Hindu Bioethics for the Twenty-first Century

Glossary

G L O S S A R Y acit—matter, material advaita—monism Agni—god of fire aha˙nk¯ara—ego ahiÂs¯a—nonviolence anantya—immortality an¯arabdha—karma that has not begun to bear fruit aranya—the forest artha—worldly prosperity; one of four human ends asat—unreal¯aśrama—stage of life Atharvaveda—the fourth veda atithis—chance guests¯atma-ghata—self-killing¯atma-haty¯a—self-killing¯atman—the self avidy¯a—original ignorance Åyurveda—the science of longevity bala—strength Bhagavadg¯ıt¯a—The Lord’s Song; a part of the Mah¯abh¯arata bhr̄una-haty¯a—feticide Brahmacarya—the stage of the religious student Brahman—Ultimate Reality Br̄ahÓ maÓnas—Vedic texts discussing sacrificial rites buddhi—intelligence, cognition cit—self day¯a—compassion dharma—duty, law, righteousness Dharmaś¯astras—sacred texts dealing with morality d¯ıkÓs¯a—consecration ceremony Ganga—the most sacred river guÓnas—basic properties hiÂs¯a—causing pain or killing out of anger jauhar—rite by which womenfolk of Rajput warriors would collectively immolate themselves to preserve honor j̄ıva—the individual embodied soul jivadaya—kindness to creatures j̄ıvanmukti—the state of self-realization while yet in the body Crawford: Hindu Bioethics page 213 Crawford 113-198-226 8/21/03 11:37 AM Page 213 k¯ama—pleasures of the five senses; one of four human ends karma—action; the law of cause and effect in the moral sphere Mah¯abh¯arata—one of India’s two great epics; discussions of morals mah¯abh¯utas—gross elements mah¯a-makha—great sacrifice mah¯ap¯at¯akas—atrocious sins mah¯aprasth¯ana—the Great Journey Manu—the most eminent Hindu lawgiver; teaches the four stages and ends of life mokÓsa—liberation niyoga—levirate marriage p¯apa—evil parin¯amav¯ada—theory of causality parivr̄ajaka—ascetic P¯arvat¯ı—wife of Íiva piÓnÓda—morsel of ritual oblation of food to an ancestor pitÓr—deceased forefathers, existing in heavenly realms prajati—parenthood prakÓrti—the material principle pralaya—state of dissolution pr̄arabdha karma—karma that has come to fruition prayopaveśa—fasting Pur̄aÓnas—popular moral stories about legendary gods and heroes PuruÓsa—the Supreme Being; the spiritual principle puruÓs¯arthas—the four supreme values of life R¯am¯ayaÓna—one of India’s two great epics; narrating the story of Visnu’s incarnation as R¯am¯a rati—pleasure ÓRgveda—first of the four Vedas, composed of hymns; essential for understanding Hindu thought ÓrÓnatraya—triad of obligations Órta—natural and moral order of the universe s¯adhu—a holy man sakhya—companionship Íakti—divine Mother; female creative energy sallekhan¯a—starving oneself to death S¯aÂkara—eighth-century philosopher of nondualism S¯aÂkhya—a philosophy of dualistic realism saÂs¯ara—the wheel of rebirth; the world of impermanence and suffering saÂsk¯aras—innate tendencies of a person sañcita karma—karma accumulted from past lives sanny¯asin—one who has abandoned the world and lives the holy life sapiÓnÓda—blood relations saÓrga—state of evolution sat¯ı—a virtuous, devoted widow who immolates herself on the funeral pyre of her husband Crawford: Hindu Bioethics page 214 214 Glossary Crawford 113-198-226 8/21/03 11:37 AM Page 214 sattva—one of the three basic properties, of the nature of truth, purity, and light satya-rakÓs¯a—protecting the truth SmÓrti—the body of sacred lore remembered and pased on by tradition śr̄addha—ceremony honoring dead ancestors Íruti—scriptures revealed to ancient rsis, identified with the Vedas UpaniÓsads—ancient philosophic treatises forming final sections of the Vedas v¯ahana—the mount of a god vaidya—a physician vartam¯ana-karma—karma generated in present life Ved¯anta—a system of philosophy based on the UpaniÓsads Crawford: Hindu Bioethics page 215 Glossary 215 Crawford 113-198-226 8/21/03 11:37 AM Page 215 Crawford: Hindu Bioethics page 216 blank Crawford 113-198-226 8/21/03 11:37 AM Page 216 ...