Hindu Authority

Hinduism originated in India over four thousand years ago. The India-based religion lacks an individual founder. In the beginning, the term “Sanatana Dharma” erupted; but Sanatana Dharma soon transformed to “Hindu” after Islamic invasions occurred: “the Muslim invaders pronounced H for I” (Patheos), thus, the inhabitants along the Indus River were called “Hindus” as a result. The primary goal Hindus hope to achieve is to become reincarnated – thus reaching closer and closer to the state of nirvana every Hindu is called to with each transformation after death.

Although we do not know the exact time that Hinduism began, it is believed to be over 4,000 years old. There have been overlapping civilizations in India that may have molded the religion into what it is now (Kinnard 1). Around 2,000 B.C.E., located near the great Indus River, the Indus Valley Civilization, who worshipped many goddesses, may have been the very beginning of the shaping of Hinduism. Near the end of the Indus Valley Civilization around 1,500 B.C.E., a new society surfaced in India. Believed to be brought by the central Asian Aryans, the Vedic religion began (Kinnard). The Aryans’ practices included the sacrifice of animals and other offerings to their gods into a sacred fire. The gods they worshipped were mainly gods of nature such as the fire god and the plant god (flood). This era was the time of the Vedas, which are scriptures describing rituals to please the gods (Kinnard). Later, around 1,000 B.C.E., priests called Brahmins began to reject the materialistic ways of the Vedic tradition and began to adopt practices

First, I would like to introduce the religion of Hinduism. The term Hinduism was derived a river of South Asia, the Indus. This term was used by the ancient Persians to classify the people of that region of the North-West territory of the subcontinent. Indian religion, Hinduism, was the term given by the British in the nineteenth century to the population of India that were neither Muslim or Christian.

Hinduism Lewis Brian Griffin APOL 104- Liberty University Hinduism The question of origin- In order for us to completely understand Hinduism, we must first understand that this a philosophical system of beliefs. To give a definite origin of Hinduism would be very hard to address because there are no known origins. There are no beginning points or a name of a founder. Hinduism can be traced all the way back to around 1500 B.C in what we now call India and has a lot of different beliefs, philosophies and views that contradict each other. All Hindus believe in one God, a supreme being known as Brahma. Brahma is an entity believed to live in every single facet of reality and existence throughout the whole universe. Brahma is both impersonal and unknowable and is often believed to exist in three separate forms: Brahma, the Creator, Vishnu, the Preserver, and Shiva, the Destroyer.

Hinduism first started in India around 1500 BC. The word Hindu comes from the Sanskrit word sindhu, or river. The Hindu community define themselves as "those who believe in the Vedas", or also "those who follow the way, or dharma, of the four classes and the stages of life. The four classes being the varnas and the stages of life being the ashramas.

The word Hindu has evolved from being the word the Persians used for the Indus River in 500 BC to the accepted name for the primary religion of India this name was originally given by foreign rulers and ultimately used by Europeans in the 1500's as the official name of the religion. History plays an important part of Hinduism because new developments reinterpret an update past practices rather than end them. The Hindu religion is broke down into three periods the Vedic period, the Upanishadic period, the classical period, and the devotional period.

in India.      Hinduism is such an ancient religion that it had many types of beliefs and religious practices. Around 1750 BC Aryan invaders from central Asia settled in North - West India and introduced their own religious ideas.      Slowly the Hindu came to accept the idea of the existence of an eternal supreme being. They called this being, Brahman. Hindus also worship different gods which individually represent one particular aspect of Brahman. The most popular one of the lesser gods are Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver), and Shiva (the destroyer) Hinduism has no founder. It is a religion that has His upper right hand is holding a drum (to beat the rhythm of the time) while the upper left hand holds a flames (element of destruction). His second right hand is raised for blessing, while his second left hand points to the raised left foot (symbolizes release). The right foot treads on a dwarf that represents ignorance and spiritual blindness.      Life Before and After Death      A Hindu believes and hopes that eventually his soul will join with Brahman. They welcome death as a step towards gaining this everlasting union with him. They believe that their souls were never born and therefore never dies, but it moves on from one body to another. This movement form one body to

Before going in, I did some research The highest deity for a Hindu would be a Brahman. Brahmans are the priestly class; they are virtuous and have a high moral sense. They take on one of the three main forms, which correspond to the three stages of the life cycle of the universe. The first of these is Brahma, the creator or the creative spirit from which the universe arises. Despite the religion being polytheistic and believing in millions of gods, Hinduism portrays Brahma has the highest supreme, being whom they look up to. The second is named Vishnu who is the preserver and is the force of order that sustains the universe. Through his exemplification, he preserves righteousness when the forces of evil threaten to succeed. The third and final form is Shiva who is the destructive concept of the universe. He is the force that brings the cycle to the end. Hindus of this level in the caste system show their devotion to this high deity through either prayer, ceremonies, pilgrimage, or just the simple chanting of the god’s name.

Women and their role in Hinduism An often controversial issue within politics is how woman are viewed and treated in the Hindu religion. The role of woman in Hinduism is often disputed and positions range from quite reasonable to highly antagonistic. An often overlooked aspect is that, Hinduism is more

Hinduism is the world religion that comprising both continuity and change. Hinduism has always combined and adapted to a variety of social and cultural contexts. It encompasses several and varied systems of philosophy, belief, and ritual. Hinduism is a Basic Religion with an animistic cosmology, out of

Starting off, the caste system in Hinduism it originates from the Rig Veda, not only is it an ancient system but many regard it as a distinctive trait of Hinduism and its long history and that it is virtually identical to the essence of Hinduism (Varna & Jati 9522) caste

Brahma is the god of creation. In today’s world, he is the least worshipped god in India. There are only two temples in all of India dedicated to him (Brahma). Brahma has a unique look, with four heads and four arms. The second god, Vishnu, is the god of preservation. Thus far in creation, he has been said to be incarnated nine times. Worshippers believe that he will incarnate one last time near the end of the world. Similarly, to what Paul thought of Jesus, “Like any major god, Vishnu is involved in a number of colorful stories which illustrate his virtues as the protector of cosmic order” (Vishnu). Vishnu is uniquely depicted by having blue skin, and four arms. In his four hands, he holds objects representing what he is dependable for. Shiva, the last god, is the god of destruction. In Hinduism, destruction is considered necessary for new life forms to appear. Shiva is portrayed by his blue face and white body, three eyes, and four arms.

Ganesha: An Elephant-Headed Deity Ganesha, the Elephant-Headed God, is the most worshipped god in the Hindu religion most commonly practiced in India. He represents Wisdom and the distinction between good and bad and is the leader of ganas, also known as beings.

Cultural Impact of Hinduism in India Huge population, pollution, peace, snakes, saris, dance, curry, and religion are probably the most popular words that come up when we think about India. India is a well-known country. Although it is a relatively poor country, it has a rich and diverse culture. India is

Hinduism is a movement centred around a religion, or in essence, is a religion which spans roughly 4th century CE. The followers of the religion are called Hindus, though in a different connotation as compared to Savarkar 's Hindutva. For Savarkar, Hindus were a people who lived in Hindustan, and were part of a common territory. In Old Persian, the land ahead the Indus River was called Hinduš (the Iranian interpretation of Sanskrit Sindhu), hence modern Persian Hind, Hindū. This added to the Iranic suffix -stān became Hindustan, "land of the Hindus" . Savarkar was a staunch believer of national unity as opposed to a religious fanatic. A reported atheist, he held Hindus as a cultural and political entity.