HINDUISM

• Hinduism is the world's third largest religion with around 15% of the entire population practicing the Hindu faith
• Hinduism was never a missionary religion unlike Christianity or Islam
• Hinduism had no one identifiable founder
• The term Hindu originated from the Persian word hindu (in Sanskrit sindhu) which means "river". It also refers to the people of the Indus Valley the Indians
• Hinduism was originally known as "Arya Dharma" or "the Aryan Way"
• Arya Dharma is based on ancient Indian culture, ancient democracy and ancient literature
• As early as 3000 BCE there were already thriving civilizations in India, such as those discovered in the ancient Punjab City of Harappa and in Mohenjo-Daro along the Indus
• Aryans brought with them their set of beliefs ased on oral texts known as Vedas
• The sun, the moon and storms are personified in reference to the pantheon of gods and goddesses worshipped by the Aryans
• Sacrifice was the principal form of worship to the Aryan Gods
• Sanskrit has been the language of the earliest writings
• The sacred writings of the Hindus are categorized into two classes, the Shruti and Smriti
• Shruti literally means "that which is heard"
• The four collections of texts of the Vedas from the Shruti and are considered primary sources and the most authoritative texts of the Hindu faith include the Samhitas, Brahmanas, Upanishads, and a few Sutras
• The Vedas are the earliest known Sanskrit literature from the Brahmanic period and oldest scriptures of Hinduism
• The word Veda means "knowledge" or "sacred love"
• Four Basic Vedic Books

  • Rig-veda
  • Sama-veda
  • Yajur-veda
  • Atharva-veda
• Rig-veda is the most important and oldest book that dates back to around 1500 BCE to 1200 BCE
• Rig-veda

  The book is a collection of over thousand hymns and more than thousand verses dedicated to the Aryan pantheon of gods
• Agri god of fire; messenger of the gods
• Adityas sun-gods
• Mitra deity for honesty, friendship, contracts and meetings
• Varuna god of the water; god of the law of the underwater world
• Ushas deity of dawns
• Savitr solar diety
• Rudra deity of wind or storm
• Pushan solar deity; god of meeting
• Brihaspati deity of religion
• Dyaus Pita sky god; father sky
• Prithvi mother earth
• Surya chief solar diety; the sun
• Vayu lord of the winds
• Apas water
• Parjanya thunder and rain
• Gods/Goddesses

  • Adityas
  • Agri
  • Mitra
  • Varuna
  • Ushas
  • Savitr
  • Rudra
  • Pushan
  • Brihaspati
  • Dyaus Pita
  • Prithvi
  • Surya
  • Vayu
  • Apas
  • Parjanya
• Yajur-veda or the "knowledge of rites" is the second book
• Yajur-veda this book is a compilation of materials recited during rituals and sacrifices to deities
• Sama-Veda or the "knowledge of chants"
• Sama-Veda this book is a collection of verses from the basic hymns recited by the priests during sacrifices
• Atharva Veda or "knowledge given by the Atharva"