Key Terms in Hinduism:

atman: 

Hindu concept of the eternal soul

avatar: 

Hindu concept of the incarnation or earthly manifestation of a deity

Bhagavad-Gita: 

Sanskrit for 'Song of the Lord'; this text is regarded as the crowning achievement of Hindu sacred literature

bhakti: 

Hindu concept of devotional service to a personal god.  Bhakti-yoga is one of the principal paths to liberation taught in Hinduism.

Brahma: 

Hindu god of creation

Brahman: 

Hindu concept for the spiritual oneness of all reality

Brahmin: 

Priestly caste of Indian society

caste: 

literally means, 'race'; the stratified system of social classes in traditional Hindu society

guru: 

in Hinduism, refers to a spiritual teacher

jiva: 

in Hinduism, refers to the physical/psychological/social 'self' which acts, but which is not eternal

Krishna: 

Incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, who appears as a main character in the Bhagavad-Gita

maya: 

Hindu concept of false or illusory reality

meditation:

focused, disciplined concentration intended to enable experience of the sacred

moksha: 

release from the cycle of death and rebirth in Indian religions; liberation

samsara: 

Sanskrit for 'the cycle of rebirth'

Shiva: 

Hindu god of destruction and rejuvenation

untouchables: 

in traditional Hindu society, those 'below' the caste system, and thus not embers of any of the four castes.  Also called 'outcasts.'  Mahatma Gandhi called the untouchables harijan, which means 'children of God.'

Upanishads: 

Philosophical materials in the Vedic literature

Vedas: 

literally means, 'knowledge'; applies to the entire collection of Indian sacred literature, including the Upanishads

Vishnu: 

Hindu god of preservation and love; appears on earth on verious forms (avatars) in times of crisis