History, World Religions, Hindu

Caste System: Varna- Ksahtriyas (ksah-tree-uhs)

Ksahtriyas represent the arms. They are warriors and rulers.

Define reincarnation (Samsara)

Life and death are a constant cycle

What is the most widely known avatar of Shiva-The Destroyer?

Like Vishnu, Shiva appears in many different forms in Hindu legends. The most widely known is Shiva Nataraja-The Lord of The Dance.

Parvati, Wife of Shiva

Like many Hindu gods, Parvati takes on many forms. Like her husband, Shiva, her role can be either forceful of self sacrificing. One of her most popular and feared forms is that of Kali.

Who is the least worshiped god in the Hindu Trinity?

Brahma is the least worshiped god in Hinduism today. There are only two temples in the whole of India devoted to him, compared with the many thousands devoted to the other two- Vishnu and Shiva. They say he is the least worshiped because his job of creation is done.

The most important Hindu gods are?

Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva

What is the visual interpretation of Brahma the creator?

Brahma, like all Hindu Gods sits upon a lotus throne and has four faces looking in four different directions which stand for the four corners of the universe. Unlike most Hindu Gods Brahma is not depicted with weapons. Instead, he is shown holding prayer beads, a water vase, and a book, symbolizing the Vedas (the original Hindu religious texts)

Cast System: Varna- Brahmins (brah-muhns)

Brahmins represent the mouth. Brahmins are priests.

Define Vedas

Collection of hymns, poems, myths and stories.

Avatar of Vishnu-Krishna (Young Hero and Lover)

Considered by many Hindus to be the most important avatar. He was raised in a forest where he slayed many demons. Eventually, he killed his evil uncle, who was the King, and restored his kingdom.

Define Upanishads

Dialogs with guru (master). It is here that we find all the fundamental teachings that are central to Hinduism — the concepts of 'karma' (action), 'samsara' (reincarnation), 'moksha' (nirvana), the 'atman' (soul), and the 'Brahman' (Absolute Almighty).

How many gods are in the hinduism religion?

Estimated at about 330 million gods

Identify the purpose of the artifacts at Mohenjo (purple sheet)?

First settlement in India. The artifacts showed a large well planned city with a high quality of life: Used grain as money, bathing pools for Hinduism religion, beads for necklaces and a sewer system.

Vishnu- The Preserver

Followers of Vishnu worship him as the preserver, the greatest of gods. His role is to maintain a balance between good and evil powers in the universe.

How do historians measure time?

Other terms for time Besides numbering individual years, historians also group years into useful divisions: A decade is 10 years A century is 100 years A millenium is 1,000 years

The Hinduism is a polytheistic religion-what does that mean?

Polytheistic means that Hindu's worship more than just one god.

Avatar of Vishnu- The Buddha

Prince Siddhartha, the Buddha was a great spiritual leader and founder of Buddhism

Avatar Of Vishnu-Rama (Prince)

Prince of Ayodya. Rama is the hero of the epic poem, The Ramayana.

Define Sanskrit?

Sanskrit is the classical language of Hinduism, is the oldest and the most systematic language in the world.

Three of the principal goddesses are directly related to the gods of the Hindu trinity.

Saraswati-Daughter of Brahma. Laxmi-Wife of Vishnu. Parvati-Wife of Shiva.

Dharma

Stands for the ultimate moral balance of all things. Each person is responsible for the balance of their own Dharma.

Caste System: Varna- Sudras (soo-drahs)

Sudras represent the feet. They are the servants.

Define Epic Poem

Tells the story of Rama, a prince Allegotical

What is the Hindu Trinity?

The Hindu Trinity includes Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Many Hindus believe that they represent properties of one god. Hinduism perceives the whole creation and its cosmic activity as the work of three fundamental forces symbolized by three gods, which constitutes the Hindu Trinity Similar to the Christian belief of the Holy Trinity-The Father, Son & Holy Spirit are one in the same.

Define karma

The Hindu belief that a person experiences the affects of his or her actions.

Brahma-The Creator

Many Hindus believe that all other gods originate from Brahma. Brahma's job was the creation of the world and all creatures.

Moksha

Moksha is like heaven for Christians. Hindus strive to reach Moksha or a state of changeless bliss. Moksha is achieved by living a life of religious devotion and moral integrity without any interest in wordly things. It may take many life cycles within the wheel of life before Moksha is achieved.

How many followers does Hinduism have?

900 million followers

Define a caste system?

A caste system is a class structure that is determined by birth. Loosely, it means that in some societies, if your parents are poor, you're going to be poor, too. Same hold true for being rich.

Karma

Has multiple meanings in Hindu. In one sense it means duty. Hinduism believes that everyone should do their duty without expecting a favorable result. Karma also means destiny or fate.

Where did Hinduism originate?

In the Indus River Valley

Samsara

In the western world, Samsara is commonly known as reincarnation. Samsara represents the cycle of life, death, and rebirth in which a person carries his or her own Karma. Each life cycle represents an opportunity for balance.

Kali-Goddess of Strength

The most common depiction of Kali shows her wearing a necklace of human skulls while wielding a sword in one hand and the decapitated head of a giant dripping blood in the other. As the ultimate symbol of death and pain, many Hindus revere Kali, believing that going beyond her will bring enlightenment.

Define B.C.E?

The non religious abbreviation Before Common Era which replaces the religious context of BC Before Christ

Define C.E?

The non religious abbreviation Common Era which replaces AD of After Death of Christ

Define Moksha

The road to Moksha starts with dharma

Caste System: Varna- Vaisyad (vysh-yuhs)

Vaisyads represent the thighs. They are skilled workers and farmers.

What is the definition of the caste system or Varna in the Hindu culture

Varna refers to the caste divisions in Hindu culture. these divisions depend upon your occupation or job. There are 5 divisions of Varna. Each varna represents a different part of the body.

Ten Avatars linked to Vishnu.

Vishnu returns to Earth in different forms to maintain balance between good and evil. The most worshiped avatars are Rama and Krishna.

How to tell time using B.C.E and C.E?

We live in the twentieth century, but our years are labeled 19-. Why are these years called the twentieth century? Remember that years are numbered from the birth of Jesus. The years C.E. 1 to C.E 100 were the first century. The years 101 to 200 were the second century, and so on. Thus, when you see fifteenth century, you should think of the years from 1401 to 1500.

How to tell time using B.C.E and C.E?

When finding the difference between two dates...don't forget: When the endings are the same you subtract and when they are different you add! Example: 2000 BC and 1300 BC = same = subtract = 700 years 1450 CE and 900 CE = same = subtract = 550 years 345 BC and 670 AD = different = add = 1,015 years 780 CE and 1200 BCE = different = add= 1,980 years

Hindu Goddesses

Worship of the goddess in Hinduism has its roots in the Indus Valley Civilization where the mother was revered as the re-newer of life and as a symbol of fertility and strength.

Shiva-The Destroyer

Worshiped as the destroyer or purifier. Shiva dances in a halo of fire representing the cycle of birth and death.