11/03/2019 Portal:Hinduism - Wikipedia

Portal:Hinduism
Introduction

Hinduism is an Indian religion and dharma, or way of life, widely practised in the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast
Asia. Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, and some practitioners and scholars refer to it as Sanātana
Dharma, "the eternal tradition", or the "eternal way", beyond human history. Scholars regard Hinduism as a fusion or synthesis
of various Indian cultures and traditions, with diverse roots and no founder. This "Hindu synthesis" started to develop between
500 BCE and 300 CE, after the end of the Vedic period (1500 BCE to 500 BCE), and flourished in the medieval period, with the
decline of Buddhism in India.

Although Hinduism contains a broad range of philosophies, it is linked by shared concepts, recognisable rituals, cosmology,
shared textual resources, and pilgrimage to sacred sites. Hindu texts are classified into Śruti ("heard") and Smṛti
("remembered"). These texts discuss theology, philosophy, mythology, Vedic yajna, Yoga, agamic rituals, and temple building,
among other topics. Major scriptures include the Vedas and Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Āgamas. Sources of
authority and eternal truths in its texts play an important role, but there is also a strong Hindu tradition of questioning authority
in order to deepen the understanding of these truths and to further develop the tradition.

Selected article Selected biography

Bhagavān, in most Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

contexts, is an epithet for
God, particularly for
Krishna and other avatars
of Vishnu in Vaishnavism,
as well as for Shiva in
Shaivism tradition of
Hinduism. Bhagavān also represents the concept
of abstract God to Hindus who are religious but do
not worship a specific deity. Bhagavan is male in
Bhakti traditions, and female equivalent of
Bhagavān is Bhagavatī.
The term Bhagavān does not appear in Vedas, nor in early
or middle Upanishads. The oldest Sanskrit texts use the
term Brahman to represent an abstract Supreme Soul,
Absolute Reality, while using names of deities like Krishna,
Vishnu, Shiva, Parvati, Lakshmi, Saraswati to represent
gods and goddesses. The word Bhagavān is found in later
post-Vedic era literature, such as the Bhagavad Gita and the
Puranas. In Bhakti school literature, the term is typically
used for any deity to whom prayers are offered; for example,
Rama, Ganesha, Kartikeya, Krishna, Shiva or Vishnu. In
other literature, the word Bhagavan also refers to a living
person who is considered as spiritually enlightened or to
one's spiritual teacher. In modern usage, Bhagavān is
synonymous with Ishvara, Devatā, Hari or Prabhu, in some
schools of Hinduism.
(October 2, 1869 – January 30,
1948) was a major political and
spiritual leader of the Indian
Independence Movement. He was
the pioneer of satyagraha —
resistance through mass civil
disobedience strongly founded
upon ahimsa (non-violence)
becoming one of the strongest philosophies of
freedom struggles worldwide. Gandhi is
commonly known and spoken of worldwide as
Mahatma Gandhi (Hindi: महा मा, məhatma ;
from Sanskrit, mahātmā: Great Soul) and is
fondly called Bapu (in Gujarati, Father).
Gandhi first employed his ideas of civil disobedience in the
Indian struggle for civil rights in South Africa. Upon his
return to India, Gandhi helped lead poor farmers and
laborers to protest oppressive taxation and widespread
discrimination.
Selected quote
"It is true that even across the Himalayan barrier India has
sent to us such questionable gifts as grammar and logic,
philosophy and fables, hypnotism and chess, and above all

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our numerals and our decimal system. But these are not
Selected images
the essence of her spirit; they are trifles compared to what
we may learn from her in the future."

— Will Durant (1885-1981) American historian.

The Rigveda is the first and most important Veda and is

one of the oldest religious texts. This Rigveda manuscript
is in Devanagari.

Subcategories

Links to categories
Hinduism
Architecture • Astronomy • Ayurveda • Ayyavazhi • Bhakti movement • by Country • Deities • Festivals • Holy cities •
Holy days • History • Laws • Lists • Months • Movements and organisations • Music • Mythology • Philosophical concepts •
Pilgrimage sites • Poets • Religious leaders • Sages • Shaivism • Shaktism • Temples • Texts • Titles and occupations •
Traditions • Vaishnavism • Yoga • Krishna

Topics

Hinduism topics
Glossary

Philosophy Concepts Brahman · Om · Ishvara · Atman · Maya · Karma · Saṃsāra

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Puruṣārthas (Dharma · Artha · Kama · Moksha)

Niti (Ahimsa · Asteya · Aparigraha · Brahmacharya · Satya · Dāna ·
Damah · Dayā · Akrodha)
Āstika: Samkhya · Yoga · Nyaya · Vaisheshika · Mīmāṃsā · Vedanta
Schools
(Dvaita · Advaita · Vishishtadvaita) · Nāstika: Charvaka
Classification Śruti · Smriti
Rigveda · Yajurveda · Samaveda · Atharvaveda
Divisions Samhita · Brahmana · Aranyaka

Vedas Aitareya · Kaushitaki · Brihadaranyaka · Isha ·

Taittiriya · Katha · Maitri · Shvetashvatara ·
Upanishads
Chandogya · Kena · Mundaka · Mandukya ·
Texts Prashna
Upavedas Ayurveda · Dhanurveda · Natya Shastra · Sthapatyaveda

Vedanga Shiksha · Chandas · Vyākaraṇa · Nirukta · Kalpa · Jyotisha

Bhagavad Gita · Agamas · Itihasas (Ramayana · Mahabharata) ·
Puranas · Minor Upanishads · Arthashastra · Dharmaśāstra
Other
(Manusmriti · Nāradasmṛti · Yājñavalkya Smṛti) · Sutras · Stotras ·
Subhashita · Tantras · Yoga Vasistha · Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Trimurti (Brahma · Vishnu · Shiva) · Ishvara · Devi · Deva · Saraswati · Lakshmi ·
Deities Parvati · Shakti · Durga · Kali · Ganesha · Kartikeya · Ayyappan · Rama · Krishna ·
Hanuman · Prajapati · Rudra · Indra · Agni · Dyaus · Bhumi · Varuna · Vayu
Temple · Murti · Puja · Bhakti · Japa · Bhajan · Naivedhya · Yajna
Worship
· Homa · Tapas · Dhyana · Tirthadana
Garbhadhana · Pumsavana · Simantonayana · Jatakarma ·
Namakarana · Nishkramana · Annaprashana · Chudakarana ·
Sanskaras
Karnavedha · Vidyāraṃbhaṃ · Upanayana · Keshanta ·
Ritushuddhi · Samavartanam · Vivaah · Antyesti
Varna (Brahmin · Kshatriya · Vaishya · Shudra)
Varnashrama
Practices Ashrama (Brahmacharya · Grihastha · Vanaprastha · Sannyasa)
Diwali · Holi · Shivaratri · Raksha Bandhan · Navaratri
(Durga Puja · Ramlila · Vijayadashami (Dasara)) ·
Ganesh Chaturthi · Rama Navami · Janmashtami · Onam ·
Festivals
Pongal · Makar Sankranti · New Year (Bihu · Gudi Padwa ·
Pahela Baishakh · Puthandu · Vaisakhi · Vishu · Ugadi) ·
Kumbha Mela · Ratha Yatra · Teej · Vasant Panchami · Others
Other Svādhyāya · Namaste · Bindi · Tilaka
Hindus · Denominations · Law · Calendar · Criticism · Hindu gurus and sants ·
Related Hindu studies · Iconography · Mythology · Nationalism (Hindutva) · Persecution ·
Pilgrimage sites · Glossary · Hinduism by country

Category · Portal

WikiProjects

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Hinduism * Peer review * Hindu mythology * Hindu philosophy * Religion * Asia * India * Nepal

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Phnom Krom,Banteay Samré, West Mebon, Kriyamana karma, Sanchita karma,
Kama (Purusharthas), Hindu marriage Ceremony, Vedic metal, Kalpa (Vedanga),
Parisada Hindu Dharma

Cleanup: History of Hinduism, Yuga, Hindu view of marriage, Devadasi,

Islamic conquest of South Asia, Ancient Vedic units of measurement, Amarnath,
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