AkharaAkhara or Akhada (Sanskrit: अखाड़ा, shortened to Khara Hindi: खाड़ा) is an Indian word for a place of practice with facilities for boarding, lodging and training, both in the context of Indian martial artists or a sampradaya monastery for religious renunciates in Guru–shishya tradition. For example, in the context of the Dashanami Sampradaya sect, the word denotes both martial arts and religious monastic aspects of the trident wielding martial regiment of the renunciating sadhus.
Āśrama (stage)Āśrama (आश्रम) is a system of stages of life discussed in Hindu texts of the ancient and medieval eras. The four asramas are: Brahmacharya (student), Gṛhastha (householder), Vanaprastha (forest walker/forest dweller), and Sannyasa (renunciate). The Asrama system is one facet of the Dharma concept in Hinduism. It is also a component of the ethical theories in Indian philosophy, where it is combined with four proper goals of human life (Purushartha), for fulfilment, happiness and spiritual liberation.
Anti-cult movementThe anti-cult movement (abbreviated ACM, and also known as the countercult movement) consists of various governmental and non-governmental organizations and individuals that seek to raise awareness of cults, uncover coercive practices used to attract and retain members, and help those who have become involved with harmful cult practices. One prominent group within the anti-cult movement, Christian counter-cult organizations, oppose new religious movements on theological grounds, categorizing them as cults, and distribute information to this effect through church networks and via printed literature.
Hindu reform movementsContemporary groups, collectively termed Hindu reform movements, reform Hinduism, Neo-Hinduism, or Hindu revivalism, strive to introduce regeneration and reform to Hinduism, both in a religious or spiritual and in a societal sense. The movements started appearing during the Bengali Renaissance. History of Hinduism Neo-Vedanta From the 18th century onward India was being colonialised by the British. This colonialisation had a huge impact on Indian society, where social and religious leaders tried to assimilate the western culture and modernise Hindu culture.
Indian martial artsIndian martial arts refers to the fighting systems of the Indian subcontinent. A variety of terms are used for the English phrases "Indian martial arts", deriving from ancient sources. While they may seem to imply specific disciplines (e.g. archery, armed combat), by Classical times they were used generically for all fighting systems. Among the most common terms today, śastra-vidyā, is a compound of the words (weapon) and (knowledge).
VivekacūḍāmaṇiThe Vivekachudamani (विवेकचूडामणि; IAST: ) is a philosophical treatise within the Advaita Vedanta tradition of Hinduism, traditionally attributed to Adi Shankara of the eighth century, though this attribution has been questioned and mostly rejected by scholarship. It is in the form of a poem in the Shardula Vikridita metre. Vivekachudamani literally means the "crest-jewel of discernment".
WaheguruWaheguru (ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ, pronunciation: ʋäːɦɪɡʊɾuː, literally meaning "wow guru", figuratively translated to mean "Wonderful God" or "Wonderful Lord") is a term used in Sikhism to refer to God as described in Guru Granth Sahib. It is the most common term to refer to God in modern Sikhism. The meaning of the word vāhigurū (usually spelled in English as Waheguru) is traditionally explained as vāh 'wondrous!' (Punjabi word analogous to "wow" in English), and guru, Sanskrit for 'teacher, spiritual guide, God', which taken together are said to carry the meaning, 'Wondrous Lord'.
Sant (religion)A sant (सन्त्; IAST: ; sɐn̪t̪) is a human being revered as a "truth-exemplar" for their abnormal of "self, truth, [and] reality" in Indic religions, particularly Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism. In Sikhism it is used to describe a being who has attained spiritual enlightenment and divine knowledge and power through union with God. "Sant" is sometimes translated as "saint", but this is a false cognate (there is no etymological commonality) as "sant" is derived from the Sanskrit root sat, which can mean "truth, reality, essence", while "saint" is derived from the Latin word sanctus, which means "holy, sacred", derived from Indo-European root sak-, "to sanctify".
KaurKaur (ਕੌਰ (Gurmukhi), کور (Shahmukhi); crown prince; sometimes spelled as Kour), is a surname or a part of a personal name primarily used by the Sikh and some Hindu women of the Punjab region. "Kaur" is also sometimes translated as "lioness", not because this meaning is etymologically derived from the name, but as a parallel to the Sikh male name "Singh," which means "lion." "Kaur" is recognized as “Princess” or "Spiritual Princess".
Sage (philosophy)A sage (σοφός, sophos), in classical philosophy, is someone who has attained wisdom. The term has also been used interchangeably with a 'good person' (ἀγαθός, agathos), and a 'virtuous person' (σπουδαῖος, spoudaios). Among the earliest accounts of the sage begin with Empedocles' Sphairos. Horace describes the Sphairos as "Completely within itself, well-rounded and spherical, so that nothing extraneous can adhere to it, because of its smooth and polished surface.
