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Hindu texts

Shruti

Vedas
- Rig Veda
- Sama Veda
- Yajur Veda
- Atharva Veda
Brahmanas
Aranyakas
Upanishads

Smriti

Itihāsas
- Mahābhārata
  - Bhagavad Gītā
- Ramayana
- Puranas (List)
Tantras
Sutras (List)
Stotras
Ashtavakra Gita
Gherand Samhita
Gita Govinda
Hatha Yoga Pradipika

Template:IndicTextCentre Within Smarta Hinduism, a variety of forms of God are seen as aspects of the one impersonal divine ground, Brahman (not Brahma). Brahman is seen as the universal spirit. Brahman is the ultimate, both transcendent and immanent the absolute infinite existence, the sum total of all that ever is, was, or ever shall be.

Brahman is not a God in the traditional sense, as it is not imbued with any limiting characteristics, not even those of being and non-being, and this is reflected in the fact that in Sanskrit, the word Brahman is of neuter (as opposed to masculine or feminine) gender.

Vedanta is a branch of Hindu philosophy which gives this matter a greater focus. Yoga is the primary focus in many ways of a Hindu's religious activities, being somewhere between meditation, prayer and healthful exercise.

Some of Hinduism's adherents are Smarta monists, seeing multiple manifestations of the one God or source of being, which is often confused by non-Hindus as being polytheist. It is however properly seen as one unity, with the personal gods being different aspects of one Supreme Being, like a single beam of light separated into colours by a prism, and are valid to worship.

Swami Vivekananda, a follower of Ramakrishna, along with many others, who brought Hindu beliefs to the West, were all Smarta in belief. Other denominations of Hinduism, as described later, don't hold this belief strictly and more closely adhere to a Western perception of what a monotheistic faith is. Additionally, like Judæo-Christian-Islamic religions which believe in angels, Hindus also believe in less powerful entities, such as devas.

[سمادول] Trimurti

In Hinduism, the Trimurti (also called the Hindu trinity) are three aspects of God in His forms as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

Brahma - the Creator
Vishnu - the Maintainer
Shiva - the Destroyer

[سمادول] Popular gods

Some other popular Hindu aspects of God include Devi, Krishna, Ganesh, Hanuman and Lakshmi. Smarta Hindus believe that God, in whatever form they prefer, ("Ishta Devata,", i.e., the preferred form of God) can grant worshippers grace to bring them closer to Moksha, end of the cycle of rebirth. The great Hindu saint, Ramakrishna, a monist, was a prominent advocate of this view. He studied and embraced other religions, such as Christianity and Islam, and came to the same conclusion proclaimed by the Vedas, "Truth is one, the wise call it by different names." Also, "The Universal Reality is the same, but different people can call it by different names." (Ekam Sat Viprah Bahuda Vadanti)

[سمادول] Denominations of Hinduism

Contemporary Hinduism traditionally has four major divisions, Saivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism, and Smarthism.

According to Adherents.com there are 580,000,000 Vaishnavas, 220,000,000 Shaivites and 22,000,000 neo-Hindus and reform Hindus.

However the Shakti sect connects God as Lord Shiva also, as the Aparabrahm while Shakti is the Parabrahm. Further the Saura sect connects itself with Lord Vishnu, one of the 12 Adityas (solar deities.) Ganesha worshippers would connect themselves with Lord Shiva as Lord Shiva is the Father of Lord Ganesha and hence, Lord Ganesha is a Shaiv deity.

Hinduism is a very rich and complex religion. Each of its four denominations shares rituals, beliefs, traditions and personal Gods with one another, but each sect have a same and different philosophy on how to achieve life's ultimate goal (moksa, liberation). For example a person can be a Shiv devotee and a Vishnu devotee but they can practice the Advaita Vedanta philosophy (Darshana) which believes there is no difference between the Brahman and the Soul. Conversely a Hindu may follow the Dvaita philosophy which stresses that Brahman and the Soul are not the same. But each denomination fundamentally believes in different methods of self-realisation and in different aspects of the One Supreme God. However, each denomination respects and accepts all others, and conflict of any kind is rare.

Vaishnavism, Saivism and Shaktism, respectively believe in a monotheistic ideal of Vishnu (often as Krishna), Siva, or Devi; this view does not exclude other personal Gods, as they are understood to be aspects of the chosen ideal (e.g., to many devotees of Krishna, Shiva is seen as having sprung from Krishna's creative force). Often, the monad Brahman is seen as the one source, with all other gods emanating therefrom. Thus, with all Hindus, there is a strong belief in all paths being true religions that lead to one God or source, whatever one chooses to call the ultimate truth.

Even Vaisnavites, like other Hindus, have tolerance for other beliefs because Lord Krishna, avatar of Vishnu, said so in the Gita. Krishna said:

"I am in everyone's heart as the Supersoul. As soon as one desires to worship some demigod, I make his faith steady so that he can devote himself to that particular deity. Endowed with such a faith, he endeavors to worship a particular demigod and obtains his desires. But in actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me alone." (Gita: 7:21-22).

Another quote in the Gita states:

"Those who are devotees of other gods and who worship them with faith actually worship only Me, O son of Kuntī, but they do so in a wrong way." (Gita: 9:23).

Even a Vedic verse illustrates this theme of tolerance. The Vedas are revered in Hinduism, regardless of denomination. For example, a well-known Rig Vedic hymn stemming from Hinduism states that "Truth is One, though the sages know it variously." This is in contrast with some other religious traditions, where one must believe in only one form of God and to totally reject or disdain other beliefs.

[سمادول] Polytheistic gods

Although the pantheistic system allowed only a subordinate rank to the old polytheistic gods, and the actual religious belief of the people was probably but little affected by their existence, they continued to occupy an important place in the affections of the poet, and were still represented as exercising considerable influence on the destinies of man. The most prominent of them were regarded as the appointed Loka palas, or guardians of the world; and as such they were made to preside over the four cardinal and (according to some authorities) the intermediate points of the compass.

Thus Indra, the chief of the devas, was regarded as the regent of the east; Agni, the fire, was in the same way associated with the southeast; Yama, lord of death and justice with the south; Surya, the sun, with the southwest; Varuna, originally the representative of the all-embracing heaven (atmosphere), now the god of the ocean, with the west; Vayu (or Pavana), the wind, with the northwest; Kubera, the god of wealth, with the north; and Soma with the northeast. (Note: In some traditions, Īśāna, an aspect of Siva is regarded as the regent of the northeast and Nirrti the regent of the southwest.)

In the institutes of Manu the Loka palas are represented as standing in close relation to the ruling king, who is saki to be composed of particles of these his tutelary deities. The retinue of Indra consists chiefly of the Devas(angels), Gandharvas, a class of genii, considered in the epics as the celestial musicians; and Apsaras, lovely nymphs, who are frequently employed by the gods to make the pious devotee desist from carrying his austere practices to an extent that might render him dangerous to their power. Narada, an ancient sage (probably a personification of the cloud, the water-giver), is considered as the messenger between the gods and men, and as having sprung from the forehead of Brahma. The interesting office of the god of love is held by Kamadeva, also called Ananga, the bodyless, because, as the myth relates, having once tried by the power of his mischievous arrow to make Siva fall in love with Parvati, whilst he was engaged in devotional practices, the urchin was reduced to ashes by a glance of the angry god. Two other mythological figures of some importance are considered as sons of Siva and Parvati, viz. Karttikeya or Skanda, the leader of the heavenly armies, who was supposed to have been fostered by the six Knittikas or Pleiades; and Ganesha ( lord of troops ), the elephant-headed god of wisdom, and at the same time the leader of the dii minorum gentium.

[سمادول] Smartism

Smartism, a denomination of Hinduism is a monist as well as a monotheist religion that understands different deities as representing various aspects and principles of one supreme entity, Brahman or parabrahman. After all, Swami Vivekananda, a follower of Ramakrishna, along with many others, who brought Hindu beliefs to the West, were all Smarta in belief. Other denominations of Hinduism do not strictly hold this belief. Only a Smartist would have no problem worshiping Shiva or Vishnu together as he views the different aspects of God as leading to the same One God. It is the Smarta view that dominates the view of Hinduism in the West. By contrast, a Vaishnavite considers Vishnu as the one true God, worthy of worship and other forms as subordinate. See for example, an illustration of the Vaishnavite view of Vishnu as the one true God, at this link. Accordingly, many Vaishnavites, for example, believe that only Vishnu can grant the ultimate aim for mankind, moksha. See for example, this link. Similarly, many Shaivites also hold similar beliefs, as illustrated at at this link and at this link.

[سمادول] Devas in the Vedas

The pantheon in the Śrauta tradition consists of various gods and goddesses. However these entities may not hold the traditional meaning of gods and goddesses in English. Instead the devas (which is the sanskrit word used to represent these entities) represent certain forces. For instance, the deva Agni has one aspect as the flame. but this flame symbolises the psychological power associated with Agni namely the power of will. Agni can be called God-will. Similarly Indra is the God-mind; Sarasvati is the Power of Inspiration, not merely of learning.^[1]

The main devas are (vide 6th anuvaka of Chamakam):

Agni
Indra
Soma
Savitr
Vayu
Varuna
Marutas
Aditya
Rudra
Vishnu
Brahma
Pusha
Brihaspati
Ashwinis
Vishvedavas
Prithvi
Dyaus
Antariksha
Dishas
Moordha
Prajapati

The main devis (goddesses) are:

Vaak or Sarasvati
Uma or Shivaa
Lakshmi or Shri

See Also :Shrauta

[سمادول] The 10 Avatars (Dashavatar) of Vishnu

1. Matsya, the fish, appeared in the Satya Yuga.
2. Kurma, the tortoise, appeared in the Satya Yuga.
3. Varaha, the boar, appeared in the Satya Yuga.
4. Narasimha, the Man-Lion (Nara = man, simha = lion), appeared in the Satya Yuga.
5. Vamana, the Dwarf, appeared in the Treta Yuga.
6. Parashurama, Rama with the axe, appeared in the Treta Yuga.
7. Rama, Sri Ramachandra, the prince and king of Ayodhya, appeared in the Treta Yuga.
8. Krishna (meaning dark or black; see also other meanings in the article about him.), appeared in the Dwapara Yuga.
9. Balarama (meaning 'strong Rama'). Balarama is said to have appeared in the Dwapara Yuga (along with Krishna). or Buddha. He is also said to have been an incarnation of the Ananta Shesha.
10. Kalki ("Eternity", or "time", or "The Destroyer of foulness"), who is expected to appear at the end of Kali Yuga, the time period in which we currently exist, which will end in the year 428899 CE.