Glossary of Hindu Terms
This glossary of Hindu terms covers the most important terms, scriptures and deities of Hinduism . With a few exceptions, the language is Sanskrit . These terms are also used in modern Indian languages.
A.
- Advaita - monistic philosophy, doctrine of the unity of the divine
- Agni - fire god, Vedic deity
- Agama - texts of Shaivism
- Ahimsa - non-violence
- Amrita - drink of immortality, immortality
- Apasmara - dwarf demon
- Apsara - heavenly nymphs in Indian mythology
- Aranyakas - "forest texts", early text collection, part of the Veda
- Arjuna (mythology) - hero of the Mahabharata , epic
- Arthashastra - Textbook for Political Power
- Aruna - dawn, a figure from mythology
- Arya Samaj - Hindu organization, founded in 1875
- Asana - yoga exercise
- Ashram - monastery-like meditation center
- Asura - demons in Indian mythology
- Atharvaveda - one of the four Vedas , the holy scriptures of Hinduism
- Atma Vichara - self-founding
- Atman - individual self, absolute core of being in the Upanishads and the Vedanta philosophy
- Aurobindo - Indian philosopher; † 1950
- Avadhuta Gita - Hindu script
- Avatar - God in the form of a human or an animal
- Ayurveda - Indian healing art
B.
- Benares - Indian name Varanasi, an important place of pilgrimage on the Ganges
- Bilva - also 'Bel', sacred tree of Shiva
- Bhagavan - exalted Lord God
- Bhagavad Gita - "Song of God", spiritual poem, important for all directions of Hinduism
- Bhagavatapurana - "The old book of God", scripture of Vishnuism
- Bhajan - religious folk song
- Bhakti - devotion to a personal god
- Bhakti Yoga - way to salvation through devotion to a personal God
- Bhaktimarga - way to salvation through devotion to a personal God
- Bhaktivinoda Thakura - scholar of Vishnuism ; † 1914
- Bharata-Mata - goddess as "Mother India"
- Brahma - god of creation
- Brahman - cosmic world soul in the Upanishads and in the Vedanta philosophy
- Brahmanas - ritual texts, early text collection, part of the Veda
- Brahmins - highest Varna ( caste ), traditionally represent the priests
- Brahmanism - in Indology forerunner of Hinduism, middle of the 1st millennium BC Chr.
- Brahmo Samaj - Hindu organization, founded in 1828
C.
- Chaitanya - mystic who founded a movement centered on Krishna
- Chakra - human energy centers, throwing disc as the emblem of Vishnu
- Charanamrita - "sacred water" in temples
- Chinmayananda - Hindu teacher; † 1993
D.
- Dalit - member of an untouchable caste
- Darshana - 1. View and vision of the sacred and divine, 2. Orthodox philosophical system
- Dayananda - founder of the Arya Samaj ; † 1983
- Deva
- Devaki - in mythology mother of Krishna
- Devi - goddess
- Devi Mahatmya - important text of Shaktism , part of Markandeya Purana
- Devi Bhagavata - important Puranic script of Shaktism
- Dharma - cosmic and worldly order, law, religion
- Dhyana - higher states of consciousness of meditation, immersion
- Divali or Dipavali - Festival of Lights
- Durga - goddess
- Dvaita Vedanta - dualistic philosophy
- Dvaraka or Dwarka - in the Mahabharata capital of Krishna's kingdom as a prince
G
- Gandharva - Soma- preparing light deity; musizierende Apsara -Gefährten
- Ganesha - elephant-headed god
- Ganesh Chaturthi - festival in honor of Ganesha
- Ganga - Ganges river, goddess in the form of the river
- Gaudiya Vaishnava - Vishnuit direction
- Gayatri - mantra, personified by the goddess of the same name
- Guna - property, quality; Concept of Samkhya philosophy
- Guru - teacher
H
- Hanuman - God in manifestation of a monkey
- Havan - sacrificial fire
- Hara (deity) - God, name of Shiva
- Hari - god, name of Vishnu
- Harihara - God, union of the aspects of Shiva and Vishnu
- Hatha Yoga - direction of yoga focused on physical exercises
- Hindutva - "Being Hindu", Hindu nationalistic term
- Holi - spring festival of colors
- Homa - sacrificial fire
I.
- Indra - God
- Ishvara - the Lord God
- BKS Iyengar - yoga teacher
J
- Japa - repeated recitation of mantras
- Jagannath - a form of Krishna
- Janmashtami - important Krishna festival, usually in August
- Jiddu Krishnamurti - philosopher († 1986)
- Jnanamarga - way to salvation through spiritual knowledge
- Jnana Yoga - way to salvation through spiritual knowledge
- Jyotirlinga - Shivaitic temples
K
- Kabir - mystic who tried to create a link between Hinduism and Islam; † 1518
- Kali (goddess)
- Kalki - tenth incarnation of Vishnu
- Kapalabhati - breathing exercise in yoga
- Kama - desire, lust, god of love
- Karma - law of action, consequence of the actions of an individual
- Karmamarga - way to salvation through deeds
- Karma Yoga - Path to Salvation through Action
- Kartikeya - also Skanda, son of Shiva
- Klesha - cause of suffering in yoga philosophy
- Krishna - God, incarnation of Vishnu
- Kriya - purification exercise in yoga
- Kshatriya - second caste, traditionally princes and warriors
- Kundalini - "snake power", spiritual power in people in Tantrism
- Kumbh Mela - Hindu river festival
- Kurma - tortoise, second incarnation of Vishnu
- Kurmano - elephant
L.
- Lakshmi - goddess of happiness and beauty
- Linga - symbol for Shiva , often interpreted as a phallus
- Lingayats - Shivaite reform movement, founded in the 12th century.
M.
- Mahabharata - Epic
- Makar Sankranti - Feast of the solstice in January
- Mala (prayer chain) - any chain with sacred meaning
- Mantra - word sequence, recited as prayer and contemplation
- Manu - important legislator, ancestor of the people
- Manusmriti - "Code of Manu", normative treatises on appropriate behavior at the turn of the times
- Mathura - city in India, with the childhood of Krishna is connected
- Maya - illusion of the world
- Moksha - redemption
- Mudra - symbolic and powerful hand gesture
- Muni - another word for sadhu, ascetic, monk, hermit
- Murti - idol, god statue
N
- Nadi Shodhana - alternating breathing, yoga exercise
- Nauli - yoga cleansing exercise for the abdomen
- Navagraha - the nine planets of Hindu astrology
- Nisargadatta Maharaj - Guru; † 1981
- Niyama - rule of conduct, restriction; second stage of Raja Yoga
- Nataraja - Shiva as "King of the Dancers" in the circle of flames
- Navaratri - "Festival of the nine nights" in honor of the goddess in autumn
- Naga - snake deity
- Nandi - bull, Shiva's mount
O
- Om - Sanskrit syllable, expression for the highest conception of God, the most famous mantra
P
- Para Brahman - the supreme Brahman
- Paramahamsa - religious title
- Parvati - goddess
- Patanjali - author of the Yoga Sutra
- Pongal - Hindu harvest festival
- Prakriti - primordial matter in Samkhya philosophy
- Prasad - also 'prasadam', sacrificial food, 'holy food'
- Prana - breath, breath of life
- Pranayama - breathing exercises in yoga
- Puja - Hindu worship
- Puranas - texts that deal with the various manifestations of the divine
- Purusha - mind in Samkhya philosophy; Word for person
R.
- Raga or Rag - "sound personality", melodic and rhythmic basic structure in Indian music
- Raja Yoga - “King Yoga”, eight-part yoga path of Patanjali
- Rajas - "activity", "passion", one of the three gunas
- Raksha Bandhan - Hindu family festival
- Ram Mohan Roy - founder of Brahmo Samaj
- Rama - hero of the Ramayana
- Ramana Maharshi - Guru; † 1950
- Ramayana - Epic
- Ramakrishna - great mystic and guru of Vivekananda
- Ramakrishna Mission - by Vivekananda founded Mission
- Rigveda - one of the four Vedas
- Rudra - Vedic god, aspect of Shiva
S.
- Sadhu - monk
- Samadhi - higher state of consciousness
- Samaveda - one of the four Vedas
- Samkhya - direction of Indian philosophy
- Samsara - cycle of rebirth
- Samhita - hymns, oldest part of the Veda
- Samskara - Hindu sacraments
- Sannyasin - also Samnyasin, especially ascetic monks, sadhus
- Sanskrit - language in which the classical Hindu scriptures are written
- Sarasvati - goddess of wisdom
- Sati - woman who burns herself at the stake of her deceased husband
- Sattva - "purity", one of the three Gunas
- Satsang - meeting with a spiritual teacher
- Sathya Sai Baba - Guru; † 2011
- Shankara - philosopher, founder of Advaita Vedanta , 9th century
- Shakti - goddess, feminine energy of the universe
- Shaktism - a mainstream Hindu movement, worship of the Shakti
- Shiva - god, in the Trimurti he represents destruction
- Shaivism - Hindu direction, worship of Shiva
- Shivaratri - 'Night of Shiva', the most important holiday in honor of Shiva
- Shruti - "what has been heard", texts of the highest authority that are believed to have been heard by wise men
- Shudra - lowest of the four boxes
- Sita - wife of Rama in the epic Ramayana
- Sivananda - scholar and yoga master; † 1963
- Smriti - "that which is remembered", texts of great authority that are believed to have been handed down by teachers
- Surya Namaskar - "Sun Salutation", yoga exercise
- Sutra Guide
- Svami - religious master and teacher
- Swastika - Hindu symbol of good luck, swastika
T
- Tamas - "darkness", one of the three gunas in the Samkhya philosophy
- Tantrism - Hindu philosophy
- Tirumala Tirupati - Vishnu pilgrimage site
- Trataka - "candle stare ", yoga exercise
- Tulsi - sacred medicinal plant of Ayurveda
- Tulsidas - author of the Hindi Ramayana "Ramcaritamanas"; † 1623
- Trimurti - Hindu trinity of the divine
U
- Upanishads - philosophical teachings, basis of Indian philosophy
V
- Vaisheshika - direction of Indian philosophy
- Vaishya - third caste , traditionally merchants and farmers
- Valmiki - mythical writer of what is probably the earliest version of Ramayana
- Vamana - the dwarf, fifth incarnation of Vishnu
- Varaha - boar, third incarnation of Vishnu
- Varna - term for class, class, caste
- Vasant Panchami - Spring Festival, the most important festival of the goddess Sarasvati
- Veda - "knowledge", sacred text corpus of Hinduism
- Vedangas - auxiliary sciences for the study of the Veda
- Vedanta - most important direction of Indian philosophy
- Vishnu - God, in the Trimurti he stands for preservation
- Vishnuism - Hindu direction, worship of Vishnu
- Vivekananda - Hindu monk who made Hinduism known internationally; † 1902
- Vrindavan place in India, with the childhood - Krishna is connected
- Vyasa - mythical writer of the Mahabharata and the Puranas
Y
- Yantra - ritual diagram
- Yama - abstention, self-control; first stage of Raja Yoga
- Yama - personification of death and Lord of Dharma , righteousness
- Yajurveda - one of the four Vedas
- Yoga - 1. union with the spirit, 2. one of the six orthodox philosophical systems
- Yogananda - yoga teacher; † 1952
- Yuga - world age
- Yukteswar - spiritual teacher; † 1936