If you know the answer to this question, please register to join our limited beta program. All hindus know that some books are considered holy by everyone, and not every book written by every author becomes holy. But the most important holy books of hinduism are the vedas. Most books available on hinduism in bookshops in the west today are written by non. As a result, the only way to become a hindu is to be born to hindu parents and raised in a.
The scriptures of the vedas are meant to guide hindu believers in their daily lives. Jul 02, 20 this is a really rounded and positive insight into hinduism, right from its origins, development and current situations. From india in the text called the vedas polytheistic no one founder of the religion 2. Hinduism was a religion that was polytheistic because they believed in many gods. Hinduism is the worlds third most popular religion, with around 750 million followers. Rather, there is a huge array of different sacred texts.
Is conversion to hinduism possible even if youre not indian. A holy books for the tamils are thevaramtiruvasagam and divya prabandham. Most people who practice the hindu religion are born into it, and consider it something of a birthright. Hinduism is an indian religion and dharma, or way of life, widely practiced in the indian. Information on hinduism for kids primary homework help. Scholars hesitate in defining the term hindu scriptures given the diverse nature of hinduism, but many list the bhagavad gita and the. Hinduism does not possess a single holy book like bible in christianity and quran in islamic dharma. Hinduism not only tells you the aims of life but it also shows the practical way to how to achieve those aims. 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. Mar 01, 2020 most people who practice the hindu religion are born into it, and consider it something of a birthright. The believers in the supreme power call him as lord almighty, allah or vishnu as per the religion they are born in christianity, islam and hinduism are the top three religions in the world. The hindu holy scriptures are mainly comprised of the following works. The most holy of the hindu books is written in sanskrit and is referred to as the vedas. Hindu holy texts many hindu practices today somewhat rely on the spiritual literature and authority of the vedastexts of sacred truth revealed from an absolute power to the inhabitants of northern india.
Hinduism download books, sacred, spiritual texts and pdf. You could make a case that american protestantism, which has increasingly less to do with historic, orthodox christianity, is heading in the other direction. I was born and raised in a very orthodox hindu family and as such i have read many books on hinduism. The relative authority of religious texts develops over time and is derived from the ratification. Although most hindus live in india, its influence has spread to many other places hinduism has developed slowly over the thousands of years. Another reason why you re probably having problems is because we dont use the word holy or several other words exclusive to westernchristianity like. Krishnadwaipayana vyasa shelved 187 times as hinduism. Views about hinduism let us see what great personalities of all the time born on the earth think about hinduism. They are rig veda, sama veda, yajur veda and atharva veda. One of the reasons the brahmans accepted others to their religion was the fear to loose their status as moral guides to priests of a new religion that started in india, namely buddhism. Hinduism is the religion of choice in some parts of the middle east primarily india. Nov 08, 2019 buddhism is a religion that was founded by siddhartha gautama the buddha more than 2,500 years ago in india.
In fact, the ancient scriptures of hinduism encourage people to live a good life in order to be born into a better life after they are dead. India is home to several religions, but the most common is hinduism at 80% of the population. However, this is a somewhat dated position, as hinduism has become a major world religion and many people flock to learn its. Hinduism a brief overview of the development of hinduism. Instead, hinduism has a large body of spiritual texts that guide. The ancient indians were not interested in history as such, which is simply the records of kings and merchants written by the victors.
The sanskrit texts that make up the vedas were composed and orally transmitted by ancient poets and sages as early as 1700 bc. Hinduism is different than other major religions around the world, including islam, judaism or christianity in that it does not claim one idea, person or entity as its founder. All the answers so far are the typical hindu attitude. Read and learn for free about the following article. One of the rituals many hindus do is burning inscents and making offerings of fruits, flowers, milk,and sweets to a statue worshiping one of the. The upanishads are also called as vedantas or the end of the vedas. 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. 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.
Aug 15, 2010 hinduism was born into india over 3500 years ago and had no single founder but rather developed over 4,000 years. Hinduism is practised by more than 80% of indias population. There are those that claim that you cannot convert to hinduism. Views about hinduism hinduism facts hinduism facts. Ramayana and mahabharata are special books and are among the most popular of the holy books. May 11, 20 hinduism attaches a very special value to the the darsan a sanskrit word meaning sight, of gurus, leaders, saintly persons and even holy places and holy images. Hindus value many sacred writings as opposed to one holy book. If you have itunes on your computer just click and you will be led to the listings. In some ways hinduism is the oldest living religion in the world, or at. The two hindu holy books are story books telling the history of hindu and their culture. You can go to the hinduism isle and scan all the hindu texts from there just to. Explain the practices and beliefs of hinduism, include historical context. Aholy books for the tamils are thevaramtiruvasagam and divya prabandham. The believers incline towards gaining spiritual knowledge through the religious doctrines and scriptures available in their religion.
Hinduism, major world religion originating on the indian subcontinent and comprising several and varied systems of philosophy, belief, and ritual. I agree with all those who said bhagavadgita and bhagavata pura. The primary sacred texts, known as the vedas, were composed around 1500 b. The torah was revealed to moses as on the mountain.
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. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Feb 07, 2012 the jews, christians and muslims all have books that come from the same god, whereas you have books from different gods. For these reasons, writers often refer to hinduism as a way of. You have the right to work, but never to the fruit of work. 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. Four stages of life hinduism facts hinduism facts facts. I was born into an orthodox hindu brahmin family and. Hinduism is the major religion in india and one of the oldest in the world. The flow of hinduism can be divided roughly into major periods of change and development. Perform work in this world, arjuna, as a man established within himself without selfish attachments, and alike in. The majority of the vedas are considered the shruti, which is translated to that which is hard. Hinduism does not have a single holy book that guides religious practice. If the indus valley civilization 3rd2nd millennium bce was the earliest source of hindu traditions, then hinduism is the oldest living religion on earth.
In the old times, people used to live for about 100 years or more. Popular hinduism books showing 150 of 2,626 the bhagavad gita paperback by. Hinduism gods and temples life after death the hindu. Scholars regard hinduism as a fusion or synthesis of various indian. Hindu texts are classified into sruti heard and sm. Rama was born in a royal family and was suppose to be the king, but. You should never engage in action for the sake of reward, nor should you long for inaction. Even the authors who composed over 14,000 poems said that they are giving the vedas in. A caste is a group of people with a particular place in society. Even the authors who composed over 14,000 poems said that they are giving the vedas in tamil. In the wars that occur in the holy books, as in mahabharta, the different sides had. Some of the other holy works and books of hinduism. Apr 03, 20 the puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. There is a wide collection of holy books that are categorized into vedas, upanishads puranas etc.
Gita is about 5000 years old, bhagavatam about years, scholars say. I have seen this religion from extremely close quarters and quite intimately familiar with most of the religious texts. Buddhism wise you dont need quotes from a holy book there are plenty of good quotes from the buddha etc. The brahmans slowly started accepting others into their religion and so was created hinduism which included in it the customs which arent the part of the vedas. Hinduism is an indian religion and dharma, or way of life, widely practiced in the indian subcontinent and parts of southeast asia. The vedas and these other works are further divided into two sections.
I can also understand that hinduism has more holy books, unlike other religions, but is there any holy book of the tamil s. Spread throughout india and southeast asia you must be born into the faith. Well from an outside perspective, you mind think about how hindus worship of cows, sacrifice animals, and conduct prayer rituals. Some of the other holy works and books of hinduism are stories and epic poems. A few texts are shared resources across these traditions and broadly considered as hindu scriptures. With about 470 million followers, scholars consider buddhism one of the major. 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. Muhammad saw was given the holy quran through divine intervention throughout his lifetime. Swami vivekananda said that conversion into hinduism from other religions is normal, that it has and should take place time and time againyouve often heard that hinduism is not a proselytizing religion, that hinduism never convert others, that you have to be born a hindu to be a hindu, or be born a hindu in india to be a hindu. Veda is a sanskrit word, meaning knowledge or truth. 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. 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. Like most religions, it has basic beliefs about gods, life after death and how a person should live. Religious texts are texts related to a religious tradition.
So, before that time, most important book were vedas. The books shows how it ties in the world, the various countries it has infiltrated, the cultures it has influenced and plays into language and tradition. Hindu people are born into their caste, wether high or low, they must accept their place without question. When i read the bhagavad gita and reflect about how god created this universe, everything else seems so superfluous. These texts are glorious tales of the hindu trinity brahma, vishnu and maheshwar shiva. Writings originally meant for the betterment of life of the common people took up the form of holy books such as the vedas, upanishads and puranas which existed to enlighten practitioners. Download the bible, the holy quran, the mahabharata, and thousands of free pdf ebooks on buddhism, meditation, etc. Throughout its extensive history, there have been many key figures teaching different philosophies and writing numerous holy books. Hinduism does have a darker side, and that is casteism. Other holy scriptures in hinduism are called the upanisads, the smrutis, the puranas, the ramayana and the mahabharata. With about 470 million followers, scholars consider buddhism one of.
Hinduism holy book important books and writings of hinduism. The concluding portions of the vedas are called upanisads. This is a really rounded and positive insight into hinduism, right from its origins, development and current situations. According to the hindus, darsan is a twoway flow of vision.
There is no one holy book, there are many books that contribute to the religion, such as. These rishes sages are recognized as the mindborn sons of brahma the. Hindu texts are manuscripts and historical literature related to any of the diverse traditions within hinduism. The puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. The soul is sometimes born in a human body, sometimes in an animal body and. Hinduism contains its own customs, festivals and holy books as well as a number of deities that intertwine its history, culture and indian society, past and present. The white cows are considered holy because they believe that they are a symbol of atman, which means the soul in all living things. The vedas were spiritual books that set precedents.
However, the puranas are supposed to be complied by muni vyasa. Hinduism was born into india over 3500 years ago and had no single founder but rather developed over 4,000 years. Buddhism is a religion that was founded by siddhartha gautama the buddha more than 2,500 years ago in india. There are very strict rules regarding your life and you cannot communicate with those outside of your. Sep 29, 2009 throughout its extensive history, there have been many key figures teaching different philosophies and writing numerous holy books.
Jan 07, 2009 the two hindu holy books are story books telling the history of hindu and their culture. One primary reason is the position hindu holy books. The four vedas the rig veda, the sama veda, the yajur veda and. Hinduism has a strict caste system into which you are born.
Hinduism is the worlds oldest religion, according to many scholars, with roots. The religion of hinduism originated in northern india, near the river indus, about 4000 years ago and is the worlds oldest existing religion. To do this, hinduism divides a persons life into four stages or asramas. I was born into an orthodox hindu brahmin family and have become an atheist. But what you might not realize is that hinduism is a very peaceful religion. The jews, christians and muslims all have books that come from the same god, whereas you have books from different gods. Although it is not easy to define hinduism, we can say that it is rooted in india, most hindus. Hinduism download books, sacred, spiritual texts and pdf e. 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. With all honestly, i have to admit, i never ever saw a. There are also other holy books like puranas, ramayana, mahabharta etc.
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