HINDUISM (DHARMIC RELIGION)
Hinduism was never a
Kelvin Paul B. Panuncio, LPT, MAEd
One major commonality of Dharmic religion is that
they all emerged from the vast continent of India,
the land of complexity and diversity in terms of
people, culture, practices, customs, and traditions.
These religions include Hinduism and the two
branches of Buddhism, the Theravada and the
Mahayana schools of thought. Central to their
fundamental teachings are the belief in the
DHARMA with each religion having their own
special meaning for the term. Interestingly, the
word DHARMA has no exact and specific
translations in the western languages. For the
HINDUS, it could mean an individual's appropriate
behaviour or duty to fulfil in observance of a
custom or a law. For the Buddhist, it could mean
universal law and order, or the Buddha's teaching
itself. The unique character of each Dharmic
religion fascinates a great multitude of faithful
followers all over the world. With its one billion
adherents, most notably in India, Hinduism is the
third world's largest religion. On the other hand,
Buddhism has a very strong followers in Asian
countries most especially in East and Southeast
Asia.
This module will enable you to study the origins of
these great religions, their fundamental teachings,
the many challenges they confront at present, and
the relevance of these religions in modern times.
At the end of the module, you should be able to:
1. Recite the creation story in Rig Veda-
2. Identify the names of the major Hindu deities as
well as their corresponding functions or powers.
3. Explain: The core teaching of Hinduism is the
attainment of liberation in the identification of
Atman and Brahman through the Four Yogas.
4. Simulate a particular yoga and write a reflection
paper on your insights on Hinduism.
HINDUISM
Hinduism is the world's third largest religion with
around 15% of the population practicing the Hindu
faith. Hindu followers in India comprise the major
bulk with almost 80% of the country's population
adhering to the religion. Other Asian countries
with considerable Hindu faith include Nepal (23
million), Bangladesh (15 million),and
Indonesia(3.9 million in Bali). There are also
substantial numbers of Hindus in Mauritius,
Guyana, Fiji, Bhutan, Trinidad, and Tobago,
Suriname, and Sri Lanka.
missionary religion unlike Christianity or Islam.
Hinduism is oftentimes considered as the oldest
and most complex of all world religion. Hindu belief
may have begun around the third millennium B.C.E.
Hinduism had no one identifiable founder. The term
Hindu originated from the Persian word Hindu (in a
Sanskrit Sindhu) which means "river". The name
was given in 19th century to describe the wide
array of belief system in India. Hinduism was
originally known as "Arya Dharma" or the "Aryan
Way."
As early as 300 B. C. E., was discovered in India
the ancient Punjab city of Harappa and Mohenjo-
Daro along the Indus. The foundations of Hinduism
may have originated from the customs of the early
peoples of the Indus valley around 2500 B. C. E. to
1500 B. C.
Elements of Hinduism may have taken shape from
the practices of pre-Aryan people who were already
civilized city dwellers. Between 1750 B. C. E. and
1200 B. C. E., Aryan conquerors moved to the
Indus Valley and brought with them own set of
beliefs that eventually mingle with the religion of the
natives.
Classical Hinduism resulted in the amalgamation of
their faiths. Aryans brought with them their set of
beliefs base on oral text known as Vedas. There is
much difficulty in identifying elements in the Vedas
that are genuinely pre-Aryan or Aryan influenced.
However, certain fundamental assumptions about
the Aryan religion can be stated. Aryans brought
with them a "polytheistic religion" similar to that of
other Indo-European peoples. Sacrifice was the
principal form of worship to the Aryan Gods.
SACRED SCRIPTURES
The sacred text of Hinduism have been principally
passed down throughout generation by way of
music, recitation, dance and drama. Sanskrit has
been the language of the earliest writings.
The sacred writings of the Hindus are categories
into two classes:
Shruti and Smriti.
Shruti literally means "That which is heard". They
are regarded as eternal truths that were passed
orally until the beginning of the present age wherein
there came the need to write them down. The four
collections of texts of vedas form the shruti, are
considered primary sources and the most
authoritative text of Hindu faith.
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VEDAS
The four basic Vedic books, which are sacrificial
hymns compiled from an earlier oral tradition, are
composed of Rig-Veda, Sama-Veda, Yajur-Veda
and Atharva-Veda. The word Veda means
"knowledge" or "sacred lore".
The Vedas are the earliest known Sanskrit
literature from the Brahmanic period and oldest
scripture of the Hinduism. In the great epic
Mahabharata, Brahma was said to have created
the Vedas.
1. Rig-Veda is the most important and oldest book
that dates back to around 1500 B.C.E to 1200
B.C.E. apart from being the oldest work of
literature in an Indo- European language. It is also
the oldest living religious literature of the world.
The book is a collection of over a thousand hymns
and more than thousand verses dedicated to the
Aryan Pantheon of Gods.
Rig Veda 10:129 is in a famous hymn of the tenth
mandala. It is generally regarded as one of the
later hymns, probably composed in the 9th
century BCE. It has the Indian name Nasadiya
Sukta, "Not the Non-existen", and is often given
the English title Creation, because of its subject.
The Paradox of Origin
The advanced abstract reasoning in the hymn has
brought it a lot of attention, not only within
Indology, but from scholars of philosophy and the
history of religion as well. Its line of thought relates
splendidly to cosmological thinking of the
philosophers of Ancient Greece, all through to
present day astronomy.
And it ends with what seems like a punch line, a
paradox taken to the extreme, almost as if the
unknown poet of it was making a joke. Here are
the last lines of it (in Max Müller's translation):
Who knows from whence this great creation
sprang?
He from whom all this great creation came.
Whether his will created or was mute,
The Most High seer that is in highest heaven, He
knows it - or perchance even He knows not.
Mainly, Rig Veda 10:129 reveals an insoluble
paradox in which the human mind of the past as
well as the present easily gets trapped. How can
the universe have sprung into existence? How can
something come out of nothing? How can there be
a beginning, before which there was nothing?
Much of what puzzled people three thousand years
ago, still puzzles us today. This dilemma, too.
Present-day scientists wrestle with the paradox,
speculating about multiverses and such in an effort
to explain the something out of nothing. Doing so,
they might just move the problem to another
location, not solving it at all. So, we should be wary
of taking for granted that our ancestors were
intellectually inferior to us. We have more facts, but
they knew what we still would not know today, nor
tomorrow. That's what this Creation hymn of Rig
Veda points out.
2. Yajur-Veda or the "knowledge of rites" is the
second book. Composed between 1200 B.C.E., this
book is a compilation of materials recited during
rituals and sacrifices to deities.
3. The third book is Sama-Veda or the "knowledge
of chants". Dating back almost the same time as
the Yajur-Veda, this book is a collection of verses
from the basic hymns recited by priests during
sacrifices.
4. The fourth book is Atharva-Veda or known as
"knowledge given by the sage Atharva" that date
back around 1500 B.C.E. This book contains rituals
used in homes and popular prayers to gods.
Seldom used in solemn ceremonies unlike the other
three Vedas, the Atharva-Veda contains numerous
spells and incantations for medical purposes and
magical aids to victory in battle among others.
UPANISHADS
Forming the fourth part of the Vedas, the term
Upanishad literally translates as "sitting down near"
or "sitting close to" as it implies listening intently to
the mystic teachings of a spiritual teacher who has
fully understood the universal truths. It could also
mean "brahma-knowledge" whereby ignorance is
totally eliminated. Within these amazing collection
of writings that were transmitted orally through
generations, one can find early philosophical
statements that form the basis for all later Hindu
philosophy.
RAMAYANA
The 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
verse in seven books and 500 cantos.
This great epic was written between 200 B.C.E. and
200 C.E. Central to the story is Rama, a prince and
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later portrayed as avatar or incarnation of the
Hindu god Vishnu, who was born in Ayodhya.
Rama was exiled by his father on the eve of his
coronation. Meanwhile, in the forest, Rama's
consort, Sita, was abducted by Ravana, the
demon-king of Lanka. Rama struggles mightily to
win Sita back. After a battle, Rama kills Ravana
and reunites again with Sita.
Written around B.C.E. this magnificent work is
attributed to the author Vyasa who is also
considered to be the scribe of the vedas.
MAHABHARATA
Tells of a great struggle among the descendants
of the king called Bharata, a name used by many
Indians to mean "India" (Coogan 2005). Two
families are at war, the Pandavas who represent
good and the Kauravas who embody evil). The
hundred Kaurava brothers try to cheat their five
cousins, the Pandavas, out of their share of the
kingdom. As intense battle ensued, every kingdom
had to take sides. With the help of Khrisna,
another incarnation of Vishnu, the Pandavas
emerged triumphant but lost all their sons and
closest kin in battle.
With about 100,000 couplets than the Ramayana
and 1.8 million words in total, this poem ia about
four times longer than the Ramayana, eight times
longer than the Iliad and the Odyssey put
together, and fifteen times longer than the Bible.
Along with the Bible and Quran, the Mahabharata
ranks in importance among the sacred writings of
various world religions.
BHAGAVAD GITA
A celebrated episode within the Mahabharata is
the Bhagavad Gita (or simply Gita) which is
translated as "the Lord's song". Considered as
one of the holiest books by the Hindus, the Gita is
a 700-verse narrative of a dialogue between the
Pandava prince Arjuna and his guide-cousin
Krishna. Just as the war is about to commence at
Kurukshetra, Arjuna is troubled at the thought of
having to find his relatives and contemplates his
fate and struggles set before him. Returning to
Ayodhya, they are crowned with portrayed as the
ideal king. Rama and Sita are the epitome of
perfect man and woman. Meanwhile, Ravana
symbolizes ambition and greed resulting in cosmic
disorder and degradation of women and family.
BELIES AND DOCTRINES
The Hindu faith offers its followers many paths to
salvation. They may find liberation from the cycle of
life through devotion to one or more gods. Gods
and Goddesses can be worshipped at their
temples. In temples, devotees can pray and offer
sacrifices so that they can gain favor from deities
and assist them in their struggle for salvation.
Bhakti stands for the soul's longing for and clinging
to god.
BELIES AND DOCTRINES
The Hindu faith offers its followers many paths to
salvation. They may find liberation from the cycle of
life through devotion to one or more gods. Gods
and Goddesses can be worshipped at their
temples. In temples, devotees can pray and offer
sacrifices so that they can gain favor from deities
and assist them in their struggle for salvation.
Bhakti stands for the soul's longing for and clinging
to god.
DEVOTION TO THE TRIMURTI
Hindu Gods and Goddesses
Central to Hinduism is the Brahman who is the
ultimate reality, one and undivided. The Brahman is
often seen in three forms or functions. Trimurti
these are creation, preservation, and destruction.
These functions are expressed in god forms,
namely, Brahman, the creator; Vishnu, the
preserver; and Shiva, the destroyer.
Though widely respected and recognized as the
creator of the universe, Brahman receives the least
attention among the Trimurti. In fact, only two
temples are dedicated to him in India and he has no
cult of devotees. He is not worshipped in the same
way as other gods because he has done his task
and will not come into his own until the next
creation of the universe. When depicted, Bhrama
has four heads and eight hands. His chief consort is
Saraswati, the goddess of science and wisdom.
Bhrama's vehicle is a swan or goose which
symbolizes knowledge.
Known as God of love, benevolence and
forgiveness, Vishnu's primary concern is humility
itself. As a preserver, the creation is withdrawn to a
seed whenever he sleeps but rises again as he
wakes up. He is worshipped in various forms of his
incarnations or avatars. Based on mythology,
Vishnu has appeared on earth in nine different
forms and will come a tenth time to end the present
era or kalpa, to bring the world to an end, and then
recreate it. These manifestations of Vishnu are
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intended to help humanity with his preserving,
restoring, and protecting powers.
In Hindu sacred writings, Vishnu is depicted as
having four arms and with a dark complexion. His
most popular manifestation is Krishna which is
blue, the color of infinity, and plays the flute.
Vishnu's consort is Lakshmi, the goddess of
fortune, who is seated on a lotus flower between
two elephants with their trunks raised above her.
Both Vishnu and Lakshmi ride the eagle mount or
kite Garuda, the symbol of sky and the sun. The
snake in Garuda's claws represents water.
As the destroyer and the God of death,
destruction and disease, Shiva is the third in
Trimurti. His functions are many. He is also god of
dance, vegetable, animal, and human
reproduction. In Hindu belief, death is but a
prelude to birth, hence, the god of death is also
the god often revered through lingam, the male
energy surrounded by the yoni, the female source
of energy. In mythology, he is described as having
a constantly erect penis and sexually alert at all
times.
Equally as popular as Shiva are his man consorts
that express the differing elements of his
character. Perhaps the most terrifying of his
consorts is KALI, depicted as wearing a garland of
human skills, tearing the flesh of sacrificed
victims, and drinking blood. Although wild and
violent. Kali is frequently the subject of intense
devotion. Kali is also the ferocious forms of
consorts Durga and Parvati. Durga is a powerful
goddess created from the combine forces of the
anger of several gods. Meanwhile, Parvati, he
daughter of the sacred mountain Himalaya and
the goddess of love, fertility, and devotion is the
most modest, conservative, and benign of Shiva's
consorts. Her sons with Shiva include Ganesha,
the elephant-headed deity revered as the remover
of obstacles, and Kartikeya, the Hindu god of war.
Brahma, the Creator
Brahma is the first member of the Hindu Trinity
and is "the Creator" because he periodically
creates everything in the universe. (The word
periodically here refers to the Hindu belief that
time is cyclical; everything in the universe - except
for Brahman and certain Hindu scriptures is
created, maintained for a certain amount of time,
and then destroyed in order to be renewed in ideal
form again. Brahma has a four heads and eight
hands. Brahma's vehicle is a swan or goose which
symbolize knowledge.
Vishnu, the Preserver
Vishnu is the second member of the Hindu Trinity.
He maintains the order and harmony of the
universe, which is periodically created by Brahma
and periodically destroyed by Shiva to prepare for
the next creation. Vishnu is worshipped in many
forms and in several avatars (incarnations). Vishnu
is an important, somewhat mysterious god. Less
visible than nature gods that preside over elements
(such as fire and rain), Vishnu is the "Pervader" -
the divine essence that pervades the universe. He
is usually worshipped in the form of an avatar.
Shiva, the Destroyer
Shiva is the third member of the Hindu Trinity,
tasked with destroying the universe in order to
prepare for its renewal at the end of each cycle of
time. Shiva's destructive power is regenerative: It's
the necessary step that makes renewal possible.
Hindus customarily invoke Shiva before the
beginning of any religious or spiritual endeavour;
they believe that any bad vibrations in the
immediate vicinity of worship are eliminated by the
mere utterance of his praise or name.
Ganapati, the Remover of Obstacles
Ganapati, also known as Ganesha, is Shiva's first
son. Lord Ganapati, who has an elephant head,
occupies a very special place in the hearts of
Hindus because they consider him the Remover of
Obstacles. Most Hindu households have a picture
or statue of this godhead, and it's not uncommon to
see small replicas of Ganapati hanging from rear
view mirrors of cars and trucks.
Avatars of Vishnu
The literal meaning of the word avatar is "descent,"
and it's usually understood to mean divine descent.
Avatars are savior forms of a god that descend to
earth to intervene whenever help is needed to
restore dharma (moral order) and peace. Two of
Vishnu's ten avatars are Rama and Krishna.
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Rama
Rama is one of the most beloved Hindu gods and
is the hero of the Hindu epic called the
Ramayana. He is portrayed as an ideal son,
brother, husband, and king and as a strict
adherent to dharma. Millions of Hindus derive
satisfaction from reading and recalling Rama's
trials and tribulations as a young prince who was
exiled from his kingdom for 14 years.
Krishna
If one Hindu god's name is known and recognized
throughout the world, it is Krishna. Hindus identify
Krishna as the teacher of the sacred scripture
called the Bhagavad Gita and as the friend and
mentor of prince Arjuna in the epic the
Mahabharata. For his devotees, Krishna is a
delight, full of playful pranks. But most of all, Lord
Krishna's promise to humanity that he will
manifest himself and descend to earth whenever
dharma declines has sustained Hindu belief in the
Supreme Being over thousands of years.
Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning
Saraswati is the consort of Brahma the Creator
and is worshipped as the goddess of learning,
wisdom, speech, and music. Hindus offer prayer
to Saraswati before beginning any intellectual
pursuit, and Hindu students are encouraged to
offer prayers to her during the school/college term
and especially before and during examinations.
Lakshmi
Lakshmi is the goddess of good fortune, wealth,
and well-being. As the consort of Vishnu, she
plays a role in every incarnation. (She is Sita, wife
of Rama; Rukmini, wife of Krishna; and Dharani,
wife of Parashu Rama, another avatar of Vishnu.)
Durga Devi
Durga Devi is a powerful, even frightening
goddess who fights fiercely in order to restore
dharma (moral order). Yet, while Durga is
terrifying to her adversaries, she is full of
compassion and love for her devotees.
Indra- the King of Heaven and lord of the gods.
Indra wields a thunderbolt and is a protector and
provider of rain.
Surya, the sun
Surya (or Soorya) is a golden warrior arriving on a
chariot pulled by seven white horses.
Agni, the fire god
Agni holds a special place in Hindu fire ritual to this
day as the sacrificer (the priest who performs the
ceremony); the sacrifice (the ritual fire and the
offerings made into it); and the witness to all rites.
Hanuman, the monkey king and devoted servant
Hanuman is featured in the great Hindu epic the
Ramayana. He earned his path to deification by
performing feats of strength, devotion, and courage
while helping Rama (an avatar of Vishnu) in
countless exciting incidents.
Durga - A powerful goddess created from the
combined forces of the anger of several gods.
Parvati
The daughter of the sacred mountain Himalaya and
the goddess of love, fertility, and devotion, is the
most modest, conservative, and benign of Shiva's
consorts. Her sons with Shiva include Ganesha, the
elephant-headed deity revered as the remover of
the obstacles, and Kartikeya, the Hindu god of war.
ROUTES TO MOKSHA
From the Upanishads one may find the three
principal and inter-related doctrines within the
Indian religion.
Firstly every soul dies and is reborn anew in new
form (this cycle is called samsara).
Second, one's deeds have an effect in this or a
future life.
Lastly, one may escape the weary round of death
and birth. Within every human is an eternal soul or
atman that is being reborn many times and in
various forms in accordance to the moral law or
karma. A soul may escape the cycle of rebirth and
attain moksha. The word YOGA is derived from the
root word you which translates as "to yoke" or "to
join. "The philosophy of yoga was developed by the
sage Patanjali who lived in the second century
B.C.E. He is considered as father of modern yoga
as he codified the teachings of yoga in his Yoga
Sutra.
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For all Hindus, there are four desirable goals of
life or purushartha. These are dharma
(appropriate behavior), artha (the pursuit of
legitimate wordy success), Kama (the pursuit of
legitimate pleasure), and moksha (release of flesh
and the limitations of death-bound life.
WORSHIP AND OBSERVATION
Hindu scriptures state that are 330 million gods or
devas. These include manifestations of natural
phenomena, evil forces, and evil illnesses. Hindu
worship or puja involves images (murtis), prayers
(mantras), and diagrams of universe (yantras).
Most Hindus worship individually involving
mantras or vibrating sounds that summon the
deity and the prasad or gift offerings. Vital to
Hindu worship is darshan that pertaining to seeing
and being in the presence of deity. In temples,
ceremonies may be in the form of offering a
flames, milk, or honey, and even reciting chants
and music. While worship maybe undertaken any
day of the week, Thursday is considered to be the
most opportune day.
Hindus celebrate a number of festival that are
based on the Hindu calendar and often related to
seasonal changes. Main festival include Holi,
Diwali, and Dusserah. The Diwali or "Festival of
Lights" is India's biggest and most important
holiday of the year held in October or November
that is similar to Christmas Holiday of the
Christian. Indians light outside their homes to
symbolize the inner light that safeguards the
people from evil forces.
Pilgrimages are also undertaken by Hindus
throughout India to be visit the sacred shrines of
their deities. These include rivers, mountains, and
temples. The city of Varanasi, also called Benares,
is the most important and sacred pilgrimages site in
India and is considered as the home of Shiva. Many
people come and live in the city until they die to
manifest their exceptional devotion. Other popular
sites include Kurukshetra (the place of the Great
War in Mahabharata). Ayodhya (the old capital of
Rama), and Mathura (Krishna's birthplace).
SUBDIVISIONS
Followers of Hinduism vary in their set of beliefs
and practices, including reverence to a particular
god. Presently, there are four principal
denominations within the faith. These are Shaivism,
Shaktism, Vaishavism, Smartism. It is important to
note, however, that while these gods have different
names, Hindus all worship one Supreme Being.
Each sect has its own religious leaders, sacred
texts, schools, and temples. While there is indeed
variety and key differences among sects, adherents
of these denominations share the pervading beliefs
concerning karma, dharma, reincarnation, and
other key Hindu concepts and philosophy.
SHAIVISM
Lord Shiva, the Compassionate One, is God for the
Saivites. Followers Shaivism value self-discipline
and philosophy. They worship in temples and
practice yoga.
SHAKTISM
The Goddess Shakti is supreme for Shaktas. She is
the divine mother and assumes many forms, be it a
gentle one for fierce deity. Believers use chants,
magic, and yoga to summon cosmic forces.
SMARTISM
For the Smartas, devotees are left to choose their
own deity in one of six manifestations, namely,
Ganesha, Siva, Shakti, Vishnu, Surya, and Skanda.
Smartas are known as liberals as they embrace all
major Hindu gods
.
SELECTED ISSUES
Hinduism continues to be the religion of almost
80% of the Indian people. While mostly comprised
of Hindu followers, India is a secular state that
remains neutral in issues involving religious
convictions and practices of its citizenry. All Indians
are allowed to follow and propagate their own set of
beliefs. Being a country with the largest adherents
of Hinduism, India is presently facing numerous
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challenges that are religious in character, some of Vaishyas
which are below. Artisans, tradesmen, farmers, merchants

HINDUISM and WOMEN Shudras

Even though Manusmriti or the "Laws of Manu" Manual labora
states that women should be honored in Hindu
society, women have been always been Dalits
considered inferior to men in almost all aspects of Street cleaners, menial tasks
life. A woman's life revolves around the men in her
life, to be taken care of by her father in childhood,
by her husband in her married life, and by her
sons upon old age. Thus, women are relegated to
performing household chores and are expected to
become a loyal to their husbands, even after their
husbands die. In traditional society, women are
expected to perform sati or suttee wherein
widowed women are expected to jump on the
funeral pyre of their husbands to prove their
loyalty and help save the soul of their husbands in
the afterlife. In spite of the fact that sati was
already demolished by the British in India, there
are still cases of sati being reported in modern
times.

CASTE SYSTEM
The caste system is one major distinguishing
feature of Indian culture that still affects modern-
day society. A social class composed of the
Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras,
opportunities are based upon family origin. One
person belongs to a caste by being born to
parents of that particular caste. However, the most
deplorable group are those persons that do not
belong to any group-those that are disparagingly
called as "outcasts" or "untouchables". Also
known as dalits, they are highly ostracized in
society. Despite the negative backlash on the
caste system, India has been receptive in
enacting legislation aimed at contra ducting
inherent social evils. Untouchability has been
banned and the caste system is no longer rigid.
The Indian constitution has provided that it is
unlawful to discriminate against lower caste.
Lower caste members are now being elected to
key government [positions, including Kocherii R.
Narayanan, a dalit who became the tenth
president of India from 1997 to 2002.

India's Caste System

Brahmins
Priestly, academic class

Kshatriyas
Rulers, administrators, warriors