List of world religions and founders, religious books, place. Even the authors who composed over 14,000 poems said that they are giving the vedas in tamil. These 8 western philosophers were influenced by hinduism. Invading the sacredhinduism and western academiafree ebook. The hebrew name for their only god used in the bible is. Why hindus worship so many gods and goddesses is a real mystery for most people. Professor julius lipner discusses the distinctive nature of hinduism and its.
Five of the hindu holy books are the rig veda, bhagavad gita, sama veda, yajur veda. The one verifiable and well documented historical event which we can be certain of was the advent of the buddha. When western scholars and christian missionaries arrived on the scene, the hindus found their faith tradition ismized and its name became hinduism. It was prompted by the reservations expressed by a significant number of hindus in north america over the way hinduism is. Even the authors who composed over 14,000 poems said that they are giving the vedas in.
It was prompted by the reservations expressed by a significant number of hindus in north america over the way hinduism is portrayed in the western academia. The religion of hinduism originated in northern india, near the river indus, about 4000 years ago and is the worlds oldest existing religion. It has been over 2500 years since buddhism emerged as a religion, and the unique holistic spiritual healing it gives has seen it getting popular in many other parts of the world. While it is true that you can successfully get to the top floor of a building by the stairs, an elevator or an escalator, you cant use all three at once. The upanishads are also called as vedantas or the end of the vedas. To do this, hinduism divides a persons life into four stages or asramas. The bhagavad gita by krishnadwaipayana vyasa, the upanishads by anonymous, the gita way secret recipe to achieve the purpose. Hinduism is the thirdmost widespread religion in the world after islam and christianity and it is thought to be the oldest religion in the world dating back at least 5,000 years ago. These sacred books began as an oral tradition that was passed down unaltered for thousands of. Sep 23, 2008 there is a thinking prevalent among modern hindus, now a days, that due to western education all hindus have given a go by to the tenets of hinduism and do things as they please. The vedas, the best known hindu sacred texts, are some of the earliest religious texts in existence. In modern times, most have been translated into other indian languages and some in western languages. So, why dont they call themselves hindu swami shankarananda confessions of a western hindu magazine web edition octobernovemberdecember 2005 publications hinduism today magazine.
Hindus believe that the vedas transcend all time and dont have a beginning or an end. Hindu texts are manuscripts and historical literature related to any of the diverse traditions. Sruti pronounced shroothee are the holy books within hinduism that are considered to be divinely inspired, and thus infallible and authoritative. The dhammapada is a good book and actually the bhagavad gita is more buddhism than hinduism. Hinduism is the oldest religion, but it didnt start out as a religion, it started out as practices then it got transformed into a religion. The majority of the vedas are considered the shruti, which is translated to that which is hard. The upanishads are commonly referred to as vedanta, variously interpreted to mean either the last chapters, parts of the veda or the object, the highest purpose of the veda. Zoroastrianism and hinduism hindupedia, the hindu encyclopedia.
Most books available on hinduism in bookshops in the west today are written by non. Hinduism download books, sacred, spiritual texts and pdf. The vedas and these other works are further divided into two sections. A holy books for the tamils are thevaramtiruvasagam and divya prabandham. Hindus believe that existence is a cycle of birth, death and rebirth governed by individuals karma. They are rig veda, sama veda, yajur veda and atharva veda. Hinduism is such an ancient religion that it had many types of beliefs and religious practices. Hinduism is a way of life for many people around the world.
The other major religions in india include islam, christianity, and sikhism, which represent 14. The term hinduism became familiar as a designator of religious ideas and practices. The relative authority of religious texts develops over time and is derived from the ratification. The most ancient sacred texts of the hindu religion are written in sanskrit and called the vedas. A few texts are shared resources across these traditions and broadly considered as hindu scriptures. Introduction hinduism stands for the faith and the way of life most of the people who live in india. The reception of hinduism in the western world begins in the 19th century, at first at an academic level of religious studies and antiquarian interest in sanskrit. Scholars hesitate in defining the term hindu scriptures given the diverse. There is no central ancient text that succinctly sums up the religions basic tenets, no single leader that hindus can call the founder of their faith. The concluding portions of the vedas are called upanisads. The belief system in the hindi religion is outlined from these scriptures. The vedas are scriptures that the hindu people use as a guide to daily and religious life.
For example, respect for elders is a foundation of hindu. As per the vedantic embodiments hinduism is monotheistic. India is home to several religions, but the most common is hinduism at 80% of the population. In the west, where the mass majority of people are part of the abrahamic faith tradition with one god, the concept of polytheism is nothing more than fantasy or. Hindu texts are manuscripts and historical literature related to any of the diverse traditions within hinduism. Download the bible, the holy quran, the mahabharata, and thousands of free pdf ebooks on buddhism, meditation, etc. That even an atheist may be called a hindu is an example of the fact that hinduism is far beyond a simple religious system, but actually an extremely diverse and complicated river of. Vedic texts are sometimes called shruti, which means hearing. Scholars regard hinduism as a combination of different indian cultures and traditions, with diverse roots.
Scriptures comprise a large part of the literature of the world. Religious texts are texts related to a religious tradition. New thought teacher william walker atkinson begins to write books on yoga under the pen name swami ramacharaka. Only after world war ii does hinduism acquire a presence as a religious minority in western nations, partly due to immigration, and partly due to conversion, the latter especially in the context of the 1960s to 1970s counterculture. The dating of hinduism is thus linked to the rise of buddhism at about 500 bce. Mazdaen scholars zubin mehta and gulshan majeed 2 had noted a similarity of kashmiri customs with zoroastrian ones. The relations between the academic community and the hindu community in north america have been characterized by a sharp debate. This is the name of several minor characters in hindu texts, and is also another name of the hindu god krishna. The upanishads, the bhagavad gita, 18 puranas, ramayana and mahabharata are also considered important texts in. Hindu sacred literature is the most ancient of the living literatures of the world. The shruti refers to the body of most authoritative, ancient religious texts. She mentions feeling at home with vedanta philosophy, so i think that her blog probably belongs in the smarta section, but i will leave it here until i have read more. Around 1750 bc aryan invaders from central asia settled in north west india and introduced their own religious.
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. Sunita f hinduism, indian, hindi, marathi, nepali means well conducted, wise, derived from the sanskrit prefix su meaning good combined with nita meaning conducted, led. Both zoroastrianism and hinduism have similar origins, pay homage to the same spiritual seers, venerate the same gods and even have the same verses throughout the early scriptures. Aholy books for the tamils are thevaramtiruvasagam and divya prabandham. Hinduism is a religion, or a way of life widely practiced in south asia. The rigveda is a collection of hymns dedicated to 33 gods especially to indri and agni.
What are the holy books of different religions answers. They differ from literary texts by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual practices, commandments or laws, ethical conduct, spiritual aspirations, and for creating or fostering a religious community. Hinduism download books, sacred, spiritual texts and pdf e. This number represents nearly 80% of the population.
If we are going by population, the largest three religions are christianity, islam, and hinduism and therefore the three holy books would be the bible, the quran, and the vedas. Scholars regard hinduism as a fusion or synthesis 6 note 4. The holy book in the hindu religion is known as the vedas. Sunita f hinduism, indian, hindi, marathi, nepali means well conducted, wise, derived from the sanskrit prefix su meaning good combined with. Scholars hesitate in defining the term hindu scriptures given the diverse nature of hinduism, but many list the bhagavad gita and the. The scriptures of the vedas are meant to guide hindu believers in their daily lives. Itihasas in hindu religious context this term refers to the mahabharata and the ramayana but may also be used in reference. Ns essay how the british invented hinduism new statesman. Hinduism does not just have one sacred book but several scriptures. They vary greatly in form, volume, age, and degree of sacredness. The upanishads are a collection of hindu texts which contain some of the central philosophical 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. By reviving the hindu religion, the middle classes of india hope to turn their. These texts are glorious tales of the hindu trinity brahma, vishnu and maheshwar shiva.
Apr 03, 20 the puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. This holy book is written in the sanskrit language. Scripture, also called sacred scripture, the revered texts, or holy writ, of the worlds religions. From the western perspective there is an irreconcilable chasm between religion and science. The primary sacred texts, known as the vedas, were composed around 1500 b. Throughout its extensive history, there have been many key figures teaching different philosophies and writing innumerable holy books. Hinduism is an ancient religion with diverse traditions such as vaishnavism, shaivism. The second phase of the vedic text, called the brahma. 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. The hindu philosophy comes from a wide range of beliefs from scriptures and many other varied religious literatures. Hinduism is the worlds third most popular religion, with around 750 million followers.
About hinduism and 10 inspiring quotes on hinduism by famous personalities. However, the puranas are supposed to be complied by muni vyasa. These books, written from around 1200 bce to 100 ce, began with four vedas, or mantras. Jan 15, 2019 india has the largest hindu population in the world with 870,000,000 individuals. Because of this fact, a western hinduism has naturally begun to develop. Some of the other holy works and books of hinduism are stories and epic poems. 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. For these reasons hinduism is referred as way of life or a family of religions. This sacred text is divided into two main sections, the old testament and the new testament which are then further divided into various books. The vedas are the prime book of knowledge on which primary hindu beliefs stands. Hinduism is considered to be a religion, most of the times. The puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. 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.
There are also other holy books like puranas, ramayana, mahabharta etc. Buddhism is a religion known for its rich spiritual teachings, beliefs, practices and traditions. Countries with the largest hindu populations worldatlas. The vedas scriptures guide hindus in their daily life. In the west, where the mass majority of people are part of the abrahamic faith tradition with one god, the concept of polytheism is nothing more than fantasy or mythology worthy of comic book material. Some of the other holy works and books of hinduism. List of holy books in hinduism the galaxy of hindu literature is very vast and voluminous. Followers of christianity read the holy bible, which included the new testament and the hebrew bible. In the old times, people used to live for about 100 years or more. The holy books of world religions sacred texts in world. Scripture, the revered texts, or holy writ, of the worlds religions.
Sacred words differ from ordinary words in that they are believed either to. When the west discovered hindus, they tried to understand us fitting us in the same. Other holy scriptures in hinduism are called the upanisads, the smrutis, the puranas, the ramayana and the mahabharata. 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. Identity confessions of a western hindu thousands of non indians follow the practices of hinduism and are intrigued by its philosophy. Hinduism is practised by more than 80% of indias population. I can also understand that hinduism has more holy books, unlike other religions, but is there any holy book of the tamil s. Thus hinduism signifies the aryans culture and religious traditions as. Information on hinduism for kids primary homework help. They also help to preserve the religious dimensions of family and society. India is one of the few countries in the world where hinduism is the majority religions.
Hinduism not only tells you the aims of life but it also shows the practical way to how to achieve those aims. Hinduism is an indian religion and dharma, or way of life, widely practised in the indian subcontinent and parts of southeast asia. Hinduism is widely practiced in south asia mainly in india and nepal. The hindu culture is one that revolves around love and respect for others. There are however two holy books for hinduism the mahabhrata and the ramayana. The british assumed that different religious practices could exist only. Hinduism simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
H, and describes her spiritual path from a catholic and seven day adventist upbringing to hinduism. Five of the hindu holy books are the rig veda, bhagavad gita, sama veda, yajur veda, and athava veda. List of world religions and founders, religious books. Hindus value many sacred writings as opposed to one holy book. Dont think of these eastern religions in the same context of western religions like christianity. India has the largest hindu population in the world with 870,000,000 individuals.
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