Hinduism

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advaita

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"Not two", belief set forth in the Upanishads that only Brahman exists and therefore Atman is part of Brahman.

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Agni

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The Aryan fire god who carried sacrifices to the deities.

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Aranyakas

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Second set of writings added to the 4 original Vedas; reflect a departure from the rituals of the Vedas because they espouse of lifestyle in the forest without sacrifices.

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Aryan

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Sanskrit word meaning "the noble ones'; refers to a group of light-skinned people that migrated to India from present-day Iran.

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ashramas

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The four stages of life in Hindu religion, traditionally passable only by males of the twice-born caste.

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Atharva-Veda

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Final Vedic book, which is a collection of rituals for Brahmin priests.

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Atman

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Term introduced in the Upanishads to refer to an individual's soul or self.

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avidya

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Ignorance; the chief problem of the human conditiono.

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brahmacharin

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The first Hindu stage of life, during which a young male studies the Vedas and other religious texts; required to be celibate.

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Brahman

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Term Vedas uses to describe the cosmic power present in sacrifices and chants; later defined in the Upanishads as the sacred foundation of everything.

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Brahmanas

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First of the new writings to be added to the Vedas; written by Brahmin priest whose religious practices had begun to depart form the teachings of the Vedas.

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Brahmins

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Special group of Aryan priests that oversaw sacrifices; also used to refer to the caste of priests in Hindu society.

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caste system

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Hindu societal structure based on the concept of Karma, in which those born rich have accumulated good karma from the past, and those born poor accumulated bad karma from the past.

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dalit

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People below the four castes in Hindu society; people known as untouchables and traditionally performed the dirtiest work of society.

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deva

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One of the gods worshipped by the Aryans.

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dharma

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Hindu principle that everyone must perform certain duties.

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grihastha

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Second stage in Hindu life, or householder period, in which a male marries and raises a family.

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Harappan

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An early, advanced civilization in India around 2500 B.C.E.

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Indra

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Aryan god of storms and war.

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jati

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Divisions within castes, similar to families or clans.

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karma

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A force generated by a person's good or bad actions that result in the rewards or punishments that the person experiences in this life or in a future life.

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Kshatriya

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Second caste in Hindu society, composed of warriors and nobles.

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Law of Manu

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Book that discusses the specific, unique duties and responsibilities for each caste.

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lingam

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A model of the male sexual organ that typically represents Shiva.

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lotus position

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A common posture in Hindu meditation in which the legs are drawn up near the stomach.

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mantas

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Chants used to help channel inner strength.

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maya

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An Upanishad concept used to explain our ignorance about the material world; refers to ignorance, illusion and false knowledge.

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moksha

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An Upanishad term for release or liberation from the cycle of reincarnation.

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Purusha

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Mythic cosmic man who was sacrificed by the gods and whose body was divided to form the different parts of the universe.

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reincarnation

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Rebirth into another body after death.

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Rig-Veda

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The first and oldest book of the Vedas.

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rishis

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Holy men who possess divine insight.

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rita

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The power that preserves the unity of the cosmos and maintains social order.

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Sama-Veda

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Third book of the Vedas, which contains mantras to be chanted by priests at sacrifices.

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samhitas

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Collections of hymns into which the Vedas are divided.

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samsara

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The cycle of birth, death, and rebirth that humans experience until they achieve release.

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sannyasin/samnyasin

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Last stage of Hindu life, in which a male is required to give up all possessions, renounce family ties, visit holy sites, and wander in search of release from samsara.

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Sanskrit

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An ancient Indian language that was the medium for all four Vedic books.

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Santana Dharma

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Indigenous term for the religions of India, meaning "eternal religion".

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shruti

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Process of divine transmission through which the Vedas were heard by holy men over an extended period of time.

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soma

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A plant whose juices ere used during Aryan rituals, possibly to produce hallucinogenic effects.

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Sudra

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The lowest caste in Hindu society, which includes peasants.

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twice-born Castes

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Another name for Brahmin, Kshatriya, and Vaisya castes, whose members are symbolically born again through a Vedic initiation ceremony held for members of these castes.

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untouchables

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Another term for the Dalit.

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Upanishads

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Final collection of shruti literature added to the Vedas; consists of a diverse set of texts about philosophy.

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Vaisya

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Third caste in Hindu society, composed of merchants and artisans.

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vanaprastha

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Third stage of Hindu life, when a man leaves his family to become a forest hermit, studying spiritual matters and renouncing pleasure and sex.

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varna

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The four social classes within the caste system.

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Vedas

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The sacred books that contain the teachings of the Hindu faith.

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Vedanta

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Meaning "end of the Vedas", another term for the Upanishads.

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Vishnu

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The Aryan god responsible for cosmic order.

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Yajur-Veda

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Second book of the Vedas, which contains ritual instructions for priests about how to conduct services.