Language sleuths
Hindus and don'ts
Darth Veda
Puja for you-ja
Comparing is caring
100
Modern India has more than ten officially recognized government languages, but most Hindu terms are from this one:
Sanskrit
100
Why is vegetarianism preferred in Hinduism?
It goes back to their beliefs in nonviolence and reincarnation.
100
These are the oldest Hindu texts and are honorifically ascribed to Brahma:
The Four Vedas
100
What does puja/pooja mean?
Worship/ritual
(this is also the term Buddhists use)
100
Name the Abrahamic religions in order of their age:
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
200
Why is soul not a completely accurate translation of atman?
The Abrahamic idea of soul doesn't work with reincarnation. The atman is not tied to an individual and is the same essence as the universe.
200
This popular elephant-headed boi is associated with overcoming obstacles, so he is a common devotion among students and business people:
Ganesha
200
These writings deal with Hindu philosophy and important theological concepts.
The Upanishads
200
Your Hindu friend told you that her parents had a "love marriage." What's that mean?
It was not arranged.
200
These religions do not have a permanent positive or negative afterlife:
Judaism and Hinduism *
(there are some Hindu groups who believe in a type of hell, however, it's more of a really bad planet/island to be reborn in and those reborn there are still subject to karma and can work their way out of it)
300
Give the differences:
Brahman,
Brahmin,
Brahma
Divine universe, someone from the priestly caste, one of the gods
300
What insult triggered the Sepoy Rebellion?
Hindu and Muslim soldiers in the BEIC were forced to use a new rifle that involved putting greased pig fat in their mouths.
300
This single story inside the Mahabharata is more popular than the Mahabharata itself.
The Bhagavad Gita
300
Why is orange associated with Hinduism?
Marigold flowers: used for puja
Orange robes worn by priests: represent simplicity (this will carry over into Buddhism)
300
Who says Jesus was a miracle worker?
Christians, Muslims, and Hindus
(Any Jews who do are part of a minority. There is disagreement.)
400
This word for duty is going to mean something completely different in Buddhism:
Dharma
400
What's the purpose of the four margas/yogas?
These are the different paths to moksha (karma, bhakti, jnana, raja)
400
These two popular avatars of Vishnu are immortalized in India's great epic poems:
Krishna and Rama
400
Besides "different religion" what functionally separates Hindu temples from synagogues, mosques, and churches?
Main prayer location is in the home with the family, not a separate building with the community
Temples are more for pilgrims and holidays (though in the US they also function as community centers, making them a little more like their Abrahamic counterparts)
400
These religions say that the ultimate divinity is both imminent and transcendent:
Christianity and Hinduism (note that they are the only two religions with sacraments)
500
What's this?
The Sacred Syllable, aka OM
500
While vegetarianism is considered blessed in Hinduism, there's an added taboo against eating beef. Why?
Cows are economically useful and are associated with the Brahmins and Vishnu.
500
Hindu holy writings fall into two categories, sruti and smriti. What's that mean?
The Upanishads and Vedas are sruti, because they are lessons we hear.
The Ramayana and Mahabharata are smriti, because they are stories we remember.
500
Why is fire a common element in puja?
Represents Shiva, also the smoke rises to the heavens.
500
These religions say the ultimate divinity is only transcendent, not imminent:
Judaism and Islam (notice they are saying this and also do not have sacraments)