ahimsa
Non-violence; refraining from harm in thought, word, and deed.
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Glossary
Short explanations for key terms. Article pages also show these as hover and tap cards when a term appears in the text.
atman
The innermost self or soul; the eternal essence of a being.
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A divine descent — the embodiment of God in a worldly form.
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Loving devotion to the divine as a path to liberation.
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The ultimate, formless reality underlying and pervading all existence.
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The auspicious sight of the divine or a holy person.
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Righteous duty and the moral order that sustains life and the cosmos.
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One of the three qualities of nature: sattva, rajas, and tamas.
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One of the three qualities of nature: sattva, rajas, and tamas.
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A spiritual teacher who guides the seeker from darkness to light.
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Epic history — chiefly the Rāmāyaṇa and the Mahābhārata.
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Knowledge; the path of wisdom and self-realisation.
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Action, and the principle that every action carries consequences.
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A sacred sound, word, or phrase repeated in prayer or meditation.
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The veiling power that makes the impermanent appear real.
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Liberation — release from the cycle of birth and death (saṃsāra).
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A consecrated image or form of a deity used in worship.
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A consecrated image or form of a deity used in worship.
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The Hindu almanac of five limbs used to track auspicious times.
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The vital life-force or breath that animates living beings.
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Food or offering blessed by the divine and shared with devotees.
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Ritual worship offered to a deity.
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Ancient narratives of cosmology, deities, sages, and dynasties.
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A seer or sage to whom the Vedic hymns were revealed.
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Disciplined spiritual practice undertaken toward a goal.
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A living lineage that transmits a particular tradition or teaching.
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The continuing cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.
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Truth and truthfulness.
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Selfless service offered without expectation of reward.
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A verse or couplet, often of scripture.
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A concise aphorism; a thread of teaching.
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A concise aphorism; a thread of teaching.
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Austerity and inner heat generated by spiritual discipline.
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A lunar day in the Hindu calendar (pañcāṅga).
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Philosophical texts exploring the self (ātman) and ultimate reality (brahman).
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The oldest scriptures of Sanātana Dharma, regarded as revealed knowledge.
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The oldest scriptures of Sanātana Dharma, regarded as revealed knowledge.
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A Vedic fire ritual of offering and sacrifice.
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A discipline uniting body, mind, and spirit; skill in action.
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