Eternal India Encyclopedia

Eternal India

encyclopedia

RELIGIONS

HINDUISM

Hinduism has no founder, no ecclesiastical organisation

and no concept of heresy.

Known as

Sanaatana Dharma

(the Eternal Dharma) it

beginningless

(anantha)

eternal,

immutable

(shaaswata)

Allows freedom of worship; catholicity of approach. Per-

mits wide spectrum of thoughts; tolerant of other beliefs

and faiths.

A sacred word made up of three

letters, a, u, m. The monosylabble

represents the Hindu

trimurthi

union of three gods.

Origin

Founder

Global

following

Global

spread

Predominant

Place: India

751,360,000 (13.5%)

All Continents (94 countries)

India

Nos. in (’000)

Africa

Asia Europe

Latin

Americ

North

America

Oceania Eurasia

1,569

746,512 707

916

1,285

369

CHRONOLOGY

1500 B.C. - The Aryans in Punjab. Rise of priestly education,

compilation of the hymns and the

Vedas, Rig Veda, Sama Veda,

Yajur Veda.

1000 B.C. - The Aryans in the country of Kurus and Panchalas.

Theory of the four

vamas

(classes), compilation of the Brah-

manas.

860 B.C. -

Upanishads

(Vedantas) compiled.

Atharva Veda

compiled. Priestly supremacy. Writing introduced; rise of the

hermits; The sutras compiled.

SCRIPTURES

The sacred books are divided into two groups,

shruti

(heard) and

smriti

(remembered). The former was believed to have been

directly revealed to its authors and therefore have greater sanctity.

The four Vedas, the most ancient literature of Hinduism, date

back to 1000 B.C.

The

Rig Veda,

the earliest

Veda

and the oldest book, comprises

1028 hymns to various deities and is divided into ten books.

The

Sama Veda

is a collection of Rig-Vedic songs and mantras.

The

Yajur Veda

is a book of prayers and mystical formulae

The

Atharva Veda

is a book of spells, incantations, magical and

medical prescriptions.

The

Brahmanas

(guides to rituals) were supplementary works to

the Vedas.

The

Upanishads

(Philosophical speculations) also called the

Vedanta

(the end part of the

Vedas),

108

Upanishads

have

survived.

e Aranyakas

(Forest samhitas).

Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Sankhya, Yoga, Mimamsa and Vedanta

(the

six systems of orthodox philosophy).

The

Dharma Sastras

(treatises on ethical and social philosophy).

The

Mahabharata,

the story of the great war between the Kaura-

vas and the Pandavas, consists of 90,000 verses in 18 parvas

(books). The

Mahabharata

incorporates the

Bhagavad Gita

(spiri-

tual discourse by Lord Krishna), the epitome of Indian philoso-

phy.

The

Ramayana

(approx. 24,000 verses in 7 books) is the story of

Rama who was exiled by his father King Dasharatha.

Puranas

(ancient stories) are stories of gods and goddesses.

There are 18 of them.

CODE OF CONDUCT

The four stages of life

(ashramas)

from childhood to old age.

Brahmacharya

ashrama

(student),

Grahastha

ashrama

(house- holder),

Vanaprastha ashrama

(forest hermit) and

Sanyasin

(holy man). Women were not encouraged to become

sanyasins.

Four

purusharthas

(pre-occupations of life) were:

Dharma

(Righteousness),

Artha

(Wealth),

Kama

(Pleasure) and

Moksha

(Liberation). Wealth and enjoyment should be based on

dharma

and aim at

moksha.

PHILOSOPHY

Hinduism does not attempt proselytisation or conversions.

The most striking features of Hinduism are polytheism, mysti-

cism, asceticism, belief in the transmigration of souls, the sanctity

of certain animals and a rigid social order of classes and castes.

The apparent polytheism is explained as basically monotheistic,

the many lesser divinities being the aspects of a single deity.

The schools of philosophy are:

Nyaya

emphasises logic.

Vaisheshika

emphasises cosmology (argues that all material

things are made of four atoms - earth, water, fire and air).

Sankhya

teaches that there are two basic categories, matter

(

prakriti

) and soul

(purusha

), in the universe.

Sankhya

teachers

also developed the theory of 3 qualities (

gunas

): virtue

(sattva),

passion

(rajas)

and dullness

(tamas).

Yoga

emphasises spiritual discipline.

Mimamsa

emphasises the importance of the

Vedas

and Vedic ritual.

Vedanta

emphasises the teachings of the

Upanishads.

Hinduism believes that the soul goes from one body to another

(Karma).

The ultimate aim is escape from

samsaara

(transmi-

gration or reincarnation), through

bhakti

(devotion) for

moksha

mukthi

(release from the wheel of rebirth).

Vedic concept of

Vasudhaeva Kutumbakam

(the world is one

family) and

Vishvaneedam

(One roosting place or resting

place) is stressed.

RITUALS/CUSTOMS

A whole scheme of rituals

(samskaaras)

is detailed for all sixteen

of them are prominent.

Puja,

an act of worship, is often a simple ceremony. An oil lamp

and incense sticks are lit. Offerings of coconut, flowers, fla-

voured leaves, fruit, sweets, or rice are made to the deity. Water

may be sprinkled on the image or deity. Prayers are offered. The

food presented to the deity is later shared by those present.

Arti

is an act of devotion. An oil lamp is held before the deity and

a wide arc of light is made in front of the deity, accompanied by

hymns.

Arti

may be performed at the beginning or end of other

auspicious ceremonies.

Upanayana

(initiation ceremony) brought boys into the Hindu

fold. The sacred thread over the left shoulder and under the right

arm, is worn only by the Brahmins, the Kshatriyas and the

Vaishyas. The ceremony is considered a second birth and those

who wear the sacred thread are called twice born.