Hindu Key terms Practices

• Karma yoga


  Path of unselfish action
• Jnana yoga


  path of knowledge and understanding requiring a learned teacher
• Bhakti yoga 


  the path of devotion to god
• Ashtanga yoga

  path of meditation
• Jupa/Mantra


  chants or prayers to God, Holy scriptures, repeating holy sounds or words
• Bhajan/ Kirtan


  Devotional songs and hymns to god
• Darshan


  viewing with respect, a holy image and receiving a divine blessing
• Arati


  an offering of light to the deity through a murti (sacred images of God)
• Murti


  An image of a deity used as a focus of worship and offerings
• Puja


  paying respect to a deity as an honoured guest, a way to worship in the home or temple (can do it in both)
• Havan


  a fire sacrifice offered to the fire God Agni in the temple (often at wedding ceremonies)
• Varanasi

  the most famous site of pilgrimage in india
• Guru

  a wise teacher of religion and spirituality
• Sadhu

  a wandering holy man
• Sannyasin

  a religious hermit who has reached the last stage of life
• Swami

  means “master of the senses”

  a Hindu holy teacher of scripture
• Ashram

  a holy house where a guru teaches his followers