Cultural Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 

Açrama

(Sanskrit) Hermitage. Remote location for ascetics

Agni

The Vedic god of fire – mediates between the gods and men through the smoke of the offerings he consumes.

Airâvana

Elephant, mount of Indra, portrayed with one or three heads

Amitâbha

The infinite light, represented by a Buddha on the back-hair of bodhisattvas

Amrita

The elixir of life or ambrosia produced by the Churning of the ocean of milk

Ananta

Symbol of infinity – serpent floating in the cosmic sea and supporting Vishnu as he sleeps through the night of Brahma before the reverse of the world

Anastylose

Integral restoration of a monument in which all the elements are analysed and numbered following which the building is made structurally sound and rebuilt using original materials as much as possible.

Angkor

Town, city

Apsara

 (Sanskrit) Water nymph who became celestial dancers who entertain the gods and are the sensual rewards of warriors who died bravely.

Asura

(Sanskrit) Demon in perpetual conflict with the gods. He is not basically bad.

Avatar

(Sanskrit) « descent » or incarnation of Vishnu in the form of a human or an animal.

B

Bantaey

Citadel – included in the name of temples having external walls looking like fortresses.

Bakong

Ba = chief, Kong = remain – Temple of Roluos group

Bannalay

Parapet representing the body of a Naga supported by small columns

Baray

Artificial reservoir in which the water is contained by dikes

Beng

Pond

Boddhisattva

(sanskrit) a being who voluntary stops short of reaching the Buddhahood in order to help humanity (Mahayana Buddhism). Avalokitesvara is the most popular one in Cambodia.

Bouddha

A wise entlightened man

Brahmâ

Creator of all things. A deity of the brahmanique trimurti (with Vishnu and Shiva). He has generally four heads and four arms. His vehicule is the sacred goose, Hamsa

C

Cham

Inhabitant of Champa, a kingdom located in what is now central Vietnam

Chedey

Sanctuary containing relics (Theravada Buddhism)

D

Deva

(Sanskrit) Deity, superior celestial beings

Devaraja

King-God, essence of the Khmer kingship

Devata

Female deity

Dharma

(Sanskrit) Doctrine of Hindu moral duty to create a social harmony among living beings

Dharmasala

House of dharma – name given to asylums for travellers along the Cambodian roads

Durga

One of the « Sakti » of Shiva

Dverapala

Temple Guardian – normally sculpted as a door watchman

F

Ficus religiosa

Tree specie under which Buddha reached enlightenment

Fu-nan

The Chinese name of an ancient kingdom, at the origin of the Khmer civilisation

G

Ganesha

Elephant headed son of Shiva and Parvati – The lord of obstacles that he set wide apart. The most venerated god by a lot of faithful people

Ganga

One of the Sakti of Shiva (Goddess of the Ganges river in India)

Garuda

(Sanskrit) Mount of Vishnu – mythical bird/man, enemy of Nagas

Gopura

Entrance pavilion of the temples enclosures – sometimes surmounted by a tower

Guru

Brahmin, spiritual instructor

H

Hamsa

(Sanskrit) Sacred goose, mount of Brahma

Hanuman

Monkey general (Ramayana epopee)

Harihara

Representation joining in one person Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva (Hara)

Hinayana

The lesser vehicle referring to traditional form of the Buddhism which concentrates on the doctrine rather than on the worship of the bodhisattvas. Its adherents use the term Theravada instead.

I

Indra

The principal Vedic god. God of the sky, clouds, storms and monsoons.

K

Kali

One of the Sakti of Shiva

Kalpa

(Sanskrit) Each Kalpa is a day and a night of Brahma but millions human years. It is the cycle of time at the end of which Shiva destroys the world. Then a new Kalpa is initiated.

Kama

God of love, desire and pleasure

Kompong

Village on a bank, landing stage

Krama

Traditional cotton fabric, 2 meters long and one meter broad, very popular and multi-purpose. A must in Cambodia.

Krishna

Avatar of Vishnu

Kulen

A kind of litchi plant but this word is also the name of the Kulen mountain, also called the mountain of “Great Indra”.

Kurma

Turtle, an avatar of Vishnu to be used as a hub during the Churning of the ocean of milk

L

Lakshmi

One of the Sakti of Vishnu, goddess of beauty and wealth

Lanka

Capital and fortress of the Ravana demon (Ramayana epopee) located on the Ceylanese island, today called Sri Lanka

Library

Traditional but false name for small isolated annexes usually found in pairs. They were more likely a kind of shrine and could have been used to store local divinities and/or the sacred fire

Linga

Stylised image of a phallus representing the essence of the god Shiva in all his names and aspects

M

Mahâbhârata

Major Hindu epic encompassing hundred thousand strophes written between 400 bc and 200 ad

Mahâyana

The Great Vehicle referring to a later form of Buddhism in which the bodhisattvas are worshipped like deities.

Maitreya

Future Buddha (kind of Messiah)

Makara

Sea monster, with a large head often in the form of a crocodile, sometimes with a trunk of an elephant, and spitting a Naga in Khmer sculptures

Mâra

Spirit of evil which attacked Buddha after his enlightenment

Mekong

Me = Sea, Kong = Water

Meru

The Hindu cosmic mountain which lies at the centre of the universe. Its five summits are the home of the gods.

Mudra

(Sanskrit) the ritual gesture of the hands of Buddha. They can also express the feelings of dancers.

N

Naga

Multi-headed mythological snake associated with water, fertility, rainbows and creation. Five and seven headed cobras are common motifs : Buddha in meditation is said to have been protected by the spread heads of a Naga.

Nandin

White sacred bull, the mount of Shiva

Neak-tâ

Shelter protecting an local popular idol

Nirvana

Final goal for the Buddhists allowing them to escape to the Samsara cycle.

P

Parvati

One of the Sakti of Shiva, Mother of Ganesha

Phnom

Hill or mountain

Preah

Khmer prefix to designate everything which is sacred

Prasat

From the Indian prasada (sanctuary), a terraced pyramid temple

Prei

Forest

R

Râma

Very popular Avatar of Vishnu

Râmâyana

Major Hindu epic encompassing 24000 verses gathered into 645 stanza. Numerous adventure of Râma to recover his wife Sita who was kidnapped by Ravana. The Khmer version is the Reamker

Ravana

Enemy of Râma, king of the Asuras in the Island of Lanka

S

Sakti

Female energy of all Hindu gods (« spouse »)

Sampot

Traditional Khmer Garment, a cloth worn around the waist

Sanskrit

Ancient and sacred Hindu language and script

Sarasvati

Goddess of intelligence and arts, Sakti of Brahma

Sita

Spouse of Râma, kidnapped by Ravana and who is endless researched by Râma and Hanuman

Shakra

(sanskrit) the wheel of law, symbol of Buddhism and of Buddha – Emblem of immortality and power

Shiva

One of the Hindu trinity of gods, the god of destruction and also of creation – He generally shows a frontal eye and a crescent on his back-hair, mounted on the sacred bull, Nandin

Skanda

God of war against Asuras, son of Shiva generally mounted on a peacock

Srah

Basin, pond

Srei

(Sanskrit) Woman (stri) or beauty (shri) 

Stung

River

Stupa

Funeral or memorial Buddhist monument generally containing the rests of cremation (almost inexistent in Cambodia)

Surya

God of the sun, one of the three principal gods in the Rig-Veda with Indra and Agni. He is mounted on a char tugged by horses

T

Tandava

Cosmic dance of Shiva disconnecting the different periods of creation and destruction of the worlds.

Tchen-La

Of water and of earth – Ancient Chinese name of the kingdom named Kam-po-tche by its inhabitants

Theravada

or Hinayana – The traditional form of Buddhism

Thom

Large, big

Trimurti

Brahma trinity of gods (Vishnu – Shiva – Brahma)

U

Uma

One of the Sakti of Shiva

V

Vahana

(Sanskrit) Mount or vehicle of a god

Vajra

Thunderbolt, attribute of Indra but also diamond

Varman

(Sanskrit) Literally « chest armour » This word is the suffix of almost all the Khmer kings names

Varuna

God of rain

Veda

The four religious books that instruct Brahmanic ritual. The most famous is the Rig-Veda composed in the first millennium BC. One of the most ancient text of Humankind.

Vihear

Temple building housing a Buddha image.

Vishnu

Member of the Hindu trinity, the preserver and protector of the universal rules, mounted on Garuda. A popular deity among worshippers who manifests himself on earth in a variety of avatars to preserve the universal order.

W

Wat

Buddhism monastery encompassing different religious buildings and monks cells.

Y

Yama

God of death, king of inferno. His mount is a buffalo – the supreme judge

Yaksa ou Yeak

Good or bad genies. In Cambodia this word has the same meaning as Asura

Yuga

The four ages in the world cycle according to Hinduism. They are following each other in decreasing duration and merit from golden age to iron age. We are now living in an age which started in 3102 BC.