Basic Features Originated Aryan invaders Vedic roots no precise date of birth – people + invaders 1500 BC – Vedism core four Aryan scriptures – – Vedas knowledge – on obedience to gods Complex rituals/sacrifices for priests Oral form back to 4500 BCE Oldest/largest Rig-Veda hymns/stories – – Gods/goddesses Agni fire god – Mitra patron of humankind – Surya sun god – Indra god of war/storms – Early Hindu scriptures Upanishads 900-500 BCE – Essays and poems to outline Hindu spirituality Emphasize simplicity Inner development of individual methods for spiritual improvement Yoga meditative practices – physical/mental discipline Puranas popular tales about gods and heroes – Sutras moral teachings – Laws of Manu 200 BCE > 200 CE support of caste system – – Texts that were religious and literary Mahabharata epic of 90,000 stanzas – longest poem in the world? war between two royal houses Bhagavad-Gita of the Lord” “Song Poetic dialogue between Arjuna/Krishna Lectures on duty Ramayana 350 BCE adventures of Rama – – Seventh incarnation of Vishnu Hinduism Muslim invaders non-religious practices – – the “Beyond ” Roots further back than any other religion still practiced Not a single faith Founded by single group/person Single of gods single body of scripture synthesis of many religious traditions
Basic Features Originated Aryan invaders Vedic roots – no precise date of birth people + invaders – 1500 BC Vedism – core – four Aryan scriptures Vedas – knowledge on obedience to gods Complex rituals/sacrifices for priests Oral form back to 4500 BCE Oldest/largest – Rig-Veda – hymns/stories Gods/goddesses Agni – fire god Mitra – patron of humankind Surya – sun god Indra – god of war/storms Early Hindu scriptures Upanishads – 900-500 BCE Essays and poems to outline Hindu spirituality Emphasize simplicity Inner development of individual methods for spiritual improvement Yoga – meditative practices physical/mental discipline Puranas – popular tales about gods and heroes Sutras – moral teachings Laws of Manu – 200 BCE > 200 CE – support of caste system Texts that were religious and literary Mahabharata – epic of 90,000 stanzas longest poem in the world? war between two royal houses Bhagavad-Gita “Song of the Lord” Poetic dialogue between Arjuna/Krishna Lectures on duty Ramayana – 350 BCE – adventures of Rama Seventh incarnation of Vishnu Hinduism – Muslim invaders – non-religious practices “Beyond the ” Roots further back than any other religion still practiced Not a single faith Founded by single group/person Single of gods single body of scripture synthesis of many religious traditions
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