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Flashcards in Hinduism Deck (26)
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1
Q

Hinduism is indigenous to what part(s) of the world?

A

The Indian subcontinent

2
Q

How many Hindus are there in the world today?

A

Around 1 billion

3
Q

What are Hinduism’s three most important texts?

A
  1. The Vedas
  2. The Mahabharata
  3. The Ramayana
4
Q

Is Hinduism polytheistic? Why or why not?

A

No

Hinduism asserts a single Supreme Being called Brahman, but incorporates the worship of several different gods that represent Brahman’s different aspects.

5
Q

Around when did Hinduism begin to exist?

A

Its roots stretch back as far as 2000 B.C.E.

  • It was codified in the Vedic texts beginning around 1500 B.C.E.
  • Hinduism is unique among major world religions in that it has no single founder
6
Q

What are the Vedas?

A

The most important Hindu text(s)

  • Essentially complete by 1200 B.C.
  • Four collections of verses: Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, Atharva Veda
7
Q

According to Hinduism, what are the four purposes or aims in life?

A
  1. Dharma – duty (generally meaning one’s vocation)
  2. Artha – wealth (the pursuit of worldly success)
  3. Kama – physical pleasure
  4. Moksha – the most important: enlightenment, liberation, union with God
8
Q

What is yoga?

A

Union of the self with the Hindu Supreme Being

Generally, refers to one of the many paths toward enlightenment

9
Q

What three aspects of the Supreme Being make up the Trimurti, the central trinity of Hinduism?

A
  1. Brahma (the Creator)
  2. Vishnu (the Preserver)
  3. Shiva (the Destroyer)
10
Q

What are some important attributes of the Hindu god Brahma?

A

The Creator

  • Has never been worshipped extensively, despite being one of the three main gods of Hinduism
  • In depictions, wears red clothes and does not carry weapons
11
Q

What are some important attributes of the Hindu god Vishnu?

A

Protector and preserver of creation

  • Embodiment of mercy, kindness, and peace
  • Almost always has four arms and is often depicted lying on a serpent
  • Consort is Lakshmi
12
Q

What are some important attributes of the Hindu god Shiva?

A

Transformer and destroyer

  • Destroys the world at the end of each cycle (before Brahma creates it again)
  • Associated with dance and meditation
  • Consort is Parvati
13
Q

In Hinduism, what is Devi or Shakti?

A

The Mother Goddess or female aspect of the divine

Her many forms include Lakshmi, Kali, Parvati, and Durga

14
Q

What are some important attributes of the Hindu goddess Kali?

A
  • Ferocious and destructive form of the Mother Goddess
  • Usually depicted with blue skin, wearing a necklace of skulls and a belt of severed limbs
15
Q

What are some important attributes of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi?

A
  • Consort of Vishnu
  • Associated with wealth, happiness, pleasure, and good fortune
16
Q

What are some important attributes of the central Hindu figure Krishna?

A
  • Eighth incarnation of Vishnu
  • Central character in much Hindu mythology, including the Bhagavad Gita
  • Embodiment of love and divine joy
  • Often depicted as a young man playing a flute
17
Q

What are the four main levels of the Hindu caste system?

A
  1. Brahmins
  2. Kshatriyas
  3. Vaishyas
  4. Shudras

Note: there are many of subcastes.

18
Q

In the Hindu caste system, what is the role of brahmins?

A
  • The highest caste
  • Priests and preservers of knowledge and tradition
19
Q

In the Hindu caste system, what is the role of kshatriyas?

A
  • The second-highest caste after Brahmins
  • Warrior class
  • Responsible for protecting others, especially brahmins, and dispensing justice
  • Allowed to study the Vedas
20
Q

In the Hindu caste system, what is the role of vaishyas?

A
  • The third-highest caste after brahmins and kshatriyas
  • Peasants and merchants
  • Have the right to lend money, own land, and study the Vedas
21
Q

In the Hindu caste system, what is the role of shudras?

A
  • The labor caste
  • Their role is to serve the higher castes, and they are not allowed to study sacred texts
22
Q

What is the Ramayana?

A

An epic Hindu poem written around the 2nd century B.C.E.

Tells the story of Rama, the 7th incarnation of Vishnu

23
Q

What is the Bhagavad Gita?

A

The single most popular Hindu text

  • A section from the Mahabharata
  • A “manual for mankind,” outlining major philosophical concepts of Hinduism, as well as several types of yoga
  • Central figure and teacher of the Bhagavad Gita is Krishna
24
Q

What is atman?

A

The “true self” within each person, which is identical to the Hindu Supreme Being, Brahman

25
Q

What is Diwali?

A

The Hindu “festival of lights,” a five-day festival celebrated between mid-October and mid-November

26
Q

What is Holi?

A

A Hindu holiday celebrating the arrival of spring in early to mid-March

Involves general merrymaking, most famously spraying people with multicolored paints