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| ashram |
a hermitage; also a system of dividing a person's lifespan into four different stages of life |
| atman |
the self, as opposed to brahman |
| Bhagavad Gita |
lit., "Song of the Lord," part of the Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata |
| bhakti |
devotion to a personal God (bhagavan) or Goddess (bhagavati); the path of religious devotion |
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the creator God |
| brahmacharya |
a celibate (unmarried) student, the first of the four ashrams |
| brahman |
the supreme being, God, as opposed to atman |
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the highest Hindu caste, consisting of scholars and priests |
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| devi |
a goddess, who can have many forms |
| dharma |
religious duty; this duty differs for different individuals, depending on their social class, gender, etc. |
| Epics, the |
the Mahabharata and the Ramayana |
| jati |
a social group defined by birth; it is made up of people of the same profession and the same social position; this group is smaller than a varna |
| karma |
action in the world |
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| mantra |
sacred chant |
| moksha (also nirvana) |
spiritual salvation or liberation from the bonds of action and rebirth |
| om (or aum) |
a sacred syllable recited in Hindu prayer and meditation ("the sound of the universe identified with brahman," Gavin Flood, Intro. to Hinduism, p. 101) |
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(as opposed to "orthodoxy") an emphasis on correct practice rather than correct belief |
| Pandavas |
the five brothers who are the heroes of the Mahabharata epic. They are: Yudhishthir, Bhim, Arjun, Nakul, and Sahadev. |
| Puranas |
"stories about the ancient past," texts about early kings and their genealogies; not as old as the Vedas |
| sadhu |
a renouncer of the world, an ascetic or hermit |
| samsara |
reincarnation |
| sanyas (or samnyas) |
renunciation |
| Shramans |
ascetics, world renouncers who practiced yoga and various austerities to detach themselves from worldly ties and who rejected the authority of the Vedas |
| shruti |
revelation; revealed texts (which are "heard"), the most important of which are the Vedas. Only "twice-born" castes can listen to them. (Shrauta is an adjective from shruti.) |
| Shudra |
the fourth caste in the social hierarchy; serfs who served the other three castes; unlike the first three castes, they were not "twice-born" |
| smriti |
secondary religious texts (which are "remembered"), composed by a human author (e.g., the Epics). All castes, even those who are not "twice-born," can listen to and study these texts. |
| soma |
an intoxicating drink used in Vedic ritual; also a Vedic god |
| theism |
the idea that there is a supreme God (or Goddess) who generates or creates the cosmos, and who maintains it and finally destroys it. This God has the power to save beings through his grace. Two major theistic gods in Hinduism are: Vishnu and Shiva. |
| twice-born |
members of the first three castes. Boys undergo an initiation ceremony (upanayana) marking their transition into adulthood. This ceremony is their symbolic "second" birth. |
| upanayana |
the sacred-thread ceremony that marks the "second" birth of upper-caste boys. After this, they begin to study the Vedas under the guidance of a teacher and may marry and become householders. |
| Upanishads |
late Vedic texts which emphasize the importance of knowledge over ritual |
| varna |
lit., "color"; the hierarchical system of social classes, in which the Brahmans are at the top and the Shudras at the bottom. |
| Vedas |
ancient Sanskrit texts, of which the most important is the Rig Veda |
| Vishnu |
one form of the Supreme God; he has ten incarnations, including Krishna and Ram, among others. The Goddess Lakhshmi is his wife. |
| yoga |
methods of mental training associated with renunciation (see Shramans). Flood, Intro. to Hinduism (p. 96) defines it as "the cessation of mental fluctuations." |
