Hindu beliefs glossary

Question 1

Indus civilsation

Answer 1

A civilisation that is based on the river in Indus in Pakistan

Question 2

River ganges

Answer 2

A river tha flows through modern-day India

Question 3

Shruti texts

Answer 3

A set of Hindu Scriptures that have been heard or said by Brahman

Question 4

Smriti texts

Answer 4

A set of Hindu scriptures that have been remembered

Question 5

Brahman

Answer 5

Hindu term for God

Question 6

Aum symbol

Answer 6

Symbol is a sound that represents Brahman

Question 7

Monotheism

Answer 7

A religion that believes in only 1 God

Question 8

Nirguna-Brahman

Answer 8

Means god without form, no shape or form

Question 9

Saguna-Brahman

Answer 9

Means God with form or shape

Question 10

Deities

Answer 10

A for which Brahman appears, this could be human, animal, etc.

Question 11

Bhagavan

Answer 11

They refer to Brahman wuth form but in the world of spirits ( not our world)

Question 12

Antaryami

Answer 12

Means God within, within every living being

Question 13

Ganesha

Answer 13

Son of shiva and Parvati, god of good luck

Question 14

Hanuman

Answer 14

The monkey warrior of shiva and Parvati, adopted by Vaya

Question 15

Parvati

Answer 15

Reincarnation of sati, god of love

Question 16

Saraswati

Answer 16

Consort of Brahma & Goddess of learning, power of purification

Question 17

Lakshmi

Answer 17

Consort of Vishnu, worshipped during Diwali for prosperous new year

Question 18

The Trimurti

Answer 18

The main deities

Question 19

Brahma

Answer 19

Creator of all and from him comes all life

Question 20

Shiva

Answer 20

Destroyer of universes and maya

Question 21

Maya

Answer 21

Hindu term for illusion

Question 22

Ascetic

Answer 22

A lifestyle many shaivite Hindus live by to be closer to God

Question 23

Shaivism

Answer 23

A branch of Hinduism that worships shiva

Question 24

Vishnu

Answer 24

One of the Trimurti who preserves the world

Question 25

Vaishnavism

Answer 25

A branch of Hinduism that worships Vishnu

Question 26

Avatar

Answer 26

Forms that a deity can appear as

Question 27

Dharma

Answer 27

Virtue or good

Question 28

Adharma

Answer 28

Evil or bad

Question 29

Rama

Answer 29

An avatar of Vishnu that battled a demon

Question 30

The ramayana

Answer 30

It is a Hindu sacred text (Smriti)

Question 31

Ravana

Answer 31

The demon who battled Rama in the Ramayana

Question 32

Sita

Answer 32

The princess who the demon captured in the Ramayana

Question 33

Krishna

Answer 33

An avatar of Vishnu that brought peace in the kurukshetra war

Question 34

The kurukshetra war

Answer 34

A war that had been going on for many years stopped by Krishna

Question 35

The 4 aims of life

Answer 35

They are 4 aims that help you in your life to gain moksha

Question 36

Artha

Answer 36

Earning a lawful living through honest means, using it to help others

Question 37

Kama

Answer 37

Enjoying life responsibly & having a positive outlook

Question 38

Moksha

Answer 38

The soul joining with Brahman, usually soul reincarnated but aim is to break the cycle

Question 39

Dharma

Answer 39

Virtue of goodness, living a good life

Question 40

Sanatana dharma

Answer 40

Eternal truth, that all Hindus must live by - applies to all

Question 41

Varnashrama dharma

Answer 41

Responsibilities or duties dependent on class/caste

Question 42

Varna

Answer 42

The classes

Question 43

Free will

Answer 43

Hindus believe in free will (the belief humans have choice over what they do) otherwise moksha would t work

Question 44

The 6 personal virtues

Answer 44

Ahisma, love, humility, control, empathy, respect

Question 45

Ahisma

Answer 45

Non violence to all living things

Question 46

Atman

Answer 46

A ‘soul’ something that is in all beings, a persons inane self living force in all nature

Question 47

Transmigration

Answer 47

The movement of the atman form from one body to the next

Question 48

Samsara cycle

Answer 48

The continuous circle of birth

Question 49

The law of karma

Answer 49

The belief that good actions in life will gain the atman good karma and lead to a better rebirth

Question 50

Reincarnation/rebirth

Answer 50

The atman taking on new physical body

Question 51

Punya

Answer 51

merit

Question 52

Papa

Answer 52

Sin

Question 53

Prakriti

Answer 53

Matter - the material substance that all physical things are made of.

Question 54

Purusa

Answer 54

Spirit - the non-physical elements to life and the universe

Question 55

Jiva

Answer 55

'Living being'

Question 56

Maya

Answer 56

Illusion

Question 57

Cosmology

Answer 57

Ideas and beliefs about the universe

Question 58

The cycle of 4 ages

Answer 58

The Hindu belief that time and the universe moves through 4 stages before being destroyed and beginning again

Question 59

Yuga

Answer 59

Hindu term for a period of time

Question 60

Golden yuga

Answer 60

A time for perfection and harmony, no evil or suffering, humans are happy and virtuous, 1.7 million years

Question 61

Silver yuga

Answer 61

War begins, human qualities of truth and virtue decline, natural environment begins to be corrupted, 1.2 million years

Question 62

Copper yuga

Answer 62

Humans are disconnected from one another, war frequent, discord between humanity and animals p, famine drought earthquakes are common, 800,000 years

Question 63

Iron yuga

Answer 63

Age of ignorance, war frequent and brutal, irreversible damage, 400,000

Question 64

Kalki

Answer 64

An avatar of Vishnu who appears at the end of the cycle of 4 ages to destroy and recreate the universe

Question 65

Triguna

Answer 65

The 3 stages all matter goes through: creation, maintenance, detsruction