1. G E N E R A L A C A D E M I C S T R A N D
R E P O R T E D B Y
I B S R O M E R O
Hinduism
2. HINDUISM
Hinduism is a religion, or a way of life, found most notably
in India and Nepal. Hinduism has been called the "oldest religion" in
the world and some practitioners and scholars refer to it as Sanātana
Dharma, "the eternal law" or the "eternal way" beyond human origins.
The word Hindu is derived from the Indo-Aryan/Sanskrit word Sindhu,
the Indo-Aryan name for the Indus River in the northwestern part of
the Indian subcontinent (modern day Pakistan and Northern India).
Hinduism includes a diversity of ideas on spirituality and traditions,
but has no ecclesiastical order, no unquestionable religious authorities,
no governing body, no prophets nor any binding holy book.
3. The Founders
Hinduism has no founder, it developed out of
Brahminism.
Hinduism is the oldest religion, it may date to
prehistoric times.
Hinduism cannot be described as an organized
religion. It is not founded by any individual.
4. The Sacred Texts
The Vedas are a collection of hymns and other religious texts composed
in India between about 1500 and 1000 BCE. 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 Upanishads are a collection of texts of religious and philosophical nature, written
in India probably between c. 800 BCE and c. 500 BCE, during a time when Indian
society started to question the traditional Vedic religious order. These texts provide the
basic source for many important topics of Indian philosophy and all major philosophical
themes are covered in their pages.
The Bhagavad Gita is one of the world-scriptures today. It guides the lives of people all
over the world. It is a message addressed to each and every human individual to help him
or her to solve the vexing problem of overcoming the present and progressing towards a
bright future.
5. Types of Vedas
Samhitas (hymns)- collection of mantras or hymns
Brahmanas (rituals)- ritualistic texts and include
precepts and religious duties
Aranyakas (theologies) - intend to serve as objects of
meditation for ascetics who live in forests and deal
with mysticism and symbolism.
Upanishads (philosophies)- setting to rest ignorance
by revealing the knowledge of the supreme spirit.
6. Doctrines
Dharma- The principle or law that orders the universe.
Karma- Obtaining enjoyment from life.
Artha- The pursuit of wealth and prosperity in one’s life.
Moksha- Enlightenment.
Atman- The real self beyond ego or false self.
Brahman- The concept of the transcendent and immanent ultimate reality.
In Hinduism, Brahman connotes the highest Universal Principle, the Ultimate
Reality in the universe. In major schools of Hindu philosophy.
8. History of Yoga
Yoga is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices
or disciplines which originated in Ancient India.
Pre-philosophical speculations of yoga begin to emerge in
the texts of c. 500–200 BCE. Between 200 BCE–500 CE
philosophical schools of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism
were taking form and a coherent philosophical system of
yoga began to emerge. The Middle Ages saw the
development of many satellite traditions of yoga. Yoga
came to the attention of an educated western public in the
mid 19th century along with other topics of Indian
philosophy.
9. Types of Yoga
Jnana Yoga: Jnana Yoga is the path of knowledge, wisdom, introspection and
contemplation. It involves deep exploration of the nature our being by
systematically exploring and setting aside false identities.
Bhakti Yoga: Bhakti Yoga is the path of devotion, emotion, love, compassion,
and service to God and others. All actions are done in the context of
remembering the Divine.
Karma Yoga: Karma Yoga is the path of action, service to others,
mindfulness, and remembering the levels of our being while fulfilling our
actions or karma in the world.
Raja Yoga: Raja Yoga is a comprehensive method that emphasizes
meditation, while encompassing the whole of Yoga. It directly deals with the
encountering and transcending thoughts of the mind.
10.
11. Gods
Within Hinduism a large number of personal gods
are worshipped as murtis. These beings are either
aspects of the supreme Brahman, avatars of the
supreme being, or significantly powerful entities
known as devas. The exact nature of belief in regards
to each deity varies between differing Hindu
denominations and philosophies. With the total of
30 million gods and goddesses or more.
12. List of Gods and Goddesses
Vishnu is a major male deity in Hinduism. He is the God of Maintenance,
Protection.
Shiva is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. She is God of Destruction,
Creation, Regeneration, Meditation, Arts and Yoga.
Brahma is the creator god in the Trimurti of Hinduism. He has four faces,
looking in the four directions.
Ganesha or also known as Ganapati and Vinayaka, is one of the best-
known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheona and the God of
New Beginnings, Obstacle Remover.
Karthikeya also known as Murugan, Skanda and Subramaniyam is the
Hindu god of war.
Parvati is the Hindu goddess of fertility, love and devotion; as well as of divine
strength and power.
Lakshmi is Hindu goddess of wealth, fortune and prosperity. She is wife and
active energy of God Vishnu, who is Supreme God in Vaishnavism.
13. Lists of Gods and Goddesses
Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, arts, wisdom and
learning.
Durga is the form of Mother goddess in Shaktism. The goddess of Goddess of
Motherhood and of Victory of Good over Evil.
Kālī also known as Kālikā is a Hindu goddess. Kali is one of the
ten Mahavidyas, a list which combines Sakta and Buddhist goddesses. The
Goddess of Time, Creation, Destruction and Power.
Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god, is one of the most celebrated and
worshipped figures in Indian religion. He is the Hercules of the Hinduism and
hero of the wars.
14. Issues
The men are more important and serve than women. In politics, there are also
corrupted politicians in their government, affecting its society
Poverty The affluent world often perceives a simple, rural life as abject poverty,
and a sign of social retardation. Hindus traditionally considered it virtuous to
voluntarily accept an uncomplicated life for spiritual purposes. With different views
on wealth, poverty and success, the West is prone to hastily dismiss India's socio-
religious practices as backward and irrelevant. Nonetheless, poverty remains a real
problem in many areas.
The role of women Hindu texts stress the importance of stable family ties and
valuing and protecting women. Nonetheless, there has been – and there still is –
wide abuse. Despite this, the tradition largely rejects the post-modern notion that
social justice is achieved simply through promoting material equality.
Child marriage Texts recommend marriage at an early age, particularly for girls
in order to protect their chastity. Sexual transgression is considered particularly
detrimental to spiritual life. Many so-called child marriages were actually a form of
betrothal and marriage was not consummated until the wife was of age.