Hinduism: Encyclopedia II - Hinduism - Hindu sacred texts

Hinduism - Hindu sacred texts

The overwhelming majority of Hindu sacred texts are composed in the Sanskrit language. Indeed, much of the morphology and linguistic philosophy inherent in the learning of Sanskrit is sometimes claimed to be inextricably linked to study of the Vedas and relevant Hindu scriptures.

Hinduism - Shruti

The Vedas (वेद, literally, "Knowledge") are considered as Shruti by the Hindus. They are said to have been revealed by the Brahman to the rishis while the latter were in deep meditation. While the overwhelming majority of Hindus may never read the Vedas, there prevails in them a reverence for this transcendental notion of "Eternal Knowledge". The four Vedas (the Rig-, Yajur-, Sāma- and Atharva Vedas) are various shākhās or branches of knowledge. Depending on the branch, different commentaries and instructions are associated with each Veda. The Rig Veda contains mantras to invoke the devas for the fire-sacrifice rituals, the Sāma Veda has chants to be sung there, the Yajur Veda has actual prosaic instructions for the sacrifices and the Atharva Veda comprises of semi-magical (sic) spells against enemies, sorcerors, diseases and mistakes during the sacrificing ritual. The Vedas, apart from the hymn (mantra) or the Samhitā (संहिता) portion, also have three layers of commentaries integrally incorporated within them. These are the Brāhmanas (ब्राह्मण, not to be confused with Brahman) containing prose commentaries on the rituals, the Āranyakas (आरण्यक) containing the mystical explanations of the mantras, and the Upanishads (उपनिषद्) containing highly philosophical and metaphysical writings about the nature of, and the relationship between the soul (Ātman) and the Brahman. Each Veda also has various law books and ritual manuals associated with them, like the Dharmashāstras, Grihyasūtras, etc., but most people do not consider them as an integral part of the Shruti or Vedic literature.

The Upanishads set Hindu philosophy apart with their embrace of transcendent and yet multiple immanent forces that are subjective to each individual, seen by some as an identification of unity in diversity. Modern indology suggests that while early Hinduism was most reliant on the four Vedas, Classical Hinduism, from the Yoga and Vedānta to Tantra and Bhakti streams, was moulded around the Upanishads. The Vedas are full of mysticism and allegories. While many schools like Smartism and Advaitism encourage people to interpret the Vedas philosophically and metaphorically and not too literally, Vaishnavism stresses the literal meaning (mukhya vrtti) as primary and indirect meaning (gauna vrtti) as secondary (ref.: Jiva Gosvami, Krsna Sandarbha 29.26-27). The very sound of the Vedic mantras is considered as "purifying" by many Hindus, hence the rigour in learning pronunciation. The rigorous oral tradition of transmitting the Vedas has helped in its perfect preservation.

Hinduism - Bhagavad Gītā

A core sacred text of Hinduism and its philosophy, the Bhagavad Gītā (भगवद् गीता), often referred to as the Gitā, is a summation of the Vedic, Yogic, Vedantic and Tantric philosophies. The Bhagavad Gītā, meaning "The Song Divine", refers to itself as a 'Yoga Upanishad' and is sometimes called Gītopanişad. It expounds on Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Jnana Yoga. It is an integral part of the epic Mahābhārata.

While technically it is considered as Smriti text, it has singularly achieved nearly the status of Shruti, or revealed knowledge. The Bhagavad-Gītā is described as the essence of the Vedas. The Gītā is easy to follow and is also one of the most popular books in Hinduism. Unlike the Vedas, which are highly esoteric and intricate, the Gītā is read by many practicing Hindus.

Hinduism - Smriti

The other Hindu texts form the latter category — the Smritis (lit., "memory"), all of which laud the Vedas; the most notable of them are the Mahābhārata and the Rāmāyana, major epics considered sacred by all followers of Sanātana Dharma. Their stories are arguably familiar to the vast majority of Hindus. Other texts considered important by today's Hindus include the Shrimad Bhāgavatam, described as the spotless epic detailing devotion to Vishnu as the highest goal, the Devī Mahātmya, an ode to Devī, and the Yoga Sūtras, a key meditative yoga text of Sage Patanjali. There are also a number of revered Hindu Tantras, the Manusmriti, the 18 Purānas which vividly describe later Hinduism's deities and mythology, and Sutras that command the respect of various Hindu sects of different persuasion, some including the Mahānirvāna Tantra, Tirumantiram and Shiva Sūtras. The eighteen Purānas, or Ancients, are divided into three groups of six. The Purānas' groups and their contents are: 1) the Brahmā Purānas: Brahma Purāna, Brahmānda Purāna, Brahma Vaivarta Purāna, Mārkandeya Purāna, Bhavishya Purāna, and the Vāmana Purāna; 2) the Vishnu Purānas: the Vishnu Purāna, the Bhāgavata Purāna, the Nāradeya Purāna, the Garuda Purāna, the Padma Purāna, and the Varāha Purāna; and 3) the Shiva Purānas: the Vāyu Purāna, the Linga Purāna, the Skanda Purāna, the Agni Purāna, the Matsya Purāna, and the Karma Purāna (There are also many Upapurānas, e.g., those dedicated to the Devi). The Rāmāyana, Mahābhārata and many Purānas are much more widely read by today's Hindus than the Vedas, and the temple and icon worship of modern Hinduism is attributable to them. It is interesting to note that the Hindus attach much more importance to the ethics and the metaphorical meanings conveyed by these texts, rather than only the literal mythology. Other important scriptures are the sectarian Hindu Agamas which are texts related to rituals and worship and is dedicated to Vishnu, Shiva and Devī. The Shrutis take precedence over Smriti in any matter of apparent mutual dispute. However, many Vaishnavas regard the Purānas to be as authoritative as the Vedas.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Hindu sacred texts", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki