Hinduism

Śruti

"heard" means "scripture" in Sanskrit and refers to the Vedas as well as the other sacred texts of Hinduism.

Prakṛti

"nature" the basic nature of intelligence by which the Universe exists and functions It is described in Bhagavad Gita as the "primal motive force". It is the essential constituent of the universe and is at the basis of all the activity of the creation

jñāna

"path of knowledge" The spiritual discipline of knowledge and insight

Smṛti

"remembered" a body of ancient Hindu literature, including the epics, Puranas, and law codes; formed after the shruti and passed down in written tradition

karma

(Hinduism and Buddhism) the effects of a person's actions that determine his destiny in his next incarnation "action" - the moral law of cause and effect of actions; determines the nature of one's rebirth.

Agni

(Sanskrit) god of fire in ancient and traditional India

mantra

(Sanskrit) literally a 'sacred utterance' in Vedism A short sacred phrase, often chanted or used in meditation.

The Śiva Seal

(dating from 2600-1900 BCE) discovered at Mohenjo-daro. The seal depicts a seated, once speculated to be ithyphallic, a view now seen as unsubstantiated, but possibly tricephalic (3 heads), the seal shows a figure with a horned headdress, surrounded by animals. It is purported to be one of the earliest depictions of the Hindu god Shiva (The seal is named after "Pashupati", an epithet of Shiva) or Rudra, who is associated with asceticism, yoga, and linga; regarded as a lord of animal; and often depicted as having three heads.

yoga

(practices for "yoke" or union with true self) a way, or path, or liberation, to reunite with your real self. Trying to peal away our layers to reach the core of which we really are (Atman). A spiritual discipline; a method for perfecting one's union with the divine.

Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad

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Dvāpara-yuga

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Kali-yuga

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Puruṣa Sūkta

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Satya-yuga

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Tretā-yuga

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Yuga-s or Cosmic Eons

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adhikāra

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apūrva

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bandhus

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heaven

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nāstika traditions

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sūkta

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tapas

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śramaṇa

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ṛta

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āśramas

4 stages of life: student, householder, retiree, renunciant

Yājñavalkya

A central figure in the Upanishad and one of the most creative minds in ancient India. Participated in King Janakas contest where Atman was the center of all his arguments/beliefs

Mohenjo Dāro

A major city of the Indus valley civilization; flourished around 2000 BCE Along with Harappa, major urban complex of the Harappan civilization; laid out on planned grid pattern.

brahman

A single spiritual power that Hindus believe lives in everything, Cosmic soul A single supreme force that cannot be explained.

Veda

Ancient Sanskrit writings that are the earliest sacred texts of Hinduism. A Hindu holy book which is a collection of Aryan hymns that were transmitted orally before being written down in the 6th century BCE. (from the Sanskrit word for 'knowledge') any of the most ancient sacred writings of Hinduism written in early Sanskrit

Kṛṣṇa

Important in the Gita, Arjuna's charioteer, reincarnation of Vishnu, has the magical chakra, mission is to wipe out the bad embodiment of god

Sāma Veda

One of the 4 Vedas (= the 4 Saṃhitā-s) "melody" "knowledge" third veda with all music instructions, chant lines etc; where mantras come from It consists of a collection (samhita) of hymns, portions of hymns, and detached verses, all but 75 taken from the Sakala Sakha of the Rigveda, the other 75 belong to the Bashkala Sakha, to be sung, using specifically indicated melodies called Samagana, by Udgatar priests at sacrifices in which the juice of the Soma plant, clarified and mixed with milk and other ingredients, is offered in libation to various deities.

Ṛg Veda

One of the 4 Vedas (= the 4 Saṃhitā-s) "praise, verse" "knowledge" earliest of the Vedas, contain hymns, chants, devotional writing to various deities. The oldest book in Hindu tradition; written before 600 BCE; composed between 2000-1000 BCE contains several mythological and poetical accounts of the origin of the world, hymns praising the gods, and ancient prayers for life, prosperity, etc. Some of its verses are still recited as Hindu prayers, at religious functions and other occasions, making it probably the world's oldest religious texts in continued use.

Yajur Veda

One of the 4 Vedas (= the 4 Saṃhitā-s) "sacrificial formula" "knowledge" second book of the Veda containing ritual instructions and hymns. a collection of mostly prose sacrificial formulas (yajus) used by the presiding priest in a sacrifice contains the liturgy (mantras) needed to perform the sacrifices of the historical Vedic religion

dharma

One of the 4 goals of life (puruṣārthas) moral righteousness In Hindu belief, a person's religious and moral duties, Ethical duty based on the divine order of reality

kāma

One of the 4 goals of life (puruṣārthas) pleasure Pleasure, especially of sensual love

artha

One of the 4 goals of life (puruṣārthas) prosperity Material success and social prestige; concept for the pursuit of economic well-being and honest prosperity.

mokṣa

One of the 4 goals of life (puruṣārthas) release from the cycle of existence/release from saṃsāra Spiritual liberation, renunciation and detachment.

Upaniṣad

One of the 4 types of Vedic Revelation Deals with Hinduism I and Hinduism II goal - moksa a Hindu text which states that there is a permanent, changeless, constant essence of the universe; that is the self. they associated life with ritual, giving up comforts, and attachment of true sacrifice. (ancient South Asia, late Vedic civilization) considered by Hindus to contain revealed truths (Sruti) concerning the nature of ultimate reality (brahman) and describing the character and form of human salvation (moksha)

Saṃhitā

One of the 4 types of Vedic Revelation Deals with Vedism I a type of hymn that can be found in the Rig-Veda, dedicated to nature deities "compilation of knowledge" or "collection of Mantras or Hymns" of early Vedic hymns and verses; there are four collections: Rig-Veda. Sama-Veda, Yajur-Veda and Atharva-Veda

Āraṇyaka

One of the 4 types of Vedic Revelation Deals with Vedism II "belonging to the wilderness" The third of four ancient hymns which deal with people's writing after meditating in the forest, also known as "forest treatises" The "Forest Book," they were composed after the Brahmanas and emphasize the meaning behind the rituals of fire sacrifices.

Brāhmaṇa

One of the 4 types of Vedic Revelation Deals with Vedism II goal - heaven The second of four ancient hymns which deals with directions about performances of ritual sacrifices to deities. express confidence in the infallible power of correctly pronouncing the mantras. hold the view that, if executed with shraddhaa (belief), the rituals will not fail.

Brāhmaṇa Varna

One of the four Varṇas = 4 castes 1st group of caste system: priests, teachers and preachers.

Kṣatriya

One of the four Varṇas = 4 castes 2nd group of caste system: rulers, nobles, and warriors

Vaiśya

One of the four Varṇas = 4 castes 3rd group of caste system: merchants, farmers, craftspeople

Śūdra

One of the four Varṇas = 4 castes 4th group of caste system: made up most of the Indian population; most were peasants and manual laborers; they had limited rights in society

ātman = brahman

Parable of the Salt and the Water atman are individual souls, Brahman is the creator of the universe/ the world soul

upaniṣads

Philosophical texts considered to be an early source of Hindu religion Hindu text which states that there is a permanent, changeless, constant essence of the universe; that is the self. they associated life with ritual, giving up comforts, and attachment of true sacrifice. (ancient South Asia, late Vedic civilization)

punarjanma

Rebirth into Samsara Rebirth. Jivas are caugh in material world, and we're renew born into the world once more. We're stuck going around and around. Its cause is desire for material things. Desire for things is so strong that you come back.

cakra

Sanskrit word for "wheel" or "turning", but in the yogic context 'vortex or whirlpool'. Subtle points of energy, points of contact between cosmos and body. Chakras are part of the subtle body, not the physical body, and as such are the meeting points of the subtle (non-physical) energy channels, called nadiis. Nadiis are channels in the subtle body through which the life force (prana), or vital energy moves. Various scriptural texts and teachings present a different number of chakras. There are many chakras in the subtle human body according to the tantric texts, but there are seven chakras that are considered to be the most important ones. The concept of chakra features in tantric and yogic traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism.

apauruṣeya

Sanskrit, meaning "not the work of man" used to describe the Vedas, the main scripture in Hinduism. This implies that the Vedas are not authored by human but were divine creation

soma

a Vedic ritual drin

nāḍīs

a channel that carries prana (life energy) to body cells channels in the subtle body through which the life force (prana), or vital energy moves.

ātman

a person's essential self the first principle, the true self of an individual beyond identification with phenomena, the essence of an individual. In order to attain liberation, a human being must acquire self-knowledge (atma jnana), which is to realize that one's true self (Ātman) is identical with the transcendent self Brahman:

Sāṃkhya

a philosophy that interprets purusha and prakriti as to different worlds or realities one of the major hindu philosophical systems, in which human suffering is characterized as stemming from the confusion of prakriti with purusha

ṛṣi

denotes an inspired poet of Ṛgvedic hymns, who alone or with others invokes the deities with poetry. Post-Vedic tradition regards the Rishis as "sages" or saints

tamas

destruction/transformation (originally "darkness", "obscurity") has been translated to mean "too inactive" or "inertia", negative, lethargic, dull, or slow. Usually it is associated with darkness, delusion, or ignorance. In some contexts, a tamas quality can also refer to a tendency towards breaking down or entropy

The Great Bath

The large pool-like bath in the citadel of Mohenjo Dāro, which was used most likely for hygiene and rituals. This structure on the citadel at Mohenjo Dāro might suggest a link to an early form of Hinduism

oṃ

is a mantra and mystical Sanskrit sound of Hindu origin, in Sanskrit it is sometimes referred to as praṇava, literally "that which is sounded out loudly". It is placed at the beginning of most Hindu texts as a sacred incantation to be intoned at the beginning and end of a reading of the Vedas or prior to any prayer or mantra. It is used at the end of the invocation to the god being sacrificed to (anuvakya) as an invitation to and for the latter to partake of.

Viśvarūpa

is the cosmic vision of Krishna revealed to Arjuna in the Bhagavad-Gita before the Mahabharata war. showed that Krishna is both the real and the real beyond the real

Bhagavadgītā

section of Mahabharata; centers on ethical issue of social duty prompted by warrior Arjuna this text asserts that Moksha can be attained by dispassionate action and that attitude is everything

duḥkha

the Sanskrit word for suffering, which Buddhism states is the primary condition of life

saṃsāra

the endless cycle of birth and suffering and death and rebirth; reincarnation

The Indus Valley Seals

The seals show the culture and civilization of the Indus Valley people. In particular, they indicate: Dresses, ornaments, hair-styles of people. Skill of artists and sculptors. Trade contacts and commercial relations. Religious beliefs. Script.

chandas

one of the six ancillary sciences of the Vedas (vedāṅgas) prosody

kalpa

one of the six ancillary sciences of the Vedas (vedāṅgas) ritual procedure

Indus Valley Civilization

pre-hinduism / pre-historical. where the Aryan people setteled Bronze Age civilization had a complex gov., religion, construction, language, and even underground plumbing 3rd millennium BC, Elaborately planned cities, standardized measures, irrigated agriculture, written language, no temples kings etc., had a lot of land, no political hierarchy, was abandoned because of mass deforestation, low crop yields, famine, environmental deterioration, etc. their influence continued even to this day (i.e. yoga). Important because it shows how we developed in our cities and economy.

rajas

preservation (originally "atmosphere, air, firmament") is also translated to mean change, movement or dynamism

punarmṛtyu

re-death

Varuṇa

Aryan god of the sky who watched over the behavior of mortals and preserved the cosmic order. In Vedism, god of the night sky( who changed to the guardian of right and wrong) who with his thousand eyes watches over human conduct and judges good and evil and punishes evildoers.

Indra

Chief deity of the Aryans; depicted as a colossal, hard-drinking warrior; god of war

Karma-yoga

Discipline of Action

Bhakti-yoga

Discipline of Action, devotion

Jñāna-yoga

Discipline of Action, knowledge --> moksa ātman = brahman

Atharva Veda

One of the 4 Vedas (= the 4 Saṃhitā-s) "knowledge from the teacher Atharva" which consists of practical prayers and charms the fourth Veda; contains material used when not worshiping; how to live your daily life more practical prayers and charms designed for healing(less philosophical and more tangible)

śikṣā

one of the six ancillary sciences of the Vedas (vedāṅgas) pronunciation

anātman

Literally means "not self." In contrast to the Hindu concept of atman, Buddhists do not believe that there is an essential self that moves from one body to another as we are reincarnated.

The Āryans

The earliest immigrants to India. These people changed the language and religion of India. Means "noble." brought the Hindu religion to India, created caste, credited with creating the Vedas

Ārya-s v.s. Dāsa-s or Dasyu-s

Since the Aryans were nomadic people they divided themselves into to groups the Ārya-s and the Dāsa-s. With them the Ārya-s, not the Dāsa-s

Harappā

Site of one of the great cities of the Indus Valley civilization of the third millennium B.C.E. It was located on the northwest frontier of the zone of cultivation , and may have been a center for the acquisition of raw materials

Āryan Invasion Theory

Speculation originally advanced by western scholars that the vedas were written by people invading India rather than by people already there. Aryans invaded India and spread word of the Veda

sukha

Sukha is a Sanskrit and Pāli word that is often translated as "happiness" or "ease" or "pleasure" The light side of things, but is never pure, as even the most beautiful experience is tinged with the sadness that the experience will not last.

prāṇa

The Hindu term for the energy that flows through the body, nourishing organs and promoting optimal functioning.

suṣumnā nāḍī

The central channel that lies along the axis of the spine. Prana is channeled through the susumna nadi. "The hot energy of the sun and the cool energy of the moon twists around the spine, meeting at 6 points- the chakras".

varṇāśramadharma

The code of conduct by which a Hindu should live, according to his ascribed status by birth (varna), his stage of life (āśrama), and the dharma, or appropriate duty laid down for each of these. Interpretation of the four aims of life—dharma (moral righteousness), artha (prosperity), kama (pleasure), and mokṣa (release from the cycle of existence)—will be influenced by varna and āśrama. Conformity to varṇāśramadharma provides the ideal Hindu social order.

sattva

creation (originally "being, existence, entity") has been translated to mean balance, order, or purity

Puruṣa

cosmic man or it means Self, Consciousness, and Universal principle In early Vedas, Purusa meant a cosmic man whose sacrifice by the gods created all life In Upanishads, Purusa concept no longer meant a being or cosmic man. The meaning evolved to an abstract essence of Self, Spirit and the Universal Principle that is eternal, indestructible, without form and all pervasive

neti neti

means "not this, not that," the only way to truly describe the Brahman

jyotiṣa

one of the six ancillary sciences of the Vedas (vedāṅgas) astrology

nirukta

one of the six ancillary sciences of the Vedas (vedāṅgas) etymology

vyākaraṇa

one of the six ancillary sciences of the Vedas (vedāṅgas) grammar

Buddhism

the teaching of Buddha that life is permeated with suffering caused by desire, that suffering ceases when desire ceases, and that enlightenment obtained through right conduct and wisdom and meditation releases one from desire and suffering and rebirth

Arjuna

the warrior prince in the Bhagavad-Gita to whom Krishna explains the nature of being and of God and how humans can come to know God

The three guṇas

there are three major guṇas that serve as the fundamental operating principles or 'tendencies' of prakṛti (universal nature): sattva, rajas, tamas