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Basics of Hinduism

 

A History of Hinduism

 Hinduism is the oldest and one of the most complex religious systems.  It is a unique religion in that it has no one particular founder or date of origin.  Unlike other religions which grew out of the idea of one leader, Hinduism is the religion of the various peoples who have migrated to India over thousands of year.  The earliest influence of Hinduism can be dated back to the Indus Valley Civilization around 2500 BC.  The word "Hindu" itself comes from the word, Indus, which refers to the Indus River in modern day Pakistan. The uncovered writing of the Harrappans who lived in this region have not been deciphered, therefore knowledge of this civilization lies in physical evidence.  The Harrappa people carved figures and images of gods onto clay seals.  One of the seals is identified as a proto-Shiva.

The first written evidence of Hinduism is the Rig Veda composed around 1000 BC.  The Rig Veda contains hymns to various deities regarding nature, including Agni ("fire"), Indra ("wind"), Surya ("sun"), and Varuna ("sea).  The Rig Veda also entails the asuras, or gods of moral concepts, such as Mitra ("oath") and Bhaga ("share").

During the Gupta Period between 320-500 CE, Hinduism rekindled as the prevailing religion of South Asia.  Subjects such as science, mathematics, astrology, and astronomy relied on scriptural ideas.  The idea of theism also emerged. The Puranas, scriptures concerning epics that were passed down orally, were established at the end of the Gupta Period.  The Puranas include topics such as the creation of the world, dissolution of the world, and rites of dead ancestors.  The Puranic tradition identified only one God with many forms.  The three basic traditions include the worship of Vishnu, Shiva, or Devi.

Modern day Hinduism has evolved greatly from the ancient civilizations.  Due to vast influences and innovation within areas, Hindu customs vary greatly from region to region.  Hinduism did not start with a certain beginning, and still continues to evolve. 

 

Basic Facts

• Hinduism is the world's oldest religion that is still practiced today. It can be traced back to about 6000 BCE.

• Hinduism is the only major religion of the world that cannot be traced to a specific founder and that does not have a holy book that serves as the one and only scriptural authority.

• After Christianity and Islam, Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world with about 1 billion followers. 905 million out of those 1 billion followers live in India.

• Hindus do not only live in India.  A large number of Hindus also live in countries such as Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

• Hinduism is monotheistic.

• Another name for Hinduism is "Santana Dharma," which means the eternal law in Sanskrit.

• The most well-known texts in Hinduism are the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Bhagavad-Gita, Mahabharata, and Ramayana.

• The Vedas, meaning "knowledge" in Sanskrit, is a large collection of the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism.

• Hinduism is considered to be a way of life or philosophy by its followers.  It guides adherents to follow their duty, or dharma.