Important Terms in the Gita (handout)

The handout of terms I gave you in class is below, in case you missed class or simply misplaced it. Might come in handy on a future exam or paper! :) 

IMPORTANT TERMS FOR THE BHAGAVAD GITA

Atman: the “self,” or the innermost soul in every creature, which is divine—not an individual self, but the Self.

Avatara: the earthly form of a god, or rather, when a god is reborn as a human being for a larger purpose.  Most heroes and even villains in the Mahabharata are avatars of one god or demon or another.

Brahman: the supreme reality of life, the one great truth, the ‘God’ beyond all gods. As opposed to “Brahma,” God in the form of Creator, united with God as destroyer (Shiva) and God as Preserver (Vishnu).

Dharma: law or duty, a universal law which keeps life in balance, based on the duties of one’s caste and humanity. Arjuna is a kshatriya, or the warrior/prince class, whose dharma is to rule and fight when necessary.

Karma: literally, action (from the Sanskrit word for “to do”); former actions will lead to inevitable results in this life or the ones to come.

Krishna: in the world of the Gita, he is the charioteer of Arjuna and a great king; but in reality, he is an avatar of Vishnu, here to protect and guide Arjuna to truth.

Maya: the concept of illusion, or appearance vs. reality. Not reality as we see it, but reality as it truly is; what we see is Maya, what we strive to know is reality, or Brahman.

Yoga: From “yuj” which is Sanskrit for “to unite,” Yoga literally means a union with God, or the understanding of the ‘oneness’ of all life. It is also one of the six branches of Hindu philosophy. (Thus, taking a yoga class is a way to achieve “Yoga” with the right effort and discipline).

Yogi: A person who performs Yoga and spiritual discipline, like the Taoist sage.

The Vedas: from “vid,” which is Sanskrit for “to know,” the Vedas represent true knowledge, and are the oldest Scripture of Hinduism. They were delivered by God through meditation (Yoga) to the mystics.