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REL 237: H: Basics
REL 237: Hinduism Basic Terms & Texts
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Aryans | Nomadic people who migrated into India, bringing the Vedic traditions with them |
| Vedas | Hindu “books of knowledge” consisting of Rig, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva Vedas |
| Upanishads | Dialogue based philosophical scriptures written at the end of the Vedic period, focus on world rejection |
| Itihasas | The Mahabharata and Ramayana: Hindu epics telling the stories of Krishna and Rama, avatars of Vishnu. |
| Puranas | A collection of tales about various Hindu deities |
| Shutri | Translates to "that which is heard", refers to the most authoritative Hindu texts: The Vedas including their four types of embedded texts—the Samhitas, the Upanishads, the Brahmanas and the Aranyakas |
| Smirti | Translates to "that which is remembered", refers to popular but less authoritative semi-historic texts like the Mahabharata and Ramayana. |
| Atman | A person's innermost self/soul |
| Brahman | The "world soul" the foundation of physical matter, time, space, energy, and being itself |
| Samsara | The cycle of reincarnation |
| Moksha | Release from samsara and unity with Brahman |
| Four Life Goals | Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha |
| Four Life Stages | Student, Householder, Forest Dweller, Renouncer (Sannyasin) |
| Four Caste Groups | Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra |
| Dharma | Righteousness, law, duty, moral teaching || OR|| One's place in the world (as related to caste) |
| Artha | Material success and prosperity |
| Kama | Aesthetic (sensory) pleasure of the mind and body |
| Student Stage | Professional/social/religious training. Occurs in youth. |
| Householder Stage | Marriage and child rearing. Occurs in adulthood and middle age. |
| Forest Dweller Stage | Retirement and hermitage, rarely practiced. Occurs in old age. |
| Renouncer Stage (Sannyasin) | Complete concentration of achieving moksha, a highly respected but very rare path. Occurs in old age. |
| Brahmin | Priestly caste: head of Purusha |
| Kshatriya | Warrior/Ruler caste: arms of Purusha |
| Vaishya | Merchant/Tradesperson cate: thighs of Purusha |
| Shudra | Laborer catse: feet of Purusha |
| Dalit | Casteless people: given the most difficut, demeaning, or spiritually polluting work |
| Bhagavad Gita | Part of the Mahabharata, describes the conversation between Arjuna and Krishna regarding several Hindu ethical dilemmas and the concept of "prescribed duty" |
| Ramayana | An epic narrating the life of Rama, an avatar of Vishnu |
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JohnDoe123
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