The following list consists of notable concepts that are derived from Hindu culture and associated cultures’ (Indian, Nepali, Balinese) traditions, which are expressed as words in Sanskrit or other Indic languages and Dravidian languages. The main purpose of this list is to disambiguate multiple spellings, to make note of spellings no longer in use for these concepts, to define the concept in one or two lines, to make it easy for one to find and pin down specific concepts, and to provide a guide to unique concepts of Hinduism all in one place.
Separating concepts in Hinduism from concepts specific to Indian culture, or from the language itself, can be difficult. Many Sanskrit concepts have an Indian secular meaning as well as a Hindu dharmic meaning. One example is the concept of Dharma. Sanskrit, like all languages, contains words whose meanings differ across various contexts.
A Arti Hindu ritual for welcoming someone. Abhisheka Hindu bathing ritual offered to someone who is worshipped. Acharya Hindu religious expert in any field. Adharma Something against Dharma. Advaita non-dual, such as in Advaita Vedanta Philosophy. Agastya Hindu sage. Agni Fire god. Ahamkara Sanskrit term for "ego". Ahimsa A religious principle of non-violence and respect for all life. Ahimsa ( ) is Sanskrit for avoidance of himsa, or injury. It is interpreted most often as meaning peace and reverence toward all sentient beings. Ahimsa is the core of Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. Its first mention in Indian philosophy is found in the Hindu scriptures called the Upanishads, the oldest dating about 800 BC. Those who practice Ahimsa are often vegetarians or vegans. Akshaya Tritiya Annual spring festival for Hindus and Jains. Añjanā Mother of Hanuman. Antahkarana Totality of mind. Antyesti Last death ritual. Ashram Hindu monastery. Asura A semi-divine, power-seeking being. Ashvins Hindu twin gods for medicine, health and science. Ashvatthama The son of Drona. Aruna The charioteer of Surya the Sun God. Aryan Group of Vedic people. Astika Orthodox (of Indian religions/schools of thought). Atman Self or spirit. Aupasana Yajna performed during a Hindu wedding. Avarna A person not belonging to any class in Varna system. Avatar Material appearance or incarnation of a deity on earth. Ayurveda A medical system of Indian subcontinent.
B Bajrang Bali Other name of Hanuman. Bhagavad Gita A knowledge of the attaining the supreme told to Arjuna by Krishna on the Kurukshetra battlefield. Bhagavan Bhagavan is a term used to refer to a God. Bhagavata Worship of Bhagavat Vishnu. Bhagavati A word for female Hindu deities. Bhajan A Hindu devotional song as a spiritual practice. Bhakti A Hindu word for faith, devotion or love to god. Bharat India, and also used as a male name. Bharata Brother of Rama. Bhargava The descendants of the great rishi, Bhrigu. Bhasmasura Ancient legendary character in Hinduism. Bhavana Sense for calling into existence. Bhumi Earth goddess Brahma The Creator God. Brahmaloka The celestial abode of Brahma. Brahmacharya The first phase of a person's life where he goes to live with his guru to learn the different studies. BrahmanThe Supreme Transcendental Awareness which pervades and yet transcends the manifest universe. Not to be confused with the god Brahma or the varna Brahmin. Brahmin The class or varna of people consisting of priests, teachers, sages, and gurus. Brahma Sutras Sanskrit texts attributed by Sage Vyasa. Brahmastra Supernatural weapon as per Hindu texts. Braj Region associated with Radha and Krishna. Buddhi Intelligence or soul.
C Catur Sloki Four most important verses among Hindu texts. Chakra Focal points in body activated during meditation. Charu Pure and spiritual person. Chyavana A great Bhargava rishi. Chiranjivi One who is immortal. Chitta Mind and its fluctuations. Chintan A peaceful mantra or smaran.
D Daitya A race of Asuras. Dakini Female spirit of demon as per Hindu mythology. Dāna Virtue of generosity. Dasharatha Father of Rama. Dashavatara The series of 10 Avatars of Vishnu. Deva Term for deity in Hinduism. Devi Term for female deity in Hinduism. Dharma Following the divine and great path. Dharmaśāstra Hindu theological texts in Sanskrit. Dhritarashtra Father of Kaurava. Dhyana Meditation. Dhaumya A great sage who had three disciples – Aruni, Upamanyu and Veda. Dilīpa Hindu king of Ikshvaku dynasty. Dhruva Ascetic devotee of Vishnu. Drona Guru (or teacher) of Kauravas and Pandavas. Dvaita A branch of Hindu philosophy, founded by Shri Madhvacharya that advocates dualism and stresses a strict distinction between God and souls. Dyaus Rigvedic god of the aether and sky
E Ekalavya Young Nishada prince and character in Mahabharata. Ekayāna Oneness of god in Hinduism. Elapatra A character in the Sarpa Satra.
G Gandhara Ancient Indian Mahajanapadas. Gandhari Wife of Dhritarashtra and mother of Kaurava. Gandhari people Ancient Hindu tribes in Mahabharata. Gandharva Rigvedic tribe. Ganesha The god of new beginnings, wisdom, and luck, commonly identified for his elephant head. Ganga A holy river in Northern India, believed to be a goddess by Hindus (see Ganga in Hinduism). Gayatri Mantra A revered mantra in Hinduism, found in the Yajur Veda. Ghanta Metal bell used during Hindu worship ritual. Gita holy text/song/book, typically Bhagavad-gita, and many including Anugita, Ashtavakra Gita, Avadhuta Gita, Devi Gita, The Ganesha Gita, Gita Dhyanam, Gita Govinda, Guru Gita, Hamsa Gita, Yogi Gita. Goloka Spiritual abode of Radha Krishna. Gopi Milkmaids of Braj region who are revered as the consorts and devotees of Krishna. Gotra Ancestral lineage among Hindus. Grahana Eclipse in Hindu mythology. Grihastha The second of the four phases (Purushartha) of a man, when a person gets married and settles down in life and begets children. Guru A spiritual teacher. In contemporary India, the title and term "Guru" is widely used within the general meaning of "wise man".
H Hanuman A vanara who helped Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishnu, in rescuing his wife Sita from the Rakshasa king Ravana. Hindu scripture Sacred texts of Hinduism mostly written in Sanskrit. Hindu scripture is divided into two categories: Śruti – that which is heard (i.e. revelation) and Smriti – that which is remembered (i.e. tradition, not revelation). Hinduism A worldwide religious tradition that is based on the Vedas and is the direct descendant of the Vedic religion. It encompasses many religious traditions that widely vary in practice, as well as many diverse sects and philosophies.
I Indra The supreme God of Vedism; the primary deity of the Rigveda and national god of the Vedic Aryans. He is the king of the gods and is associated with weather, war, and sovereignty. He is also the Lord of Svargaloka. Idandra The esoteric name of Indra/God in Vedic philosophy referenced in the Aitareya Upanishad. It translates to "the perceiver of all this" or "one who sees this." It represents the pure power of observation, divine illumination, and the ultimate realization of the Self. Ishvara A Hindu philosophical concept of God referring to the Supreme Being which is the lord and the ruler of everything. Hinduism uses the term Ishvara exclusively to refer to the Supreme God in a monotheistic sense.
J Japa A spiritual discipline in which a devotee repeats a mantra or the name of God. The repetition can be aloud, just the movement of lips or in the mind. Jiva A living being. Jivanmukta A liberated living individual. Jnana Knowledge. Jnana Yoga Knowledge Yoga.
K Kailasha The celestial abode of the destroyer deity, Shiva. Kali Kaivalya: Independence (a goal in Yoga Sutra). Kali A dark, black aspect of the mother-goddess Devi whose consort is Shiva. Kali Purusha The demonic and evil personification of Kali Yuga. Kali Yuga Last of four yugas in Hindu cosmology. Kalki The tenth avatar of Vishnu who is yet to come and will appear as a man on a horse at the end of Kali Yuga. Kama Best understood as aesthetics, the definition of Kama involves sensual gratification, sexual fulfillment, the pleasure of the senses, love, and the ordinary enjoyments of life regarded as one of the four ends of man (purusharthas). Karma A Sanskrit term that encompasses the entire cycle of cause and effect. Karma Yoga The practise of disciplining action. Karma yoga focuses on the adherence to duty (dharma) while remaining detached from the reward. It states that one can attain Moksha (salvation) by unselfishly doing his duties. Kartikeya A god born out of a magical spark created by Shiva, his father. God of war, victory, and knowledge. Krishna The eighth avatar of Vishnu, one of the most worshipped by many Hindus. Krishna is famous for his lecture to Arjuna written in the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna Paksha 15 days after purnima (full moon) day to Amavasya (new moon) day Kshatriya The class or varna in Hindu tradition, consisting of the warriors, soldiers, and rulers of society. Kshira Sagara The ocean of milk, an abode of Vishnu. Kubera One of the gods of wealth and riches. Kumbha Mela a huge Hindu religious pilgrimage/gathering/festival every 12 years at the Ganges and other sacred rivers, which many sanyasis (especially sadhus) attend. Kurma The second avatar of Vishnu where he took the form of a tortoise.
L Lakshmi Goddess of prosperity, wealth and good fortune. She is the consort of Vishnu and an aspect of Devi.
M Mahabharata One of the two major ancient Sanskrit epics of India, the other being the Ramayana. The Mahabharata is of religious and philosophical importance in India; in particular, the Bhagavad Gita, which is one of its chapters (Bhishmaparva) and a sacred text of Hinduism. Mahacharya Honorific spiritual title meaning "great teacher", used in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Maharishi A great enlightened one or seer including ancient gurus/teachers/writers and speakers/poets/singers of sacred literature, especially the Vedas. Manas Root for Indo-European words such as mind Mandir Temple. Manidvipa Abode of the supreme goddess in Shaktism. Mantra A religious syllable or poem, typically from the Sanskrit language. They are primarily used as spiritual conduits, words, and vibrations that instill one-pointed concentration in the devotee. Other purposes have included religious ceremonies to accumulate wealth, avoid danger, or eliminate enemies. Mantras are performed through chanting. Mātali The charioteer of Indra. Matsya The first avatar of Vishnu, where he came in the form of a fish. Mitra One of the Adityas. Moksha Refers to liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth. In higher Hindu philosophy, it is seen as a transcendence of phenomenal being, of any sense of consciousness of time, space, and causation (karma). Mount Meru A sacred mountain.: Muscular Hinduism: A movement to increase Hindu physical fitness.
N Naraka Realm of punishment, the abode of Yama. Narasimha The fourth avatar of Vishnu. He is a mixed form of a man and a lion. Nastika Unorthodox (such as Dharmas which claim anatman). Nirvana Literally "extinction" and/or "extinguishing", is the culmination of the yogi's pursuit of liberation. Hinduism uses the word nirvana to describe the state of moksha, roughly equivalent to heaven.
O Om ("Om", also Aum, ॐ) is the most sacred syllable in Hinduism, first coming to light in the Vedic Tradition. The syllable is sometimes referred to as the "Udgitha" or "pranava mantra" (primordial mantra); not only because it is considered to be the primal sound, but also because most mantras begin with it.
P Paramukta A supremely liberated living individual Parashurama The sixth Avatar of Vishnu, where he came in the form of an axe-wielder to kill the corrupt kings at the time. Parvati Goddess of power and devotion, the consort of Shiva and mother of Ganesha. Patala The netherworld. Pativrata The conjugal fidelity of a wife towards her husband.: Phalguna: One of the months of the Hindu calendar.: Pitrs: The spirits of departed ancestors.