Hinduism is the older of the two with a literature going back to the beginning of recorded history. Other holy scriptures in hinduism are called the upanisads, the smrutis, the puranas, the ramayana and the mahabharata. Scholars regard hinduism as a fusion or synthesis 6 note 4. Tulsidas wrote 12 books, the most famous being the hindi ramayan the ramcharitmanasa that is read and worshipped with great reverence in every hindu home in northern india.
Saptarishi seven sages who guided humanity during four. The hindu term of respect for a brahman sage that means great soul is mahatma. Sacred hindu scriptures holy books of hinduism holy. List of holy books in hinduism the galaxy of hindu literature is very vast and voluminous. Even in sages there were different types of sages based on their knowledge.
For a more complete explanation of hinduism, visit this worthy site. The most sacred and oldest hindu texts are called the vedas. Nija vaishakh krushna panchami, kaliyug varsha 5112. Shri brahmarshi vishwamitra is considered to be one of the most revered rishis sages of the ancient india.
I lay down the book and go to my well for water, and lo. Indeed, they are regarded as being vital figures in hinduism. The bhagavad gita by krishnadwaipayana vyasa, walk like a buddha. Jul 31, 2017 here at the hinduism section of, we aim at presenting the original works that lay the foundations of hinduism. Most books available on hinduism in bookshops in the west today are written by non. O suta conversent with piety, it behoves you to narrate the tale of holy shrines and centres over the earth. Ill thoughts, that visit us awake or sleeping, seize the man we hate, yea, seize the man who hateth us. Hinduism holy book bhagavad gita important books and. Some of the other holy works and books of hinduism are stories and epic poems. Hinduism is neither monotheistic nor restricted to one religious scripture. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Some people are spreading fake verses from holy books to. This should give inspiration to our young generation who will then realise what great scientists were produced in the golden era of india.
Hinduism part 2 download books, sacred, spiritual texts. Hinduism is said to have a pantheon of 330 million gods and goddesses. Jan 07, 2009 the pali canon is a good source but no it is not the holy book of buddhism, there really isnt one. Why only books on spirituality are referred to as holy. You can go to the hinduism isle and scan all the hindu texts from there just to warn you, though, there are many. I have just covered the basics for anyone interested. Sruti scriptures are considered divinely inspired and fully authoritative for belief and practice, while smruti are recognized as the products of the minds of the great sages. May 23, 2016 the seven sages are the seven rishis who appear frequently in historic hindu and vedic texts. Holy books of hinduism the religions founded by individuals have one book that summarizes the philosophies of the founder or the same from the disciples perspective and so on. Hindu sacred texts the sacred texts of hinduism fall into one of two categories.
Hinduism is also known by the names sanatanadharmaand vaidikadharma. This page describes conversation of the seven sages which is chapter 19 of the english translation of the padma purana, one of the largest mahapuranas, detailling ancient indian society, traditions, geography, as well as religious pilgrimages yatra to sacred places tirthas. However, the puranas are supposed to be complied by muni vyasa. The most holy of the hindu books is written in sanskrit and is referred to as the vedas.
Hinduism is practised by more than 80% of indias population. The vedic samhitas never enumerate these rishis by name, though later vedic texts such as the brahmanas. If you are looking for a single hinduism holy book like the quran or the bible you will be disappointed. Gods, whatsoeer the dove came hither seeking, sent to us as the envoy of destruction, for that let us sing hymns and make atonement.
Like many other ancient gods, and semigods, the seven rishis had extremely long lifespans, and they were present on earth present through the four great ages, a period that is equal to equal to seventyone mahayugas. He used to narrate stories of various spirituallyevolved personalities and sages. Great indian hindu sages who revolutionised the field of. The seven sages or saptarishis are the big dipper and like everything else in indian mythology, each sage has a story that may sound hypothetical but also mesmerizing. This harmony is most evident in remote places like this, and i hope it does not loose its unique character in the ruthless urban advance. Since the days of the vedas, which was the golden era of hinduism to this present day, numerous sages maha rishis, saints 63 saivism nayanmars, 4 saivism thevara vocalists, 4 saivism theologists, 12 vaishnavite azhvaars, powerful siththars, hindu holymen and holy women who have been revered by devotees as the aspects of the god himself. The holy book in the hindu religion is known as the vedas. Sent by sent by brahma, the hindu creator god, these divine and immortal beings brought precious knowledge to humans. Hindu texts are manuscripts and historical literature related to any of the diverse traditions within hinduism. This is a great book to get acquainted with some of the more popular hindu gods and goddesses. It is believed that sage vishwamitra is the first saint of the 24 saints, and sage yajnavalkya the last. Hence, mohandas gandhi, indias great leader was termed, mahatma gandhi.
Hindu sacred literature is the most ancient of the living literatures of the world. Hindu civilisation originated in the gangetic and indus valleys and from there spread out over. Children develop a better understanding of how hindu holy books relate to the everyday lives of hindus. He whose hands and feet are clean, whose mind is fully restrained and who has learning, penance and fame, enjoys the benefit of visiting holy shrines. Download the bible, the holy quran, the mahabharata, and thousands of free pdf ebooks on buddhism, meditation, etc. As per the puranas, there have been only 24 rishis in india who have the gayatri mantra.
The seven sages wished to escape the intrigues, corruption and stifling atmosphere of court life during the politically fraught three kingdoms period of chinese history. Hinduism download books, sacred, spiritual texts and pdf. If it is a religion, there should be a founder, date of coming into being etc. He also used to tell incidences that occurred in the life of great sages that he had seen. Hinduism sayings and hinduism quotes wise old sayings. In his previous life prior to becoming hunter and great sage was young saintly boy rishi kumara studying in ashram of his guru. The sages are an important part of the hindu religion. The upanishads are also called as vedantas or the end of the vedas. The word sruti comes from a sanskrit root meaning to hear, as it was believed that ancient seers heard or perceived these texts by direct revelation from a higher power. The very fact that there are thousands of sacred books within our own tradition, and that thousands are saints and sages are associated with revealing and compiling them has made hindus take it for granted that diversity of scriptures is a. The religions founded by individuals have one book that summarizes the philosophies of the founder or the same from the disciples perspective and so on. While we have the main vedas, upanishads, the mahabharata in several translations we also present newer commentaries, anthologies, and entirely new branches of hinduism.
Hindu holy book that is called geeta was founded by vyas in the name of shree krishna. Hinduism seers, sages, swamis and babas and gods and. While being worshiped by the assembled sages and offered a seat of honor, the lord noticed that romahar. The holy books of world religions sacred texts in world. The science of the rishis is a wonderful resource for anyone interested in furthering their knowledge of this ancient religion.
The scriptures of the vedas are meant to guide hindu believers in their daily lives. Sruti pronounced shroothee are the holy books within hinduism that are considered to be divinely inspired, and thus infallible and authoritative. At heart, however, hindus believe in one god in much the same way that christians, jews and moslems the people of the book do. The holy books of hinduism photos pics 232809 boldsky. A great sage and guru of shriram who practised the path of devotion. Some of the other holy works and books of hinduism. Hinduism holy book important books and writings of hinduism. Vinaya patrika is another important book written by tulsidas. Download the bible, the holy quran, the mahabharata and thousands of free pdf ebooks on buddhism, meditation etc. A great hindu holy epic written by sage valmiki, that depicts the history and life of. The vedic samhitas never enumerate these rishis by name, though later vedic texts such as the brahmanas and upanisads do so. Outside of india, hinduism is famous for its dizzying array of gods and goddesses. A few texts are shared resources across these traditions and broadly considered as hindu scriptures. Hindu term of respect for a brahman sage which means great.
The essence of it all can be summed up in tat tvam asi thou art that. Vanamali beautifully simplifies hinduism s complex concepts and treatises into digestible chapters that offer something new for both the expert and the uninitiated. Written specifically for lower secondary students, it examines key religious themes worship, history, festivals and rites of passage. There is something called pramana, authority, which our acharyas have recognised, and as per the acharyas a set of books are considered primary texts, whereas, other books based on these primary books can also be referred to. The longer, more complex answer is yes, but not how you would expect. This is the nineteenth chapter of the srishtikhanda section on creation of the padma purana, which contains six. Hinduism does not have just one holy book like christianity.
The author, sage vyasa, wrote it from a historical context but embellished certain parts in order to create spiritual lessons and motifs. Apr 03, 20 the puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. Hinduism is the worlds third most popular religion, with around 750 million followers. You look at buddhism, you look at the four noble truths, and you try to see how you can improve your own life by beginning to notice those things in your life that make you suffer. The rigveda is a collection of hymns dedicated to 33 gods especially to indri and agni. When hinduism is not a religion, there is no concept of holy book. The holy vedas is an exceptional anthology of verses taken from the revered four vedas of hindu mythology, translated into english for the benefit of the mass the four vedas of hindu culture, the rigveda, yajurveda, atharvaveda, and samaveda, are considered to be the scriptures that defined the lifestyle and beliefs of all hindus. Religious stories hinduism, bible stories, fairy tales. The vedas are scriptures that the hindu people use as a guide to daily and religious life. This sacred text is divided into two main sections, the old testament and the new testament which are then further divided into various books. Truth is god and if today it has become moribund, inactive, irresponsive to growth, it is because we are fatigued.
Mystery of the seven sages in ancient myths and legends. Therefore, hindus who may be weakhearted, pregnant or in otherwise illhealth should not proceed any further. These texts are glorious tales of the hindu trinity brahma, vishnu and maheshwar shiva. The religion of hinduism originated in northern india, near the river indus, about 4000 years ago and is the worlds oldest existing religion. The shruti refers to the body of most authoritative, ancient religious texts, believed to be eternal knowledge authored neither by human nor divine agent but transmitted by sages rishis. Hindus value many sacred writings as opposed to one holy book.
Aum or om is considered as the holy sound because it is believed that consciousness manifested itself as a form through the sound of aum. Hindu dharma is not a one book, one prophet, one god religion. Vanamali beautifully simplifies hinduisms complex concepts and treatises into digestible chapters that offer something new for both the expert and the uninitiated. They are believed to be true history of ancient indian. Lord brahma is credited with the composition of vedas which were passed down from the great sages to their disciples. The authors and dates of most hindu sacred texts are unknown, although the oldest text the vedas are estimated to date from as early as 1500 bce. I have no political qualms or anything, just that i hate both sides misusing and disusing hymns and verses by providing fake translations and hurting hinduism.
This holy book is written in the sanskrit language. The dhammapada is a good book and actually the bhagavad gita is more buddhism than hinduism. The seven sages of the bamboo grove with a boy attendant, in a kano school japanese painting of the edo period. Hinduism is an indian religion and dharma, or way of life, widely practiced in the indian subcontinent and parts of southeast asia. An inspiring book, it contains sweet couplets in beautiful rhyme in praise of lord rama. Although all the scriptural excerpts below are genuine and taken directly from hindu holy books, the truth can sometimes be too much to handle for some people. Some people are spreading fake verses from holy books to say hinduism beef. This religious book defines the boundary of the religion and the followers would be expected to strictly abide by that holy book. Hinduism part 4 download books, sacred, spiritual texts. Gaining the wisdom contained in sacred bhagavad gita of hinduism human beings gained enlightenment kaivalya jnana and finally salvation moksha. The lord bathed in sacred places such as prabhasa, tritakupa and visala, and eventually he came to the holy naimi.
Holy books of hinduism hinduism a perspective the religions founded by individuals have one book that summarizes the philosophies of the founder or the same from the disciples perspective and so on. They have information beyond the knowledge of any human on this planet. The vedas were heard 100s of years ago from the sky by spritual sages. But know me, o most holy among the twiceborn, to be the creator of this whole world, whom that male, virag, himself produced, having performed austerities. Hindu religious books for children spiritual india trip. Hinduism for kids stories with a moral stories of great statesmen swami vivekananda grandeur of gods name. Shruti that which is heard, and smriti that which is remembered. Bhagavad gita is the most sacred holy scripture of hinduism. It has been described that number of verses that exist in all of the various types of hindu scriptures, as below, total 1 billion. These billion verses are summarized into 700 verses by lord krishna in his bhagavad gita, as confirmed by adi shankr. The best advice for such hindus is to turn off the computer, close your eyes and chant hare rama.
The majority of the vedas are considered the shruti, which is translated to that which is hard. Pages in category hindu sages the following 108 pages are in this category, out of 108 total. There are however two holy books for hinduism the mahabhrata and the ramayana. Scholars hesitate in defining the term hindu scriptures given the diverse nature of hinduism, but many list the bhagavad gita and the. The primary sacred texts, known as the vedas, were composed around 1500 b. Nov 03, 2014 the indian mythology is enigmatic but has always found references with real world objects and places. Then i, desiring to produce created beings, performed very difficult austerities, and thereby called into existence ten great sages, lords of created beings, 35. Scholars describe hinduism as the product of religious development in india that spans nearly 4,000 years, making it perhaps the oldest surviving world. These sages had understanding of things and places which normal people like you and i could never even imagine. Hinduism loses its right to make a universal appeal if it closes its.
Hinduism does not possess a single holy book like bible in christianity and quran in islamic dharma. The bhagavad gita though the bhagavad gita is contained within the mahabharata, you could easily say its the most popular part of the book, and definitely deserves its own separate listing in this article. The vedas and these other works are further divided into two sections. It is not based on a set of dogmas preached by a particular set of teachers. In this article, we detail the two different categories these texts are organized into, shruti and smriti, and overview the most popular of the hindu texts. Rather, there is a huge array of different sacred texts. As your wise librarian told you, there is no one single book of hinduism. Hinduism stack exchange is a question and answer site for followers of the hindu religion and those interested in learning more about hinduism.
There are two historic classifications of hindu texts. These are the most ancient religious texts which define truth for hindus. They got their present form between 1200200 bce and were introduced to india by the aryans. Hinduism is different than other major religions around the world, including islam, judaism or christianity in that it does not claim one idea, person or entity as its founder. Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, and some practitioners and scholars refer to it as sanatana dharma, the eternal tradition, or the eternal way, beyond human history. Hinduism contains its own customs, festivals and holy books as well as a number of deities that intertwine its history, culture and indian society, past and present. The saptarishi were the seven great sages in ancient india. But the most important holy books of hinduism are the vedas. 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.