World Religions: Hinduism

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Brahman

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The Hindu god of creation.

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Trimurti

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The combination of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva into one god, Brahman

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Vishnu

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The Hindu god of preservation.

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Shiva

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The Hindu god of death and destruction.

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Avatars

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The earthly body that a god takes.

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Atman

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Your Soul.

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Karma

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Your actions and thoughts.

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Moksha

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The ultimate end of Samsara, when you reach full knowledge.

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Dharma

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Doing your duty.

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Upanishads

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The Hindu philosophy that stresses a type of monotheism, in which all gods are part of Brahman.

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Mahabarata

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The Indian epic poem about a war between two families and how a young warrior must do his duty to his caste and fight.

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Laws of Manu

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These are the religious and social laws of the Indian people.

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Bhagavad Gita

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This is the discussion, in the Mahabarata, between Arjuna and Krishna (Vishnu) about why one must do their duty.

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Krishna

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He is an Avatar of Vishnu.

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Sikhism

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This is a religion that combines Hinduism and Islam.

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Aryans

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The Ancient nomadic people who invaded the Indus valey.

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Samsara

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The reincarnation cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.

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Shakti

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All preserving power.

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Lakshmi

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A wife of Vishnu, she is the goddess of fertility and wealth.

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smriti

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Hindu religious literature that was composed after the Vedas.

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Yoga

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The Hindu religious system that believed the world is dualistic and one needs to try and attach ones soul to Brahman. (Physical meditation.)

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Puja

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A prayer ritual performed to honor one or more Hindu gods.

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Ramayana

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The second great Indian epic poem about Rama (avatar of Vishnu) who has to rescue Sita (Lakshmi) who is captured by Rawana, the king of the demons.

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Rama

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He is the incarnation of Vishnu in the Ramayana.

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Mahatma

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Sanskrit for 'Great Soul', the name given to Gandhi.

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Raja

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The chieftains or kings or the Aryans.

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Maya

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The human illusion, or false knowledge, of reality.

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Kali

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The wife of Shiva, she is a violent goddess who associated with the founding of Calcutta.

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Durga

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Another name for the goddess Kali, the wife of Shiva.

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Satyagraha

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A practice developed by Gandhi, of non-violent protest.

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Shruti

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Religious literature that makes up the main part of the canon of Hinduism.

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Paravati

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She is a wife of Shiva, and is considered the perfect wife and mother.

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Sarasvati

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She is the chief wife of Brahma, and the goddess of knowledge, poetry, speech and wisdom.

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Mandir

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A Hindu temple.

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Shudras

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In the Caste System this group are considered the slaves and servant. People in the group cannot be reincarnated.

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Mantras

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A Hindu Hymn to the gods.

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Vedic books.

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The Hindu religious books that teach how to understand the Universe. Made up of 4 books: the Rig-Veda, Yajur-Veda, Sama-Veda, and Atharva-Veda.

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Rug-Veda

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This is the most important book of the Vedas. It is the book of knowledge, and contain 1,000 hymns to the gods.

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Ahimsa

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To love and preserve life whenever possible.

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Hare Krishna

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A religious group, largely in America, that follows the Vedas.

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Suttee

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The ancient Indian practice of burning a wife on the funeral pyre of her dead husband.

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Brahma

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He is the Hindu god of creation. One of the three main Hindu gods.

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William Carey

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He was a British Missionary in India who fought to bring an end to the practice of Suttee, and child marriages.

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Varnas

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The Sanskrit word for skin color, it forms the basis for the Varnas System, or Caste System.

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Animism

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The spiritual belief in or worship of non-human entities.

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Avidya

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Meaning Ignorance, usually in reference to the knowledge of reality.

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Sannyasa

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The stage in life where a person renounces worldly things and lives a life of meditation.

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Brahmanism

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The religion of the Indian people before it became Hinduism.

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Bindi

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The dot that women wear on their foreheads.

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Harijan

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Meaning 'Children of God', the word used by Gandhi to describe untouchables.