Hindu Scriptures
Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the World. There are many religious texts in Hinduism that teach us the art of living. Hindus believe that God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. He is inside the soul of all of us. All we need is to find him inside ourselves. There is God in every person. Hindu Dharma is also called Sanatan Dharma that means Eternal and Everlasting.
Hindus believe that the texts were received by scholars guided by God and told to the next generations by word of mouth. Hindu religious texts are divided into two broad sections on the primordial scale. The first is "Shruti" and the second one is "Smriti". Shruti texts are those texts which have been heard from one generation to the next for many years. Until these were brought in writing form. The second is "Smriti". Smriti literature is a vast repository of diverse texts and includes Puranas, Hindu epics, sutras, texts of Hindu philosophy, poetry or poetic literature, and many essays, including politics, morality, culture, art, and society also includes.
All these religious texts were written in Sanskrit. These were later translated into many regional and international languages. According to the Hindu religion, the aim of human life is to attain salvation.
Shrutis include -
The Rigveda contains hymns about the mythology of Hindus.
The Samaveda is primarily about religious rituals.
The Yajurveda contains instructions for religious rituals.
The Atharvaveda has spells against enemies, magicians, and diseases.
The Vedas were divided and classified by Ved Vyas Ji. There are four Vedas in Hindu scriptures. These are the most ancient religious texts that define truth for Hindus. In the beginning, it is said that there was only one Veda - all knowledge was written in one Veda. It was very difficult to propagate it because the way of education was oral. It was difficult to give specific knowledge from just one Veda because it had a lot of knowledge at the same time. Therefore, Maharishi Vyasa divided and classified these mantras into 4 - namely Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda. That's why he is also known as "Ved Vyas".
Vedas have 4 distinct sections:
Samhita: It refers to the most ancient layer of text in the Vedas, consisting of mantras, hymns, prayers, litanies, and benedictions.Brahmanas: Rituals for prayers & yajnas(worship) – these explain Samhitas in detail
Aranyakas: Theology– that which discusses certain rituals in further detail and moves towards spiritual philosophy.
Upanishads: The literal meaning of Upanishad, "sitting near devotedly,". Knowledge is obtained sitting at the feet of a realized teacher. The word also means "secret teaching"—secret, no doubt, because teaching vouchsafed only to those who are spiritually ready to receive and profit from it.
Smritis include -
Puranas: These are more bhakti related texts narrating stories of Ishta Devatas. Shiv Puran, Bhagavad Purana, Vishnu Purana, Skanda Purana, etc.
Itihas (history): Ramayana ,Mahabharata and Srimad Bhagwat Geeta.
Darshanas(seeing or understanding philosophy): Texts that try to explain the nature of Individuals with Nature (Prakriti), with Ultimate reality. These include six philosophy systems – Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa, and Vedanta.
Upavedas(sub-Vedas): Texts that expound on various practical sciences. These are Ayurveda (Medicine & health), Dhanurveda (Warfare), Gandharvaveda (Art, music, dance), Sthapatyashastra (Architecture & Engineering), Arthashastra (Politics & Economics).
Ved-angas(limbs of Vedas): 6 disciplines developed to facilitate a systematic study of Vedas. These are Shiksha(Phonology), Chandas(Prosody), Vyakaran(Grammer), Nirukta(Etymology), Kalpa(Rituals), Jyotisha(Astrology).
Agamas or Tantras: Texts that deal with rituals of prayer, temple construction, creation of idols, cosmology, epistemology, philosophical doctrines, and also meditative practices. Major agamas are Shaiva, Vaishnav, and Shakta.
'Sutras' and 'Shastra' texts were a compilation of technical or specialized knowledge in a defined area. Theology, physics, astronomy, biology, crafts, economics, etc. are also included in these.
Hindu scriptures advise the early documented history and origins of arts and sciences in India such as music, dance, sculptures, architecture, astronomy, science, mathematics, medicine, and welfare. Valmiki's Ramayana mentions music and singing by Gandharvas, dances by Urvashi, Rambha, Maneka, and wives of Ravana, who perform the choreography or "sing and dance" The earliest dance-related texts are in the Natasutras, mentioned by Panini In the text, a sage who wrote a classic on Sanskrit grammar, and which dated to about 500 BCE.
There are more than 200 known Upanishads. Out of the traditional 200 Upanishads, ten of them are considered to be the principal ones: Isha, Kena and Katha, Prashan, Mundaka, Mandukya, Tattiriya, Aitareya, Chhandogya, and Brihadaranyaka.
There are 18 known Maha Puranas. Matsya Puranas is the oldest Purana. Agni Purana, Vishnu Purana, Shiva Purana, Matsya Purana, Bhagwata Purana, Brahma Purana, Brahmanand Purana, Brahmavaivarta Purana, Garuda Purana, Kurma Purana, Linga Purana, Markendya Purana, Narda Purana, Padma Purana, Skanda Purana, Vamana Purana, Varaha Purana and Vayu Purana.
Itihaas (History)
- Srimad Bhagavad-Gita is one of the holiest texts of the Hindus. According to Mahabharata, Lord Krishna told the message of Gita to Arjuna in the Kurukshetra war. It is a Upanishads given under Bhishma Parva of Mahabharata. In the Bhagavad Gita, monotheism, karma yoga, jnana yoga, bhakti yoga have been discussed very beautifully. Srimad Bhagavad-Gita is the ultimate source of motivation and Knowledge. It tells us that 'Change is the Law of the Universe'.
"What have you lost?
Why are you crying?
What did you bring with you?
Which you have lost?
What did you produce,
Which was destroyed?
Whatever was received, was received from here.
Whatever was given, was given here
You brought nothing when you were born
You are taking nothing with you when you die
Whatever is yours today was somebody else’s
Yesterday and will be somebody else’s tomorrow."
- Ramayana The Ramayana is an ancient Indian epic, composed some time in the 5th century BCE, about the exile and then return of Rama, prince of Ayodhya. It was composed in Sanskrit by the sage Valmiki Ji, who taught it to Rama's sons, the twins Lava and Kush. Ramayana is based on the story of Lord Ram. In this, The dignity of Rama is shown as "Purushottam".
Mahabharata epic is believed to happen about 3000 B.C and then written by Lord Ganesha while Veda Vyasa told him the incidents. The Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic where the main story revolves around two branches of a family - the Pandavas and Kauravas - who, in the Kurukshetra War, battle for the throne of Hastinapura. Interwoven into this narrative are several smaller stories about people dead or living, and philosophical discourses.
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