Panchayatana puja (पंचायतन पूजा) also known as Pancha Devi Deva Puja is a system of puja (worship) in the Smarta sampradaya, which is one of four…
Adi Shankara (आदि शङ्कर), also called Adi Shankaracharya (आदि शङ्कराचार्य) was an Indian Vedic scholar and teacher (acharya) of Advaita Vedanta. He is seen as…
Sankhya (सांख्य) is a dualistic orthodox school of Hindu philosophy. It views reality as composed of two independent principles, Puruṣa (‘consciousness’ or spirit) and Prakṛiti (nature or matter, including the…
Samsara (संसार) is a Pali and Sanskrit word that means “wandering” as well as “world,” wherein the term connotes “cyclic change” or, less formally, “running around…
Achourya (अचौर्य) or Asteya (अस्तेय) is the Sanskrit term for “non-stealing”. It is a virtue in Jainism. The practice of asteya demands that one must not steal, nor have…
Satya (सत्य) is a Sanskrit word loosely translated as truth or essence. It also refers to a virtue in Indian religions, referring to being…
Ahimsa (अहिंसा) is the ancient Indian principle of nonviolence which applies to actions towards all living beings. It is a key virtue in Indian religions like Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism,…
Samskara or Sanskaras (संस्कार) in Indian philosophy and some Indian religions are mental impressions, recollections, or psychological imprints. In Hindu philosophies, Samskaras are a basis for…
Brahmacharya (ब्रह्मचर्य) is a concept within Indian religions that means “conduct consistent with Brahma” or “on the path of Brahma”. In Yoga, Hinduism generally refers to…
Kaivalya (कैवल्य) is the ultimate goal of Aṣṭanga yoga and means “solitude”, “detachment” or “isolation”, a vrddhi-derivation from kevala “alone, isolated”. It…