Hinduism Flashcards
What is shruti?
Sacred text coming from the divine
What is smriti?
Sacred text that is not divine
What are the four vedas?
Rigveda,Yajurveda, Samaveda, Atharvaveda,
What is the rigveda?
1000+ hymns to praise God
What is the yajurveda?
guides priests in sermons
What is the samaveda?
chants and rituals for sacrifice
What is the atharvaveda?
chants, spells, incantations to be used in everyday life.
What is Brahman?
The one unchanging, eternal being that is the cause of all existence. Each side of Brahman is expressed through a different deity
What are the two smriti?
Ramayana and Mahabarata
What is the Ramayana?
Tells the story of Prince Rama who must save his kidnapped wife. Teaches Hindu life lessons
What is the Mahabharata?
100, 000 verses that tell the clash between two families. Teaches that greed is poor
What are Upanishads?
shruti text formed from the vedas that recounts the beliefs of Aryan peoples through stories and riddles. focuses on people’s relationships to cosmos
Dharma
A way of righteous living; power upholding the universe and society
Karma
Sum of people’s actions in this and previous states of existence that decides their fate
Moksha
Release from cycle of rebirth, interlinked with karma