indian

Vedas

The sacred texts of the Vedic people. Hymns of praise of various deity used in ritual contexts

Upanisads

criptures which interpret the idea of sacrifice. They rely on analogic thinking and dialogues that help the listener understand the true nature of reality. A literal translation could perhaps be “homology”.

Buddhist Canon

set of scriptures in the Pālī language that lay down the teachings of the Buddha. These are often in the form of dialogues

Mahabharata

perhaps the longest poem in world literature. It tells the story of the fratricidal war between two antagonistic wings of a family for control of the kingdom. It also serves as a vehicle to discuss the nature of dharma and includes the teachings of the Bhagavad Gītā

Bhagavad Gita

dialogue between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna in which Kṛṣṇa reveals himself to be God incarnate. He also teaches Karma yoga, a practice by which one can do their own duty and sAll reach liberaAon

Ramayana

life story of Rāma. He is the king. He is then exiled through poliAcal machinations, although his brother saves his throne for him. While in exile his wife, Sītā is abducted by Rāvaṇa and he fights a war with his newly-gained monkey allies to win her back

Jatakas

tales of buddha’s previous lives

Theism

belief system centered around a transcendent deity

karma

means “action” but becomes the basis for how saṃsāra or this world of transmigration operates

brahman

“sacrificial efficacy”, the reality behind the world

atman

the individual soul or self. Originally just the reflexive pronoun “self”

yoga

discipline/practice

karmayoga

discipline of action. taught by krishna to arjuna

varna

social order. There are four in ancient and classical India. Brahmins (brāhmaṇas,priests and scholars), Kṣatriyas (warriors), Vaiśyas (Traders and culAvators), and Śūdras

(servants)

varṇāśrāmadharma

the duty according to your social order and stage of

life

four noble truths

suffering, desire, end to suffering=nirvana, eightfold path

buddhism

religion that seeks to alleviate suffering through getting rid of its causes

jainism

religion that seeks to free the soul through getng rid of karma, both by not performing new karma and by performing asceticism to “burn off” previous karma

brahmanism

catch-all term for religions based on the teachings of the Brahmin class that include the primacy of the Vedas and holding up varṇāśrāmadharma

purusa

“person,” the primoderial being who sacrificed himself to create the world

Yājñavalkya

Upaniṣadic sage who sought the imperishable truth behind everything, namely that ātman and brahman were one and the same

Viṣṇu

Theistic deity, incarnates himself as Kṛṣṇa to put dharma aright in the Mahābhārata

Kṛṣṇa

avatāra of Viṣṇu in the Mahābhārata who acts as the Pāṇḍavas’ councillor and teaches Arjuna

arjuna

greatest warrior among the pandavas

Yuddhisthira

eldest pandava, son of god dharma, educated to be the “dharmaking” in mahabharata

the buddha

born a ksatriya, renounces the world to look for the true end to suffering

rama

ideal man, main character of ramayana, avatara of visnu

sita

rama’s wife

hanuman

monkey prince, ally of rama, seen to be ideal devotee

ravana

demon king of lanka, abucts sita and is killed by rama

surpanakha

ravana’s sister, demon mutilated by rama and laksmana