What is Hinduism?

Introduction

Hinduism is one of the oldest organized religions in the world. It has its origins as early as 1500 B.C., possibly predating Zoroastrianism which began either second millennium or in 600 B.C. Judaism had its roots starting with the call to Abraham in 1921 B.C.  This was during a time when many kinds of gods were worshipped on the earth, and ancestor worship probably became prevalent within some cultures.

Being the third largest religion practiced in the world, about 95 percent of its worshippers reside in India. The Hindi language is also on the rise with the recent, rapid growth in India today. It has recently surpassed Spanish which was the third most spoken language by population, with English and Mandarin Chinese preceding it. With the increase in India’s population, perhaps Hinduism will soon become the largest religion practiced in the world by population.

Origin

The word “Hindu” derives its name from the Indus River, which is in the northwest plains of India. Hindu is the Sanskrit word meaning “a large body of water” or “river, ocean.” The Indus River Valley is fertile and has had a long history of people groups residing in it. As early as 1800 B.C., this part of India is known to possess a cradle of civilization.

Historically, Hinduism is seen as unfolding in stages and being influenced by the cultures of India.

Early History of Hinduism

Hinduism springs from one of the earliest inhabitants in India, the people of the Indus valley (2000-1500 B.C.). There are also the Dravidian people, who perhaps were that ancient group residing there. They also possess their own language family unique to India which may help support that theory. Y-Chromosome data traces back a single lineage around this time unique only to India. Perhaps this could have been the Dravidian people group which Dr. Nathaniel Jeanson mentioned in his book “Traced,” which I highly recommend.

On the other hand, the Aryans who invaded the Indus Valley (1500 B.C.), could have been Indigenous Europeans or Turks who drove the Dravidian people south to establish themselves there. This is evidenced by the Indo-European languages found in northern India; particularly Sanskrit and Hindi being two major languages.

Hinduism comes out of oral traditions from the Indus Valley culture and heavily influenced by the Vedas brought by the Aryans. The Vedas are seen as “eternal truths” which are heard from the divine. These are Hinduism’s earliest sacred writings being: the Rig-Veda, Sama-Veda, Yajur-Veda, and Atharva-Veda. These writings are recorded in the Sanskrit language

Veda means “knowledge.” 

Beliefs

Westerners may find Hinduism difficult to understand. Christians, Jews, and Muslims see history in linear terms—that is, time is moving forward to a point where God judges humanity, punishes the wicked and rewards the righteous. Whereas, Hindus see time as being cyclical.

The main doctrine of Hinduism is the belief in samsara and karma. Samsara is the belief that there is a continuous cycle of life, death, and reincarnation. Karma is basically the universal law of cause and effect. With both doctrines combined, Hindus believe that one’s actions done in their current life will affect how they are reincarnated: whether as a human, animal, or vegetable.

A major philosophy found in Hinduism is that of atman, or ‘the belief in the soul.’ The purpose of life, Hindus say, is to understand this truth and to understand one’s own spiritual identity as the eternal soul, or atma. Understanding atman, or self-knowledge, is essential to the practice of Hinduism.

The Karmic Cycle of Hinduism

Good actions result in good karma and a favorable rebirth, whereas negative actions result in bad karma and unfavorable consequences in the next life. Its achievement is the escape of the karmic cycle and unity with Brahman. 

The desire to be liberated from Samsara is known as Moksha.

The karmic cycle can only be ended when the soul is reunited with the eternal spiritual reality, namely nirvana, presence with “God,” or Brahman. The further a soul moves from the human body form in the process of rebirth (samsara), the harder it is to discover or understand “Brahman.” All of creation is part of Brahman, a universal, unknowable force that is the origin of the universe. It is pure intelligence and the ultimate reality.

Brahman describes the essential quality that unites all living things with the universe that surrounds them: such as human, animal, and vegetable. Ultimately, it seeks to unite with God who is the source of their existence.

Variance in Hinduism

Hindus are polytheists, which means they worship and serve many gods. This means that Hindus are more acceptant of all religions. Some believe each religion has a part in the process of discovering the unity of God, humanity, and nature. The actual number of deities in their own religion is in the thousands and even millions.

All the gods and goddesses are personifications of Brahman. The most renowned are three gods known as the Trimurti, or the Hindu trinity. These are Vishnu, the protector who embodies divine love; Shiva, the destroyer who takes away life only to re-create it; and Brahman, or Brahma, who is the creator god and provides balance between Vishnu and Shiva. 

Hinduism has had its variance and additions throughout time. For example, Buddhism and Jainism branched out of Hindu beliefs, in the 5^th and 6^th centuries B.C.. They came as an answer to escape the central problem of Indian life: how to find release from Karma and the ever-lengthening round of rebirths entailed by it.

The Sacred Writings of Hinduism

Early Hindu teachers believed that dependence on writing was a sign of weak memory. So, they recorded the texts as hymns for ease of memorization, which their disciples practiced. The early writings of Hinduism were recorded in the Sanskrit language and were gathered into what is called the Vedas. These four books of “knowledge” are: Rig-Veda, Sama-Veda, Yajur-Veda, and Atharva-Veda.

• The Rig-Veda (Knowledge of Verses) is the oldest and longest of the Vedas. It contains more than 1,000 hymns dedicated to a variety of gods.
• The Sama-Veda (Knowledge of Songs) is a rearrangement of the hymns to be used in chanting and songs.
• The Yajur-Veda (Knowledge of Sacrifices) adds additional prose passages for ritual use.
• The Atharva-Veda (Knowledge of the Fire Priest) is devoted primarily to practical matters in the world and using spells to deal with them.

Other Sacred Writings

From 1000 to 800 B.C., there came another group of holy texts called the Brahmanas. These texts focus on the sacrifices that Hindus must perform. The Brahman priests have the authority and responsibility to perform animal sacrifices to the gods to appease them and ensure salvation.

A mature philosophical form of Hinduism appeared in the best-known Hindu texts: the Upanishads (800-600 B.C.). These writings emphasize an understanding of the world and the realm of the transcendent, rather than on ritual and formal religion.

Later on, other Hindu texts were written such as the two epics, Ramayana (700-300 B.C.) and the Mahabharata (400 B.C.), as well as the Puranas (250-1000 A.D.). The popular, Bhagavad Gita is found in the epic stories of Mahabharata, book 6.

Summary

Hinduism is one of the oldest, complex, and most difficult religions to understand and study. One of the most in-depth books about Hinduism, its history, and beliefs is written by Wendy Doniger. If you are seriously curious or intrigued by this religion, you can check out that book on Amazon here, “Hinduism: by Wendy Doniger”.

Check out other articles on ancient religions such as Zoroastrianism; or perhaps the worldview of the Bible.

FOR FURTHER STUDY

“Most Spoken Languages in the World” — (Web article)

“World Religions: The great faiths explored & explained” by John Bowker [Check it out on Amazon]

“Hinduism” by Nalini Rangan [Check it out on Amazon]