There is no beginning or conclusion to creation, only endless repetitions or cycles of creation and destruction. Which division in the vedic books are hymns to be repeated over and over to the gods. Although the name hinduism is relatively new, having been coined by british writers in the first decades of the 19th century, it refers to a rich cumulative tradition of texts and practices, some of which date to the 2nd millennium bce or possibly. This process, called pralaya cataclysm, repeats for 100 brahma years 311 trillion. May 11, 20 hinduism attaches a very special value to the the darsan a sanskrit word meaning sight, of gurus, leaders, saintly persons and even holy places and holy images. You should read enough of the materials presented in this section concerning the tradition of hinduism in order to understand how this tradition displays the characteristics or elements that make a tradition one that would be termed a religion. First of all hinduism was not a religious practice nor hindu is a religion, it all comes from ancient vaidikarya society with a thought that there must be a creator as everything is so planned in terms of design of planet system, animals, environ. The beginning of creation in scriptures of different religions. The history of hinduism in india can be traced to about 1500 bce. According to the hindus, darsan is a twoway flow of vision. Guided by the founder, satguru sivaya subramuniyaswami, the magazines editors, who are initiated monks of the kauais hindu monastery, collaborated with holy men and women and experts around the world in creating graphically rich guides to virtually. Hinduism origins, hinduism history, hinduism beliefs. Hindus believe that the vedas texts were received by scholars direct from. First, lets distinguish between two types of hindu literature.
Comparing hinduism with christianity evidence unseen. Since 1979 the international magazine hinduism today has been producing a treasury of educational features on all aspects of sanatana dharma. Sruti pronounced shroothee are the holy books within hinduism that are considered to be. In the beginning of the creation of the world, brahma reveals the vedas, the constitution of the universe, to the rishis, on the basis of which they prepare laws to govern the actions of other men on earth. The vaishnavism branch of hinduism describes the creation of the universe with an event similar to the big bang. In the words of the famous cosmologist and professor of theoretical physics at imperial college london, joao magueijo. Hinduism is the older of the two with a literature going back to the beginning of recorded history. In the hindu religion, one cannot have freedom of speech. Some hindu texts offer a more scientific explanation based on the evolution. Its cosmology divides time into four epochs or yuga, of which the current period is the kali yuga. According to hindu scriptures, how did the universe begin. Its offshoot buddhism, shaped and molded the civilizations. The primary sacred texts, known as the vedas, were composed around 1500 b.
Jul 15, 2011 modern astronomy talks about a single universe comprising of dark matter and brighter heavenly bodies like the galaxies, stars, planets, asteroids, satellites etc. According to hindu scriptures, the world would be destroyed at the end of the kali yuga. The oldest are called the vedas and are written in sanskrit. While we have the main vedas, upanishads, the mahabharata in several translations we also present newer commentaries, anthologies, and entirely new branches of hinduism. The most sacred scriptures of hinduism are the vedas books of knowledge, a collection of texts written in sanskrit from about 1200 bce to 100 ce as sruti revealed texts, the vedas are regarded as the absolute authority for religious knowledge and a test of hindu orthodoxy both jains and buddhists reject the vedas. Who far outstrips the senses, though as gods they strive to reach him. Dating back some five thousand years, hinduism is the dominant faith of india and an increasingly powerful spiritual force in the west. Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, and some practitioners and scholars refer to it as sanatana dharma, the eternal tradition, or the eternal way, beyond human history. Jul 31, 2017 here at the hinduism section of, we aim at presenting the original works that lay the foundations of hinduism. Hinduism, major world religion originating on the indian subcontinent and comprising several and varied systems of philosophy, belief, and ritual. Brahma later married sarasvati and they lived together in a lotus for 100 years.
That it has become a branch of physics is to some extent a surprising achievement. One text where many of these narratives can be found is the vedas, the oldest hindu text. If the indian gods created the whole universe according to the hindu holy books. Om or aum is a symbol and a sound that is associated with hinduism.
Origins of the universe religion and science gcse religious. Manu also endeavored to describe the origins of the universe, although his laws do. The sages who have searched their hearts with wisdom know that which is kin to that which is not. The rigveda, composed between 1500 to 1200 bce, presents many theories of cosmology. But it is an unusually diverse religionone divided by caste, community, language, and regionand is thus quite difficult for outsiders to grasp. Oct 29, 2016 this glossary of hinduism provides definitions of terms related to hinduism, with links to full articles where available. Hinduism holy book important books and writings of hinduism. Other holy scriptures in hinduism are called the upanisads, the smrutis, the puranas, the ramayana and the mahabharata. This entire matter and antimatter is believed to have emerged about 14 billion years ago in time, from a momentous explosion called the big bang. Here we see that god brahman came into existence after the beginning of the universe. He has written several books about hinduism for children and young adults. In the later puranic texts, the creator god brahma is described as performing the act of creation, or more specifically of propagating life within the universe.
Hinduism for ks1 and ks2 children hindu faith homework help. If the indus valley civilization 3rd2nd millennium bce was the earliest source of hindu traditions, then hinduism is the oldest living religion on earth. For hindus, the veda is a symbol of unchallenged authority and. This glossary of hinduism provides definitions of terms related to hinduism, with links to full articles where available. Hinduism glossary of sanskrit words beginning with r. Here, i will give only a brief introduction to the holy books of hinduism. Because religion has no specific founder, its difficult to trace its origins and history.
Big bang theory and religion by ron kurtus succeed in. Scholars hesitate in defining the term hindu scriptures given the diverse nature of hinduism, but many list the bhagavad gita and the. What you should know about tulsi or the holy basil. The distinguishing feature of the vedas from other religious texts of the hindu faith is that the vedas are believed to have been the result. The sacred laws of the aryas, part i sbe 2 george buhler translator 1879 sacred books of the east, vol. Hinduism does not possess a single holy book like bible in christianity and quran in islamic dharma. Hinduism is a collective term applied to the many philosophical and religious traditions native to india.
The most holy of the hindu books is written in sanskrit and is referred to as the vedas. Some of the other holy works and books of hinduism. So life began with the human beings rather than with other forms of life preceding them. For hindus, time does not run in a straight line but in circles. Apr 03, 20 the puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. Examples of how the origins of the universe are explained in hinduism include. Page 45 whateer exists within this universe is all to be regarded as enveloped by the great lord, as if wrapped in a vesture.
Similarly, the space and universe has neither start nor end, rather it is cyclical. The universe is created, exists and then is destroyed, and the same cycle applies to all living things. Scholars regard hinduism as a fusion or synthesis of various indian. Hinduism is the worlds oldest religion, according to many scholars, with roots and customs dating back more than 4,000 years. First of all hinduism was not a religious practice nor hindu is a religion, it all. This is also when the idea of karma was written in text. Unpanishads the upanishads are also called as vedantas or the end of the vedas. Download the bible, the holy quran, the mahabharata, and thousands of free pdf ebooks on buddhism, meditation, etc. If the vedas do not support the actions, instructions must be sought from the smritis, and if the smritis fail to provide any such instructions, he must follow in the footsteps of the great men. By contrast, the bible places god in existence before the beginning of creation gen. In hindu cosmology, the universe is cyclically created and destroyed.
Facts about hinduism ks3 religious studies bbc bitesize. Introduction hinduism, religion that originated in india and is still practiced by most of its inhabitants, as well as by those whose families have migrated from india to other parts of the world chiefly east africa, south africa, southeast asia, the east indies, and england. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. If the indian gods created the whole universe according to the hindu. This is explained in the third holy book of the bhagavata purana in chapters 10 and 26, which describe a primordial state which bursts forth as the great vishnu watches over it. First one of them is referred as one month of brahma, which consists of 30 kalpas and successive dissolution phases. A few texts are shared resources across these traditions and broadly considered as hindu scriptures. Hinduism for ks1 and ks2 children hindu faith homework. Hindu civilisation originated in the gangetic and indus valleys and from there spread out over the entire region of southeast asia. The upanishads are also called as vedantas or the end of the vedas. The universe endures for about 4,320,000,000 years one day of brahma, the creator or kalpa and is then destroyed by fire or water elements.
Above earth there are seven layers in heaven, at the summit of which is the. According to hindu vedic cosmology, there is no absolute start to time, as it is considered infinite and cyclic. Hindu texts are the pinnacle for astronomy and cosmology. Modern astronomy talks about a single universe comprising of dark matter and brighter heavenly bodies like the galaxies, stars, planets, asteroids, satellites etc.
Learn about the religion of hinduism with facts, figures, quizzes, videos and interactive activities from bbc bitesize religious studies. Cosmology was for a long time the subject of religion. Apologetics press an investigation of hindu scripture. Carmody and carmody write, in hindu cosmology the universe goes its rhythmic way. Lipner observed that in practice most hindus have had no direct access to the vedas, either in written form or aurally p. According to modern science, creation of the universe is a spontaneous process from nothing, by separation of positive and negative energies. Today, with about 900 million followers, hinduism is the thirdlargest religion behind christianity and islam. The word hindu is derived from the sanskrit word sindhu rivermore specifically, the indus. Manu was the legendary first man, the adam of the hindus. At the level of practice, devotional hinduism is an embodied religion and grounded in a materiality, that makes the presence of. Where the vedas gave a foundation for the direction of hinduism, the upanishads filled in the gaps. At this point, brahma rests for one night, just as long as the day. In holy purans, lord brahma also known as viraj harassed and raped his own 6 year old daughter sarasvati also known as padma or savitri or satarupa. Its history overlaps or coincides with the development of religion in indian subcontinent since the iron age, with some of its traditions tracing back to prehistoric religions such as those of the bronze age indus valley civilization.
If the indian gods created the whole universe according to. Many more holy books, but the vedas is the most sacred. The early upanishads are concerned with understanding the sacrificial rites. Hinduism is an indian religion and dharma, or way of life, widely practiced in the indian subcontinent and parts of southeast asia. Hinduism, has many holy books, but most popular is shreemad bhagavad gita, upanishads and veda. According to hinduism, this act of pedophilia was the starting point of universe. Hinduism is a compilation of many traditions and philosophies and is considered by many scholars to be the worlds oldest religion, dating back more than 4,000 years. Hinduism part 2 download books, sacred, spiritual texts. Other philosophical musings concerning the origins of the universe can be found in the upanishads a prominent philosophical hindu text. In hinduism, a kalpa is indicative for creation and dissolution of a universe. The earliest literary source for the history of hinduism is the rigveda, consisting of hymns that were composed chiefly during the last two or three centuries of. However, there are a few cycles of time mentioned in hinduism, which consists of several iterations of such kalpas. The puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. It has thus been called the oldest religion in the.
The scriptures of the vedas are meant to guide hindu believers in their daily lives. Sruti pronounced shroothee are the holy books within hinduism that are considered to be divinely inspired, and thus infallible and authoritative. The word sruti comes from a sanskrit root meaning to hear, as it was believed that ancient seers heard or perceived these texts by direct revelation from a higher power. However, the puranas are supposed to be complied by muni vyasa. At the birth of every new earth, a new world is born. Similarly, the space and universe has neither start nor end. In the hindu tradition itself, many different narratives concerning the origin of the universe exist. Hindus value many sacred writings as opposed to one holy book. Roughly 95 per cent of the worlds hindus live in india. Scriptures of every religion contain some account of how the universe was created. Hindu texts are manuscripts and historical literature related to any of the diverse traditions within hinduism. Evidence of hinduisms early antecedents is derived from archaeology, comparative philology, and comparative religion.
The rigveda is a collection of hymns dedicated to 33 gods especially to indri and agni. These texts are glorious tales of the hindu trinity brahma, vishnu and maheshwar shiva. History of hinduism denotes a wide variety of related religious traditions native to the indian subcontinent. The impersonal absolute, the unproduced producer of all that is. In the beginning desire descended on it that was the primal seed, born of the mind. There is one only being who exists unmoved, yet moving swifter than the mind.
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