SACRED SCRIPTURE IN HINDUISM

1
 SHRUTI

• Means "that which is heard".

• They are regarded as eternal truths that were passed orally.

• The four collections of the text Vedas form the shruti and
are considered primary sources and the most authoritative
texts of the Hindu faith.

2
 VEDAS
• The four basic Vedic book, which are sacrificial hymns compiled
from an earlier oral tradition, are composed of Rig-Veda, Yajur-
Veda, Sama-Veda, and Atharva-Veda.

• Word Veda means "knowledge".

• The earliest known Sanskrit literature from Brahmanic period and

oldest scriptures of Hinduism.

• The great epic Mahabharata, Brahma was said to have created the
Vedas.

3
 RIG-VEDA

A collection of over a
The most important and thousand hymns and
Also the oldest living more than
oldest book that dates
religious literature of the
back to around 1500 B.C. thousand verses
world (Parrinder 1971).
E. to 1200 B.C.E. dedicated to the
Aryan pantheon of gods.

4
GODS AND GODDESSES Personifications or Attributes
Indra Leader of the devas or gods the lord pf heaven in Hinduism: god of rain
and thunderstorms
Agri God of fire; messenger of the gods
Adityas Sun- gods
Mitra Deity for honesty, friendship, contracts and meetings
Varuna God of the water; god of law of the underwater world
Ushas Deity of dawns
Savitr Solar deity
Rudra Deity of wind or storm
Pushan Solar deity; god of meeting
Brihaspati Deity and religion
Dyaus Pita Sky god; father sky
Prithvi Mother earth
Surya Chief solar deity; the sun
Vayu Lord of the winds
Apas water
Parjanya Thunder and rain

5
YAJUR- VEDA
• The "knowledge of rites"

• The second book of Veda.

• This book is a complication of materials recited during rituals and sacrifices to

deities.

6
SAMA- VEDA
• The "knowledge of chants"

• The third book of Veda.

• A collection of verses from the basic hymns recited by priests during sacrifices.

7
ATHARVA- VEDA
• "knowledge given by the sage Atharva"

• The last book or the fourth book of Veda.

• This book contains rituals used in homes and popular prayers to gods.

• Contains numerous spells and incantations for medicinal purposes and magical
aids to victory in battle among others.

8
UPANISHADS
• Literally translates as "sitting down near" or "sitting close to"

• Also mean "brahma- knowledge" whereby ignorance is totally eliminated.

• The great Indian nationalist and philosopher Sri Aurobindo described the
Upanishads as the "supreme work of the Indian mind".

• All fundamental teachings and concepts about Hinduism are found in

these profound treaties--- karama(action); samsara(reincarnation);
moksha(nirvana); atman(soul); and Brahman( absolute almighty)

9
SHMRITI
• Means "that which has been remembered"

• The great epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata, which contains the

philosophical poem Bhagavad Gita.

• These are national epics of India and considered to be the sacred texts of the
masses where they draw their values and ideals (Brown 1975).

10
RAMAYANA
• Translated as the "Story of Rama" or "Rama's Journey", is a Sanskrit epic poem
written by the poet Valmiki consisting of 24,000 verses in seven books and 500
cantos.

• Central to the story is Rama, a prince and later portrayed as avatar or

incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, who was born in Ayodhya.

• Rama and Sita are the epitome of perfect man and woman. And Ravana
symbolizes ambition and greed.

11
MAHABHARATA
• Which is composed of around one hundred thousand verses making it the
words longest poem.

• This magnificent work is attributed to the author Vyasa.

• A great struggle among the descendants of a king called Bharata, a name used
by many Indian to mean "India" (Coogan 2005).

• Two families are at war, the Pandavas who represent good and the Kauravas
who embody evil (Brown 1975).

• About 100,000 couplets and 1.8 million words in total.

12
BHAGAVAD GITA
• Translated as "the Lord's Song".

• Considered as one of the holiest books by the Hindus.

• A 700- verse narrative of a dialogue between the Pandava prince Arjuna and
his guide- cousin Krishna.

• The Gita instructs any person that one may reach god through devotion,
knowledge, or selfless action.

13
QUESTIONS:
1-4. What do you call the 4 books of the Vedas?

5-6. What the two sacred writings?

7. Give one God of Hinduism.

8-10. True or False

8. Sama- Veda is the second book of the Vedas.

9. The word Veda means "knowledge"

10. Ramayana is the words longest poem in Hinduism.

14