User:Gurvinder2007

                    "HINDUISM"

Hinduism is considered to be the oldest of the world's living religions. It is known as ‘Sanatana Dharma’ and ‘Vaidika Dharma’. Sanatan Dharma means eternal religion and is expressive of the truth that religion as such knows no age. It is coeval with life. It is the food of the spirit in man. The term Sanatana Dharma also means the religion as taught in the shruti and smriti. The word shruti means what has been heard and the word smriti means what has been memorized or remembered. What the seers (rishis) heard direct from the gods or what was revealed to them is recorded in books which are described as shruti. The Vaidika Dharma means the religion of the Vedas (God Knowledge or God Science). It does not own its origin to any historical patronage or prophet. No definite date can be cited as marking the beginning of Hinduism. Hence it is called Sanatana and Vaidika, ancient and revealed. Hinduism is sometimes called the eternal doctrine. Its literary tradition goes back to the Rig-Veda- the mankind's oldest book. "Its long history covers about forty centuries from 2000 B.C. to modem times. In broad outline the history of Hinduism can be divided into five periods: the Vedic period from 1500 B.C. to 600 B.C., the Epic period from 600 B.C. to A.D. 200, the Sutra period and the systematic development of the Hindu systems of philosophy beginning from the early Christian era, the scholastic period from A.D. 1200 to the eighteenth century and the modem period beginning from the nineteenth century". (Dr. K. R. Sundararajan, Hinduism, p.1) In the history of Hinduism one can discern tendencies both towards pantheism (belief that God is everything and everything is God) and polytheism (belief in many gods), monotheism (belief in one God) and monism (the doctrine that ultimate reality is one and indivisible). Modern thinkers such as Sri Rama Krishna, Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi have emphasized the universal and unitary character of Hinduism. For a long time, a true Hindu was one who accepted the authority of the Vedas, revered the Brahmin and the cow and performed his caste duties. But the Hindu reformers of modern times have rejected caste distinctions. Yet they remained within the Hindu tradition. For example Mahatma Gandhi ji called him-self sanatani Hindu (orthodox) on his own terms. He wrote- “I call myself a sanatani Hindu because (i) I believe in the Vedas, the Upanishads, the puranas and all that goes by the name of Hindu scriptures; (ii) I believe in the varnasarmadharma in a sense in my opinion, strictly Vedic but not in its present popular and crude sense; (iii) I believe in the protection of the cow in its much larger sense than the popular and (iv) I do not disbelieve in idol -worship." Hinduism embraces many different forms of belief and practice. It is rather a large and hospitable family of diverse doctrines and practices. Yet it is a distinctive way of life. Hindu tradition has produced religious sects and philosophical systems like shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism, Arya Samaj, Brahma Samaj etc. Each of these understands Hinduism in its own way. One common link is the acceptance of the authority of the Vedas wh1ch keeps them securely within the Hindu fold. There is a persistent principle of unity in diversities. One important and typical belief of Hinduism is that the goal can be reached by any one of the several roads. There can be more than one ways to the realization of truth. The Rig Veda declares: ‘’ekam sat vipra bahlldha vadanti" i.e. Reality is one. Sages speak of it in different ways. (1. 89.1) We find in the Bhagavad Gita a spirit of accommodation: “Whosoever men approach me, even so do I accept them, for, on all sides. Whatever path they may choose is mine. (IV. 11)

           Vedas: The Scripture of the Hindus

The four Vedas constitute the basic authority for the Hindu doctrines. The truths that are enshrined in these doctrines are held to be eternal because they pertain to the order of spiritual reality.1 The term Veda is from the Sanskrit root 'vid,' "to know". Veda primarily signifies 'knowledge', it designates 'sacred lore' as a branch of literature; and is also applied to the book containing the sacred lore. It is thus used in a general sense to denote the whole body of the most ancient Sanskrit literature, but it particularly refers to the four great collections of hymns that contain the divine wisdom2 named: The Rig Veda,The Yajur Veda, The Sama Veda and The Atharva Veda. The Rig Veda is divided into ten books (mandals) having 1028 hymns (including the 11 supplementary ones) consisting of 10,552 stanzas. The Yajur Veda is divided into 40 chapters, with 1975 stanzas and prose units. The Sama-Veda consisting of 1875 stanzas is divided into two sections. The Atharva-Veda is divided into 20 books having 731 hymns (5987 stanzas and prose units).3 The richas of the Rig Veda are recited in the form of worship (or prayer). The mantras of Sama-Veda are sung at the time of yajnas (ceremonial and sacrificial rites). The Yajur Veda contains instructions, in prose to perform the rites, and the Atharva-Veda records, besides these, magical formulas and charms.4 Each of the four-Vedas is divided into the following parts- The Mantras, the Brahmanas, the Aranykas and the Upanishads. Mantra means 'instrument of thought, speech, a sacred text or saying, a prayer or song of praise, a Vedic hymn in particular, or a sacrificial formula. The earliest Vedic mantras are indicative of the worship of deities (devtas or gods). The second part of each Veda, the Brahmana, was drawn up for ceremonial instruction of the Brahmans. They are really directions for the priests who used the Vedas in worship. They contain regulations regarding the employment of the mantras, and the celebration of the various rites of sacrifice. 5 Aranykas or the forest treatises represent a shift from the actual performance of sacrifices to the meditation on certain symbols. They formed a bridge between the ritualism of the Brahmanas and the philosophical endeavors of the Upanishads.6 The Upanishads form the concluding portion of the Vedas. They are also called Vedanta, since they come at the end of the Vedas. The term Upanishad seems to denote 'secret instruction' only given to a fully qualified pupil by his teacher, to introduce him to the highest modes of philosophic thought, leading upto that supreme knowledge which ensures liberation from human existence.7 They contain the doctrines of Brahman, the jiva, the origin of phenomenal existence, spiritual emancipation, etc., based on the Vedic mantras.8 The Vedas are called 'sruti' or revelation. The term sruti or 'hearing' is that used to indicate what was directly heard by or was revealed to the holy sages of the yore. The Vedas are the earliest work on our theology bequeathed by the great rishis to whom the world is indebted for the original and earliest conception of God and that recorded in a language (Vedic form of Sanskrit) which still reigns supreme over other classical languages of the world.9 The Vedas have always exercised and do still exercise the highest influence upon the life of the Hindus. Whatever may be the feelings of animosity among the different sects all of them hold Vedas in the highest esteem. We may conclude with the words of Swami Vivekananda "The Hindus have received their religion through the revelation, the Vedas. They hold that the Vedas are without beginning and without end... They mean accumulated treasury of spiritual laws discovered by different persons in different times!”10 (An extract from the speech delivered at the Parliament of Religions).

FOOT-NOTES 1. T.M.P Mahadevan, "Metaphysics", Hinduism, Punjabi Uni. Patiala, 1969, p. 18 2 A.A. Macdonell, A History of Sanskrit Literature, Heinemann, first ed., 1900, p. 29 3. K.R. Sundararajan, "Historical Survey", Hinduism, Punjabi University, Patiala, 1969, p. 1 4. Jodh Singh, "Review of Ancient Indian Thought", Guru Nanak and Indian Religious Thought, Punjabi University, Patiala, 1970, p. 1. 5. A.C. Clayton, The Rig Veda and Vedic Religion, Bharti Prakashan, Varanasi, Reprint, 1980 pp. 34-36. 6. Op. cit, K.R. Sundararajan, p. 2 7. Op. cit., A.C. Clayton, p. 36. 8. Op.cit., Jodh Singh, p.1 9. Vedas: The Scripture of the Hindus, Arun publications, Chandigarh, Reprint, 1981, p. 1. 10. Ibid, quoted on p.1l-12.