Hinduism - p1

• atman 


  ultimate reality, human soul, immortal
• karma


  good/bad action, law of action and consequences
• dharma


  duty, holds humans together, rules that control the whole universe
• brahman


  the universe, ultimate reality
• bhakti


  attraction for personal god, worship with devotion
• navadha bhakti


  nine parts of devotion (nine fold bhakti)
• shakti


  god as a female, manifesting power of Brahma. Parvati is head of Shakti
• Saguna Brahm


  god with form
• Nirguna Brahm


  god without a form
• sanatan dharma 


  universal dharma (eternal principle) that holds society and the universe together
• 3 positions of Vishnu

  1. standing upright, 4 arms - holding mace, chakra, conch and lotus
  2. sitting on his vahana - Eagle - Garuda
  3. reclining on the coil of a giant snake being served by his wife, Lakshmi
• churning of the ocean

  • devils and gods wanted the nectar of immortality from the botton of the milky ocean
  • they used mount madura as a churning stick and a giant serpent (vasuki) as a rope
  • the mountian began to sink, so Vishnu reincarnated as Kurma, a turtle, and carried the mountain on his back
• what vishnu holds


  mace - knowledge, time, intellect, power chakra/discus - eliminate anger, lust, greed, limitless power, wheel of time conch shell - sound of aum (creation) lotus - expansion of the soul, earth, liberation
• Shiva's forms


  Yogiraj - sitting and meditating in lotus position, serpent around his neck - river ganga flows from his hair - holds thrishula and drum (dhamaru) - blue face - dressed in animal skin - Parvati by his side Natraj - Shiva as a lord of dance - dance of destruction - 2 hands holding fire and a drum - performs a tandava dance - dances in a circle of fire
• Krishna

  • advised Arjuna in the battle of Mahabharat (between Pandavas and Kauravas)
  • wrote Bhagavad Gita
  • Companion - Radha
  • Wife - Rukshmani
  • born - Mathura at midnight
  • taken to foster parents (Yashoda and Nandh) in Gokul
  • childhood - gopis, butter theif, flute playing
• 3 gunas


  sattva - harmony and beginnings rajas - activity and passion tamas - darkness and chaos
• Ganesh

  • remover of obstacles
  • son of Parvati (godess of power and love) and Shiva (god of destruction) - brother of Karthikeya (god of war)
  • ladus represent the sweetness of life
  • gives good luck
  • Shiva's boon (after he chopped Ganesh's head off) - he would be worshipped first in every occasion around the universe
• Sita


  loyal to Rama (followed him to the forest) - ideal qualities
• Durga

  • fearless, independent, courageous, powerful women
  • destroyer of evil - Navratri
  • refuses to follow/surrender to male authority
  • loving mother - protects children (devotees)
  • Mahisasura (bull demon) - could only be defeated by Durga as his boon stated he couldn't be killed by god or man, so he was killed by a Shakti
  • negatives - hindus traditionally believed you should be obedient to your Husband - given powers/weapons by male gods
• Maha Shivratri

  • marriage of Shiva and Parvati
  • people chant Shiva's name all night, fast and go to temple
  • celebrated on the 14th night of the new moon
• Sabri

  • demonstrated 9 fold bhakti towards Rama
  • waited most of her life for god to visit her as her Guru told her he would when he died
  • spent her life picking berries and tasting them so god would only eat the sweet ones and not the sour ones
• Hanuman

  • true devotee of Rama
  • appeared in Mahabharat - sits on Chariot providing stability and protection to Krishna
  • Yogi and Brahmachari
  • shows strength and loyalty
  • Hanuman broke a necklace from Sita to find out if Rama was in the middle