In scholarship, term most frequently referring to the Indo-Aryan family of languages and their scripts — including Sanskrit, Brahmi and Kharoshthi — or more generally to the classical, Sanskritic culture of the Indian subcontinent. Precursors of Sanskrit, known only through linguistic reconstruction, have been given names such as Old Indic and Middle Indic by specialists. The word ‘Indic’ derives from the Latin Indicus, meaning ‘of India’, and has been in use since the seventeenth century at least, often used loosely to mean ‘having to do with India’.
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Upanishad
A body of texts written in Sanskrit and considered to be the latter part of the Vedas. They cover issues…
Abhinaya
According to the Natyashastra, it may be understood as a combination of two words — abhi meaning "towards" and naya…
Satyagraha
A form of non-violent resistance pioneered by MK Gandhi. It translates to "an appeal for truth" and is based on…
Purusha
The conception of man according to Hindu philosophy as established in the Vedas and the Upanishads. The purusha is a…
Sangha
A monastic order comprising bhikkhus (monks) and bhikkhunis (nuns), it is one of the Three Jewels of Buddhism. From the…
Shahnama
The Shahnama (Book of Kings) is an epic poem that was composed by Firdausi in 1010 CE and comprising around…
Bhakti
A set of devotional practices that emerged in South India from the sixth century CE and spread to north India…
Mahasiddha
A term used in Tibetan and Tantric Buddhism for someone who embodied the perfect siddhi (psychic or supernatural abilities) through…