Hinduism(Incomplete) Flashcards
When and where did Hinduism originate from?
Recent origins: Western or Euro-North American; no such term within the tradition
Comes from the Sindu/Indus River
Is Hinduism an Indian word?
No
Who coined Hinduism?
It was coined by European scholars
What does Hinduism not refer to?
The term Hinduism does not refer to a unified group
What are the Lack traits of Religion?
No founder
No single set of defining beliefs
No single scripture
No church
Personal divinity not always important
Does India have a term to designate religion?
No
What is the closet term to religion? What are its roots?
‘dharma’ - Sanantana Dharma -( external truth )
Sanskrit root DHR - “that which upholds”[ef, Latin firmus]
What is Sanantana Dharma variously translated as?
Variously translated as law, duty, justice and virtuousness
What are some classifications of Hindu Concepts of God and the Gods?(five covered in the course)
Theism
Monotheism
Polytheism
Pantheism
Henotheism
What is henotheism?
A religious doctrine attributing supreme power of one of several divinities in turn
Belief in one god, without denying the existence of others
What are the five segments of the historical outline?
Formative Period(2500-800 BCE)
Speculative Period(800-400 BCE)
Epic and Classical Period(400-600 CE)
Medieval Period(600-1800 CE)
Modern Period(1800-Present)
What are the Four Major Traditions?
Vedic Tradition
Devotional Tradition
Ascetic Tradition
Popular Tradition
What is the Indus Valley?
Birthplace of Indian civilization
What are the two cities along Indus River?
Harrapa and Mohenjo-Darro
What are the seals not yet deciphered?
Indus Scripts
When did the formative period end?
Ended around 1500 BCE when Indo-Aryans arrived
What structures did the earliest stage of Indian religion have?
Streets, house, running water - complex and advanced
What forces did people of the earliest stage of Indian religion worship?
Worship of the feminine forces and of tree spirits
When did a certain group enter India? What did they cause?
2000 BCE, a group entered India from the northwest greatly contributing to later religion of Hinduism.
What did this certain group bring in terms of societal structure?
active, warrior-dominated, patriarchal society
Horse -drawn chariots; 3 class system(priests, warriors, commoners)
What did this certain group bring in terms of religion?
Religion of male gods that controlled forces of nature.
Outdoor fire worship, offerings of milk, melted butter, grains, some animals
Oral tradition from priests
What are the Vedas?
Earliest sacred books of Hinduism
What does Veda mean?
It means knowledge or sacred lore
What is the assumed timeline of the origin of the Vedas?
Scholars date them at 1,500 BCE; some Hindus consider them to be far more ancient, carried earlier by oral tradition
What is Shruti?
that which was heard
What is the pizza effect?
The pizza effect is a sociological and anthropological phenomenon that describes when a cultural practice or item is exported to another country, transformed, and then re-exported back to its original culture.
What is Arya?
Arya has multiple meanings, including “noble”, “honorable”, “illustrious”, “spiritual”, “song”, “air”, “mist”, and “wind
What is Veda?
the most ancient Hindu scriptures, written in early Sanskrit and containing hymns, philosophy, and guidance on ritual for the priests of Vedic religion
What is karma?
Action
What is Rsi?
Poet-sages
What is Yajna?
Sacrifice
What is Purusa sukta?
Hymn of the Supreme Person
Indra
God of the storm(lightning)
Drives away evil beasts
Kills demons of the dark sides
What is Agni?
God of fire
Through fire rituals and sacrifice( smoke as a carrier of sacrifice )
What is Rta?
Cosmic order
What is Upanisad?
The Sanskrit term Upaniṣad originally meant “connection” or “equivalence”, but came to be understood as “sitting near a teacher,” from upa “by” and ni-ṣad “sit down”, “sitting down near”, referring to the student sitting down near the teacher while receiving spiritual knowledge (Gurumukh).
What is samsara?
Cyclic existence, often referred to as reincarnation
What is Moksa?
Relase
What is marga?
Yoga is the path to the absolute
What is varna? What are the three classes?
Varna means class
brahmin - priest
Kshatriyas - warriors, nobles, rulers
vaishya - merchants
shudra - servant
Jati
The caste(class) of an individual when they are born
What is puranas?
any of a class of Sanskrit sacred writings containing Hindu legends and folklore of varying date and origin, the most ancient of which dates from the 4th century AD.
What is ramayana?
The word Ramayana is a Sanskrit term that translates to “Rama’s Journey”. It refers to an ancient Indian epic poem that tells the story of Rama, the seventh incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu
What is mahabharata?
The name Mahabharata is a Sanskrit word that translates to “the great tale of the Bharata dynasty” or “the great Indian tale”
The Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic poem that is considered one of the most important texts in world literature. It is about the conflict between two branches of a family, the Pandavas and the Kauravas, who fight for the throne of Hastinapura in the Kurukshetra War. The poem also includes the Bhagavad Gita and other smaller stories and philosophical discourses.
What is krsna?
The Sanskrit word Kṛṣṇa means “black”, “dark”, or “dark blue”. It can also mean “all attractive”
Krishna is also the name of an important Hindu god and incarnation of Vishnu, the second god in the Hindu trinity. Krishna is the god of love, compassion, and protection. He is a central figure in the Bhakti movement of medieval Hinduism, which sought to bring about religious reform through devotion
What is arjuna?
Arjuna has multiple meanings, including a name, a character in Hindu mythology, and a term for the ark of the covenant
Arjuna is a boy’s name of Indian and Sanskrit origin that means “white,” “clear,” “bright,” and “silvery”. It may also refer to the Arjun tree, which has silvery bark
Arjuna is a demigod and the third of the five Pandava brothers in the Indian epic Mahabharata. He is a symbol of the ideal prince and warrior, and is known for his archery skills and magical weapons. In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna’s friend and charioteer, Krishna, explains the nature of being and God to Arjuna
What is bhagavad-gita?
The Bhagavad Gita is a Hindu devotional text that means “song of the blessed one (Krishna)”. The title is derived from the Sanskrit words Bhagavad, which can be interpreted as “God” or “the Lord”, and Gita, which means “song
The Bhagavad Gita is a dialogue between the Indian hero Arjuna and Lord Krishna that takes place on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. The story is about Arjuna’s internal struggle to decide whether to fight against his own family members, and the importance of living a life of purpose and truth. The text is symbolic and representational, and is meant to represent the internal struggles that people face in their own lives.
What is puja?
Worship, offering
Holi
Holi (Hindi pronunciation: [‘hoːli:]) is a popular and significant Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love, and Spring. It celebrates the eternal and divine love of the deities Radha and Krishna
What is auspiciousness?
he quality of something that strongly indicates a successful result.
What are Dipavali/Deepavali/Divali Samskaras?
Diwali is derived from the word “Deepavali,” which means “a row of lights.” Celebrants light rows of traditional clay oil lamps outside their homes to symbolize the victory of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance.
What is upanayana?
Upanayana is a Hindu rite of passage ceremony that marks a child’s entrance into formal education and acceptance as a student by a guru
“the act of leading to or near, bringing”
What is brahmacarya?
Brahmacharya is a concept in Indian religions that means “conduct consistent with Brahman” or “on the path of Brahman”. It can be translated as “celibacy” or “chastity”, but it encompasses more than just sexual restraint.
What is dharmasastra?
Dharmashastra is a collection of rules and guidelines for life in Hinduism, often in the form of a metrical law book.
What is dharma?
denotes behaviours that are considered to be in accord with Ṛta—the “order and custom” that makes life and universe possible.
What is vedanta?
end of the vedas
What is alvars?
a type of habitat and a term for a group of saints
What is yoga?
Yoga is a path to oneness or union with brahman
What is tantra?
Woven together
What is bhakti?
To worship, have recourse to or betake oneself to
Devotional worship directed to one supreme deity, usually Vishnu (especially in his incarnations as Rama and Krishna) or Shiva, by whose grace salvation may be attained by all regardless of sex, caste, or class. It is practiced by the majority of Hindus today.
What is brahmo samaj?
Community of men who worship the one Brahman”:
What is arya samaj?
Society of nobles
What is acharya avatara?
The word “acharya” means “teacher” in Sanskrit, and “avatar” means “descent” in Sanskrit. In Hinduism, an acharya is a religious teacher and spiritual guide, and an avatar is a manifestation of a deity in physical form on Earth.
What is shiva?
In Hinduism, the name Shiva means “auspicious one”, and he is one of the most important deities in the religion:
Shiva is known as the destroyer in the Hindu trinity, the Trimurti, along with Brahma and Vishnu. He is also known as the Supreme Lord who creates, protects, and transforms the universe
What is trimurti?
The word “trimurti” is a Sanskrit term that means “three forms” and refers to the Hindu trinity of gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva:
Brahma: The creator
Vishnu: The preserver
Shiva: The destroyer
What is Om?
Sacred sound that begins every mantra
What is yuga?
Yuga (Sanskrit: युग) means “a yoke” (joining of two things), “generations”, or “a period of time” such as an age, where its archaic spelling is yug, with other forms of yugam, yugānāṃ, and yuge, derived from yuj (Sanskrit: युज्, lit.
What is Tilaka?
A tilaka is a mark worn on the body, usually on the forehead, that has many meanings and purposes in Hinduism
What is navaratri?
The word Navaratri is a Sanskrit phrase that means “nine nights”. It’s a Hindu festival that involves nine nights of festivities and worship of the goddess in her various forms
What is Puja?
Puja is a Hindu ritual of worship that involves offering prayers, songs, and invocations to honor a deity, spirit, or other aspect of the divine. The word “puja” comes from Sanskrit and means “to honor” or “to worship”
What is life cycle ritual?
A ceremony to mark a change in a person’s status at various phases throughout life.
What are birth rituals?
Hindu birth rituals celebrate the birth of a child, welcome them into the family, and mark important stages in their live
Ex. The first ritual for a newborn, Jatakarma celebrates the baby’s birth and the bond between the father and baby. The father chants mantras or the name of gods into the baby’s ear, and then touches the baby’s lips with honey or ghee.
What is samskara?
In Hindu philosophy, Samskara are the impressions and dispositions that develop and accumulate deep inside a person from perception, inference, choices, preparation, practice, interaction with others, thoughts, intent, willful actions and such karma.
What is upanayana?
Upanayana is a Hindu rite of passage and initiation ceremony that marks a young boy’s entry into formal education and his acceptance into his religious community
What is vivaha(Wedding)?
Vivaha is considered a sacred union between a man and a woman, and a spiritual and social contract that strengthens familial and societal bonds. It is seen as a bond between two souls that transcends multiple lifetimes.
What is pani grahana?
In a Hindu wedding, panigrahana is a ritual where the groom takes the bride’s hand in front of a fire to symbolize their union. The term translates to “accepting the hand”
What is pujj?
Simple act of devotion and worship( less formal than puja )
What is shakti?
In Hinduism, Shakti is a Sanskrit term that refers to power, energy, or force, and is associated with the divine feminine
What is durga?
The word Durga in Hinduism means “impassable”, “invincible”, or “unassailable” in Sanskrit. It is derived from the roots dur (difficult) and gam (pass, go through)
What are the six aspects of the Vedas(1500 BCE)?
Earliest Indian religious texts
Composed by the Indo-Aryans
Poetry
Oral Literature
Proscribe Rituals
Cosmology: describe the universe
What are the four basic sacred tests of the Veda?
The Rig Veda(“hymn knowledge”)- contains 1,000 or more chants
Yajur Veda(“ceremonial knowledge)-contains matter for recitaiton during sacrifices
Sama Veda(“chant knowledge”)-muscial elaborations of Veda chants
Atharva Veda(“knowledge from(the teacher)Atharva”)-practival prayers and charms
What were deities identified with?
Deities identified with natural forces: sun, moon, earth, sky
Deities associated with cultural spheres: warfare, healing, ritual
What are devas known as?
Shining ones
What is fluid pantheon?
In one verse, one deva will be supreme
In the next, it will be another.
