Nov 04, 2008 the aryans gave hinduism its priestly language, sanskrit. Hinduism is practised by more than 80% of indias population. 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. 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. Hindus identify krishna as the teacher of the sacred scripture called the. It might appear that the translation should be determined by whether.
While we have the main vedas, upanishads, the mahabharata in several translations we also present newer commentaries, anthologies, and entirely new branches of hinduism. Lord vishnu did his job of preserving the world by incarnating himself in different forms at times of crisis. In my bible theres a footnote that says this could also be translated as the spirit of the holy god. Download the bible, the holy quran, the mahabharata, and thousands of free pdf ebooks on buddhism, meditation, etc. Scholars regard hinduism as a fusion or synthesis 6 note 4. Several of the purana texts are named after major hindu deities such as vishnu, shiva and devi. These texts are glorious tales of the hindu trinity brahma, vishnu and maheshwar shiva. Hinduism does not have a single holy book, but many ancient texts and scriptures. In fact, there are over 33 million hindu gods in total. This message of dr zakir naik, refers to speech similarities between hinduism and islam the identification of the videos that you will find in the channel are described as follows. Together, with the holy ghost they form the godhead. 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 are a number of scriptures and holy books in hinduism. In hindu vedic religion there is only one supreme god which exist at two different levels of reality. Lord brahma is the first attribute of god almighty. All hindus know that some books are considered holy by everyone, and not every book written by every author becomes holy.
If the indian gods created the whole universe according to the hindu holy books. Karma, they say is an action done in a lifetime wether good or bad. These are the most ancient religious texts which define truth for hindus. Islam,buddhism,hinduism, and judaism flashcards quizlet. Many go about clothed but others go around wearing no clothing, smeared with ashes, and begging. Religious texts are texts related to a religious tradition. Some of the other holy works and books of hinduism are stories and epic poems. The most holy of the hindu books is written in sanskrit and is referred to as the vedas. Hinduism is the worlds third most popular religion, with around 750 million followers. The relative authority of religious texts develops over time and is derived from the ratification.
The choice of name is very important, it must be on which is hoped will bring good fortune. Most interesting facts about hinduism sanatana dharma. Colorful, vibrant, musical, and storydriven, hinduism is a religion that inspires many across the globe. This sacred text is divided into two main sections, the old testament and the new testament which are then further divided into various books. Sruti pronounced shroothee are the holy books within hinduism that are considered to be divinely inspired, and thus infallible and authoritative. The most common language for hindu scriptures is sanskrit the oldest language in the world. Hinduism believes in one supreme godhood that controls and guides each and. As such, hare krishna teachings are incompatible with biblical christianity. Mormons typically refer to god as heavenly father or father in heaven. Puja is a means of honoring the gods or goddesses, whose presence in the home is believed to protect the family into engender good fortune the religious items used include an incense burner and a tray with flowers, fruits, and. This holy book is written in the sanskrit language.
Hinduism created three primary attributes of god almighty which is also termed hindu trinity. As per the vedantic embodiments hinduism is monotheistic. Because many of its teachings are hindu, hare krishnas believe in karma, reincarnation, a different holy book, and no biblical view of sin or need of salvation. Holy cities are places regarded as sacred by a particular religion due to significance attached to it. Information on hinduism for kids primary homework help. There is no single scripture as it is in other religions like christianity and islam. Sometimes, the three may appear in the form of an avatar, embodied by a hindu god or goddess.
Today, we share with you the most popular hindu gods names list of hindu deities. The english word god and its equivalent in other languages is used by multiple religions as a noun or name to refer to different deities, or specifically to the supreme being, as denoted in english by the capitalized and uncapitalized terms god and god. The hindu trinity of gods consists of lord brahma, lord vishnu and lord shiva. The scriptures of the vedas are meant to guide hindu believers in their daily lives.
They got their present form between 1200200 bce and were introduced to india by the aryans. Hinduism is often referred as the eternal law or sanatan dharma. 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. According to the bhagavadgita, a hindu religious text, the path of bhakti, or bhaktimarga, is superior to the two. Many practitioners refer to the orthodox form of hinduism as sanatana dharma, the eternal low or eternal way. The vedas are the prime book of knowledge on which primary hindu beliefs stands. Hinduism spans a wide range of beliefs such as henotheism, monotheism, polytheism, panentheism, pantheism, pandeism, monism, atheism and nontheism. What is the name of the holy book of the hindu religion. Hinduism is diverse on ideas on spirituality and traditions, but has no ecclesiastical order, no unquestionable religious authorities, no governing body, no prophet s nor any binding holy book. This collection of verses and hymns was written in. Hinduism spans a wide range of beliefs such as henotheism, monotheism. It is a faithfilled to the brim with gods and goddesses. 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 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 is widely practiced in south asia mainly in india and nepal. Vedas call it by the name of brahman, parabrahma, paramatma hindus. It is believed to have created the universe and many other gods and goddess to be his helpers. Mar 11, 2019 nandi bull, a vehicle of the gods, is considered the symbol of respect for all male cattle. List of holy books in hinduism the galaxy of hindu literature is very vast and voluminous. Today, we share with you the most popular hindu gods names list of hindu deities hinduism believes in one supreme godhood that controls and guides each and every individual. May 10, 2020 here at the hinduism section of, we aim at presenting the original works that lay the foundations of hinduism.
On way to do this is to cut himself off from the from the world and concentrate on brahman by practicing yoga. Sruti consists of four vedas, upanishads, brahmanas, aranyakas, and bhagavadgita while smriti consists of manu smriti, 18 puranas, ramayana, and mahabharata and other hindu holy books. These scriptures are written in punjabi and are greatly respected by all sikhs as the living word of god. The most ancient sacred texts of the hindu religion are written in sanskritand called the vedas. But in most of them a supreme god is regarded as an entity that exists and gives life to all things. 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. Each tradition has a long list of hindu texts, with subgenre based on syncretization of ideas from samkhya, nyaya, yoga, vedanta and other schools of hindu philosophy. The upanishads are also called as vedantas or the end of the vedas. If one hindu gods name is known and recognized throughout the world, it is krishna. The vedas a collection of hymns praising the vedic gods. In the bible, the triune god of father, son, and spirit is god, not krishna. While there is no one text or creed that forms the basis of all hindu beliefs. Hinduism is practised by more than 80% of india s population. The religion of hinduism originated in northern india, near the river indus, about 4000 years ago and is the worlds oldest existing religion.
Hinduism is an indian religion and dharma, or way of life, widely practiced in the indian subcontinent and parts of southeast asia. Hindu sacred literature is the most ancient of the living literatures of the world. Apr 03, 20 the puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. The nandi bull holy site at madurai and the shiva temple at mahabalipuram are the most venerated bovine shrines. Other holy scriptures in hinduism are called the upanisads, the smrutis, the puranas, the ramayana and the mahabharata. Emotional or loving devotion bhakti to a primary god such as avatars of vishnu krishna for example, shiva and devi emerged in. Gandhi in his hindu dharma writes about a sentence in our sanskrit textbook to the effect. Hinduism is an ancient religion with diverse traditions such as vaishnavism, shaivism, shaktism and others.
Hinduism is a religion with various gods and goddesses. Unpanishads the upanishads are also called as vedantas or the end of the vedas. The vedas are scriptures that the hindu people use as a guide to daily and religious life. The primary sacred texts, known as the vedas, were composed around 1500 b. Hinduism is so unlike any other religion that it is difficult to define with any precision.
Scholars regard hinduism as a combination of different indian cultures and traditions, with diverse roots. The early vedas refer often to certain gods such as indra, the thunder god, and agni. Hinduism simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. In the book of daniel, king nebuchadnezzar says several times that the spirit of the holy gods is in daniel. In mormonism the name of god the father is elohim and the name of jesus in his preincarnate state was jehovah. But the most popular of these gods and goddesses are important deities in their own right. Hindus can choose to be polytheistic, pantheistic, monotheistic, monistic, agnostic, atheistic or humanist. Some of the other holy works and books of hinduism. Vedas and upanishadas are the most authoritative amongst all hindu scriptures and holy books. Real name of hinduhinduism is a traditional way of life. The upanishads, 18 purana s, ramayana and mahabharata are also important hindu scriptures. Dr zakir naik 7608 all the holy books of hinduism youtube. The guru granth sahib is a collection of teachings and writings by guru nanak and other gurus as well as sikh, hindu and muslim saints.
The veda is a rather unusual collection of literature. Of these some called sruti are broadly considered as core scriptures of hinduism, but beyond the sruti, the list of. Foremost among the many hindu gods and goddesses are the holy triad of brahma, vishnu, and shiva, the creator, sustainer, and destroyer of worlds in that order. They got their present form between 1200200 bce and were introduced to. They are believed to be true history of ancient indian. Why hindus worship so many gods and goddesses is a real mystery for most people. Instead there is a great diversity of belief and practice. The most ancient sacred texts of the hindu religion are written in sanskrit and called the vedas. But the vedantic beliefs went under much transformation and became gradually polytheistic in character. Oct 01, 2017 this message of dr zakir naik, refers to speech similarities between hinduism and islam the identification of the videos that you will find in the channel are described as follows. Five of the hindu holy books are the rig veda, bhagavad gita, sama veda, yajur veda, and athava veda. Hindus believe that the vedas texts were received by scholars direct from god and passed on to the next generations by word of mouth. Brahman is a vedic sanskrit word, and it is conceptualized in hinduism, states paul deussen, as the.
Hindu holy book that is called geeta was founded by vyas in the name of shree krishna. There are clear evidences in the rig veda, the most sacred hindu scripture, that the cow used to be sacrificed by hindus for religious purposes. Another hindu holy book that deals with religious duties is law of manu or the dharma shastra. The holy book in the hindu religion is known as the vedas. The belief system in the hindi religion is outlined from these scriptures. Even nonhindus are allowed to enter the 16th century bull temple in bangalore. Which book in hinduism is the best to understand the concept of. Did nebuchadnezzar say that the spirit of the holy gods. The puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. The vedas and these other works are further divided into two sections. Hindus believe in a universal soul or god called brahman. The gods are asked to protect the unborn child, and to strengthen the mother spiritually, mentally and physically so that a healthy child is born.
There is an oral tradition that is made up of practical applications and other traditions that have been passed down over the generations. Brahma, saraswati, lakshmi, maha vishnu, shiva, durga, harihara and ardhanarishvara. They also help to preserve the religious dimensions of family and society. Hinduism does not just have one sacred book but several scriptures. The concept of god in hinduism varies in its diverse traditions. Smriti literature is considered less authoritative than sruti. This religious book defines the boundary of the religion and the followers would be expected to strictly abide by that holy book.
Besides vedas, bhagavad gita is a popularly known holy book of hindus. Bhagavad gita the technical part of book 6 of the mahabharata is also the world famous one. The vedas scriptures guide hindus in their daily life. The holy books of world religions sacred texts in world. The veda, which means wisdom, is comprised of four ancient and holy scriptures which all hindus revere as the revealed word of god. It is the most dominant religion of the indian subcontinent. Hinduism is the world s third most popular religion, with around 750 million followers. A comparative study, however, says that the cow used to be slaughtered by the ancient hindus for beef as well as sacrifice. Central to hinduism is the belief in a supreme god brahman. Hindu deities are the gods and goddesses in hinduism.
A devout hindu tries to avoid building up bad deeds so as to total as little bad karma as possible. In hinduism there is not exactly a text that is a must for the follower. The religion of hinduism originated in northern india, near the river indus, about 4000 years ago and is the world s oldest existing religion. Although mormonism views the father, the son, and the holy spirit as three distinct beings, they are one. The aryans gave hinduism its priestly language, sanskrit. The majority of the vedas are considered the shruti, which is translated to that which is hard. For many hindus, religion is a matter of practice rather than of beliefs. Hindus value many sacred writings as opposed to one holy book.
Did nebuchadnezzar say that the spirit of the holy gods or. There are various names of god, many of which enumerate the various qualities of a supreme being. The importance is due to the city being the origin of that religion, its headquarters, mentors residence or the dwelling place of gods. 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. Hinduism spans a wide range of beliefs such as henotheism, monotheism, polytheism, panentheism, pantheism, pandeism, monism, atheism and nontheism forms of theism find mention in the bhagavad gita.
Slowly the hindu came to accept the idea of the existence of an eternal supreme being. It is believed to have created the universe and many other gods and goddess to be his. However, the puranas are supposed to be complied by muni vyasa. 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. Ramayana and mahabharata are the two important holy books of hinduism.