Hinduism Vocabulary

Ahisma

In Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, the intentional avoidance of violence or injurty against another living thing by acts of omission or commission, be it word or deed.

Ascetic

A person who renounces material comforts to live a self-disciplined life, especially in the area of religious devotion.

Asceticism

the practice of self-denial and self-discipline, particularly for religious or spiritual reasons.

Atman

In Hinduism, the individual soul or essence.

Avatar

the incarnation of a Hindu god, especially Vishnu, in human or animal form. According to Hindu belief, Vishnu has been incarnated nine times. The tenth avatar will usher in the end of the world.

Bhagavad Gita

One of the stories within the Mahabharata epic, the most quoted of all Hindu scriptures throughout the centuries. It is a dialogue between Arjuna, a righteous warrior, and his charioteer, Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, about personal detachment.

Bhakti

In Hinduism, the devotional way of achieving liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth, emphasizing a devotee’s loving faith in the gods.

Brahman

In Hinduism, the Ultimate Reality or Absolute Reality; the ultimate ground of all being.

Brahmins

Hindu priests; also the highest social class in the Hindu caste system.

Caste

one of the hereditary social classes in Hindu India that determine the occupation and social possibilities of its members.

Cult

an external religious practice, observance, or devotion surrounding a deity, holy person, or religious object of a particular religious tradition.

Devas

from the Sankrit for “shining ones”; celestial beings in the Hindu tradition.

Dharma

from the Sanskrit meaning “uphold”. In Hinduism, it is that which is in accordance with the laws of the cosmos and of nature; for example, righteous acts. In Buddhism, it is the teachings of the Buddha.

Guru

from the Sanskrit for “teacher”; a Hindu teacher and guide in philosophical and spiritual matters.

Karma

In Hinduism and Buddhism, the sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences (reincarnations).

Mahabharata

part of the Hindu smriti scriptures, an epic about the feud between the Pandava and Kaurava families over inheritance. Within the large epic are smaller stories, often philsophical.

Mantras

sacred verbal formulas that are repeated in prayer or meditation.

Maya

Sanskrit for “illusion”; a teaching of the Upanishads that only Brahman is permanent, everything else is only an illusion.

Moksha

in Hinduism, the transcendant state of ultimate liberation from samsara, the endless cycle of rebirth.

Myths

traditional or ancient stories that help explain a people’s creation, customs, and/or ideals

Puja

the ritual worship of a god or goddess in both Hinduism and Buddhism.

Ramayana

part of the Hindu smriti scriptures, an epic about the adventures of Prince Rama, who journeys to rescue his wife, Sita, from the demon-king Ravana.

Rishis

Hindu holy persons or sages

Samsara

in Hinduism, the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth or reincarnation until one has achieved oneness with Brahman.

Satyagraha

the policy of nonviolent resistance initiated by Mohandas Gandhi in the first half of the twentieth century as a means of pressing for political reform.

Sects

religious groups that separate from or distinguish themselves within a larger religious denomination.

Shruti

from a word that means “that which is heard”; the most revered body of Hindu sacred scripture.

Smriti

meaning “that which is remembered”; Hindu scriptures in the form of epics and stories that shed light on the more abstract and esoteric shruti scriptures.

Soma

A hallucinogenic beverage that was used in ancient India as an offering to Hindu gods in Vedic ritual sacrifices.

Transcendant

a term that means “lying beyond the ordinary range of perception”

Transcendental Meditation

a trademarked meditation technique derived from Hinduism that promotes deep relaxation through recitation of a mantra.

Ultimate Reality

in Hinduism, Brahman is the highest reality in the universe.

Vedas

Ancient scriptures composed in Sanskrit that are the foundation of Hinduism. The word Vela means “knowledge”.

Yogas

paths to moksha that endeavor to unite action (body), knowledge (mind), and devotion (soul). The three paths are karma yoga, jnana yoga, and bhakti yoga.

Yogi

a practitioner of yoga, particularly in its meditative forms

Dalits

The "untouchables", at the bottom of the caste system in Indian culture.

Indus River Valley Civilization

a Bronze Age civilization in the northwestern regions of South Asia, and flourished in the alluvial plain of the Indus River and along a system of perennial monsoon-fed rivers.

Indo-Aryan Migration into India

the migrations into the Indian subcontinent of Indo-Aryan peoples, an ethnolinguistic group that spoke Indo-Aryan languages.

Dravidian Civilization.

a collection of ethnolinguistic groups native to South Asia who speak Dravidian languages, which may have been spoken also in the Indo-Aryan civilizations.

Trimurti

a major concept in Hinduism that means "having three forms," representing the supreme triad of cosmic functions. Brahma is the creator of the universe, Vishnu is the protector of the universe, and Shiva is the destroyer who clears the way for new creation.

Upanishads

ancient Sanskrit philosophical texts that form the final part of the Vedas, the oldest sacred scriptures of Hinduism.

Kshatriyas

second tier of the Hindu caste system; the rulers and warriors

Vaishyas

third tier of the Hindu caste system; the farmers and merchants

Shudras

the fourth tier of the Hindu caste system; the laborers and servants

The Untouchables

the bottom of the Hindu caste system; waste cleaners and garbage collectors