi.

Amravati: Paradise; Kingdom of Indra.

Amrit: nectar of immortality.

Apsara: In Indian mythology, apsaras are beautiful, supernatural female beings, who are adept in music, in the art of dancing and seduction. They grace the court of Indra, the King of the Devas and the lord of Thunder.

Ayushmann Bhava: A blessing for long life and good health.

Baccha: my child.

Bahurupi: He who has 'bahu' or many 'rups' or appearances.

Bhairavi: represents divine wrath; fearful and formidable.

Bhay: Fear; the Primordial chaotic God of Fear.

Bindi: A decorative dot worn in the midst of the forehead- an accessory.

Brahma: The Creator of the universe, one of the main Tridevas. He has created every creature, element, race, every bit of knowledge and is the Consort of Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge and music.

Chang: A fermented alcoholic beverage, famous in Sikkim, Nepal, and Tibet.

Daityas: They were the children of goddess Diti and the sage Kashyapa. The Devas were their half-brothers with whom they fought against as a result of their jealousy. The Manusmṛti classifies the Daityas as good, while placing them at a lower level than the Devas.

Danavas: (Feminine: Danavis) They were the children of goddess Danu and the sage Kashyapa, and their descendants.

Dal bati churma: Dal baati is an Indian dish of dal (lentils) and baati (hard wheat rolls), garnished with churma (made of crumbled chapattis dipped in ghee and jaggery).

Das Mahavidya: The 'Das' or ten Mahavidyas or 'Goddesses of wisdom', represent distinct aspects of divinity intent on guiding the spiritual seeker toward liberation. They are the ten appearances of Sati, the consort of Shiva.

Deva-Devis: The Gods and Goddesses of the different elements.

Devi Mahatmya: The Devi Mahatmya is a Hindu religious text describing the Goddess Parvati and her different aspects as the supreme power and creator of the universe. It is part of the Markandeya Purana, and estimated to have been composed in Sanskrit between 400-600 CE.

Durga puja: The Puja/ festival celebrating the arrival and worship of Goddess Durga.

Dharma: Dharma is an organising principle in Hinduism that applies to human beings in solitude, in their interaction with human beings and nature, as well as between inanimate objects, to all of cosmos and its parts. It refers to the order and customs which make life and universe possible, and includes behaviours, rituals, rules that govern society, and ethics. Dharma is often personified as a primordial being in the Vishnu Purana, whose sworn enemy is Adharma.

Dharmapriya: A Gandharva king who was good and pious ( aka Samanya, our male hero).

Dhoti: An indian lower garment for men, which they twist and knot at their waist.

Dhyan Shloka: Dhyana Slokas are Sanskrit verses that offer respect to the Gods and other divine powers, as well as extol the power and virtues of the divine; Meditation verses.

Gandharva: Gandharvas are supernatural beings, highly skilled in musics. They play music in the court of Indra and guard the Soma(Amrit).

Ghee: clarified butter made from cow or buffalo's milk.

Halwa: A sweet Indian dish consisting of carrot or semolina, boiled with milk, almonds, sugar, butter and cardamom.

Jalebi: An Indian sweet made by deep-frying rings of all-purpose flour batter and then steeping them in syrup.

Jaragarbha: The illegitimate son of Bhay, and Samanya's father. His name literally means 'illegitimate' or 'bastard'.

Kachori: Deep fried balls of dough, often stuffed with fillings.

Kal Bhairava: The Lord of Time and Destroyer of Fear and Sin. He is the Consort of Maa Tripura Bhairavi.

Kali: The original Demon Kali or the Lord of Evil and Chaos, who is the nemesis of Kalki.

Kalki: Kalki is the tenth Avatar of Lord Vishnu, who will be born to destroy Evil in the Kali Yuga or the Era of Darkness, defeat Kali, and purify the earth, thus leading Mankind into the next Yuga.

Krishna: Lord Krishna is the eight avatar of Lord Vishnu and is the son of Devaki and Vasudev, born to defeat his nemesis-uncle Kamsa as well as vanquish the evil demons plaguing mankind.

Kundalini: Kundalini, in Hinduism, is a form of divine feminine energy (or shakti) believed to be located at the base of the spine, in the muladhara.

Kurta: A loose, collarless long shirt.

Lehenga: A full, ankle-length traditional skirt, usually worn with a choli or short blouse.

Lokas: Realms

Luchi: Fried puffy balls of dough.

Ludo: Ludo is a strategy board game for two to four players, in which the players race their four tokens from start to finish according to the rolls of a single die. It is derived from the Indian game Pachisi, but is simpler.

Maa Bhuvaneshvari: Goddess of the world; The word Bhuvaneśwari is a compound of the words Bhuvana Iśwari, meaning "Goddess of the world" or "Queen of the universe", where the worlds are the tri-bhuvana or three regions of bhūḥ (Earth), bhuvaḥ (atmosphere) and svaḥ (Heavens).

Maa Durga: Maa Durga or Mahishasurmardini, is the principal and popular form of the Hindu Goddess Parvati. She is a goddess of war, the warrior form of Parvati, whose mythology centres around combating evils and demonic forces that threaten peace, prosperity, and Dharma the power of good over evil. Her name is derived from the Demon she had defeated, 'Durg' or 'Mahishasur'.

Maa Kali: Maa Kali is the most powerful form of Shakti and is the destroyer of Evil. She is synonymous with Kalaratri and Kaushiki, and is a fearsome Goddess who is a protector of the innocent. She is the primordial form and is the " changing aspect of nature that brings things to life or death".

Mahalaya: The day Goddess Durga arrives on Earth.

Maha Ashtami: Mahashtami or the Eight Day of Worship, is significant because on this day all the Gods and Devas gave their shakti and weapons to Maa Durga, making her undefeatable and omnipotent, to fight the demon Durg.

Mahishasurmardini: See Maa Durga.

Manavas:(Feminine: Manavis) Humans; mortals.

Mantras: A mantra is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or a group of words in Sanskrit believed by practitioners to have religious, magical or spiritual powers. Some mantras have a syntactic structure and literal meaning, while others do not.

Mawa: Condensed, dry milk.

Matrika: Vedic female deities or Goddesses, often associated with the Adi Parishakti and her different aspects.

Maya: Illusion, it has several layers and hides the supernatural as well as the Truth from the mortal eye.

Mishti doi: Fermented sweet yoghurt.

Mool Mantra: main chant or the 'root' verse.

Mrityu: Death; the Primordial chaotic Goddess of Death.

Mudra: ritualistic hand movements or signs.

Om: The holiest alphabet( as Coleridge says), it is the utterance or the alphabet which encompasses the universe. It's the primordial sound from which the universe was born.

Padma asana: Lotus position; cross legged meditation posture of Ancient India.

Pandal: A decorated marquee.

Paneer: A type of milk curd cheese.

Papad sabzi: A tangy yoghurt and tomato curry of spicy papads/poppadoms made of lentils.

Paratha: A type of South Asian flatbread, baked or fried according to taste.

Parmatma: The Primordial Divine Soul.

Phuchka: A street snack which comprises of fried, crisp, hollow balls of dough filled with a mixture of mashed potatos, chili, chaat masala, chick peas, along with tangy tamarind juice.

Pulao: a dish originating from the East, consisting of rice flavoured with spices and cooked in stock, to which meat, poultry, or fish may be added.

Pushpanjali:( or commonly Anjali) is a flower offering to invoke Gods and Goddesses, usually accompanied by uttering Sanskrit Shlokas, to seek their blessings.

Rakshasa: (Feminine: Rakshasis) Rakshasas were believed to have been created from the breath of Brahma when he was asleep at the end of the Satya Yuga. As soon as they were created, they were so filled with bloodlust that they started eating Brahma himself. Brahma shouted "Rakshama!" (Sanskrit for "Protect me!") and Vishnu came to his aid, banishing to Earth all Rakshasas (named after Brahma's cry for help). They are ferocious, and often become insatiable 'man-eaters'. They have different coloured skins, protruding fangs, and are generally fierce-looking. They can shape-shift and wield Maya according to their will, fly, vanish and change size.

Raksi: A fermented alcoholic drink of Sikkim.

Samanya: 'Ordinary'; name of our male hero.

Shanti: Eternal, Divine peace.

Shiva: He is known as 'The Destroyer' among the Tridevas or Trimurti. He is among the three original Gods who created and preserve the universe. He is the Consort of Goddess Parvati, and is the Mahadev or the Great God of Gods. He has several avatars and aspects, just like Goddess Parvati, Lord Kal Bhairav is one of them.

Shlokas: Shloka or śloka is a poetic form used in Sanskrit, the classical language of India. It has specific rules for meter and syllables.

Tapas: Divine Power or Heat which is acquired through Tapasya.

Tapasya: Meditation or Penance, to achieve spiritual awakening or Divine Knowledge.

Tejas: Divine Radiance acquired through Tapasya.

Todala Tantra: This Hindu tantra or 'text' is a brief but authoritative work of ten patalas or chapters. Its chief interest is that it contains the daily pujas or worships of the Das Mahavidyas and Shiva.

Tridevas: The 'Tridevas' or 'Trimurti' are the Trinity of Hinduism, the three Gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. They are the creator, the preserver, and the destroyer of Creation respectively.

Trishul: Trident.

Vahana: Vahanas or 'vehicles' of Gods are typically animals which are their special pets and are sacred to them. These vahanas are usually immortal and have special powers.

Varada Mudra: Varada mudra is a gesture by the hand which symbolizes dispensing of boons.

Vijaya Bhava: A blessing for victory and triumph.

Vishnu: One of the Tridevas, he is the preserver of Creation and takes birth on earth (Avatars) to destroy Evil and save mankind.

Yuga: Age or Era of life.