Key Terms in Hinduism:
atman: Hindu concept of the
eternal soul
avatar: Hindu concept of
the incarnation or earthly manifestation of a deity
Bhagavad-Gita: Sanskrit
for 'Song of the Lord'; this text is regarded as the crowning achievement
of Hindu sacred literature
bhakti: Hindu concept of
devotional service to a personal god. Bhakti-yoga is one of the principal
paths to liberation taught in Hinduism.
Brahma: Hindu god of creation
Brahman: Hindu concept for
the spiritual oneness of all reality
Brahmin: Priestly caste of
Indian society
caste: literally means, 'race';
the stratified system of social classes in traditional Hindu society
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
Krishna: Incarnation of the
Hindu god Vishnu, who appears as a main character in the Bhagavad-Gita
maya: Hindu concept of false
or illusory reality
meditation: focused, disciplined
concentration intended to enable experience of the sacred
moksha: release from the
cycle of death and rebirth in Indian religions; liberation
samsara: Sanskrit for 'the
cycle of rebirth'
Shiva: Hindu god of destruction
and rejuvenation
untouchables: in traditional
Hindu society, those 'below' the caste system, and thus not embers of any
of the four castes. Also called 'outcasts.' Mahatma Gandhi
called the untouchables harijan, which means 'children of God.'
Upanishads: Philosophical
materials in the Vedic literature
Vedas: literally means, 'knowledge';
applies to the entire collection of Indian sacred literature, including
the Upanishads
Vishnu: Hindu god of preservation
and love; appears on earth on verious forms (avatars) in times of
crisis