Hinduism—India | Research & Encyclopedia Articles

Hinduism, possibly the oldest surviving religion in the world, began well over three thousand years ago in India. A product of a variety of peoples and cultures, it evolved out of the varying faiths in different regions, assimilating all the diverse cultural practices of India. Its original followers knew the faith as Sanathana Dharma, or "a way of life"; it was Europeans, who first encountered it being practiced on the banks of the Indus River, who called it "Hinduism," after the Persian name for the river, Sindhu.

Though Hinduism is quite complex and practiced in a variety of ways, it is based on simple tenets, which include a belief in one supreme being who is without forms or attributes; a belief that God accepts everyone's prayer directed towards every form they worship; the espousal of nonviolence (ahimsa); vegetarianfood habits (where possible); compassion to all lives; divine duty (dharma); activity without attachment (karma yoga); and devotion and surrender to God (bhakti). Hindus also believe in the indestructability of the soul, a cycle of rebirth, and the ultimate liberation of the soul, or moksa.

One widespread misperception of Hinduism is that it is a polytheistic religion with pagan rituals. The reality of Hinduism is that there exists Nirguna Brahman, or "god without attributes," which we are unable to comprehend. Thus, God appears to us veiled in a maya (illusion), as Saguna Brahman, or "god with attributes," so that we can relate to it. As a prism of light can be broken down into colors for us to see, Brahman (the ultimate goal of all being) assumes many forms to enable people to understand it. The main three forms of Brahman (also seen spelled Brahma) are Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the preserver; and Siva, the destroyer. Hindus may worship one form exclusively, as Vaishnavas do for Vishnu, or Saivas do for Siva, or still others do for many, even thousands, of other forms. What is most important is that people from all walks of life and all intellectual levels can worship God; thus, Hinduism espouses tolerance and the freedom to worship God in any form. This tenet of the faith is the foundation for its acceptance of other religions. Whatever form one worships, one is worshiping Brahman.

Hindus understand that in order for a being to live, it must take other lives for nourishment. However, life is put into a hierarchy of sensory perception, with humans having the most sensory perception. To Hindus, the more sensory organs a being has, the more pain it will suffer in the process of being killed. Hinduism does not have specific rules about what to eat and not to eat, but it has the goal of causing the least amount of pain possible when deciding what to consume. Thus, it is believed to be more advisable to kill a plant than to kill an animal for food.

The ultimate goal of a Hindu is to be freed from the cycle of rebirth by moksa, or liberation of the soul. Hindus believe the soul is eternal, with no beginning or end. With the ending of each life, the soul leaves a body and enters another, and manifests itself within that body. One's good actions through duty (dharma), and actions having consequences (karma), determine the form of one's next life. If the good done by an individual greatly exceeds any wrongdoing, then the soul may ultimately be liberated from the cycle of rebirth and become one with God.

Hinduism's evolution over time is now denoted by reference to periods that correspond with significant events in Indian history. The earliest period of Indian history is called the Vedic age, dating from roughly 1500 BCE or even earlier, to about 500 BCE. The Vedic age is subdivided by Indian historians into the ages of the Manthras, the Brahmanas, and the Upanishads, all Vedic texts. The second period, during the Maurya empire, from about 324 BCE to 200 BCE, is the age of Vedanga and the Kalpa Sutras. Then, from 200 BCE until 300 CE, around the time of the Gupta empire, is the age of the epics, primarily the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The period from 300 CE to 650 CE is the age of the Puranas, Agamas, and Dharsanas, and the period ending around 1000 CE is the age of the later Puranas. The bhakti devotional movements started at this time and continued until the eighteenth century. The last four centuries saw the decline and then the renaissance of Hindu religious practice under the Moghul and British rules.

In the twentieth century, Hinduism has been a powerful unifying force in India. In the 1990s it emerged as a political force and was set forth by some political parties as the major unifying and distinctive element of Indian culture.

Paul Hockings

Chaudhuri, Nirad C. (1996) Hinduism: A Religion to Live By. Delhi: Oxford University Press.

Stutley, Margaeret, and James Stutley. (1977) Harper's Dictionary of Hinduism: Its Mythology, Folklore, Philosophy, Literature, and History. San Francisco: Harper & Row.

Zaehner, R. C. (1972) Hinduism. London: Oxford University Press.

This complete Hinduism—India contains 856 words. This article contains 922 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page).