It is known that dharma is a notion which holds a large element of the believers lives. Founded by siddhartha gautama, later known as the buddha, circa the 5th century bce, buddhism outlines a path of personal spiritual enrichment through meditation and insight. The puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. 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. What do the hindu holy books say about eating meat.
What name is given to the four holy books of the hindus. Connotations include discord, disharmony, unnaturalness, wrongness, evil, immorality, wickedness, and vice. Hindu sacred literature is the most ancient of the living literatures of the world. Hinduism knows that truth is infinite and thus cannot be contained in books.
Understanding dharma in the previous part, we had delved into the concept known popularly as religion. In many ways, the concepts of dharma have been the supports for hindu and indian society for a long time. 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 who discards the injunctions of the scriptures and acts upon impulse of desire attains neither perfection nor happiness nor the supreme goal. The bhagavad gita by krishnadwaipayana vyasa, the upanishads by anonymous, the gita way secret recipe to achieve the purpose. The aryans gave hinduism its priestly language, sanskrit. There is no singleword translation for dharma in western languages in hinduism, dharma signifies behaviors that are considered to. 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 and no single modernday organization to which all hindus belong. What is dharma and adharma is determined by scripture. It is a polytheist anthropomorphic religion with a highly ritualized form of worship. Ramayana and mahabharata are the two important holy books of hinduism. Here, i will give only a brief introduction to the holy books of hinduism.
Essay on dharma hindu philosophy your article library. Hinduism sacred books the bhagavad gita, translated from the sanskrit, with introduction and notes revised second edition. Hindu sacred texts the sacred texts of hinduism fall into one of two categories. Following in the buddhas footsteps, buddhists seek to reach nirvana, or enlightenment, a state of transcendence free from suffering, desire and the cycle of death and rebirth. If i were asked to define the hindu creed i should simply say. Communism may be considered a religion as it fulfils all the five criteria of being a religion. In order to achieve good karma, it is important to live life according to dharma, what is right. Hinduism accepts the concept of reincarnation, and what determines the state of an individual in the next existence is karma which refers to the actions undertaken by the body and the mind. All spiritual life should be based on these things. Hindu holidays and festivals it has been said that hindus have a holiday for every day of the year, but even that may be an understatement. Therefore let the scriptures be your authority in determining what ought to be done and what ought not to.
Hinduism is an ancient religion with diverse traditions such as vaishnavism, shaivism. The man who realized god in 1993 explains the concept of what is the holy book of hinduism. Hindus believe that the vedas texts were received by scholars direct from god and. Hinduism came to indonesia in the 1stcentury through traders, sailors, scholars and priests. Thus any definition of hinduism is somewhat arbitrary and requires qualification.
If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or english translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Hinduism is the largest and oldest religion on earth almost 5,000 years old. Hindu texts are manuscripts and historical literature related to any of the diverse traditions. Hinduism a brief overview of the development of hinduism. There is no single scripture as it is in other religions like christianity and islam. In addition to the dharma that applies to everyone sadharana dharmaconsisting of truthfulness, noninjury, and generosity, among other virtuesthere is also a specific dharma svadharma to be followed according to ones class, status, and station in life. Dharma and related words are found in the oldest vedic literature of hinduism, in later vedas, upanishads, puranas, and the epics. Some of the other holy works and books of hinduism are stories and epic poems. It is here that dharma as a concept of law emerges in hinduism.
Dharma is the path of righteousness and living ones life according to the codes of conduct as described by the hindu scriptures. If youre interested in knowing the most important aspects of the longest lasting religion in history, this reading list is for you. Since the etymological definition of dharma is that which supports and sustains, all that attempts to destroy or oppose or reverse this process of supporting and sustaining comes within the purview. The last one is a commentary on the vedas, but it is considered as a revealed book. The dharmashastras law books, derivatives of the dharmasutras. In hinduism, dharma is the religious and moral law governing individual conduct and is one of the four ends of life. The shruti refers to the body of most authoritative, ancient religious texts. What is dharma a practical look at hindu terminology. Of these, the first three books are considered the more ancient books, and the rig veda is the oldest of them. The scriptures of the vedas are meant to guide hindu believers in their daily lives. In addition to the dharma that applies to everyone sadharana dharmaconsisting of truthfulness.
There is no hindu term corresponding to what we call religion, because dharma and religion are not the same and hinduism is in fact a dharma rather than a religion in the restricted sense of the word. Dharma, key concept with multiple meanings in hinduism, buddhism, and jainism. Defining hinduism the term hindu was derived from the river or river complex of the northwest, the sindhu. Some of the other holy works and books of hinduism. The dharma shastra can be thought of as the hindu law book. I think you are confusing something that is holy from something that is dogma. Sruti pronounced shroothee are the holy books within hinduism that are considered to be. However, the following description thereof by a foreign thinker is nearer the mark than any other. Bhagavad gita the technical part of book 6 of the mahabharata is also the world famous one. Every hindus goal is to have their soul be united with brahma after several cycles of reincarnation.
The vedas are scriptures that the hindu people use as a guide to daily and religious life. The vedas, or books of knowledge, are the foremost sacred texts in hinduism. We had analyzed the characteristics of god, prophets and holy books. A few texts are shared resources across these traditions and broadly considered as hindu scriptures. This holy book is written in the sanskrit language. Karma is an invisible force in hinduism, whereas in jainism it is a form of matter which can stick to the soul. More than a billion people are followers of indias eternal faith. Two other major contributors in this respect were dharmatexts of a. The bhagavad gita by krishnadwaipayana vyasa, walk like a buddha. The vedas and these other works are further divided into two sections. But why is it that people dont really have a good answer when asked, what is hinduism. These expanded over time to include brahmanas, aranyakas and upanishads. Tulsidas, author of ramcharitmanas, has defined the root of dharma as compassion.
Dharma leads to eternal bliss, both in this world and the next. They got their present form between 1200200 bce and were introduced to india by the aryans. There are a number of scriptures and holy books in hinduism. The five points of yama, together with the five points of niyama, remind us of the ten commandments of the christtian and jewish faiths, as well as of the ten virtues of buddhism. These are the most ancient religious texts which define truth for hindus. Mar 26, 2014 i cannot look into those peoples minds and hearts, so i need to focus on the first observation, namely the tremendous diversity within hinduism. The law books regard more than fifty minor sins in hinduism such as selling the wife, making salt, studying forbidden shastras, killing a woman, marrying the younger son before marrying the elder. This sacred text is divided into two main sections, the old testament and the new testament which are then further divided into various books.
These books are in sanskrit, the sacred language of the hindus. For these reasons, writers often refer to hinduism as a way of life or a family of religions rather than a single religion. Thus hinduism signifies the aryans culture and religious traditions as. Itihasas in hindu religious context this term refers to the mahabharata and. Many people have said that it is a story about dharma or duty. Find yourself a genuine spiritual master from either of the 4 authorised sampradayas and under their strict guidance start your learning. Hinduism is the worlds third most popular religion, with around 750 million followers. Hinduism is hardly a dogma but a working hypothesis. First, lets distinguish between two types of hindu literature. Adharma also means actions that are considered evil or unlawful by religious scriptures, or against the established code of conduct and religious traditions prescribed by. Hinduism download books, sacred, spiritual texts and pdf e. Dharma is quite different from religion, and in earlier days our ancestors would have likely translated religion as adharma.
First let us understand from where this concept of hindus being vegetarians came from and then ill discuss the holy books references. Hinduism download books, sacred, spiritual texts and pdf. Download the bible, the holy quran, the mahabharata, and thousands of free pdf ebooks on buddhism, meditation, etc. Since 1979 the international magazine hinduism today has been producing a treasury of educational features on all aspects of sanatana dharma. The religion of hinduism originated in northern india, near the river indus, about 4000 years ago and is the worlds oldest existing religion. For more on hinduism holy book, sacred texts of hinduism visit important books and writings of hinduism. Online books on hinduism, hindu religion, hindu culture, shastras, hindu scripture, vedas, upanishad, hindu saints, sages, science and hinduism. Buddhism is a religion known for its rich spiritual teachings, beliefs, practices and traditions. 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.
Bramha gaudiya madhav sampradaya famous iskcon hare krishna are a part of it 2. A concise explanation of the main hindu holy books. The buddha, dharma and sangha are said to be holy and worthy of reverence. Hindu scriptures and holy books hinduism facts hinduism facts. Prithivim dharmana dhritam, that is, this world is upheld by dharma. Read and learn for free about the following article. Human acts without conscience which creates conflict is called adharma.
Dharma comes from the root word dhr that can be translated as uphold or sustain, according to indologist pv kane quoted in dayanand bharatis understanding hinduism. In hinduism, gods are worshiped in several ways and for several reasons such as knowledge, peace, wisdom, health, and it also believed to be ones duty to pray god as god is considered as our maker as we originated from them and we are staying in them and at last will. Adharma definition is individual disharmony with the nature of things. Subhodeep mukhopadhyay 1 comment on religion is adharma 2. In origin hinduism rests on the vedic traditions and on the tantric traditions. Hinduism is one of the six official religions of indonesia. What are the books one should read to understand hinduism. Guided by the founder, satguru sivaya subramuniyaswami, the magazines editors, who are initiated monks of the kauais hindu monastery, collaborated with holy men and women and experts around the world in creating graphically rich guides to virtually. Hindus value many sacred writings as opposed to one holy book. These texts are glorious tales of the hindu trinity brahma, vishnu and maheshwar shiva.
Five of the hindu holy books are the rig veda, bhagavad gita, sama veda, yajur veda. Other holy scriptures in hinduism are called the upanisads, the smrutis, the puranas, the ramayana and the mahabharata. Dharma shastra artha shastra kamasutra brahma sutras samkhya. The most holy of the hindu books is written in sanskrit and is referred to as the vedas. Hinduism in indonesia, as of the 2010 census, is practised by about 1. They are the foundation stones without which we can never build anything lasting. The upanishads are also called as vedantas or the end of the vedas. The vedic traditions are best represented in the vedas, the main and first holy books of hinduism, although they existed as a purely oral tradition long before books were invented and although many later hinduism scriptures became of vital importance. But the most important holy books of hinduism are the vedas. However, some of these books and songs became more popular than others and came to define the culture and religion we know today as hinduism. However, the puranas are supposed to be complied by muni vyasa.
Religion is a way of life in india, where hinduism is practiced by over eighty percent of the population. This principle was taken up by lord buddha in his immortal book of great wisdom, dhammapada. The holy books of hindus themselves declare their own limitations, show the way to truth, and retire. I hope that from this short introduction to the holy books of hinduism it is apparent that hindus consider a great variety of literature important, and that this literature is as diverse and complex as it is beautiful. The canon of books and poems that define hinduism were written in sanskrit and are of ancient origin. He has written several books about hinduism for children and young adults. This involves doing what is right for the individual, the family, the class, or caste and also for the. The concept of hinduism being a single monolithic religion is recent, dating back only to the 19th century. In fact, it cannot be defined precisely as any other religion can be. In order therefore to protect myself against any misunderstanding i have said truth and nonviolence is my creed. This trail of morality was portrayed in the holy books in hinduism, known as the upanishads and vedas. Vedas and upanishadas are the most authoritative amongst all hindu scriptures and holy books. Hinduism, as the worlds most ancient surviving religion, could have it no other way. It means that which is not in accord with the dharma.
Hinduism is a religion from the indian subcontinent. Hinduism holy book important books and writings of hinduism. Although sacred texts exist in hundreds mahabharata in 100,000 verses is the longest poem in the world, they are merely considered as a guide to experience and realize the supreme reality. Views on the meaning and significance of dharma in hinduism and what santana. In fact, there is no religion without these moral or ethical codes. We can now acquire a fairly good thought of what dharma actually is concerned with. It is the good fortune or the misfortune of hinduism that it has no official creed. 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.
One such definition is the followers of vaidika dharma, or those who follow the religious teachings outlined in the vedas and their corollaries. A syncretic fusion of preexisting javanese culture and hindu ideas, that from the 6thcentury. The holy book in the hindu religion is known as the vedas. Smriti literature is considered less authoritative than sruti. The primary sacred texts, known as the vedas, were composed around 1500 b. Dear concerned, whether hindus are permitted to eat meat or not is an age old question. The rigveda is a collection of hymns dedicated to 33 gods especially to indri and agni.
The veda is a rather unusual collection of literature. Hinduism hindu holy books explanation sheet teacher made. Adharma also means actions that are considered evil or unlawful by religious scriptures, or against the established code of conduct and religious traditions prescribed by the law books or religious scriptures. Hinduism does not have a single holy book, but many ancient texts and scriptures. Within the doctrine of jainism, there exist many metaphysical concepts which are not known in hinduism, some of which are dharma and adharma tattva which are seen as substances within the jain metaphysical system, gunasthanas and lesyas. The majority of the vedas are considered the shruti, which is translated to that which is hard. Apr 03, 20 the puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. Considered so holy that there are no cults devoted to it. Adharma or unlawful actions means actions that are performed with selfish intent to enjoy the fruit of such action. Exactly how many hindu festivals are celebrated is not known, but one scholar of hinduism has listed more than a thousand different hindu festivals. Hinduism, one of the worlds oldest religions, can be hard to understand or even define. Download books, sacred, spiritual texts and pdf ebooks.
Most major law books in hinduism emphasizes the role of. Adharma means something in hinduism, sanskrit, jainism, prakrit, marathi. Hinduism hindutva is guided by teachings of sananthana dharma. Online books on hinduism, hindu religion, hindu culture. Many scholars liken hinduism to a family of religions, with all affiliated members bearing a family resemblance. List of holy books in hinduism the galaxy of hindu literature is very vast and voluminous. The epistemological concepts of anekantavada and syadvada are not found in the hindu system. Dharma refers to the religious ethics as propounded by hindu gurus in ancient indian scriptures. Hindu texts are manuscripts and historical literature related to any of the diverse traditions within hinduism. Hinduism describes dharma as the natural universal.
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