Glossary

Agni God of fire

Atharva-Veda Hymns containing spells, charms, and remedies

Avatar A manifestation or an incarnation of a Hindu deity

Bhagavad Gita A part of the Mahabharata

Bhakti The path of devotion that leads to salvation

Brahma The Creator God, the principle of creation in the universe

Brahman A member of the priestly caste

Brahman, or Brahm The supreme, all-pervasive entity of the universe. Some Hindus view Brahman as an impersonal Divine Principle or Ultimate Reality. Also referred to as Atman

Dharma An individual’s duty fulfilled by observance of custom or law

Epics The Ramayana and the Mahabharata, which contain theology, rituals, moral statements, ethics, and statecraft

Ghee Purified butter

Guru A spiritual guide or teacher

Guru Granth Sahib Sikh holy book

Jains Followers of an Indian religion that is akin to Hinduism

Jnana Knowledge

Karma The principle that every action has its good or bad consequences for the next life of the transmigrated soul

Krishna The eighth incarnation of Vishnu and the deity of the Bhagavad Gita

Kundalini Occult energy said to exist in every person

Mahabharata A Hindu epic containing the Bhagavad Gita

Mandala A diagram representing gods and their abodes

Mantra A sacred formula, believed to have magical power, used in initiation into a sect and repeated in prayers and incantations

Manu Ancestor of the human race; saved from the Flood’s destruction by a great fish

 Moksha Release from cycle of rebirth; union of the individual with the Supreme Entity, Brahman

Parvati Goddess consort of Siva

Puranas A class of scriptures containing Hindu mythology

Radha Consort of Krishna

Rama The seventh incarnation of the god Vishnu and the hero of the Ramayana

Ramayana Epic narrative relating the story of Rama

Ravana Archenemy of Rama in the Ramayana

Rig-Veda Hymns in praise of Vedic deities

Rishi Hindu seer

Sama-Veda Melodies for Vedic sacrifices

Sanatana Ancient, eternal. Hindus refer to their faith as “sanatana dharma,” meaning “eternal law or order”

Sikh A follower of Guru Nanak and his nine successors

Siva God of fertility, death, and destruction

Smriti Scripture from human tradition

Sruti Scripture from divine revelation

Swami Hindu religious teacher

Tantra Hindu writings containing mysticism and magic

Tilak A sectarial mark on the forehead

Upanishads Early sacred poetic writings. A class of scriptures containing Hindu philosophy

Vedas Earliest sacred poetic writings of Hinduism

Vishnu God as the preserver of life

Yajur-Veda Priestly manual for performing sacrifices

Yama God of death

Yantra A mystical pattern believed to possess occult powers of the deity who resides in it during worship

Yoga Meditation or physical exercises to achieve union of self with a divine being

Yoga Sutra A manual on Yoga attributed to Patanjali

Yogi One who practices a form of Yoga