Exam 1

Question 1

Indus Valley Civilization

Answer 1

o Situated along the Indus River
o Difficult to determine contributions because it seems they disappeared rather suddenly
-surprisingly advanced: indoor plumbing, paved streets, irrigations systems
-amenities that would not be expected of the time period

Question 2

Mohenjo-daro

Answer 2

o The largest city along the Indus River
o Central City of Indus River valley civilization
-many artifacts found relating to later Indian religions

Question 3

Harappa

Answer 3

o Large city on the Ravi River, a tributary to the Indus River
o A center of the Indus river valley civilization

Question 4

Harappans

Answer 4

o Ancient culture from Indus river valley civilization called the Harappan culture
o People of the culture called Harappans

Question 5

Dravidians

Answer 5

o Refers to an ethnic group who are possibly the aboriginal inhabitants of India
o Now found in South/Central India
-remains unclear exactly who they are, where they came from, and when they arrived on the scene – but have many less advanced similarities to harappan culture

Question 6

Aryans

Answer 6

o Literally the “noble ones” or “pure ones”
o Nomadic people who became known in India in the second millennium BC
o Elaborate system of priestly rituals based on an oral tradition of religious literature (the Vedas)

Question 7

Veda

Answer 7

o Literally “knowledge”
o Refers to the knowledge that is contained in texts of the vedas…the knowledge texts
o Sacred text of Hinduism

Question 8

Shruti

Answer 8

o Literally “heard” or “that which is heard”
o Refers to nature of the text of the vedas
o Texts were in some way revealed from an extra-human or suprahuman source and the knowledge is transcendant to human experience

Question 9

Samhitas

Answer 9

o Literally “collections”
o Refers to earliest body of literature included in the vedas
o 4 sections: Rig, Yajur, Sama. Atharva

Question 10

Rig Veda Samhita

Answer 10

o Literally the “collection of knowledge hymns”
o Earliest collection of texts in the Early Vedas
o Includes hymns or poems composed as prayers, petitions, and addresses to the gods, as well as some philosophical speculation

Question 11

Yajur Veda Samhita

Answer 11

o Literally the “collection of knowledge of sacrifice”
o Part of the Early Vedas
o Provides important information for the physical performance of the elaborate sacrifices

Question 12

Sama Veda Samhita

Answer 12

o Literally the “collection of knowledge of melodies”
o Part of the Early Vedas
o Provides the melodies, tunes, or metrical accompaniment to the hymns of the Rig Veda

Question 13

Atharva Veda Samhita

Answer 13

o 4th book of Early Vedas

o contains info that is magical in nature including incantations, mystical formulae, charms, and curses

Question 14

Brahmanas

Answer 14

o Literally the “texts belonging to the Brahmins”
o Part of the Early Vedas
o Commentaries and prose explanations of the samhitas of the early vedas

Question 15

Henotheism

Answer 15

o Coined by Fredrich Max Muller
o Attitude towards the gods that he perceived in the early vedas
o The tendency of the early vedas to worship one god, ascribing supremecy to this deity, while recognizing that other gods exist
o Not entirely accurate

Question 16

Aranyakas

Answer 16

o Literally “the forest texts”
o From the later vedas
o Transitional text moving away from the elaborate sacrificial system of the Early vedas and towards the philosophical and meditational approach of the Upanishads

Question 17

Upanishads

Answer 17

o The last of the four vedas
o Category of texts which are self-conciously philosophical and cautiously mystical
o Moved beyond the performance of the sacrifices enjoined in the early vedas
o Elevate the importance of mystical and metaphysical knowledge

Question 18

Varna

Answer 18

o Literally “quality” or “characteristic”
o Used as a term for the four broad social classes
• Brahmin
• Kshatriya
• Vaishya
• Shudra

Question 19

Jati

Answer 19

o Literally “birth”
o Refers to the rigid social class into which one is born
o Became synonymous with CASTE

Question 20

Dharma

Answer 20

o Literally “duty”
o Refers to social responsibility of each individual in life
o Based on jati into which one is born

Question 21

Karma

Answer 21

o Literally “action” or “deed”
o Refers to the cause/effect relationship of action and reaction
o Implies the cosmic balance of actions in this life and resulting reaction in the next life or later in this life

Question 22

Samsara

Answer 22

o The rounds of rebirth

o Perceived as the human problem in the Upanishads

Question 23

Brahman

Answer 23

o The ultimate, absolute, impersonal universal principle of being, consciousness, and bliss taught in the Upanishads

Question 24

Atman

Answer 24

o Literally the “self” or “soul”
o Employed by Upanishads to refer to the phenomenal aspect of the human existence that is thought to be identical with the cosmic aspect of existence

Question 25

Moksha

Answer 25

o Literally “freedom” or “release”
o Refers to the goal od spiritual liberation from samsara or rebirth
o Articulated in Upanishads

Question 26

Bhakti Marga

Answer 26

o Literally the “path to devotion”
o Approach to religion in India that involves the worship of a personal god for the goal of the enjoyment of heaven with that god
o Available to common people

Question 27

Puranas

Answer 27

o In Bhakti Marga
o Texts of traditional knowledge, lore, myth, etc that usually relate to the exploits of god
o Specific puranas for each deity

Question 28

Puja

Answer 28

o Literally “worship” in Bhakti Marga

o Refers to specific physical acts of worship to the image of a deity

Question 29

Bhajan

Answer 29

o Literally “adoration” or “worship”
o Bhakti tradition
o Public festival of songs and hymns of praise to the deity
o Usually held in temple in the early evening
o Corporate worship services that focus on singing songs of praise

Question 30

Kirtan

Answer 30

o Similar to bhajan, but more private

o Sung by troupe of professional singers at family events usually in the home

Question 31

Darshan

Answer 31

o Bhakti Marga
o The experience of divine encounter, both seeing and being seen by God
o When the worshipper enters the inner sanctum of a temple and stand face to face before the image of the deity

Question 32

Avatara

Answer 32

o Associated with Vishnu Bhakti
o Refers to the incarnation of god within the human history for some specific purpose
o It is said that there have been nine avataras of Vishnu, the 10th is still to come

Question 33

Nataraja

Answer 33

o Literally “Lord of Dance”
o Iconic representation of Shiva as the sustainer of the universe
o Depicted dancing in a circle of fire upon the body of a dwarf
o Holding fire in one hand, a drum in another, pronouncing blessings with another, and has protection in 4th hand

Question 34

Ahisma

Answer 34

o Literally “non violence” or “no harm”

o Cardinal ethical principle of Jainism

Question 35

Pali Canon

Answer 35

o Theravada Buddhism
o Authoritative collection of texts
o Written in Pali → the language of the common people
o Believed to contain the teachings of the historic Buddha

Question 36

Theravada Buddhism

Answer 36

o Buddhism that follows “the way of the elders”
o Refers to the tradition of Buddhism that is based on the teachings from the Pali Canon
o Most conservative of Buddhisms
o Left India and became established in Sri Lanka and parts of SE Asia

Question 37

Dukkha

Answer 37

o Literally “sorrow” or “suffering”
o Central theme of the teaching of the Buddha
o All life is suffering, unsatisfying, or frusterating
o Third of the three marks and first of the four noble truths

Question 38

Arhat

Answer 38

o Literally “the worthy one”
o Theravada Buddhism
o One who has attained that state of realization in this lifethat ends in nirvana and enjoys the enlightened state in this life that is freedom from suffering
o Similar to a saint in other traditions

Question 39

Nirvana

Answer 39

o Literally “blown out” or “extinguished”
o Theravada Buddhism
o Refers to inexpressible state of enlightenment that is free from suffering and rebirth

Question 40

Sangha

Answer 40

o Theravada Buddhism
o Association of monks who had withdrawn from all relations, possessions, and positions and renounced all attachments, desires, and distinctions
o Eventually included nuns as well

Question 41

Satyagraha

Answer 41

o Literally “grasping on to truth”
o Technique developed by Gandhi to combat injustice and inequality by standing firmly on Truth or absolute principles
o Some call it “passive resistance: but Gandhi prefers to call it “non-violent non-cooperation” because it is an active process

Question 42

Sat Nam

Answer 42

o Literally the “true name:
o Term used by Sikhs in reference to God
o More than simply a name
o Way of thinking about God as truth itself which transcends the limits of religions and religious identifications

Question 43

Adi Granth

Answer 43

o Literally the “foremost book:

o Sacred text honored by the siikhs as the living Guru, or teacher

Question 44

Sri Guru Granth Sahib

Answer 44

o Literally the “blessed teacher text”
o Honorific name for the sacred text of the Sikhs…the Adi Granth
o Serves as living Guru, or spiritual precept, or for the faithful

Question 45

Gurdwara

Answer 45

o Literally “the doorway to the Guru”
o Place of worship for the Sikhs
o Serve as house of worship, place of communal gathering, and a center of social welfare