Vinay Lal - Introducing Hinduism: A Graphic Guide (Introducing...)

Hindus, do not turn to the same book for moral guidance as muslims do the quran or christians to the bible. Mahatma gandhi, the most famous Hindu of recent times, had his own opinion. A man may not believe in god and still call himself a hindu.

No one has any idea whether Hinduism accepts converts to its religion. Hare Krishnas, the most visible sign of Hinduisms spread to the West, emphatically declare that they do not view themselves as Hindus. The word Hindu itself is not of Indian origin, and Hindus did not describe themselves as such until the 18th century. Yet, Hinduisms adherents characterize it as the worlds oldest faith.

In the West, Hinduism is comparatively invisible. Some people view it as synonymous with yoga, which has been reduced to aerobic-like exercises and meditational practices. From the Sanskrit yuj, which means to yoke, yoga is a school of Indian philosophy which aims to help the practitioner to come closer to the divine. All this has been largely forgotten.

To others, Hinduism is some vague, undefined and colourful religion with numerous deities.

Manu of its gods and goddesses appear to have multiple arms and legs.

Hindus also believe in something called karma.

Hinduism certainly looks less stern as a religion than Islam, Christianity or Judaism.

Uncertain Origins in India

The central tenets of Hinduism are not easily described.

Unlike most major world religions, Hinduism has no historical founder.

Christians accept the teachings of jesus christ.

Buddhism revolves around the Buddha.

Islam prescribes belief in muhammad as its prophet.

All one can say of Hinduisms origins, by contrast, is that it originated in the Indian subcontinent and that the religion has largely been confined to that part of the world.

The Indus Valley Civilization

The earliest civilization in India has been given the name of Indus Valley or Harappan after one of its most well-developed cities, Harappa, now in Pakistan.

This advanced, urban civilization, which developed around the river indus, flourished around 25001500 BC.

The Indus Valley people, who may be the forerunners of the Dravidian population of South India, appear to have been gradually pushed down south by the Aryans, who commenced their migrations from the Caucasus Mountains (in the present-day region of Georgia in the former Soviet Union) to India around 2000 BC.

Aryans and Hinduisms Origins

The word Aryan originally meant noble. Nazism has given the word racial connotations in the 20th century. The early Aryans were a nomadic people. They brought to India the horse and the chariot, as well as the sacrificial altar.

The veneration of fire, around which hindu marriage rites are conducted, can be dated back to the aryans. Om, bhur-bhuvah-svah

The oldest literature attributed to the Aryans, known as the Vedas, furnishes a relatively clear picture of their Gods, associated largely with different aspects of nature. Chief among them were Indra, the god of rain and thunder; Surya, the sun god; Varuna, the god of wind; and Agni, the fire god.

An Early Mix of Elements

Hinduism is generally viewed as having originated with the Aryans, but it is far more accurately described as an amalgam of pre-Aryan and Aryan elements. For instance, image-worship, which predominates in popular Hinduism, finds almost no mention in the Vedas. Shiva, the all-important god besides Vishnu, is almost certainly a non-Aryan god (absent in the Vedas) who eventually made his way into the Hindu pantheon. The innumerable mother goddesses (devis) who spangle Hinduism are also non-Aryan.

The Aryans most likely looked down upon the people they conquered as inferior. Indra is described in the Rig Veda, the most important of the Vedic scriptures, as the vanquisher of a dark-skinned people and destroyer of forts and citadels.

The indigenous people are seen as possibly matriarchal and softer in their approach to life. The Aryans are viewed instead as patriarchal and more inclined to prize masculinity.

Sanskrit: Language of the Gods

Though the Indus Valley people were literate, they left behind no literature. The Indus Valley script remains undeciphered down to the present day. The Aryans, on the other hand, were largely illiterate; but they bequeathed to India a prolific literature.

The religious literature of the Aryans consists of a wide variety of texts, all composed in Sanskrit, which means perfected or well-made. Sanskrit is sometimes referred to as a dead language in the manner of Greek or Latin, but this is incorrect in several respects.

Sanskrit was never a naturally spoken language, certainly not among the common people. Its use was confined to the educated. It probably served to link the lite across the country, as English does in india today.

More so than Latin, Sanskrit retains an honoured place in Hindu rituals, and is used widely on ceremonial occasions.