Religion Test 1

Question 1

Asceticism

Answer 1

Life detached from worldly comforts.

Question 2

Aryans

Answer 2

Indo-European pastoral invaders of many European and Middle Eastern agricultural cultures during 2nd millennium BCE.

Question 3

Rishi

Answer 3

Hindu Sage.

Question 4

Gayatrimantra

Answer 4

The daily Vedic prayer of upper-caste Hindus.

Question 5

Soma

Answer 5

Deity of and an intoxicating drink used by early Hindu worshippers.

Question 5

Deva

Answer 5

A deity.

Question 6

Indra

Answer 6

Old Vedic thunder god in the Hindu tradition.

Question 7

Ushas

Answer 7

Goddess of dawn.

Question 8

Brahmanas

Answer 8

The portion of Hindu Vedas concerning rituals.

Question 9

Upanishads

Answer 9

Philosophical part of the Vedas in Hinduism, intended only for serious seekers.

Question 10

Atman

Answer 10

Soul

Question 10

Brahman

Answer 10

Impersonal Ultimate Principle in Hinduism.

Question 11

Samsara

Answer 11

Wordly cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.

Question 12

Moksha

Answer 12

Liberation from worldly cycle of reincarnation.

Question 13

Brahmin

Answer 13

Member of priest caste in Hinduism, top caste.

Question 14

Bhakti

Answer 14

Intense devotion to a personal manifestation of Supreme Reality.

Question 15

Puranas

Answer 15

Hindu Scriptures composed to popularize the abstract truths of the Vedas through stories about historical and legendary figures.

Question 16

Ramayana

Answer 16

Hindu epic about Prince Rama, defender of good.

Question 17

Mahabharata

Answer 17

Long epic that includes the Bhagavad-Gita.

Question 18

Mantra

Answer 18

Sound/phrase chanted to evoke sound vibration of one aspect of creation/to praise a deity.

Question 19

Shakta

Answer 19

Worshipper of the divine in female form.

Question 20

Shaiva

Answer 20

Follower of Shiva.

Question 21

Vaishnava

Answer 21

Worshipper of Vishnu or one of his manifestations, like Krishna.

Question 22

Shakti

Answer 22

Female divine power.

Question 23

Devi

Answer 23

Goddess in all her forms.

Question 24

Durga

Answer 24

The Great Goddess as destroyer of evil, and sometimes as shakti of Shiva.

Question 25

Kali

Answer 25

Destroying and transforming Mother of the World.

Question 26

Lakshimi

Answer 26

Consort of Vishnu

Question 27

Saraswati

Answer 27

Goddess of knowledge.

Question 28

Tantra

Answer 28

Sacred esoteric text with spiritual practices honoring the divine in female form.

Question 29

Kundalini

Answer 29

The life force that can be awakened from the base of the spine and raised to illuminate the spiritual center at the top of the head in Hindu yogic thought.

Question 30

Maya

Answer 30

Illusion of reality and the physical world.

Question 31

Agni

Answer 31

God of fire.

Question 31

Shiva

Answer 31

Supreme as lord of yogis, absolute consciousness, creator, preserver, and destroyer of the world; or the destroying aspect of the Supreme.

Question 32

Parvati

Answer 32

Shiva's partner, daughter of the Himalayas.

Question 33

Vishnu

Answer 33

Kind and forgiving preservation aspect of the Supreme, reincarnating periodically to save the world.

Question 34

Advaita Vedanta

Answer 34

Nondualistic Hindu philosophy, in which the goal is the realization that the self is Brahman.

Question 34

Samkhya

Answer 34

One of the major Hindu philosophical systems, according to which the interaction of activity, inertia, and equilibrium governs the development of the world.

Question 35

Raja yoga

Answer 35

Mental concentration yoga.

Question 36

Jnana yoga

Answer 36

Intellectual effort as yogic technique.

Question 37

Karma yoga

Answer 37

Path of unselfish service.

Question 38

Bhakti yoga

Answer 38

Path of undying devotion.

Question 39

Sadhana

Answer 39

A spiritual practice, particularly in yoga.

Question 40

Sutra

Answer 40

A thread on which are strung jewels - the discourse of the teacher; in yoga, a sutra is a terse saying.

Question 41

Samadhi

Answer 41

In yoga, the blissful state of superconscious union with the Absolute.

Question 42

Asana

Answer 42

A yoga posture.

Question 43

Prana

Answer 43

Invisible life force.

Question 44

Chakra

Answer 44

Subtle energy center in the body, recognized in raja yoga.

Question 45

OM

Answer 45

The primordial sound.

Question 46

Ashram

Answer 46

Ascetic spiritual community of those who've gathered around a guru.

Question 46

Kshatriya

Answer 46

Warrior caste.

Question 46

Dalit

Answer 46

Lowest caste.

Question 47

Vaishya

Answer 47

Merchant/farmer caste member.

Question 47

Sannyasin

Answer 47

Renunciate spiritual seeker.

Question 47

Shudra

Answer 47

Member of the manual labor caste.

Question 48

Puja

Answer 48

Ritual worship.

Question 48

Guru

Answer 48

Enlightened spiritual teacher.

Question 48

Darshan

Answer 48

Visual contact with the divine through encounters with Hindu images or gurus.

Question 48

Hagiography

Answer 48

Idealized biography of the life of a saint.

Question 48

Sadhu

Answer 48

Ascetic holy man.

Question 48

Prasad

Answer 48

Blessed food.

Question 48

Secularism

Answer 48

Personal disregard of religion; government policy of not favoring any one religion.

Question 48

Havan

Answer 48

Sacred fireplace around which ritual fire ceremonies are conducted.