rel1300 hinduism
Vishnu is said to have
10 incarnations in the present cycle of creation and 9 are said to have already happened
Which of the following statements correctly characterizes the Hindu tradition? A. The Hindu tradition has no founder. B. Virtually all Hindus are vegetarians. C. Meditation and yoga are the primary Hindu paths to salvation. D. All of the above. E. None of the above.
A
Which of the following terms does not denote a Hindu festival? A Upanayana B Deepavali C Kumbha Mela D Onam
A
Modern Hinduism was spearheaded by two Hindu reform movements. Identify these movements—or the leaders of these movements—from the list below: A Aurobindo and Tagore B Brahmo Samaj and Arya Samaj C Mahatma Gandhi and Ambedkar D Vedic Reform and the Dalit Movement
B
Select the proper historical sequence of events that best describes the Hindu tradition? A. Vedas, Harappa culture, Epics, Upanishads, Renaissance, Tantra B. Harappa culture, Vedas, Epics, Tantra, Renaissance, Mahatma Gandhi C. Upanishads, Vedas, Epics, Bhakti movement, Tantra, Mahatma Gandhi D. Vedas, Epics, Harappa culture, Mahatma Gandhi, Renaissance
B
Who gave the term Hinduism currency?
British colonizers in India 18&19 centuries
According to your textbook, who is often called the 'Father of Modern India'? A. Rabindranath Tagore B. Pandit Nehru C Mahatma Gandhi D Ram Mohan Roy
D
What was the central theme of the earliest Vedic texts? A. Vrata (votive rituals) to ensure well-being B. Jnana (knowledge) on the unity of Atman and Brahman C. Bhakti (devotion) to Vishnu and his various avatars D. Yajna (sacrifice) to the Gods
D
what do each of the Vedic collections contain?
Hymns (Samhitas-earliest parts), directions for the performance of sacred rituals (Brahamanas), compositions for the forest (Aranyakas), and philosophical works called the Upanishads
what are all covered by the Hindu umbrella?
Jainas, Buddhists, and Sikhs
the way of devotion (bhakti yoga)
Krishna promises Arjuna that if we surrender to him in loving devotion, he will forgive all of our sins- emphasized the most in Gita
who are among the supporters of the Pandavas?
Krishna- refuses to take up arms but he agrees to serve as charioteer for the warrior Arjuna
2 influential schools of philosphy are
Mimamsa and Vedenta schools
what are the two towns revealed on the banks of the Indus River (Pakistan) called?
Mohenjo Daro (Mound of the dead) and Harappa - even tho they were far there is evidence of travel and communication
Vishnu's 7th incarnation was
Rama, the hero of the epic
what are the four Vedic collections
Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva
Hinduism is derived from
Sind- the name of the region of the river Sindhu
what happens to Sita?
Sita is captured by demon king Ravana; becomes pregnant w twins; is seen as guilty and banished; is asked to prove her innocence after a brief reunion- she refuses and is sucked into the Earth by mother nature
Who are the two main characters of the Bhagavad Gita? A. Arjuna and Krishna B. Arjuna and Buddha C. Krishna and Veda D. Arjuna and Veda E. Krishna and Buddha
a
when Hindus go on a pilgrimage or visit a temple they seek an experience called
a darshana
who is Hanuman?
a monkey w divine ancestry that finds Sita and reports her whereabouts to Rama
Hinduism encompasses
a plurality of traditions, no single holy book, dogma, or religious leader for all of them
what does the main part of the story of the Mahabharata concern?
a war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas- tho they are cousins- the Kauravas try to cheat the Pandavas out of their share of the kingdom and wont accept peace
Indra
a warrior god who battles other cosmic powers
Arjuna
a warrior who becomes to be seem as symbol for human soul in quest of salvation- portrayed as hero but becomes distressed over fighting own kin right as war is about to begin
Karma
action- especially ritual action; but comes to refer to a system of rewards and punishments attached to various actions (cause and effect)
Under Indian law the term Hindu applies not only to members of a Hindu denomination (Vira Shaiva or Brahmo Samaj) but
also to any other person domiciled in the territories to which the Hindu FAmily Act extends who is not a Muslim, Christian, Parsi, or Jew by religion
sanatana dharma (eternal faith)
an alternative term designating a comprehensive religion- only common in a few regions and in certain classes of Indian society
Krishna is
an avatara (incarnation) of the god Vishnu who is among the most beloved figures in Hinduism- says it is right to fight for what is right- first peacefully then righteously
how is Rama regarded?
as the ideal son and husband
examples of things Hindus find essential in the practice of their religion
astronomy, astrology, music, dance, phonetics, plants
the Brihadaranyaka and Taittiriya Upishads
belong to the Yajur Veda
Aitreya Upishad
belongs to the Rig Veda
Chandogya Upishad
belongs to the Sama Veda
when are the Vedas thought to have been composed?
between 1500 BCE and 600 BCE
the people of the Harappa civilization were impressive
builders who lived in what appears to be planned cities
what are some of the ways that Hindus actively live their tradition through its sacred words?
by reciting sanskrit texts in the temple, retelling the stories of the gods in everyday language, chanting a prayer, singing a song, or meditating on a holy mantra
The Rig Veda's "Hymn of Man" connects creation to which social institution? A. race relations B. gender relationships C. Hindu caste D. the Greco-Roman household E. Asian economics
c
the earliest section of the Rig Veda
contains 1,028 hymns; Sama Veda and Yajur Veda are largely borrowed from Rig
samsara
continuous cycle of death and rebirth or reincarnation
Which description best identifies Arjuna of the Bhagavad Gita? A. a boastful king B. a god in disguise C. a blind man D. a disheartened warrior E. an invincible charioteer
d
Hymn to the Supreme Person
describes how the universe was created thru the cosmic sacrifice of the primeval man (Purusha)- important today in domestic and temple rituals (3000 yrs)
According to the Rig Veda's "Hymn of Man," where do the Brahmin (priests) originate? A. the dust of the earth B. the spilt blood of the gods C. the primeval man's feet D. the primeval man's head E. the primeval man's mouth
e
it is in the Upanishads that we find the
earliest discussions of several concepts central to later Hindu tradition- ex. karma
what are the 3 types of smrti?
epics, ancient stories (Puranas), and codes of righteous action and ethics
the Taittirya Upanishads associates Brahman w
existence or truth (satya), knowledge (jnana), infinity (ananta), consciousness, and bliss- anywhere else Brahman is described as the hidden, inner controller of the soul and frame over universe
what is at the heart of the higher wisdom?
experiential knowledge of the relationship between the human soul (Atman) and the Supreme Being (Brahman)
The Creation Hymn
expresses wonder at the creation of the universe from nothing and ends with the suggestions that perhaps no one knows how it all came to be
mother goddess statuettes
female figure wearing a short skirt, abundant jewelry, and a fan shaped head dress w two little cups on either side- used for offerings of fire or incense
most of the upanishads take the
form of conversations- between a teacher and student; a husband and wife; or between fellow philosophers
Soma
god identified with the moon, but also of a plant-based elixir, used for ritual purposes- shroomies
Agni
god of fire who was believed to serve as a messenger, carrying to the deities the offerings that humans placed in the sacrificial fire
stone scultures and terracotta statuettes of what looks like a mother goddess may
have been used as icons in worship
the first of Vishnu's incarnation
he appears as a fish who saves Manu (primeval man); was originally Vedic lit but expanded in Puranas- while bathing in the lake Manu finds a fish. the fish speaks to him and asks him to be taken home and put into a jar; the first grows to fit the jar and asks to be moved to a lake, then river, then ocean as it keeps growing- Vishnu (the fish) tells Manu there is a flood coming, to build a boat for him and his family, the 7 sages, and the seeds of all animals- those on ship survive flood
who leaves with Rama?
his wife Sita and his half-brother Lakshmana
what showed that the Harappa Culture had a written language?
inscriptions on carved seals
Vishnu (the all pervasive one)
is portrayed as coming to Earth in various forms (human/animal) to rid the world of evil and establish dharma or righteousness
pipal tree
is seen on seals w spirit emerging from it- horned person and 7 beings (holy men- rishis, and goddesses)
the Atharva Veda differs from the other three Vedas in that
it includes material that scholars consider non-Aryan- incantations and remedies to ward off illness and evil spirits; chants were used for purposes other than sacrificial rituals
to achieve liberation (moksha) from samsara according to the Upanishads
it requires a transforming experiential wisdom- those w this wisdom become immortal
all educated Hindus would describe the Vedas as most sacred texts, yet-
it would be hard for them to identify its contents- extremely important but not kept in the home
smrti (that which is remembered)
literature that was compsed after the Vedas (500BCE)- recognized to be of human origin
the Mahabharata
longest poem in the world (100,000 versus); not found in many homes but many ppl own copies of an extract
how do many Hindus see Sita?
many see her as the ideal wife b/c she followed her husband into forest; some see her as a model of strength and virtue in her own right; stands her ground- acquiesces on one occasion then gently refuses on the next
the Sama Veda is
meant to be sung
the Ramayana has been
memorized, recited, sung, danced, enjoyed, and experienced emotionally for 2,500 years- a source of inspiration
early hymns typically
offer praise to the gods, thus the river Indus is praised for giving cattle, children, horses, and food, but many also include petitions for a good and happy life on earth
Gita
one of holiest books in Hindu- teaches loving devotion to Krishna and the importance of selfless action (200BCE-200CE)- soul described as existing beyond reach of the mind
Brahman pervades and yet transcends not
only human thought but the universe itself- cant be describes any more than infinity can be contained
The Upanishads identify a # of women who
participated in the quest for ultimate truth- they were among the teachers thru whom the sacred knowledge was transmitted
Each Veda has its own Upanishads-
philosophical works composed around 600 BCE
brahmins were custodians of the veda that
reserved for themselves the authority to study and teach the holy words
Dharma
righteousness, justice, faith, duty, a religious and social obligation; BUT does not cover all that is sacred
dominant feature of Vedic religious life was
ritual sacrifice (yajna) which was typically performed w fir- conducted by specialists and priests who supervised making of altars, the sacrifice of animals, and recitation of hymns
Hindus understand Vedas as
ritual texts that represent eternal sound, eternal words passed on thru generations w.o change,- some hymns are recited regularly in the home and temple
the Mahabharata is the story of the great
struggle among the descendants of a king named Bharata
followers of the Nyaya (logic) school of philosophy believed
that God was the author of the Vedas and since God is perfect, the Vedas are infallible
what do the Mimamsa and Vedenta schools say about the Vedas?
that they are eternal and of non-human origin- the writers saw the mantras and transmitted them- but didnt compose them
shruti
that which is heard
what is the name of the extract of the Mahabharata?
the Bhagavad Gita
who is Bharata?
the brother that is named king- comes back to hear news of Rama and death of his father- goes and begs Rama to return but Rama refuses for fathers wishes
what does the huge swimming pool like structure in the citadel mound (Mohenjo Daro) show?
the care with which the complex was built leads scholars to believe it was designed for religious rituals; some houses also had rooms w a fire altar which suggests domestic fire ritual
Vedas
the earliest surviving indo-european compositions- works collectively known as shruti (that which was heard)
Indo-European refers to
the family of languages of which Sanskrit is one- similarities between indian and European languages- jnana- knowledge
The way of action (karma yoga)
the path of unselfish duty performed neither in fear of punishment nor in hope of reward- acting w expectation of future reward leads to bondage and unhappiness
what is a frequent theme of the Upanishads?
the quest for a unifying truth- the higher knowledge is distinguished from lower that can be expressed in words- nature cannot be explained or taught
what does the term Hinduism mean?
the religion of the Indians (majority of pop) who were not Muslims- did not come until 19 century
three ways to liberation from the cycle of birth and death: (Gita)
the way of action, the way of knowledge, and the way of devotion (each way is also a discipline (yoga))
in the hindu tradition the term Vedas denotes
the whole corpus, starting w the hymns, continuing through the ritual treatises, and concluding w the texts of a more philosophical character
when a Hindu is asked about their religious identity what do they refer to other than Hinduism?
they generally refer to their particular caste, community, or linguistic group
of the few graves found (Harappa)
they were oriented on north-south axis, had objects buried w the bodies perhaps to serve in afterlife- possible that both cremation and burial were practiced
the way of knowledge (jnana yoga)
through scriptural knowledge, one may achieve a transforming wisdom that destroys one's past karma; true knowledge is an insight into the real nature of the universe, divine power, and the human soul- when we hear scripture, ask questions, clarify doubts- we achieve liberation
what is a darshana?
to see and be seen by a particular deity or guru
the origins of the four classes (varnas) of Hindu society are
traced to the initial cosmic sacrifice
Rta- maintenance of cosmic and earthly orders that includes
truth and justice, the rightness of things that makes harmony and peace possible on earth and in the heavens
for many Hindus the phrase 'sacred books' refers specifically to
two epics, the Ramayana (story of Rama) and the Mahabharata (Great Epic of India or Great Sons of Bharata)
Hindus believe in the importance of
uttering prayers aloud
rishis
visionaries or seers
Upanishads (6-7 centuries BCE)
was a time of intellectual ferment, of questioning and rejecting authoritarian structures- dont totally reject early hymns- but they rethink and reformulate them
the hero of Ramayana is the
young prince, Rama, who's father Dasaratha, has decided to resign in favor of his son- however he ends up having to exile him instead b/c of an earlier promise made to one of his wives
