Download Hinduism Definition Sanathana Dharma

Hinduism Definition
The word Hinduism is derived from the word Hindu, which is an Indo Aryan Sanskrit term, used
by the Persians to demarcate the geographical area beyond the river Indus. Later on European
colonists began to refer to all the followers of the Indian religions as Hindus. The term Hinduism
was introduced in the 19th century to represent the religious, philosophical and cultural traditions
native to India.
According to Swami the word "Hindu" is composed of the two syllables "Him," meaning Himsa
(violence) and "Du" meaning, "distant." Hinduism is the faith that makes violence distant.
( Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol 22).
Hinduism is the third largest religion of the world after Christianity and Islam. Hinduism is one of
the oldest religions of the world.
Sanathana Dharma
Sanathana Dharma is the original name of Hinduism and is made up of two Sanskrit terms,
Sanathana which means ancient and Dharma which means law that is inherent to the very nature
and design of the universe. So Sanathana Dharma can be roughly translated as natural, ancient and
eternal way of life. Sanathana Dharma represents much more than just a religion; rather, it provides
its followers with an entire worldview, way of life and with a coherent and rational view of reality.
It deals with the total personality. It embraces all Faiths
The religions we know about are all derived from a person or prophet who is adored as the Ideal.
Islam has Muhammad, Christianity has Jesus, Buddhism has the Buddha. But Sanathana
Dharma is not derived from or through a person. It is the primal essence of all other faiths. It is the
essence of all the messages prophets proclaimed. It is welcomed by all mankind, for it welcomes
all mankind.
Newton, a Westerner, discovered after a series of experiments, that the earth had the force of
gravitation. But, we cannot conclude that the earth had no such force until Newton's discovery. So
too, though the principles of Sanathana Dharma are inherent in human consciousness, and have
their impact all over the world, the people of Bharat have long practiced and experienced them and
discovered their value and validity. They have earned invaluable Bliss there from. Just as atomic
science developed in one country and later spread to other countries, the Sanathana Faith,
developed in India, has spread to other countries. Even a material process like atomic science
cannot be held down in one place; in the same manner, this spiritual science too spreads all over
the wide world.
Sanathana Dharma is bound to overcome today's rampant materialism, for it can harmonize the
secular and the spiritual into a single way of life. It can bring together into closer kinship both man
and God. It is based on the Divine which is the reality of the self. So, it is not limited to one country,
one individual, one period of time, or one sect. It has a variety of procedures, points of view,
disciplines and guidelines, in accordance with the special features of the region, the age, and the
environment. This Faith, though first explicit on Bharat, between the Himalayan range and the
three seas, has become a world faith, through its innate divine strength.
Sanathana Dharma is not derived from or through a person. It is the primal essence of all other faiths. It is
the essence of all the messages prophets proclaimed. It is welcomed by all mankind, for it welcomes all
mankind.– Baba
Uniqueness of Hinduism
Hinduism cannot be neatly slotted into any particular belief system. Unlike other religions,
Hinduism is a way of life, a Dharma, that is, the law that governs all action. It has its own beliefs,
traditions, advanced system of ethics, meaningful rituals, philosophy and theology. Hinduism does
not have any one founder, and any one core doctrine to which controversies can be referred to for
resolution. There is no point in time when it could have been said to begun. Hinduism is also
marked by an attitude which seems to accommodate religious and cultural perspectives other than
one's own, and so is characterized by a rich variety of ideas and practices resulting in what appears
as a multiplicity of religions under one term “Hinduism”. Hinduism is perhaps the only religious
tradition that is so diverse in its theoretical premises and practical expressions that it is like a
compilation of religions with a history contemporaneous with the people with which it is
associated.
Hindu Scriptures
The basic scriptures of Hinduism, which is collectively referred to as "Shastras", are essentially a
collection of spiritual laws discovered by different saints and sages at different points in its long
history. The Two types of sacred writings comprise the Hindu scriptures: "Shruti" (heard) and
"Smriti" (memorized). They were passed on from generation to generation orally for centuries
before they were written down mostly in the Sanskrit language. Shruti literature refers to the habit
of ancient Hindu saints who led a solitary life in the woods, where they developed a consciousness
that enabled them to 'hear' or cognize the truths of the universe.
Shruti Literature
It has two parts: the Vedas and the Upanishads. There are four Vedas:, Rig,Sama, Yajur, and
Atharva. There are 108 extant Upanishads, of which 10 are most important: Isa, Kena, Katha,
Prashna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taitiriya, Aitareya, Chandogya, Brihadaranyaka.
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. They were composed in Vedic
Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and are honored as the
oldest scriptures of Hinduism. Hindus consider the Vedas to be apauruṣeya, which means "not of
a man, superhuman and impersonal, authorless". The Veda, for orthodox Indian theologians, are
considered revelations seen by ancient sages after intense meditation, and texts that have been
more carefully preserved since ancient times. The Vedas were mainly compiled by Vyasa Krishna
Dwaipayana around the time of Lord Krishna (1500 BC).
They are the original scriptures of Hindu teachings, and contain spiritual knowledge encompassing
all aspects of our life. Vedic literature with its philosophical maxims has stood the test of time and
is the highest religious authority for all sections of Hindus in particular and for mankind in general.
Veda means wisdom, knowledge or vision, and it manifests the language of the gods in human
speech.
The laws of the Vedas regulate the social, legal, domestic and religious customs of the Hindus to
the present day. All the obligatory duties of the Hindus at birth, marriage, death etc. owe their
allegiance to the Vedic ritual. They draw forth the thought of successive generation of thinkers,
and so contain within it the different strata of thought.
The Rig-Veda is the largest and most important text of the Vedic collection; it includes 1028 hymns
and it is divided into ten books called mandalas. It is a difficult text, written in a very obscure style
and filled with metaphors and allusions that are hard to understand for modern reader. The Rig
Veda accounts in detail the social, religious, political and economic background of the Rig-Vedic
civilization. Even though monotheism characterizes some of the hymns of Rig Veda, naturalistic
polytheism and monism can be discerned in the religion of the hymns of Rig Veda. Despite the
fact that the Rig-Veda deals with many gods, there are some who get a lot of attention. More than
half the hymns invoke just three top-rated gods of the moment: Indra (250 hymns), Agni (200
hymns), and Soma (just over 100 hymns).
Indra was the head of the ancient Hindu pantheon. He was the Storm-god (sometimes he is referred
to as the Sky-god and also as the god of war). The Vedas describe Indra as the god “Who wields
the thunderbolt”, and his most celebrated story was the killing of the demon-serpent Vritra. The
legend says that Vritra kept all the waters trapped in his mountain lair, and Indra was the one who
slew the demon in order to release the waters. This story has a deep significance: The waters are
vital for the health of any human community where agriculture is understood as the basis of wealth.
By hoarding the waters, the serpent has upset the natural order, preventing the circulation of wealth
and nourishment. Indra, thus had to battle to restore the balance. Soma was the personification of
the sacred soma plant, whose juice was holy and intoxicating to gods and men. Agni, the god of
fire, is often referred to in Vedic literature as the most important god, and is considered to be the
flame that lifts the sacrifice to heaven, a symbol of the fiery life and spirit of the world, the “vital
spark”, the principle of life in animate and inanimate nature. Agni was seen as a sort of messenger
between the realm of the living and the realm of the dead. Cremation was believed to prevent the
spirit of the dead from remaining among the living, and for this reason, worshippers of Agni burned
their dead, and Agni was responsible for transporting the soul of the dead.
The Sama-Veda has verses that are almost entirely from the Rig-Veda, but are arranged in a
different way since they are meant to be chanted. The Sama Veda is purely a liturgical collection
of melodies (saman). The hymns in the Sama Veda, used as musical notes, were almost completely
drawn from the Rig Veda and have no distinctive lessons of their own. Hence, its text is a reduced
version of the Rig veda. Rig veda is the word, Sama veda is the song, Rig veda is the knowledge
and Sama veda is the realization.
The Yajur-Veda is divided into the White and Black Yajur-Veda and contains explanatory prose
commentaries on how to perform religious rituals and sacrifices. The Yajur Veda is also a liturgical
collection and was made to meet the demands of a ceremonial religion. The Yajur Veda practically
served as a guidebook for the priests who execute sacrificial acts muttering simultaneously the
prose prayers and the sacrificial formulae (yajus). It is similar to ancient Egypt’s Book of the
Dead.
The Atharva-Veda contains charms and magical incantations and has a more folkloristic style. The
last of the Vedas, this is completely different from the other three Vedas and is next in importance
to Rig-Veda with regard to history and sociology. A different spirit pervades this Veda. Its hymns
are of a more diverse character than the Rig Veda and are also simpler in language. In fact, many
scholars do not consider it part of the Vedas at all. The Atharva Veda consists of spells and charms
prevalent at its time, and portrays a clearer picture of the Vedic society.
“Every individual should take a pledge to nourish the Vedas on the right lines. The welfare of the
nation and the prosperity of the world are dependent on the Vedas.”
Sathya Sai Baba discourse, 28-9-1987
The Vedas present a multitude of gods, most of them related to natural forces such as storms, fire,
and wind. As part of its mythology, Vedic texts contain multiple creation stories, most of them
inconsistent with each other. Sometimes the Vedas refer to a particular god as the greatest god of
all, and later another god will be regarded as the greatest god of all.
Structure of the Vedas
Each Veda consists of four parts, the collection of mantras or hymns is called the Samhita. There
are four Samhitas (also called Vedas): Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, and Atharva Veda. The
other three parts are, the Brahmanas (rituals), the Aranyakas (theologies) and the Upanishads
(philosophies). The Brahmanas are ritualistic texts and include precepts and religious duties. Each
Veda has several Brahmanas attached to it. This new literature which specified, sometimes in a
very detailed way, how rituals had to be performed, the precise quantity and quality of material to
be used, and the exact pronunciation of sacred formulas. The Upanishads form the concluding
portions of the Veda and therefore called the Vedanta or the end of the Veda and contains the
essence of Vedic teachings. The Upanishads are a collection of texts of religious and philosophical
nature, people decided to engage in the pursuit of spiritual progress, living as ascetic hermits,
rejecting ordinary material concerns and giving up family life. Some of their speculations
and philosophy were compiled into the Upanishads. There is an attempt in these texts to shift the
focus of religious life from external rites and sacrifices to internal spiritual quests in the search for
answers. The Upanishads and the Aranyakas are the concluding portions of the Brahmanas, which
discuss philosophical problems. The Aryanyakas (forest texts) intend to serve as objects of
meditation for ascetics who live in forests and deal with mysticism and symbolism.
“The Upanishads are the very core of the Vedas, the very essence of their teachings.” Baba (Sutra
Vahini).
Smriti Literature
It refers to 'memorized' or 'remembered' poetry and epics. They are more popular with Hindus,
because they are easy to understand, explains universal truths through symbolism and mythology,
and contain some of the most beautiful and exciting stories in the history of religion world
literature. The three most important of Smriti literature are:
The Bhagavad Gita - The most well-known of the Hindu scriptures, called the "Song of the
Adorable One", written about the 2nd century BC and is a part of Mahabharata. It contains some
of the most brilliant theological lessons about the nature of God and of life ever written.
The Mahabharata - The world's longest epic poem written about 9th century BC, and deals with
the power struggle between the Pandava and the Kaurava families, with an intertwining of
numerous episodes that make up life.
The Ramayana - The most popular of Hindu epics, composed by Valmiki around 4th or 2nd
centuries BC with later additions up to about 300 CE. It depicts the story of the royal couple of
Ayodhya - Ram and Sita and a host of other characters and their exploit.
Compilers of Hindu Scriptures
Veda Vyasa was an Ancient Indian. (Sanatana Bharatiya). He was one of the important historians,
astronomers and philosophers of the Dwapara Yuga.
Vyasa meaning compiler is a central and revered figure in most Hindu traditions. He is
sometimes called Veda Vyas, the one who classified the Vedas, or Krishna Dvaipāyana (referring
to his complexion and birthplace). He is the author of the Mahabharata, as well as a character in
it. He is considered to be the scribe of both the Vedas and Puranas. According to Hindu beliefs,
Vyasa is an avatar of the god Vishnu. Vyasa is also considered to be one of the seven
Chiranjivins (long lived, or immortals), who are still in existence according to Hindu belief.
Vyasa lived around the 3rd millennium BCE. The festival of Guru Purnima is dedicated to him. It
is also known as Vyasa Purnima, for it is the day believed to be both his birthday and the day he
divided the Vedas.
“Vyasa helped mankind to earn peace. Therefore, Vyasa refers to the person who has elaborated
and expanded the knowledge of truth, that is to say, the universal eternal energy.”
Divine Discourse, Julu 24 th 1964
Valmiki is celebrated as the harbinger-poet in Sanskrit literature. The epic Ramayana, is
attributed to him. He is revered as the Ādi Kavi, which translates to First Poet, because he is said
to have invented shloka (i.e. first verse or epic metre), which set the base and defined the form
to Sanskrit poetry. The famous book, Yoga Vasistha a discussion between sage Vasistha and Rama
on the essence of life, is also attributed to Valmiki.
“Sage Valmiki in the Treta Yuga wrote the great epic Ramayana. It emerged from the great sage
as a spontaneous expression of his divine feelings.”
Divine discourse, 10th Oct, 2005
Adi Shankara , early 8th century was a philosopher and theologian from India who consolidated
the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta. He is credited with unifying and establishing the main currents
of thought of Sanatana Dharma.
His works in Sanskrit discuss the unity of the ātman and Nirguna Brahman "brahman without
attributes.” He wrote copious commentaries on the Vedic canon (Brahma Sutras,
Principal Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita) in support of his thesis.
“Adi Sankaracharya is undisputably the greatest philosopher that India, or the world, has ever
produced. He is unique in the history of the world as he combined in himself the attributes of a
philosopher, a devotee, a mystic, a poet and a religious reformer. Though he lived twelve hundred
years ago, India and the world feels the impact of the life and work of this spiritual genius even
today.” Baba
Language of the Hindu scriptures: Sanskrit
Sanskrit is the primary sacred language of Hinduism, Sanskrit continues to be widely used as a
ceremonial language in Hindu religious rituals in the form of hymns and chants. Spoken Sanskrit
has been revived in some villages with traditional institutions, and there are attempts to enhance
its popularization. Sanskrit is a member of the Indo-Iranian subfamily of the Indo-European family
of languages. Its closest ancient relatives are the Iranian languages Avestan and Old Persian.
Words represent the properties of the objects and entities as well as the objects.
Sanskrit is universally recognized as the language containing the earliest literature in the world. In
Sanskrit words represent properties of the object in addition to the object. For example “vraksha”
means an object that can be cut and felled down. There is a vibration or resonance in the sounds
and it is well expressed during speaking the language.
“Sanskrit is an immortal language; its voice is eternal; its call is through the centuries. It has embedded in
it the basic sustenance from all the languages of the world. Revere Sanskrit as the Mother of languages.”
Sathya Sai Vahini
Temples: Places of worship
A Hindu temple is believed to be the earthly seat of a deity and the place where the deity waits for
its devotees. As such, temple structures are sacred spaces where gods partake of human offerings
and in which the people can be with the gods. Many temples resemble palace architecture;
Temples are normally dedicated to one primary god. Often they are elaborately decorated on the
outside with stone or plaster carvings depicting religious stories, and their decoration is specific to
the deity being worshiped. Mythological scenes are juxtaposed with scenes of everyday life and
important political events, such as royal coronations, conquests, and celebrations, or with portraits
of royal and secular patrons. These divine images and mythological scenes on the outer walls of
the temple help worshipers recall the sacred stories they have heard or read.
One should remove one's shoes before entering a Hindu temple in order to pay appropriate respect
to the deity within the temple.
The innermost sanctuary of the temple contains the principal image of the deity. The character of
each shrine is determined by the deity being worshiped. A Hindu temple consists of an inner
sanctum, the garbha griha or womb-chamber, where the primary idol or deity is housed along
with Purusha (it means the cosmic man or it means Self, Consciousness, and Universal principle).
The garbhagriha is crowned by a tower-like Shikhara, also called the Vimana. The architecture
includes an ambulatory for parikrama (circumambulation), a congregation hall, and sometimes an
antechamber and porch.
The appropriate site for a Mandir (temple), suggest ancient Sanskrit texts, is near water and
gardens, where lotus and flowers bloom, where swans, ducks and other birds are heard, where
animals rest without fear of injury or harm. These harmonious places were recommended in these
texts with the explanation that such are the places where gods play, and thus the best site for Hindu
temple.
Hindus commonly worship in three different environments: in temples, in the home, and in outdoor
public spaces. It is equally common for any of the deities to be worshiped in any of these three
types of environments.
Basic Beliefs of Hinduism
Most Hindus believe in an immense unifying force that governs all existence and cannot be
completely known by humanity. Individual gods and goddesses are personifications of this cosmic
force. Hindus suggest that one may view the divine force as a diamond with innumerable facets;
each deity is one of these facets. One or another of the facets may have particular significance and
appeal to an individual. By acknowledging the power of an individual facet, however, the believer
does not deny the existence of others. On the contrary, Hindus affirm the existence of many aspects
of the divine. In practice, each Hindu worships those few deities that he or she believes directly
influence his or her life. By selecting one or more of these deities to worship, and by conducting
the rituals designed to facilitate contact with them, a Hindu devotee is striving to experience his or
her unity with that cosmic force.
Hindus acknowledge that, at the most fundamental level, God is the One without a second — the
absolute, formless, and only Reality known as Brahman, the Supreme, Universal Soul. Brahman
is the universe and everything in it. Brahman has no form and no limits; it is Reality and Truth.
Thus Hinduism is a pantheistic religion: It equates God with the universe. Yet Hindu religion is
also polytheistic: populated with myriad gods and goddesses who personify aspects of the one true
God, allowing individuals an infinite number of ways to worship based on family tradition,
community and regional practices, and other considerations.
Brahman: The Highest God
Brahman the Absolute God of the Hindus, is a very mysterious being, he occupies the highest
place, as the creation and the creator, the ruler and the lord, the light and the delight of the universe,
he is without a beginning and an end, he is indestructible, indescribable, blemishless, eternal,
blissful immersed in himself by himself. The concept of Brahman, and his relationship to
individual soul, nature, and its variety of manifestations are all subject to different schools of Hindu
philosophy.
“Brahman is the One that defies positive identification and description; the One that
can be indicated only by negations and denials; the One that is Eternal and
Infinite: Being Awareness Bliss Absolute.” ( Baba, summer showers, 1979, chapter 18)
Three Primary Hindu deities
Brahma, the Creator
Brahma is the first member of the Hindu Trinity and is “the Creator” because he periodically
creates everything in the universe. (The word periodically here refers to the Hindu belief that time
is cyclical; everything in the universe — except for Brahman and certain Hindu scriptures — is
created, maintained for a certain amount of time, and then destroyed in order to be renewed in
ideal form again.). Brahma emerged as the first differentiated consciousness from the universal
consciousness to create the universe, he is the father of Gods, demons and humans. He taught them
the Vedas and virtues through the syllable "da". He taught "dama" or restraint to the Gods who
seek pleasure in all things, he taught " daya" or kindness to demons who are cruel by nature and
he taught " dana" or charity to humans who are greedy and selfish in their attitude. Brahma lost
his importance among the Hindu pantheon and yielded ground to Vishnu and Shiva in the Hindu
trinity. One of the reasons could be the growing popularity of Vaishavism and Shaivism coupled
with the division of functions in the trinity in which Vishnu alone as the sustainer would incarnate
from time to time. Brahma, by the virtue of his function also cannot have many devotees, because
his duty of creation needs introversion, concentration and undivided attention. Brahma resides in
Brahmaloka.
In images Brahma appears as an old man with four bearded faces that look in four different
directions, beard on each face is suggestive of his old age and wisdom, he is four armed and carries
rosary, books, and water pot in three hands and bestows grace with the fourth hand. His consort is
Saraswathi, the goddess of learning and knowledge. His vehicle is Swan that has the discriminating
power of separating the milk from water. It also symbolizes discriminatory intelligence.
Symbolically Brahma is the creative will and Saraswathi is the knowledge that executes the
creative will of Brahma.
Vishnu, the Preserver
Vishnu is the second member of the Hindu Trinity. He maintains the order and harmony of the
universe, which is periodically created by Brahma and periodically destroyed by Shiva to prepare
for the next creation.
In Hinduism, Vishnu, whose name means "All-Pervading," is the protector of the world and the
restorer of moral order (dharma). He is peaceful, merciful, and compassionate. To Vaisnavites,
Vishnu is the Supreme Lord. He is also known as Narayana, which means the indweller of water
and humans. Vishnu resides in the milky waters of Vaikuntha, on a bed made of coils of thousand
hooded serpent of infinite dimension along with his consort Lakshmi.
Vishnu has four arms. Each hand holds an emblem of his divinity: the conch, discus, club, and
lotus.
Vishnu is worshipped in many forms and in several avatars (incarnations). Vishnu is an important,
somewhat mysterious god. Less visible than nature gods that preside over elements (such as fire
and rain), Vishnu is the pervader — the divine essence that pervades the universe. He is usually
worshipped in the form of an avatar.
Vishnu is best known through his ten avatars (incarnations), which appear on earth when there is
disorder in the world. Rama and Krishna, whose stories are told in the Epics and the Puranas, are
the most popular incarnations of Vishnu by far. The ten incarnations of Vishnu are:
- Matsya (fish)
- Kurma (turtle)
- Varaha (boar)
- Narasimha (man-lion)
- Vamana (dwarf)
- Parashurama (warrior-priest)
- Rama (prince)
- Krishna (cow-herd)
- Buddha (sage)
- Kalki (horseman, who has not yet appeared)
Vishnu (the Preserver) and his two most popular incarnations, Krishna and Rama.
.Shiva, the Destroyer
Shiva is the third member of the Hindu Trinity, tasked with destroying the universe in order to
prepare for its renewal at the end of each cycle of time. Shiva’s destructive power is regenerative:
It’s the necessary step that makes renewal possible.
Hindus customarily invoke Shiva before the beginning of any religious or spiritual endeavor; they
believe that any bad vibrations in the immediate vicinity of worship are eliminated by the mere
utterance of his praise or name. His consorts include the loving Parvati and the ferocious Durga,
who represent the feminine aspects of his complex nature
Other popular Gods
Ganapati, the Remover of Obstacles
Ganapati, also known as Ganesha, is Shiva’s first son. Lord Ganapati, who has an elephant head,
occupies a very special place in the hearts of Hindus because they consider him the Remover of
Obstacles. Most Hindu households have a picture or statue of this godhead, and it’s not uncommon
to see small replicas of Ganapati hanging from rearview mirrors of cars and trucks!
Popular Avatars of Vishnu
The literal meaning of the word avatar is “descent,” and it’s usually understood to mean divine
descent. Avatars are savior forms of a god that descend to earth to intervene whenever help is
needed to restore dharma (moral order) and peace. Two of Vishnu’s ten avatars are Rama and
Krishna.
Rama
Rama is one of the most beloved Hindu gods and is the hero of the Hindu epic called the Ramayana.
He is portrayed as an ideal son, brother, husband, and king and as a strict adherent to dharma.
Millions of Hindus derive satisfaction from reading and recalling Rama’s trials and tribulations as
a young prince who was exiled from his kingdom for 14 years.
Krishna
If one Hindu god’s name is known and recognized throughout the world, it is Krishna. Hindus
identify Krishna as the teacher of the sacred scripture called the Bhagavad Gita and as the friend
and mentor of prince Arjuna in the epic the Mahabharata.
For his devotees, Krishna is a delight, full of playful pranks. But most of all, Lord Krishna’s
promise to humanity that he will manifest himself and descend to earth whenever dharma declines,
has sustained Hindu belief in the Supreme Being over thousands of years.
Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning
Saraswati is the consort of Brahma the Creator and is worshipped as the goddess of learning,
wisdom, speech, and music. Hindus offer prayer to Saraswati before beginning any intellectual
pursuit, and Hindu students are encouraged to offer prayers to her during the school/college term
and especially before and during examinations.
Lakshmi
Lakshmi is the goddess of good fortune, wealth, and well-being. As the consort of Vishnu, she
plays a role in every incarnation. (She is Sita, wife of Rama; Rukmini, wife of Krishna; and
Dharani, wife of Parashu Rama, another avatar of Vishnu.)
Durga Devi
Durga Devi is a powerful, even frightening goddess who fights fiercely in order to restore dharma
(moral order). Yet, while Durga is terrifying to her adversaries, she is full of compassion and love
for her devotees.
Surya, the sun
Surya (or Soorya) is a golden warrior arriving on a chariot pulled by seven white horses.
Agni, the fire god
Agni holds a special place in Hindu fire ritual to this day as the sacrificer (the priest who performs
the ceremony); the sacrifice (the ritual fire and the offerings made into it); and the witness to all
rites.
Hanuman, the monkey king and devoted servant
Hanuman is featured in the great Hindu epic the Ramayana. He earned his path to deification by
performing feats of strength, devotion, and courage while helping Rama (an avatar of Vishnu) in
countless exciting incidents.
Devi/Parvati
Devi (the Protecting Mother), sometimes known simply as the Goddess, who appears in some
form in every region of India. She is often identified as the creative energy of the universe, and is
considered by her followers the equal of Vishnu and Shiva.
Popular prayers
Asatoma Prayer
The Asatoma is an ancient prayer from India. In Sanskrit, it prays for guidance to grow from
darkness to light, to distinguish the real from the unreal, and to be guided from death of the
physical to the immortality of the Spirit. This ancient, non-sectarian prayer from the Upanishads
is not a prayer for things or food or wealth. It does not ask for a mate, for name and fame, for a
new house or car. It is a humble recognition of self-limitations and an invitation to the Divine to
bring in Light and wisdom where it is lacking.
In Sanskrit, the words are:
Asatoma Sadgamaya
Tamasoma Jyotri Gamaya
Myritorma Amritam Gamaya
The prayer goes like this in English
From the unreal lead me to the Real
From the darkness, lead me to the Light
From death, lead me to Immortality.
Meaning
This prayer seeks out the Truth beneath the ever-changing and shifting reality of the physical
world. It aims to connect with the eternal, ever-blissful and peaceful nature that resides within us
at the deepest level. According to philosophy, this reality is obscured by the layers of ignorance
that we eventually penetrate as we grow through experiences in the physical world.
Asatoma Sadgamaya prayer is taken from Brihadaranyaka Upanishads. It is used as a prayer in
Indian schools, during spiritual/ religious gatherings, social events and other times; it is believed
that the recitation of these verses bring peace.
Shanti Mantra
This Shanti Mantra is taken from the krishna Yajurveda Taittiriya Upanishad . It is usually
recited in schools as prayer before the start of the classes in schools. The prayer goes like this in
Sanskrit
Om Saha Nau-Avatu |
Saha Nau Bhunaktu |
Saha Viiryam Karavaavahai |
Tejasvi Nau-Adhiitam-Astu Maa Vidvissaavahai |
Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih ||
Meaning:
1: Om, May God Protect us Both (the Teacher and the Student),
2: May God Nourish us Both,
3: May we Work Together with Energy and Vigour,
4: May our Study be Enlightening and not give rise to Hostility,
5: Om, Peace, Peace, Peace.
Gayatri Mantra
The Gayatri mantra (Vedic prayer to illuminate the intelligence) is a sacred mantra that
demonstrates the unity that underlies manifoldness in creation. It is through the recognition of
this unity that we understand the multiplicity. Clay is one and the same thing, though pots of
different shapes and sizes can be made from it. Gold is one though ornaments can be
multifarious. The Atma (Divine Self) is one, though the embodied forms in which it resides may
be many. Whatever the color of the cow, the milk is always white. The Gayatri mantra has been
chronicled in the Rig veda. It was coined by sage Vishwamitra.
The prayer goes like this is Sanskrit.
Om Bhur Bhuva Suwah
Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi
Dhiyo Yonah Prachodayat
Meaning:
We contemplate the glory of Light illuminating the three worlds: gross, subtle, and causal
I am that vivifying power, love, radiant illumination, and divine grace of universal intelligence.
We pray for the divine light to illumine our minds.
The Gayatri (vedic prayer to illuminate the intellect) is the universal prayer enshrined in the
Vedas (Divine Knowledge), the most ancient scriptures of man. It is addressed to the Immanent
and Transcendent Divine, which has been given the name “Savita”, meaning that from which all
this is born.
The Gayatri is considered as Vedasara-“the essence of the vedas” . Veda means knowledge and
this prayer fosters and sharpens the knowledge- yielding faculty. As a matter of fact, the four
mahavakyas or core declarations enshrined in the four Vedas are implied in this Gayatri mantra.
Prayer to Guru, the master.
This is a prayer from the Skanda Purana. The prayer goes like this in Sanskrit:
Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu
Guru Devo Maheswara
Guru Saaksaat Param Brahma
Tasmai Shri Gurave Namaha
Meaning:
Guru is Brahma, who plants the qualities of goodness.
Guru is Vishnu, who nurtures and fosters the qualities of goodness.
Guru is Supreme Brahman itself, prostrations unto that Guru.
Hindu Festivals
The concept of festival is to create a special atmosphere, diverting the mind from worldly
concerns and joyfully focusing on spiritual matters and invoke the soul's natural qualities by
creating an environment replete with auspiciousness and the abundant gifts of nature.Festivals
also give people spiritual impetus and inspiration, which helps them to peacefully bringing
together individuals, families and communities.
Practices during festivals
Some of the popular practices during festivals include, fasting and feasting, distribution of food,
giving in charity (to temples, saints, the poor, etc), visiting the temple, visiting relatives,
glorification of God (kirtan, bhajan, story recitals, dance, drama), manufacture and worship of
temporary deities, taking temple deities in procession, wearing new clothes, and decorating
houses, streets and temples with fruits, flowers, leaves and banana leaves.
Types of festivals
Festivals that celebrate a significant event in the life of a deity e.g. Janmashtami is Krishna's
birthday, these are universal and widely celebrated. Second category of festivals celebrate a
significant event in the life of a holy person e.g. the birthday of a particular guru, Shankara
Jayanthi, birthday of Jagad guru Adi Shankara. and lastly seasonal festivities or customs based on
the cycle of nature, they mark the change in the season, celebrate the harvest and encourage the
fertility of the land. e.g. spring festivals like Holi. These festivals are often regional, or regional
variations of broader festivals.
Popular Hindu Festivals
Saraswathi Pooja, Saraswati's birthday - Vasant Panchami - is a Hindu festival celebrated every
year on the 5th day of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Magha.(February)
Maha Shivaratri, is the Great Festival of Shiva. It is held on the 14th day of the dark half of the
lunar month of Phalguna. Mahashivaratri is especially important to Saivites (devotees of Shiva)
Holi, Holi (also called Holaka or Phagwa) is an annual festival celebrated on the day after the
full moon in the Hindu month of Phalguna (early March). It celebrates spring,
Ramanavami,birthday of Lord Rama ( April)
Guru Purnima: The full moon day in the month of Ashad (July-August) is an extremely
auspicious and holy day of a day sacred to the memory of the great sage Maharshi Veda Vyasa.
Rakshabandhan, renewing bonds between brothers and sisters (July-August)
Janmashtami, Birthday of Lord Krishna (July- August)
Ganesh Chaturthi, festival of Ganesh (August-September)
Navaratri/ Durga pooja, Dashera, victory of Rama over demon king Ravana (SeptemberOctober)
Diwali. Diwali, from the Sanskrit word Dīpãvali, meaning "row of lights" is a Hindu festival of
lights.
Jaisairam