Studied by 12 people
Aryans
Indo-European-speaking people who appeared on the Indian subcontinent about 1500 BCE
atman
The individual's innermost self or soul or the universal self
bhaki
devotion
Brahman
a member of a social and cultural elite
brahmanism
the religious and social system of orthodox Hinduism
dharma
duty; virtue
brahmin
a member of the priestly caste
Dharmashatras
law books
draupadi
heroine in the Mahabarta epic; and wife to its five heroes, the Pandava brothers
durga
Hindu goddess of war; a malevolent aspect of Devi
Hindutva
literally; "hinduness"; in modern parlance, the ideology of Hindu nationalism
Kali
bloodthirsty but benevolent goddess
kama
love, pleasure
karma
in Hinduism, literally "act" or "deed"
Laws of Manu
One of the Dharmashastras; a pivotal text for the subordination and mistreatment of women
moksha
freedom, liberation
pativrata
literally, one who has taken a vow of loyalty to her husband; a term for a married woman
sadhvi
a female renouncer
sanskrit
the language of many ancient Hindu sacred texts.
shakti
female power
sati
literally, "good woman"; a woman who immolates herself on the funeral pyre of her husband
Sita
the wife of rama and heroine of the Ramayana
vac
the goddess of speech
veda
"knowledge"; the vedas are the oldest and most sacred texts in Hinduism
vrat
vow, religious observance commonly taken by women in Hinduism
yoni
the female genital organ; often found in conjunction with the male linga
asana
yogic posture
ashram
a usually ascetic spiritual community of followers gathered around their guru
avatar
an incarnation of a deity
brahmin
priest
caste
originally an occupational category; hereditary classes into which people are born
chakra
a subtle energy center in the body
dalit
"oppressed "; name used by some people formerly considered untouchables
darshan
visual contact with the divine
deva
a deity
dharma
moral order, duty, righteous, religion
prana
the invisible life force
puja
ritual worship
rishi
a sage
shakta
worshiper of the divine in female form
samsara
the worldly cycle of birth, death, and rebirth
sannyasin
renunciate spiritual seeker
sutra
terse spiritual teaching
tantra
a scared esoteric text with spiritual practices honoring the divine in female form
upanishads
the philosophical part of the vedas
yoga
practices for union with the true self
Note 
Flashcard (20)