Comparing hinduism with christianity how does christianity compare to. Apr 24, 2014 a few years ago, pastor john was asked a question about reading the quran and other such religious books. The holy books of hinduism photos pics 232809 photo of the holy books of hinduism. With approximately one billion followers, hinduism is the worlds third largest religion by population, and the majority religion in india, nepal and bali indonesia. If youre interested in knowing the most important aspects of the longest lasting religion in history, this reading list is for you. 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. Apr 07, 2009 a lot of people seem to think that all hindus see god as ultimately impersonal. The majority of the vedas are considered the shruti, which is translated to that which is hard. The religion of hinduism originated in northern india, near the river indus, about 4000 years ago and is the worlds oldest existing religion.
Whether it is 33 crores or 33 types or just 3 the holy trinity the fact remains that there is more than one god in hinduism. The jews, christians and muslims all have books that come from the same god, whereas you have books from different gods. A few texts are shared resources across these traditions and broadly considered as hindu scriptures. The man who realized god in 1993 on hinduism holy book. The man who realized god in 1993 explains the concept of important books and writings of hinduism. They got their present form between 1200200 bce and were introduced to. The essence of it all can be summed up in tat tvam asi thou art that. These texts are glorious tales of the hindu trinity brahma, vishnu and maheshwar shiva. Apr 03, 20 the puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. Therefore, by word jugglery, he developed a twofold theory that brahman consists of the pure impersonal brahman, and that any incarnation of god within this universe is simply a manifestation of that brahman. Hindu texts are manuscripts and historical literature related to any of the diverse traditions within hinduism.
Online books on hinduism, hindu religion, hindu culture, shastras, hindu scripture, vedas, upanishad, hindu saints, sages, science and hinduism. It seems that in the west many people have heard the impersonalist view, that god is an impersonal force and shiva, vishnu and brahma are just another level of illusion. The encyclopedia of hinduism contains over 900 entries reflecting recent advances in scholarship which have raised new theoretical and methodological issues as well as identifying new areas of study which have not been addressed previously. This holy book is written in the sanskrit language. Smriti literature is considered less authoritative than sruti. Vedas and upanishadas are the most authoritative amongst all hindu scriptures and holy books. Most of them are very scholarly and recount the doctrines in a clinical manner, sometimes without any insight. Read and learn for free about the following article. Emotional or loving devotion bhakti to a primary god such as avatars of vishnu krishna for example, shiva and devi emerged in. 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. Hinduism is an ancient religion with diverse traditions such as vaishnavism, shaivism, shaktism and others. In hinduism, brahman refers to the supreme cosmic power, ontological ground of being, and the source, goal and purpose of all spiritual knowledge.
Does hinduism have any official books like the bible. However, the following description thereof by a foreign thinker is nearer the mark than any other. I am currently studying with the himalayan academy, who believe that shiva has both personal and impersonal aspects, but is primarily our personal god as absolute. 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. Introduction hinduism stands for the faith and the way of life most of the people who live in india. The upanishads are also called as vedantas or the end of the vedas. Followers believe there are multiple paths to reaching their god. Jun 07, 2008 all hindus know that some books are considered holy by everyone, and not every book written by every author becomes holy. There are many symbols of hinduism, as varied as the faces of god. The body of sacred literature in hinduism is vast and diverse enough to write volumes on. Hinduism holy book important books and writings of hinduism. All hindus know that some books are considered holy by everyone, and not every book written by every author becomes holy.
Water, fruit, flowers and incense are offered to the gods. The puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. The fact that there is more than one god in hinduism simply shows the thread of tolerance that the hindus had to have in them. For more on important books and writings of hinduism. We are trying to list out here as many hindu scriptures and books as possible. Muhammad saw was given the holy quran through divine intervention throughout his lifetime.
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. God is both personal bhagavan and impersonal brahman. The debate over the term hinduism in the light of postorientalist critiques is just one example of how once standard academic frameworks have been. Other holy scriptures in hinduism are called the upanisads, the smrutis, the puranas, the ramayana and the mahabharata. Today, hindu communities are to be found in almost every country on earth. There is no administrative structure or person as a final authority in hinduism. Hindu texts are manuscripts and historical literature related to any of the diverse traditions. Hindus believe that the vedas texts were received by scholars direct from. It is an indian religion and dharma, or way of life, widely practised in the indian subcontinent and parts of southeast asia. It has been described that number of verses that exist in all of the various types of hindu scriptures, as below, total 1 billion. The rigveda is a collection of hymns dedicated to 33 gods especially to indri and agni. Hinduism holy book important books and writings of hinduism sacred text of hinduism some important books and writings on hinduism hinduism does not possess a single holy book like bible in christianity and quran in islamic dharma. Hindu scriptures we explain the different hindu holy books including the vedas, the upanishads, and the bhagavadgita. Some of these gods persist in later hinduism, while others are diminished or.
God must work, and the holy spirit should be given freedom to move at his own pace. As per the vedantic embodiments hinduism is monotheistic. Another hindu holy book that deals with religious duties is law of manu or the dharma shastra. Most hindus see god as primarily personal, though possibly having transcendent or impersonal aspects. According to hinduism, brahman is said to be ineffable and higher than any description of god in personal form. It contains philosophical and spiritual teaching cloaked in a wartime discourse between lord krishna and the warrior arjuna. Feller learn with flashcards, games, and more for free. Hinduism is a religion, or a way of life, found most notably in india and nepal. If we look at the history of hinduism, the early vedic period stressed the vision of god as personal. On the other hand you will find materials of pornography, incest, lies, cheating etc. 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. But the most important holy books of hinduism are the vedas. Hinduism is hardly a dogma but a working hypothesis.
Hindu holy book hindu holy book is a letter phrase starting with h and ending with k synonyms, crossword answers and other related words for hindu holy book. There is no single scripture as it is in other religions like christianity and islam. The concept of god in hinduism varies in its diverse traditions. Is the pali canon tripitaka the holy book of buddha. A lot of people seem to think that all hindus see god as ultimately impersonal. Hinduism is such an ancient religion that it had many types of beliefs and religious practices. Hindus value many sacred writings as opposed to one holy book. Hinduism is often called god intoxicated, and the hindu who lives at all in this frame of mind is put off by christian emphases on so many details to the neglect of the one thing that is needed lk. Hinduism does not have a unified system of belief encoded in a declaration of faith or a creed, but is rather an umbrella term comprising the plurality of religious phenomena of india.
Personal interaction with hindus will lead to a more certain grasp of the essence of hinduism than reading many books. Information on hinduism for kids primary homework help. 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. History of hinduism we cover the origin of hinduism from its aryan roots, as well as its reformation from animal sacrifice to pantheistic meditation. Hinduism is the worlds third most popular religion, with around 750 million followers. These billion verses are summarized into 700 verses by lord krishna in his bhagavad gita, as confirmed by adi shankr. The 33 vedic devas, led by indra, the king of heaven, are all personal in nature. It is a religious symbol representing divine sight and shows that one is a hi foreward magazine. Some are convinced that this is hindu belief, and that belief in a personal god must be a minority view. It will manifest the signs of god and his attributes, and will reveal his loving kindness and bounty. Most books available on hinduism in bookshops in the west today are written by non. The vedas are the prime book of knowledge on which primary hindu beliefs stands. The sutras and the suttas can be considered the holy books of buddhism. Hindu holy book crossword answers, clues, definition.
Feb 07, 2012 the jews, christians and muslims all have books that come from the same god, whereas you have books from different gods. Hinduism does not render the upholders of such views unfit to be recognised as pious and. Unpanishads the upanishads are also called as vedantas or the end of the vedas. If i want people in other religions to consider reading the bible, then should i be willing to return the favor and read their holy books. We hope that the following list of synonyms for the word hindu holy book will help you to finish your crossword today. The ancient indians were not interested in history as such, which is simply the records of kings and merchants written by the victors. The most holy of the hindu books is written in sanskrit and is referred to as the vedas. Hinduism hindu holy books explanation sheet teacher made. When the human soul soareth out of this transient heap of dust and riseth into the world of god, then veils will fall away, and verities will come to light, and all things unknown before will be made clear, and hidden truths be understood.
The torah was revealed to moses as on the mountain. Hinduism is practised by more than 80% of indias population. Hinduism has been described as a tradition having a complex, organic, multileveled and sometimes internally inconsistent nature. In your life and speech so center on him that all see in your life that god alone is worth living for. Jan 15, 2009 the vedas are the prime book of knowledge on which primary hindu beliefs stands. Any pushing for a decision or conversion will do great harm. Mission frontiers ten tips for ministering to hindus. The flow of hinduism can be divided roughly into major periods of change and development. There are a number of scriptures and holy books in hinduism. Around 1750 bc aryan invaders from central asia settled in north west india and introduced their own religious. The holy books of hinduism photos pics 232809 boldsky. The scriptures of the vedas are meant to guide hindu believers in their daily lives.
However, the puranas are supposed to be complied by muni vyasa. 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. 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. If you are looking for a single hinduism holy book like the quran or the bible you will be disappointed. 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 flows from the misty past some 6000 to 7000 years ago. Download the bible, the holy quran, the mahabharata and thousands of free pdf ebooks on buddhism, meditation etc. Hinduism does not condemn those who deny god as the creator and ruler of the world, who do not accept the existence of an eternal soul and the state of moksha or state of liberation. The vedas and these other works are further divided into two sections. The vedas are scriptures that the hindu people use as a guide to daily and religious life. Buddhism is a religion known for its rich spiritual teachings, beliefs, practices and traditions. Hinduism is a religion with various gods and goddesses.
This was a complete rejection of some of the vedic literature, such as bhagavadgita. Should you read the ramayan you will come to the conclusion that it cannot be a god revealed book. The holy book in the hindu religion is known as the vedas. In fact, it cannot be defined precisely as any other religion can be. A concise explanation of the main hindu holy books. They are written in the form of a dialogue from the hindu god rama and cover.
Hinduism part 4 download books, sacred, spiritual texts. Hinduism is an ancient religion with diverse traditions such as vaishnavism, shaivism. Do hindus see god as personal or impersonal western hindu. For more details on important books and writings of hinduism visit hinduism holy book. The relative authority of religious texts develops over time and is derived from the ratification. But the vedantic beliefs went under much transformation and became gradually polytheistic in character. Online books on hinduism, hindu religion, hindu culture. The puranic literature is encyclopedic, and it includes diverse topics such as cosmogony, cosmology, genealogies of gods, goddesses, kings. The shruti refers to the body of most authoritative, ancient religious texts, believed to be. About that dot on the forehead, the ten questions people ask about hinduism says this. Here, i will give only a brief introduction to the holy books of hinduism. They got their present form between 1200200 bce and were introduced to india by the aryans.
Some of the other holy works and books of hinduism are stories and epic poems. Nonhindus often translate brahman as god, but this is inaccurate. The text is addressed by the hindu god shiva to his consort parvati. Itihasas in hindu religious context this term refers to the mahabharata and the. Religious texts are texts related to a religious tradition. First, lets distinguish between two types of hindu literature. Christians have the holy bible, muslims have the quran, and jewish people have the torah. Buddhism, much like hinduism, has many, many books but not a central text.
963 1505 1301 1565 639 116 1256 1286 370 185 1022 434 1116 110 827 582 406 1431 35 809 1187 170 1045 18 1361 853 517 1299 700 334 1374 212 458 398 1329 207 1067 56 525 1348 988 755 237 373