Term
| Samskara - what is it and examples |
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Definition
Rituals that mark one's progress through life. Rites of perfection.
Examples:
- Upanayana - wearing of the sacred thread
- Garbhadhana - moment of conception
- Jatakarman - birth
- Namakarana - naming of child |
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Definition
| Wearing of the thread ceremony. One of the most important Samskara. Marks moment of "rebirth" from boyhood to manhood. |
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Definition
| The four stages of life for a man: student, householder, forest dweller, renouncer (samnyasin) |
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Definition
| Social categories (castes). There are four: Brahmins (priests), Kshatriya (warriors/kings/advisors), Vaishya (merchants/craftsmen/workers), shudra (servants). |
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| 4 Goals of Life (Purusarthas) |
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Definition
| The 4 goals of life are the blueprint for human fulfillment depending on one's stage (Ashrama). 4 of them: Kama (love for wife, family), Artha (wealth), Dharma (morality), Moksha (giving up of desire). |
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Definition
| Sutras (manuals) for performing domestic (grihya) religious rituals. Specifically, describes the samskaras. |
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| Manuals (sutras) containing clear explanations of dharma. |
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Definition
| Distinguished Brahmin family that memorized parts of the Shautra Sutras (manuals for vedic rituals): the Apastamba Shulbasutra. |
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Definition
| Important Brahminic family. Memorized important Dharma sutra texts. Siddhartha Gautama = Buddha after meditating under a Bodhi tree. |
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Definition
| Law books that elaborated on the Dharma sutras, developed the science of Dharma. Also called Smritis. Most famous = Manu Smriti = Laws of Manu. |
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Definition
| Most important/famous Dharma shastra/Smriti. Orders sources of the law to resolve moral dilemmas. All law comes from the Vedas. |
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Definition
| one's own dharma, personal rules, based on one's varna and ashrama |
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Definition
| general/universal moral rules. there are only a few of these, like don't sleep w/ your guru's wife or dishonor parents or harm a cow. |
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Definition
| very expansive epic about the conflict between the Pandavas and Kauravas. Part of it is the Bhagavad Gita. |
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Definition
| The "good" family in the Mahabharata. Patriarch = Pandu. Cheated out of the throne by the Kauravas. Sentenced to exile for 14 years, return and the Kauravas don't uphold their end of the bargain. Said to be born of the gods. Chief warrior and 3rd son is Arjuna of the BG. |
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Definition
| The "bad" family of the Mahabharata. Patriarch = Dhritarashtra. Said to be born of the asuras. Cheated Pandavas out of the throne. |
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Definition
| Oldest Pandava. Rightful heir to the throne. Loses it in a game of dice. Sentenced to exile for 14 years with his brothers. |
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Definition
| 3rd Pandava brother. The warrior. Has moral dilemma on the battlefield. His charioteer is Krishna Vasudeva. |
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| The shared wife of the 5 Pandava brothers in the Mahabharata. |
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Definition
| Arjuna's charioteer in the BG. Must convince Arjuna to fight when he faces a moral dilemma in battle. His response is the 3 yogas - jnana, karma, and bhakti. |
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Definition
| The patriarch of the Kauravas in the Mahabharata. Was blind. |
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Definition
| Most significant piece of Hindu culture. Follows the story of Rama and Sita. Has 3 main "layers" - conflict over the throne, dharma, and theologial. |
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Definition
| Son of King Dasaratha and incarnation of Vishnu. Husband to Sita. Defeats Ravana. |
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Definition
| Wife of Rama. Is not very smart but is extraordinarily beautiful. |
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Definition
| Brother of Rama and accompanies him in his travels. Mutilates Soorpanaka. |
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Definition
| Demon king, protected by Shiva. Kidnaps Sita b/c he's in love with her. Brother of Soorpanaka. Defeated by Rama. |
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Definition
| Sister to Ravana. Attempts to seduce Rama as a beautiful woman. |
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Definition
| King. Has moral dilemma b/w promise to wife and obligation to Rama. This = center of the narrative. |
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Term
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Definition
| Manuals (sutras) containing clear explanations of dharma. |
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Term
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Definition
| Distinguished Brahmin family that memorized parts of the Shautra Sutras (manuals for vedic rituals): the Apastamba Shulbasutra. |
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Term
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Definition
| Important Brahminic family. Memorized important Dharma sutra texts. Siddhartha Gautama = Buddha after meditating under a Bodhi tree. |
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Term
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Definition
| Law books that elaborated on the Dharma sutras, developed the science of Dharma. Also called Smritis. Most famous = Manu Smriti = Laws of Manu. |
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Term
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Definition
| Most important/famous Dharma shastra/Smriti. Orders sources of the law to resolve moral dilemmas. All law comes from the Vedas. |
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Term
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Definition
| one's own dharma, personal rules, based on one's varna and ashrama |
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Term
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Definition
| general/universal moral rules. there are only a few of these, like don't sleep w/ your guru's wife or dishonor parents or harm a cow. |
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Term
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Definition
| very expansive epic about the conflict between the Pandavas and Kauravas. Part of it is the Bhagavad Gita. |
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Term
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Definition
| The "good" family in the Mahabharata. Patriarch = Pandu. Cheated out of the throne by the Kauravas. Sentenced to exile for 14 years, return and the Kauravas don't uphold their end of the bargain. Said to be born of the gods. Chief warrior and 3rd son is Arjuna of the BG. |
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Term
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Definition
| The "bad" family of the Mahabharata. Patriarch = Dhritarashtra. Said to be born of the asuras. Cheated Pandavas out of the throne. |
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Term
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Definition
| Oldest Pandava. Rightful heir to the throne. Loses it in a game of dice. Sentenced to exile for 14 years with his brothers. |
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Definition
| 3rd Pandava brother. The warrior. Has moral dilemma on the battlefield. His charioteer is Krishna Vasudeva. |
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Definition
| The shared wife of the 5 Pandava brothers in the Mahabharata. |
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Definition
| Arjuna's charioteer in the BG. Must convince Arjuna to fight when he faces a moral dilemma in battle. His response is the 3 yogas - jnana, karma, and bhakti. |
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Definition
| The patriarch of the Kauravas in the Mahabharata. Was blind. |
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Definition
| Most significant piece of Hindu culture. Follows the story of Rama and Sita. Has 3 main "layers" - conflict over the throne, dharma, and theologial. |
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Term
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Definition
| Son of King Dasaratha and incarnation of Vishnu. Husband to Sita. Defeats Ravana. |
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Definition
| Wife of Rama. Is not very smart but is extraordinarily beautiful. |
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Definition
| Brother of Rama and accompanies him in his travels. Mutilates Soorpanaka. |
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Term
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Definition
| Demon king, protected by Shiva. Kidnaps Sita b/c he's in love with her. Brother of Soorpanaka. Defeated by Rama. |
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Definition
| Sister to Ravana. Attempts to seduce Rama as a beautiful woman. |
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Definition
| King. Has moral dilemma b/w promise to wife and obligation to Rama. This = center of the narrative. |
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Definition
| Favorite wife of Dasaratha. Causes Rama's exile by making the King fulfill 2 wishes he'd promised a long time ago. Is manipulated by her servant. |
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Definition
| Brother of Rama and son of Kaikeyi. Rules for 14 years before Rama returns. |
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Definition
| Original author/editor of the Ramayana. Probably a mythical figure. |
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Definition
| Area of significant Krishna influence. Is near where Krishna spent his childhood. Now important pilgrimage site for devotees of Krishna. |
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Definition
| City, center of Krishna bhakti cults. Kings were Kushana, of foreign descent, most important was Kanishka. Important for pilgrimage. |
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Definition
| Kings that ruled Mathura. Of foreign descent. Most important was Kanishka, a patron of buddhism. |
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Definition
| Most important king of Mathura, a Kushana. A patron of buddhism. |
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Definition
| Incarnation of Krishna raised near Vrindavana with the gopis (cow herders) to protect him from his uncle. At one point saved the village from Indra. Was a lover. Consort was Radha. |
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Definition
| Dharma (morality) of the king. It's about authority/legitimacy of the king in front of his hindu people. Important in Mathura. |
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Definition
| Indo-greeks that lived on the western periphery of Hindu civilization. Invasions caused Brahmins to move south and spread Vedic culture. |
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Definition
| The horse sacrifice. Chose white stallion with black spots, let it roam free for a year, kill it, wife "copulates," cut it up, eat it. |
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Definition
| Law books that elaborated on the Dharma sutras, developed the science of Dharma. Also called dharmashastras. Most famous = Manu Smriti = Laws of Manu. |
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Definition
| Written to cope with dominance of foreign powers but still explain importance of vedas. Shiva was the supreme God, synthesized all vedic thought. Shows hindu scholars avoided conflict. |
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Definition
| Genealogy of Hari (Krishna), sort of a prequel to the Mahabharata. Included life with gopis, etc. Was born in Mathura. Incarnation of Vishnu. |
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Definition
| Most important of the Puranas which detailed Krishnas life in the Yamuna with the gopis. Killed a treacherous wet nurse, uprooted 2 trees, defeated the serpent kailya. |
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Definition
| One of two most important empires in India (other = Mauryas). Was the first great hindu empire. Most important king was Samudragupta who had ashoka's pillar re-chiseled. Was key time for Indian art/drama. |
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Definition
| Original, vedic, name for Shiva in the Shvetashvatara Upanishad. |
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Term
| Yoga (what is it and name the 3 in the BG) |
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Definition
Yoga is discipline. 3 yogas of the BG:
- jnana yoga - knowledge that body isn't the true self
- karma yoga - disciple of action - don't act for fruits of action
- bhakti yoga - devotion to god |
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Term
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Definition
| Arjuna doesn't want to fight. Krishna vasudeva says he should - throwaway arg is b/c he must look strong, not be shameful. Main args = 3 yogas - jnana, karma, and bhakti. |
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Term
| Gunas (what are they and name the 3) |
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Definition
Gunas are the strands that make up all material reality, Prakriti. Make action inevitable. 3 of them:
- sattva - pure/good
- rajas - dynamic
- tamas - inert |
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Definition
| The "fourth" veda. Focused on magic and rituals (non-vedic). Was important "2nd rationality" text. Included chants, needed kaushika sutra to know rituals. Covered medicine, diets, women, love, warfare, demons, etc. |
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Term
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Definition
| families/schools of priests that memorized the vedas |
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Definition
| "manual" (sutra) text that accompanied the atharvaveda with explanation of how to perform rituals. Covered tons of topics. 2nd rationality. |
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Definition
| Manual of everyday hymns. Synthesized vedic and popular culture. Lacks explanation of specific ritual actions to take. |
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Definition
| Specialized ritual techniques to achieve spiritual liberation and worldly perfection. 2nd rationality. Emphasized role of body as perfectible vehicle to spiritual enlightenment. Mantras were important. |
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| Medicine. Combined spiritual and physical methods. Assumes connection b/w individual and he universe. Earliest technique = use of mercury for healing. |
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| Gupta-era text that championed cult of the Goddess, Durga, put her above Shiva and Vishnu. Subsumed many other theological principles to synthesize Durga. |
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| A demon king, asura, who was slain by Durga. This is now celebrated in Durga Puja. |
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| Foreigners that lived on the boundaries of hindu civilization. Exs: yavanas (indo-greeks) in the west and kiratas (tribes) in the east, shakas, hunas (huns). Came to power after the guptas. |
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Definition
| Monastic colleges established by the brahmin meant to rival the buddhists. |
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Definition
| Poet-saints that wrote devotional poems about Shiva. |
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Definition
| Poet-saints that wrote devotional poems about Vishnu. |
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Definition
| A great teacher, a Brahmin head guide/instructor. Ex: Shankara. |
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Term
| Mandana Mishra and Bharati |
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Definition
| Husband and wife (respectively). Debated Shankara. Shankara defeated Mishra first. Bharati challenged him to explain lovemaking, he did by inhabiting a kinds body. They both became his followers after losing debates. |
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Definition
| Important scholar in the Mimamsa school, a dualist and champion of dharma. Relied on Jaimini's Mimamsa Sutras. May have debated Shankara. |
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Definition
| Founder of Mimamsa school which is dualist and argues primacy of dharma. Said dharma was the way to heaven. Wrote the Mimamsa sutras in 2nd century BCE. Drew on Shrauta Sutras (late vedic authors). |
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Definition
| School of Hindu philosophy. 6 of them = Mimamsa, Vedanta, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga. |
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Definition
| School of philosophy, dualist and argued primacy of dharma as way to heaven. Founder = Jaimini (Mimamsa Sutras) and important scholar = Kumarila. Also drew from Brahmanas Vedas. Flaw = body and mind cannot communicate with separate languages. |
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Definition
| "Great sayings" of the Upanishads that the Advaita Vedanta school drew on. 4 of them, one in each of the 4 vedas. |
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Definition
| Founder of the Dvaita branch of Vedanta. Dualist. World is embodied, real and God is real. Similar to Christian/Muslim views. Gap b/w God and world is crossed by self-transcendence. |
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Definition
| Branch of Vedanta founded by Madhava. Dualist. World is embodied, real and God is real. Similar to Christian/Muslim views. Gap b/w God and world is crossed by self-transcendence. |
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Definition
| Vedanta scholar after Shankara, founded Vishishtadvaita branch, which is qualified nondualism. Reality is real and not real, as a product of Brahman. |
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Definition
| Branch of Vedanta founded by Ramanuja. Qualified nondualism. Reality is real and not real, as a product of Brahman. |
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Definition
| Founder of Advaita Vedanta, father of all Vedanta schools. Monist, primacy of Brahman. Said to be endowed by Shiva. Famous as a debater. Relied primarily on Brahma Sutra of Badarayana. Wrote commentaries, including on BG. |
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Definition
| Branch of Vedanta founded by Shankara. Monist, Brahman is all that is real. Drew from Baradayana's Brahma Sutra. Flaw = if Brahman is everything then why is it not manifest? Nothing can cause Brahman so how does it come to be that we know it? |
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Definition
| School of Hindu philosophy. Monist. Primacy of Brahman. Founded by Shankara. Draws from 1. Vedas 2. Brahma Sutra 3. Bhabavad Gita. |
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Definition
| Author of the Brahma Sutra which argued primacy of brahman as foundation of all reality. Draws from interpretation of the vedas. Brahman is beyond cause and effect. Inspired Vedanta school (darshana) under Shankara. |
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Term
| Dharma (4 sources according to Manu) |
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Definition
4 sources of dharma (reality) to resolve moral dilemmas according to the Laws of Manu (Manu Smriti):
1. Veda
2. Tradition and practice of those who interpret the veda
3. Conduct of good people
4. Personal conscience/pleasure |
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Term
| Vedic Sciences (name and explain all 7) |
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Definition
- Astrology - important to decide auspicious days and personal fortunes.
- Etymology - study of where words come from
- Phonetics - study of what words should sound like
- Metrics - the proper rhythm of a text
- Text Sciences - interpreting the meaning of texts
- Grammar - constructing texts. Panini is the father of modern linguistics. Created idea of nouns, objects, etc. Also created categories in language.
- Kalpa - math/geometry/laws/poli sci |
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Definition
| Important playwright from Gupta era. Most famous play is Shakuntala about a king and a forest nymph. |
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Definition
| Devotion to 1 or 2 gods, such as Krishna or Shiva or Vishnu. |
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| Hindu Temple (explain significance) |
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Definition
| Not just a place for worship but a cosmological symbol. God/goddess resides at center as king/queen. Tower is shaped like a mountain, Mt. Meru, which is the mountain at the center of the universe. |
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Definition
| depiction of ideal forms of emotion for symbolic meaning in Hindu plays/dances |
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Definition
| Religious song, about 45 mins. Has very simple base structure with a large amount of improvisation to make it complex. |
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| Difference between great and small tradition |
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Definition
| Great tradition says there is a gap between the material and the sacred which is mediated by mantras, internal meditation, dharma, etc. The small tradition says there isn't a gad b/c the sacred is, and is in, the physical world. This is magic. |
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Term
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Definition
| Rig Veda, Upanishads, Dharma texts, Ramayana, Mahabharata |
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Term
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Definition
| Atharva Veda + Kaushika Sutra, Rig Vidhana, Medical Texts, Tantras |
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Definition
| Acted as a "powerhouse" for the God - imbues more power - can be playful or terrifying. Devi Mahatmya says Durga is the supreme being of the universe. Especially important for female worship practices, umbrella for all female principles. |
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Term
| Pramana (what it is and the 6 ways) |
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Definition
Pramanas are the ways of knowing - epistemology. 6 ways of knowing:
- Perception
- Inference
- Comparison
- Postulation
- Non-cognition
- Verbal testimony (read the vedas) |
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