Part Five

Hindu Scriptures:

All Hindu scriptures are written in Sanskrit. Sanskrit is Indo-Aryan language and Classical language of India and has the same value in India as Greek and Latin has in Medieval Europe.

Hindu scripture can be divided into two categories:
1) Shruti: which means heard.
2) Smriti: which means remembered one.

The following are the major books of Hindus comes under Shruti:

1) The Vedas
a) Rig Veda
b) Sama Veda
c) Yajur Veda
d) Atharva Veda

2) Brahmanas
3) Aranyakas
4) Upanishads

The following are the major books of Hindus comes under Smriti:

1) Mahabharata
2) Bhagwat Gita
3) Ramayana
4) Puranas (Eighteen Puranas)

Major books under Shruti:

Vedas: The word Veda means Knowledge. The Veda is divided into four great books, written between 1,500 B.C. and 500 B.C., are Indo-Aryan religious literature. Vedas were written before the word Hindu originated. If you study the history of India closely, you will know that Aryans were not the Hindus. Aryans were invaders in India who dominated the real residents of India because they were very wise. They had their own systems and rituals. Later the Hindu religions were highly impressed by their literature and adopted Vedas as their own Holy Books. Vedas consist of several kinds of texts. The study of the Vedas as a religious duty of three upper varnas (castes) and they are Brahmanas, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas. But the fourth lower caste called ‘Shudras’ were not permitted to read or even listen the Vedas and the same applied to woman. This is / was one of the drawbacks of Hinduism still today. In later Parts we shall study this. Christ is mentioned in the Vedas as Purush Prajapati therefore Vedas play a great role for Christians.

Rig Veda: Rig Veda is the oldest book of Hinduism probably written between 1500 BC and 1200. It consists of 1,017 hymns addressed to Devas (gods), composed in Vedic-Sanskrit and divided into ten Mandalas (books). Rig Veda is written wholly in the form of hymns in praise of various devatas (gods) like Agni (fire). It makes references to such rituals as marriage and funeral rites, which differ little from those practiced today in Hinduism.

Yajur Veda: Yajur means sacrifice. Yajur is divided into two parts. Let us not get confuse with the following critical terms used. It is collection of sacrificial formulas and prayers.
a) Shukla Yajur-Veda (40 Chapters in metrical form)
b) Krishna Yajur-Veda (in metrical form and some portion in prose forms and some portions contains a mixture of both).

Atharva Vedas: Atharva Veda is collection of mantras (verses). It is divided into twenty kandas (books), having a total 730 suktas (hymns) or a total of 5,987 mantras (verses).

Sama Veda: The Sama Veda consists of various hymns of the Rig Veda to put a different and more musical chant. In another meaning, Rig Veda is the word and the Sama Veda is the song or the meaning and reduced version of Rig Veda. It has exactly 1875 mantras or verses. Sama Veda is the foundation of all system of music in the sub-continent of India.

2) The Brahmanas: The Brahmanas are much like Yajur Veda. They are specific ritualistic showing how to recreate the ritual action of life itself, to portray the cosmic ritual in a few special actions. The main power of the ritual is the mantra or the chant. Important Brahmanas are the Aitareya, Shatapatha, Kaushitaki, Taittiriya and Chandogya.

3) Aranyakas: These are called Aranyakas or Forest texts to be used by those who left society to reside in the forest to gain spiritual knowledge (Vanaprasthas). The Aranyakas do not give us rules for the performance of sacrifices and explanations of the ceremonies, but provide us with mystic teaching of the sacrificial religion. An important Aranyaka is the Taittiriya.

4) Upanishads: Upanishads means, “be seated at the feet of the Guru to receive the teaching." Traditionally, there are major 108 Upanishads.
Major books under Smriti:
1. Mahabharata
2. Bhagwat Gita
3. Ramayana
4. Puranas (Eighteen Puranas)

1.Maha Bharatha: The epic Maha Bharatha (composed between 300 BC and 300 AD) is the story told of two royal families of Pandavas (five brothers) and Kauravas (hundred brothers) told by Rishi (Sage) Vyasa who were cousins fighting the great war Kurukshethra (now in Haryana, North India). It has one hundred thousand Sanskrit verses, the longest epic in the world. The work is divided into ten books (for eighteen days war). Said to be written by god Ganesha (his head was of elephant’s and body man’s). Some Hindu scholars say it is fifth Veda. This epic touches upon every aspect of Hindu religious teaching, the practice, philosophy, mysticism and polity.

2. Bhagwat Gita: The meaning of the Bhagwat Geeta also called as Geeta is ‘Song of the Lord’ It contained 18 Chapters and 700 shlokas (verses). Sri (Sri is the word that every Indian uses before a male name) Krishna (Hindu believe he was the avatar or incarnation of god Vishnu) appears in this epic as hero who explains the righteous path of Dharma and Karma and the path to Moksha (liberation of Soul).

Comment: Krishna was responsible for the war and bloodshed (out of 1.8 million soldiers 1.1 million were on Kaurava side and 0.7 million were on the side of Pandavas); he became chariot driver for Arjun (Pandava’s side). His colleague Arjun did not wanted to fight the war against his brothers Kauravas. But Krishna insisted that he fight the war.

Point of Interest: Some Hindu sects claim that:
a) Krishna was the Hindu Christ because both names are pronounced the same.
b) Krishna was also crucified because he was killed by a hunter’s arrow under the tree.
c) Jesus was the incarnation of Krishna.

You can read several articles on this. Though they try to jumble and mingle Hinduism with Christianity the Bible fully disagrees. To this context one comparison should be mentioned:

Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal, and kill and destroy; I came that they might have life and might have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)

Whereas Krishna told to Arjuna in the war field: "Arjuna, whenever there is decline of dharma (righteousness) and unrighteousness (adharma) is on the rise, then I incarnate myself." (Ch. 4/verse 7) For what (Arjun asked)?

Krishna replied to him, "For the protection of the virtuous, for the destruction of evil-doers, and for re-establishing Dharma on a firm footing, I am born from age to age, in every age." (Ch. 4/verse 8)
"O Arjuna, you grieve over those who should not be grieved for, and yet speak like the learned Pundit! Wise men do not sorrow over the dead or the living." (2/verse 11)

3. Puranas: There are eighteen major Puranas and same numbers of Upa-puranas (Sub-Puranas). Puranas are like encyclopedias of religion and culture. They are guidebook for the whole of life and society. They attained the final form near 500 BC but were passed on as an oral tradition since the time of Krishna 1500 B.C.

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