Origin Of Hinduism

Improved Essays
Hinduism has gone through numerous shifts and constant growth during its lengthy existence. It is one of the oldest and most adaptable religious traditions known to man. From 2500-400 B.C.E., Hinduism’s growth from a religion of oral tradition, continued its shift into one attentive on the sacred texts known as the Vedas, which stipulated ritual action, to the Upanishads, sometimes referred to as Vedanta ("Last part of Veda") (Radhakrishnan, 1956), which then focused more on questioning Brahman, "the unchanging reality amidst and beyond the world" (Puligandla, 1997) which "cannot be exactly defined" (Sinari, 2000). Following the Vedic period was the bhakti movement, during which a new style of Hinduism emerged; remnants of which remain to …show more content…
It has evolved as a collection of religious traditions that encompass an enormous amount of texts, beliefs and practices. Some scholars question whether it can even be identified as one thing, but, that perhaps it should be viewed as many (Hinduism, 2005). Its origins are attributed to the Muslims who invaded India in the second millennium C.E., and its name may have been derived in the 19th century, by the British, who characterized all East Indians who were not Muslim, or Christian, as Hindus (Hinduism, 2005). Because of this it is difficult to specifically note many things that are distinct about Hinduism. Hinduism holds recognizable beliefs in karma and rebirth, the impermanence and suffering nature of life (samsara), and the possibility of attaining a permanent state of bliss (moksha), but, these ideas are actually not exclusive to the Hindu religion. One of the most identifiable elements of Hinduism is the caste system, a social structure that is virtually indiscernible from the religious ideology that supports it, which defines the idea that there is a hierarchy among people, and that each person is born with a dharma, or life duty. Yet, there are caste systems in other religions as well, such as Muslim, Christian, Sikh and Parsi (Hinduism, 2005). So, along what path did Hinduism become unique and recognized as a major …show more content…
The Sanskrit and old Hindi noun bhakti is derived from the verb root bhaj, whose meanings include "to belong to", and "to worship” Bhakti is defined as “devotion” or passionate love for the Divine (Monier-Williams, 2008). The longstanding and strict adherence to ritual began being overshadowed by messages within mystical poetry. During the 14th to 17th centuries, a group of teachers, or sants, who were devoted to the Divine, wandered from temple to temple, sharing their belief that there was a personal religious experience available for each man, woman and child. Through their poetry they taught people that they could forego all of the rituals, ignore their castes, and not worry about the philosophical quandaries that had eluded them, yet still achieve moksha. Their message was that people could simply express exquisite love for God. The idea was that one could have a personal and meaningful relationship with the Divine, without all of the pomp and circumstance, and, more importantly, it could happen in their current lifetime. These poet-saints critiqued the caste system and the idea that Brahmin priests were any more favored than anyone else in a divine sense and encouraged all people, from all walks of life to simply embrace a personal union with the Divine. It is interesting to note that many of these brave, enlightened souls, both male and female came from lower castes. They chose to

Related Documents

  • Great Essays

    Hinduism: The four Stages influence on Ethics Hinduism is one of, if not the oldest world religions today, dating back to Vedic scriptures that have been a fixed base for over 2000 years (Van Voorst, 1994). The discipline and ethics is rooted deeply in the followers who have dedicated their lives to the doctrine of the four stages of life or ashrama. The followers are taught a way of life through the ashrama, it is an ethical guideline that describes a lifestyle in which one lives to fulfill the goals in life, dharma being a major factor in all of this. A deeper look into Hindu ethics reveals how the strict caste system that determines the dharma of each individual. I will address the four stages of life in Hinduism and how they impact ethics…

    • 1706 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Philosophy and religion greatly impacted daily life in various civilizations such as India and China in a vast amount of ways. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Islamic religions show this impact, evidently. In india, hinduism had changed the way people lived. There was an idea spread through many religions but mostly came from hinduism, reincarnation.…

    • 524 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    This variation of the Brahmanic religion is Hinduism. Hindus observe Dharma or moral law, which allows for pursuits of material gain if it is achieved in an honest and honorable fashion; pleasure and love for the perpetuation of family and moksha, release from the wheel of life and unity with Brahman. Hinduism accepts the caste system and sacrifices like traditional Brahmanic practice. The most emphasis is placed upon the individual's dedication to their gods. Development of cities and trade in the fifth and sixth centuries, B.C.E. brought about change in traditional Brahmanic practices.…

    • 1675 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The texts came from Vedic tradition, but reshaped Hinduism with philosophical knowledge, Real knowledge is considered one of the three paths to salvation. The last step to salvation, according to the Bhagavad Gita, is Bhakti, or devotion. It is basically devotion to God and the aim to please Him rather than do things out of fear or the desire to be noticed or rewarded. It is sometimes viewed to be the easiest way for everyday people to achieve a liberated and spiritual state. “Engage your mind always thinking of Me, become My devotee, offer obeisance to Me and worship Me.…

    • 1869 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Three of the greatest religions in Indian Culture, include Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. These religions were founded from Aryan and Dravidian culture. Brahmanism gradually changed overtime to form the more commonly known religion of Hinduism. The followers believed in many god and goddesses, with Brahman being the most elite. They also believed in the practices of karma and reincarnation.…

    • 237 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The Mooksha Of Hinduism

    • 952 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The word ‘Moksha’ is derived from ‘moksh’ which can mean emancipation or liberation etc. Sometimes it might also refer to salvation but salvation may not do justice to the word since it has a kind of Christian connotation to it rather than a Hinduism one. But it is frequently used to translate the word moksh. So instead of it meaning only freedom from sin, it includes freedom from the human life itself. In soteriological terms, moksha means freedom from samsara, the cycle of birth and death.…

    • 952 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Hinduism Vs Sikhism

    • 1543 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Hinduism is a term used to denote the constellation of a myriad of religious paths and traditions that originated from the Indian subcontinent which interact or blend will with one another. Together with Buddhism, Sikhism, and one other faith not discussed in this paper (Jainism), these religions form a category known as the “dharmic” traditions. What is important to recognize when searching for commonalities is that Hinduism, or rather the concepts and doctrines encapsulated by Hinduism and Hindu traditions, pre-date both Buddhism and Sikhism. Furthermore, Buddhism (in its earliest centuries) and Sikhism are also both religions that were founded by people that reside in the Indian Subcontinent and were more than likely considered Hindu by…

    • 1543 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Hinduism is a complex religion created from many traditions and beliefs that span over a great amount of history. From the interpretation of the Upanishads, devotional Hinduism came to be yet is very distinct from the original because of the main purpose, and that is to devote oneself to not many but one god. The concept of believing in all gods but only devoting oneself to one is the main reason as to why this form of Hinduism ultimately succeeded in spite of already having the rich tradition of the Upanishads. Devotional Hinduism comes from the Bhagirad Gita (Song of the Lord,) the 22-chapter segment from the epic poem, the Mahabharata. When one seeks answers to important, life changing questions, such as “How can Brahman be known?” or “How…

    • 328 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Hinduism Research Paper

    • 1154 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Hinduism encompasses all aspects of life of for those who choose this religion’s followers. From daily activities to architecture, everything is related back to the ideals and traditions of the Hindu faith. The field trip to Temple, Texas to visit the Hindu Temple, Omkara Mahaganapathi Devasthanam, enlightened me on the traditions and aspects of Hinduism granting me a greater understanding on the Bhagavad Gita. The architecture, at first, only seems to differ from churches, temples, or other religious buildings in looks as do all churches.…

    • 1154 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    The Vedic Ritual

    • 1378 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Vedic Ritual, a period spanning from 1500-500 BCE, is characterized by their belief in a mechanistic world. In this world, anything can be solved through a certain ritual performed by the Vedic priests. This period’s idea of dharma, meaning the cosmic social order, led to a society focused on community ritual and an idea that every person had a definitive role in society. On the other hand, the Upanishad Philosophy, spanning from 500-00 CE, exhibits a shift in focus compared to the Vedic Ritual. This period is characterized by renouncing society and becoming anti-sacrifice, a movement completely opposite from the Vedic Ritual.…

    • 1378 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Decent Essays

    In “India’s Ancient Religion” from World History Magazine, Sean McCollum describes how India’s Hindu religion is inseparable from its society, culture, and history. Hinduism is the major religion of India and is followed by approximately 80% of the population. Although it is the fourth most popular religion in the world, it branches off from many others as Hinduism does not have a central figure. Despite the fact that Hindus don’t have a divine figure, they have hundreds of deities. Hinduism began when Aryan settlers arrived into northern India and brought the teachings of the Vedas.…

    • 147 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Ancient India Religion

    • 1546 Words
    • 7 Pages

    In this essay I will describe the various factors which influenced the religions of India, Egypt and Rome. These factors include social, political, economic and geographical influences on the development of religion. Social, political, economic and geographical influences played a large part in the religions of India during the Vedic Age, the Old and New Kingdoms in Egypt and the Mayans. The Vedic Age in India took place approximately from 1500-500 BCE.…

    • 1546 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Hinduism and Chinese popular-folk religion are among the religions that have had the greatest extent and impact globally. For this reason, a comparison of their beliefs, texts and practices is going to be discussed in order to reach a better understanding of those religions and to shed some light on the similarities and differences between them. Hinduism's beliefs include the ideas of: karma, rebirth, the fundamentally suffering nature of the world and the possibility of liberation from suffering and rebirth and the attainment of a permanent state of bliss (Smith, 991). The Hindu belief system is based on a social structure, or what is commonly referred to as the caste system, where there is a specific hierarchy for the castes where the Brahmans…

    • 273 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Hinduism served much more purpose than simply being a religion, but in a way also served as a political system. One of the defining details of Hinduism was the caste system which placed all peoples in a certain social hierarchy. The caste system called for Brahmins or priests being the head, the Kshatriya class of warriors and rulers coming second, followed by the Vaisya common class, succeeded by the Sudais class of natives and/or servants, with finally the untouchables being at the bottom of the hierarchy. The caste system was an extension of Karma, the belief that one 's actions in a past life resulted for their placement in their future lives. As a result, people seeking to move up a class in the next life did their duties to their certain class in the present life.…

    • 1041 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The term Brahmanism is related with that socio-religious order which accepts the supremacy of Brahmins who officiate at sacrifices and receive payments for their services. The sacrificial aspect associated with this order may be traced to vedic times, while the theistic concept of faith in a single god is a later religious addition. In Indian history, the Gupta period is notable for the setting up of brahmanical temples with the images of deities installed in them. From that time, the religious impulse swings forward from that time, the religious impulse swings forward from the abstract to the concrete, with the ceremonial worship of images replacing sacrificial offerings to hosts of unseen vedic gods of vogue personality. The authority of the Vedas was in no way questioned.…

    • 1064 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays

Related Topics