A
Advaita Vedanta: a non-dualist philosophy taught by Adi Shankara §
Agamas: Hindu scriptures explaining philosophy, personal conduct, worship and temple construction §
ahimsa: nonviolence §
Alvars: Vaishnavite saints of the Bhakti Movement §
annex: to add a conquered country to one’s own §
arati: waving of an oil lamp in front of the Deity during worship §
ashram: a Hindu spiritual community §
ashtanga yoga: “eight-limbed yoga,” a Hindu spiritual practice which includes hatha yoga §
atman: God within man §
austerity: difficult practice of self-denial and discipline §
ayurveda: ancient Indian medical system §
B
bhajana: call-and-response devotional singing §
Bhakti Movement: popular devotional movement within Hindusm, started around the fifth century ce §
Bharatanatyam: ancient temple dance of India §
British Raj: the government of India from 1858 to 1947 §
C
Carnatic: classical music system of India §
Central Government: the national government of India §
chakra: a center of energy and consciousness in the spiritual body §
colonize: to take control of another country and settle it with immigrants from one’s own §
colonized mind: the feeling of inferiority which persists in a colonized people long after independence §
consciousness: thought, awareness, perception §
conversion: to change one’s religion §
cremation: to dispose of a dead body by burning it §
D
Dalits: lowest caste of Hindus, also “Untouchables” §
Deity: the Supreme God or a God §
deva: a divine being §
Devi: a name of the Goddess §
dharma: a key Hindu concept which includes the ideas of righteousness, divine law, ethics, religion, duty, justice and truth §
diksha: an initiation or rite of passage §
Dravidian: a family of languages spoken in South India and Sri Lanka, or the people who speak them §
E
ecstasy: feeling or expressing overwhelming joy in God §
egalitarian: the principle that all people deserve equal rights and opportunities §
empire: a group of countries under a single ruler §
ethics: moral principles that govern behavior §
F
famine: extreme scarcity of food §
Freethought: a movement strong in the 1900s valuing science, logic and reason over authority or tradition §
G
Ganesha: Hindu God who is Lord of Obstacles, recognizable by His elephant head §
God: the Supreme God, transcendent and immanent; or one of the Gods §
Goddess: the Supreme God when regarded as feminine; or one of the female Deities §
Gods: when plural, one of the divine beings created by the Supreme Being §
guru: “one who removes darkness,” a teacher §
H
Hindi: fourth most spoken language in the world; related to ancient Sanskrit §
Hinduism: the majority religion of India, followed by 1.1 billion people worldwide; called Sanatana Dharma, “eternal religion,” in Sanskrit §
holistic: based on the idea that the parts of a whole are interconnected §
I
immanent: present everywhere and in all things §
imperial: of or relating to an empire §
initiation: a ceremony given by a priest, teacher or guru to bring a person into a new level of education, religious practice and spiritual awareness §
Inquisition: a movement within the Catholic Church to identify and punish heretics §
J
Jainism: a religion founded in India in the 6th century bce by Mahavira §
japa: repetition of a sacred sound, such as “Aum” §
jati: a community or tribe in India usually holding a particular occupation §
jizya: a tax on non-Muslim citizens of an Islamic state §
K
kafir: in Islam, a term for a non-believer 48)§
karma: the law of cause and effect §
kirtana: call-and-response devotional singing §
Krishna: one of Lord Vishnu’s ten avatars, or appearances upon Earth as a divine personality §
L
Lakshmi: Goddess of wealth §
M
mantra: a sacred word or phrase, usually in Sanskrit §
meditation: practice of quieting the mind to enter a higher state of awareness §
mela: a large gathering of people; a fair §
mendicant: a holy person who lives by begging §
metaphysics: the inner study of reality beyond the five senses §
missionary: a person of one religion sent to convert people of another religion §
monk: a male member of a religious community under vows §
mudra: a hand gesture with a specific meaning §
murti: Sanskrit term for the consecrated statue in a Hindu temple; best translated as “Deity” in English §
mystical: concerned with the soul or spirit, rather than material things §
N
nadaswaram: a high pitched, double-reed wooden
horn §
nadi: in yoga, an energy channel within the body §
namaste: “I bow to you;” traditional Hindu greeting usually said with the hands pressed together §
Nataraja: “King of Dance;” a form of Lord Siva §
nationalism: patriotic feelings, principles or efforts §
New Age: a Western spiritual movement drawing on Eastern thought §
P
paddy: unhusked rice §
panchayat: a village council §
Partition: the division of British India into modern India and Pakistan §
patriot: a person who vigorously supports their country and is prepared to defend it §
polytheist: one who believes in or worships more than one God §
puja: a ceremony to invoke God with the ringing of bells, passing of flames, chanting, and presention of flowers, incense and other offerings §
Puranas: Hindu scriptures with stories of God and the Gods as well as spiritual teachings, historical traditions, geography and culture §
R
raga: a pattern of notes used in musical composition §
reincarnation: rebirth of the soul in a new body §
reservations: In modern India, a program of affirmative action for disadvantaged groups §
rites of passage: social and religious ceremonies marking important stages in a person’s life §
S
salvation: in Western religions, the belief one is “saved” by God from the effect of sin and allowed into a divine afterlife; similar to Hindu idea of moksha, or release from rebirth §
samskara: a rite of passage, such as name-giving or first feeding §
Sanatana Dharma: “Eternal Truth,” the ancient name for what is now called the Hindu religion §
sannyasin: a Hindu monk §
Sanskrit: the ancient and sacred language of India §
satyagraha: “truth force,” Gandhi’s method of passive political resistance §
sepoy: an Indian soldier in the British army §
Shakta: a denomination of Hinduism worshiping the female aspect of God §
Shakti: name of God in feminine form §
shastra: Hindu legal texts written in Sanskrit §
Sikh: a religion of India founded by Guru Nanak in the 15th century §
sindur: a red powder traditionally worn by married women in the part of their hair §
Siva: the Supreme God §
Smarta: a major denomination of Hinduism §
sthree dhana: “woman’s wealth;” jewelry or other valuables brought to a marriage by the bride §
Surya Namaskara: “greetings to the Sun;” a series of hatha yoga poses §
swami: a Hindu monk §
T
tala: a rhythmic pattern in Indian music systems §
theology: the systematic study of the nature of God and religious belief §
tolerance: willingness to allow beliefs, opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with §
transcendent: existing beyond the physical universe, said of God §
Transcendentalist: an idealistic philosophy teaching that Divinity pervades all of nature and humanity §
U
Upanishads: Hindu scriptures that are part of the Vedas; mostly about philosophy §
V
Vaishnava: a major denomination of Hinduism §
varna: a division of society into four broad classes—priests, warriors, merchants and workers §
Vastu: Hindu architecture and town planning §
Veda: sacred texts of Hinduism §
Vedanta: a Hindu philosophy based on the Upanishads §
Vishnu: the Supreme God in the Vaishnavite tradition §
W
worldly: of or concerned with material values or ordinary life rather than a spiritual existence §
Y
yajna: Hindu fire ceremony§