bible hindu terms quiz

artha

material success and social prestige one of the 4 goals in life

ascetic

one who renounces physical pleasures and worldly attachments for the sake of spiritual advancement, common in hinduism and many other religious traditions, most notably jainism

atman

the eternal self which the upanishads identify with brahman, often lowercased to refer to the eternal self or soul of an individual that is reincarnated from one body to the next and is ultimately identified with atman

Bhagavad-Gita

a short section of the epic poem mahabharata in which the god krishna teaches the great warrior arjuna about bhakti marga and other ways to God; Hinduisms most sacred text

brahman

the eternal essence of reality and the source of the universe beyond the reach of human perception and thought

dharma

ethical duty based on the divine order of reality; one of the 4 goals of life

Jnana Marga

one of three hindu paths to salvation, emphasizing knowing the true nature of reality through learning and meditation

kama

pleasure, especially of sensual love; one of the 4 goals of life

samsara

the wheel of rebirth or reincarnation; the this-worldly realm in which rebirth occurs

Sankhya

a system of hindu philosophy and one approach within jnana marga "the path of knowledge”, asserting that reality comprises two distinct categories: matter and eternal selves

karma

the moral law of cause and effect of actions; determines the nature of ones reincarnation

karma marga

one of three hindu paths to salvation, emphasizing performing right actions according to dharma

maya

cosmic illusion brought about by divine creative power

moksha

liberation or release of the individual self, atman, from the bondage of samsara; salvation; one of the four goals of life

monism

the doctrine that reality is ultimately made up of only one essence

rig veda

a collection 1,017 sanskrit hymns composed about 1500 BC or earlier; Hinduisms oldest sacred text

sannyasin

a wandering ascetic who has advanced to the 4th and highest stage of life

sati

the traditional practice of the burning a widow on her husband’s funeral pyre; outlawed in 1829, though it still occurs rarely

vedanta

a system of hindu philosophy and one approach within jnana marga “the path of knowledge,” holding that all reality is essentially brahman; most notable advocate is the medieval hindu philosopher shankara.