comparitive religions

deva

one of the millions of gods and goddesses in Hinduism

atman

the self or soul; that which is reincarnated

Veda

one of the foundational and most ancient texts of Hinduism containing rituals and core concepts

Sanskrit

language in which the religious texts of Hinduism are written

Dravidians

indigenous to South Asia, established the worship of the god Shiva and the practice of meditation; had a written language, but its script has not been deciphered

Aryans

arrived in South Asia from the north and west, brought an early version of the Sanskrit language, and are seen as having some connection to late European culture through linguistic connections to later Greek and Latin languages

Brahman

unseen but all-pervading ultimate reality

Dharma

the moral order of the universe, as well as an individual's duties, responsibilities, and appropriate path in life

karma

“action” and the consequences of those actions

Samsara

the cycle that harmful actions keep you involved in

Moksha

liberation from samsara

Sita

the wife of the hero of the Ramayana, who is kidnapped by a demon and later has her fidelity questioned

Ravana

the demon who is the primary villain of the Ramayana

Krishna

an incarnation of Vishnu who teaches a prince in the most most famous part of the Mahabharata which is known as the Bhagavad Gita

Arjuna

the prince who learns about spiritual practice in the most most famous part of the Mahabharata which is known as the Bhagavad Gita

Shakti

The power of the feminine divine principle which manifests in many forms of goddesses

Tantra

A religious text honoring the feminine divine principle; it may include transgressive elements such as sexuality in its rituals

Shiva

The god of ascetics and yogis; also seen in his cosmic role as the Destroyer

Vishnu

The god of compassion and mercy; also seen in his cosmic role as the Preserver

lingam

a male phallic symbol

yoni

a symbol of the female vulva

Kali

the angry form of the goddess Durga, often depicted in poses of extreme violence

apochryphal

of doubtful authenticity or uncertain origin; often referring to writings or stories not

accepted as authoritative scripture.