 | Term | Definition |
| |
Sanatana Dharma |
an alternate label for Hinduism, sanatana means "eternal" or "ageless" |
| |
Vedas |
the religious texts that are considered the the foundations of Sanatana Dharma |
| |
Sanskrit |
An ancient language whose origins are not completely defined |
| |
Samhitas |
The first of four ancient hymns which dealt with the worship of deities |
| |
Brahmanas |
The second of four ancient hymns which deals with directions about performances of ritual sacrifices to deities |
| |
Aranyakas |
The third of four ancient hymns which deal with people's writing after meditating in the forest, also known as "forest treatises" |
| |
Upanishads |
The fourth of four ancient hymns deals with the teaching from highly realized spiritual masters |
| |
Rig Veda |
The oldest of the Vedic scriptures and one of the oldest scriptures in the world |
| |
Devas |
the controlling forces (deities) in the cosmos |
