Hinduism Flashcards
Hindu term for the soul
Atman
A god who descends to earth as a human or other animal in order to fight eul and re-establish order e.g. Krishna is an avatar of Vishnu
Avatar
An epic poem that forms an important part of Hindu scripture; it takes the form of a dialogue between Prince Arjuna and Krishna (an avatar of the god Vishnu)
Bhagavad Gita
A supreme being in which most modern Hindus believe; the source of everything, including the gods
Brahman
A god or goddess
Deity
The moral law that Hindus must follow; the word can be translated as “duty”
Dharma
number of religions with origins in India including Hinduism, Sikhi and Buddhism. They have shared concepts of karma, reincarnation and moksha.
Dharmic faiths
The forces that influence people’s fortune and future reincarnation
Karma
An avatar of Vishnu; a popular deity in Hinduism; he instructs Arjuna about how to live a good life in the Bhagavad Gita
Krishna
One of the four main groups in traditional Hindu society (warriors). Arjuna was a kshatriya.
Kshatriya
Escaping from the cycle of samsara and never dying or becoming reincarated again; literally translated as ‘release”
Moksha
Belief in one God
Monotheism
Belief in many gods
Polytheism
When a soul is reborn by passing into a new body
Reincarnation
The continual cycle of death and reincarnation that Hindus aim to escape from
Samsara
