Another hindu holy book that deals with religious duties is law of manu or the dharma shastra. What are the three holy boks of the monotheistic religions. Also find out how hindu religion perceives different aspects of life with a specific god. Once we get this distinction clear, it becomes clear that hinduism does not worship one god. The origin of hinduism is shrouded in antiquity of the distant past far beyond the times of known history. The holy book is on a throne positioned at the front. Apr 03, 20 the holy books in hinduism are there only for guidance. Hinduism is a religion that defies definite classification, and in practice, it has both monotheistic and polytheistic components. Sri swami chidanda taking all of the above into consideration, our fast facts on hinduism page classifies hinduism as pantheism with polytheistic elements. The religious scriptures are not followed word to word. However, to call hinduism monotheism would be, in most cases, erroneous as well. People often think that hinduism is a polytheistic religion.
For these reasons hinduism is referred as way of life or a family of religions. In chronological order of founding, judaism, christianity and islam. The early vedic religious understanding of brahman underwent a series of abstractions in the hindu scriptures that followed the vedic scriptures. It is a paradox, which hinduism addresses with great subtlety and openness, while some traditions fail to appreciate it or embrace it. Animism and the worship of nature sacred powers associated with certain feature of nature sun, water, sky, totem plants and animals. Hinduism is prominent in india, as it is indias major religion. The holy books in hinduism are there only for guidance.
Hinduism, as the worlds most ancient surviving religion, could have it no other way. Three main collections of the vedasthe rig, sama, and yajurconsist of chants that were originally recited by priests while offering plant and animal sacrifices in sacred fires. In this essay i compare the differences between monotheism and polytheism and how they affect the world. Hinduism is also known by the names sanatanadharmaand vaidikadharma.
Wendy donigers book is a tribute to hinduisms complexity. Multiple gods in hinduism, polytheism or monotheism. One of the oldest known religious texts is the kesh temple hymn of ancient sumer, a set of inscribed clay tablets which scholars typically date around 2600 bce. It has no relevance whatsoever to hindu philosophy. Throughout its extensive history, there have been many key figures teaching different philosophies and writing innumerable holy books. Wendy donigers book is a tribute to hinduism s complexity, not an insult. How can the vedas of hinduism be used to support monotheism. In hinduism, polytheism and monotheism are like two sides of the same reality. Is hinduism pantheistic, panentheistic, polytheistic, monotheistic or henotheistic.
Hinduism in india traces its source to the vedas, ancient hymns composed and recited in punjab as early as 1500 b. Vedas and upanishadas are the most authoritative amongst all hindu scriptures and holy books. Whatever form a devotee desires to worship with deep faith, i stabilize his faith firmly in that form. The gods of polytheism are in many cases the highest order of a continuum of supernatural beings or spirits, which may include ancestors, demons, wights and others. A few texts are shared resources across these traditions and broadly considered as hindu scriptures. Other holy scriptures in hinduism are called the upanisads, the smrutis, the puranas, the ramayana and the. It is like a born blind man asserting that there is only one true color. There are very ancient, sophisticated and philosophically profound theistic forms of hinduism that recognize a single creator or cosmic lord behind the universe, what we could call hindu theism.
Is hinduism strictly polytheistic or are the gods considered. Polytheism cannot be cleanly separated from the animist beliefs prevalent in most folk religions. From hindu human rights there has been a considerable debate extending from recent centuries to current interfaith dialogues as to whether hinduism is a monotheistic religion, and if so whether hinduism can perhaps be included among the great monotheistic. I wish everyone would just chill out and chuck this discussion into the bin. There are a number of scriptures and holy books in hinduism. Polytheism and monotheism a full and philosophic consideration of the attributes of god as presented in the various worldreligions cannot avoid the question at issue between polytheism and monotheism. Nov 23, 2009 is hinduism a monotheism or polytheism. Hindu polytheism bollingen series general danielou, alain on. The supreme god of hinduism has several different names and natures. Hinduism broadly classifies them into three categories. The uses and misuses of polytheism and monotheism in hinduism. But in reality, there is only one god and rest are not gods but dieties devas or demigods. The vedas cannot be used to support monotheism because they do not teach monotheism.
Hindus believe that existence is a cycle of birth, death and rebirth governed by individuals karma. Cmis shaun doyle responds with comments interspersed. Instead, what usually amounts to as vedicism, or vedicist, is largely characterized by that which is yajnacentric and that is something that has usually been of the fringe. Within theism, it contrasts with monotheism, the belief. Hinduism incorporates diverse views on the concept of god. In every temple, if one stands and listens, he will find the worshippers, applying all the attributes of god, including omnipresence, to these images. Common notion about hinduism is that there are multiple gods and infact there can be millions of them. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. When humans were getting into civilized life, it was realized that there were beginnings and ends. Hinduism is the most ancient religion among all the great living religions in the world today. Buddhism download books, sacred, spiritual texts and pdf e. There is no single scripture as it is in other religions like christianity and islam. Hinduism holy book important books and writings of hinduism sacred text of hinduism some important books and writings on hinduism hinduism does not possess a single holy book like bible in christianity and quran in islamic dharma.
Polytheism is the worship of or belief in multiple deities, which are usually. Instead, there are several ways that one can classify hinduism as there. Theism is a western theologicalacademic construct and an abrahamic obsession. In the same way that hinduism became part of the indian way of life, confucianism became linked to the traditional culture of china. Unlike christianity or islam, it is a not a religion that is governed by the book. There are many ways in which one can pursue the path of liberation. The analects of confucius are the books important to confucianists. List of world religions and founders, religious books, place. May 2002 hinduismmonotheism and polytheism reconciled. Hinduism, over 1million gods and goddesses that are. However, the holy books in hinduism are the basis on which we have evolved our culture and way of living. I hope that from this short introduction to the holy books of hinduism it is apparent that hindus consider a great variety of literature important, and that this literature is as diverse and complex as it is beautiful. On the very outset, i may tell you that there is no polytheism in india.
Mar 17, 2015 the hindu universe even though hinduism is mistakenly regarded by many as a religion having many gods namely, polytheism, yet truly speaking hinduism is a monotheistic religion. Polytheism is the belief in or worship of multiple divine being, such as gods and goddesses. Hinduism does not teach any final heaven or hell, or salvation by belief or works, such as most monotheistic traditions promote. At that dawn of knowledge, the acknowledgement for supreme presence stemmed. This divine essence is usually referred to as brahman or atman, but the. These are the most ancient religious texts which define truth for hindus. To the question, is hinduism monotheistic or polytheistic. In pantheism, god is inseparably united with nature. Philosophic religion, popular polytheism, and foreign worship. Romans did the rites proscribed by tradition and shared common concepts about what is the appropriate behavior towards humans and gods. The holy book is on a throne positioned at the front of the hall. Is the pali canon tripitaka the holy book of buddha. Hinduism is not born of the teachings of particular prophets. I do not state that vedic polytheism was of the fringe because it was hard polytheism.
The most holy of the hindu books is written in sanskrit and is referred to as the vedas. They had no holy books in the sense of being inspired or the word. The uses and misues of polytheism and monotheism in hinduism by wendy doniger. The most ancient sacred texts of the hindu religion are written in sanskrit and called the vedas. Hinduism holy book important books and writings of hinduism. In comparing trinity and trimurti, religious scholar, anuradha veeravali indian philosophies, encyclopedia of religion draws parallels between brahma and god, vishnu and the holy spirit, and shiva and jesus, but persists in the common idea that christianity is a monotheistic faith while hinduism is polytheistic. Hinduism is neither monotheistic nor restricted to one religious scripture.
The essence of it all can be summed up in tat tvam asi thou art that. If you are looking for a single hinduism holy book like the quran or the bible you will be disappointed. Learn how hindiusm adopted to polytheism multiple gods with an indepth narration from the groundup. Hindu texts are manuscripts and historical literature related to any of the diverse traditions within hinduism. With over a billion adherents, many claim that the religion is monotheistic and helmed by the supreme being, brahma. I am sick and tired of hearing that monotheism is better than polytheism. The epic of gilgamesh from sumer, although only considered by some scholars as a religious text, has origins as early as 2150 bce, and stands as one of the earliest literary works that includes various mythological figures and themes. Jun 01, 2016 philosophic religion, popular polytheism, and foreign worship posted on june 1, 2016 by alan brill leave a comment as i finish writing up my thoughts on the jewish hindu encounter, i will be offering a few tentative posts to get feedback email or fb. Tantric practices cross religious boundaries, and manifest themselves in aspects of hinduism, jainism, and buddhism. Different traditions of hinduism have different theistic views, and these views have been described by scholars as polytheism, monotheism, henotheism, panentheism, pantheism, monism, agnostic, humanism, atheism or nontheism monotheism is the belief in a single creator god and the lack of belief in any other creator. Download the bible, the holy quran, the mahabharata and thousands of free pdf ebooks on buddhism, meditation etc. As i have answered a similar question, i will copy and paste the answer here.
It is not based on a set of dogmas preached by a particular set of teachers. Buddhism, much like hinduism, has many, many books but not a central text. I mention that any evidence of your usual polytheism, in the general sense. They call him indra, mitra, varuna, agni, and even the swift winged celestial bird gautaman. Hinduism download books, sacred, spiritual texts and pdf e. Polytheists usually dont worship all the holy being in the same way or equally. Is the judeochristian faith monotheistic or henotheistic. Is hinduism pantheistic, panentheistic, polytheistic.
Hinduism waits for them patiently, knowing well the inevitable. Hindu philosophy internet encyclopedia of philosophy. It is not polytheism, neither would the name henotheism answer our question. In recent times, some old testament ot scholars have claimed that at least the early faith of the hebrew people was henotheistic rather than monotheistic. Pantheists thus do not believe in a distinct personal or anthropomorphic god. May 29, 2017 hinduism monotheism and polytheism reconciled.
Most of the polytheistic deities of ancient religions, with the notable exceptions of the ancient egyptian and hindu deities, were conceived as having physical bodies. Since hinduism is a polytheism religion it has many gods or divinities, some of them are brahma, who is known as the creator, saraswathi, the hindu goddess of music, knowledge and all the creative arts, and shiva, the destructor. The hindu tantrism tradition is one of the aspects of the religion explored by wendy donigers book. Trimurtifrom left to right vishnu, shiva, and brahma, the three hindu gods of the trimurti. Hinduism is a religion with various gods and goddesses. Until about 2000 bce, most prehistoric societies polytheistic, animistic. Pantheism is the belief that the universe or nature as the totality of everything is identical with divinity, or that everything composes an allencompassing, immanent god.
Some people mistakenly believe the bible to be the worlds first ever sacred holy text that survived to this day. Observance of the dharma, or behavior consistent with ones caste and status, is discussed in many early philosophical texts. Buddhism and hinduism monotheistic interfaith dialogue basics. There are three major abrahamic religions, which means that they were founded by abraham. Instead, hinduism worships the oneness of all gods and indeed, the oneness of everything in existence. Information on hinduism for kids primary homework help. In actual instances of religious belief, however, no such scheme is possible.