Hinduism Vocabulary

12th Grade

artha

material success and social prestige, one of the four goals of 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 (aht'muhn)

the eternal Self, which the Upanishads identify with Brahman often lowercase: the eternal self or soul of an individual that is reincarnated from one body to the next and is ultimately identified with Atman.

avatar

An incarnation, or living embodiment, of a deity, usually of Vishnu, who is sent to earth to accomplish a divine purpose; Krishna and Rama are the most popular avatars.

Bagavad-Gita (buh'guh-vuhd gee'tah)

Sanskrit: The Song of the Blessed Lord). 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; Hinduism's most popular sacred text.

bhakti marga (buhk'tee mar'guh)

also bhakti yoga; Sanskrit: "the path of devotion"). The most popular of the three Hindu paths to salvation, emphasizing loving devotion to one's chosen god or goddess.

Brahman (brah'muhn)

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

brahmin (brah'min)

The highest of the four classes of the caste system, made up of priests.

caste system

raditional division of Hindu society into various categories; there are four main varnas, or classes: brahmin, kshatriya, vaishya, and shudra; each class contains numerous subgroups, resulting in more than three thousand categories.

dharma (dahr'muh)

Ethical duty based on the divine order of reality; one of the four goals of life

jnana marga (nyah'nah mar'guh)

also jnana yoga; Sanskrit: "the path of knowledge"). One of three Hindu paths to salvation, emphasizing knowing the true nature of reality through learning and meditation

kama (kah'muh)

Pleasure, especially of sensual love; one of the four goals of life.

karma

(Sanskrit: "action"). The moral law of cause and effect of actions; determines the nature of one's reincarnation.

karma marga

(also karma yoga; Sanskrit: "the path of works"). One of three Hindu paths to salvation, emphasizing performing right actions according to dharma.

kshatriya (kshuht'ree-yuh)

The second of the four classes of the caste system, made up of warriors and administrators.

maya (mah'yah)

Cosmic illusion brought about by divine creative power.

moksha (mohk'shuh)

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 (rig vay'duh)

A collection of 1,017 Sanskrit hymns composed about 1500 B.C. or earlier; Hinduism's oldest sacred text.

samadhi (suh-mah'dee)

А trancelike state in which self consciousness is lost, and the mind is absorbed into the ultimate reality; the culmination of the eight steps of Yoga.

samsara (sahm-sah'ruh)

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

Sankhya (sahng'kyuh)

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.

sannyasin (sun-yah'sin)

A wandering ascetic who has advanced to the fourth and highest stage of life

sati (suh'tee)

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

shudra (shoo'druh)

The lowest of the four classes of the caste system, made up of servants and laborers.

Upanishads (oo-pah'ni-shuhdz)

from Sanskrit: “sitting near a teacher". A collection of over two hundred texts composed between 900 and 200 в.с. that provide philosophical commentary on the Vedas

vaishya (vish'yuh)

The third of the four classes of the caste system, made up of producers, such as farmers, merchants, and artisans.

Vedanta (vay-dahn'tuh)

А 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.

Yoga

A system of Hindп philosophy and one approach within jnana marga, "“the path of knowledge," seeking to free the eternal self from the bondage of personhood, culminating in the experience of samadhi; lowercase: physical and psychological techniques for spiritual advancement.