Hinduism reading guide

India

Where Hinduism was founded

Vedas

Holy books of Hinduism; primary texts composed by Aryans

Bhagavad Gita

Conversation about reality in one episode

Mahabharata

Long war story about a great war between two sides of same family

Bindi

Small dot worn on forehead, most recognizable symbol of Hinduism

Indus Valley Civilization

Major founding source of Hindu

Aryan people

Indo-European people who dominated India culturally

Sanskrit language 

Language brought by Aryans 

Sankara

Highly influential Indian philosopher and theologian

Vedanta school

School of thought, dominant form of Hinduism

Holi

Festival of Color, commemorates triumph of good over evil

Diwali 

Festival of Lights, celebrates victory of light over darkness 

Dharma

What you ought to do, determines karma

Karma

Law of cause and effect that determines next life

Reincarnation

Soul reborn in same body to fully experience life

Moksha 

Release of reincarnation by uniting with Brahman 

Samsara

Weary link between reincarnation

Atman

Your divine essence, little slice of Brahman in us

Brahman

The World Soul that is everything

Polytheistic or Monotheistic 

Worship many gods that are all the faces of Brahman 

What are the Three main paths

Path of Action, Path of Knowledge and Path of Devotion

Yoga

Spiritual discipline of body

Path of Action

Perform proper rituals and fulfill duty in society

Path of Knowladge 

Meditative and scholarly practices

Path of Devotion

Worship and devotion to particular deities, cultivates virtues of deites

Puja

Prayers and rituals towards specific God

Shiva

God of creation and destruction

Vishnu

God who upholds cosmos and defends righteousness 

Krishna

Primary deity of Bhagaad

Caste system

Societal duty on path of action in spiritual life, hardwired into cosmos

Vegetarianism

Exhorted as ideal; cows are sacred 

Ahimsa

Noninjury 

Cows

Sacred because goddess was part human and cow; frolicked with cow head girls

Clergy

Swarmi are teachers and scholars

Priest vs Guru

Priest: Officiates major rituals

Guru: Spiritual teacher one-on-one

Mohandas Gandhi 

Activists who is revered for helping India achieve independence from Britain 

Om

Sound that represents primal sound/ sound of cosmos