Hindu Dharma or Vaidika Dharma

Radha Krishna

Hindu Dharma or Vaidika Dharma
Namaste » Hindu Dharma
Hindū Dharma or Hinduism (Sanskrit: हिन्दू धर्म, is frequently referred by means of its practitioners as Sanātana Dharma, सनातन धर्म; Vaidika Dharma, वैदिक धर्म; or Vedic Tradition) is the spiritual, philosophical, medical and cultural gadget that originated in Bharatavarsha (the Indian subcontinent), that is based totally on the Vedas, and it is the oldest of all dwelling religious traditions nonetheless practiced nowadays. A Hindu, as according to definition, is an adherent of the spiritual practices, yoga, philosophies and scriptures of Hindu Dharma.
Om or AUM — The Symbol of the Supreme Sound
The Hindu tradition is solely chargeable for the advent of such original standards and practices as Yoga, Ayurveda, Vastu, Jyotish, yagna, Puja, Tantra, Vedanta, Karma, Chakras, Brahman, Atman etc.
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Table of Contents
What Is Hindu Dharma (or Hinduism)?
Origins
Sanātana Dharma: The Timeless and Universal Way
Concepts and Teachings
1. Brahman: The Ultimate Reality
2. Aspects of Brahman
Brahmā, Vishnu, and Shiva: The Trinity
Ishvara: The Personal Aspect of God
Devatās: The Celestial Beings
3. Ātman: The Innermost Self
4. Samsāra: The Chain of Lives
5. Karma: Action and Its Consequences
6. Purusharthas: Stages or Goals of Life
7. Moksha: Liberation from Samsara
Darshanas: Schools of Thought
The Six Darshanas
Sastras: Scriptures
Shruti and Smriti: Classification of Scriptures
1. Shruti
2. Smriti
Principal Scriptures
1. The Vedas
2. Upanishads
3. Purānas
4. Rāmāyana
5. Mahābhārata
6. Bhagavad-Gītā
Sadhana: Spiritual Practices
1. Om: Sacred Symbol and Sound
2. Guru: Teacher
3. Yoga: Paths to Brahman
1. Bhakti Yoga
2. Karma Yoga
3. Raja Yoga
4. Jnana Yoga
4. Satsanga: Fellowship
Rituals and Ceremonies
Pilgrimage and Festivals
Society
References
What Is Hindu Dharma (or Hinduism)?
Hinduism is a present day term, but it represents the ancient most living notion and culture of the world. The concept of 'Hindu-ism' (categorically termed 'Hinduism' within the narrow sense 'religion') being a unmarried monolithic faith is recent, relationship back most effective to the nineteenth century. Many scholars liken Hinduism to a own family of religions, with all affiliated individuals bearing a own family resemblance. The Hindu subculture includes several faculties of notion. Thus any definition of Hinduism is incredibly arbitrary and calls for qualification. One such definition is "the fans of Vaidika Dharma," or people who comply with the religious teachings outlined within the Vedas and their corollaries.
This difficulty arises from its generic world-view because it has worried itself in large part with the human situation as opposed to the Hindu situation. Instead of basing its identity on separating Hindu from non-Hindu or believer from non-believer, Hinduism has sought to recognize standards and practices that would lead any person to emerge as a better individual and recognize and live in harmony with dharma.
Thus Hinduism is rightly known as a dharma that turned into evolved by using the first-rate rishi (sages and seers) of historical India. It emphasizes the dharma (right way of living) in place of a fixed of doctrines, and as a consequence embraces diverse thoughts and practices. Hinduism has been referred to as the "cradle of spirituality" and "the mother of all religions," partly because it has influenced really each fundamental religion.Hinduism is a whole lot more than an esoteric exercise. For the hundreds of thousands of individuals who exercise this faith, it's far a way of life that encompasses all factors of lifestyles consisting of own family, social existence, sciences, politics, business, art, and health behaviors. The sacred scriptures incorporate instructions on these factors of existence and have a strong influence on art and drama. While the ascetic practices of yoga are a well-known factor of Hinduism, own family life is also taken into consideration a sacred duty.
"Hinduism isn't always only a faith. It is the union of cause and intuition that cannot be defined however is simplest to be experienced. Evil and error are not last. There is no Hell, for which means there is a place wherein God isn't, and there are sins which exceed his love. "
— Dr S Radhakrishnan
Origins
The Hindu Dharma or Sanatana Dharma has its origins in such far off beyond that it cannot be traced to any one person. It is the most effective religion, that isn't based in a single historic event or prophet, but which itself precedes recorded history. Some pupils view that Hinduism ought to have existed even in circa 10,000 B.C. And that the earliest of the Hindu scriptures – the Rigveda — was composed well earlier than 6,500 B.C. Yet, no matter the reality that it first evolved more than 5,000 years ago, Hinduism is also very lots a dwelling way of life.
The word 'Hindu' has its starting place in Sanskrit literature. In the Rigveda, Bharat is known as the country of 'Sapta Sindhu', i.E. The usa of seven notable rivers. The word 'Sindhu' refers to rivers and sea and not simply to the specific river referred to as 'Sindhu'. In Vedic Sanskrit, in step with ancient dictionaries, 'sa' was reported as 'ha'. Thus 'Sapta Sindhu' turned into said as 'Hapta Hindu'. This is how the word 'Hindu' got here in to being.The time period became used for folks who lived in Bharatavarsha1 (the Indian subcontinent) on or beyond the "Sindhu". Since the give up of the 18th century the word has been used as an umbrella time period for maximum of the religious, religious, and philosophical traditions of the sub-continent, that consists of other sampradaya (spiritual lineages) of Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism. It commonly denotes the spiritual, philosophical, clinical and cultural traditions native to India.
Sanātana Dharma: The Timeless and Universal Way
Hindus themselves choose to use the Sanskrit time period sanātana dharma for their spiritual lifestyle. Sanātana Dharma approach eternal and widely wide-spread regulation or precept that governs anybody regardless of subculture, race, religion, notion and practices. These truths regarding the standard principle have been divinely found out to historical rishis (sages). For many eons they have been handed down orally and only later written down, reputedly round the begin of the Kali Yuga while human beings's reminiscences began to deteriorate.
The notion of dharma generates deep confidence within the Hindu mind in cosmic justice.
The distinction of dharma from the Western sense of religion is vital to understanding Hindu religious identity. To the quantity that Hinduism includes with it the Western which means of being a 'religion' the words distort Indian truth. In the West a faith is thought to be conclusive — that is, it's miles the only and handiest proper religion. Second, a faith is typically exclusionary — that is, those who do no longer follow it are excluded from salvation. Finally, a faith is separative — that is, to belong to it, one must now not belong to another. Dharma, however, does not always mean any of these.
The word sanātana, that means immemorial as well as eternal, emphasised the unbroken continuity of the Hindu way of life. Sanatana Dharma accommodates of spiritual laws which govern the human life. Sanatana Dharma is to human existence what natural legal guidelines are to the bodily phenomena. Just because the phenomena of gravitation existed earlier than it was located, the spiritual laws of life are eternal legal guidelines which existed before they have been located by using the ancient rishi (sages) for the prevailing age at some stage in the Vedic period. Sanatana Dharma publicizes that something can't pop out of nothing and, therefore, the universe itself is the manifestation of the Divine being.
The Hindu culture encourages Hindus to seek non secular and moral Truth anywhere it is probably found, whilst acknowledging that no creed can include such Truth in its fullness and that every person should understand this Truth via his or her very own systematic effort. Our revel in, our purpose, and our dialogs with others — especially with enlightened individuals — offer diverse means of trying out our information of non secular and ethical fact. And Hindu scripture, primarily based at the insights of Hindu sages and seers, serves on the whole as a guidebook. But in the end reality involves us thru direct focus of the divine or the remaining fact. Hindus refer to it by means of many names, but the most common call is Brahman which is fairly different in that means and information from the conventional word "God".
Concepts and Teachings
The nice method to apprehend Hinduism is thru its teachings. Hinduism rests at the religious bedrock of the Vedas, for this reason Veda Dharma, and their mystic issue, the Upanishads, as well as the lessons of many notable Hindu rishi and gurus (sages and seers) through the ages.
One feature particular to Hinduism is its assertion that moksha (liberation or deliverance) may be executed on this life itself — one does no longer must wait for a heaven after demise. It guides humans alongside paths that will in the long run result in the atman (Innermost Self) and becoming one with Brahman (the Universal Consciousness).
Nataraja - The Cosmic Dance
Hindu Dharma recognizes that everybody is unique and has a completely unique highbrow and spiritual outlook. Therefore, it permits people to expand and grow at their own tempo via making exceptional margas (non secular paths) available to them. It allows various colleges of notion below its broad principles. It additionally allows for freedom of worship so that individuals can be guided by means of their very own spiritual experiences.
Within Hinduism there are numerous faculties of thought, which Hindu scholars have systematized in extraordinary ways. All of these colleges have enriched Hinduism with their man or woman emphases: Nyāya on rigorous logic, Vaiseshika on atoms and the structure of matter, Sānkhya on numbers and categories, Yoga on meditation techniques, Mīmāmsā at the evaluation of sacred texts, and Vedānta on the nature and enjoy of spirituality. Their teachings are generally summarized in texts called sūtras or aphorisms. These sūtras may be memorized easily and recited as a method of gaining religious focus.
1. Brahman: The Ultimate Reality Various faculties have contributed to Hindu idea, every faculty with a exceptional emphasis. The school known as Vedānta has been the standard shape of intellectual Hinduism. According to Vedānta, the highest intention of life is the realization of the identification or union of the man or woman’s ātman (Innermost Self) with the Ultimate Reality. Although Vedānta states that this closing fact is past name, the phrase Brahman is used to refer to it. The phrase comes from the Sanskrit verb root brh, that means "to grow". Etymologically, the term approach brhati ("that which grows") and brhmayati ("which causes to develop").
Brahman, as understood by way of the scriptures of Hinduism, as well as via the acharyas (suggest or masters) of the Vedanta college, is a very specific idea of the Absolute. Brahman does now not check with the anthropomorphic concept of God of the Abrahamic religions. When we talk of Brahman, we're referring neither to the "old man inside the sky" idea, nor to the idea of the Absolute as even capable of being vengeful, nervous or engaging in deciding on a favourite human beings from amongst His creatures. In a nutshell, Brahman is formless, endless and everlasting. For that matter, Brahman is neither nether male nor female, It is beyond space and time, It is changeless and It is the source of awareness and transcends all empirically discernable categories, barriers and dualities. Brahman can not exist, as it is the life Itself. Brahman is all understanding and it's far know-how Itself.One can say that Brahman Itself constitutes the essential constructing cloth of all fact, being the antecedent primeval ontological substance from whence all matters proceed. There is no ex nihilo creation in Hinduism. Brahman does now not create from not anything, but from the fact of Its very own being. Thus Brahman is, in Aristotelian terms, each the Material Cause in addition to the Efficient Cause of advent.
All fact has its source in Brahman. All truth has its grounding sustenance in Brahman. It is in Brahman that all reality has its last repose. Hinduism, specifically, is consciously and solely aiming toward this reality termed Brahman.

2. Aspects of Brahman
Despite having the abstract idea of Brahman, Hindus worship the Saguna Brahman in his private forms every day. Brahman, as Nirguna, has no attributes (is formless and unmanifested), while as Saguna (or Iswara) is manifested and with attributes. Saguna Brahman is likewise referred to as Ishvara.
Whether nirguna or saguna, Brahman represents the sat (Ultimate Reality), sit (Ultimate Consciousness), and ānanda (Ultimate Bliss).
Brahmā, Vishnu, and Shiva: The Trinity
Saguna Brahman — that is, Brahman with attributes — typically takes the form of one of Trimurti (three most important Hindu deities): Brahmā, Vishnu, or Shiva (Maheshwara). These personified forms of Brahman correspond to three stages within the cycle of the universe.
Brahmā corresponds to the innovative spirit from which the universe arises.
Vishnu corresponds to the force of order that sustains the universe.Shiva corresponds to the force that brings a cycle to an end — destruction performing as a prelude to transformation, leaving pure recognition from which the universe is reborn after destruction.
Temple carving at representing the Hindu Trimurti: Brahma, Siva and Vishnu.
Other styles of Ishvara broadly worshiped by using Hindus are Shakti, the female component of divinity, and Ganesha, the elephant-headed deity related to the removal of obstacles.
Brahman additionally may choose to take beginning in a knowable shape, or avatara (incarnation), to uphold dharma and restore stability to the world. Krishna, a famous avatara of Vishnu, seems at instances to keep the world. Rāma, another famous avatara of Vishnu, is the concern of the Hindu epic Rāmāyana (Way of Rāma).
The majority of Hindus pick a non-public deity, a saguna shape of Brahman with whom they could feel a right away personal connection. Devotion to this deity can take a number of forms, together with prayer, ceremonial worship, chanting of the deity’s name, and pilgrimage to web sites sacred to the deity.

Ishvara: The Personal Aspect of God
When Brahman is regarded as the supreme private being (in preference to because the endless principle) Brahman is known as Ishvara ("The Lord";), bhagavan ("The Auspicious One";), or Parameshwara ("The Supreme Lord"). Ishvara as a result refers to the non-public factor of Brahman in general; it is not unique to a specific deity. Ishvara transcends gender, yet can be regarded upon as father, mother, friend, child, or whilst sweetheart. Some colleges of Hindu philosophy do now not believe in Ishvara, whilst others interpret Ishvara in different ways. Some schools do now not distinguish among Ishvara and Brahman. The dvaita-advaita faculty holds that Ishvara is not incorporeal, but is infinite and a non-public being.
According to Bhagavata Purana, absolute Brahman can be realized in 3 ways.
Brahman it self ( the absolute truth)
Paramatma (union of all man or woman souls)
Bhagavan (as a private God)
The delightful Shri Krishna, avatâra or Divine Incarnation of Vishnu, sustainer of the cosmos, is shown in youth and later in life within the artistic photos above and below. Krshna holds his famous murali flute, by way of which he makes such captivating track as to evoke the atman (Innermost Self) from worldliness to Godliness. The flute also symbolizes the genuine devotee, who is so "empty" and "hollowed out" of egotism as to be a perfectly clean tool for the Divine to appear goodness and beauty inside the world-dream.Devatās: The Celestial Beings
The Hindu scriptures additionally communicate about many celestial entities, referred to as devas ("The shining ones", also called devatās). The phrase devas can be translated into English as Gods, Deities, Celestial Spirits or Angels. The feminine of deva is devī.
The Vedas and Purānas depict traditional tales approximately person devas. The latter lauds the Trimurti of Mahādevas ("Great Gods"), which can be the three elements of God, Brahmā, Vishnu and Shiva. Numerous other devas were worshiped at some stage in Hinduism's history. The devas are an integral part of Hindu way of life and are depicted in artwork, architecture and via icons. In their personal spiritual practices, Hindus worship mostly one or another of these deities, referred to as their iṣṭa devatā, or chosen perfect. The particular shape of God worshiped as one's chosen best is an issue of individual choice and needs, influenced by way of nearby and family traditions.

Krishna

3. Ātman: The Innermost Self
We as individuals are also a part of this converting universe. Our bodies are constantly undergoing change, even as our minds, shaped of thoughts and feelings, also are in a nation of flux. According to Vedānta, however, our self includes more than thoughts and body. At its core lies the unchanging ātman, our innermost, transcendental Self, in place of the fabric self (our body, thoughts, and feelings) that is part of the universe. The ātman is our True Self. But we lose sight of it because of our passionate involvement with our cloth self and its search for happiness on this universe. The universe can in no way offer ideal and everlasting happiness, however, because it, like our material self, is in a state of steady flux. We achieve authentic happiness handiest via an consciousness of our ātman and the invention of its true dating with Brahman.
By achieving attention of ātman and its solidarity with Brahman, we acquire not simplest happiness, but additionally moksha, or liberation. But liberation from what? At one level, the liberation is from unhappiness, but the answer provided by means of Vedānta Hinduism is going deeper: Moksha is liberation from a sequence of lives referred to as samsāra.

4. Samsāra: The Chain of Live
Samsāra — the chain of births and deaths
We typically think about ourselves as coming into being while we're born of our mother and father and as perishing when we die. According to Hinduism, however, this modern-day lifestyles is merely one link in a series of lives that extends a ways into the beyond and projects a long way into the future. The factor of foundation of this chain cannot be decided. The system of our involvement within the universe—the chain of births and deaths—is called samsāra.
Samsāra is as a result of a lack of knowledge of ātman (our Innermost Self) and our resultant choice for fulfillment out of doors ourselves. We keep to encompass ourselves, or be reborn, in this limitless and eternal universe due to these unfulfilled desires. The chain of births lets us resume the pursuit. The regulation that governs samsāra is referred to as karma. Each beginning and loss of life we go through is determined by means of the balance sheet of our karma—that is, in accordance with the moves completed and the dispositions acquired within the past.
This cycle of movement, reaction, delivery, loss of life, and rebirth is a continuum referred to as samsara. The Bhagavad Gita states that:
As a person puts on new garments and discards old and torn clothes,
similarly an embodied ātman (our Innermost Self) enters new material our bodies,
leaving the old our bodies.
— Bhagavad Gita (B.G. 2:22)

5. Karma: Action and Its Consequences
Karma is a crucial Hindu concept. According to the doctrine of karma, our present circumstance in existence is the result of the moves of our previous lives. The choices we've made in the past directly affect our situation on this lifestyles, and the alternatives we make nowadays and thereafter will have consequences for our destiny lives in samsāra. An know-how of this interconnection, according to Hindu teachings, can lead an person towards proper alternatives, deeds, mind, and desires, without the want for an outside set of commandments.
The principle of karma presents the simple framework for Hindu ethics. The word karma is now and again translated into English as “future,” but karma does now not imply the absence of loose will or freedom of action that destiny does. Under the doctrine of karma, the capacity to make alternatives stays with the man or woman.We are problem to the “law” of karma just as our bodily movements on earth are subje