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HINDUISM
SHIVA
VISHNU
BRAHMA
Hindu Gods
GENESHA
KALI
Hinduism -1 Video
Hinduism-2 Video
Hindu Gods
KRISHNA
RAMA
Hinduism-3 Video
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Location of Hinduism
Hinduism World Status
• Hinduism: 900 million
• 15% of world population
• Third largest world religion
• Christianity 32%
• Islam 22%
• Secular/Non-religious 15%
Origins of Hindu Culture

Before the Aryans the Dravidians Indian
civilization inhabited the Indus Valley.
• Early tribal people, Dasas, described as
dark skinned, thick lipped, possessing
cattle and speaking a strange language
• Advanced civilization from Harappa to
Mohenjo-Daro – planned cities with a
sewage system connected to some houses
• Language has not be deciphered.
• Religion mainly unknown but had figurines
and sculptures of people meditating –
fertility gods and goddess?
Origins of Hindu Culture

Indo-Aryans (Indo-Europeans) began
to invade the India sub-continent about
1800 to 1500 B.C.
• Source of Greek, Latin, Celts, German,
Slav language
• Oral tradition called the Vedas

Rishi (seer) – drank “Soma” a
hallucinogenic to experience the gods
and wrote down in hymns that would
become the Vedas
Origins of Hindu Culture



Began to become acclimated to new
environment and become agriculturists
Ruler (rajah=rex), private army,
priests
Priests would supersede simple rituals
and be the only available source for
sacrifice – priests called Brahmins.
• Brahmanas are the books of the Brahmins
that record the sacrifices and their power
Origins of Hindu Culture
Origins of Hindu Culture




The term “Hindu” had its origin from the
Muslims conquerors who used it to
describe the inhabitants of Northern India.
Hinduism was use by the British for the
diverse religious traditions of the people of
India.
Today it is used popularly to describe the
religious life distinct from Christianity and
Islam.
There is no unified religious entity so it is
best to talk of “Hindu traditions.”
Hindu Religion

“We venture to predict that Hinduism is
not a religion at all, but a series of
loosely strung and infinitely varied
sacerdotal and sociological artificial
conventions to which a religious
verisimilitude has been imparted by the
ancient law-givers, but which is
nevertheless daily undergoing endless
fluctuations, not only in any given
locality, but throughout the Hindu
world.” (V. N. Narasimmiyengar True
Hinduism, 5)
Hindu Religion

Sanatana Dharma
• Contemporary scholars prefer this term to
describe the Hindu religion.
• Meaning – ageless way of moral order, duty
and natural law of the cosmos.

Hindu-ness
• Political identification
Hindu Religion

Sanatana Dharma Encompasses
• Mystical texts referring to the formless and
transcendent self
• Abstract philosophical treatises that
disagree with each other about the truth of
existence
• A wealth of ascetic meditation practices for
realization of the eternal
• Large pantheon of deities
Hindu Culture & Religion



Extremely varied personal beliefs allowed
Cannot separate from the culture
To be Hindu, a religion has to:
• Regard the Vedas as divinely inspired and
authoritative
• Accept the caste system
• Respect the veneration of the various levels of
deities and spirits, including the protection of
cows

Recognizing them as authoritative does not
mean accepting them as literally true or
practicing them as commanded
Winfried Corduan
Hindu Religion


Not a creedal religion
Both Christianity and Islam are creedal
religion where people may come to faith
in God through belief and conviction
• Islam – anyone can become a Muslim by saying
the Kalima
• Christianity – through faith in Christ


A non-Hindu can hold the same beliefs as
a Brahman friend but is still considered
an outcast
“Let him live a pious life and then, after
many transmigrations, his soul may be at
least reborn into a Hindu family.”
History of Hinduism

Two Early Periods
• The Vedic Period (1500 B.C. – 500 B.C.)
• The Philosophic Period (500 B.C. – A.D.
500)

Vedas – literally means “knowledge” but
basically refers to the four sacred
scriptures, often includes the Upanishads
and their commentaries (sometimes used
to refer to all the Hindu sacred writings).
• Originally revealed to holy men who wrote
them down.
History of Hinduism

Vedic Period (1500 B.C. – 500 B.C.)
• Aryans, speaking Sanskrit, authors of the RigVeda (lit. knowledge enshrined in verses)
• Rig-Veda – oldest collection of 1,028 prayerful
Sanskirt hymns – prayers addressed devas
(gods) “shinning ones” who dwell on earth,
the heavens, and intermediate air (as early as
1500)
• Like Greeks, practiced ancestor worship,
worshipped nature gods or devas (Lat. deus).
Devas invested with personal attributes,
bright beings with superhuman powers
dwelling in celestial regions.
Origins of Hindu Culture/Religion
VEDIC TEXTS

Hinduism based on Vedic Texts written
between 1500 – 500 BC
• Shruti – “that which is heard” distinguish from
later writings
• Smriti – “that which is remembered” also
considered by some as authoritative (considered
less sacred and non-Vedic)

Four parts of the Vedic texts
• Samhitas (1500 – 900 BC) – “collection” of
hymns
• Brahmanas (850 BC) – Caste
• Aranyakas – Later part of Brahmanas
• Upanishads (500 BC) – Philosophical: Brahman,
Atman, Maya, Yoga, Nirvana
Origins of Hindu Culture/Religion
• Other Vedas basically dependent on RigVeda


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Yajur-Veda – mostly in prose, meant to supply
dedication, prayers, and litanies recited by
priests in the course of their duties in sacrifices
Sama-Veda – Chants for worship by priests
derived from Rig-Veda
Atharva-Veda – Charms, incantations and
spells (considered somewhat inferior and
associated with folk religion)
Origins of Hindu Culture/Religion
• Over time the sacrificial system developed
to compel the gods to grant appropriate
rewards.
• Brahmans (priests) alone knew how to
offer sacrifice aright and extract favors
from the gods and they took on a sacred
position.
• Aryans kept a distinction between
themselves and the darker skin
indigenous population the Sudras (serfs)
and they as Dvija (twice born).
• Varna (color) – distinction between races;
source of caste system
Philosophic Period

Caste system
• Based on dharma (religious duty)
• Each person born into a caste
community
• Each person has his/her duty with
community
• Every community has its own
religion/god
• Preservation of social and ceremonial
purity
Origins of Hindu Culture/Religion
• Aryans four castes (1st three = twice born)
Kshatriyas – warriors and princes
 Brahmins – priests and instructors
 Vaishyas – Agriculturalists and merchants
 Shudras – Workers (surfs)

• Hundreds of subcastes (jati)
• Twice born have full participation in Hindu
life

Study of Vedas, puberty initiation, & social
leadership
• Aryans controlled study of Vedas
• Aryans brought all of India under their
control and people assimilated their beliefs
with Aryan beliefs
Origins of Hindu Culture/Religion
• Brahmins (priests) until recently
were sole custodians of study of the
Vedic texts
• Different brahmans:
Brahman – the impersonal pantheistic
god
 Brahma – the personal creator god
 Brahmin – the priest & priestly caste
 Brahmanas – priestly commentaries on
the Vedas

Origins of Hindu Culture/Religion
Development of deities per Corduan, p. 193:
Deity
Features
Dyaus Pitar
Original supreme sky god, losing
significance
Pritivi Mater
Mother earth
Varuna
Later sky god, losing significance
Indra
King of gods, supreme during Vedic period
Mitra
A sun god; ritual and moral purity
Rita
God of truth and right
Vishnu
A sun god; later the Preserver
Rudra
Capricious mountain god; later Shiva
Agni
God of fire
Soma
God of drink or immortality (soma)
Brahmanaspati
Spoken word; gaining significance
History of Hinduism
Way
Origin
Scriptures
Practice
Vedas, Sutras,
Brahmanas.
Code of manu
Detailed
observance of
laws & rituals,
governed by
priests
Knowledge 500 B.C.
Upanishads
(Vedanta)
Mystical
recognition of
Atman-Brahman
identity,
withdrawal
Devotion
(Bhakti)
Bhagavad Gita,
Tamil poetry,
Puranas
Attachment to
one god or
goddess; three
main schools
Works
1500
B.C.
200 B.C.
–
A.D.800
By Winfried Corduan, Neighboring Faiths, p. 192
Periods of Hinduism Beliefs

Three Paths (Margas) to Moksha
• Karma Marga (Way of Action or works)


Vedic period
Dependent on priests and rituals
• Jnana Marga (Way of Knowledge) by
Yoga


500 B.C.
System of mystical contemplation
• Bhakti Marga (Way of Devotion)



200 B.C. to A.D. 800
From south India – Tamil
Love of a god or goddess provides salvation
Philosophic Period

Inana – Way of Knowledge
• Belief system with mystical
contemplation
• Reaction against priests and rituals
controlled by priests
• Recorded in Upanishads


Vedas focused on priestly ritual
Upanishads seek a deeper spiritual reality
• Yoga
• Form of Sankhya system
• Perfect pose by which desire is subdued
• No fresh round of karma set in motion
Philosophic Period

Two philosophic schools of thought
• Sankhya – source of Buddhism
• Vedanta

Sankhya
• Dualistic and atheistic
• Denies any beginning or a creator
• Two eternal realities: praakriti and
purushas which are both considered
real

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Matter (Western categories)
Spirit
Philosophic Period

Vedanta
• Non-dualistic
• Atman the only reality, all else is
illusion (maya)
Philosophic Period

Way of Knowledge
• Vendata or Vedantic philosophy
• Search for ultimate secret of all
existence
• Search for release from
transmigration of the soul
• Epics literature – legends of gods and
heroes
• Rise of Buddhism
Philosophic Period

Ultimate Reality
• What is behind the changing phenomena?


Brahman – pantheistic impersonal god
Atman – true self
• Brahman – one true reality
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Unchanging something – reality
Impersonal, all-pervasive being
English – referred to as “world soul”
Only true reality
Maya – besides Brahman all else maya
(illusion)
Gods and worship are manifestations of
Brahman
Philosophic Period

Brahman
Since not by speech and not by thought,
Not by the eye can it be reached,
How else may it be understood,
But only when one says, “it is”?
Katha Upansishad
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Tat, the All, Brahman without
attributes
Tat tvam asi – “that art thou”
Key is to transcend world of experience
Philosophic Period

Maya – Lit. “play”
• Related to the word magic
• Daily life is just magic play
• Life seen as “illusion”
• Maya’a reality is derived from
Brahman
• No reality within itself

E.g. image created by a projector
• Everything we experience rationally
belongs to maya

Feelings, emotions, thoughts
Philosophic Period

Atman
• Reality inside a person that is not
maya
• True self
• Atman is Brahman – message of
Upanishads
• God resides in the depth of person
• Soul of the Universe

Beyond thought and distinction
Philosophic Period

Life of sannyasin
• Leave one’s previous environment and
renounce worldly attachments & discipline
• Seek one’s true identity apart from the
world
• Attain moksha, the release from samsara
and maya
• If attained, at death will return to AtmanBrahman (reenters Brahman as a drop of
water in the ocean)
• Nirvana – a state of supreme bliss is
accomplished
Philosophic Period

Bhakti (loving attachment) – Way of Devotion
• Mid-second millennium A.D.
• Bhakti is at the heart of most contemporary
Hinduism
• Popular in southern India (non-Aryan or
dravidians); today are Tamil people
• Not through impossible works nor secret
knowledge not easily attainable but through a
loving relationship with a god or goddess
• Devotion to a god need not exclude serving others
• Roots of Bhakti is found in the Bhagavad Gita (200
B.C.) where Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu tells
heroic warrior, Arjuna to attach to him and do his
caste duty
Philosophic Period

Two influential Hindu Philosophers
• Sankara (8th century)
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World is totally illusion
Only reality is “brahman”
Religion was the pursuit deliverance from
deception
• Ramanuja (12th century)
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Absolute reality of this world
Human soul was separate from the
godhead and could relate itself to god not
by absorption but by devotion.
The Gods
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
Brahman manifests itself in three gods.
Rise of three gods above the pantheon
of gods.
• Brahma – Creator of visible things; since
work is done there is no need to worship
(what Brahma creates, Sheva destroys
so new universe can be made
• Vishnu – Lord of protection (avatars)
• Shiva – Lord of destruction

It is said that there are 330,000,000
gods
• Exaggerated
• Many gods and go by different names
The Gods
Primary Hindu Gods & Bhakti Hinduism Schools
Brahman
Brahma ---------------- Vishnu ---------------- Shiva ---------------- Goddess (devi)
Sarasvati
Lakshmi
Parvati
Durga, Kali
--------
-------
Draupadi
Genesha
Periachi
and Lakshimi
Skandar
Mariamman
Vaishnavite
Shaivite
Shaktite
School
School
School
Vertical Marks
Horizontal Marks
Avatars of Vishnu
Adapted from Corduan, Neighboring Faith – p. 201
The Gods

Each male god is associated with a
female deity, his “shakti” which
means “source of power”
• Generally a consort or broadly a wife
• Goddess infuses the god with energy
to do his work
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
Each god has also has a certain
symbolic representation and a
riding animal.
Multiple arms represents power
The Gods
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Brahma
•
•
•
•
Creator
Represented by four heads
Originally had five but Shiva cut it off
Images in many temples but not many
temples dedicated to him
• Not a major Bhakti god
• His shakti, Sarasvati is a popular
goddess
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Receives a lot of veneration
Her representation is a musical
instrument, e.g. sitar
The Gods
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Vishnu
•
•
•
•
•
•
People look to him for salvation
Also look to one of his avatars
Vertical line(s) on forehead
Known as the preserver
Emphasis on chanting, dancing, & meditation
Recognized by having four arms with a conch
shell, lotus blossom, a discus, and a mace.
• Riding animal is a bird but also shown reclining
on a snake
• Most concern for maintaining dharma, duty
• Born into the world as heroic person or animal
to put world on right track then dies to
The Gods
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Avatars of Vishnu – incarnations of Vishnu
in various forms which veil rather than
reveal the god within. Usually ten avatars
from myths:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Matsya – Fish
Kurma – Turtle
Varaha – Boar
Narasimba – Man-Lion
Vamana – Dwarf
Parashu-Rama – Rama with an ax
Rama – Hero of Ramayana (wife sita, Hanuman)
Krishna – Teacher of Bhagavad Gita (wife Rada)
Buddha (9th avatar) – Founder of Buddhism

Balarama – Alernate, brother of Krishna
• Kalki – Horse , future avatar (period when dharma
supreme)
The Gods

Rama (avatar of Vishnu)
• Hero of epic Ramayana
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His wife, Sita
Abducted by demon king, Ravana
• Rescues wife with help of friends
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Brother Lakshman
Monkey god, Hanuman
• Usually hold a long bow
• Color green dominant
• Rama Bhakti emphasizes Rama’s love and
grace to grant salvation
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Baby monkey school (believer clings to mother)
Cat school (believer carried by mother, all Rama)
The Gods

Krishna
•
•
•
•
•
•
8the avatar of Vishnu
Very popular god to worship
Color is usually dark or blue
Play a flute
Usually seen with his wife, Radha
Appears in the Bhagavad-Gita as a profound
teacher
• Myth
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Victorious over demon king
Another view is a mischievous and amorous
wonder-worker in folklore with amorous and
erotic adventures
The Gods

Hare Krishna Movement
• International Society for Krishna
Consciousness (ISKON), form of Vaishnavite
Bhakti
• Krishna is the supreme form of a personal
god

ISKON followers are basically monotheistic
• Source is 16th century teacher, Caitanya
• A. C. Bhktivedanta Prabhupada popularized it
in U.S.

In 1960s at age 70, retired pharmaceuticals
salesman
• Popular in U.S. in early 70s but has declined
The Gods

Krishna - Five Essential Teachings
• Krishna is the supreme personal god
• Salvation can be obtained by chanting the
mantra, Hare Krishna
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1000 time a day
Special worship of singing and dancing
• The Bhagavad-Gita is inspired scripture
• Devotee must live a pure life devoted to
Krishna

Abstaining from meat, caffeine, sweets, and
sex for pleasure
• Distributing literature to raise the
consciousness of the message

Shiva
The Gods
• Followed by most Bhakti Hindus

Highest god
• Called the destroyer (of evil)
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
Worship more austere
Can cause harm
• connected to early days being Rudra
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Horizontal lines on forehead (tilaka)
“self-inflicted extremes of devotion”
• Represented in various ways
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
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Phallic symbol (lingam) with yoni (vagina
representation)
Rides a bull
Trident is main symbol

Ganesha
The Gods
• Older son of Shiva & Parvati
• Myth – Shiva severs head but
after calms down vows to
replace it with head he see, an
elephant
• Known as remover of obsticles
• therefore his followers seek him
to overcome difficulties in life
• Learned in Hindu writings &
wise
• Skandar
• Younger brother of Ganesha
• God of war
The Goddesses

Shaktism – goddess is the
principle object of worship
• Two most popular, Durga or Kali
• Unfaithful consorts of Shiva
• Use of sexual motifs

Durga
• Conquering poses
• Overcame buffalo-headed
demon
• One of ten arms hold trident
and other war implements
• Given blood as worship items
Durga
The Goddesses

Kali – goddess of violence
•
•
•
•
•
•

Directed toward evil & demons
Black & Gruesome look
Necklace of sculls
Belt of severed arms
Given blood in worship
Stands on a tiger or Shiva’s body
Thagis – cult of Kali that practiced
human sacrifices
• Outlawed by Britain in late 19th century

Tantrism – sexual emulation to release
energy
Elements of Hinduism Beliefs

Transmigration of the soul
• Samasara (reincarnation) – lit. means
wandering, chains of finite existence that
holds the soul to this world
• An individual is transmigrated from one
existence to another according to one’s
behavior (karma) or merit or lack of merit
• Not mentioned in Vedas
• Important source for caste system - hope
• Possibly assimilated from indigenous
people
• Negative – being in world is suffering
Elements of Hinduism Beliefs

Karma – cause and effect
• A person’s life consists of actions both
good and bad (not sin or judgment)
• The amount of merit or demerit to be
worked off will determine ones next
status in life
• Could be a Brahman, an outcast, a
woman, a dog, a plant, or a worm eaten
by a fish
• Explains differences in human life
• Good or bad health or poverty and riches
due to karma
Elements of Hinduism Beliefs

Highest goal of Hinduism
• Find release from the samasara cycle
• Moksha – release from action and rebirth
• Find nirvana by knowledge of the supreme
Truth of the brahma-atman the soul is
released from the life cycle
• Found by very few
“As rivers flow and disappear at last
In ocean’s waters, name and form renouncing
So too the sage, released from name and form,
Is merged in the divine and ultimate existence.”
Mundaka Upanishad
Hindu Worship

Temple (jagopuram)
• Usually dedicated to one god
• Has images to other god in separate
rooms or inset in walls
• Gods live in their statues so statues must
be washed and cared for
• Daily worship – person removes shoes
and places money before god, can chant,
color mark on head
• Temple service (puja – sacrifice)

Procession of gods with music, ring bells, no
chanting
Hindu Worship

Daily Worship
• Dependent on caste
• High caste Hindu men pray three times a
day, sunrise most practiced
• Household that house a god must
perform puja, washed, dressed,
decorated, and given food at every meal.

Puja – homage, showing respect to the
deities
• Usually performed by father of the
household (wealthy families have their
own Brahmin priest)
Life Cycle – Rites of Passage

Code of Manu divides life into four stages
• First is student

Rituals regarding birth
• Ritual to protect unborn from evil spirits
• Rituals to help new child to be a boy
• Rituals for god to protect child, goddess Periachi

Ritual for males of Twice Born castes
• Cord over shoulder, renewed once a year
• Begins in theory to study Vedas

Marriage (2nd stage with raising children)
• Arranged and within caste
• Walk around sacred fire
• Red dot on wife’s forehead to indicate married
Life Cycle – Rites of Passage

Withdrawal from earning living and
devoting more time to prayer, meditation,
and worship for the man – 3rd stage
• Partial renunciation and withdrawal

Complete renunciation (4th stage)
• Pursuit of the Vedantic ideal of seeking
moksha
• Withdraw from family and live alone to
achieve final goal

Funeral rites
• Body bathed with water, milk, honey &
coconut milk
• Burned on funeral pyre
• Sati practiced primarily in past
Festivals & Special Days

Each goddess has a day of descent or
“birthday” which celebrated in the temple
• Holi – celebration of Krishna


Many festivals associated with various
gods and goddesses
New Years
• Homes are decorated with mango leaves
• Women draw auspicious diagrams on
temple floor

Festival of Lights
• Autumn to honor goddess Lakshmi usually
• Lights to guide goddess to bring prosperity
Hindu Worldview
Universal
Reality
gods
Individual
Karma
Samsara
Material
World
Christianity & Hinduism







Both have a sense of transcendence
Illusionary satisfaction (pleasure does
not bring fulfillment)
Bhakti = worship and devotion to a
supernatural being
Self-knowledge – know who we are
Karma as sowing what you reap
Self-denial
Sacrifice
Important Terms in Hinduism
Sacred Cow – honored by Krishna

Indian scriptures tell us that the cow is a gift of
the gods to the human race. It is a celestial
being born of the churning of the cosmic ocean.
Guias the cow is called in Hindi, is symbolic of
Earth itself . It follows that the cow represents
the Divine Mother that sustains all human beings
and brings them up as her very own offspring. . .
Hence to take care of this innocent and selfsacrificing animal is a matter of virtue for Hindus
who identify the act ad dharma or moral duty.
Important Terms in Hinduism




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
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Ahimsa – doing no injury by word or deed
Atman – the soul
Avataras – alternate forms that gods take
Bhakti – devotion
Brahma – the personal creator god
Brahman – the impersonal pantheistic god
Brahmanas – priestly commentaries on the
Vedas
Brahmin – the priest & priestly caste
Sacred Cow – honored by Krishna
Important Terms in Hinduism







Dharma – duty; everyone in whatever place in
life has his/her dharma
Karma – cause and effect
Maya – conscious illusion making power
Moksha – transcend samsara; get off the
wheel of rebirth and redeath
Om – primordial sound vibration
Pandit – One from the hereditary priestly
caste learned in the ancient texts, customs,
and rituals
Puja – Homage, showing respect to the deities
Important Terms in Hinduism







Puranas – Mythological texts of ancient times
and popular devotional texts
Rishi (seer) – A poetic sage and authors of
Vedic hymns
Samsara – life cycle rebirth & redeath
Shakti – consort of god
Tilaka – decoration on the forehead to indicate
god worshipped Sanskrit – Ancient language of
the Hindu scripture
Yoga (yoking to divinity) – techniques for
transforming consciousness and attaining
liberation.
Sudra – Serfs, low caste