Sample Copy. Not For Distribution. ABC of Hinduism i Sample Copy. Not For Distribution. Publishing-in-support-of, EDUCREATION PUBLISHING RZ 94, Sector - 6, Dwarka, New Delhi - 110075 Shubham Vihar, Mangla, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh - 495001 Website: www.educreation.in ________________________________________________________________ © Copyright, Authors All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of its writer. ISBN: 978-1-5457-0339-7 Price: ` 565.00 The opinions/ contents expressed in this book are solely of the authors and do not represent the opinions/ standings/ thoughts of Educreation or the Editors . The book is released by using the services of self-publishing house. Printed in India ii Sample Copy. Not For Distribution. ABC of Hinduism Prem P. Bhalla EDUCREATION PUBLISHING (Since 2011) www.educreation.in iii Sample Copy. Not For Distribution. iv Sample Copy. Not For Distribution. Preface It has never been possible to define Hinduism in precise terms. Some call it a religion; others call it a faith. The majority interprets it as a way of life. It is not possible to draw upon the thoughts, words and directions of a founding father of Hinduism, as we can in other religions, because there is none. The foundation of Hinduism rests upon the Vedas, which are not the work of a single person. They are a source of knowledge and wisdom revealed on separate occasions to different people and compiled together later. The Vedas were not accepted blindly as a matter of faith. The conscientious saints and sages put them to test. They were discussed, debated and repeatedly tried. The comments, opinions and findings were recorded. Upanishads emerged from such deliberations. These were further discussed in different forms and on different occasions. Everyone did not accept what was said and discussed. Several schools of thought emerged. Differences of opinion were happily accepted in a spirit of open thought and free existence. The interpretations might have been different and dissensions may have existed, but none challenged the authority of the Vedas because they are based upon the fundamentals of nature and existence. Who could refute the hymns in praise of Agni (fire), Surya (sun - energy), Varun (water), Vayu (air), Prithvi (earth) or Indra (rain and the environment)? Whom would the beauty of Usha not bewilder, the charming golden rays of brilliance rising above the horizon ushering in another day of hope and attainment? Who would not like to thank the forces that make it all happen at the end of another satisfying day at sunset? The hills, mountains, springs, rivers and the sea were always generous in promising better life. Within these were treasures mankind searched for in greed. In return for the benevolence people prayed to them as gods. It is only the gods who give without asking for anything in exchange. People revered the animals, fishes and birds. Gods incarnated through them. They v Sample Copy. Not For Distribution. used them as their vehicles. Gods were as much a part of the animal world as of mankind. Hindus revered the plants, shrubs and trees. They are living beings and part of the vast universe. While many provided food, others provided flowers and the trees provided shelter and comforting shade, abundance of energizing oxygen and of course the fruits that delighted the palate as much as they were beneficial for health. In them, the Hindus saw the abodes of gods. Through them they sought health, happiness and a long life for themselves and for those they loved. Gods would not disappoint them. Human life is short, but knowledge and wisdom are forever. It was not possible to record it for the generations to come because no such facilities existed at that time. Yet knowledge and wisdom was transmitted through word of mouth through sheer repetition of the hymns in praise of the benevolent gods. All men and women are not born equal. Some are born with intellect, the ability to understand, analyse and accept or reject what comes before them. The majority consists of ordinary people with a simple mind and ordinary intellect. The saints and sages reached out to them with nature‟s wisdom in the form of stories and parables that they could understand. It was sugar coating the bitter truth, which may not always be palatable to accept. From the stories and explanations emerged yet another form of religious texts, which are known as Purans. The Purans highlight the activities of different gods. The existence of evil has always been recognised as a part of life. With the human body being pulled towards the pleasures of the senses, and with giving in to them easily leading one to harm, the perpetual battle between the good and bad desires has been illustrated through a variety of stories that enrich Hindu texts. We see storytelling at its best in the great Hindu epic, sage Valmiki‟s Ramayan. Sri Ram is recognised as a god who lived an ideal life of a man fulfilling his responsibilities as a son, a student, a brother, a husband, a friend and as a king. Many versions of the Ramayan have since been written in many languages. Each year one sees the life of Sri Ram re-enacted through Ramlilas all over the world. Innumerable TV serials and films are testimony to Sri Ram‟s popularity amongst both the Hindus and non-Hindus. vi Sample Copy. Not For Distribution. The second Hindu epic, the Mahabharat, is again a remarkable story with shorter stories within the principal story highlighting the forces of good and evil. These are as relevant today as they were when first written. The Bhagwat Gita that forms a part of the epic could be described as the essence of the teachings of Hinduism. It has found its way into every Hindu home. Like the earlier epic, Mahabharat has been televised and made into films that have attracted the viewership of millions of people around the world. While Hinduism accepts the existence of different schools of thought within it, it equally accepts the growth of distinct allied religions like Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism from within it. These religions have their own distinct forms and following. Since they have emerged from Hinduism and have much in common, they continue to share many similarities mutually accepted by everyone. People following these faiths continue to live in harmony in communities everywhere. Hindu rites, rituals, customs and traditions are followed by millions of people around the world. Many follow them because others are doing it. A large majority has lost touch with many of these simply because the current system of education initiated by the British has totally ignored the purpose and utility of these activities. The common man, lost in the struggle for economic competency, has had no time to understand that the Hindu traditions provide a complete plan of a good life from childhood to death. With a religion that is thousands of years old, has many schools of thought, with the religious texts written in Sanskrit and a variety of other languages that were popular at that time, and with a variety of rituals still accepted and followed, though without sufficient understanding of their significance, the common man stands lost in search for relevant information on several aspects of Hinduism that interest him. His call is loud and clear, “Where can I instantly find relevant information that would be useful to me?” Hinduism can be proud of having the world‟s oldest religious texts. There is no dearth of religious literature of all descriptions. The original literature is in Sanskrit or other languages. Effort has been made to translate important texts. There are limitations of finding exact words that could describe not only the meaning but vii Sample Copy. Not For Distribution. also the feelings and emotions of the original texts. Indian and foreign scholars have produced works of great merit. Libraries are full of books on almost every subject. Most of them are of interest to scholars. The common man is in a hurry to seek information he or she requires. Besides libraries, information on almost everything is available on the Internet. The big question is, “How much of this information is authentic, valid and useful?” A few years ago I was inspired to put together a book: Hindu Rites, Rituals, Customs and Traditions that covered the basics of Hindu life from childhood to death. I followed this with Hindu Gods and Goddesses to explain why Hindus have many gods and goddesses. Still later, to get across the ideal of Sri Ram‟s life to the common man, I wrote The Story of Sri Ram. Much could be learnt from Sri Ram‟s life. I made an effort of putting together Gems from the Ramcharitmanas. Continuing my effort to bring the intricacies of Hinduism and practical knowledge within the reach of the common man I wrote Seven Steps to Self-realisation. I am overwhelmed by the acceptance of these works by Hindus in India and around the world. Compelled by the need for information that would de-mystify the many names that appear in Hindu religious texts, Sanskrit or Hindi terms and texts that are an integral part of the thought processes, which some of us living in orthodox Hindu families are acquainted with, but the vast majority find it hard to understand, I have tried to put together information on religious texts, their concepts and development, the men and women who were a part of this development, from the ancient times to the modern era where we have saints and gurus speaking fluently in English, as they would in Sanskrit, Hindi or other regional languages.