Introduction to Hinduism (Part 1)

Introduction to Hinduism (Part 1)

Origin, Definition and Introduction to HinduismOne of the astounding features of Hinduism is that it is the oldest living religion that has retained its mass appeal as well as the breadth and depth of its universal vision. In its long and checkered history, it absorbed many traditions and beliefs, without compromising its core beliefsand losing its vitality.

As a result, Hinduism continues to remain today as one of the most popular religions of the world, defying the traditional definitions of religion and withstanding severe competition from organized religions and materialistic ideologies. From the Book An Introduction to Hinduism by Jayaram VHinduism, In Search Of A True DefinitionSurprisingly, though Hinduism is a very ancient religion, the word "Hinduism", which today defines it and distinguishes it from the rest of the religions, is of much later origin. In ancient India you had either a yogi, a bhakta, a tantric, a sanyasi, a sankhya vadin, a vedantin, a lokayata, a rishi, a muni, a pandit, a pragna, a yogini, a devi, a swami, a Saivite, a Vaishnavite, a siddha or Buddha, but no Hindu.The Persian connectionInterestingly the words "Hindu" and Hinduism arenot Sanskrit words. No Hindu ever coined them. The Hindus were even unaware of such a terminology for a very long time. While the foreignscholars of Greece and Persia made an occasional glance out of curiosity towards the lands that existed beyond the Indus, the native Indians were busy in their own little world oblivious of the fact that they had very little in common with the outside world except perhaps inmatters of commerce, governance and few other things.The earliest reference to the word "Hindu" can be found in the Avesta, the sacred book of the Zoroastrians. The word "Hindu 'ush" was also found at least in two inscriptions of king Darius ( early sixth Century B.C.), whose empire said to have extended up to the borders of the river Sindhu.The Greek "Indos"Subsequently the word was picked up by Herodotus and also by the Armenians. For several centuries the word was used to denote thepeople of the subcontinent, not people of a particular faith. From the eighth century A.D. onwards when the Muslims began to settle down in the Indus region they started using the word"Hindus" to distinguish the natives from the Muslims.The word "Hindu" is a secular wordHindustan was the land that existed beyond the river Indus, and those that lived there were referred as Hindus. We can see clearly that the word Hindu was originally a secular word meant to define and distinguish people of the Indian subcontinent, rather than those practicing a particular religion.If we go by these ancient traditions, there is hardly any difference between a Hindu and an Indian. Both the words were corrupt forms of the original Sanskrit word "Sindhu" meaning river in general and the Indus river in particular. The Greeks referred to those living in the subcontinent as "Indos" while the Muslim scholars called them"Hindus".There was however one particular difference. The Greek historians who called the subcontinent as"Indos" hardly knew much about the religious activity of the region, while the Muslim scholars had some knowledge of the native traditions though not in complete detail.But they chose to describe the natives as Hindus to contrast them with the Muslims. The Europeans who came to India from the sixteenth century onwards followed the same tradition and referred the natives as Hindus to distinguish themfrom the non-Muslims. More than tradition perhaps it was convenience which prompted them to use the word "Hindu" to describe the vast majority of the non-Muslim population of India.

The "Hindoos" of British RajIt is interesting to note that the Hindus never referred themselves as Hindus until modern times. The earliest reference to the word "Hindu" is said to be found in the Gaudiya Vaishnava textsof the 16th century A.D. It was only during the 18th and 19th centuries that Hindus started accepting the word to describe their religious faith which stood in stark contrast to Christianity and Islam. The British, who were till then referringthe natives variously as natives, banians, heathens, gentoos, etc, now started referring all the non-Muslim natives as "Hindoos".For the educated modern Hindu of that period the word was a very convenient way to establish his identity against the British as well as the native Muslims. For some time the word "Hinduism", was used in a restricted sense, to designate the Vedic religion or Brahminism. But with the emergence of new reform movements, which played a very crucial role in restructuring and redefining the social and religious traditions of the country, the word came to encompass the entire religious tradition that originated from the Vedas and continued through centuries.A Hindu knows in his heart who a Hindu isToday although there is a lot of confusion among many foreign scholars as to what constitutes Hinduism and what does not, there is no confusion among the native Indians as to who a Hindu is.

A Hindu may not be able to define correctly who a Hindu is, but in his heart he knows clearly who he is talking about. Without recourse to any religious texts or scholarly analysis, he can instantly recognize and accept a fellow Hindu.The Hindus may come from different regions, speak different languages, belong to different economic and social strata, may oppose each other politically, may not even like each other personally due to ideological or ethical or ethnic reasons, but they do not fail to experience the bond of a religious tradition that is common to them. They know clearly that the tradition that binds them together was before them and would remain forever after them.This in essence what Hinduism is. It is a living tradition which communicates through the hearts, minds and spirits of its millions of adherents. The word "Hindu" is secular in its origin and a typical Hindu is very tolerant in his outlook and attitude towards all religious faiths and living traditions.Today if some Hindus are becoming increasingly defensive towards their religion, which is an unfortunate development, as it is against the principles of their religious tradition, it is to be acknowledged more as a reaction against perceived threats and external influences. Let us hope that it would be a temporary phenomenon.Hinduism, The Scriptural BackgroundWhen we attempt to understand the nature of a religion, first we have to examine the thought process that went into the formation of that religion.

The purpose of this article is to examine whether Hinduism relies upon any particular text as the basis of its existence.A religion with too many gospelsIf we look at modern day Hinduism, we realize that in contrast to other major religions, it does not rely exclusively upon any particular scripture, though it derives its inspiration from various sources starting with the Vedas called shrutis, thesmritis, the agamas, the shastras, the darshanas, the Bhagavad-Gita, the great body of Vaishnava literature, the works of Shri Shankaracharya,ShriRamanujacharya and so on.But it is difficult to say that all Hindus would derive inspiration from these books equally or venerate them equally.

Some might not even bother to read or follow these books, but would simply go by the teachings of their respective gurus or great teachers. Some might even read the Bible or the Koran and appreciate the similarities in teachings between them and the books of Hinduism.And if we look at the whole lot of illiterate people of India who constitute almost 50 % of the population, who are mostly Hindus, we realize the incredible and unquestionable impact of tradition rather than any particular scripture on the religious life of Indian Hindus.Unlike their counterparts in medieval Europe who were regarded by the Church as a special responsibility,although the poorer sections of Hindu society remained for most of the time in thelong and checkered history of the religion, mostly outside the purview of any organized religious activity, their loyalty to the traditions of their ancestors has been unquestionable.Their religion might be termed by the modern scholars as folk religion, based on simple faith. But they were very much Hindus at heart and were equally moved by a mythological story from the puranas, and the epics like the Ramayana or the Mahabharata.The Vedas (Shrutis) and the Bhedas (Apasrutis) !During the Vedic period there was little confusion as to the importance and supremacy of sacred literature.

The Vedas were considered to be very sacred and eternal, the Shrutis, or the books that were as" heard". But during the subsequent period, a lot of rival literature gathered ammunition against the Vedas questioning their supremacy and challenging their religious validity.Foremost among them were the Buddhist literature, the Jaina literature, Sankhya literature, the beliefs of the Lokayuktas or Charvakas and interestingly even substantial portions of the Bhakti or devotional literature including the Bhagavad-Gita which was the true spirit behind the Bhakti movement.Rise of vernacular literatureWith the rise of native dialects came into existence a vast corpus of religious literature in several native languages. This coupled with the decline of Sanskrit as the medium of communication even among the scholarly sections of society made the Vedas lose much of their religious glitter, although they retained sometitular authority through the surviving Vedic traditions, kept alive by the priestly class.It is interesting to note that even after the native tradition came face to face with Islam, the Vedas did not become the authoritative and unquestionable source of religious knowledge forthe natives on the lines of Koran, although a number of new practices, partly based on the practices of Islam and partly as a reaction against them, came to be incorporated into the native religion.

Decline of the VedasOne reason why the Vedas remained unpopular mostly after the Vedic period was the exclusive privileges the priestly class accorded to themselves in all matters concerning the Vedas and the rigidity with which they tried to guard these books from other sections of society.The Vedas became secret knowledge, not to be heard or learned by those who were not qualified socially for such a purpose. This went against thespirit of the original tradition and did it a great damage.Besides, the ascendance of empty ritualism over spiritualism and the failure of the vedic priests to answer some of the questions that perplexed and troubled the inquisitive and scholarly minds, made people to look in other directions for satisfactory answers.

The age of empty ritualism is now and hereToday a modern Hindu would carefully undergo the whole process of Vedic ritualism, without understanding the true significance of the mantras or their meaning with the indifference of a yogi or the impatience of a modern man.Whether it is a naming ceremony, marriage ceremony, conception ceremony or funeral or some other religious ceremony, they observe the various samskaras and household rituals more out of respect towards their family traditions or out of fear of offending their ancestors and gods.Truly speaking, the spirit of sincerity and of seriousness towards the Vedic traditions are difficult to come across in modern Hindu society. His conditioned mind, despite his preoccupationswith modern day materialism, would prompt him to give a chance to tradition and earn whatever religious merit that might accrue in the process.He might even show great respect and veneration towards the Vedas and the performance of the rituals. But it is doubtful if he has adequate familiarity with such matters and whether he would really like to follow them in letter and spirit. For inspiration, spiritual guidance and enlightenment he would, perhaps, look else where.Modern Hinduism and the religious textsThere is no doubt in the minds of those who are closely observing the progress of Hinduism in modern times that the religion is gradually evolving from a religion of superficial ceremoniesand rituals into a religion of deep spirituality and mysticism.This development is in a way a very positive development and would ultimately establish Hinduism on firm footing in the modern age of technology and scientific realism. It is also good for the progressive evolution of religious thought in line with the growth of human civilization and the increasing awareness of the human mind. It would also save the modern man from irreligiousnessby encouraging him to trust his own personal experience rather than any scriptural authority as a guide to his world- view and his spiritual solace.So no wonder, modern Hinduism is increasingly becoming very cautious in its approach to all books of revelations and scriptural knowledge.

It does not even seem to support the view that a particular way of life, belief, book or thinking alone would guarantee salvation to people.It is wary of the ways of the mind, the fallacy of human thinking, the illusory nature of the world around, the impermanence and unreliability of allthat is connected to human activity. Whether they emanate from the supposedly divine source, which most scriptures are, or from ones own mind or from an authoritative religious source, the words are but the medium through which the Transcendental Truth tries to enter our consciousness express itself. But having entered into the realm of the human consciousness, despite its power to illuminate the mind, it becomes liable for distortion and manipulation and subjected to the influence of maya or illusion.The Vedas, the Upanishads, The Puranas, the two great epics, the Darshanas, the Sutras, the Smritis, the Bhagavad-Gita and a whole lot of religious literature, still carry a great significance on the religious lives of many Hindus. But it is doubtful if modern day Hinduism would buy the argument that these and these alone would ensure salvation to an individual, although it does emphasize that one should live and act in accordance with one's own dharma and the scriptures. Those who still trust their religious validity look for new meaning in them and others look else where for their perplexing questions.The skepticism of a modern day Hindu, or perhaps his indifference or lack of interest towards all religious literature, is born out of the unlimited freedom Hinduism offers to him in his search for truth. He has the solace and the comfortable feeling of assurance that his religion and his scriptures give him the liberty to pursue truth in his own way. Besides the Upanishads and a number of books declare to him what constitutes true and superior knowledge and what does not. His mind therefore has the license to soar free into unknown regions of higher consciousness and come out with rare findings and new insights.The Superior knowledgeThe Upanishads and the Bhagavad-Gita are very clear in their approach in this regard. They consider the knowledge that is gained by reading the scriptures as inferior to the knowledge one gains through one's own experience. Nothing is to be trusted or taken for granted, however authoritative the source may be, unless one tests it through ones own experience.All scriptural knowledge is lower knowledge, which might lead an individual to heavens but would not guarantee salvation, whereas the knowledge of Brahman and Brahman alone, gained through inner purification and self-transformation is much more superior, and would guarantee the final liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

Besides the more educated a mind is, the greater is the need for its cleansing and purifying before it becomes receptive to divine knowledge. Knowledge hardens the ego, builds walls of resistance in the mind and blocks the entry of true Knowledge.In Hinduism all Truths are welcomeIn conclusion we can say that though modern dayHinduism does not rely upon a particular source of knowledge, it did drew its inspiration from a great body of diverse religious knowledge during the course of its evolution starting from the Vedic times till the present and it still continues to draw inspiration from several sources even today.In the past it drew its inspiration mainly from the Vedas including the Brahmanas, the Aranyakas and the Upanishads which constituted the Shrutis(as heard), the Puranas and the epics which constituted the Smritis (as remembered), the various dharma shastras, karikas like Samkhya karika, sutras like Yoga Sutras or Brahma Sutras,the Bhashyas, the Agamas, the Vedangas, the bhakti literature, the tantras, the works of great saints like Shri Shankaracharya,Shri Ramanuja and so on.Today, apart from the traditional literature, it draws its inspiration mainly from the teachings and sayings of many modern day saints, gurus, Bhagawans, rishis, maharishis, peers, babas, saints, philosophers, even from the space research, atomic research, researches in parapsychology and so on. If there is one religionwhich can adopt to any environment and tune itself to any challenge, it is truly Hinduism. And if there is one religion which can survive without any particular preacher or a teaching, it is again Hinduism.Hindu Scriptures and Their Influence Upon HinduismWe have seen in the previous sections that unlike other major religions, Hinduism does not rely upon a particular scripture or a revelation of God for following Truth, though it has a very positive, comprehensive and multi perspective approach to everything that is Divine or connected to the Divine. In this article we will examine how various scholarly influences and thought processes went into the formation of this great tradition called Hinduism.The Main SourcesOver a period of centuries during which it underwent a great metamorphosis, the religion drew its inspiration from various sources. Chief among them were: the Vedas, the Upanishads (which are actually the end portions of the Vedas), the Vedangas, the Puranas, the Bhagavad gita, the Darshanas, the Sutras, the twomajor epics called the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, the Agamas, the Vaishnava literature,the dharma shastra, karikas, Bhashyas and so on.The works of great personalities like Shri Shankaracharya,Shri Ramanuja, Nimbarka, Vallabhacharya etc., also contributed to the revival of the religion and its popularity at a time when it was passing through great difficulties.The VedasThe Vedas are called nigamas, in contrast to agamas of the Shivites. They are believed to be composed neither by man nor by gods, but were only revealed. Hence they are called "shrutis" ( those that are heard) in contrast to "smritis" (those that are remembered).

The vedic Aryans regarded them as timeless (sanatana), revealed by the Divine for the welfare of the mankind. They are also considered to be eternal which would remain amidst us as long as the world would exist and them go back to their source. They form the basis of Vedic religion out of which Hinduism of today evolved through gradual phases.Shri Dattatreya, a manifestation of Lord Vishnu is shown to be always followed by four dogs who remain at His feet all the time. These four dogs represent the four Vedas, signifying the fact that the Vedas would always remain in the service of God, like faithful dogs and serve His cause.The men behind the VedasThese books were composed by rishis in a very ancient past about whose antiquity we can only make conjectures but no one can say for sure. According to tradition, they came from the family of the Angirasas (the family of angels, to use the English terminology). The Rigvedic hymns were ascribed chiefly to seven rishis. These seven rishis were Atri, Kanwa, Vashistha, Viswammitra,Jamadagni, Gotama, and Bharadwaja. They brought to light (as they heard) most of the hymnsof the Rigveda.The meaning of the VedasThe word "Veda" is derived from the word "vid" which means to know. The Vedas are thus books of knowledge. The devout Hindus revere and regard them as very sacred, as the ultimate source of all their religious knowledge. It is said that all knowledge can be traced back to the Vedas in some way or the other. Even today there are many Hindu zealots who try to trace back many of the modern day scientific inventions to the knowledge contained in the Vedas. Though we are not sure how far such interpretationscan be considered as correct.The Vedas might have been "heard" or composed by different seers over a great period of time and were handed down from generation to generationthrough oral transmission. Since it was essential to maintain the purity of the hymns, a great emphasis was placed on the correct chanting of each word in the mantra according to a particularrhythm to maintain their efficacy during the performance of the rituals.The Vedas are four in number namely: the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda and the Atharvaveda. According to one tradition, only the first three were accorded the status of the true Vedas for a long time, while for reasons not known to us, it took some time for the fourth one to join the rank of the rest.The structure of the VedasThe Vedas are divided into the following divisions:The Samhitas, which contain the collection of the original hymns in praise of various gods and goddesses.The Brahmanas, which discuss mainly the various aspects connected with the ritualsThe Aranyakas or the books of the forest, which contain information on the nature and importance of sacrifices and their relation to man and the universe.The Upanishads which form the end portions of the Vedas and constitute the Hindu Philosophy known as Vedanta.Rigveda, is "the oldest book in the world":Among the four Vedas, Rigveda ( Knowledge of the Verses) is the oldest and the most important. It contains 1017 ( according to some 1072 or even 1028) hymns or suktas divided into ten mandalas or books. These hymns are mostly composed in praise of various gods and goddesses. The gods and goddess of Rigveda were immortal, all knowing, who would bestow boons and favors upon human beings and bless them with their help and support in day to day life,if they were invoked properly through certain rituals and symbolic sacrifices.The Vedic DeitiesThe principal deities referred in Rigveda are Surya (the Sun) who is also referred as Savitr andVivasat, Soma (the moon), Agni (fire), Dyaus (sky), Maruts (storm winds), Prithvi (earth), Vayu (wind), Apa (water) and Ushas (dawn). In addition there are Indra, Varuna, Mitra, Aditya, Vishnu, Pushan, the two Asvins, Rudra and Parjanya.

In addition to these gods and goddesses, we also come across Rbhus, or elves, Apsaras or nymphs, gandharvas or musical spirits, and even asuras or the demons.Chief among the Vedic gods who became very popular during the Rigvedic period was Indra. He is the lord of the heavens, who is credited with theslaying of the snake demon Vrata to separate the earth and heaven and release the waters. He also went nearest to Brahman and tried to understand Him (Kena Upanishad). It is interesting to note that Vishnu and Rudra who were later elevated to the status of the Trinity along with Brahma, were not given a pride of place in the Rigvedic pantheon.One of the most important hymns of the Rigveda is the hymn of creation which describes how the worlds and the beings were created in the universe out of nothingness by tad ekam (That One). The Rigveda also contains hymns extolling the virtues of Soma juice, derived from some unknown plant containing intoxicating properties. Reference also should be made about a rather controversial hymn called "Purusha Sukta" which describes how the four Hindu castes came into existence.The other VedasThe Yajurveda contains knowledge of Yaj or sacrifices. Here the emphasis is more on the mechanics of performing the rituals for the invocation of gods, such as the implements to be used and the offerings to be made by the priests while performing them.The Samaveda is more lyrical in nature and contains the knowledge of the chants. The hymns of this Veda are chanted in a prescribed melody by the priests. It is interesting to note that Lord Krishna declares in the Bhagavad-Gita that among the Vedas He is the Samaveda !The Atharvaveda contains 20 books most of which deal with magical spells for long life, good health, protection from evil, charms etc. It also includes several hymns of the Rigveda. According to some scholars in the Atharvaveda we see a fine amalgamation of vedic beliefs with certain animist beliefs of the time. Atharvaveda not only deals with gods and goddesses but also with "dark and demonical powers" who need to be supplicated and won over. But such scholarly opinions suggest human design behind the composition of the Vedas and contradict the shruti tradition, reduce the texts to the status of mere literary or scholastic works.

The mantra traditionReference also need to be made about the mantra tradition. Each of the Vedic hymns is divided into one or more stanzas which are called mantras. It is said that the mantras carry within themselves various spiritual or magical powers which can beunlocked if they are properly recited using correct pronunciation and with a particular vibration. Each mantra in order to be effective has to be preceded by the word OM or AUMA mantra is a deity by itself. It would come to life the moment it is properly pronounced. The sound that we generate while chanting a mantra carries with in it the seed of the deity's energies. Such energies can be released and directed for a specific cause by chanting the mantras properly.If the mantras are not properly chanted they may become counter productive and generate harmful effects. Hence to achieve appropriate efficacy the students are expected to concentrate their minds and energies on the proper recitation of each mantra.Though on the surface the Vedas appear to be mere invocations to various gods, they are said tobe suffused with a lot of hidden symbolic significance as revealed by Shri Aurobindo in his book entitled, "the Secret of the Vedas."The Upanishads are believed to be at least 350 in number, though there is a great deal of controversy about their exact number. Some of them are relatively modern, while some very ancient. They are the end portions of the Vedas and hence what they teach is appropriately calledVedanta (the end part of the Vedas.)They basically deal with the subject of Brahman, the Universal Self and Atman the individual self and try to answer such riddles as the true nature of man and his place in and relation with the universe. More than the Vedas it is the Upanishads which impart the much acclaimed philosophical depth and mystical vision to Hindu thought. Important Upanishads are Brihadaranyaka,Chandyoga, Isa, Aitareya, Taittiriya, Katha, Prashna, Kena, Mundaka, Mandukya, Svetavatara. You can go to our section on Upanishads to know more about each of these upanishads.Hindu Scriptures, The Puranas, Vedangas, Devotional LiteratureOther important texts of the Vedic period include the six Vedangas and the four Sutras. Vedangas literally means the limbs of the Vedas. The six Vedangas are, shiksha (study), chhanda (meter), vyakarna (grammar), nirukta (lexicon), jyotisha (astrology), and kalpa (methodology of rituals). The vedangas are considered to be the limbs of the Vedas and are meant to enhance our study and understanding of the Vedas besides preserving and protecting their purity and integrity. Basically they are supplementary or auxiliary texts which aim to establish ground rules based on which one can interpret the meaning of the Vedas or perform the rituals or recite them with perfection. The four Sutras are Shrauta ( on how to perform rituals), Sulba (on how to build altars), Grihya (on how to perform domestic rites) and Dharma (on how to live life according to ones dharma). These four Sutras areconsidered to be part of the Kalpa Sutras. The Grihya and Dharma Sutras are often combined under the generic name Smarta Sutras.The PuranasThe Puranas are a strange combination of mythology and history freely inter mixed. They form the smriti tradition, that is those which are remembered. They are essentially narrative accounts of various gods, sages and ancient kings of immense repute.They also describe the process of creation and the struggle between the good and evil forces of the universe.

Though for a student of history they may not present an accurate picture of the true events of the ancient past, for a student of religionthey offer profound information and insight into the background of Hindu religion.The total number of puranas are many, but prominent among them are 18. Matsya Purana, Padma Purana, Naradiya Purana, Vishnu Purana, Varaha Purana, Vamana Purana, Bhavishya Purana, Brahma Purana, Shiva Purana, Devi Purana, Skanda Purana, Markandeya Purana etc., come under this particular category.The DarshanasThe Darshanas which are six in number, namely, the Uttara mimansa, the Purva mimansa, Samkhya, Yoga, Vaisheshika and Nyaya Darshanas. together they constitute the six schools of ancient Hindu philosophical thought.A study of them provide immense insight into ancient Indian thinking and its evolution into a complex body of schools and philosophies. Of these the first two are based on the Shrutis or the Vedic texts. The next two are based on Smrits such as the Puranas and the epics. The last two are based on Shastras or scholarly works.The Jaimini Sutras form the basis for the Purva mimansa. The Sankhya karika of Iswara Krishna formed the basis for the teachings of sage Kapila.The Yoga darshana is based upon Patanjalis Yoga Sutras. The Vaisheshika school was based upon the work of Kanada, while Nyaya school of thought was based on the works of Gautama.It is interesting to note that some of these darshanas do not place belief in the existence God as the central ruler or controller or creator of the world. Hence tradition divided these six darshanas into three categories: the asthika (those who believe in god), the nasthika (those who do not believe in god) and dwaishtika (or those who believe in fate or destiny).The Devotional literatureThe Bhagavad gita contains the teachings of LordKrishna to Shri Arjuna in the middle of battle field about the meaning of true self, renunciation of work, the true nature of karma, the three qualities, the true nature of God, the definition of a true devotee and so many other things. The book has profoundly influenced many generations of Hindus and still plays a significant role in moulding the lives of many modern day Hindus.The two major epics are the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.They are mythological stories of a very ancient past about whose antiquity and real historical basis no one is really sure. They are a part of the Smriti tradition.As religious books they occupy a special place of their own in the minds of Hindus. For centuries they have been rendering great service to the cause of Hinduism by spreading religious awareness among the multitude of Hindu massesin a language and medium which they can understand.In a way one may even conclude that it was neither the Vedas nor the Upanishads but these two epics which kept the religion alive and dynamic at the mass level. It is no exaggeration to say that even today these two epics appeal to Hindus of all ages more than any Veda or Upanishad combined. Any religious study of Hinduism, without a study and understanding of these two great epics is therefore incomplete and imperfect.Other principle sacred texts of Hinduism include the Saiva Agamas which are treatises on the greatness of Lord Shiva and His various aspects and Vaishnava Samhitas which deal with the worship of Lord Vishnu and His various forms, Bhagavata Purana which is considered to be verysacred by the followers of Vishnu, and the tantras,which deal with the worship of Shakti or Mother Goddess.Hinduism was also greatly influenced by the works of later day scholars such as Shri Shankaracharya who provided commentaries on many Upanishads, brought the Vedic knowledge back to the forefront through his various works and tireless efforts and breathed life into sagging traditions.Other prominent personalities who deserve to be mentioned are the works of Shri Ramanuja, the works of the Alvars, Shri Ramananda, Shri Vallabhacharya,Shri Nimbarka, Shri Tulsidas etc. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries,the works of Swami Dayananda Saraswathi, the teachings of Shri Ramakrishna Paramahans, Swami Vivekanada, Shri Ramana Maharshi, Shri Aurobindo and many such great Masters are worth mentioning.

Through their teachings and actions they provided inspiration and guidance tomillions of Hindus all over the world and helped them in finding the true greatness of their ancient traditions.

by Jayaram V