Survey of Selected Countries Flashcards
Collection of hymns that served as the foundation of the Aryan culture. The most sacred of all writings since they were allegedly directly revealed to mankind by gods.
Vedas
Period of growth later Vedic literature, new Sanskrit literature and the Buddhist literature in Pali.
Epic and Buddhist Age
The main literary language of Northern India during the classical period and is considered as a sacred language spoken by the gods and godesseses
Sanskrit
This means “the belief of the people of India” and is the predominant faith of India.
Hinduism
The universal spirit as the soul and original source of the universe.
Purusha
Purusha’s mouth and its main duty is to perform sacrifices to know and teach the Vedas and to preserve the rules of Dharma. They’re considered as the supreme
Brahman
Purusha’s arms; They are the kings and warriors.
Ksatriyas
Purusha’s thighs; They do livelihood such as trading.
Vaisyas
Purusha’s feet; they engage in low class activities and cannot fall in love higher than the varna.
Surdas
Also called Buddha or the Enlightened One.
Siddharta Gautama
The continual cycle of birth, death and suffering. A person’s present life and experiences are the result of past thoughts and actions.
Karma
A basic Buddhist teaching in a simple style and one of the best known books which contains 423 stanzas arranged in 26 chapters.
Dhammapada
A highly sophisticated commentary on the religious thought or sacred text.
Upanishads
This consists of a mass legendary tells of the struggle for supremacy between two groups of cousins; the Kauravas and the Pandavas
Mahabharata
Written inn Sanskrit by Valkimi; consists of some 24,000 couplets divided into seven books.
Ramayana
