Defining Key Vocabulary of Hinduism

Starting a unit or lesson with the key vocabulary that students will see in their readings or presentations aids in overall comprehension and retention. In this activity, students will create a storyboard that defines and illustrates key vocabulary related to the study of Hinduism. They will create a spider map of 3-5 terms at the teacher's discretion. Each cell will contain a term, the definition, and an illustration that depicts the meaning. When students define and illustrate each term, they master the application of it and retain it as part of their lexicon.

Vocabulary for Hinduism

ahimsa: avoiding doing harm to any living thing, truthfulness, moderation and self-control.

artha: the pursuit of material gain by lawful means.

ascetic: a person who give up worldly pleasures.

Brahma: The first god in the Hindu triumvirate, Brahma is known as the Creator. The other two gods are Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva the Destroyer. Brahma's job was creation of the world and all its creatures.

Caste system: A social order that has determined one's place in ancient Indian society.

dharma: A person's duty or what is right. Dharma is a key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and others. It means one's spiritual duties or "right way of living" and "path of rightness". It is symbolized by the "Dharma Wheel."

Ganesha: Ganesha, also spelled Ganesh, also called Ganapati, is the elephant-headed Hindu god of beginnings who is traditionally worshipped before any major enterprise. He is the patron of intellectuals, bankers, scribes, and authors. Like a rat and like an elephant, Ganesha is a remover of obstacles.

guru: (in Hinduism and Buddhism) a spiritual teacher, especially one who imparts initiation.

karma: the effect a person's actions have on their soul in this life and their next life.

meditation: Focusing one's mind on spiritual ideas.

moksha: Achieved when one is released from the cycle of rebirth.

monasticism: Choosing the life of a monk. In their quest to attain the spiritual goal of life, some Hindus choose the path of monasticism (Sannyasa). A Hindu monk is called a sanyāsī, sādhu, or swāmi.

nirvana: The highest state one can attain, a state of enlightenment, meaning a person's individual desires and suffering go away.

pilgrimage: a journey to a holy place.

reincarnation: the belief that a person's soul is reborn into a new body after death.

Sanskrit: an ancient language of India.

Shiva: The third god in the Hindu triumvirate, Shiva is known as the Destroyer. The other two gods are Brahma and Vishnu. Shiva's job is to destroy the universe in order to recreate it and make it better.

scroll: a roll of material for writing like paper or papyrus.

subcontinent: a large landmass smaller than a continent especially: a major subdivision of a continent.

Vedas: a collection of Hindu sacred writings.

Vishnu: The second god in the Hindu triumvirate, Vishnu is the Preserver and protector of the universe. Vishnu's job is to return to the earth in times of trouble to restore the balance of good and evil.