Biography

Quotations

Literature

Key Concepts

Glossary

Bibliography

References, Notations & Credits

Links

Historical Perspective

What is Hinduism?

Hinduism is the world's most ancient religion.

 

Hinduism is one of the largest religions in the world.

 

Hinduism is a monotheistic faith. Hindus worship one Supreme God

   who is omnipresent and has several forms of worship.

 

Inherent within the Hindu faith is tolerance and respect for all other

   religions of the world.

 

A Hindu Temple is open to everyone who loves God.

 

In fact, the word Hindu is not the original word. In our scriptures India is called

'Bharatvarsh.' Around the 14th century, instead of Bharatvarsh, people started

calling the country 'Hindusthan' and its residents were called the 'Hindus.' Later on

the British again changed its name and called it 'India.' The word 'Hindu' and 'India'

gained so much popularity that they became commonly spoken words. Thus, Bhartiya

philosophy and religion is now called Hinduism, or Hindu philosophy, or Hindu religion.

 

Hindu religion is especially known in the world for its Spiritual wealth, not to be found

anywhere else, because it reveals the complete science of soul, maya (cosmic energy),

God, and God realization.  Hinduism teaches loving devotion (bhakti) to one supreme

God (in His various forms) for the whole world.

The main Divine scriptures of Hindu religion are: Upnishads (Vedas), Gita, and

Bhagwatam. The Gita is a short and simplified account of all the Upnishads. The

Bhagwatam describes the devotional aspects in detail and is also our Divine history

book. It provides detailed information about the creation of the universe and the

earth planet with exact time divisions.

 

We have six main devotional procedures in our Hindu religion describing the
dedication and worship to the six main forms of the same one single God.

They are dedication and worship to God Krishn, God Ram, God Vishnu, God Shiv,

Goddess Durga, and dedication to the impersonal form of God.

Biography

Krishna:

Radha:

Shiva:

Vishnu:

Durgha:

Quotations

Essential Literature

Bhagavad Gita

Read the Bhagavad Gita On-Line  

 

 

Upanishads

 

http://www.rit.edu/~mrreee/shaastra/upanishad.html http://www.oocities.org/Athens/Forum/5822/A_Glossary/upanishads.html

Vedas:

The Vedas are mantric teachings. They consist of various mantric chants or hymns

cognized by different seers or Rishis from the Cosmic Mind. They set forth Dharma or

natural law, which is mantra in manifestation. As such the Vedas are impersonal and

eternal, just as cosmic law cannot vary. This same mantric knowledge gives rise to

different sciences (vidyas) according to the angle of vision with which we approach it.

Ayurveda, Vedic Astrology, Yoga, and Vedanta all arise from it and represent different

ways of looking through it. 

 

The Vedic language is based upon an earlier more primordial

language of seed (bija) mantras. These are single syllable sounds or roots like OM that

have multiple meanings and indications depending upon their intonation and the intention

with which they are used. Out of the bija or root language arises the language of the
Vedic texts, which is already differentiated, though not fully, into nouns and verbs. These

bijas are explained more in Tantra, which in its true sense (apart from current popular

distortions) is also a science of the Divine Word.

http://www.vedanet.com/Gayatri.htm

Key Concepts

Glossary

Atman: 

Brahman: 

Bibliography

Source References, Notations & Credits

Links