The bhagavad gita, usually considered part of the sixth book of the mahabharata dating from about 400 or 300 b. As in vaisheshika shastra, there are texts about the various types and qualities of matter and objects their functions, similarities and differences. Sanatana dharma, known as hinduism or hindu dharma, buddhism or. The mahabharata is an ancient epic, sometimes called the longest poem ever written. Hindus as well as hindus who are living in the west, an introduction to the faith.
Manusmriti falls in the smriti category of hindu scriptures and hence, it is less authoritative than vedas and upanishads. Knowledge was one of the first creations to take place. In hindu belief, creation started with the divine syllable om. The upanishads are also called as vedantas or the end of the vedas. It is compared to the milk obtained from the upanishadic cows and hence a complete reference guide for hindu thought and beliefs. While as books of great antiquity they may not they may not throw much light on the ancient history of hinduism, it is difficult to ignore their contribution to the gradual evolution of hinduism into of the most popular religions of the world. We provide unique and original resources on the beliefs, philosophy and essential practices of the following religions. Nov 30, 2017 shastra is a broad term and include any book which has codes and conduct given by god. The nyaya school of philosophical speculation is based on texts known as the nyaya sutras. Hindu website, hinduism, buddhism, jainism, sikhism. Righteousness science ancient indian body of jurisprudence that is the basis, subject to legislative modification, of the family law of hindus living in territories both within and outside india e. Hinduism is practised by more than 80% of indias population.
Christianity broadly consists of individuals who believe in the deity jesus christ. Hinduism is the largest and oldest religion on earth almost 5,000 years old. The primary sacred texts, known as the vedas, were composed around 1500 b. Vedas and upanishadas are the most authoritative amongst all hindu scriptures and holy books. Hindu sacred texts the sacred texts of hinduism fall into one of two categories. The bhagavad gita is perhaps the single most important holy book of hinduism today. Ravan demon king of lanka was a devout follower of lord shiva. Hindu sacred literature is the most ancient of the living literatures of the world. Learn hinduism chapter 6 with free interactive flashcards. The term veda means knowledge and in ancient india all science were believed to be derived from and based on vedas. In indian tradition, the word used for philosophy is darshana. The shastras refer to the various religious books of hinduism. The scriptures of the vedas are meant to guide hindu believers in their daily lives. The shastras originated with an oral tradition passed down verbally over countless millennial.
Printed books of the torah and prophets may not be placed directly on the floor or under other kinds of books or items. They were passed on from generation to generation orally for centuries before they were. The bhagavad gita by krishnadwaipayana vyasa, the upanishads by anonymous, the gita way secret recipe to achieve the purpose. Around 1750 bc aryan invaders from central asia settled in north west india and introduced their own religious. This religious book defines the boundary of the religion and the followers would be expected to strictly abide by that holy book. Hinduismthe vedas wikibooks, open books for an open world. The most important are the four vedas called rigveda. Without them and the two great epics, hinduism would not have attained this status. The galaxy of hindu literature is very vast and voluminous. The majority of the vedas are considered the shruti, which is translated to that which is hard. Dharmasutras and dharma shastras among the texts inspired by the vedas are the dharmasutras, or manuals on dharma, which contain rules of conduct and rites as they were the dharmashastra literature, written in sanskrit, exceeds 5,000 titles.
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. This genre of texts includes the sutras and shastras of the six schools of hindu philosophy. There are two historic classifications of hindu texts. Information on hinduism for kids primary homework help. Two types of sacred writings comprise the hindu scriptures. The basic scriptures of hinduism, which are collectively referred to as shastras, are essentially a collection of spiritual laws discovered by different saints and sages at different points in its long history. Vedanta darshan vedanta has 3 branches advaita,vishisht advaita, dvaita. Also, there is no single definition of the word hindu.
Among the texts inspired by the vedas are the dharmasutras, or manuals on dharma, which contain rules of conduct and rites as they were practiced in various vedic schools. Hinduism, major world religion originating on the indian subcontinent and comprising several and varied systems of philosophy, belief, and ritual. This sacred text is divided into two main sections, the old testament and the new testament which are then further divided into various books. Hinduism embraces a great diversity of beliefs, a fact that can be initially confusing to westerners accustomed to creeds, confessions, and carefullyworded belief statements.
In hinduism sutra denotes a distinct type of literary composition, based on short aphoristic statements, generally using various technical terms. Beyond the sruti, hindu texts include smritis, shastras, sutras, tantras, puranas. This literary form was designed for concision, as the texts were intended to be memorized by students in some of the formal methods of scriptural and scientific study sanskrit. These texts are glorious tales of the hindu trinity brahma, vishnu and maheshwar shiva. Today, hinduism is a global religion with adherents living on every continent, and comprising majorities in three countries. Hinduism holy book important books and writings of hinduism. In late and post vedic literature of hinduism, shastra referred to any treatise, book or instrument of teaching, any manual or compendium on any subject in any field of knowledge, including. There are many proves in most important holy book of. The sanatana dharma literature is so extensive that it is hard even for a vedic genius to comprehend and remember the theme of all of entire literature related to sanatana dharma. Although technically it is not sruti, since it is part of an epic, most hindus treat it as though it is divinely inspired in practice. Etymology shastra commonly refers to a treatise or text on a specific field of knowledge.
The vedangas are sixshiksha science of pronunciation, yyakaranam. Hinduism places very little importance on criticism of other religions because hindus believe that the path to god transcends all human thought. Buddhism and jainism, two religious sects with a close affinity to hinduism, do not regard the vedas as scriptual authority and hindus refer to them as heterodox or nonorthodox nastika. These are also called the astika orthodox philosophical traditions and are those that accept the vedas as an authoritative, important source. The bhagavadgita, the song of god, is the bestknown hindu scripture in the world. However, the puranas are supposed to be complied by muni vyasa. According to hinduism, this act of pedophilia was the starting point of universe. The religious texts of hindus encompass a very large corpus. Hindu scriptures and holy books hinduism facts hinduism facts. Hindu texts are manuscripts and historical literature related to any of the diverse traditions. Vedas four, vedangas six, purana, meemansa, nyaya, dharma shasthras, ayurveda, dhanurveda, gandharva veda and ardha economics sasthras. 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. He was a great scholar, a capable ruler and a maestro of the veena.
Definition of shastra vedic scripture and sikhism learn religions. There are many proves in most important holy book of hindus named vedas, shastras, puranas and also in shrimadbhagvat geeta ji that is only one sadguru is complete knower of all holy scriptures. Forming two chapters of the mahabharata, it is a spiritual treatise spoken by krishna to arjuna as they sat on a chariot between two armies poised for battle. Religion is a way of life in india, where hinduism is practiced by over eighty percent of the population. Some of the other holy works and books of hinduism are stories and epic poems. In early vedic literature, the word referred to any precept, rule, teaching, ritual instruction or direction. In holy purans, lord brahma also known as viraj harassed and raped his own 6 year old daughter sarasvati also known as padma or savitri or satarupa. There are six darshan shastras called the six schools of philosophy.
Mar 26, 2014 hinduisms canon it is often said of hinduism that, unlike the abrahamic religions, it is not a religion of the book. Also, while christianity has the holy bible, and islam has the holy koran, hinduism does not have a single religious scripture. Hinduism dharmasutras and dharmashastras britannica kids. Sep 26, 2014 hinduism, the oldest religion still practiced today, has between 900 million and 1 billion adherents. Bhagavad gita the technical part of book 6 of the mahabharata is also the world famous one. How do hindus show respect for their holy book answers. Holy books of hinduism hinduism a perspective the religions founded by individuals have one book that summarizes the philosophies of the founder or the same from the disciples perspective and so on. There is no single scripture as it is in other religions like christianity and islam. Ambedkar had burnt the copies of it as a protest against the hindu caste system. The holy books of world religions sacred texts in world. This book is written by a westerner who is a practicing hindu, to give non.
Nyaya sanskrit niaya, literally recursion, used in the sense of syllogism, inference is the name given to one of the six orthodox or astika schools of hindu philosophyspecifically the school of logic. Brahma later married sarasvati and they lived together in a lotus for 100 years. If the indus valley civilization 3rd2nd millennium bce was the earliest source of hindu traditions, then hinduism is the oldest living religion on earth. The word is generally used as a suffix in the indian literature context, for technical or specialized knowledge in a defined area of practice. Jan 15, 2009 the vedas are the prime book of knowledge on which primary hindu beliefs stands.
The institutes of vishnu sbe 7 julius jolly, translator 1880 sacred books of the east, vol. One can believe a wide variety of things about god, the universe and the path to liberation and still be considered a hindu. Shruti that which is heard, 5 and smriti that which is remembered. The basics of hinduism hinduism is so diverse that the basics are spread over thousands of texts and these depict a vast series of events that unfolded over a long course of time. Where the vedas gave a foundation for the direction of hinduism, the upanishads filled in the gaps. Hinduism is an ancient religion with diverse traditions such as vaishnavism, shaivism. Hinduism is the worlds third most popular religion, with around 750 million followers. This word comes from the sanskrit root drish to see, to experience. Online books on hinduism, hindu religion, hindu culture. Shastra saastr is a sanskrit term meaning code, rules, or treatise, and refers to vedic scriptures, which includes 14 to 18 sacred books of hindu philosophy considered in hinduism to be of sacred authority. But why is it that people dont really have a good answer when asked, what is hinduism. More than being completely erroneous, this is an uninformed canard that implicitly suggests, hinduisms true place is more in line with paganism than.
Hinduism is also an indigenous religion made up of a diverse family of philosophies and traditions that have been practiced primarily throughout asia for thousands of years. This is also when the idea of karma was written in text. There are a number of scriptures and holy books in hinduism. Vaimanika shastra is a very strange illustrated book about ancient flying machines from hindu india. The word shruti means what has been heard by the seers rishis or saints direct from the gods or what was revealed to the seers. Hinduism is based on a set of scholarly views mentioned in hundreds of scriptures such as the vedas, the upanishads, the puranas, and the shastras. Hindu philosophy refers to philosophies, world views and teachings that emerged in ancient india. Ashtadasa vidya 18 types of sasthras are said mainly. Itihasas in hindu religious context this term refers to the mahabharata and. Indian shastras and scriptures in the field of science. Six shastras, or vedangas, analysis of instructive scripture include. Historically, it has been closely associated with the hindu school of logic, nyaya. The smriti literature is a vast corpus of diverse texts, and includes but is not limited to vedangas, the hindu epics, the sutras and shastras, the texts of hindu philosophies, the puranas, the kavya or poetical literature, the bhasyas, and numerous nibandhas digests covering politics, ethics, culture, arts and society.
Hinduism is an indian religion and dharma, or way of life, widely practised in the indian subcontinent and parts of southeast asia. Hinduism for beginners an concise introduction to the eternal path to liberation by. The vedas and these other works are further divided into two sections. What are the names of the six shastras of hinduism. But the vedantic beliefs went under much transformation and became gradually polytheistic in character.
These include six systems shaddarsana sankhya, yoga, nyaya, vaisheshika, mimamsa and vedanta. List of holy books in hinduism the galaxy of hindu literature is very vast and voluminous. Christianity vs hinduism difference and comparison diffen. Shankaracharya, madhvachary and ramanujacharya are the leader of all three branches. Online books on hinduism, hindu religion, hindu culture, shastras, hindu scripture, vedas, upanishad, hindu saints, sages, science and hinduism. Among the texts inspired by the vedas are the dharmasutras, or manuals. Can you learn about jesus by reading the book of mormon. There are six shashtra in hinduism, details are given below. This is one of the most popular and accessible of all hindu scriptures, required reading for anyone interested in hinduism. The shruti refers to the body of most authoritative, ancient religious texts, believed to be eternal knowledge authored neither by human. More than a billion people are followers of indias eternal faith.
Introduction hinduism stands for the faith and the way of life most of the people who live in india. The most revered book of hinduism, the bhagvad geeta is an accompaniment to the mahabharat epic and is considered the refined summary of entire hindu thought. Toward the end of the vedic period, and more or less simultaneously with the production of the principal upanishads, concise, technical, and usually aphoristic texts were composed about various subjects relating to the proper and timely performance of the vedic sacrificial rituals. Choose from 500 different sets of hinduism chapter 6 flashcards on quizlet. The authors of sikhisms holy scripture the guru granth sahib make many. There is no one holy book for hindus, such as the bible of judaism and christianity or the. The values of the religion are taught through two sources known as shruti and smriti. As per the vedantic embodiments hinduism is monotheistic. So for the systematic process of understanding, the deep rooted philosophy of santaana dharma, the great sages wrote darshan shastras defining six schools of vedic philosophy in the forms of sutras. Hinduism holy book important books and writings of hinduism sacred text of hinduism some important books and writings on hinduism hinduism does not possess a single holy book like bible in christianity and quran in islamic dharma. Hindus value many sacred writings as opposed to one holy book. Hindu mythology also says there is a legend of a holy peak, a perfect 4 sided pyramid. Hinduism unlike islam, christianity and judaism, does not have a single holy. While everything seems to be debunked and even the author admits that the entire content is based upon visions, the content is widely used to ignite theories about an golden ancient era in india where people build flying machines.
His ten heads represent his knowledge of the six shastras and the four vedas. Manusmriti was the first book written on the law in the world, which deals with the social and moral conduct of a person. Hinduism is such an ancient religion that it had many types of beliefs and religious practices. Introduction overview the history of hinduism sacred texts vedas sutras, shastras, and smritis the vedangas dharmasutras and dharma shastras. The religion of hinduism originated in northern india, near the river indus, about 4000 years ago and is the worlds oldest existing religion. Ramayana and mahabharata are the two important holy books of hinduism. Dec 31, 2011 the book is an in depth treatise on advaita as revealed in the read more and download pdf categories hinduism, nonduality tags advaita, metaphysics, nonduality, upanishads 4 comments. Apr 03, 20 the puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. Download the bible, the holy quran, the mahabharata and thousands of free pdf ebooks on buddhism, meditation etc. Holy books of hinduism the religions founded by individuals have one book that summarizes the philosophies of the founder or the same from the disciples perspective and so on. Feller learn with flashcards, games, and more for free. In sikhism, the hindu rituals described in the texts of the shastra are rejected. Its followers, called christians, often believe christ is the son of the holy trinity and walked the earth as the incarnate form of god the father.