Hinduism
Sign in to saveHinduism () is an umbrella term for a range of Indian religious and spiritual traditions (sampradayas) that are unified by adherence to the concept of dharma, a cosmic order maintained by its followers through rituals and righteous living, as expounded in the Vedas. The word Hindu is an exonym, and while Hinduism has been called the oldest surviving religion in the world, it is also described by the 19th century term Sanātana Dharma (). Vaidika Dharma () and Arya Dharma are historical endonyms for Hinduism.
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Hinduism is a collection of Indian religious and spiritual traditions unified by the concept of dharma—a cosmic order that followers maintain through rituals and righteous living, as taught in the Vedas. It is considered the world's oldest surviving religion and encompasses diverse practices and beliefs that have been sustained for thousands of years through this shared philosophical framework.
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Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- exonym
- Subclass of
- state religion
- Has part
- Hindu denomination
- Named after
- Indus River
- Followed by
- Sikhism
- Follows
- Historical Vedic religion
- Image
- Thiruvannamalai, Arunachalesvara Temple, India.jpg
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Article
59 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Definitions
- Typology
- {{IAST|Sanātana Dharma}}
- ''Vaidika Dharma''
- Legal definition
- Diversity and unity
- Diversity
- Sense of unity
- Classical Hinduism
- Medieval developments
- Colonial views
- Hindu modernism and neo-Vedanta
- Modern India and the world
- Main traditions
- Denominations
- Ethnicities
- Scriptures
- Beliefs
- Purusharthas
- Dharma (moral duties, righteousness, ethics)
- Artha (the means or resources needed for a fulfilling life)
- Kāma (sensory, emotional and aesthetic pleasure)
- Mokṣa (liberation, freedom from suffering)
- Differing views on the nature of moksha
- Karma and saṃsāra
- Concept of God
- Authority
- Practices
- Rituals at home
- Yajna
- ''Sādhanā''
- Life-cycle rites of passage
- Bhakti (worship)
- Festivals
- Pilgrimage
- Culture
- Architecture
- Art
- Calendar
- Physical culture
- Person and society
- Varnas
- Yoga
- Symbolism
- Ahiṃsā and food customs
- Institutions
- Temple
- Asrama
- Monasticism
- History
- Demographics
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Sources
- Printed sources
- Web sources
- Further reading
Hinduism () is an umbrella term for a range of Indian religious and spiritual traditions (sampradayas) that are unified by adherence to the concept of dharma, a cosmic order maintained by its followers through rituals and righteous living, as expounded in the Vedas. The word Hindu is an exonym, and while Hinduism has been called the oldest surviving religion in the world, it is also described by the 19th century term Sanātana Dharma (). Vaidika Dharma () and Arya Dharma are historical endonyms for Hinduism.
Hinduism entails diverse systems of thought, marked by a range of shared concepts that discuss theology, mythology, and other topics in textual sources. Hindu texts have been classified into Śruti () and Smṛti (). The major Hindu scriptures are the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Puranas, the Mahabharata (including the Bhagavad Gita), the Ramayana, and the Agamas. Prominent themes in Hindu beliefs include karma (action, intent and consequences), saṃsāra (the cycle of death and rebirth) and the four Puruṣārthas, proper goals or aims of human life, namely: dharma (ethics/duties), artha (prosperity/work), kama (desires/passions) and moksha (liberation/emancipation from passions and ultimately saṃsāra). Hindu religious practices include devotion (bhakti), worship (puja), sacrificial rites (yajna), and meditation (dhyana) and Yoga. Hinduism has no central doctrinal authority and many Hindus do not claim to belong to any denomination. However, scholarly studies recognise four major denominations: Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism and Smartism. The six Āstika schools of Hindu philosophy that recognise the authority of the Vedas are: Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mīmāṃsā, and Vedanta.