There are more than one billion followers of hinduism in the world today. Sruti literally means that what is revealed and smriti means that what is remembered. Its the oldest book known in the world, and therefore, hinduism is also sometimes referred to as the oldest religion. The mahabharata great wars of the bharatas in an epic poem containing over 220,000 lines. Although a common misperception is that the vedas and the upani. Hinduism holy book important books and writings of hinduism. The upanishads are contained within the vedas and delve into the metaphysical nature of the universe and soul. It falls in the smriti category of hindu scriptures and hence, it is less authoritative than vedas and upanishads. Hinduism includes a diversity of ideas on spirituality and traditions, but has no ecclesiastical order, no unquestionable religious authorities, no governing body, no prophets nor any binding holy book. It is believed that hinduism originated in northern india, and in india today, more than 80% of the population are followers.
Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world, as well as the worlds oldest religion. It is indias major religion, but unlike many other religions in the world, hinduism has no founder. The puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. The belief system in the hindi religion is outlined from these scriptures. It is an inclusive religious group, allowing for a lot of diversity. The most ancient sacred texts of the hindu religion are written in sanskrit and called the vedas. Thus any definition of hinduism is somewhat arbitrary and requires qualification. 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 term hinduism became familiar as a designator of religious ideas and practices distinctive to india with the publication of books such as hinduism 1877 by. Jul 28, 2019 the vedas are classified into four groupssa.
Moreover, the religion of the older sruti texts bears little resemblence to. Sadhus holy men of hinduism a photography book by olivier. The vedas are scriptures that the hindu people use as a guide to daily and religious life. Many scholars liken hinduism to a family of religions, with all affiliated members bearing a family resemblance.
They got their present form between 1200200 bce and were introduced to india by the aryans. They are rig veda, sama veda, yajur veda and atharva veda. Aug 25, 2009 the vedas these are the most ancient religious texts which define truth for hindus. Most of hinduism s sacred texts were written in sanskrit in ancient times. Texts and books of the smriti bhagavadgita bhagavadgita the most holy book oh hinduism is the bhagvadgita.
Hinduism holy books hindus value many sacred writings as opposed to one holy book. However, smruti texts often carry almost as much authority as sruti. This is why it had to oppose modern science which, too. Facts about hinduism ks3 religious studies bbc bitesize. A jar known as a kamandalu this is a jar made of metal or even coconut shell, containing water. Hinduism information for students and children kids. The upanishads are a collection of hindu texts which contain some of the central philosophical concepts of hinduism. It is believed that hinduism dates back to 500010,000 bc. The word hindu is an exonym, and while hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, many practitioners refer to their religion as sanatana dharma sanskrit. Hinduism does not possess a single holy book like bible in christianity and quran in islamic dharma.
The sacred texts of hinduism fall into one of two categories. Jan 29, 2017 hinduism facts unique and interesting facts about hinduism posted on january 29, 2017 by temple purohit hinduism is the oldest living religion in the world, enduring today as a healthy, spirited and colourful group of traditions. Which religious book has true facts, the quran or hindus. There are also other holy books like puranas, ramayana, mahabharta etc. Hinduism is not based on a strict set of rules, it is not based on a single holy book, and it wasnt founded by one individual. 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. These texts are glorious tales of the hindu trinity brahma, vishnu and maheshwar shiva. List of holy bookstexts and scriptures in hinduism. Instead, hinduism has a large body of spiritual texts that guide devotees. What is heard in hinduism, the mostrevered body of sacred literature, considered to be the product of divine revelation. Sadhus holy men of hinduism a photography book by olivier remualdo.
The four vedas the rig veda, the sama veda, the yajur veda and the atharva veda are the authentic texts of hinduism and are comprised of hymns, incantations, rituals and the importance of practicing them in daily life. Hindu texts are manuscripts and voluminous historical literature related to any of the diverse traditions within hinduism. Information on hinduism for kids primary homework help. Hindu scriptures and holy books are divided mainly into two categories viz sruti and smriti. This holy book is written in the sanskrit language. The hindu faith draws on a number of sacred texts and there is no standard set of. Hinduism is the name of the religion, and its followers are known as hindus. As hinduism is an idolcentric religion, its core principles are of no consequence to science. The concluding portions of the vedas are called upanisads. The vedas a collection of hymns praising the vedic gods. As sruti revealed texts, the vedas are regarded as the absolute authority for religious knowledge and a test of hindu orthodoxy both jains and buddhists reject the vedas. The goal of life in hinduism is to attain salvation, or moksha 2. Swami sriyukteswar giri guru of paramahansa yogananda writes in his book that the current day age is actually dwaparayuga in his book holy science.
The primary sacred texts, known as the vedas, were composed around 1500 b. Hinduism does not have a single holy book that guides religious practice. The most famous of the hindu holy books is the vedas pronounced veyduhs, which is a book of knowledge. The rig veda is the oldest known book in the world.
Puranas were written almost entirely in narrative couplets, in much the same easy flowing style as the two. First among these are the vedas knowledge in sanskrit, a collection of hymns on the divine forces of nature presenting key hindu teachings. The vedas rgveda rigveda, yajurveda, samaveda, atharvaveda see further down 2. There are multiple sects, theologies, and beliefs in hinduism, and there is no single book of doctrine. The most sacred scriptures of hinduism are the vedas books of knowledge, a collection of texts written in sanskrit from about 1200 bce to 100 ce. However, the puranas are supposed to be complied by muni vyasa. Members of the third sex are sometimes sometimes recognized for having divine powers or insights.
Oct 01, 2019 the rig veda is the oldest known book in the world the rig veda is an ancient text written in sanskrit. Foreword by patrick levy, author of sadhus going beyond the dreadlocks. A few texts are shared resources across these traditions and broadly considered as hindu scriptures. Hence, sruti is what ancient hindu saints heard during deep meditation. The date is uncertain, but most experts date it back to 1500 years b. Thus any definition of hinduism is somewhat arbitrary and. Apr 03, 20 the puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. Other holy scriptures in hinduism are called the upanisads, the smrutis, the puranas, the ramayana and the mahabharata. Nov 07, 20 there are multiple sects, theologies, and beliefs in hinduism, and there is no single book of doctrine. It takes up to two chapters of the mahabharata and is the thesis vocalized by krishna to arjuna as they were in the chariot sitting ready between the armies for battle. The gita consists of lord krishnas teachings to arjuna on the way to live life. The fact that hindus believe that god is everywhere means they can worship. Scholars hesitate in defining the term hindu scriptures given the diverse nature of hinduism, but many list the bhagavad gita.
This sets it apart from other religions and makes it really hard to set down exactly what hinduism actually is. Hindus can choose to be polytheistic, pantheistic, panentheistic, pandeistic, henotheistic, monotheistic, monistic, agnostic, atheistic or. Rather, there is a huge array of different sacred texts. Hindu holy books vedas refer to a third sex, roughly defined as people for whom sex is not procreative, either through impotence or a lack of desire for the opposite sex. Manusmriti hinduism facts, interesting facts about hinduism. Hinduism is the oldest of the six major world religions. Manusmriti was the first book written on the law in the world, which deals with the social and moral conduct of a person. Hinduism facts unique and interesting facts about hinduism.
Ancient in the sacred literature of hinduism, any of a number of popular encyclopaedic collections of myth, legend, and genealogy, varying greatly as to date and origin. A spoonladle which is associated with the pouring of holy ghee or oil onto a sacrificial pyre signifying brahma as the lord of sacrifices. Mar 25, 2020 the most holy of the hindu books is written in sanskrit and is referred to as the vedas. It is the worlds thirdlargest religion, with over 1.
Hinduism a brief overview of the development of hinduism. Religious books are about guidance, not about facts. Hinduism information for students and children kids portal. Mar 26, 2020 the holy book in the hindu religion is known as the vedas. Hinduism is the worlds oldest religion, according to many scholars, with roots and customs dating back more than 4,000 years. Oct 03, 2019 adi shankara adi shankaracharya advaita vedanta bhagavad gita english translations higher consciousness hindu scriptures hindu texts hindu texts religious text hinduism hinduism facts hinduism religion holy books holy books of hindus karma rig veda sarvapriyananda lectures spirituality swami sarvapriyananda the vedas upanishads vedanta. Contents hinduism beliefs hinduism symbols hinduism holy books origins of hinduism hinduism vs.
Sruti belongs to the vedic period while smriti belongs to the postvedic period. Hinduism today has number of holy books, the most important being the four vedas divine knowledge which are the foundation of hindu philosophy. The oldest are called the vedas and are written in sanskrit. The holy books of hinduism hinduism details simplyhindu.
Hinduism does not have a founder or even a founding event. The most holy book considered in hinduism is the bhagavad gita. The different gods and goddesses in the hindu mythology are derived from these books. The concept of hinduism being a single monolithic religion is recent, dating back only to the 19th century. Moreover, the religion of the older sruti texts bears little resemblence to modern hinduism and is largely unknown to the average hindu.
There is one supreme god that cannot be fully known or. We do hope that all serious students of hindu religion and philosophy will find the book useful and. Sruti scriptures are considered divinely inspired and fully authoritative for belief and practice, while smruti are recognized as the products of the minds of the great sages. In life we are confronted with spiritual issue for which there is no answer in science, such as what should be the family structure or why we we love our forefathers too much, and what happens a. The authors are called the vedas and the upanishads, and theyre mostly used by priests, but there are some like the ramayana and bhagavad gita, which a lot of. Manusmriti hinduism facts, interesting facts about. Most of hinduisms sacred texts were written in sanskrit in. Om or aum is a symbol and a sound that is associated with hinduism. The upanisads these consider the nature of the individual soul atman and the universal soul brahman. This book contains hymns or songs that are meant to praise the hindu gods.
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