Introduction hinduism stands for the faith and the way of life most of the people who live in india. The core philosophy of hinduism is lost during the transition from the vedic religion to what we call today as hinduism. Family wealth pleasure fire sacrifice and cooking goal of moksha in philosophical hinduism. Puranic style hinduism, pretty much forms the basis of todays hinduism, with very few elements surviving from the old vedic religion. The holy language of hinduism is the sanskrit language.
We owe the transmission and preservation of the texts to the care and discipline of particular religious. Here is an incredible post that lists the similarities between rig veda and avesta the holy book of zoroastrians. The vedas are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient india. Hinduism is neither monotheistic nor restricted to one religious scripture. A comprehensive survey of the hindu tradition, the book deals with the history of hinduism, the sacred writings, the hindu worldview, and the specifics of the major branches of hinduism vaisnavism, saivism, and saktism. Todays definition of a hindu is someone who fulfills customs and rituals known for generations.
The vedas are the more ancient of the sacred texts recognised within the vedic hindu tradition of faith dating from almost three and a half thousand years ago. The vedas are considered the earliest literary record of indoaryan civilization and the most sacred books of india. Hinduism is formed by the addition of the suffix ism to the word hindu. Major followers of vedic religion are found beyond river sindhu, therefore other religions might have named the people in this area, might have been named as hindus, or taking river sindhu as starting point vedic religion might have taken eastern route and globe trotted. Hinduism is the largest and oldest religion on earth almost 5,000 years old. Vedic hinduism is a contradiction in terminis since vedic religion is very different from what we generally call hindu religion, at least as much old hebrew religion is from medieval and modern christian religion. More than a billion people are followers of indias eternal faith. Vedic religion means considering 4 vedas as divine just as muslims consider quran as divine and christians consider bible as divine. Sruti belongs to the vedic period while smriti belongs to. In hinduism, attaining the highest life is a process of removing the bodily distractions from life, allowing one to eventually understand the brahma nature within.
Vedic religion is not exclusive of hinduism, it is a part of hinduism. Hinduism does not possess a single holy book like bible in christianity and quran in islamic dharma. No one individual founded vedic culture, nor is there any single prophet, holy book or way of worship. The holy vedas is an exceptional anthology of verses taken from the revered four vedas of hindu mythology, translated into english for the benefit of the mass the four vedas of hindu culture, the rigveda, yajurveda, atharvaveda, and samaveda, are considered to be the scriptures that defined the lifestyle and beliefs of all hindus. They got their present form between 1200200 bce and. Unlike christianity or islam, it is a not a religion that is governed by the book. Vedic religion means following the 4 vedas just as muslims attempt to follow each letter of quran and christians follow each letter of bible. Hinduism is a umbrella religion for all the individual tradition, custom, rituals with respect to the individuals religious beliefs.
Composed in vedic sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of hinduism. The most holy of the hindu books is written in sanskrit and is referred to as the vedas. Around 1750 bc aryan invaders from central asia settled in north west india and introduced their own religious. The vedic texts or sruti are organized around four canonical collections of metrical material known as sa.
They differ in many respects including idol worship, monotheism and their history. Nov 27, 2019 the vedas are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient india. Hinduism as both a global religion and a form of nationalism are discussed. They are known as shruti what is heard, the divinely revealed section of hindu literaturein contrast to the later strata of religious literature known as smriti what is remembered, traditional texts attributed to human authors. Feb 18, 2017 the most sacred scriptures of hinduism are the vedas books of knowledge, a collection of texts written in sanskrit from about 1200 bce to 100 ce as sruti revealed texts, the vedas are regarded as the absolute authority for religious knowledge and a test of hindu orthodoxy both jains and buddhists reject the vedas. Modern hinduisms essential unity with the ancient vedic religion is. Difference between vedic religion and hinduism difference. The vedas are a collection of hymns and other ancient religious texts written in india between about 1500 and bce. Hindu was a term popularly used by foreigners in the medieval period 7th ad for the people of the indian subcontinent. Holy spirit is not the same as shakti or kundalini beliefnet. The vedas a collection of hymns praising the vedic gods.
Mar 22, 2014 the vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient india. Hinduism hinduism is the indigenous, most predominant religion of the indian subcontinent. The institutes of vishnu sbe 7 julius jolly, translator 1880 sacred books of the east, vol. Hinduism is the worlds oldest religion, according to many scholars, with roots and customs dating back more than 4,000 years. Different divisions of mahayana buddhism emphasize different sutras, but some texts, like the lotus sutra and heart sutra, are important to most branches of mahayana. Buddhism vs hinduism difference and comparison diffen. The vedas are the four holiest books of the hindu religion. The relative authority of religious texts develops over time and is derived from the ratification. Hinduism is followed by hindus and zoroastrianism is followed by people referred to as parsis. If you replace vedic religion with quran, bible, islam or christianity this is exactly what. Hinduism vs islam difference and comparison diffen. Today, with about 900 million followers, hinduism is. Religion is a way of life in india, where hinduism is practiced by over eighty percent of the population. Hindu religion is the oldest and third largest religion in the world.
Vedicfeed is a premier site with researchbased contents based on vedas, upanishads, puranas, bhagavad gita and various other hindu scriptures. Hindu scriptures and holy books are divided mainly into two categories viz sruti and smriti. Hinduism and islam are the third and second most popular religions in the world respectively. What are the major differences between vedic religion and. Another series of holy writings, the upanishads, a name which suggests sitting at the feet of the teacher are often more philosophically and mystically sophisticated than the vedas. Hindus recognize the good and spiritual essence in all religions, so it is easy for them to display respect and tolerance for other spiritual paths. Hinduism, as the worlds most ancient surviving religion, could have it no other way. Reaching the stage of king rama is following all traditions of hinduism religion ceremoniously. Hinduism, hinduism and buddhism 1205 words bartleby. When researching the vedic religion, one is likely to stumble upon many contradictory beliefs, speculations, and probablys. Between 15001200 bce the rig veda knowledge in verse was written down in an early form of sanskrit called vedic.
However, vedic religion is treatable as a predecessor of hinduism. Religious texts are texts related to a religious tradition. Vedic hindu spirituality quotations the vedas are the more ancient of the sacred texts recognised within the vedic hindu tradition of faith dating from almost three and a half thousand years ago. Hence, sruti is what ancient hindu saints heard during deep meditation. Boullier and tarabout provide an excellent introduction to the view of the body in hinduism. The vedic religion is an indian religion in origin, most notably the predecessor of hinduism the vedic texts are scripts, works and hymns related to this religion and the gods of the vedic religion. Knowledge of vedic religion is derived from surviving texts and also from certain rites that continue to be observed within the framework of modern hinduism. However, the holy books in hinduism are the basis on which we have evolved our culture and way of living. They are written in an old indian language called sanskrit.
Evidence of hinduisms early antecedents is derived from archaeology, comparative philology, and comparative religion. Does hinduism denote vedic religion or religion of vedas. This book is written by a westerner who is a practicing hindu, to give non. I want to thank you and the staff of vedic books for your excellent service and customer care. Islam is a monotheistic religion in which the deity is allah arabic. 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. This is the most prestigious portion of the vedic scriptures and became the text upon which hinduism, one of the great axial religions, was developed. As historical and religious literature often is, the text is written from the perspective of the most powerful groups. Hindus as well as hindus who are living in the west, an introduction to the faith. The four vedas origin and brief description of 4 vedas. Yet much of the religion presented in the vedas is unknown today and plays little to no role in modern hinduism. Divergent schools of thought arose as to the nature of god, nature of soul, the purpose of creation, the role of prarkriti and the nature of earthly existence.
The holy book in the hindu religion is known as the vedas. Hinduism is a way of life of the hindu people of india, their diaspora, and some other regions which had hindu influence in the ancient and medieval times. The vedic culture has a library of texts to help establish the nature of the absolute truth. 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. Hinduism is such an ancient religion that it had many types of beliefs and religious practices. Jun 11, 2010 major followers of vedic religion are found beyond river sindhu, therefore other religions might have named the people in this area, might have been named as hindus, or taking river sindhu as starting point vedic religion might have taken eastern route and globe trotted. The book contains sixteen studies of the body in hinduism from anthropological fieldwork, the philological study of sanskrit texts, traditional sanskrit drama, and the social construction of the body through ritual including cremation. The view is put forth that vedic gods like indra, varuna, and soma are no longer worshipped in india today. The historical vedic religion refers to the religious ideas and practices among most. Muesse discerns a longer period of change, namely between 800 bce and 200 bce, which he calls the classical period, when traditional religious practices and. This video describes how it is not really a religion, but a dynamic culture founded on eternal. They got their present form between 1200200 bce and were introduced to india by the aryans. The subsequent period, between 800 bce and 200 bce, is a turning point between the vedic religion and hindu religions, and a formative period for hinduism, jainism and buddhism.
The belief system in the hindi religion is outlined from these scriptures. Another series of holy writings, the upanishads, a name which suggests sitting at the feet of the teacher are often more philosophically and. The vedas are scriptures that the hindu people use as a guide to daily and religious life. Many scholars liken hinduism to a family of religions, with all affiliated members bearing a family resemblance. The vedic religion evolved into hinduism and vedanta, a religious path considering itself the essence of the vedas, interpreting the vedic pantheon as a unitary view of the universe with god brahman seen as immanent and transcendent in the forms of ishvara and brahman. Because hinduism is so open and diverse it can be difficult to actually define what it actually is.
Although they were finally written down in 1,500 bce. The historical vedic religion has many differences from modern hinduism followed by the majority of the hindus today. This holy book is written in the sanskrit language. Hinduism does not have a single holy book, but many ancient texts and scriptures. The history of hinduism in india can be traced to about 1500 bce. The four books of the vedasrig, yajur, sama and atharvainclude over 100,000 verses. It is considered the oldest living religion of the world. Hinduism according to the book, the religion of the hindus, hinduism is the third oldest world religion that has approximately 300 million followers, most of which live in india. The earliest vedic religious beliefs included some held in common with other indoeuropeanspeaking peoples, particularly with the early iranians. Islam is a monotheistic abrahamic religion, founded by prophet muhammad in the middle east in the 7th century ce.
According to michaels, the period between 200 bce and 1100 ce is the time of classical hinduism, since there is a turning point between the vedic religion and hindu religions. Most books available on hinduism in bookshops in the west today are written by non. Hinduism holy book important books and writings of hinduism. Although indian religions are connected through the history of india, they constitute a wide range of religious communities, and are not confined. Whats the difference between hinduism and the vedic religion. I certainly wish to continue as a customer and hope to visit india in the near future. But why is it that people dont really have a good answer when asked, what is hinduism.
When vedic religion gradually evolved into hinduism between the 6th and 2nd centuries bce, the texts, taken collectively, became the most sacred literature of hinduism. Given that the islams birth was based on destroying the idol worshippers, and. Most of the mahayana sutras, which number over two thousand, were written between 200 bce and 200 ce, the period in which mahayana buddhism developed. These essays provide a limited, but clear perspective on the histoyr of hinduism.
Vedas and upanishadas are the most authoritative amongst all hindu scriptures and holy books. Indian religions, sometimes also termed dharmic religions or indic religions, are the religions that originated in the indian subcontinent. It refers collectively to the three hindu religious texts the atharva veda. Difference between hinduism and zoroastrianism difference.
Once hinduism was spread in nearly all parts of the world. Sanatana dharma, meaning eternal or universal righteousness is the original name of what is now popularly called hinduism. Hinduism for beginners an concise introduction to the eternal path to liberation by. These are the most ancient religious texts which define truth for hindus.
Sanatana dharma comprises of spiritual laws which govern the human existence. Hinduism a brief overview of the development of hinduism. Selections from the vedas are still memorized and recited for religious merit today. They are the original scriptures of hindu teachings, containing spiritual knowledge encompassing all aspects of life. There are a number of scriptures and holy books in hinduism. They are believed to be one of the oldest books ever made by mankind. Vedic religion is based on shruti and smriti and forms the bedrock of sanatan dharma or later on what is called the hindu religion. The exemplary person is the householder the caste system. The concept of hinduism being a single monolithic religion is recent, dating back only to the 19th century.
When vedic religion gradually evolved into hinduism between the 6th and 2nd centuries bce, the texts, taken collectively, became the most sacred literature of. Pure vedic religion has too much stress on vedas and richas but later on the religion reformed to include bhakti also as a means of salvation and made the rituals optional. As a result, it is difficult to construct indian history and understand the historical processes that shaped hinduism and how and why vedic religion lost its significance. The earliest literary source for the history of hinduism is the rigveda, consisting of hymns that were composed chiefly during the last two or three centuries of. Whats the difference between hinduism and the vedic. Other holy scriptures in hinduism are called the upanisads, the smrutis, the. The religious scriptures are not followed word to word. Oct 29, 2015 this book provides a muchneeded thematic and historical introduction to hinduism, the religion of the majority of people in india. These religions are also all classified as eastern religions. In the fashionable search for sameness in all religions, holy spirit in christianity is often equated with shakti or kundalini in hinduism. Vedic is derived from the samskrit root word ved meaning knowledge.
Bhagavad gita vedic hindu spirituality quotations upanishads. Hinduism on the other hand is religious tradition that originated in the indian subcontinent in the pre. The essay is about the historic development of hinduism from the brahmanism with the features of saivism and vaishnavism the growth of hinduism from vedic religion in considering the evolution of modern hinduism out of the old vedic religion, three of the many factors responsible for this huge and complicated result deserve special attention. Vedic religion is treatable as a predecessor of hinduism. Sruti literally means that what is revealed and smriti means that what is remembered. Hindu religion, hinduism, culture, india, kids, sanatan. The philosophical maxims of vedic literature have stood the test of time, and the vedas form the highest religious authority for all aspects of hinduism and are a. Thus any definition of hinduism is somewhat arbitrary and requires qualification. Vedic religion refers to the rituals, rites and chants mentioned in the three books of the veda. They have words called mantras which are chanted at the religious ceremonies.
The tradition continued in india for over 4000 years. This article discusses about hindu customs, philosophy, history, beliefs, hindu culture, etc. The holy books in hinduism are there only for guidance. They got their present form between 1200200 bce and were introduced to.
The essential unity of the vedic religion and modern hinduism. Hinduism began as a vedic religion but over a period of several centuries it assimilated many other religious thoughts and movements such as saivism, vaishnavism and shaktism. Upanishads, religious texts composed between 800 bce and 400 bce which. The vedas are a collection of hymns and other ancient religious texts. There is no single scripture as it is in other religions like christianity and islam. It dates back to the iron age in india and has its roots in the vedic religion which was followed. Oct 07, 2007 sanatana dharma comprises of spiritual laws which govern the human existence. Flood traces the development of hindu traditions from ancient origins and the major deities to the modern world. It includes elements such as liturgical material as well as mythological accounts, poems, prayers, and formulas considered to be sacred by the vedic religion. The other argument advanced by scholars who emphasize the differences between vedic religion and later hinduism concerns the deities. It has structure, has format, has limitations, has rules, regulations and more importantly it is documented or written or simply put it is a finite article. From my reading it appears he didnt oppose vedic religion though he dismissed the brahmins of his times as being false brahmins. Vedic religion is a perennial river irrigating lands in its course.
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