| A | B |
|---|
| ganesha/ganapathi | destroyer of obstacles |
| krishna | chariot driver for arjun; vishnu in avatar form |
| lakshmi | goddess of wealth and good fortune |
| rama | best of all kings |
| shiva | able to destroy the universe |
| sita | model for all women; rama's wife |
| vishnu | substain and preserve, comes to world in avatar form |
| Aum/om/pranava | first of all sounds; said in prayer and worship; some kids first word |
| avatar | spirit of vishnu in human form |
| Ashram | A usually ascetic spiritual community of followers gathered around their guru |
| bindi | dot wore on head of girls |
| Diwali( divali) | festival of lights-7 days long |
| dalits | the untouchables" Had to do lowest tasks like cleaning the streets, etc. So ritually impure that standing in one's shadow was considered impure |
| Ganges/Ganja | the river that hindus believe is sacred; its water can wash away illness or sin |
| holi | the return of spring, colored powder and water is thrown in celebration; done in honor of krishna(vishnu) |
| karma | effects our life for good or for bad |
| mandir | temple |
| moksha | leaving the living cycle behind |
| puja | show respect for brahmin |
| reincarnation | bringing back to life |
| samsara | cycle of life, death, and rebirth |
| sanskrit | one of the oldest known writings; what sacred text is written in |
| tilak | mark of blessing,line that the boys draw on there heads |
| varnas | the four classes |
| shivarati | shiva's festival; falls in march at the newmoon |
| dessehra | between september and october; rama saving sita retold in dances and plays |
| navaratri | 9 day festival between september and october which hindus worship different aspects of great mother goddess |
| asanas | different yoga postures; also known as different paths a hindu can take toward moksha and union with brahman temples |
| murti | statue of god; during worship hindus walk clockwise around shrine |
| yatras | pilgrimages |
| maya | illusion |
| durga/kali | fierce and powerful; a match for shiva's destructive side |
| the mahabharata | over 100,00 verses, probably worlds longest poem |
| atman | the individual soul |
| aryans | nomadic people who arrived in india |
| hinduism | one of the oldest living religions; dates back to atleast 2000 BCE |
| sanatana dharma | means 'eternal teaching' or 'eternal law' |
| brahman | one changing reality;the universal soul |
| guru | in hinduism, refers to a spiritual teacher |
| jiva | in Hinduism, refers to the physical/psychological/social 'self' which acts, but which is not eternal |
| upanishads | Philosophical materials in the Vedic literature |
| Brahmin | priests or rulers of Hindu society; highest caste |
| kshratriyas | Warriors & Kings |
| Vaishya | the third of the four classes of the caste system, made up of producers, such as farmers, merchants, and artisans |
| Shudra | the lowest of the four classes of the caste system, made up of servants and laborers |
| Vedas | ancient Sanskrit writings that are the earliest sacred texts of Hinduism - written in sanskrit |
| Rig Veda | A collection of 1,017 Sanskrit hymns composed about 1500 BC or earlier; Hinduism's oldest sacred text. |
| Bhagavad Gita | Last 18 chapters of the Mahabharata, stressing the idea of proper conduct for one's status |
| Brahmin | The first of the four varnas, the principal social groupings from which priests are drawn. |
| Dharma | Religion or religious duty is the usual translation into English, but literally it means the intrinsic quality of the self or that which sustains one's existence. |
| Gandhi | 20th century spiritual and political leader. |
| Jati | Caste is the usual translation meaning occupational kinship group |
| Kama | The third of the four aims of life - regulated sense of enjoyment. |
| Rakhi | A bracelet, usually made out of silk or cotton, tied to give protection and to strengthen the bond of mutual love. |
| Rishi | A spiritually wise person. More specifically, one of the seven seers who received the divine wisdom |
| Samskar | Sacraments designed to initiate a new stage of life. There is usually a total of sixteen such rites of passage (though many schools of thought do not practice them all). |
| Sannyasa | The state of renunciation, the forth stage of life |
| Smriti | That which is heard. A term specifically applied to the four Vedas, including the Upanishads |
| Upaayana | Ceremony when the sacred thread is tied - to mark the start of learning with a guru. |
| Yajur Veda | One of the four Vedas, dealing with the knowledge of karma. |
| Yoga | Communion; union of the soul with the Supreme, or a process which promotes that relationship. The English word 'yoke' is derived from yoga. |
| Sama Veda | The Veda of chanting; material mainly from the Rig Veda, arranged for ritual chanting in worship. |
| Atharva Veda | The fourth of the Vedas. |
| Mandir | temple |
| Ahimsa | Not killing. Non-violence; respect for life. |
| The Path of Devotion-Bhakti Yoga | living a life in which prayer,worship and acts of devotion to God are central |
| The Path of Knowledge- Jnana Yoga | finding a teacher, or guru, who will help you study and learn |
| The Path of Right Actions-Karma Yoga | controlling all your actions by regarding the needs of others without concern about any benefit to yourself |
| The path of Yoga- Raja Yoga | learning to control the body and the mind by rigorous physical excercises and routines, combined with meditation |
| Indus river valley | were hinduism is known to be started |
| ahimsa | The doctine of nonviolence to all life. This forms the basis for Hinduism's vegetarian emphasis. |
| ashramas | A spiritual community |
| agni | god of fire |
| hanuman | the monkey |
| saraswati | goddess of music and art |
| neti neti | literally' not this, not that" |
