Hindu Terms and Concepts
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Hindu Terms and Concepts Compilled by Tibor Körtvélyesi, Program in Hindu Philosophy, Lorand Eötvös University of Budapest Arjavam Sanskrit: ārjava, straightness, honesty; from the adjective ‘ṛ ju ’ straight, upright. In Bhagavad Gita 13.7–17. Krishna explains ‘the what to be known’ ( jñeya ) which is the Absolute, the Brahman. Th e means of reach- ing Brahman is ‘knowledge’ ( jñāna ), explained by a list of 20 terms (daivī sampat), one of them is ārjava (cf. ‘amanitvam’ and ‘sthairyam’). Advaita Vedanta Sanskrit: advaita vedānta . Th e most important sub-school of Vedanta (q.v.). Based on mainly Adi Shankara’s (8th century CE) commentar- ies on principal Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita. According to it Brahman/Atman is the only reality, and the world, as it © Th e Editor(s) (if applicable) and Th e Author(s) 2016 327 M. Chatterji, L. Zsolnai (eds.), Ethical Leadership, DOI 10.1057/978-1-137-60194-0 328 Hindu Terms and Concepts appears, is illusory. Th is interpretation is somehow connected with the buddhist Yogacara (yogācāra ) philosophy. ‘Advaita’ means the non-duality of Atman and Brahman, and liberation takes places when one acquires and realises this knowledge. ahimsa Sanskrit: ahi ṁsā , not injury, harmlessness, non-violence. One of the most important ethical tenet of Jainism, Hinduism and Buddhism. It is a broad concept that encompasses the prohibition of killing humans, animals or any kind of life forms. Vegetarianism, not hurting others mentally or verbally, peacefulness in the political sense, etc. these can also considered as forms of ahimsa. Amanitvam Sanskrit: amānitva, modesty, humility; from noun ‘māna’ self-conceit, pride. See ‘arjavam’. Arthashastra Sanskrit: arthaśāstra . It is an Indian tradition of political statecraft, but as a text it is a treatise on rulership, economic policy and military strategy written by Kautilya and Viṣṇugupta, who are identifi ed with Cāṇakya (c. 350–283 BCE), the minister of the Mauryan Empire. Th e book based on earlier material but probably written at a later time (second through fourth centuries CE). ashram Sanskrit: āśrama a hermitage, probably from the noun ‘śrama ’ exer- tion, religious austerity. It is a hermitage or later a monastery of brah- min ascetics, mainly located far from human habitation, in forests or Hindu Terms and Concepts 329 mountainous regions. Many kind of religious activities are organized in or around ashrams also in modern times such as sacrifi ces, pilgrim- ages, yoga, schools of gurus, meditation practices, etc. Other use of this word is the four āśrama , i.e. the four life stages of a brahmin, viz. brahmacarya (student), g ṛhastha (householder), vānaprastha (retired) and sa ṁnyāsa (renunciation). (See ‘Purushartas’.) Atman Sanskrit: ātman , self (used as refl exive pronoun as well); the soul. Th is is a central idea of Indian thought. In Hinduism it is the core of spiritual and individual essence in all creatures; eternal and not-changing. Upanishads consider it being the same as Brahman, the Absolute. In Advaita Vedanta there is only one reality, i.e. the Universal Self, the Atman. Buddhism denies the exsisting of ātman . Arjuna Sanskrit: arjuna . Th e third of the Pāṇḍava princess in the Mahabharata epic. One of the fi ve sons of Kunti. His father is Indra, the king of the gods. He shares Draupadi as wife with his four brother. As a main charac- ter of the epic he fought with the Pashupata weapon received from Shiva. His charioteer was Krishna in the battle in Kurukshetra. Bhagavad Gita is narrated as a conversation between Arjuna and Krishna. Ayurveda Sanskrit: āyurveda , lit. ‘life-knowledge’; the science of health or medicine. It is traditionally considered as the ancient Hindu medical system and a sup- plement of the Atharva Veda. Th e most important ayurvedic texts are the Caraka-sa ṁhitā and the Suśruta-sa ṁhitā . Ayurvedic treatments triy to restore the balance of the bodily humors or to eliminate toxic elements of the body by using herbals, oils and physical therapies. Surgery was also used. Today Ayurveda has been spread in the Western world as an alternative medicine. 330 Hindu Terms and Concepts Bhagavad Gita Sanskrit: Bhagavad-gītā , ‘Th e Song of the Holy One’. A widely celebrated Hindu mystical poem interpolated in the Mahabharata epic. It has 18 chapters in approximately 700 verses. Th e framework story is the legend- ary battle in Kurukshetra. Arjuna stops his charioteer, Krishna and reveals him not wanting to fi ght, then Krishna scolds him and insists to fi ght explaining many kind of religious-philosophical tenets, i.e. bhakti , yoga , karma , ideas of Vedānta and Sā ṁkhya , etc. Brahmanas Sanskrit: brāhma ṇa, a brahmin, belonging to the fi rst of the three twice-born classes, according to the ancient Indian var ṇa -system. In Vedic times he is one of the main priests at the sacrifi ce. Brahmanas claim to divine origin and superiority to the other classes. Th ey can be considered as the intellectuals of the ancient (and partly the modern) Indian society, sometimes with great political infl uence. Th ey usually serve as priests, but can also take up secular occupations, e.g. teacher, trader, even peasant. Daivi Sampat Sanskrit: daivī sampad , divine perfection or fate. In the Bhagavad Gita 16.1–3. Krishna explains the qualities one born to divine nature ( daivī sampad ), which is a list of 26 terms, one of them is ārjava (cf. ‘arjavam’), others are charity, self-restraint, etc. Th e following verse enumerates the demonic qualities (āsurī sampad ) such as pride, arrogance, etc. gunas Sanskrit: gu ṇa , bow-string; quality. As a philosophical term refers to the three gu ṇa s in Sāṁkhya, the fundamental aspects of materi- ality (prak ṛti ). Tamas (lit. ‘darkness’) is inertness and stability; rajas Hindu Terms and Concepts 331 (lit. ‘mist, atmosphere’) is energy and mobility; sattva (lit.’being, exis- tence’) is information, structure and cohesion. Kshatriyas Sanskrit: k ṣatriya , a warrior, a member of the military class, i.e. the sec- ond of the three twice-born classes, according to the ancient Indian var ṇa -system. Th e word is from the noun ‘k ṣatra ’: royal house. Originally kshatriyas can be regarded as nobles, and their families capable of bearing arms and weapons. Brahmanas and kshatriyas were closely related, but they struggled for the superiority in the society, ending with the over- throw of the latter according to some legends. Krishna Sanskrit: K ṛṣṇa , (lit. black, dark). One of the ten avatāra s of the god Vi ṣṇu ; son of Devakī . His birth and history is narrated in the Pura ṇa s, especially in the Bhagavata Purana. He plays an important role in the Mahabharata epic as the charioteer of Arjuna. Khrisna is one of the most popular of all Hindu deities, revered in diff erent fi gures: child, lover, hero and Supreme Being. Mahabharata Sanskrit: mahābhārata, the great epic of the legendary war of the Bharata s. Traditionally ascribed to Vyāsa as the author. Composed prob- ably between the 2nd century BC and the 2nd century CE. Th e core of this poem is a struggle between families (Pā ṇḍava s and Kaurava s) for the possession of the kingdom, ending with the victory of the Pā ṇḍava s, but rather with the total destruction of both sides. Th e vast miscellany con- tains myths, folk tales, legends of gods, divinities and heroes, moreover philosophical treatises on sā ṁkhya , yoga , and diff erent brahmanic ideas. Bhagavad Gita is considered the most famous part of this epic. 332 Hindu Terms and Concepts Manana Sanskrit: manana , thinking, refl ecting. In Vedanta śrava ṇa , manana and nididhyāsana are stages of spiritual quest for understanding the real mean- ing of the mahāvākya s (e.g. tat tvam asi ) and preliminaries for attaining liberation (mok ṣa ). Śrava ṇa is hearing of what the teacher said, manana is logical reasoning on what is heard from the teacher, nididhyāsana is the profound meditation on the meaning of the teaching. In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (II.4.5) Yajnavalkya explains the way of real- ising the Self (Atman) by these three. Moksha Sanskrit: mok ṣa (as mukti ), liberation, release from worldly existence or transmigration (sa ṁsāra ). As the central tenet of almost all Indian religious- philosophical tradition, this idea appears under diff erent names according to the diff erent traditions: kaivalya (in sā ṁkhya and yoga ), ni ḥśreyasa, apavarga (in Nyāya ), nirvā ṇa (in Buddhism). Nidhidhyasana Sanskrit: nididhyāsana , profound and repeated meditation. See ‘manana’. Prasnopanishad Sanskrit: Praśnopani ṣad ; praśna means ‘question’. Th is classical upani ṣad , traditionally ascribed to the Atharvaveda , contains six questions and the answers explained in six chapters. Th e questions are on the origin of crea- tures; superiority of lifebreath (prā ṇa ); motions of lifebreath in the body; dream or dreamless sleep; meditation on the syllable OṀ; and the sixteen parts of the puru ṣa . Hindu Terms and Concepts 333 Purusharthas Sanskrit: puru ṣārtha , lit. in plural ‘man’s goals. Th is important tenet in Hinduism means the four aims of the human life, especially that of a brahmin male. Dharma includes religious duties, right and virtuous con- duct in social and personal perspective. Artha is the proper pursuit for wealth. Kāma means desire and love, the proper pursuit for pleasures. Th e fourth is mok ṣa , the spiritual quest for liberation (from the sa ṁsāra ). Th e Purusharthas relate closely to the four āśrama s (see ‘ashram’). Raja Dharma Sanskrit: rāja-dharma , king’s duty. Great obligations of a king toward his subjects, to their peace and prosperity, and toward the political administration including religious duties. In Buddhism there are ten (ethical) rājadharma s, e.g.