HINDU RESOURCES >> HINDUISM

Shri Satya Sanatan Dharma (Hinduism) by Shri Prakash Gossai

Age: Unknown - believed to be as old as creation.

“Religion” comes from the Latin word “religio” which means to “bind or bring back”. That which binds one to God is called religion.

SHRI – Noble
SATYA - Truth
SANATAN - Eternal
DHARMA – Way of life

Overview

Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion. It does not have a single founder, a specific theological system or a central religious organization. It consists of several religious groups that have evolved in India over the years. It is estimated that over a million Hindus live in the United States. Hindus believe in the Universal Soul (Brahman), as the sole reality who is present in all things. Brahman has no form and is Eternal. Brahman is the creator, preserver and transformer of everything. Brahman appears in the human spirit as Atman (soul).

AUM is the universally accepted symbol of Hinduism. By sound and form, AUM symbolizes the infinite Brahman (ultimate reality) and the entire Universe. “A” represents the beginning (Adimatwa), “U” represents progress (Utkarsha) and “M” represents dissolution (Miti).

A stands for Creation
U stands for Preservation
M stands for Dissolution

This is representative of the Trinity of God in Hindu Dharma-Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

It is often said that Hindus worship many Gods, but in fact, Hindus believe in one eternal God (Brahman), which is indefinable. However, they recognize other deities as different aspects of Brahman. Different Hindu communities may have their own divinities that they worship, but these are simply different ways of approaching the Ultimate Brahman (God).

Om Poornamadah Poornamidam Poornaad Poornamud achyate
Poornasya Poornamaadaaya Poornamevaa vashisyate
What is Whole-this is Whole, what has come from the Whole is also Whole.
When the Whole is taken out of the Whole, the Whole still remains the Whole

The essence of this verse is that the Infinite cannot be measured arithmetically-God is Infinite. The Infinite can be represented in Infinite ways and does manifest in infinite ways. This, in short is the essence of the Hindu belief in God. That He is everywhere, around us and within us. He is Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient.

Sanatan Dharma is Sanskrit for “Eternal way of Life”. It has also been called Aryan Religion. Aryan also means noble, the name was given to a great race of people who settled in India in ancient times. The word Hindu is of geographic origin and was derived from the name originally given to the people settled on the River Sindhu in the western portion of Bharat (the original name for India). Foreign visitors changed the word Sindhu to “Hindu” and the faith of the Hindus was given the name “Hinduism”.

The greatness of Hinduism is its complexity and simplicity and the fact that it permeates totally the life of every Hindu from the moment of birth, whether he is a believer or non-believer, a scholar or illiterate. It is for this reason that it is often said that Hinduism is not just a religion, but also a way of life.

It is important to realize that Hinduism is a rare faith with few do’s and don’ts postulated, but which has many signposts showing various spiritual paths available for different types of people. It accepts the reality that there are varying intellectual and spiritual levels in each one of us, and all cannot therefore take the same path, although the goal may be the same.

As mentioned earlier, Hinduism has no founder. Hinduism is not based on the teachings of particular prophets, but on revealed scriptures, which is a collection of works, by great rishis and saints. The strong foundation on which it is based is called “Sruti” and “Smriti”. Sruti means that which has been heard, and Smriti means that which has been remembered.

The Srutis consists of the four Vedas.

VEDAS

The word Veda means “knowledge or that which is known. The Vedas contain true knowledge and when we study them we learn the truth. Men did not create the Vedas. In the very beginning God revealed unto the Rishis (Seers), the knowledge of the Vedas. Therefore the Vedas are said to be Divine knowledge. The Vedas are said to be the oldest literature available. Hinduism, remarkably, has synthesized the various paradoxes of the Vedas into a single religion that is practiced today.

The Vedas contain four main parts:

• RigVeda

• SamaVeda

• YajurVeda

• AtharvaVeda

Each Veda is divided into four parts:

1. Mantras, Samhitas or Hymns

2. Brahmanas-significance of the Hymns

3. Aranyakas-interpretation

4. Vedanta-Upanishads, the metaphysical dialogue

Mantra or Samhitas - for attaining prosperity here and happiness hereafter
Brahmanas - a guide for the performing of sacrificial rites
Aranyakas - philosophical interpretations of rituals
Vedanta - knowledge of the evolution of the Soul

UPANISHADS

There are over 200 texts titled as Upanishads, both ancient and modern and of these 108 are considered traditional Upanaishads specific to the Vedas. The most important and authoritative are the twelve major Upanishads: Aitareya and Kauhsitaki, which belong to the Rigveda. Chandogya and Kena to Samaveda. Taittiriya, Katha, Shvetashvatara, Brhadaranyaka and Isha to Yajurveda. Prashna, Mundaka and Mandukya to Atharvaveda.

The Upanishads were written to help us understand the Vedas more easily. The Upanishads deal with God, Soul and the Universe and their relationship. They also reveal the spiritual truths. The Upanishads contain some of the most important ideas and topics of the Hindu religion.

• The individual soul (atma) and the universal soul (Brahman) are the same in quality

• The visible world is an illusion (maya)

• The total effect of action (karma) decides the next existence of the soul

• The soul exists through cycle of successive births an deaths (samsara)

• The soul is capable of breaking the cycle of successive lives and deaths and achieving liberation (moksha)

• The individual soul (atma) is never born and never dies

The Upanishads also deal with the nature of the soul; the relationship between the body, mind, and senses; the various means of liberation, worship and meditation; and the duties of a student.

SMRITI

As mentioned earlier ‘Smriti’ means that which is remembered, that is tradition. It collectively means secondary scriptures. They derive their authority from the Sruti and deals with the four aims of human life: Dharma (righteousness), Artha (wealth), Kama (enjoyment) and Moksha (spiritual liberation). These scriptures include:

PURANAS

There are Eighteen main Puranas: Brahma, Vishnu, Matsya, Bramanda, Naradiya, Kurma, Brahma-vaivarta, Markandeya, Bhavishya, Vamana, Padma, Bhagavata, Garuda, Varaha, Linga, Vayu, Skanda and Agni. The Puranas are compiled from related historical facts, which explain the teachings of the four Vedas.

There are also eighteen subsidiary Upa-puranas, together with epics such as Ramayan, Bhagavad Gita and Mahabharata.

RAMAYAN

The Ramayan is the first great composition of literature dated to the end of Treta Yuga (2nd age); Sage Valmiki in North India originally composed it under divine inspiration in Sanskrit. Later Goswami Tulsidas wrote the Ramcharitmanas in Hindi in the 16th century. The Ramayan has 7 Kaandas (divisions). The Ramayan depicts the life Shri Rama and Sita Maa. Rama is the ideal son, brother, husband, king, warrior and even ideal enemy. Lord Rama is the incarnation of Vishnu, the preserver aspect of God.

Sita is the epitome of chastity and perhaps the highest paragon of feminine virtue. She personifies the primordial “Mother Goddess” and embodies all the characteristics of the ideal mother.

Apart from the interesting story, the literally excellence, and the morals and lessons, the Ramayan has another soul-elevating aspect; Rama personifies the Universal Soul (Brahman) and Sita the Individual Soul (Jivatma).

The Ramayan can be interpreted in terms of one of the highest teachings of the Vedanta philosophy.

BHAGAVAD GITA

Bhagavad-Gita is part of the great epic Mahabharata. The Gita is tremendously influential and its significance is great in Indian literature that it stands out as scripture itself. Saints, scholars and philosophers have paid the highest tributes to the Gita. It is said to be the greatest gospel of spiritual works ever yet given to the human race and the most perfect system of Karma Yoga known to man is to be found in the Bhagavad-Gita.

It is the essence of Vedic knowledge and on of the most important Vedic literature. The Bhagavad-Gita consists of eighteen chapters and contains the teachings of Lord Krishna synthesizing the various spiritual approaches and disciplines.

Aham Atma gudaakesa, sarva-bhutaasaya-sthitah
Aham aadis ca madhyam ca bhutanam anta eva ca
I am the Super soul, O Arjuna, seated in the hearts of all living entities. I am the beginning, the middle and the soul of all beings.

MAHABHARATA

Mahabharata literally means “Great India”. The Mahabharata is the story of the Pandavas and Kauravas who were cousins. The Mahabharata tells of events leading up to the age of Kali. Lord Krishna spoke Bhagawad-Gita to his friend and devotee Arjuna. Their discourse is one of the greatest philosophical and religious dialogues known to man, it took place just before the onset of war. A detailed description of the battle of the Mahabharata, which literally was the greatest battle fought in ancient India at the end of Dwarpara Yuga (3rd age), takes up a large part of this book. The Mahabharata is a complete encyclopedia of life. In it we find every type of character found in this world and every problem of life possible is presented as well as the solution to it. Every lesson worth learning is taught. The main theme is “Where there is Dharma there is Lord Krishna, where there is Lord Krishna there is victory.

The objective of Vyasa Muni was to show that ultimately war and violence are harmful and meaningless to mankind.

BASIC TENETS OF HINDUISM

The Scriptures of the Hindu religion informs the followers of the faith about the higher verities, as well as their duties and codes of conduct. They serve to increase our faith in God and to take us away from the mundane and material world. The Scriptures profoundly influence the life of the people and keep the religious ideas alive in society.

Hinduism promotes non-violence, truth, purity, self-control, forgiveness, practice of charity, compassion, simplicity, absence of greed, visiting places of pilgrimage, absence of malice, adoration of one’s parents, compassion for other creatures, worship of God are some of the teachings of Sanatan Dharma.

DEFINITION OF GOD ACCORDING TO HINDUISM

One Creator, One God who is the Embodiment of:

SAT - Truth
CHIT - Consciousness
ANAND - Bliss

The path to God is Gnaan-Knowledge
Karma-Action and Deeds
Bhakti-Devotion

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti, Hari Om