Portal:Hinduism

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The Hinduism Portal

Aum, an all-encompassing, mystical entity, representative of the Hindu religion and philosophy.

Hinduism (Sanskrit Hindū Dharma—हिन्दू धर्म, also known as Sanātana Dharma सनातन धर्म, and Vaidika Dharma वैदिक धर्म) is a religion originating in the Indian subcontinent, based on the Vedas, and the oldest religious traditions still practiced today. The term, "Hinduism," is heterogeneous, as Hinduism consists of several schools of thought. It encompasses many religious rituals that widely vary in practice, as well as many diverse sects and philosophies. Most Hindus believe in a Supreme Cosmic Spirit, which may be understood in abstract terms as Brahman or which may be worshipped in personal forms such as Vishnu, Shiva or Shakti. The religion is classified by many different forms of theism such as monotheism, monism, pantheism, polytheism and even atheism. Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world with approximately 970 million adherents, (2006), approximately 900 million of whom are in India.

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Shaivism (also spelled Saivism, IAST Śaivism; see Sanskrit for pronunciation) is a branch of Hinduism in India that worships Shiva as the supreme God (Bhagawan). Followers of Śaivism are called Śaivas or Śaivites. There are approximately 220 million Śaivites in the world. Śaivism is a form of nondual spiritual practice and philosophy originating in India. Śaivites believe that the entire creation is both an expression of conscious divinity and is non-different from that divinity which they call "Śiva". Because he is simultaneously the created and the creator, Śiva is both immanent and transcendent. Originating in India, Śaivism has appeal all over India and the world. An icon resembling Siva in his aspect of Pasupata has been found among the remains of the Indus Valley Civilization, leading to speculation that Siva may be an ancient indigenous deity who was accepted and incorporated in later Vedic Hinduism.
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A common scene depicting Krishna and Radha.
Credit: Unknown Rajasthani artist
A common scene depicting Krishna and Radha.
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Vyāsa (Devanāgarī: व्यास) is a central and much revered figure in the majority of Hindu traditions. He is also sometimes called Krishna Dwaipayana, (the island-born) or Veda Vyasa '(वेद व्यास, veda vyāsa), meaning - 'the one who divied the Vedas'. He is acredited as the scribe of both the Vedas, and the supplementary texts such as the Puranas. A number of Vaishnava traditions regard him as an avatar of Vishnu. Vyasa is also considered to be one of the seven Chiranjeevin (immortals), who are still in existence according to general Hindu belief. Vyasa appears for the first time as the author of and an important character in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. It is traditionally held by Hindus that Vyasa categorised the primordial single Veda into four. Hence he was called Veda Vyasa, or "Splitter of the Vedas," the splitting being a feat that allowed the populous of the Kali yuga to understand the divine knowledge of the Veda.
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Did you know...

  • ...that Nepal, the only Hindu country, is in the process of becoming a secular republic.
  • ...that Krishna (pictured) literally means "black" or "dark one" in Sanskrit?
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The Hindu religion is the only one of the world's great faiths dedicated to the idea that the Cosmos itself undergoes an immense, indeed an infinite, number of deaths and rebirths. It is the only religion in which the time scales correspond, to those of modern scientific cosmology. Its cycles run from our ordinary day and night to a day and night of Brahma, 8.64 billion years long. Longer than the age of the Earth or the Sun and about half the time since the Big Bang. And there are much longer time scales still.

— Carl Sagan (1934-1996) famous astrophysicist.
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Hinduism

Overviews: Deities • Denominations • History • Mythology

Philosophy: Advaita  • Ayurveda • Bhakti • Dharma • Karma • Maya • Moksha • Puja • Reincarnation • Samsara • Shaivism • Vaishnavism • Vedanta • Vegetarianism • Yoga • Yuga

Scriptures: Upanishads • Vedas • Brahmana • Bhagavad Gita • Ramayana • Mahabharata • Purana • Aranyaka • Shikshapatri • Vachanamrut

Lists: Advaita Vedanta • Ayyavazhi •Asuras • Avatars • Converts • Deities • Entertainers • Festivals • Gurus and saints • Krishna • Warriors • Rakshasas • Soldiers • Teachers • Temples • Yoga schools

Related topics: Astronomy • Calendar • Caste system • by Country • Festivals • Glossary • Laws • Leaders • Mantra • Murti • Music • Temples

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  • Requests: Hindu Education Foundation, Hinduism in Hong Kong
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