The sruti, the divinely inspired holy books of hinduism, were written at different times, in different places, by different people, and for different reasons. Hinduism does not have a single holy book that guides religious practice. Siddhartha gautama the buddha came from a hindu family, and both religions overlap somewhat. Vedas hinduism facts hinduism facts facts about hindu. Scholars describe hinduism as the product of religious development in india that spans nearly 4,000 years, making it perhaps the oldest surviving world religion. Hinduism for ks1 and ks2 children hindu faith homework help. We are trying to list out here as many hindu scriptures and books as possible. Rig veda is the oldest known book in the world with its contents dating back to 7000 b. The upanishads are also called as vedantas or the end of the vedas. Hindus believe in reincarnation, which means that the soul is eternal and is constantly reborn in one form or another. Although they were finally written down in 1,500 bce. The maximum that a man can live in this yuga is 120 years at the most with heights measuring just 3.
Brahman is the eternal origin, who is responsible for the creation of the universe. They are written in an old indian language called sanskrit. The earliest documents on hinduism date back to 5,500 bce. Hinduism does not possess a single holy book like bible in christianity and quran in islamic dharma. Although the name hinduism is relatively new, having. Some of the other holy works and books of hinduism are stories and epic poems. According to me, these are some of the points that have awestruck me in the basic concept of hinduism. Aug 05, 2016 hinduism is the oldest religion of the world. Bhagavad gita is considered by most as the holy book of hindus. Hinduism part 3 download books, sacred, spiritual texts. All the ancient scriptures of hinduism are written in sanskrit. Religionfacts does not necessarily endorse the contents. Information on hinduism for kids primary homework help.
All are available for purchase on click book images for details. Hinduism for ks1 and ks2 children hindu faith homework. Hinduism is the oldest known religion best known as sanatana dharma, with its roots going back to 10,000 years and hindu literature dating back to 7000 bce. One of the oldest known religious texts is the kesh temple hymn of ancient sumer, a set of inscribed clay tablets which scholars typically date around 2600 bce. Vedas are the literature of foremost importance in hinduism. Read cnns hinduism fast facts and learn more about hinduism, the thirdlargest religion after christianity and islam. Sruti consists of four vedas, upanishads, brahmanas, aranyakas, and bhagavadgita while smriti consists of manu smriti, 18 puranas, ramayana, and mahabharata and other hindu holy.
The five pillars actions that all muslims must perform are. Hinduism holy book important books and writings of hinduism. Hinduism is the 3rd largest religion in the world, after christianity and islam. The book can be used by nonhindu parents who want to teach their children by about hinduism, its beliefs, practices and rituals. Here are 25 interesting facts about hinduism that you probably didnt know.
The hindu holy scriptures are mainly comprised of the following works written. A collection of handselected books on hinduism, chosen on the basis of apparent usefulness and quality. Islam is a religion, and muslims are those who follow islam. Here, i will give only a brief introduction to the holy books of hinduism. Indonesia has the most muslims in one country, followed by pakistan, india and bangladesh. Apr 03, 20 the puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. What are the most interesting facts about hinduism. The scriptures of the vedas are meant to guide hindu believers in their daily lives. Its the second most populous country in the world, and accounts for 16% of the worlds population. The primary sacred texts, known as the vedas, were composed around 1500 b. For those curious about the vivid reality of hindu practices, hinduism books like steven huylers meeting god.
If there is a book describing the several ways by which one can converse with god, then theres another book relating science with religion holy science and explaining the secrets. Most of hinduism s sacred texts were written in sanskrit in ancient times. Regardless of which religion you practice, most of the major religions preach peace and nonviolence, so does hinduism. Elements of hindu devotion will find plenty of photos and explanations of practitioners in india. Whether you know everything about this fascinating religion or very little, you cant deny these are some incredible facts about hinduism. It is indias major religion, but unlike many other religions. What are some of the most facinating facts about vedas. Here are 30 interesting facts about the country of india. There are more than one billion followers of hinduism in the world today. They differ from literary texts by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual practices, commandments or laws, ethical. Hinduism, major world religion originating on the indian subcontinent and. For example mediating figure that resembles lord shiva, a discovery of swastika, mother goddess seal and.
It began about 5000 years ago, linked to the people who lived near to the indus river in about 2500 bc. However, all of these texts can be broadly classified as vedas veydthus. India is about 1 3 the size of the united states, but with a population of 1. Hindu gods and goddesses and their vahanas carriers why do we name baby on the 12th day of hisher birth and why the family where the baby is born do not lit diyas or worship for 1011 days and on the 12th day sprinkle holy water. There is no single scripture as it is in other religions like christianity and islam. If one were to read the ancient hindu scripts, it would come to their. It was one of the first religions that had the idea of reincarnation that people can be born. Various seals and artifacts found at indus valley civilization harappa civilization. The bhagavad gita by krishnadwaipayana vyasa, the upanishads by anonymous, the gita way secret recipe to achieve the purpose. The puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. Sanatana dharma, is a very old religion from india that is still practiced today. However, some of these books and songs became more popular than others and came to define the culture and religion we know today as hinduism.
The epic of gilgamesh from sumer, although only considered by some scholars as a religious text, has origins as early as 2150 bce, and stands as one of the earliest literary works that includes various mythological figures and themes. With that in mind, here are twenty interesting facts about hinduism. The hindu faith draws on a number of sacred texts and there is no standard set of beliefs, so it is a religion which is followed in different ways by different groups of people. The major difference is that hinduism is clearly a theistic religion, whereas buddhism is mostly nontheistic. What is the most amazing fact in hindu religious books like vedas. Eventually, hinduism emerged in india as the predominant religion, despite the efforts of ashoka to make buddhism the main. By ravi kadyan 29 states october 20, 2019 october 20. Religions are complex and shalu sharma does a great job breaking down hinduism down into.
Aug 20, 2016 20 interesting facts about the sacred vedas 3. Every hindu book is written in sanskrit, and it is said that sanskrit is the language of the demigods. Hinduism is the worlds third most popular religion, with around 900 million followers. Religious texts are texts related to a religious tradition. When it comes to hinduism, it is believed to be the oldest religion in the world, where its origin occurs before history was ever recorded. These two terms tend to get mixed up sometimes, so i thought it was better to clarify it right in the beginning. Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world. 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.
Besides khrisna and rama, you need to know about shiva. Hinduism is not based on a strict set of rules, it is not based on a single holy book, and it wasnt founded by one individual. Only christianity has more followers, and the latest estimates say that there are at least 1,8 billion muslims in the world, making it the secondlargest. Beliefs and practices is a wonderful resource to explain hinduism to a child. More than 1 billion people consider themselves hindus, and 85% of all hindus live in india. The word hindu originates from the indian indus river. Today it is the thirdlargest religion behind christianity and islam. Dec 30, 2016 the hindu religion is the worlds oldest religion traced back to the prehistoric time around 50000 bc. Nov 02, 2016 here at the hinduism section of, we aim at presenting the original works that lay the foundations of hinduism. Lord brahma, lord vishnu, and lord shiva are the main deities in hinduism. 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 holy geeta with commentary by swami chinmayananda examines the important divine song of the lord, a key dialogue about the application of hindu principles to life. Smriti literature is considered less authoritative than sruti. Every hindu book is written in sanskrit, and it is said that sanskrit is the. Vedas are considered the sacred knowledge of the aryans, a set of people from the middle east, who invaded india during the 1600 b. Shruti refers to the vedas, the earliest hindu scriptures, which are regarded as the eternal truths.
In a place of gurdwara, all remove their shoes, and girls cover their heads. Here are 25 interesting facts about islam that you probably didnt know before reading this. However, the puranas are supposed to be complied by muni vyasa. Hinduism is the worlds third most popular religion, with around 750 million followers. Dec 08, 2017 siddhartha gautama the buddha came from a hindu family, and both religions overlap somewhat. The vedas are the four holiest books of the hindu religion. Dec 29, 2017 vedas are considered the sacred knowledge of the aryans, a set of people from the middle east, who invaded india during the 1600 b. Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world. That was made up by greeks and arabs to those living by the sindhu river. Hinduism hinduism fast facts and introduction religionfacts. The major difference is that hinduism is clearly a theistic religion, whereas.
Hinduism has its huge influence and common concepts with sikhism and jainism which are later originated in india. The broad term hinduism encompasses a wide variety of traditions, which are closely related and share common themes but do not constitute a unified set of beliefs or practices. Religionfacts does not necessarily endorse the contents of these books. There was a great influence from the aryan culture in india, gradually when they settled in india. The swastika curve is the name given by cundy and rollett to the quartic. Hinduism is unique in that its not a single religion but a compilation of many traditions. Hinduism books about yoga that interest those who enjoy the activity include jeane vareens yoga and the hindu tradition. Sruti consists of four vedas, upanishads, brahmanas, aranyakas, and bhagavadgita while smriti consists of manu smriti, 18 puranas, ramayana, and mahabharata and other hindu holy books. They are believed to be one of the oldest books ever made by mankind. Other holy scriptures in hinduism are called the upanisads, the smrutis, the puranas, the ramayana and the mahabharata. Various seals and artifacts found at indus valley civilization harappa civilization prove that the practices of harappa people were similar to that of hinduism today. These texts are glorious tales of the hindu trinity brahma, vishnu and maheshwar shiva. There are a number of scriptures and holy books in hinduism.
The religion of hinduism originated in northern india, near the river indus, about 4000 years ago and is the worlds oldest existing religion. Respect for elders is considered important and many consider marriage as a sons religious duty. The ramayana are the hindu holy scriptures containing a story about how good will always triumph over evil. Hindus value many sacred writings as opposed to one holy book. No one knows or cares to know who started hinduism. Here are some facts about hinduism, the main religion of the indian subcontinent, and one of the most popular religions worldwide. Demographically, hinduism is the worlds 3rd largest religion, after christianity and islam. The sikh location of worship is known as a gurdwara, and it is where the sikh own holy book, the guru granth sahib is kept, even though copies are also discovered in sikh homes.
They have words called mantras which are chanted at the religious ceremonies. Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world, as well as the worlds oldest religion. That is why the following facts about lord shiva will elaborate more details about him. First, lets distinguish between two types of hindu literature. The swastika curve is the name given by cundy and rollett to the quartic plane curve with the cartesian equation. The vedas are the four holiest books of the by mankind to the next, perhaps over thousands of years each book has four major kinds of text the samhitas mantras and benedictions, the aranyakas. Hinduism is practised by more than 80% of indias population. Hinduism 9 interesting facts you should know asia highlights. Sanskrit is the oldest language in the world, the mother of all languages. This is because it grew out of cultural and religious changes in india.
Its many sacred texts in sanskrit and vernacular languages served as a vehicle for. Hinduism has been explained with its origins, beliefs, way of life, sacred texts, gods and goddesses, holiest things, interesting facts and hinduism. Beliefs and practices is designed mainly for children of all ages of reading abilities for all nationalities and religious beliefs. Vedas and upanishadas are the most authoritative amongst all hindu scriptures and holy books.
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