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Glossary

Advaita : monism; non-duality or identity of the soul with Brahman
Advaitism : doctrine of non-duality
Advaitist : a believer in non-duality
Ahimsa : non-violence; love
Ananda : Joy; bliss
Anekantavadi : a believer in many-sidedness of Reality
Aparigraha : non-possession
Ashrama : one of the four stages of life according to Hinduism; a hermitage; a place for disciplined community living
Asteya : non-stealing
Atman : spirit; soul
Avatar : incarnation
Bhajan : a religious song
Bhakti : devotion
Bhaktiyoga : the path of devotion
Bhangi : a sweeper, a scavenger
Brahma : the Divine Reality; the Universal Spirit
Brahmachari : a celibate
Brahmacharya : celibacy; pursuit in quest of god
Chapati : thin flat cake made of flour; unleavened bread
Charkha : a spinning wheel
Chit : Knowledge
Daridranarayan : God in the form of poor
Dharma : religion; Duty
Dvaitism : doctrine of duality
Ganja : narcotic from the flower of Indian hemp
Goonda : hooligan
Goondaism : hooliganism
Guru : a teacher, a spiritual guide
Harijans : literally, the people of Hari, i.e. God; the name which Gandhiji gave to untouchables
Hathayoga : a system of yoga in which the exercises of physical postures, poses and breathing are chiefly treated to discipline body and mind towards self-realization
Hijarat : exodus or going away from one's native land
Himsa : violence
Jam-i-Jam : universal provider
Kalma : basic Muslim prayer
Kalpadruma : a tree supposed to grant all desires
Kamadhenu : the cow of plenty, supposed to fulfill all desires
Kanyadana : giving away of daughter in marriage
Karma : action
Khaddar, Khadi : hand-spun and hand-woven cloth
Kisan : peasant
Mahatma : a great soul
Mantra : a sacred formula, a sacred text used for repetition and meditation, a sacred incantation
Moksha : salvation; freedom from birth and death
Mukti : salvation
Namaz : Muslim prayer
Neti, Neti : not this, not this
Nirvana : state of salvation, i.e., of absolute bliss & calm according to Buddihist thought
Niyamas : rules; observances
Pancha : arbitrator
Panchama : one belonging to fifth caste, an outcaste
Panchayat : village council consisting of five persons elected by the people
Panchayat Raj : administration through Panchayat, i.e. the people
Pariah : an outcaste
Purna Swaraj : complete independence
Raj : kingdom ; administration
Ramanama : name of Rama-incarnation of God in Hindu religion, recitation of God's name
Rama Raj : Kingdom of Rama, beneficent rule
Rishi : a seer
Sadavrata : a place where free meals are served
Sadhana : striving; practice, persistent effort
Samadhi : state of ecstasy
Sat : truth; that which exists
Satya : truth
Satyagraha : literally, holding on the truth; truth-force or soul-force
Satyagrahi : one who practices Satyagraha
Savarna : belonging to one of the four castes
Shastra : a scripture
Sthitaprajna : a man of steady wisdom
Swadeshi : literally of one's own country; insistence on the use of goods made in one's own country, preferably hand-made and those too of the neighbours first
Swaraj : self-government, home rule, independence
Syadvad : the doctrine of "May be" in Jaina philosophy; an assertion of probability (in philosophy)
Syadvadi : a believer in Syadvad
Tabligh : religious propaganda and conversion
Tapas : penance; religious austerity
Tapasya : austerity, penance or asceticism
Upanishadas : ancient philosophical writings of the Hindus
Vaishnava : a devotee of Vishnu
Varna : occupational division of Hindu society
Varnadharma : duty enjoined by caste rules
Varnashrama : four divisions of society according to occupations and of life into four stages, viz., student's, householder's, forest dweller's and that of a recluse
Vedas : scriptures of the Hindus
Yajna : a sacrifice
Yogi : one practicing religious discipline; an ascetic
Zamindar : a landlord