In india from ancient times there have been many sects, but they all have many common beliefs, by those beliefs one is identified as a hindu. Hinduism is more of a religious culture than a fixed doctrinal system. Main hinduism philosophy of religion hindu religion. Hinduism download books, sacred, spiritual texts and pdf. Hinduism is considered to be a religion, most of the times. In this article, we detail the two different categories these texts are organized into, shruti and smriti, and overview the most popular of the hindu texts. The word sruti comes from a sanskrit root meaning to hear, as it was believed that ancient seers heard or perceived these texts by direct revelation from a higher power. Hinduism, buddhism, christianity, philosophy of confucianism. Some say those belonging to sects such as buddhism, jainism, and. Term for the hindu belief that the form a person will take in the next life is determined by present behavior. Scholars regard hinduism as a fusion or synthesis of various indian. Download the bible, the holy quran, the mahabharata, and thousands of free pdf ebooks on buddhism, meditation, etc.
The isopanisad is one of the more mystical ones and one of the oldest and shortest. Hinduism is a way of life, a philosophy, a state of mind, and a religion. This edition focuses on the hindi religion, its philosophy and concepts which have influenced eastern culture for thousands of years. The vedas and these other works are further divided into two sections. The concluding portions of the vedas are called upanisads. The book, which was first published in 1947, has now been rearranged in a more convenient form, with useful additions here and there, and is now released in its fifth edition. Hinduism represents a very broad and diverse philosophy embedded within religion. The shared basis for a worldview and the shared concept of sacred in hinduism is well reflected in the hindu mythology and philosophy. The majority of the vedas are considered the shruti, which is translated to that which is hard. There is six main hinduism philosophy from orthodox sanatan hinduism, all six accept the authority of vedas so these philosophy known as astik school theist philosophy. If we are going by population, the largest three religions are christianity, islam, and hinduism and therefore the three holy books would be the. I cant say im a hindu expert yet but now i have a good understanding of it.
There are four vedas namely rigveda, yajurveda, samaveda and. May 31, 2007 many people dispute whether hinduism i view buddhism as being a part of hinduism as opposed to an independent religion is a religion, or a culture, or a spirituality, or a way of life, or a philosophy. Hinduism teaches that there is no particular way or book to reach god or heaven. Too broad really to have any pretentions about explaining what hinduism stands for on a page like this. It is a part of my everyday life, my every step, and my every breath. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Hinduism is a heterodox group of different religious traditions and philosophies with some common cultural and formalreligious scriptural linksfoundations in recognizing the vedic authority even if in practice relaying much more on later scri. Hinduism simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. If you ever wanted to learn about the concepts and fundamentals of hinduism then this is the book for you.
The majority of the world believe hinduism, to be a religion of worship of many gods through many rituals. If someone doesnt accept the authority of vedas are known as atheist in sanatan dharma. In origin hinduism rests on the vedic traditions and on the tantric traditions. So there are two school one is theist school and other one atheist school. The hindu philosophy sarvadeva namaskara kesavamprathi gattchathi means that you can worship in any way or form you choose, for all are true paths that lead to god. The key principles, beliefs and concepts of hinduism. The epic of gilgamesh from sumer, although only considered by some scholars as a religious text, has origins as early as 2150 bce, and stands as one of the earliest literary works that includes various mythological figures and themes. Other significant populations are found in nepal 23 million, bangladesh 15 million and the indonesian island of bali 3. Of the two religions, hinduism is infinitely more popular, with an incredible 82 percent of the population practicing it. That is where practices like astrology, yoga, meditation. However, all of these texts can be broadly classified as. He can be found throughout the universe but it also believed to transcend it. Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, and some practitioners and scholars refer to it as sanatana dharma, the eternal tradition, or the eternal way, beyond human history. Hinduism is neither monotheistic nor restricted to one religious scripture.
The sruti, the divinely inspired holy books of hinduism, were written at different times, in different places, by different people, and for different reasons. Hindus believe that they are followers of a common religion. For a religion to be reconciled with science it needs to fulfill three requirements. Hindu philosophy is an attempt to outline the essence of the six classic systems of hindu philosophy, namely. It is here we find the core texts on vedanta and the ideas. Hinduism, and the various systems of hindu thought. As a hindu, i live my life a certain way according to hindu philosophies and beliefs. The veda is a rather unusual collection of literature. There are also other holy books like puranas, ramayana, mahabharta etc. Some of the other holy works and books of hinduism. A reflection on hinduism philosophy as an eastern religion.
Hinduism, buddhism, judaism, islam, christianity, philosophy of confucianism have influenced major parts of the population in severe ways. Some of the other holy works and books of hinduism are stories and epic poems. Accordingly, the philosophy of any particular department of experience, the philosophy of religion, the philosophy of art, the philosophy of law, is to be taken as meaning an analysis and interpretation of the experience in question in its bearing upon our view of man and the world in which he lives. However, the holy books in hinduism are the basis on which we have evolved our culture and way of living. Hinduism is defined and described in a variety of ways, as the following items indicate. Hinduism a beautiful religious tradition philosophy and. Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world, and hindus refer to it as sanatana dharma, the eternal tradition, or the eternal way, beyond human history. Hinduism allows people to develop and grow at their own pace by making different spiritual paths available to them.
The holy book of hindu religion by hindu religious. We do hope that all serious students of hindu religion and philosophy will find the book useful and. It was formed in the vedic and epic ages of classical india, but it wasnt formed by one particular person, which makes it unique. There is something called pramana, authority, which our acharyas have recognised, and as per the acharyas a set of books are considered primary texts, whereas, other books based on these primary books can also be referred to.
One can conclude without an iota of doubt that hinduism is a religion in the same sense that christianity is a religion, though the two religions are different. Hindu dharm is the way of aligning ones life with the world as per the shared worldview and the sacred. Rather, there is a huge array of different sacred texts. More strikingly than any other major religious community, hindus acceptand indeed celebratethe organic, multileveled, and sometimes pluralistic nature of their traditions. Hinduism is the most widely practiced religion in india. They are rig veda, sama veda, yajur veda and atharva veda.
Hinduism is commonly thought of as a religion, but this is an inaccuracy, it is a way in which most of the people of india who are not muslim live. These 8 western philosophers were influenced by hinduism. Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world, note 2 and hindus refer to it as sanatana dharma, the eternal tradition, or the eternal way, beyond human history. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading hinduism made easy. It was unveiled by the narendra modi, prime minister of india on 26 february, 2019. May 17, 2019 hinduism a beautiful religious tradition hinduism may be the worlds oldest religion, relating to many scholars, with roots and customs dating back significantly more than 4,000 years. Tolerance in hinduism practical philosophy and rational. The book contains 270 pages and is divided in 57 small easytoread chapters, containing authentic information about all the important aspects of hindu religion, culture, and philosophy. Hinduism does not possess a single holy book like bible in christianity and quran in islamic dharma. Today, with about 900 million followers, hinduism could be the thirdlargest religion behind christianity and islam. The following are the most sacred holy books in hinduism. May 04, 2020 the sama veda or the song of knowledge is one of four vedas, a group of ancient texts believed to the divine.
Hinduism 4 vedas are the most holy scriptures of hinduism. Give us health, ample land, and lights, o soma, and grant us long to look upon the sunshine. Five of the hindu holy books are the rig veda, bhagavad gita, sama veda, yajur veda, and athava veda. In hinduism there is one god, the great power, or brahman. When persians came to india they referred to the river sindhu as hindu. All other schools of thought are but variations of these six. Buddhism is also a philosophy, but i am not extremely knowledgable about buddhism so i cant answer that for you. Isopanisad or the isha upanishad is a part of the ancient upanishads, the cornerstones of the hindu religion. Aug 04, 2014 hinduism is considered as the most tolerant of all the popular religions of the world. There is no real right answer, since hinduism contains so much diversity of thought.
Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world, behind christianity and islam. Use of terms like way of life instead of religion is an attempt to deny the legal and constitutional rights of hindus and must be resisted. You should read enough of the materials presented in this section concerning the tradition of hinduism in order to understand how this tradition displays the characteristics or elements that make a tradition one that would be termed a religion. The third edition includes chapters on the origins of hinduism as well as its history of relations with buddhism, christianity, and islam. The holy books in hinduism are there only for guidance. Hindu philosophy is an outline of the essence of the six classic systems of hindu philosophy. Hinduism made easy by shalu sharma is a wellwritten and informative book in her educational series on india, its people and culture. Hinduism made easy is a break down of how hinduism originated, philosophy, and all the various aspects of it. This expansiveness is made possible by the widely shared hindu view that truth or reality cannot be encapsulated in any creedal formulation, a perspective expressed in. One of the oldest known religious texts is the kesh temple hymn of ancient sumer, a set of inscribed clay tablets which scholars typically date around 2600 bce.
Hinduism is not a religion hindu culture, philosophy, and. The guru in hinduism is a person who instructs others in religious matters and worship. But if you dig deep, then there are philosophies embedded in the religious hindu books, and these philosophies, as well as the teachings, have influenced western philosophers too. All of these religions philosophies went different ways in their teachings, so as a result theyve had vastly different effects on their followers. Hinduism holy book important books and writings of hinduism. The set of rules for good living or dharmic living that have been laid down constitute the hindu religion.
Unlike christianity or islam, it is a not a religion that is governed by the book. Philosophy strictly speaking is an inquiry into the nature of reality determined by human reason alone, without reference to a divine revelation. The difference between philosophy and theology is a western concept. The vedas, the best known hindu sacred texts, are some of the earliest religious texts in existence. According to ranganathan, a careful philosophical study of hinduism reveals it as the microcosm of philosophical disagreements with indian resources, across a variety of topics, including. The worlds largest bhagavad gita is in the iskcon temple delhi, which claims to be the worlds largest sacred book of any religion. Hinduismintroduction wikibooks, open books for an open. Hinduism grants absolute and complete freedom of belief and worship. These sacred books began as an oral tradition that was passed down unaltered for thousands of. It allows various schools of thought under its broad principles. Therefore, hinduism does not have a particular holy book unlike the bible, which is used by the christians and the quran, the holy book of islam.
Even though the hindu religion is the oldest religion in the world, there are many misconceptions that laypeople have about it. Hinduism definition, hindu religion, gods, beliefs, history, holy book. Hinduism is an indian religion and dharma, or way of life, widely practiced in the indian subcontinent and parts of southeast asia. Hindu religion, philosophy and concepts kindle edition by sharma, shalu. We do hope that all serious students of hindu religion and philosophy will find the book. I understand hinduism does not have a founder of the religion, and it does not have a socalled formal religious text like bible or alquran. The holy books of world religions sacred texts in world. Hinduism is a very decentralized religion, in the sense that is has no single leader, code of ethics, or a single holy book. Hinduism is a compilation of many traditions and philosophies and is considered by many scholars to be the worlds oldest religion, dating back more than 4,000 years.
Jun 18, 2009 living enlightened master, acharya shree yogeesh, answers the question what is hinduism. Hinduisms tolerance or rather acceptance of people who do not believe in religion and people of other religions jews, christians, zoroastrians, muslims is there in the history and geography books for everyone to see. Other holy scriptures in hinduism are called the upanisads, the smrutis, the puranas, the ramayana and the mahabharata. Hindu philosophy the essence of the six classic system. The holy book contains all things, but since the basic duty of the holy book is, as mentioned above, to teach about the perfections, essential qualities and acts of god and the duties and the status and affairs pertaining to the sphere of servanthood to god, it contains them either in the form of seeds or nuclei or summaries or as principles or. Hinduism is a heterodox group of different religious traditions and philosophies with some common cultural and formal religious scriptural linksfoundations in recognizing the vedic authority even if in practice relaying much more on later scri. That is why the worship in hinduism basically lies in self effort. The chapters are divided and organized well each flowing from one to the next. A contemporary philosophical investigation explores hinduism and the distinction between the secular and religious on a global scale. The sama veda has a history of oral transmission for hundreds of years before it was written down in 1200 to bce at about the same time as atharvaveda and the yajurveda. God can manifest itself in many forms and this often leads to the idea that there are many gods. In the beginning rose hiranyagarbha, born only lord of all created beings.
Scholars regard hinduism as a combination of different indian cultures and traditions, with diverse roots. All hindus know that some books are considered holy by everyone, and not every book written by every author becomes holy. Hindus value many sacred writings as opposed to one holy book. Is hinduism and buddhism a religion or a philosophy. Hindu festivals are combinations of religious ceremonies, semiritual spectacles, worship, prayer, lustrations, processions, music and dances, eating, drinking, lovemaking, licentiousness, feeding the poor, and other activities of a religious or traditional character. Only one additional school is presented in the book, the kasmir saivism shaivism which gives the most detailed analysis of the ultimate principle. Translated by various sanskrit scholars set in 30 volumes in 38 parts sanskrit is fun part ii. Within these broad principles, there are a number of specific beliefs and concepts. The hindu claims that the sacred books of his faith were written by holy men called. Nyaya, vaisesika, samkhya, yoga, mimarinsa, and vedanta. The vedas are the oldest religious scriptures available to us.
The truths of science can be objectively proven but the truths of religion must be subjectively experienced. Some worship krishna as the supreme personality of godhead, while others worship shiva as adiyogi. Hinduism a brief overview of the development of hinduism. Brahman is the supreme spirit, beyond all understanding. Hinduism, as the worlds most ancient surviving religion, could have it no other way. Instead of dividing hindu history into periods, klostermaier arranges it thematically, tracing the parallel histories of the major subtraditions. Indias religion and philosophy with the origins of hinduism and buddhism in india, religion is considered to be extremely important. Hinduism is widely practiced in south asia mainly in india and nepal. The aryans gave hinduism its priestly language, sanskrit. Sruti pronounced shroothee are the holy books within hinduism that are considered to be divinely inspired, and thus infallible and authoritative. Today, hinduism is largely practiced in india where over 80% of indians claim to be hindu. The tantric traditions in hinduism do not have any particular holy books, but much rather combine many ancient sciences such as astronomy, astrology, numerology, physiognomy, physics, chemistry, alchemy, ayurveda the traditional medicine of india, psychology, mathematics, geometry, and so. The most holy of the hindu books is written in sanskrit and is referred to as the vedas.