Hinduism Terms

Brahman

Impersonal, infinite, formless essence, force, or consciousness that is the source of the universe

Avatar

The earthly embodiment of one of the Hindu gods - ex. - Rama and Krishna

Monism

All is one - there is no difference between creator and creation, and all the gods are "masks" of the Brahman

Henotheism

Belief in one god without disbelieving in others - appropriate within Hinduism because all of the 330M+ gods are all "masks" of the Brahman

Atman

The essential self - that travels from one body to the next, and from one lifetime to the next - is of the same essence as the Brahman

Tat tvam asi

"That art thou" - your atman is of the same essence as the Brahman

Neti, neti

"Not this, not that", when asking what the Brahman is

Samsara

The cycle of reincarnation that a person is stuck in

Moksha

The release from the cycle of samsara once a person has realized one's oneness with the Brahman - also the final goal in life

Seeing through the 3rd Eye

An expression for being able to realize the reality of the Brahman through a mystical experience

Samadhi

A private mystical experience in which a person is able to see the reality of the Brahman - trancelike state in which self-conscousness is lost

Maya

The cosmic illusion of separateness - what a person has to become freed from

Vedas

Most ancient Hindu Scriptures - the oldest is the Rig Veda - believed to have been received by rishis - contain hymns, rituals, and more

Upanishads

Philosophical texts that are the last part of the Vedas - contain idea about the nature of the Om and more

Mahabharata

Hindu epic which tells the story of humanity in the form of a story, and includes many Hindu doctrines

Bhagavad Gita

Central 18 chapters of the Mahbharata, in which the god Krishna explains to the warrior Arjuna that his duty is to act as a warrior, and explains the major paths to get to unity with the Brahman - means "dialogue" or "song of god"

Ramayana

Hindu epic in which the god Rama struggles to rescue his wife Sita

Trimurti

Hindu triad which represent the three forms (not persons) of the Brahman - creation, preservation, and dissolution - Brhama, Vishnu, and Shiva

Brahma

Creator god and father of the dharma

Vishnu

Preserver god - responsible for the bhakti movements because of his incarnations as Rama and Krishna

Shiva

Destroyer god and cosmic meditator and dancer -dissolves illusion - his meditation creates the Ganges

Kali

One of Shiva's wives, who is the bloodthirsty, violent destroyer of her enemies, but shows care and affection to her devotees

Ganesh

Overcomer of obstacles and god of success who is the author of the Mahabharata - one of the most popular gods

Krishna

Avatar of Vishnu who plays a prominent role in the Mahabharata, also known for being a mischievous and amorous cowherd

Radha

Favorite consort of Krishna - their devotion to one another is thought to be symbol of perfect love

Arjuna

Warrior in the Bhagavad Gita who is called to fight against his enemies in battle, and questions Krishna about the meaning of existence and action

Advaita Vedanta

Prominent Hindu philosophy that promotes the idea that the atman and Brahman are "not two" - taught by Shankara

Sankhya

Hindu philosophy that asserts that reality is "two" - matter and an infinite number of selves - a person will be stuck in samsara as long as the self is stuck in the bondage of the personality

Astrology

System of Hindu horoscopes which determines the auspiciousness of dates for events by the patterns of the stars

Karma

Moral law of cause and effect - the good or bad will be brought into the next lifetime

Dharma

The cosmic order or purpose of a thing - similar to the natural law - can also mean a person's duty depending on one's caste, sex, and state in life - also the third goal in life

Aarti

Ritual of devotion, in which the elements are offered back to the gods - involves the revolving of candles around a deity, like the stars and planets are meant to revolve around the gods

Puja

Ritual of devotion in which a person may bathe a deity, or offer flowers, milk, fruit, sweets, etc. back to a deity - typically done in a person's home, but can be done elsewhere

Hare

"Praise" - when Hindus sing songs of the deities, they believe that the deity is made present in the moment

Devo

"God" in Sanskrit - the English words "divine", "devotion", and "diva" are related to this

Murti

"Form" or "manifestation" - statues of the Hindu gods which act as spiritual touchpoints for people with their gods

Aum/Om

The most sacred syllable in Hinduism, which embodies the cycle of existence, planes of existence, and the Trimurti - when chanted, Hindus believe that the Brahman is brought into the present moment

Mantra

Sacred syllable, such as the "Aum/Om", which is used in meditation or other chants

Guru/swami

Hindu teacher or spiritual master

Ashram

Hindu spiritual center or school of devotion

Yoga

Any spiritual "practice" which "yokes" one with the Brahman

Marga

Any spiritual "path" which brings one into unity with the Brahman

Karma Yoga/Marga

The path of works - from the Vedas it meant the sacrifices of the priests, but Gandhi emphasized works of selfless service

Jnana Yoga/Marga

The path of knowledge - from the Upanishads - emphasizes realizing the reality of maya - for the brahmin class

Bhakti Yoga/Marga

The path of devotion to one's chosen gods - from the Bhagavad Gita and Ramayana - the most popular path

Raja Yoga/Marga

The "royal" path - controlling the kingdom of the mind through practices like breath control (pranayama) and physical postures (hatha yoga) - for the kshatriya class

Benares/Varanasi

Holy city on the Ganges - the city founded by Shiva - referenced by the Vedas and Mahabharata - many people want to bathe there and be cremated there

Haridwar

Holy city where the Ganges flows from the Himalayas onto the plain - where many sadhus dwell

Caste

System of social stratification based on karma - each group was thought to be made from different parts of the Cosmic Man

Varna

Term for different castes used more often in Hinduism - used in the Vedas - means "color" or "class"

Jati

Term for the subgroup that a person in India may be from, depending on family, occupation, etc. - a person is in the same one even if they convert out of Hinduism

Brahmin

Priestly caste, may also include gurus - best karma

Kshatriya

Warrior caste, may also include administrators - second best karma

Vaishya

Producer caste - may include merchants, artisans, etc. - third best karma

Shudra

Servant caste - lowest caste in the caste system

Harijan

"God's children" - term used for by Gandhi to describe the Untouchables - their karma is so bad that they are outside of the caste system

Dalit

"Broken, oppressed peoples" - term used today for most of the Untouchables

Sannyasin/ Sadhu

The final stage of life - lead ascetic lives, devoted to their deities, practice meditation, as well as hatha yoga

Kama

The first, most fleeting goal in life - sensory pleasure - appropriate in the householder stage

Artha

The second goal in life - material success - appropriate in the householder stage

Mohandas/ Mahatma Gandhi

"Great soul" who campaigned for independence for India from Great Britain and tried to unite all Indians

Ahimsa

Jain idea of non-violence, in this case to give safety to all types of animate life

Satyagraha

"Holding on to the truth" - Gandhi's persistent, continual campaign to nonviolently work towards his goals

Mahavira

The 24th Tirthankara (599-527 BC) - gave up a life of luxury - his clothes, much food and water - converted many to Jainism - ended his life by starving

Kevala

Jain enlightenment - free from samsara and is able to be freed from the pull of the material world

Asceticism

Living very simply, giving up many ties to the world and most of one's possessions

Tirthankaras

In Jainism, "makers of the river crossing" - there are 24 of these heroes in this cycle of the world who have acted as exemplars for others

Adi Granth (Guru Granth Sahib)

In Sikhism - the most important text which contains the teachings of the gurus - treated as if it is the living embodiment of the gurus' teachings

Gurdwara

Sikh "doorway of the Guru" - any building that is reserved for a copy of the Adi Granth - Sikh house of worship

Guru Nanak

Former Hindu and founder of Sikhism as a reaction to some of the practices in Hinduism and Islam (1469-1539)

Sikh

"Disciple" - who follows the teachings of Guru Nanak

Khalsa

"Pure ones" - members of the Sikh community

Amritsar

City where the Golden Temple of the Sikhs is, in northern India - geographic center of the Sikh faith