Religion the hinduism religion is one of the oldest living religions to date. Discover engaging books on buddhism, christianity, islam, judaism, and more. The four vedas, upanishads, bhramanas, aranyakas and bhagavad gita make up the treasure of sruti literature. The book, which was first published in 1947, has now been rearranged in a more convenient form, with useful additions here and there, and is now released in its fifth edition. Presented here is the worlds largest collection of hindu books, covering all the aspects of this profound religion. These texts are glorious tales of the hindu trinity brahma, vishnu and maheshwar shiva. The scriptures of the vedas are meant to guide hindu believers in their daily lives. Book on hinduism, hindu religious beliefs and practices. Books on hindu religion and spirituality rudraksha ratna. Hinduism is the worlds third most popular religion, with around 750 million followers.
Hinduism is a religion, or a way of life, found most notably in india and nepal. In this text, leading scholars from around the world take stock of two centuries of international intellectual investment in hinduism. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. The dharmashastras law books, derivatives of the dharmasutras. Hinduism, has many holy books, but most popular is shreemad bhagavad gita, upanishads and veda. Hindu texts are manuscripts and historical literature related to any of the diverse traditions. Many scholars liken hinduism to a family of religions, with all affiliated members bearing a family resemblance. The concept of hinduism being a single monolithic religion is recent, dating back only to the 19th century. The hindu religion is also known as sanatan dharma sanuhtan darmuh, which translates to eternal spiritual path. Hinduism is a synthesis of the religion brought into india by the aryans c. Online books on hinduism, hindu religion, hindu culture, shastras, hindu scripture, vedas, upanishad, hindu saints, sages, science and hinduism. Ramayana and mahabharata also have a great religious importance in hinduism but cannot be considered as hindu scriptures. All great hindu festivals have religious, social and hygienic elements in them.
The divine life societyfree books on yoga, religion and. Of all the basic books on hinduism, this rather thin volume of 160 pages is the most balanced introduction to the religion. Animals, trees and plants did not come on their own. May 12, 2020 the vedas are more than theology books. List of books and articles about hinduism online research. A collection of handselected books on hinduism, chosen on the basis of apparent usefulness and quality. They range from epics about the lives and loves of the gods, philosophical treatises on metaphysical questions, and law books. Download books, sacred, spiritual texts and pdf ebooks.
Hinduism is an ancient religion with diverse traditions such as vaishnavism, shaivism. Thus any definition of hinduism is somewhat arbitrary and. Hindu religious books for children spiritual india trip. We are the leading global suppliers of authentic, superior quality and widest range of spiritual and healing products and services. Books and cds spiritual books religion, spirituality books. If you ever wanted to learn about the concepts and fundamentals of hinduism then this is the book for you. The little book of hindu deities is a lighthearted guide to some of the more popular hindu gods and goddesses. In this book gurudev explains the significance and the philosophy of many of our fasts and festivals. It is now the 3 rd largest religion with more than 1 billion followers.
We do hope that all serious students of hindu religion and philosophy will find the book useful and. They contain a rich and colorful theomythology, that is, a religious mythology which deliberately interweaves myth, theology, and history to achieve a storyform religious root. The hindu religion has provided the roots of jainism, sikhism, and buddhism. Online books on hinduism, hindu religion, hindu culture. Hinduism is currently followed by onefifth of humankind. Such internal plurality inspires vastly ranging rites and practices amongst hinduisms hundreds of millions of adherents.
Hinduism, in its narrower sense, is the conglomeration of religious beliefs and practices existing in india that have grown out of ancient brahminism, q. They vary by geographical spread, number of adherents, language, hierarchy and. However, some of these books and songs became more popular than others and came to define the culture and religion we know today as hinduism. Hinduism download books, sacred, spiritual texts and pdf. The religion of hinduism originated in northern india, near the river indus, about 4000 years ago and is the worlds oldest existing religion. Rare ancient hinduism books to download all pdf vedic. Initially it was an outsiders term, building on centuries.
The book is a compilation of 58 articles that appeared under the column of the same name and published in the hindu young world from 2011 to 2015. The hindu group publications purchase subscribe hindu. The canon of books and poems that define hinduism were written in sanskrit and are of ancient origin. Sometimes the religion that youre born into isnt the right one for you. The institutes of vishnu sbe 7 julius jolly, translator 1880 sacred books of the east, vol.
Since the early 19th century, when the scholarly investigation of hinduism began to take shape as a modern academic discipline, hindu studies has evolved from its concentration on description and analysis to an emphasis on understanding hindu traditions in the. An introduction to hinduism introduction to religion. Wilkins sacred texts, 1900 this is a comprehensive study of hindu mythology. Large selection and many more categories to choose from. Extracts from sacred texts and stories explain why the festivals are celebrated and how they began, and children are quoted on religious aspects of their lives. Download the bible, the holy quran, the mahabharata, and thousands of free pdf ebooks on buddhism, meditation, etc. Score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. All are available for purchase on click book images for details. Comprising 24,000 verses in seven cantos, the epic contains the teachings. Far from a monolithic theistic tradition, the religion comprises thousands of gods, a complex caste system, and hundreds of languages and dialects. The holy books of world religions sacred texts in world. Books on hinduism are not just religious books which help us understand the depths of hindu religion but also books which cover the technological, scientific. Its original name is sanatana dharma which means the eternal law or the eternal way or which existed before, which exits now and will exist in the future.
The sacred texts of hinduism are sanskrit scriptures known as the vedas. There is no central ancient text that succinctly sums up the religions basic tenets, no single leader that hindus can call the founder of their faith. A study of hindu books indicates that hinduism is not merely a religion, but a way of life, where spiritual progress is made possible for everyone, whatever be his or her station in life. All formats available for pc, mac, ebook readers and other mobile devices. This new introduction to hinduism is distinguished by exceptionally useful chapter divisions, good detail combined with ease of reading, and a particular focus on the integrated quality of the evolution of hindu thoughtthe books balance between scholarly detail and clear, readable. The book contains 270 pages and is divided in 57 small easytoread chapters, containing authentic information about all the important aspects of hindu religion, culture, and philosophy. Hindu website, hinduism, buddhism, jainism, sikhism. The shruti refers to the body of most authoritative, ancient religious texts. This is a great book to get acquainted with some of the more popular hindu gods and goddesses. Hinduism is an ancient religion with diverse traditions such as vaishnavism, shaivism, shaktism and others. The first phase of hinduism was early brahmanism, the religion of the priests or brahmans who performed the vedic sacrifice, through the power of which proper relation with the gods and the cosmos is established.
What are the top ten religions and what is the holy book. Even though the hindu religion is the oldest religion in the world, there are many misconceptions that laypeople have about it. The most holy of the hindu books is written in sanskrit and is referred to as the vedas. Visions of the divine feminine in the hindu religious. Hindu texts are manuscripts and historical literature related to any of the diverse traditions within hinduism. One of the oldest living religions in the world, hinduism is unique among the world religions in that it had no single founder but grew over a period of 4,000 years in syncretism with the religious and cultural movements of the indian subcontinent.
This is affirmed by virtually all traditional hindus, and those who reject its authority such as buddhists and jains are regarded as unfaithful to. The book also examines the depictions in the media of hindu beliefs and practices religious soap operas, such as the mahabharata and the ramayana. Is it possible for a nonindian woman, an american of european decent, to be a hindu. It is perhaps the best book for someone who has no prior knowledge of the religion, a stable stepping stone for the student of religious studies, and an eyeopener for the practicing hindu. Hinduism is said to have a pantheon of 330 million gods and goddesses. With approximately one billion followers, hinduism is the worlds third largest religion by population, and the majority religion in india, nepal and bali indonesia. Introduction to hinduism for beginners learn religions. Other holy scriptures in hinduism are called the upanisads, the smrutis, the puranas, the ramayana and the mahabharata.
Hindu literature will appeal to those with an interest in the sanskrit epics. The term hindu in these ancient records is a geographical term and did not refer to a religion. Due to the huge number of gods and goddesses, and their changing role through centuries of indian spiritual life, this is a complex subject. The text and illustrations are clearly targeted at kids. This volume contains english translations by epiphanius wilson of various ancient sanskrit texts, including the book of good counsels, nala and damayanti, and the ramayana and sakoontala. There are well over 4,000 different religions in the world today. Hinduism is a polythestic religion with much of their book talking about their gods stories. Each god is dedicated two pages, one for the description, and the other the illustration. Rammohan roy or swami vivekananda, exploring hindu iconography, or taking up the practice of yoga or meditation 309.
Hindu religion hinduism facts hinduism facts facts. Scholars hesitate in defining the term hindu scriptures given the diverse nature of hinduism, but many list the bhagavad gita and the. However, the puranas are supposed to be complied by muni vyasa. Rigveda is the most sacred and authoritative book of hindu religion. But it is an unusually diverse religion one divided by caste, community, language, and regionand is thus quite difficult for outsiders to grasp. It is quite clear that this volume is likely to considerably affect the readers ideas on religion and hinduism. Many scholars liken hinduism to a family of religions. If there is a book describing the several ways by which one can converse with god, then theres another book relating science with religion holy science and explaining the secrets of living a healthy, happy and peaceful life. List here any books that deal with or touch on the hindu religion in a positive and significant way. Hindu religious studies 5 ishwara and soul we know that this earth was not created suddenly.
Top 40 hindu blogs and websites in 2020 hindu religion websites. Hinduism is a conglomeration of religious, philosophical, and cultural ideals and practices that originated in india thousands of years before the birth of christ. This section consists of hymns arranged in ten books each of these books has a number of verses. Among the earliest known records of hindu with connotations of religion may be in the 7thcentury ce chinese text record of the western regions by xuanzang, 41 and 14thcentury persian text futuhussalatin by abd almalik isami. If youre interested in knowing the most important aspects of the longest lasting religion in history, this reading list is for you. The puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. If the indus valley civilization 3rd2nd millennium bce was the earliest source of hindu traditions, then hinduism is the oldest living religion on earth. The term hinduism became familiar as a designator of religious ideas and practices distinctive to india with the publication of books such as hinduism 1877 by sir monier monierwilliams, the notable oxford scholar and author of an influential sanskrit dictionary. Explore the hindu religion with its fascinating rituals and history this book has eyeopening information about hinduism that will help you to understand the religion, the gods, beliefs, rituals and how it has evolved over time.
The rigveda is a collection of hymns dedicated to 33 gods especially to indri and agni. There is no particular book for the hindu religion. Religionfacts does not necessarily endorse the contents of these books. Hinduism is the worlds oldest extant religion, and with more than a billion followers, it is also the worlds third largest religion. The sacred texts that are definitively associated with hinduism are all ancient. Dating back some five thousand years, hinduism is the dominant faith of india and an increasingly powerful spiritual force in the west. Hinduism download books, sacred, spiritual texts and pdf e. Thus any definition of hinduism is somewhat arbitrary and requires qualification. What are the top ten religions and what is the holy book for. A few texts are shared resources across these traditions and broadly considered as hindu scriptures.
However, islam is monothestic and the quran tells muslims how to life their life. Now, in hinduism, vasudha narayanan offers an illuminating, compact introduction to this highly complex and. Hinduism is practised by more than 80% of indias population. Hindu festivals focusing on hinduism, this is one of a series which provides an introduction to the main festivals of the worlds major religions. Hinduism is the popular, distorted, corrupted side of brahminism. The vedas, the best known hindu sacred texts, are some of the earliest religious texts in existence. Hinduism, major world religion originating on the indian subcontinent and comprising several and varied systems of philosophy, belief, and ritual.