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The Religion of the Hindus

The Religion of the Hindus concepts of samsara, which refer to the never-ending cycle of life, death, and rebirth, and karma are central to the Hindu worldview (the universal law of cause and effect). “Atman,” which translates to “soul,” is one of the most fundamental concepts in Hinduism. According to this school of thought, all living things possess a soul, and together, these souls make up the one, ultimate soul. The term “Hindu” is really an exonym, and despite the fact that Hinduism is considered to be the oldest religion in the world, many Hindu adherents refer to their faith as “Santana Dharma.” A Hindu classic reprinted. Essays about Hinduism and ritual by ardent Hindus. An intro.

Authored by

Kenneth W. Morgan

About the Author(s)

KENNETH W. MORGAN lived in Ramakrishna Mission Ashrams in India. He served

as Director of Chapel House and of the Found for the study of World

Religions. He became Professor of Religion, Emeritus, at Colgate University

in 1974.

Pingal Devayan (Vol. 1): Brahma Kalpa (Vol. 1)

The first volume contains coverage of five different mandalas (books). Pingal Devayan (Vol. 1): Brahma Kalpa (Vol. 1) The Book of the Gods (the Book of the Deva), the Book of the Sages (the Book of the Rishi), the Book of Sacrifice (the Book of Yagna), the Book of Divine Powers (the Book of Biti), and the Book of Pragatha (son of Rishi Kanwa). In Deva Mandala, the manifestation of the epic, the beginning of creation, the births of gods and demons, their battles, the birth of Satyadev, the God of Truth, and the formation of the Time Wheel are all described. In the Rishi Mandala, the life of the sage Vashishta and the devastation caused by the sage Vishwamitra are both recounted in detail. It also discusses the activities of the shadowy powers of the night, known as Nakta, as well as the formation of the psychic entity known as Bitihotra. The Yagna Mandala tells the story of how the wise people asked Agni, the god of fire, for assistance in initiating a sacred sacrifice to call forth Satyadev, the god of truth, who had vanished from the world because of the influence of evil forces. These chants are hymns to the mystic fire, and their purpose is to restore truth to the process of creation. The Biti Mandala is a narrative that describes the capabilities of the celestial deities as well as the cleansing that the Bitihotra provides (psychic being). Following the completion of the cleansing process, the psychic being will identify with the Truth. This takes place in the presence of the holy trinity, which consists of Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwara, as well as other godheads, sages, and the four divine energies, which are known as Maheshwari, Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, and Saraswati. The Pragatha Mandala provides an account of Kanwa rishi’s family as well as the union of Pragatha, Kanwa’s son, and Gathini. They are Kali, the goddess of the Iron Age, who sprang from their offspring. The book goes into great depth about Kali’s upbringing and the events that lead to his becoming an anti-god. The tale of the birth of Trita and Dwita, sons of Rishi Aptya, who would limit the impact of Kali in Satyadev’s absence is also featured. Trita and Dwita would do this during.

Author

Dr. Hazari

Pingal Devayan (Vol. 2): Brahma Kalpa (Vol. 2)

India, the beginning of each new era is traditionally marked by the composition of an epic. The history makes this quite clear. Pingal Devayan (Vol. 2): Brahma Kalpa (Vol. 2) The Ramayana was written down at the time before the transition from the Silver Age to the Bronze Age. Before the end of the Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age, the Mahabharata was written. Now that the Iron Age is drawing to a close and the Golden Age is getting closer, a new epic known as Devayan has begun to take shape. In contrast to the previous two epics, Devayan does not only inform us of the impending arrival of the Golden Age. In its place, it provides an account of the whole of the human cycle, which spans 26,000 years and encompasses the Golden, Silver, Bronze, and Iron Ages. It is written in the Anusthupa metre, which is the traditional Indian epic metre, and comprises of thirty-two books that are each split into twelve volumes. Each volume has one thousand pages. It covers the “beginning and the creation of the cosmos,” as well as the whole of the history of the globe throughout the four eras, up to and including the Golden Age that is about to begin. This is the era of the supramental awareness that Sri Aurobindo envisioned while he was writing. In the future, man will develop into a creature with an entirely different and divine awareness that is founded on the teachings presented in the Vedas. The venerable Indian custom is being practised today.

Author

Dr. Hazari

The Vedic Experience Mantramanjari: An Anthology of the Vedas for Modern Man and Contemporary Celebration

The Vedic Experience Mantramanjari: An Anthology of the Vedas for Modern Man and Contemporary Celebration. One of the most stupendous manifestations of the Spirit is undoubtedly that which has been handed down to us under the generic name of the Vedas.  The Vedas are still too much neglected not only in the world at large but also in their country of origin. this Vedic anthology will make direct and fruitful knowledge of the Vedas available to a wider range of people than the small elite of pandits and Indologists.

This anthology collects the most crucial texts of the Indian Sacred Scriptures–in all more than 500–newly translated into contemporary English. Dr. Panikkar’s principle has been to select and place together texts so as to offer a selection of texts that cover the full range of ‘The Vedic Experience’ and at the same time to show how they manifest the universal rhythms of nature, history, and Man. Excerpts are taken from the oldest hymns, such as the Rig Veda; from the Brahmanas, the Aranyakas, or “Forest Treatises,” and finally the Upanishads, which represent the mystical and philosophical culmination of the Vedas.

This is a book for meditation, for reading, public and private, as well as for thorough study at this wellspring of human wisdom. It should, moreover, facilitate that meeting of East and West so long desired and delayed, and now so imperative

Author

Raimundo Panikkar

Arya Samaj Movement in South Africa

Even though it is primarily a religious organisation, the Arya Samaj movement emerged as a significant player in India’s fight for social and cultural autonomy, which involved both religious and secular groups. It was established in 1875, foreshadowing the establishment of an independent India in 1947. This work makes no attempt to provide a detailed

investigation of the movement, but also presents a summary of its development and philosophy in the context of the contributions made by its founder, Swami Dayanand Sarasvati. There is a lot of reason to be proud of the Samaj’s complex of institutions and upliftment programmes that they started, as well as the major historical forces that played a role in shaping the movement.

The nineteenth century saw the beginning of a number of different socio-religious groups, one of which was the Arya Samaj. Despite this, it was responsible for the construction of many of the most prestigious educational institutions in northern India. Indian groups who had immigrated to other countries, such as Mauritius, South Africa, and Guyana, were among the first to feel the impact of these events. What was once a little religious group has now grown into a religious denomination that has significant weight in the world today. One of the Arya Pratinidhi Sabhas may be found in South Africa.

the most well-known Hindu organisations that have a significant amount of sway over the north Indian subset of the Hindu people.

Author

T. Naidoo

About the Author

Originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, Dr. Thillayvel Naidoo went to school and graduated as a teacher. A graduate of the University of South Africa, he moved to India to pursue his M.A. in Indian Philosophy at the University of Madras. Research Officer at the University of Durban-Department Westville’s of Science of Religion. He is presently a professor of Philosophy of Religion at the university where he earned his doctorate. On Hinduism, he is the author of many publications on the subject: The Hindu Way, Sai Baba: An Analysis of Manifestations, The Parsee Community in South Africa, and Tamil People in South Africa.

Essays on the Mahabharata

This book is considered to be a classic analysis of a massive work known as the Mahabharata. It is maybe the longest epic in all of written history. It is an epic study of epics due to the voluminous size it has itself attained, the kaleidoscopic variety of the themes it covers, the great diversity of approaches it canvasses, the wide array of contributions it includes, and the high standard of scholarship it achieves. All of these factors combine to make it an epic study of epics. Students and academics specialising in Hinduism, comparative religion, comparative literature, comparative mythology, and classics are the target audience for this work.

Author

Arvind Sharma