Key terms Flashcards
Puranas
Literally means “tales of old” or ‘ancient’. Texts that contain the bulk of Hinduism’s rich mythology.
Bhakti
Devotional worship directed to one supreme deity, usually Vishnu or Shiva
Brahman
Ultimate Reality. Hindu philosophy recognizes a supreme being (Brahman), who is not limited by gender or number and can take countless forms (330 million in classical rhetoric).
Vedas/Ramayana/Mahabharata (including Bhagavad Gita)
Authoritative texts
Atman
real self
Samsara
human life cycle of rebirth/reincarnation
Karma
literally means action, one’s rebirth is a result of their karma
Moksa
the ultimate spiritual goal, liberation/release from the cycle of samsara
Sindhu
literally means ‘Ocean’. The word ‘Hindu’ is derived from the Sindhu river
Linga
It is a symbol associated with Shiva, supreme god in main gods of the Hindus. The Hindu scriptures say that a linga represents energy and strength. In almost all the temples of Shiva, Shiva is shown in the form of a linga.
Yoni
literally means womb
Indo-european migration thesis
light skinned, indo European people migrated into Indian sub continents in waves. They brought with them oral scriptures called the Vedas and spoke Sanskrit (indoeuropean language). They were warriors- nomads on horse drawn chariots. The vedas tell of Aryans conquering dark skinned groups of people- referred to as Dasas (enemy or servant). Speculated to be the conquest of IVC but there was no archeological evidence to support this, it appeared IVC declined before Aryans arrived. They encountered and mingled with southern, Dravidian, culture.
Cultural diffusion hypothesis
Aryan civilization developed close to Harrapan civilization, no migrations or invasions. Essentially, Vedic/Aryan culture diffused into neighbouring lands.
Varna
Class system, social division of labour
Brahmins
Priestly class (played an important role in maintaining order, Uppermost position of social structure, embodiment of dharma
Ksatriyas
Rulers/Warriors, Dharma was to protect the people and the country
Vaisyas
Pastoralists, commercial transactions, agricultural work, raising of cattle, could bestow gifts and sponsor sacrifices.
Sudras
Commoners, one duty to serve the upper three classes, accumulate no wealth or power
Universalization
Dominant classes (“great tradition”) adopt practices of subordinate classes (“little tradition”). Incorporate them into cultural forms of the upper classes.
Sanskritization
lower classes adopt values and practices of upper dominant classes, enhance social status.
Sruti
‘that which was heard’ (e.g., the Vedas)
Smrti
‘that which has been remembered’
Rsis
the seers, the Vedas were divinely perceived by/revealed to the seers.
Veda
from Sanskrit word for ‘knowledge’. The Vedas consists of four collections the rg Veda, the Sama Veda, the Yajur Veda. The Arthava Veda.
Samhitas
‘put together, joined’ ‘collection’. The earliest part of each Vedic collection. Hymns to praise God.
Brahmanas
the how to directions for performance of sacred rituals
Mantra
Sacred verses
Yajna
ritual sacrifice
Aranyakas
‘compositions of the forest’
Upanisads
‘sitting near the teacher’ upa= near, ni=down, shad=sit
Vedanta
Final layer (the ‘end’ or ‘anta’) of Vedas (a.k.a the Upanisads)
Purusha Sukta
supreme being
Purusha
primeval man
Amrita
literally means immortality
Rta
‘the right way’ or ‘cosmic order’, an impersonal cosmic principle
Guru
teacher
sisya
student
Samsara
Cyclical view of human existence, seen as the human problem. A continuous cycle of death and rebirth.
Punya
Good, meritorious. Being reborn in a good situation – gandharva or deva.
Deva
god
Gandharva
Celestial Musician
Pap
Evil or sinful- reborn in bad situations- non human birth
Jiva
Individual soul
Phala
actions spoken of as seeds that will germinate and eventually bear fruit
Moksa
achieving liberation
Amrta
those who achieve moksa become immortal ‘without death’
Brahman
the one, the real
Neti Neti
it is not this, not that (used in reference to Brahman)
Nirguna Brahman
Brahman beyond attributes – formless, no limiting qualities, impersonal, only described by neti neti
Saguna Brahman
Brahman with attributes/characteristics – has form, personal, worthy of worship, creative power of the universe, experienced as a deity
Jivanmukti
liberated while alive
Purusa
pure, supreme consciousness, the true self
Prakrti
matter, nature - composed of three gunas and manifested in 23 different elements
yugas
ages/eons
Dharma
righteousness, morality, duty, law, social obligations, particular religious teachings
Mahayuga
Great age – 432,000,000 years
Kalpa
1000 mahayugas (or 14 mahavantras) is one day in the life of a Brahma which is called a kalpa – at the end of each kalpa there is a major dissolution
Pralaya
Brahma’s lives for 100 brahma years which is 311 trillion human years, at the end of which all things dissolve (including brahma himself) which is called a pralaya
Tri-loa
World of the gods - heaven (svar) or deva-loka, world of the ancestors – atmosphere (bhuvah) or Pitr-loka, the human world – earth (bhur) or manuysa-loka
Deva-loka
world of the gods
Pitr-loka
world of the ancestors
Manusya-Loka
world of the humans
Sramanas
wandering philosophers who led nomadic lifestyles
Nastika
heterodox – gained membership from ksatriya and vaisya varnas
Astika
orthodox – did not dispute the status of the vedas or the configuration of the varnas system
Darsana
viewpoint/perspectives used to designate these religio-philosophical systems
Gunas
qualities
Sattva Guna
luminosity, clarity or purity
Raja Guna
passion and activity
Tamas Guna
inertia, dullness or opacity
Buddhi
intelligence
Mahat
the great
Ahankara
the ego
Manas
mind
Yogi/Yogin/Yogini
yoga practicioner
Purusartha
4 goals/aims of life (Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksa)
Asrama
4 stages of life
Samskara
Hindu rites of passage
Dharmasastras
classical law books
Moksa stream
views on karma and samsara- the stuff that binds one to an ignorance-dominated, ego-centered existence
Dharma stream
ideas that underlie, explain and give rational coherence to the Hindu Social System. The world is here, it is real, the gods work to maintain it and humans have the duty to contribute to its welfare
Dharma
Sanskrit root “to support or uphold”
Loka-Samgraha
(support of the world)- lies at the heart of the dharma. Every person has his or her assigned social function for the welfare of society.
varṇāśramadharma
part of the dharmasatras – lays out specifics of social obligation for the ideal social system. Duty of acting in accordance with one’s position in society (varna) and stage of life (asrama)
Manava Dharmasastras
Laws of Manu 200 BCE-200 CE
Varna (literal meaning)
in Sanskrit it means light or colour
Dalits
the 5th category, street cleaners and menial tasks; means “oppressed’ or ‘downtrodden’
Jati
Means ‘birth group’, refers to occupational categories that exist within each varna (hundreds to thousands exist)
Avarna
Without caste, Aka Untouchables
Dharma
righteousness, duty
Artha
Material prosperity
Kama
pleasure
Upanayana
Initiation ritual that takes place in the student stage, called inauguration of the sacred thread
Grhastha
householder
Vanaprastha
Forest dweller
Samnyasa
The renouncer
Matha
Monasteries
Samskaras
Literally means ‘constructed’, the word for Hindu rites of passage
Vivaha
Marriage
Antyesti
Cremation
Guru
Vedic teacher
Saptapadi
Common feature of the marriage ritual, the rite of taking seven steps around the sacred fire
Annaprasana Samskara
a householder samskara that celebrates the baby’s first eating of solid food
Samadhis
A structure in which the body of a samnyasin is entombed
