At the level of practice, devotional hinduism is an embodied religion and grounded in a materiality, that makes the presence of. Hindus can choose to be polytheistic, pantheistic, panentheistic, pandeistic, henotheistic, monotheistic, monistic, agnostic, atheistic or. However, the puranas are supposed to be complied by muni vyasa. Hinduism includes a diversity of ideas on spirituality and traditions, but has no ecclesiastical order, no unquestionable religious authorities, no governing body, no prophets nor any binding holy book.
In hinduism, moksha means merging of soul with universal soul or eternal being and escaping the cycle of births and deaths. According to hindu cosmology, there is no absolute start to time, as it is considered infinite and cyclic. According to hindu scriptures, how did the universe begin. Veda means knowledge the ramayana, long epic poems about rama and sita. Muslims worship a single, external deity, and follows a strict moral code based on their holy book, the quran. This is because for hindus there is no single creation, but periodic cycles of creation. The brahmanas and the upanishads are important parts of the vedas. Hinduism 4 vedas are the most holy scriptures of hinduism. Therefore, hinduisms notion of an eternal, cyclical universe is unscientific.
Hinduism is the worlds oldest religion, as indicated by numerous researchers, with roots and traditions going back over 4,000 years. Age of universe according to vedas ubc computer science. The primary sacred texts, known as the vedas, were composed around 1500 b. Here at the hinduismsection of, we aim at presenting the original works that lay the foundations of hinduism. Unlike other religious traditions, hinduism does not originate in a single founder, a single book or a single point in time. What is the origin of the universe and humankind of hinduism. Again in the case of christianity, there is a third person entitled the holy ghost who is neither christ, nor god the father, but is an integral part of the trinity in its own right. It declares that before the creator began the process of creation, there. Hindus believe in the doctrines of samsara the continuous cycle of life, death, and reincarnation. The different gods and goddesses in the hindu mythology are derived from these books. One cosmology, shared by hindu, buddhist and jain texts involves mount meru, with stars and sun moving around it using dhruva north star as the. The history of hinduism in india can be traced to about 1500 bce.
Veda means knowledgethe ramayana, long epic poems about rama and sita. What is the hindus belief in how the universe began. Hinduism however, is not clear concerning the manifestation of brahma in the person of krishna. How does hinduism explain the origin of the universe answers. There have been and will be many more worlds and universes than there are drops of water in the holy river ganges. The universe we live in is one of innumerable universes. The brahmanas are rituals and ceremonies performed by the priest or brahmins. Hinduism does not have just one holy book like the bible or muslim quran. The hindu sacred texts about human origins ancient origins. May 10, 2020 here at the hinduism section of, we aim at presenting the original works that lay the foundations of hinduism. The current universe is just the start of a present cycle preceded by an infinite number of universes and to be followed by another infinite number of. These texts are glorious tales of the hindu trinity brahma, vishnu and maheshwar shiva.
We turn our attention first to hindu scriptures, wherein the vedas constitute the. Various aspects of creation are mentioned throughout the holy book of islam. The scriptures of the vedas are meant to guide hindu believers in their daily lives. Since 1979 the international magazine hinduism today has been producing a treasury of educational features on all aspects of sanatana dharma. There are also other holy books like puranas, ramayana, mahabharta etc. The universes are made by lord brahma the creator, maintained by lord vishnu the preserver and destroyed by lord shiva. In the west, where the mass majority of people are part of the abrahamic faith tradition with one god, the concept of polytheism is nothing more than fantasy or. If we were to assume that the universe has no creator and initially the energy. Hinduism is so unlike any other religion that it is difficult to define with any precision. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. 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. The current universe is just the start of a present cycle preceded by an infinite number of universes and to be followed by another infinite number of universes.
Since we have not run out of all of our usable energy now, the universe must not be eternal. This is not the first world, nor is it the first universe. If the vedas do not support the actions, instructions must be sought from the smritis, and if the smritis fail to provide any such instructions, he must follow in the footsteps of the great men. Some of the other holy works and books of hinduism. Cosmology was for a long time the subject of religion. Why hindus worship so many gods and goddesses is a real mystery for most people.
Followers believe there are multiple paths to reaching their god. Apr 03, 20 the puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. Hinduism is practised by more than 80% of indias population. It began as a polytheistic and ritualistic family of religions with various sacred rites performed by the heads of particular households or tribes. In the later puranic texts, the creator god brahma is described as performing the act of creation, or more specifically of propagating life within the universe. These apparent contradictions strike only those who are not familiar with this tradition. May 11, 20 hinduism attaches a very special value to the the darsan a sanskrit word meaning sight, of gurus, leaders, saintly persons and even holy places and holy images. Hinduism simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The majority of the vedas are considered the shruti, which is translated to that which is hard. Hinduism crossword puzzle fbisd campuses pages 1 4 text. The vedas and these other works are further divided into two sections. Hinduism, major world religion originating on the indian subcontinent and comprising several and varied systems of philosophy, belief, and ritual. Hinduism is the worlds third most popular religion, with around 750 million followers.
In the west, where the mass majority of people are part of the abrahamic faith tradition with one god, the concept of polytheism is nothing more than fantasy or mythology worthy of comic book material. In the hindu religion, one cannot have freedom of speech. Jan 30, 20 however, an interesting concept mentioned in one of the creation hymns nasadiya sukta is that the creation of the universe came first, and gods came afterwards. In hindu cosmology, the universe is cyclically created and destroyed. Scientific evidence against the eternality of the material universe also comes from the law of entropy. In the 7th century, muslim arabs began invading areas in india. Where the vedas gave a foundation for the direction of hinduism, the upanishads filled in the gaps.
Because hinduism is plural, with a vast collection of customs and beliefs of. The quran does not offer a single, unified theory regarding the creation of the universe and how life began on earth. In the hindu tradition itself, many different narratives concerning the origin of the universe exist. Other holy scriptures in hinduism are called the upanisads, the smrutis, the puranas, the ramayana and the mahabharata. In the words of the famous cosmologist and professor of theoretical physics at imperial college london, joao magueijo. Origins of the universe religion and science gcse religious. Hinduism is over 4,000 years old, making it one of the worlds oldest religions. One text where many of these narratives can be found is the vedas, the oldest hindu text. Learn about and revise how hinduism fits with scientific theories and.
Sruti pronounced shroothee are the holy books within hinduism that are considered to be divinely inspired, and thus infallible and authoritative. Scholars typically trace its origins to around 1500 b. The upanishads tell how the universe began and discuss the soul. Sustaining a hindu universe at an everyday life level requires an extraordinary range of religious specialists and ritual paraphernalia. Similarly, the space and universe has neither start nor end, rather it is cyclical. Hinduism holy book important books and writings of hinduism. The puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. That it has become a branch of physics is to some extent a surprising achievement. In vedic philosophy or sanatana dharma, salvation is giving up the sense of being a doer and. The epic of gilgamesh from sumer, although only considered by some scholars as a religious text, has origins as early as 2150 bce, and stands as one of the earliest literary works that includes various mythological figures and themes.
Feller learn with flashcards, games, and more for free. Still, since hindu texts do not state one clear origin of everything, the creation tradition in hinduism is a little bit obscure. This law states that the universe is running out of usable energy. Since the universes must be destroyed before they can be recreated, lord shiva is called the destroyer. The generally accepted theory by certain groups of hindus is brahma the creator brought forth the universe. Hindus can choose to be polytheistic, pantheistic, monotheistic, monistic, agnostic, atheistic or humanist. While we have the main vedas, upanishads, the mahabharata in several translations we also present newer commentaries, anthologies. Instead there is a great diversity of belief and practice. Hawking, there was no time before the big bang and time began at the moment of the big bang. Hinduism is diverse on ideas on spirituality and traditions, but has no ecclesiastical order, no unquestionable religious authorities, no governing body, no prophets nor any binding holy book. The most holy of the hindu books is written in sanskrit and is referred to as the vedas. In the rig veda, the principle and the oldest of the vedic scriptures, it is illustrated that the physical universe around us is the manifestation, or rather was created out of the body of primeval cosmic man purusha when his body was sacrificed. Scriptures of every religion contain some account of how the universe. While we have the main vedas, upanishads, the mahabharata in several translations we also present newer commentaries, anthologies, and entirely new branches of hinduism.
Today, with around 900 million adherents, hinduism is the. Hindus value many sacred writings as opposed to one holy book. 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. Vishnu became caretaker as well as beloved of the goddess. The big bang theory, which says the universe began with a point of. Hinduism does not possess a single holy book like bible in christianity and quran in islamic dharma. Most forms of hinduism are henotheistic, which means they worship a single deity, known as brahman, but still recognize other gods and goddesses. The earliest literary source for the history of hinduism is the rigveda, consisting of hymns that were composed chiefly during the last two or three centuries of. You should read enough of the materials presented in this section concerning the tradition of hinduism in order to understand how this tradition displays the characteristics or elements that make a. Hindu texts are the pinnacle for astronomy and cosmology. Some of the other holy works and books of hinduism are stories and epic poems.
Hinduism is an umbrella term for various set of beliefs and philosophies. Scriptures of every religion contain some account of how the universe was created. There are however two holy books for hinduism the mahabhrata and the ramayana. However, an interesting concept mentioned in one of the creation hymns nasadiya sukta is that the creation of the universe came first, and gods came afterwards. Hinduism has been explained with its origins, beliefs, way of life, sacred texts, gods and goddesses, holiest things, interesting facts and. It is made up of a variety of different religious beliefs and practices. The distinguishing feature of the vedas from other religious texts of the. The religion of hinduism originated in northern india, near the river indus, about 4000 years ago and is the worlds oldest existing religion. The upanishads are also called as vedantas or the end of the vedas. You should read enough of the materials presented in this section concerning the tradition of hinduism in order to understand how this tradition displays the characteristics or elements that make a tradition one that would be termed a religion. The dhammapada is a good book and actually the bhagavad gita is more buddhism than hinduism. Dont think of these eastern religions in the same context of western religions like christianity. The dominant theme in puranic hindu cosmology, state chapman and driver, is of cycles and repetition. The concluding portions of the vedas are called upanisads.
Like islam, hinduism looks to an outward deity, while buddhism advocates that practitioners look inside themselves to find enlightenment. So each era has its own theories and interpretation on how universe came into. How did the world come into being according to hinduism. The beginning of creation in scriptures of different religions.
It contains many different beliefs, philosophies and viewpoints, not always consistent with each other. The rig veda the oldest religious book in the world. Evidence of hinduisms early antecedents is derived from archaeology, comparative philology, and comparative religion. According to hindu philosophy, the universe or multiverse never came to be at some particular point, but always has been, always will be, but is perpetually in flux. Thus there is no one theory in hinduism that pertains to the origin of the universe. Jan 07, 2009 the dhammapada is a good book and actually the bhagavad gita is more buddhism than hinduism.
The basic ideas of hinduismwere brought into india by people called aryans about 1500 bce. Since then many differentcultures and religions have added new ideas and customs to our religion. No scriptures in hinduism describes the creation of the universe. If the indus valley civilization 3rd2nd millennium bce was the earliest source of hindu traditions, then hinduism is the oldest living religion on earth. They are rig veda, sama veda, yajur veda and atharva veda. Guided by the founder, satguru sivaya subramuniyaswami, the magazines editors, who are initiated monks of the kauais hindu monastery, collaborated with holy men and women and experts around the world in creating graphically rich guides to virtually. Other philosophical musings concerning the origins of the universe can be found in the upanishads a prominent philosophical hindu text.