A
Hindu ' onMouseout='HidePop("81400")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Devanagari">Devanagari
Devanagari , also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal. It is written from left to right, lacks distinct letter cases, and is recognizable by a distinctive horizontal line running along the tops of the letters that links them together. Devanāgarī is the main script used to...
: हिन्दू) is an adherent of
HinduismHinduism is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is often referred to as ', a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal law", by its adherents. Generic "types" of Hinduism that attempt to accommodate a variety of complex views span folk and Vedic Hinduism to bhakti tradition, as...
, a set of religious,
philosophicalThe term Indian philosophy , may refer to any of several traditions of philosophical thought that originated in the Indian subcontinent, including Hindu philosophy, Buddhist philosophy, and Jain philosophy...
and
culturalThe culture of India has been shaped by its long history, unique geography, diverse demographics and the absorption of customs, traditions and ideas from some of its neighbours as well as by preserving its ancient heritages, which were formed during the Indus Valley Civilization and evolved further...
systems that originated in the
Indian subcontinentThe Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent and other terms, is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate south of the Himalayas, forming a peninsula which extends southward into the Indian Ocean...
. The vast body of Hindu scriptures, divided into
ŚrutiFor other meanings, see Śruti .' is a term that describes the sacred texts comprising the central canon of Hinduism and is one of the three main sources of dharma and therefore is also influential within Hindu Law...
("revealed") and
SmritiSmṛti , literally "that which is remembered," refers to a specific body of Hindu religious scripture. Smṛti also denotes non-Shruti texts and is generally seen as secondary in authority to Shruti. The literature which comprises the Smriti was composed after the Vedas around 500 BCE...
("remembered"), lay the foundation of Hindu beliefs which primarily include
dhármaThe term , is an Indian spiritual and religious term, that means one's righteous duty or any virtuous path in the common sense of the term. A Hindu's Dharma is affected by a person's age, class, occupation, and sex. In Indian languages it can be equivalent simply to "religion", depending on context...
,
kármaKarma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Sikh and Buddhist philosophies..'Karma' is an Eastern religious concept in contradistinction to...
,
ahimsaAhimsa is a Sanskrit term meaning to do no harm . It is an important tenet of the religions that originated in ancient India . Ahimsa is a rule of conduct that bars the killing or injuring of living beings...
and
saṃsāraSamsara is the endless cycle of suffering caused by birth, death and rebirth within Buddhism, Bön, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and other related religions....
.
VedāntaVedanta was originally a word used as a synonym for that part of the Veda known also as the Upanishads. The name is a sandhied form of Veda-anta = "Veda-end" = "the appendix to the Vedas"...
and
yogaYoga refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India. The word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. In Hinduism, it also refers to one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy, and to the goal toward which that school directs...
are one of the several core schools of
Hindu philosophyHindu philosophy is divided into six Sanskrit schools of thought, or darshanas , which accept the Vedas as supreme revealed scriptures, and three schools, which do not accept the Vedas as supreme...
, broadly known as the Sanatan Dharm .
Hinduism is regarded as the oldest of world's major religions and
Hindu mythologyHindu mythology is the large body of traditional narratives related to Hinduism, notably as contained in Sanskrit literature, such as the Sanskrit epics and the Puranas. As such, it is a subset of Indian mythology...
and
philosophyHindu philosophy is divided into six Sanskrit schools of thought, or darshanas , which accept the Vedas as supreme revealed scriptures, and three schools, which do not accept the Vedas as supreme...
has had a profound impact in many parts of the world, especially
southernThe term Greater India refers to the historical spread of the Culture of India beyond the Indian subcontinent proper. This concerns the spread of Hinduism in Southeast Asia in particular, introduced by the Indianized kingdoms of the 5th to 15th centuries, but may also extend to the earlier spread...
and South East Asia. With more than a billion adherents, Hinduism is the world's
third largest religionIn the 20th century study of comparative religion, major religious groups or "world religions" were divided up by adherence to a specific philosophy or theology. However, there is no consensus among researchers as to the best methodology for determining the religiosity profile of the world's...
. Vast
majority of HindusHinduism is the largest religion in India, with 80.5% of the population identifying themselves as Hindus. The vast majority of Hindus in India belong to Vaishnavite and Shaivite denominations.The Vedic culture originated in India between 2000 and 1500 BC...
, approximately 1 billion, live in
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
. Other countries with
large Hindu populationsThe percentage of Hindu population of each country was taken from the US State Department's International Religious Freedom Report 2006. Other sources used were the CIA World Factbook and adherents.com. The total population of each country was taken from census.gov .-By country:-By region:These...
can be found in various parts of the world.
Etymology
The word
Hindu first appeared in the Old Persian language which most likely was derived from the
SanskritSanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India. It is also declared as a classical language by the government of India....
word
Sindhu, the historic local appellation for the
Indus RiverThe Indus River is the longest river in...
in the northwestern part of the
Indian subcontinentThe Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent and other terms, is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate south of the Himalayas, forming a peninsula which extends southward into the Indian Ocean...
. In Persian literature the word Hindu-E-Falak is found. The usage of the word
Hindu was further popularized by the Arabic term
al-Hind referring to the land of the people who live across river Indus. By 13th century,
HindustānHindustan "land of Hind", is one of the popular names of South Asia. Though the meaning of Hindustan has evolved over the years, after the partition of India it primarily refers to the Republic of India.-Etymology:...
emerged as a popular alternative
name of IndiaThe name India may refer to either the region of Greater India , or to the contemporary Republic of India contained therein. The term is derived from the name of the Sindhu and has been in use in Greek since Herodotus...
, meaning the "land of
Hindus". 'Hindus' came to be used for people regardless of their religious affiliation and mainly as a geographical term. It was only towards the end of the 18th century, the European merchants and colonists referred collectively to the followers of Dharmic religions in
Hindustan — which geographically referred to most parts of the northern Indian subcontinent — as
Hindus. Eventually, it came to define a precisely religious identity that includes any person of
Indian originThe demographics of India is remarkably diverse. India's population of approximately 1.17 billion people consists of approximately one-sixth of the world's population...
who did not practice
Abrahamic religionsAbrahamic religions has become a popular and often used designation for the monotheistic faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, emphasizing their common origin and values. For some 1,300 years their histories and thought have been intertwined...
or religions such as Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism or Buddhism and came to be known as a Hindu, thereby encompassing a wide range of religious beliefs and practices..
One of the accepted views is that
ism was added to
Hindu around 1830 to denote the culture and religion of the high-caste Brahmans in contrast to other religions. The term
Hinduism was soon appropriated by the
Hindus in IndiaHinduism is the largest religion in India, with 80.5% of the population identifying themselves as Hindus. The vast majority of Hindus in India belong to Vaishnavite and Shaivite denominations.The Vedic culture originated in India between 2000 and 1500 BC...
themselves as they tried to establish a national, social and cultural identity opposed to
European colonialism in IndiaColonial India refers to areas of the Indian Subcontinent under the rule of European colonial powers. The colonial era in India began in 1502, when the Portuguese established the first European trading centre at Kollam, Kerala. In 1510 the Portuguese sailor, Vasco da Gama, established an important...
.
Definition
A
Hindu ' onMouseout='HidePop("32387")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Devanagari">Devanagari
Devanagari , also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal. It is written from left to right, lacks distinct letter cases, and is recognizable by a distinctive horizontal line running along the tops of the letters that links them together. Devanāgarī is the main script used to...
: हिन्दू) is an adherent of
HinduismHinduism is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is often referred to as ', a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal law", by its adherents. Generic "types" of Hinduism that attempt to accommodate a variety of complex views span folk and Vedic Hinduism to bhakti tradition, as...
, a set of religious,
philosophicalThe term Indian philosophy , may refer to any of several traditions of philosophical thought that originated in the Indian subcontinent, including Hindu philosophy, Buddhist philosophy, and Jain philosophy...
and
culturalThe culture of India has been shaped by its long history, unique geography, diverse demographics and the absorption of customs, traditions and ideas from some of its neighbours as well as by preserving its ancient heritages, which were formed during the Indus Valley Civilization and evolved further...
systems that originated in the
Indian subcontinentThe Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent and other terms, is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate south of the Himalayas, forming a peninsula which extends southward into the Indian Ocean...
. The vast body of Hindu scriptures, divided into
ŚrutiFor other meanings, see Śruti .' is a term that describes the sacred texts comprising the central canon of Hinduism and is one of the three main sources of dharma and therefore is also influential within Hindu Law...
("revealed") and
SmritiSmṛti , literally "that which is remembered," refers to a specific body of Hindu religious scripture. Smṛti also denotes non-Shruti texts and is generally seen as secondary in authority to Shruti. The literature which comprises the Smriti was composed after the Vedas around 500 BCE...
("remembered"), lay the foundation of Hindu beliefs which primarily include
dhármaThe term , is an Indian spiritual and religious term, that means one's righteous duty or any virtuous path in the common sense of the term. A Hindu's Dharma is affected by a person's age, class, occupation, and sex. In Indian languages it can be equivalent simply to "religion", depending on context...
,
kármaKarma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Sikh and Buddhist philosophies..'Karma' is an Eastern religious concept in contradistinction to...
,
ahimsaAhimsa is a Sanskrit term meaning to do no harm . It is an important tenet of the religions that originated in ancient India . Ahimsa is a rule of conduct that bars the killing or injuring of living beings...
and
saṃsāraSamsara is the endless cycle of suffering caused by birth, death and rebirth within Buddhism, Bön, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and other related religions....
.
VedāntaVedanta was originally a word used as a synonym for that part of the Veda known also as the Upanishads. The name is a sandhied form of Veda-anta = "Veda-end" = "the appendix to the Vedas"...
and
yogaYoga refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India. The word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. In Hinduism, it also refers to one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy, and to the goal toward which that school directs...
are one of the several core schools of
Hindu philosophyHindu philosophy is divided into six Sanskrit schools of thought, or darshanas , which accept the Vedas as supreme revealed scriptures, and three schools, which do not accept the Vedas as supreme...
, broadly known as the Sanatan Dharm .
Hinduism is regarded as the oldest of world's major religions and
Hindu mythologyHindu mythology is the large body of traditional narratives related to Hinduism, notably as contained in Sanskrit literature, such as the Sanskrit epics and the Puranas. As such, it is a subset of Indian mythology...
and
philosophyHindu philosophy is divided into six Sanskrit schools of thought, or darshanas , which accept the Vedas as supreme revealed scriptures, and three schools, which do not accept the Vedas as supreme...
has had a profound impact in many parts of the world, especially
southernThe term Greater India refers to the historical spread of the Culture of India beyond the Indian subcontinent proper. This concerns the spread of Hinduism in Southeast Asia in particular, introduced by the Indianized kingdoms of the 5th to 15th centuries, but may also extend to the earlier spread...
and South East Asia. With more than a billion adherents, Hinduism is the world's
third largest religionIn the 20th century study of comparative religion, major religious groups or "world religions" were divided up by adherence to a specific philosophy or theology. However, there is no consensus among researchers as to the best methodology for determining the religiosity profile of the world's...
. Vast
majority of HindusHinduism is the largest religion in India, with 80.5% of the population identifying themselves as Hindus. The vast majority of Hindus in India belong to Vaishnavite and Shaivite denominations.The Vedic culture originated in India between 2000 and 1500 BC...
, approximately 1 billion, live in
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
. Other countries with
large Hindu populationsThe percentage of Hindu population of each country was taken from the US State Department's International Religious Freedom Report 2006. Other sources used were the CIA World Factbook and adherents.com. The total population of each country was taken from census.gov .-By country:-By region:These...
can be found in various parts of the world.
Etymology
The word
Hindu first appeared in the Old Persian language which most likely was derived from the
SanskritSanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India. It is also declared as a classical language by the government of India....
word
Sindhu, the historic local appellation for the
Indus RiverThe Indus River is the longest river in...
in the northwestern part of the
Indian subcontinentThe Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent and other terms, is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate south of the Himalayas, forming a peninsula which extends southward into the Indian Ocean...
. In Persian literature the word Hindu-E-Falak is found. The usage of the word
Hindu was further popularized by the Arabic term
al-Hind referring to the land of the people who live across river Indus. By 13th century,
HindustānHindustan "land of Hind", is one of the popular names of South Asia. Though the meaning of Hindustan has evolved over the years, after the partition of India it primarily refers to the Republic of India.-Etymology:...
emerged as a popular alternative
name of IndiaThe name India may refer to either the region of Greater India , or to the contemporary Republic of India contained therein. The term is derived from the name of the Sindhu and has been in use in Greek since Herodotus...
, meaning the "land of
Hindus". 'Hindus' came to be used for people regardless of their religious affiliation and mainly as a geographical term. It was only towards the end of the 18th century, the European merchants and colonists referred collectively to the followers of Dharmic religions in
Hindustan — which geographically referred to most parts of the northern Indian subcontinent — as
Hindus. Eventually, it came to define a precisely religious identity that includes any person of
Indian originThe demographics of India is remarkably diverse. India's population of approximately 1.17 billion people consists of approximately one-sixth of the world's population...
who did not practice
Abrahamic religionsAbrahamic religions has become a popular and often used designation for the monotheistic faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, emphasizing their common origin and values. For some 1,300 years their histories and thought have been intertwined...
or religions such as Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism or Buddhism and came to be known as a Hindu, thereby encompassing a wide range of religious beliefs and practices..
One of the accepted views is that
ism was added to
Hindu around 1830 to denote the culture and religion of the high-caste Brahmans in contrast to other religions. The term
Hinduism was soon appropriated by the
Hindus in IndiaHinduism is the largest religion in India, with 80.5% of the population identifying themselves as Hindus. The vast majority of Hindus in India belong to Vaishnavite and Shaivite denominations.The Vedic culture originated in India between 2000 and 1500 BC...
themselves as they tried to establish a national, social and cultural identity opposed to
European colonialism in IndiaColonial India refers to areas of the Indian Subcontinent under the rule of European colonial powers. The colonial era in India began in 1502, when the Portuguese established the first European trading centre at Kollam, Kerala. In 1510 the Portuguese sailor, Vasco da Gama, established an important...
.
Definition
A
Hindu ' onMouseout='HidePop("13536")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Devanagari">Devanagari
Devanagari , also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal. It is written from left to right, lacks distinct letter cases, and is recognizable by a distinctive horizontal line running along the tops of the letters that links them together. Devanāgarī is the main script used to...
: हिन्दू) is an adherent of
HinduismHinduism is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is often referred to as ', a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal law", by its adherents. Generic "types" of Hinduism that attempt to accommodate a variety of complex views span folk and Vedic Hinduism to bhakti tradition, as...
, a set of religious,
philosophicalThe term Indian philosophy , may refer to any of several traditions of philosophical thought that originated in the Indian subcontinent, including Hindu philosophy, Buddhist philosophy, and Jain philosophy...
and
culturalThe culture of India has been shaped by its long history, unique geography, diverse demographics and the absorption of customs, traditions and ideas from some of its neighbours as well as by preserving its ancient heritages, which were formed during the Indus Valley Civilization and evolved further...
systems that originated in the
Indian subcontinentThe Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent and other terms, is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate south of the Himalayas, forming a peninsula which extends southward into the Indian Ocean...
. The vast body of Hindu scriptures, divided into
ŚrutiFor other meanings, see Śruti .' is a term that describes the sacred texts comprising the central canon of Hinduism and is one of the three main sources of dharma and therefore is also influential within Hindu Law...
("revealed") and
SmritiSmṛti , literally "that which is remembered," refers to a specific body of Hindu religious scripture. Smṛti also denotes non-Shruti texts and is generally seen as secondary in authority to Shruti. The literature which comprises the Smriti was composed after the Vedas around 500 BCE...
("remembered"), lay the foundation of Hindu beliefs which primarily include
dhármaThe term , is an Indian spiritual and religious term, that means one's righteous duty or any virtuous path in the common sense of the term. A Hindu's Dharma is affected by a person's age, class, occupation, and sex. In Indian languages it can be equivalent simply to "religion", depending on context...
,
kármaKarma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Sikh and Buddhist philosophies..'Karma' is an Eastern religious concept in contradistinction to...
,
ahimsaAhimsa is a Sanskrit term meaning to do no harm . It is an important tenet of the religions that originated in ancient India . Ahimsa is a rule of conduct that bars the killing or injuring of living beings...
and
saṃsāraSamsara is the endless cycle of suffering caused by birth, death and rebirth within Buddhism, Bön, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and other related religions....
.
VedāntaVedanta was originally a word used as a synonym for that part of the Veda known also as the Upanishads. The name is a sandhied form of Veda-anta = "Veda-end" = "the appendix to the Vedas"...
and
yogaYoga refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India. The word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. In Hinduism, it also refers to one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy, and to the goal toward which that school directs...
are one of the several core schools of
Hindu philosophyHindu philosophy is divided into six Sanskrit schools of thought, or darshanas , which accept the Vedas as supreme revealed scriptures, and three schools, which do not accept the Vedas as supreme...
, broadly known as the Sanatan Dharm .
Hinduism is regarded as the oldest of world's major religions and
Hindu mythologyHindu mythology is the large body of traditional narratives related to Hinduism, notably as contained in Sanskrit literature, such as the Sanskrit epics and the Puranas. As such, it is a subset of Indian mythology...
and
philosophyHindu philosophy is divided into six Sanskrit schools of thought, or darshanas , which accept the Vedas as supreme revealed scriptures, and three schools, which do not accept the Vedas as supreme...
has had a profound impact in many parts of the world, especially
southernThe term Greater India refers to the historical spread of the Culture of India beyond the Indian subcontinent proper. This concerns the spread of Hinduism in Southeast Asia in particular, introduced by the Indianized kingdoms of the 5th to 15th centuries, but may also extend to the earlier spread...
and South East Asia. With more than a billion adherents, Hinduism is the world's
third largest religionIn the 20th century study of comparative religion, major religious groups or "world religions" were divided up by adherence to a specific philosophy or theology. However, there is no consensus among researchers as to the best methodology for determining the religiosity profile of the world's...
. Vast
majority of HindusHinduism is the largest religion in India, with 80.5% of the population identifying themselves as Hindus. The vast majority of Hindus in India belong to Vaishnavite and Shaivite denominations.The Vedic culture originated in India between 2000 and 1500 BC...
, approximately 1 billion, live in
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
. Other countries with
large Hindu populationsThe percentage of Hindu population of each country was taken from the US State Department's International Religious Freedom Report 2006. Other sources used were the CIA World Factbook and adherents.com. The total population of each country was taken from census.gov .-By country:-By region:These...
can be found in various parts of the world.
Etymology
The word
Hindu first appeared in the Old Persian language which most likely was derived from the
SanskritSanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India. It is also declared as a classical language by the government of India....
word
Sindhu, the historic local appellation for the
Indus RiverThe Indus River is the longest river in...
in the northwestern part of the
Indian subcontinentThe Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent and other terms, is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate south of the Himalayas, forming a peninsula which extends southward into the Indian Ocean...
. In Persian literature the word Hindu-E-Falak is found. The usage of the word
Hindu was further popularized by the Arabic term
al-Hind referring to the land of the people who live across river Indus. By 13th century,
HindustānHindustan "land of Hind", is one of the popular names of South Asia. Though the meaning of Hindustan has evolved over the years, after the partition of India it primarily refers to the Republic of India.-Etymology:...
emerged as a popular alternative
name of IndiaThe name India may refer to either the region of Greater India , or to the contemporary Republic of India contained therein. The term is derived from the name of the Sindhu and has been in use in Greek since Herodotus...
, meaning the "land of
Hindus". 'Hindus' came to be used for people regardless of their religious affiliation and mainly as a geographical term. It was only towards the end of the 18th century, the European merchants and colonists referred collectively to the followers of Dharmic religions in
Hindustan — which geographically referred to most parts of the northern Indian subcontinent — as
Hindus. Eventually, it came to define a precisely religious identity that includes any person of
Indian originThe demographics of India is remarkably diverse. India's population of approximately 1.17 billion people consists of approximately one-sixth of the world's population...
who did not practice
Abrahamic religionsAbrahamic religions has become a popular and often used designation for the monotheistic faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, emphasizing their common origin and values. For some 1,300 years their histories and thought have been intertwined...
or religions such as Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism or Buddhism and came to be known as a Hindu, thereby encompassing a wide range of religious beliefs and practices..
One of the accepted views is that
ism was added to
Hindu around 1830 to denote the culture and religion of the high-caste Brahmans in contrast to other religions. The term
Hinduism was soon appropriated by the
Hindus in IndiaHinduism is the largest religion in India, with 80.5% of the population identifying themselves as Hindus. The vast majority of Hindus in India belong to Vaishnavite and Shaivite denominations.The Vedic culture originated in India between 2000 and 1500 BC...
themselves as they tried to establish a national, social and cultural identity opposed to
European colonialism in IndiaColonial India refers to areas of the Indian Subcontinent under the rule of European colonial powers. The colonial era in India began in 1502, when the Portuguese established the first European trading centre at Kollam, Kerala. In 1510 the Portuguese sailor, Vasco da Gama, established an important...
.
Definition
The roots of the diverse set of religious beliefs, traditions and philosophy of Hindus were laid during the
Vedic ageThe Vedic Period is the period during which the Vedas, the oldest sacred texts of the Indo-Aryans, were being composed. Scholars place the Vedic period in the second and first millennia BCE continuing up to the 6th century BCE based on literary evidence.The associated culture, sometimes referred...
which originated in India between 2000 and 1500 BC. The ancient
Vedic religionVedic religion may refer to:*the historical Vedic religion- Vedic Hinduism **Vedic mythology*Shrauta, surviving conservative traditions within HinduismIn wider meanings of the term "Vedic"*Vedanta*Hinduism in general...
is considered by most scholars as the predecessor of the modern religion of Hindus and it has had a profound impact on India's
historyThe known history of India - the name in this context includes the areas now known as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh - begins with the Indus Valley Civilization, which spread and flourished in the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent, from c. 3300 to 1300 BCE. Its Mature Harappan period...
,
cultureThe culture of India has been shaped by its long history, unique geography, diverse demographics and the absorption of customs, traditions and ideas from some of its neighbours as well as by preserving its ancient heritages, which were formed during the Indus Valley Civilization and evolved further...
and
philosophyThe term Indian philosophy , may refer to any of several traditions of philosophical thought that originated in the Indian subcontinent, including Hindu philosophy, Buddhist philosophy, and Jain philosophy...
. The
VedasThe Vedas are a large body of texts originating in Ancient India. The texts are composed in Vedic Sanskrit and form the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature, and the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism....
is oldest sacred book of Hinduism and lays the foundation of several schools of Hindu thought. The
UpanishadThe Upanishads are Hindu scriptures that constitute the core teachings of Vedanta. They do not belong to any particular period of Sanskrit literature: the oldest, such as the Brhadaranyaka and Chandogya Upanishads, date to the late Brahmana period , while the latest were composed in...
s refers to those scriptures which form the core teachings of the
VedāntaVedanta was originally a word used as a synonym for that part of the Veda known also as the Upanishads. The name is a sandhied form of Veda-anta = "Veda-end" = "the appendix to the Vedas"...
philosophy.
Adi ShankaraAdi Shankara ; , also known as ' and ', was an Indian philosopher who consolidated the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta, a sub-school of Vedanta. His teachings are based on the unity of the soul and Brahman, in which Brahman is viewed as without attributes...
's commentaries on the Upanishads led to the rise of
Advaita VedantaAdvaita Vedanta is a sub-school of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy. Other major sub-schools of Vedānta are Dvaita and . Advaita is a monistic system of thought...
, the most influential sub-school of
Vedanta.
Hinduism consists of
several sects and denominationsHinduism comprises numerous sects or denominations. The denominations are roughly comparable to different religions. The main divisions in current Hinduism are Shaivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism, and Smartism...
, of which
VaishnavismVaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or his associated avatars, principally as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God. This worship in different perspectives or historical traditions addresses God under the names of Narayana,...
and
ShaivismShaivism names the oldest of the four sects of Hinduism. Followers of Shaivism, called "Shaivas," and also "Saivas" or "Saivites," revere Shiva as the Supreme Being. Shaivas believe that Shiva is All and in all, the creator, preserver, destroyer, revealer and concealer of all that is. Shaivism is...
are by far the most popular. Other aspects include
folkFolk Hinduism or Popular Hinduism is the aspect of Hinduism as a folk religion, i.e. nominal Hinduism mixed with Animist practice, as opposed to its scholastic or mystical aspects...
and
conservative Vedic Hinduism' traditions are conservative ritualistic traditions of historical Vedic religion in Hinduism, based on the body of Śruti literature. They persist in a few places in India today although constituting a clear minority within Hinduism...
. Since the 18th century, Hinduism has accommodated a host of new religious and
reform movementsSeveral contemporary groups, collectively termed Hindu reform movements, strive to introduce regeneration and reform to Hinduism. Although these movements are very individual in their exact philosophies they generally stress the spiritual, secular and logical and scientific aspects of the Vedic...
, with
Arya SamajArya Samaj is a Hindu reform movement founded in India by Swami Dayananda in 1875. He was a sannyasi who believed in the infallible authority of the Vedas. Dayananda advocated the doctrine of karma and reincarnation, and emphasized the ideals of brahmacharya and sanyasa...
being one of the most notable Hindu revivalist organizations. Due to the wide diversity in the beliefs, practices and traditions encompassed by Hinduism, there is no universally accepted definition on who a Hindu is, or even agreement on whether term Hinduism represents a religious, cultural or socio-political entity. In 1995, Chief Justice P. B. Gajendragadkar was quoted in an
Indian Supreme CourtThe Supreme Court of India is the highest court of the land as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India. According to the Constitution of India, the role of the Supreme Court is that of a federal court, guardian of the Constitution and the highest court of appeal.Articles 124...
ruling:
- When we think of the Hindu religion, unlike other religions in the world, the Hindu religion does not claim any one prophet; it does not worship any one god; it does not subscribe to any one dogma; it does not believe in any one philosophic concept; it does not follow any one set of religious rites or performances; in fact, it does not appear to satisfy the narrow traditional features of any religion or creed
A creed is a statement of belief—usually religious belief—or faith often recited as part of a religious service. The word derives from the for I believe...
. It may broadly be described as a way of life and nothing more.
Thus some scholars argue that the Hinduism is not a religion
per se but rather a
reification1846 "act of materializing" from L re, stem of res "thing"Reification may refer to:*Reification , making a data model for a previously abstract concept*Reification , fallacy of treating an abstraction as if it were a real thing...
of a diverse set of traditions and practices by scholars who constituted a unified system and arbitrarily labeled it Hinduism. The usage may also have been necessitated by the desire to distinguish between "Hindus" and followers of other religions during the periodic
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
undertaken by the colonial British government in India. Other scholars, while seeing Hinduism as a 19th century construct, view Hinduism as a response to British colonialism by Indian nationalists who forged a unified tradition centered on oral and written
SanskritSanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India. It is also declared as a classical language by the government of India....
texts adopted as scriptures.
A commonly held view, though, is that while Hinduism contains both "uniting and dispersing tendencies", it has a common central thread of philosophical concepts (including
dharmaThe term , is an Indian spiritual and religious term, that means one's righteous duty or any virtuous path in the common sense of the term. A Hindu's Dharma is affected by a person's age, class, occupation, and sex. In Indian languages it can be equivalent simply to "religion", depending on context...
,
mokshaIn Indian religions, Moksha or Mukti , literally "release" , is the liberation from samsara, the cycle of death and rebirth or reincarnation and all of the suffering and limitation of worldly existence after realization of God...
and
samsaraSamsara is the endless cycle of suffering caused by birth, death and rebirth within Buddhism, Bön, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and other related religions....
), practices (puja,
bhaktiBhakti in practice signifies an active involvement by the devotee in divine worship. The term is often translated as "devotion", though increasingly "participation" is being used as a more accurate rendering, since it conveys a fully engaged relationship with God...
etc) and cultural traditions. These common elements originating (or being codified within) the
VedicThe Vedas are a large body of texts originating in Ancient India. The texts are composed in Vedic Sanskrit and form the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature, and the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism....
,
UpanishadThe Upanishads are Hindu scriptures that constitute the core teachings of Vedanta. They do not belong to any particular period of Sanskrit literature: the oldest, such as the Brhadaranyaka and Chandogya Upanishads, date to the late Brahmana period , while the latest were composed in...
and Puranic scriptures and epics. Thus a Hindu could:
- follow any of the Hindu schools of philosophy
Hindu philosophy is divided into six Sanskrit schools of thought, or darshanas , which accept the Vedas as supreme revealed scriptures, and three schools, which do not accept the Vedas as supreme...
, such as AdvaitaAdvaita Vedanta is a sub-school of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy. Other major sub-schools of Vedānta are Dvaita and . Advaita is a monistic system of thought...
(non-dualismDualism denotes a state of two parts. The word's origin is the Latin duo, "two" . The term 'dualism' was originally coined to denote co-eternal binary opposition, a meaning that is preserved in metaphysical and philosophical duality discourse but has been diluted in general or common usages.-Moral...
), VishishtadvaitaVishishtAdvaita Vedanta ) is a sub-school of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy, the other major sub-schools of Vedānta being Advaita and Dvaita. VishishtAdvaita is a non-dualistic school of Vedanta philosophy...
(non-dualism of the qualified whole), DvaitaDvaita , a school of Vedanta founded by Shri Madhvacharya, stresses a strict distinction between God and the individual souls...
(dualismDualism denotes a state of two parts. The word's origin is the Latin duo, "two" . The term 'dualism' was originally coined to denote co-eternal binary opposition, a meaning that is preserved in metaphysical and philosophical duality discourse but has been diluted in general or common usages.-Moral...
), DvaitadvaitaDvaitadvaita was proposed by Nimbarka, a Vaishnava Philosopher who hailed from Andhra Region. Nimbarka’s philosophical position is known as Dvaitadvaita . The categories of existence, according to him, are three, i.e., Chit, acit, and Isvara...
(dualism with non-dualism), etc.
- follow a tradition centered on any particular form of the Divine, such as Shaivism
Shaivism names the oldest of the four sects of Hinduism. Followers of Shaivism, called "Shaivas," and also "Saivas" or "Saivites," revere Shiva as the Supreme Being. Shaivas believe that Shiva is All and in all, the creator, preserver, destroyer, revealer and concealer of all that is. Shaivism is...
, VaishnavismVaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or his associated avatars, principally as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God. This worship in different perspectives or historical traditions addresses God under the names of Narayana,...
, ShaktismShaktism is a denomination of Hinduism that focuses worship upon Shakti or Devi – the Hindu Divine Mother – as the absolute, ultimate Godhead...
, etc.
- practice any one of the various forms of yoga
Yoga refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India. The word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. In Hinduism, it also refers to one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy, and to the goal toward which that school directs...
systems; including bhaktiBhakti in practice signifies an active involvement by the devotee in divine worship. The term is often translated as "devotion", though increasingly "participation" is being used as a more accurate rendering, since it conveys a fully engaged relationship with God...
(devotionDevotion, devotional, or devotee may refer to:Religion:* General** worship** prayer** devotional song* Christian** Anglican devotions** Catholic devotions***Devotional medal...
) in order to achieve mokshaIn Indian religions, Moksha or Mukti , literally "release" , is the liberation from samsara, the cycle of death and rebirth or reincarnation and all of the suffering and limitation of worldly existence after realization of God...
.
In 1995, while considering the question "who are Hindus and what are the broad features of Hindu religion", the
Supreme Court of IndiaThe Supreme Court of India is the highest court of the land as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India. According to the Constitution of India, the role of the Supreme Court is that of a federal court, guardian of the Constitution and the highest court of appeal.Articles 124...
highlighted
Bal Gangadhar TilakBal Gangadhar Tilak –, was an Indian nationalist, teacher, social reformer and independence fighter who was the first popular leader of the Indian Independence Movement. The British colonial authorities derogatorily called him the "Father of the Indian unrest"...
's formulation of Hinduism's defining features:
- Acceptance of the Vedas with reverence
Reverence is to show extreme honor and respect for something or someone.Reverence may also refer to:*Reverence , the first album by the band Faithless*Reverence , an EP by the black metal band Emperor...
; recognition of the fact that the means or ways to salvationIn religion, salvation is the concept that God or other Higher Power, as part of Divine Providence, "saves" humanity from spiritual death or eternal damnation by providing for them an eternal life...
are diverse; and the realization of the truth that the number of gods to be worshipped is large, that indeed is the distinguishing feature of Hindu religion.
Some thinkers have attempted to distinguish between the concept of Hinduism as a religion, and a Hindu as a member of a nationalist or socio-political class.
Veer SavarkarSwatantryaveer Vināyak Dāmodar Sāvarkar was an Indian politician and an Indian Independence Movement activist, who is credited with developing the Hindu nationalist political ideology Hindutva...
in his influential pamphlet "
Hindutva: Who is a Hindu?Hindutva: Who is a Hindu? is a 1923 ideological pamphlet by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.The text exhibits one of the early uses of the term Hindutva . It is one of the foundational texts of contemporary Hindu nationalism.Savarkar wrote the pamphlet while imprisoned in Ratnagiri jail...
" considered geographical unity, common culture and common race to be the defining qualities of Hindus; thus a Hindu was a person who saw India "as his Fatherland as well as his Holy land, that is, the cradle land of his religion". This conceptualization of Hinduism, has led to establishment of
HindutvaHindutva is the term used to describe movements advocating Hindu nationalism....
as the dominant force in
Hindu nationalismHindu nationalism has been collectively referred to the expressions of social and political thought, based on the native spiritual and cultural traditions of India...
over the last century.
Ethnic and cultural fabric
Hinduism, its religious doctrines, traditions and observances are very typical and inextricably linked to the culture and demographics of India. Hinduism has one of the most ethnically diverse bodies of adherents in the world.It is hard to classify Hinduism as a religion because the framework, symbols, leaders and books of reference that make up a typical religion are not uniquely identified in the case of Hinduism.Hinduism is almost 40,000 years old relegion. Most commonly it can be seen as a "way of life" which gives rise to many other civilized forms of religions.
Large tribes and communities indigenous to India are closely linked to the synthesis and formation of Hindu civilization. Peoples of East Asian roots living in the states of north eastern India and Nepal were also a part of the earliest Hindu civilization. Immigration and settlement of peoples from
Central AsiaAsia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east, and from southern Russia in the north to northern India in the south. It is also sometimes known as Middle Asia or Inner Asia, and is within the scope of the wider Eurasian continent.Various definitions of its...
and peoples of Indo-Greek heritage have brought their own influence on Hindu society.
The roots of Hinduism in southern India, and amongst tribal and indigenous communities is just as ancient and fundamentally contributive to the foundations of the religious and philosophical system.
Ancient Hindu kingdoms arose and spread the religion and traditions across South East Asia, particularly
ThailandThe Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia.It is bordered to the north by Laos and Burma, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Burma...
,
NepalNepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia and the world's youngest republic. It is bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, Burma,
MalaysiaMalaysia is a country in Southeast Asia that consists of thirteen states and three Federal Territories, with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. The population stands at over 28 million inhabitants...
,
IndonesiaThe Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...
,
CambodiaThe Kingdom of Cambodia , formerly known as Kampuchea , is a country in South East Asia with a population of over 14 million people. The kingdom's capital and largest city is Phnom Penh...
and what is now central
VietnamVietnam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam , is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east...
. A form of Hinduism particularly different from Indian roots and traditions is practiced in
BaliBali is an Indonesian island located at the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It is one of the country's 33 provinces with the provincial capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island....
, Indonesia, where Hindus form 90% of the population. Indian migrants have taken Hinduism and Hindu culture to
South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with a coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To the north lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland, while Lesotho is an independent country surrounded by South Africa.Modern...
, Fiji, Mauritius and other countries in and around the
Indian OceanThe Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering about 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by South Asia ; on the west by Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and Australia; and on the south by the Southern Ocean...
, and in the nations of the West Indies and the
CaribbeanThe Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands , and the surrounding coasts...
.
Hindu ceremonies, observances and pilgrimages
Hinduism is also very diverse in the religious ceremonies performed by its adherents for different periods and events in life, and for death. Principal Festivity of the Hindus also vary from region to region which include Diwali, Shivratri, Ram Navami, Janmashtmi, Ganapati, Durgapuja, Holi, Navaratri, etc.
Many Hindus make pilgrimages to the holy shrines (known as
tirthasCoupled with the concept of the power of the Mantra, in Hinduism, there is the concept of the holiness of a place. A holy place or a place of pilgrimage has two technical equivalents in Hindu tradition, namely, Tirtha and Kshetra.-Tirtha:...
). Hindu holy
shrineA shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated...
s include
Mount KailashMount Kailash is a peak in the Gangdisê Mountains, which are part of the Himalayas in Tibet...
,
AmarnathThe Amarnath caves are one of the most famous shrines in Hinduism, dedicated to the god Shiva, located in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir...
,
Vaishno DeviVaishno Devi Mandir is one of the holiest Hindu temples dedicated to Shakti, located in the hill of Vaishno Devi, Jammu and Kashmir, India. In Hinduism, Vaishno Devi, also known as Mata Rani and Vaishnavi, is a manifestation of the Mother Goddess.The temple is near the town of Katra, in Jammu...
, Rameshwaram, and
KedarnathKedarnath is a Hindu holy town located in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is a nagar panchayat in Rudraprayag district. The most remote of the four Char Dham sites, Kedarnath is located in the Himalayas, about 3584m above sea level near the head of river Mandakini, and is flanked by...
. Prominent Hindu
holy citiesHoly city is a synonym applied to many cities, all of them central to the history or faith of specific religions. These cities include:-Americas:*Cuzco *Salt Lake City...
include
VaranasiVaranasi , also commonly known as Benares or Banaras and Kashi , is a city situated on the left bank of the River Ganga in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, regarded as holy by Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains...
(Benaras),
TirupatiTirupati may refer to:* Tirupati Temple - Temple of Lord Venkateshwara* Tirupati - a pilgrimage city located in the vicinity of the Tirupati Temple* Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams - Trust of Tirupati Temple...
,
HaridwarHaridwar ) is a holy city and municipal board in the Haridwar District of Uttarakhand, India. In Hindi, Haridwar stands for Dwar of Hari or Gateway to God, 'Hari' meaning god and 'dwar' meaning gate...
, Nashik,
UjjainUjjain , is an ancient city of Malwa region in central India, on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River It is the administrative centre of Ujjain District and Ujjain Division.In ancient times the city was called Ujjayini...
,
DwarkaDwarka , also spelled Dvarka, Dwaraka, and Dvaraka, is a city and a municipality located in the Jamnagar district of Gujarat state in India. Dwarka , also known as Dwarawati in Sanskrit literature is rated as one of the seven most ancient cities in the country...
,
PuriPuri , is a city in the east Indian state of Orissa. It is also known to many as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple, which was built in the late eleventh century....
, Prayaga, Mathura,
MayapurMayapur is located on the banks of the Ganges river, at the point of its confluence with the Jalangi, near Navadvip, West Bengal, India, 130 km north of Kolkata...
and
AyodhyaAyodhya is an ancient city of India, the old capital of Awadh, in the Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh. Ayodhya is described as the birth place of Hindu god Shri Ram, and the capital of Kosala Kingdom. This Hindu holy city is described as early as in the Hindu Epics. During the time of Gautama...
.
Goddess
DurgaIn Hinduism, the Goddess Durga or Maa Durga "one who can redeem in situations of utmost distress"...
's holy shrine in
Vaishno DeviVaishno Devi Mandir is one of the holiest Hindu temples dedicated to Shakti, located in the hill of Vaishno Devi, Jammu and Kashmir, India. In Hinduism, Vaishno Devi, also known as Mata Rani and Vaishnavi, is a manifestation of the Mother Goddess.The temple is near the town of Katra, in Jammu...
attracts thousands of devotees every year. Hundreds of millions of Hindus annually visit holy rivers such as the
GangesThe Ganges is one of the major rivers of the Indian subcontinent, flowing east through the Gangetic Plain of northern India into Bangladesh. The river rises in the western Himalayas in the Uttarakhand state of India, and drains into the Sunderbans delta in the Bay of Bengal...
("Ganga" in Sanskrit) and temples near them, wash and bathe themselves to purify their sins. The Kumbha Mela (
the Great Fair) is a gathering of between 10 to 20 million Hindus upon the banks of the holy rivers at Allahabad (Prayag), Ujjain, Nashik, as periodically ordained in different parts of India by Hinduism's priestly leadership. The most famous is at the confluence of the Ganga and
YamunaThe Yamuna is the largest tributary river of the Ganges in northern India...
in
Uttar PradeshUttar Pradesh , [often referred to as U.P.] is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 190 million people,...
which is known as "Sangam".
Sixteen sanskars (rituals)
These are various rituals necessary within a life of Hindu. These
samskaram are applied during different phases of life. Some of those are:
- Garbhadharana (conception)
- Jatakarma (birth ceremony)
- Namakarana (naming ceremony)
- Annaprasana (first feeding solid food)
- Choodakarana (first tonsure)
- Vidhyarambha (starting of education)
- Upanayanam
Upanayana , also called "sacred thread ceremony", is commonly known for being a Hindu Sanskara, rite-of-passage ritual, where the concept of Brahman is introduced to a young boy...
(thread ceremony- initiation)
- Vivaha (marriage)
- Anthyesthi (funeral rites)
Some Hindus, may perform initiation ceremonies like
UpanayanaUpanayana , also called "sacred thread ceremony", is commonly known for being a Hindu Sanskara, rite-of-passage ritual, where the concept of Brahman is introduced to a young boy...
or
Janoy or 'Bratabandha'. These ceremonies have variants depending on the
casteA caste is a combined social system of occupation, endogamy, culture, social class, and political power. Caste should not be confused with class, in that members of a caste are deemed to be alike in function or culture, whereas not all members of a defined class may be so alike.Although Indian...
, the culture and the region.
In a ceremony administered by a
priestA priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities. Their office or position is the priesthood, a term which may also apply to such persons collectively.Priests and priestesses...
, a coir string, known as Janoy, Poonool (lit. "flower thread,"
TamilTamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in India, Sri Lanka and Singapore. Tamil is also spoken by significant minorities in Malaysia, Mauritius and Réunion as well as emigrant communities around the world...
), janivara (Kannada, Marathi), is hung from around a young boy's left shoulder to his right waist line for Brahmins and from right shoulders to left waistline by Kshatriyas. The ceremony varies from region to community, and includes reading from the Vedas and special
Mantras and
Slokas.
Religion for the common Hindu
To many Hindus, the Vedas, a large corpus of texts that originated in Ancient India, are the main source of religious social and religious practices in Hindu society. By tradition, the distinction between "believer" and "unbeliever" (
NastikaAstika and Nastika are technical terms in Hinduism used to classify philosophical schools and persons, according to whether they accept the authority of the Vedas as supreme revealed scriptures, or not...
) was simply whether the person, in principle, accepted the authority of the
VedasThe Vedas are a large body of texts originating in Ancient India. The texts are composed in Vedic Sanskrit and form the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature, and the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism....
. Such acceptance was in many cases a matter of common terminology and wildly different belief systems coexist (including atheistic, polytheistic, monotheistic, among others) within the community of "believers." Consequently, for the common Hindu, the connection to the Vedas is mostly through certain chants that are performed at various ceremonies, and not through an emotional/spiritual connection to the content of the Vedas.
The
PuranasThe Puranas are a group of important Hindu religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the Universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of the kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography...
are a wide collection of religious treatises, biographies and stories on the historical, mythological and religious characters in Hindu folklore, classic literature and sacred scriptures. They are often the source of popular Hindu folk tales and religious lessons and thus play a much bigger role in the emotional/spiritual dimension of the common Hindu's life.
YogaYoga refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India. The word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. In Hinduism, it also refers to one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy, and to the goal toward which that school directs...
is an important connection for a Hindu to his religious and historical heritage. The art of spiritual and physical exercises are a distinguished native tradition pursued by millions of Hindus worldwide.
Indian Vedic astrology is important to the conduct of any of life's important events such as marriage, applying for a post or admission, buying a house or starting a new business. To millions of Hindus the kundali is an invaluable possession that charts the course of life for a man or a woman from the time of his birth, all ascertained by Vedic mathematics and astrology.
Perhaps the most popular Hindu scripture is the
MahabharataThe Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the . The epic is part of the Hindu itihāsa , and forms an important part of Hindu mythology....
, depicting a civil war within a family that takes on dimensions of the struggle between
dharma and
adharma.
KrishnaKrishna is a deity worshipped across many traditions in Hinduism in a variety of perspectives...
's discourse to the warrior prince
ArjunaArjuna, Arjun or Arjunaa is one of the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' , was such a peerless archer that he is often referred to as Jishnu - the undefeatable...
, known as the
Bhagavad GitaThe Bhagavad Gita is one of the most important Hindu scriptures. It is revered as a sacred scripture of Hinduism, and considered as one of the most important philosophical classics of the world. The Bhagavad Gita comprises 700 verses, and is a part of the Mahabharata...
and contained in the Mahabharata, is the guide book on life for the common Hindu. For many Hindus the Bhagavad Gita is considered a source of divine guidance and inspiration. Devotional readers apply Krishna's teachings to the personal and worldly contexts of their life. It is often considered as the main source of religious teaching for Hindu practitioners.
Similarly, the
RamayanaThe Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is attributed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon . The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India, the other being Mahabharata...
, depicting the life of the prince and king
RamaRama or Ramachandra is the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a legendary king of Ayodhya in ancient India...
, also plays a big role through its many different versions. To hundreds of millions of Hindus, Rama is more than just an incarnation of the Supreme, or simply a just king of Ayodhya. He is the still living, thriving soul and identity of real Hinduism. Rama is the image of Hinduism, the Perfect Man, its conscience and undying hope of deliverance.
The doctrines of
mokshaIn Indian religions, Moksha or Mukti , literally "release" , is the liberation from samsara, the cycle of death and rebirth or reincarnation and all of the suffering and limitation of worldly existence after realization of God...
by the diligent discharge of personal, social and religious duty is the cornerstone of Hindu society. By following one's duty (Swa-Dharma) one gains merit and, when the process is completed, union with the Godhead and cessation of the cycle of birth and death. Dereliction of duty will result in all sorts of misfortunes, including birth into a lower level in the social hierarchy. This is a strong motivation to stick to the right path of human nature. Commonly this swa-dharma or varna is misunderstood as
casteA caste is a combined social system of occupation, endogamy, culture, social class, and political power. Caste should not be confused with class, in that members of a caste are deemed to be alike in function or culture, whereas not all members of a defined class may be so alike.Although Indian...
, the class identity in Hindu society. Varna is determined by a soul's karma, while Jat or caste is determined by birth and not necessarily in a person's nature. So it is important for a person to follow their true nature and seek to do their duty in life.