Hinduism Vocab

Hinduism

Religion

sanatham dharm

“The Eternal Dharma“- Everlasting Religion

Hindu traditions

Religious customs of those who self-identify as “Hindu“

Karma

Actions, such as ritual & moral action

jnana

Knowledge

bhakti

Devotion, such as love for a deity

Bhagavad Gita

“Song of the Lord“

Sanskrit

Ancient Indic language

Temple (mandir)

Most common place for Hindus to practice religious actions

Puja

Ritual worship

havan

One of the oldest rituals, includes a fire sacrifice

sacrificers

Those who have requested and paid for the havan

Brahman

The source and foundation for all existence

Vedas

Foundational sacred texts of hinduism, were revealed to rishis (“seers“) 3000 years ago

Hanuman

Monkey God, popular in north india

Ramayan

Depicted hanuman in the text

murti

sculpture, washed, dressed, and adorned

darshan

Murti eyes are opened to see who came to view him

jati/caste

hereditary social class

devata

deities

Ram and Sita

heroes of the epic Ramayan

Ram

is an avatar (incarnation) of god Vishnu

Sita

manifestation of Devi (goddess)

Bhagavan

deities are ultimately expressions of a singular deva

Krishna

an avatar of Vishnu, the ultimate god

Vrat

vow for hindy women that helps protect their families

moksha

liberation from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth

sadhus

good man

sadhvi

good woman

Buddha

the “one who knows“

yoga

endeavor to control the body so that it will not distract the mind in its meditations

bhakti

the final path to the divine described in the Bhagavad Gita, devotion

Mahabharat

one of the most popular sets of hindu stories. Heroin prays to god for help as she is being disrobed

Vishnu

some believe to be Bhagavan himself

Sita

Wife of Ram, becomes renowned as a paragon of courage and wifely commitment. Avatar of Devi

Devi

generic term for “the goddess“, variety of manifestations, Durga and Kali

shakti

active energy that empowers Devi’s abilities, “cosmic power“

Hindutva

Hindu nationalist movement

Mohandas Gandhi

known as “Mahatmna“ or “the Great Soul“

Swami Vivekananda

one of the most influecial Hindu reformers, founded the Ramakrishna mission

B.R. Ambekdar

Drafted the constitution for an independent India

Dalit

"Crushed”