SACRED TEXTS

No Single Text… -No single creed or doctrine binds Hindus together -Hinduism is a syncretic religion, welcoming and incorporating a variety of outside influences. -Remember, the “tolerant characteristic”

Sacred Texts  Hinduism has numerous sources that it considers sacred texts  Consists of 200 books  Scriptures are either classified as shruti or smriti

Shruti  Knowledge that is revealed or “discovered” by the rishis, or seers of Hinduism.  The Rishi's soul is believed to receive wisdom directly from the universal source.  This wisdom is contained in the Vedas.

Smriti  “ human made” literature, or knowledge that is “remembered ”

The Vedas  Composed around 1500 BCE  Considered the oldest and most authoritative Hindu scriptures  They are a collection of writings on subjects ranging from the divine spirit to medicine and the sciences

The Four Vedas  *The Rig-Veda, 10 books of hymns that praise the deities  The Yajur-Veda, instructions for a priest to perform fire sacrifices  The Sama-Veda, melodies, chants, and tunes for singing hymns  Atharva-Veda, magical formulas, chants, spells, and charms.

Sections of the Vedas  Each of the four vedas is broken down into four parts:  Samhitas  Brahmanas  Araynyakas  Upanishads  Because the Vedas are so old, they are difficult to understand! Therefore each of these sections attempts to uncover and figure out the divine knowledge from God.

The Four Parts of the Vedas  SAMHITAS  Means Mantras; these sections contains prayers and hymns, which are known as mantras.  They are written in an ancient form of Sanskrit.

The Four Parts of the Vedas  BRAHMANAS  Means “belonging to the Brahmins”  These sections analyze and interpret the mantras contained in the Samhitas.  They also provide information about where some of the religious rituals came from, and explain the meaning of certain ceremonies and the importance of saying prayers.

The Four Parts of the Vedas  ARANYAKAS  Means “forest books”.  These sections contain treatises (special essays) on meditation and asceticism (self-discipline)  They were written for people such as hermits and saints who for religious reasons chose to live simple, isolated lives in forests.

The Four Parts of the Vedas  UPANISHADS  Means “sitting down near”  Form the basis of Hindu philosophy which have dominated Indian life and thought for 3000 years.  There are over 200 Upanishads.  Discuss topics such as the mind, worship, meditation, and various means of liberation.  Also discuss central beliefs such as Brahman, atman, karma, samsara etc.

The Upanishads  The Upanishads are like a Q & A section; a record of religious conversations between holy men, which ordinary people could sit down with an listen to and ask questions

Upanishads Examples

How they’re used…  In worship, both at home and in the mandir.  By Hindus in their personal devotions.  In celebrations held during religious festivals.  During the sacred thread ceremony.  During a marriage ceremony.  During the cremation of the dead.

There are four Smriti texts  The Puranas  The Laws of Manu  The Mahabharata  The Ramayana

The Puranas  The word Purana means “olden times”  They were written down over a period of about 1000 years, after 500 CE  They contain main well known stories, and deal mainly with the worship of Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and Shakti.  Altogether there are over half a million verses in the Puranas!

The Laws of Manu  Hindu law book affirms concepts of dharma, caste, and the four aims of life  Deals with religious practice, law, customs, politics.  Hindus refer to this text for guidance on family property, inheritance, marriage, adoption, and guardianship but all other legal matters are subject to Indian secular law.

The Ramayana  One of India’s two great epics  Popular vehicle for spreading Hindu ideals of moral conduct.  Smriti text that has wide spread appeal in India  Has been produced for television, in comics, in children’s books  Written in Sanskrit around 200 BCE  Contains 24,000 verses  Story of Prince Rama, who is worshipped as the seventh avatar the God Vishnu.  The epic represents the constant struggle between good and evil where good eventually prevails.

The Ramayana  Let’s watch a VERY SHORT KIDS VERSION.

The Mahabharata  This is the longest poem in the world!  Comprised of about verses  Appears to be the work of many authors  Compiled between 400BCE and 400CE  Story of two forces, the Pandavas, who represent good, and the Kauravas, who represent evil.  There is a war between the Kuru princes and the Pandu princes and after many adventures, the evil forces of the Kauravas are defeated by the Pandavas who rule for many years.

The Mahabharata

The Bhagavad Gita  The most important of all Hindu texts is the Bhagavad Gita which is a poem describing a conversation between a warrior Arjuna and his charioteer Krishna.  Krishna’s objective is to teach Arjuna important spiritual truths. Arjuna is about to go into battle. This battle is a metaphor for everyone’s fight in life to resist evil and do good deeds.

The Puranas (Myths)  These are Smritis that describes the exploits of the deities in thirty-six volumes.  Each Purana usually begins with the name of the god it glorifies, for example, Shiva Purana.

Textbook Questions  Pg. 143  #1abc, 2, 3  Pg BHAGAVAD-GITA questions  #1,2,3