Origins of Hinduism

HISTORY | HINDUISM ORIGINS OF Indologist Michel Danino traces the roots of one of hinduismthe world’s oldest religions - Hinduism A pictorial representation earching for the origins of Hinduism Harappan Legacy’ (BBC Knowledge, April of Brahma - the Creator is a bit like exploring a thick forest: 2012) archaeologists have agreed to see in of the Universe according Sthere are so many paths and trails that the Indus civilization (2600–1900 BCE) to Hindu mythology it is difficult to decide which ones matter. some of the roots of Hinduism: tree Perhaps that is because Hinduism is itself worship, figures in yogic postures (and the something of a forest — a disorderly, well-known ‘Priest-King’ in unregulated, tangled growth. Judaism, contemplation), symbols like the swastika, Christianity and Islam look so neat in the linga and the trishula, three-faced gods, comparison: one god, one founder, one fire altars, sacred proportions and much book. Hinduism has not just many gods, more. It bears repetition that John founders and books, but as many as you Marshall, who directed excavations at like; in fact, you are free to keep adding to Mohenjo-daro, asserted in 1931, ‘Taken as them. You may, if you wish, start a whole, [the Harappan] religion is so Indologist Michel Danino traces the roots of one worshipping a new god (how about a god characteristically Indian as hardly to be of exams, say, Pariksheshwara?) or write a distinguished from still living Hinduism.’ of the world’s oldest religion - Hinduism new Upanishad, though you may have to wait for a few centuries for it to be The Early Texts accepted as such. We must turn to the early texts for its Defining Hinduism, in the first place, is conceptual framework, starting with the a challenge, and we have as many Vedas, especially the oldest of the four, the GETTY definitions as we have scholars. In ‘The Rig-Veda. While its date remains February 2015 49 HISTORY | HINDUISM Important GodsTRIMUR TofI Hinduism unsettled, its 1,028 hymns, which best-known examples are of course India’s have been faithfully memorised two great epics, the Ramayana and the and orally transmitted by Mahabharata, which travelled to every nook generations of students and teachers and corner of the subcontinent through to the present day, are invocations countless retellings, translations, and to gods and goddesses, such as Indra, Agni, adaptations. The two epics fulfilled several Mitra or Sarasvati. functions: they gave everyone — king or Certain fundamental concepts do emerge subject, husband or wife, guru or student clearly from the Rig-Veda, especially its — role models to be followed. They Brahma – The Creator Vishnu – The Preserver Shiva – The Destroyer insistence on a single divine essence taking provided a readily accessible teaching on the many names and forms: “The Existent is intricacies of dharma. And they contributed Legend has it that Brahma was born He is said to take birth in the form of various Represents the force of destruction and One, but sages express It variously; they say greatly to the land’s cultural unification. from Vishnu’s navel. avatars to return cosmic order in the Universe. austerity. His third eye, if opened can His tenth and final avatar is called Kalki. destroy the world. Indra, Varuna, Mitra, Agni ...” (1.164.46). These powers, ultimately, are mere aspects The Borders of Hinduism TRIDEVI of ‘That One’ (tad ekam), or ‘that truth’ While its non-dogmatic and amorphous (tat satyam). nature, its apparent polytheism, its refusal to Absent from the Vedas, however, are limit itself to one founder and one book, notions like dharma, karma and rebirth, were often criticised or even ridiculed by which is what makes the Vedic religion nineteenth-century Indologists, in practice rather different from the Hinduism we those features encouraged a plethora of know: Hinduism reveres the Vedas and cults, sects, modes of worship, and of course claims them as its source, but in practice has deities. In its long-standing (and, in fact, little use for them, beyond including some on-going) interaction with rural and tribal of their mantras in rituals and ceremonies. A communities, Hinduism generously few centuries after the Vedas were exchanged deities, rituals and cults. Gods Saraswati – The Goddess of Lakshmi – The Goddess of Wealth Parvati – The Goddess of Strength Knowledge, Arts & Music composed, the concepts of dharma and like Jagannath, Ganesha, Narasimha and When the Gods were in exile, Lakshmi hid in the Shiva’s consort, she is the reincarnated rebirth emerged in the Upanishads, texts many aspects of the mother goddess have According to Hindu mythology, she is ocean. During the churning of the ocean, Lakshmi form of Sati, his first wife. She is the which also gave expression to the central tribal origins; on the other hand, rural and credited with the invention of writing. was reborn and became Vishnu’s consort source of all powers and weapons. spiritual principles of Hinduism in a tribal communities often accepted philosophical language: they taught that all is ‘mainstream’ gods, such as Shiva or Rama, the divine (“you are That”, tat tvam asi) and rishis like Agastya, or heroes such as the five POPULAR DEITIES that the microcosm (our small individual Pandava brothers of the Mahabharata. scale) and the macrocosm (the cosmos) are This symbiosis is what has been so essentially correlated, implying that disconcerting to many students of Indian everything in this universe is symbolic. Our religions: on the one hand, a mainstream body, for instance, is made of the same five Hinduism based on texts like the elements — earth, water, fire, wind, ether Upanishads, the Bhagavad-Gita or the Puranas — as the universe, and while its head and sometimes called sanatana dharma or the corresponds to the higher worlds, its feet ‘eternal law’, which has produced manifold symbolise the earth. And there are at least teachings and methods of self-exploration Indra – Varuna – Vayu – Yama – Surya – five beings in us: the material, the emotional, and self-realisation; on the other, a popular God of Rain God of Ocean & all Waters God of Wind/Air God of Death Sun God the mental, the spiritual and the highest self. Hinduism which may appear to be little These are no mere abstractions, since they more than a loose fusion of regional He is described in the texts as Sits on a throne of diamonds Is the father of Lord Hanuman Legend has it that Yama was The Sun temple in Konark are the foundations of Ayurveda and orient cultures, customs and traditions, absorbing having a thousand eyes. watching over demons arising (through Anjana) and of the first mortal to die. Orissa is built in his honour. the actual treatment of this ancient Indian more of them from successive waves of from the waters. Bhima (through Kunti). system of medicine. They also gave rise to invaders, and yet somehow managed to many systems of yoga, which ultimately aim build up an identity of its at union with our spiritual or divine essence. own, contributing to the creation of a united and yet multicultural India where Popular Hinduism spiritual and religious freedom was always Like all religions, Hinduism operated at highly valued. other levels, those of popular literature, art, worship and ritual. Popular literature was taken care of Michel Danino has been living in India since 1977. He is a guest professor at IIT by vast collection of heroic or Gandhinagar. His recent titles are The Chandra – Nataraja – Prithvi – Agni – Kamadeva – mythological stories (often conveyed by Lost River: On the Trail of the Sarasvati Moon God the Lord of Dance Goddess of Earth God of Fire God of Pleasure many encyclopaedic texts known as the (Penguin India, 2010) and Indian Culture and India’s Future (DK Printworld, 2011). He is the father of planet An avatar of Shiva, he One of the avatars of the He is Indra’s twin brother Kamadeva was reduced to 123RF.COM, WIKIPEDIA COMMONS X16 Puranas), legends, parables and ballads. The Mercury and is said to be performs the dance of Goddess is that of a white and is the messenger ashes by Shiva, as he descended from Varuna. destruction to destroy an cow. She is also a mother to between Gods and mortals. interrupted Shiva’s February 2015 50 unbalanced Universe. Indra and Agni. meditation..

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