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Glossary — 25 Terms
| Term (EN) | Definition | Exam Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Karma | Law of moral causation — intentional action produces corresponding consequences | Core concept |
| Nishkama Karma | Desireless action — performing duty without attachment to results (Gita 2.47) | Highest priority |
| Sanchita Karma | Accumulated store of karma from all past lives | Karma types |
| Prarabdha Karma | Ripened karma from past lives determining present circumstances | Karma types |
| Agami Karma | Karma being created by present actions and intentions | Karma types |
| Samsara | Cycle of death and rebirth driven by karma | Karma-liberation link |
| Moksha | Liberation from samsara; union of Atman with Brahman; fourth Purushartha | Supreme goal |
| Dharma | Righteous duty, cosmic order, moral conduct — from dhri (to sustain) | Core concept |
| Adharma | Violation of Dharma — injustice, unrighteousness, moral disorder | Dharma contrast |
| Sadharana Dharma | Universal duties for all humans: truth, non-violence, purity, non-theft | Universal ethics |
| Varnashrama Dharma | Duties specific to one's Varna (caste) and Ashrama (life stage) | Ambedkar critique |
| Svadharma | One's own specific duty based on nature and position (Gita 3.35) | Gita ethics |
| Purushartha | The four goals of human life: Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha | Core concept |
| Artha | Wealth, material prosperity, political power — second Purushartha | Arthashastra link |
| Kama | Desire, pleasure, love — third Purushartha (Kamasutra) | Purushartha system |
| Ashrama | Stage of life: Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha, Sannyasa | Core concept |
| Brahmacharya | First ashrama — studentship, celibacy, study under guru (0–25 years) | Ashram stages |
| Grihastha | Second ashrama — householder stage (25–50); family, earning, Pancha Mahayajnas | Ashram stages |
| Vanaprastha | Third ashrama — gradual retirement (50–75); forest-going; spiritual focus | Ashram stages |
| Sannyasa | Fourth ashrama — complete renunciation (75+); wandering ascetic; moksha focus | Ashram stages |
| Pancha Mahayajnas | Five duties of the Grihastha: Brahma, Pitru, Deva, Bhuta, Manushya Yajna | Grihastha duties |
| Karma Yoga | Path to liberation through selfless action (one of Gita's three Yogas) | Gita application |
| Atman | Individual soul — unchanging, eternal essence; realises identity with Brahman at moksha | Hindu metaphysics |
| Cetana | Buddhist term: intentional mental volition — the Buddhist definition of karma | Buddhist Karma |
| Anatman | Buddhist teaching: no permanent self — karma flows through consciousness stream | Buddhist Karma |
Sources: Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 2–3); Kautilya's Arthashastra (~300 BCE); Vatsyayana's Kamasutra (~300 CE); Manusmriti; Adi Shankaracharya's commentaries; Swami Vivekananda, Karma Yoga (1896); B.R. Ambedkar, Annihilation of Caste (1936); RPSC Mains 2026 Official Syllabus; UNFPA India Ageing Report (2021); Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007 (amended 2019); Constitution of India Articles 25–28, 51A.