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Hinduism Is The Third Largest Religion

Decent Essays

Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world existing primarily in India and Nepal. The term Hindu originated as a geographical term for the inhabitants of the Indus Valley, located in Northwest region of India, around 2000 B.C.E. The Indo-Aryan civilization began when the Aryans migrated to the Indus Valley in 1500 B.C.E. This civilization is responsible for the original Hindu teachings. In the 14th century, Hindu became a reference used for a person who was not a follower of the Islamic faith (Flood, 1996). In the 18th and 19th centuries the British Raj attempted to define Hinduism as a particular sect, due to the complexity of the religion (King, 1999). This sect only focused on one branch of Hinduism, which the Advaita’s practiced. Advaita refers to “not two” meaning they believed that everything that comprises the universe is one expression of reality. Hence, there is no difference between a human being and god. Overtime, Hinduism developed into a religion characterized as a way of life or a path to seek enlightenment. Today, many Hindu’s practice polytheism, where they believe that all reality is one, known as Brahman, but also accept and worship many different gods and goddesses.
A significant establishment in Hinduism’s concept of the divine comes from the Vedas and the Upanishads, which are known as the sacred Hindu texts. These texts are written in Sanskrit, which is known as the primary Hindu language. There are four Vedas: Rig-Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda,

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