Download from 1200 BC to 300 CE

HINDU SACRED TEXTS:
What? When?
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Hinduism has an extremely abundant literature, written
over more than a millennium
(from 1200 B.C. to 300 C.E)

The English translation of the Mahabharata alone fills
13 volumes!

The classical Hinduism known and practiced today
took shape during the 6th century B.C. as a result
of a long religious history that started around 1000
B.C.
Vedic and Post-Vedic Hinduism is divided in 3 types based on
3 Sacred Texts

Vedas
=> 1000-600 BC
=>Many deities
=> Sacrifices
Magic
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Upanishad
=> 600 -200 BC
=>Brahman (Impersonal)
=>Meditation
=>Personified Brahman
=>Love (devotion)
(Shiva, Vishnu, Kali, etc)
=> 100 BC/100 AD up to now (This is Classical Hinduism)
Each stage of Hinduism presents a specific conception of God, the
world, human nature, and the way to salvation.
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Bhagavad Gita

The classical Hinduism known and practiced today took
shape during the 6th century B.C. as a result of a long
religious history that started around 1000 B.C.

But it is mainly during the first and 2nd century AD that
most of its elements were in place:
- Yoga,
- Laws of Manu
- Bhagavad Gita
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5000/2700-1500: Indus Valley Civilization
1500 : Aryan migration into India
Sacred Texts written (1200 BC-300CE)
1500 BC - 500 CE
 1200 BC - 300 CE
 1000 BC - 100 CE (most texts written)
 600 BC - 100 CE (most important period of production of texts)
It took over a millennium to complete Hindu Sacred Texts (1200 B.C.-300 C.E)!
The classical Hinduism known and practiced today took shape during the 6th
century B.C. as a result of a long religious history that started around 1000
B.C.
Hindu Sacred Text were written between 1200 B.C. and 300 C.E.
(but mainly: 600 B.C-300 C.E.)
Hindu texts developed over a period of more or less 1000 years (the Bible:
1000 B.C.-100 C.E.; mainly 600 BC-100 AD)
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1500 BC-500 CE: Birth of Hinduism and its texts
1200 BC-300AD: Sacred Texts of Hinduism written
600 BC-100 AD: Most Biblical and Hindu texts written
HINDU SACRED TEXTS
SHRUTI
 Vedas
 Rig Veda
 Sama Veda▪
 Yajur Veda
 Atharva Veda
 Brahmanas
 Aranyakas
 Upanishads
SMRITI
Itihasas
Mahabharata
Bhagavad Gita
Ramayana
Puranas
Tantras
Sutras
Stotras
Ashtavakra Gita
Gita Govinda
Hatha Yoga Pradipika
5 MAJOR HINDU SACRED TEXTS
1. VEDAS
2. UPANISHADS
3. BHAGAVAD GITA
4. MAHABHARATA
5. RAMAYANA
When where the Hindu Sacred Texts written?
 1200-600 B.C: Composition of the Vedas and foundation of
Hinduism
 600 - 200 B.C: Composition of the UPANISHAD

6th century B.C. : Buddhism, Jainism, Confucianism, Taoism; Shintoism.
 6th century B.C: Mahavira Vardhamana (540 - 468B.C), Founder of Jainism
 6th century B.C: Gautama Buddha(563-483 B.C.), founder of Buddhism
 3th century B.C: King Ashoka (304-232 B.C.E): 2nd founder of Buddhism
 * 20th century AD: MAHATMA GANDHI (1869-1948 A.D.) and the revival of Hinduism
500 B.C-500 C.E: Hindu lawbooks and development of six orthodox systems of
philosophy/theology: Samkhya, Nyaya, Yoga, Vaisheshika, Purva-Mimamsa, and Vedanta.
 500B.C- 400 C.E: composition of the MAHABHARATA (extensive teaching on the Dharma)
 300 B.C-300 C.E: Composition of the RAMAYANA, the story of RAMA, who provides a model
for social relations and for the role of the enlightened ruler.
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200 B.C-300 C.E (mostly around 100 BC): Composition of the
BHAGAVAD GITA
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2nd century B.C.: the sage PATANJAL codified the teachings of Yoga in his YOGA SUTRA
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BHAGAVAD GITA:
200 B.C-300 C.E (mostly around 100 BC):
Composition of the BHAGAVAD GITA (a late portion of the
MAHABHARATA)
which is the single most important scripture for many Hindus.
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YOGA:
2nd century B.C.:
the sage PATANJAL codified the teachings of Yoga in his YOGA
SUTRA
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LAWS OF MANU:
3rd century B.C-3rd century C.E or 200 B.C-200 C.E:
compilation of the Laws of Manu by the Brahmins
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100 BC - 100 C.E: Birth of present form of Hinduism, Judaism, and
Christianity!
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The Canon of the Bible is established
Palestinian Talmud: Completed around the 4th century A.D.
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We may distinguish three main steps of Hinduism
 Pre-Vedic Hinduism
 Vedic Hinduism
 Post-Vedic Hinduism or Classical Hinduism
The Vedic and Post-Vedic Hinduism is divided in 3 types
(or stages) based on 3 Sacred Texts
 Each stage of Hinduism presents a specific conception of
God, the world, human nature, and the way to salvation.

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Hinduism took three different steps corresponding to three main
sacred texts, to which some scholars add a four stage, the prevedic
religion:
* Pre-Vedic period ( 2700-1500 B.C.E. : Indus Valley Civilization (original
people) : Pre-vedic Hinduism
*Vedic and post-Vedic Hinduism:
 The Vedas (c.1200-600 B.C: development): sacrifices/Magic
 The Upanishads (600-200 B.C. :Composition): Meditation
 The Bhagavad-Gita(c.100 B.C.: Composition): classical: devotion
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Each stage of Hinduism presents a specific conception of God, the
world, human nature, and the way to salvation.
Vedic and Post-Vedic Hinduism is divided in 3 types based on
3 Sacred Texts
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Vedas
Upanishad
Bhagavad Gita
=>Many deities
=>Brahman (Impersonal)
=>Personified Brahman
(Shiva, Vishnu, Kali, etc)
=> Sacrifices
=>Meditation
=>Love (devotion)
6500-1500: Indus Valley Civilization
I500: Aryan migrations in India
1200 BC-300 CE: Sacred Texts written
 1200-600 B.C: Composition of the VEDAS
 600 - 200 B.C: Composition of the UPANISHAD
500 B.C-500 C.E: Hindu law books and development of six orthodox systems of
philosophy/theology: Samkhya, Nyaya, Yoga, Vaisheshika, Purva-Mimamsa, and
Vedanta.
 500B.C- 400 C.E: composition of the MAHABHARATA (extensive teaching on the
Dharma)
 300 B.C-300 C.E: Composition of the RAMAYANA, the story of RAMA, who provides a
model for social relations and for the role of the enlightened ruler.
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200 B.C-300 C.E (mostly around 100 BC): Composition of the BHAGAVAD
GITA (a late portion of the MAHABHARATA) which is the single most
important scripture for many Hindus).
200 B.C-200 C.E: compilation of the Laws of Manu by the Brahmins
Hinduism divides its Religious texts into two categories:
 1. The SHRUTI (divine revelation) : the Vedas and the upanishads
= Sacred writings, based on what Hindu writers “heard’ in revelation.
= They are considered Divine Revelation.
=>Example: the Vedas, and to a lesser degree the Upanishads.
2. The SMRITI (human tradition): Bhagavadgita
= Writings based on what their human authors “remembered” of
revelations to Hindus.
=> These works are less authoritative than revealed scriptures.
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The Veda specialists granted such smriti works great
authority, considering them necessary and nearly error-free
restatements of the meaning of the shruti.
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Hindus understand the Upanishads to be a continuation and
clarification of the Vedic tradition.
For this reason the upanishads are referred to as
the Vedanta ("end of the Vedas"), extending recognition to the
upanishads as the last literary installation of the Vedas.
The Vedas
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* the Vedas are the Sacred Scriptures of Hinduism
it is a collection (book) of hymns, prayers and rituals.
An orthodox Hindu is one who recognizes the authority
of the Vedas and that of the Brahmin Priests.
* Veda means "Knowledge and wisdom"
(as in the word "video", "vision").
* There are four kinds of Vedas
* There are four kinds of Vedas
 1.
Rig Veda
 Response
to metaphysical questions, myths of the origin of
the universe,...
 the oldest of Hindu scriptures.
 2.
Yajur Veda:
 Contains sacrificial
 3.
Sama Veda:
formulas.
 deal with melodies of hymns and rituals.
 4. Arthava Veda
 Healing,
long life
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4. Arthava Veda
 Contains
magical formulas describing incantations and
spells for healing diseases, for long life.
* Here lies the beginning of Indian medical science.
=>These four Vedas, including some later additions
to them, such as the Upanishads, comprise
the sacred scriptures of Hinduism.
The Laws of Manu
- Attributed to Manu
- But developed late, between 200 B.C and 200 C.E by
the Brahmins
- A set of moral codes that set the standards of
conduct for every Hindu
- They describe an ideal code of behavior for Hindus.
 The MAHABHARATA
(extensive teaching on the Dharma)
 the RAMAYANA is the story of RAMA, the ideal man and Sita
the ideal woman. It is the story of Rama who provides a
model for social relations and for the role of the enlightened
ruler.
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The BHAGAVAD GITA is a late portion of the MAHABHARATA. It is the
single most important scripture for many Hindus.
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- The influence of the Bhagavadgita has been profound. It was a
popular text, open to all who would listen, and it was
fundamental for all later Hinduism which recognized it as the
third authoritative text, with the Upanishads and the
Brahmasutras.
Even in the 20th century, as is evident from the lives of such
diverse personalities as the Indian freedom fighters, Tilak and
Gandhi, who acknowledged its influence, it has continued to
shape the attitudes of Hindus.
BHAGAVAD GITA
Composed around 100 B.C.
(or between 2nd century B.C. and 3rd century A.D.)
 This great epic poem is part of a longer epic called the
MAHABHARATA whose composition started in 9th or 8th
century B.C.
 The Gita is a brief text, of 700 verses found between chapters
25 and 42 of the Mahabharata
 The Gita is made up of 18 chapters divided into three sections
of 6 chapters each.
 The Mahabharata itself contains 110,000 couplets, or 220,000
lines (around 15,000 pages!)
 The English translation of the Mahabharata fills 13 volumes!
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The word “Bhagavad Gita” means "Song of the Lord”
(=Lord Krishna)
The Gita is written in quasi-dialogue form, as a conversation
between the warrior Arjuna and Lord Krishna.
The Gita is to Hinduism what the Homeric epic poems are to
Greek and Hellenistic culture.
Like the Homeric poems, the Gita is about a great battle; it
relates the stories of the struggles of notable heroes and gods
and contains much of the basic philosophy of Indian culture.