Key Terms Hinduism

Question 1

Ahimsa

Answer 1

respect for all living things and avoidance of violence toward others.

Question 2

Artha

Answer 2

And so is artha, which is our pursuit of achievement, improvement, wealth, and power.

Question 3

Aryan

Answer 3

relating to or denoting peoples speaking Indo-European (or specifically Indo-Iranian) languages, or ancient peoples thought to have spoken Proto-Indo-European, the hypothetical language from which Indo-European languages are believed to derive.

Question 4

Atman

Answer 4

Hindu concept of the eternal soul

The term is often translated as soul,[note 2] but is better translated as “Self,”[1] as it solely refers to pure consciousness or witness-consciousness, beyond identification with phenomena.

Question 5

Aim/Om

Answer 5

is a sacred sound, syllable, mantra, and an invocation in Hinduism.[1][2] Om is the prime symbol of Hinduism.[3][4] It is variously said to be the essence of the supreme Absolute,[2] consciousness,[5][6][7] Ātman, Brahman, or the cosmic world.

Question 6

Avatar(s)/Avatara(s)

Answer 6

concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means “descent”. It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth.[1][2] The relative verb to “alight, to make one’s appearance” is sometimes used to refer to any guru or revered human being.[3][4]

Question 7

Bhakti

Answer 7

means “attachment, participation, fondness for, homage, faith, love, devotion, worship, purity”.[1] It was originally used in Hinduism, referring to devotion and love for a personal god or a representational god by a devotee

Question 8

Brahman

Answer 8

connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.[1][2][3] In major schools of Hindu philosophy, it is the material, efficient, formal and final cause of all that exists.[2][4][5] It is the pervasive, infinite, eternal truth, consciousness and bliss which does not change, yet is the cause of all changes.[1][3][6] Brahman as a metaphysical concept refers to the single binding unity behind diversity in all that exists in the universe.[7]

Question 9

Brahmin(s)

Answer 9

is a varna within the Hindu society. In Vedic- and post-Vedic Indian subcontinent, Brahmins were designated as the priestly class as they served as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and spiritual teachers (guru or acharya). The other three varnas are the Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra.

Question 10

Caste System

Answer 10

Brahmin. The class of priests, some of whom study scripture, while others preside over religious rit

Kshatriya. The ruling class, traditionally consisting of soldiers, landlords, and kings.

Vaishya. The skilled craftsman and merchant class, who engage in commerce.

Shudra. The working and se and servant class, whose duty is to serve the upper three classes. They are not entitled to the ey are not entitled to the sacred-thread ceremony of the other three classes.

Dalit. The segment of society that falls outside the class system. They are often relegated to the most menial ritually polluting occupations

Question 11

Dalit

Answer 11

Untouchables, do ritually polluting jobs

Question 12

Darshana

Answer 12

In Darshana, worshippers get an oppportunity to view the deity, as a subject might have an audience with a king, and make some offerings or utter a short prayer of homage

Question 13

Dharma

Answer 13

Although there is no direct single-word translation for dharma in European languages,[9] it is commonly translated as “righteousness”, “merit” or “religious and moral duties” governing individual conduct.[10][11]

In Hinduism, dharma is one of the four components of the Puruṣārtha, the aims of life, and signifies behaviours that are considered to be in accord with Ṛta, the order that makes life and universe possible.[12][note 1] It includes duties, rights, laws, conduct, virtues and “right way of living”.[13] It had a transtemporal validity

Question 14

Divali (Diwali)

Answer 14

Divali, the Festival of Lights, is one of the most widely celebrated of Hindu festivals, even among diverse Hindu communities in the global diaspora. Hindus traditionally light clay lamps, to invite the goddess of good fortune, Lakshmi, into their homes

Question 15

Dravidian

Answer 15

Non Aryan culture, southerners, did not leave behind written records

Question 16

Guru

Answer 16

term for a “mentor, guide, expert, or master” of certain knowledge or field.

Question 17

Hare Krishnas

Answer 17

Hare Krishna mantra, also referred to reverentially as the Mahā-mantra (“Great Mantra”), is a 16-word Vaishnava mantra which is mentioned in the Kali-Santarana Upanishad[1] and which from the 15th century rose to importance in the Bhakti movement following the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. This mantra is composed of three Sanskrit names – “Krishna”, “Rama”, and “Hare”.[2][3][4]

Question 18

Henotheism (Henotheistic)

Answer 18

Worship of one god while not denying the existence of other gods

Question 19

Hinduism

Answer 19

is an Indian religion or dharma, a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide.[note 1][note 2] As a religion, it is the world’s third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global population, known as Hindus.[2][web 1][web 2] The word Hindu is an exonym,[3][4][note 3] and while Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world,[note 4] many practitioners refer to their religion as Sanātana Dharma (Sanskrit: सनातन धर्म, lit. ’‘the Eternal Dharma’’), a modern usage, which refers to the idea that its origins lie beyond human history, as revealed in the Hindu texts.[5][6][7][8][note 5] Another endonym is Vaidika Dharma,[9][10][11][12][13] the dharma related to the Vedas.

Question 20

Holi

Answer 20

Festival derives name from the demoness Holika. Celebrates love, fertility and the end of winter. Caste, gender and other restriction are suspended everyone is fair game

Question 21

Indus Valley Civilization

Answer 21

Earliest known city-dwelling civilization on the Indian subcontinent, developed around the Indus River. Ranges from, about 3300 BCE may have been about 5 million people. Declined from 1900 to 1300 BCE. Might have been goddess worshippers

Question 22

Jnana

Answer 22

Transcendental knowledge

Question 23

Kali Yuga

Answer 23

Kali Yuga, in Hinduism, is the fourth and worst of the four yugas (world ages) in a Yuga Cycle, preceded by Dvapara Yuga and followed by the next cycle’s Krita (Satya) Yuga. It is believed to be the present age, which is full of conflict and sin.[1][2][3]

The “Kali” of Kali Yuga means “strife”, “discord”, “quarrel”, or “contention” and Kali Yuga is associated with the demon Kali (not to be confused with the goddess Kālī)

Question 24

Kama

Answer 24

means “desire, wish, longing” in Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh literature.[1][4][5][6] Kama often connotes sensual pleasure, sexual desire, and longing both in religious and secular Hindu and Buddhist literature,[5][6] as well as contemporary Indian literature,[2] but the concept more broadly refers to any desire, wish, passion, longing, pleasure of the senses, desire for, longing to and after, the aesthetic enjoyment of life, affection, or love, enjoyment of love is particularly with or without enjoyment of sexual, sensual and erotic desire, and may be without sexual connotations.[5][7]

Kama is one of the four goals of human life and is also contemplated as one of the primary needs to fulfill during the stages of life according to the Hindu tradition.[1][2][8] It is considered an essential and healthy goal of human life when pursued without sacrificing the other three goals: Dharma (virtuous, proper, moral life), Artha (material prosperity, income security, means of life) and Moksha (liberation, release, self-actualization).[1][8][9][10] Together, these four aims of life are called Puruṣārtha.

Question 25

Karma

Answer 25

) is a concept of action, work or deed, and its effect or consequences.[1] In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called the principle of karma, wherein intent and actions of an individual (cause) influence the future of that individual (effect):[2] Good intent and good deeds contribute to good karma and happier rebirths, while bad intent and bad deeds contribute to bad karma and bad rebirths. As per some scripture, there is no link of rebirths with karma

Question 26

KShatriya(s)

Answer 26

Kshatriya (Hindi: क्षत्रिय) (from Sanskrit kṣatra, “rule, authority”) is one of the four varna (social orders) of Hindu society, associated with warrior aristocracy.[1] The Sanskrit term kṣatriyaḥ is used in the context of later Vedic society wherein members were organised into four classes: brahmin, kshatriya, vaishya and shudra.[

Question 27

Linga

Answer 27

The erect male phallus set in a yoni stone (the symbol of the female reproductive organ)
How Shiva is portrayed in temples

Question 28

Mandala

Answer 28

Elaborate symbolic paintings

Question 29

Mantra

Answer 29

is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit, Pali and other languages believed by practitioners to have religious, magical or spiritual powers.[3][4] Some mantras have a syntactic structure and literal meaning, while others do not.

Question 30

Maya

Answer 30

The deluding power of illusion

Question 31

Moksha

Answer 31

also called vimoksha, vimukti and mukti,[1] is a term in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release.[2] In its soteriological and eschatological senses, it refers to freedom from saṃsāra, the cycle of death and rebirth.[3] In its epistemological and psychological senses, moksha is freedom from ignorance: self-realization, self-actualization and self-knowledge.[4]

In Hindu traditions, moksha is a central concept[5] and the utmost aim of human life; the other three aims being dharma (virtuous, proper, moral life), artha (material prosperity, income security, means of life), and kama (pleasure, sensuality, emotional fulfillment).[6] Together, these four concepts are called Puruṣārtha in Hinduism.

Question 32

Mudra

Answer 32

A sacred gesture

Question 33

Puja

Answer 33

The act of worship

Question 34

Reincarnation and Realms (levels) of Existence

Answer 34

Rebirth of the person or soul into one or more successive lives.

Question 35

Sacred Thread

Answer 35

Between the ages of eight to thirteen boys of the upper three classes may undergo the sacred thread rite. It marks the boy’s official entry into the student stage

Question 36

Samadhi

Answer 36

in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools, is a state of meditative consciousness. In Buddhism, it is the last of the eight elements of the Noble Eightfold Path.[web 1] In the Ashtanga Yoga tradition, it is the eighth and final limb identified in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

Question 37

Samsara

Answer 37

is a Pali/Sanskrit word that means “world”.[1][2] It is also the concept of rebirth and “cyclicality of all life, matter, existence”, a fundamental belief of most Indian religions.[3][4][5] Popularly, it is the cycle of death and rebirth.[2][3][6] Saṃsāra is sometimes referred to with terms or phrases such as transmigration/reincarnation, karmic cycle, or Punarjanman, and “cycle of aimless drifting, wandering or mundane existence”

Question 38

Sanskrit

Answer 38

Is the ancient Indo-European language in which the Veda were composed. It is considered a sacred langue and only males of the twice born classes were permitted to learn it

Question 39

Shakti

Answer 39

In Hinduism, especially Shaktism (a theological tradition of Hinduism), Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; lit. “Energy, ability, strength, effort, power, capability”[1]) is the primordial cosmic energy, female in aspect. Shakti represents the dynamic forces that are thought to move through the universe.[2]

Shakti often refers to the wife of Shiva. A few common names for Shakti are Mulaprakruti, meaning the root substance, and Maha maya.[3]

Question 40

Siddhi

Answer 40

Supernormal powers

Question 41

Sikhism

Answer 41

Syncretic religion. Draws features from both Islam and Hindus

Question 42

Smriti

Answer 42

literally “that which is remembered” are a body of Hindu texts usually attributed to an author, traditionally written down, in contrast to Śrutis (the Vedic literature) considered authorless, that were transmitted verbally across the generations and fixed.[1] Smriti is a derivative secondary work and is considered less authoritative than Sruti in Hinduism, except in the Mimamsa school of Hindu philosophy.[2][3][4] The authority of smriti accepted by orthodox schools, is derived from that of shruti, on which it is based.[5][6]

Question 43

Shruti

Answer 43

Divinely heard

Question 44

Shudra(s)

Answer 44

) is one of the four varnas of the Hindu caste system and social order in ancient India.[3] [4] Various sources translate it into English as a caste,[4] or alternatively as a social class. Theoretically, class serving other three classes.[5][2][6] The word caste comes from the Portuguese word casta. [7]

The word Shudra appears in the Rig Veda and it is found in other Hindu texts such as the Manusmriti, Arthashastra, Dharmashastras and Jyotishshastra. In some cases, shudras participated in the coronation of kings, or were ministers and kings according to early Indian texts.[8][9]

Question 45

Stages of life (Student, Householder, Forest-Dweller, and Ascetic/Renunciant) and Goals

Answer 45

Childhood, leads to student after the sacred thread
Student is when you begin to earn about dharma. Remain celibate during this stage.
Householder is marked by marriage most important rite of passage for both men and women
Forest dweller, retirement from the worldly concerns of social life. Traditallonly would give up home and possessions to children and go to the forest for hermitage, husband and wife could remain together
Renounces. Requires a person to renounce social life and wander the world. Renounces must first perform their own death ritual, thereby freeing their family members from that responsibility.

Question 46

Tantra (Tantric)

Answer 46

are the esoteric traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism that developed on the Indian subcontinent from the middle of the 1st millennium CE onwards.[1] The term tantra, in the Indian traditions, also means any systematic broadly applicable “text, theory, system, method, instrument, technique or practice”.[2][3] A key feature of these traditions is the use of mantras, and thus they are commonly referred to as Mantramārga (“Path of Mantra”) in Hinduism or Mantrayāna (“Mantra Vehicle”) and Guhyamantra (“Secret Mantra”) in Buddhism.[4][5]

Question 47

Twice born

Answer 47

Top 3 classes of the caste system

Question 48

Vaishya(s)

Answer 48

is one of the four varnas of the Hindu social order in ancient India. Vaishyas are classed third in the order of caste hierarchy.

The occupation of Vaishyas consists mainly of agriculture, taking care of cattle, trade and other business pursuits

Question 49

Vedic (including Vedic Religion)

Answer 49

relating to the Veda or Vedas.
noun
noun: Vedic
the language used in the Vedas, an early form of Sanskrit.

Question 50

Yajna

Answer 50

refers in Hinduism to any ritual done in front of a sacred fire, often with mantras.[1] Yajna has been a Vedic tradition, described in a layer of Vedic literature called Brahmanas, as well as Yajurveda.[2] The tradition has evolved from offering oblations and libations into sacred fire to symbolic offerings in the presence of sacred fire (Agni).[1]

Yajna rituals-related texts have been called the Karma-kanda (ritual works) portion of the Vedic literature, in contrast to Jnana-kanda (knowledge) portion contained in the Vedic Upanishads. The proper completion of Yajna-like rituals was the focus of Mimansa school of Hindu philosophy.[3] Yajna have continued to play a central role in a Hindu’s rites of passage, such as weddings.[4] Modern major Hindu temple ceremonies, Hindu community celebrations, or monastic initiations may also include Vedic Yajna rites, or alternatively be based on Agamic rituals.

Question 51

Yoga

Answer 51

is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciousness untouched by the mind (Chitta) and mundane suffering (Duḥkha). There is a wide variety of schools of yoga, practices, and goals[2] in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism,[3][4][5] and traditional and modern yoga is practiced worldwide.[6]

Two general theories exist on the origins of yoga. The linear model holds that yoga originated in the Vedic period, as reflected in the Vedic textual corpus, and influenced Buddhism; according to author Edward Fitzpatrick Crangle, this model is mainly supported by Hindu scholars. According to the synthesis model, yoga is a synthesis of non-Vedic and Vedic elements; this model is favoured in Western scholarship.

Question 52

Yoni

Answer 52

Stone to represent female reproductive organs