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Hindu Vocab Ws
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| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| The Vedas | collection of Aryan writings |
| The Rig Veda | oldest and most sacred collection of hymns |
| Upanishads | collection of writings, concerned about rebirth |
| Brahman | Ultimate Reality or Absolute Reality |
| Atman | individual soul or essence |
| avatar | incarnation of a Hindu god |
| Bhagavad Gita | most popular of Hindu scriptures |
| Brahma | god of creation |
| Vishnu | Krishna and Rama |
| Shiva | destroying god |
| Transcendent | lying beyond the ordinary range of perception |
| Maya | sanskrit for illusions , teaching that says only Brahman is permanent |
| Moksha | pursuit of liberation from cycle of rebirth through actions |
| Samsara | experience of birth, life, and death over and over again until one is with Brahman |
| Brahmins | Hindu or Vedic priest |
| Kshatriyas | warriors that help protect and rule society |
| Vaishya | third level of caste system, made up of farmers and merchants |
| Shrudas | servants, fourth level |
| Asprishya | untouchable |
| Dharma | person's duties in life |
| Artha | pursuit of both material and political wealth |
| Kama | pursuit of artistic, recreational, and sensual pleasure |
| Grihastha | stage of the householder |
| Vanaprastha | forest dweller |
| Sannyasin | spiritual pilgrim who renounces everything for pursuing moksha |
| Bhakti | sacrificial ritual, devotional path |
| Jnana | knowledge |
| Karma Yoga | technique used to try to make body and soul one |
| Ahimsa | non violence |
| Satyagraha | practice of passive resistance |
| mantra | sacred verbal formula repeated in prayer or meditation |
| Sanskrit | liturgical and scriptural language of Hinduism |
| Guru | Hindu teacher, philosophical and spiritual guide |
| Shruti | oldest Hindu scripture |
| Mahatma | great soul |