Hindutva As Brahmatva

Some postcolonial theorists argue that the idea of a single system of belief known as "Hinduism" is a creation of nineteenth-century British imperialists. Andrew J. Nicholson introduces another perspective: although a unified Hindu identity is not as ancient as some Hindus claim, it has its roots in innovations within South Asian philosophy from the fourteenth to seventeenth centuries. During this time, thinkers treated the philosophies of Vedanta, Samkhya, and Yoga, along with the worshippers of Visnu, Siva, and Sakti, as belonging to a single system of belief and practice. Instead of seeing such groups as separate and contradictory, they re-envisioned them as rivers leading to the ocean of Brahman, the ultimate reality. Drawing on the writings of philosophers from late medieval and early modern traditions, including Vijnanabhiksu, Madhava, and Madhusudana Sarasvati, Nicholson shows how influential thinkers portrayed Vedanta philosophy as the ultimate unifier of diverse belief systems. This project paved the way for the work of later Hindu reformers, such as Vivekananda, Radhakrishnan, and Gandhi, whose teachings promoted the notion that all world religions belong to a single spiritual unity. In his study, Nicholson also critiques the way in which Eurocentric concepts—like monism and dualism, idealism and realism, theism and atheism, and orthodoxy and heterodoxy—have come to dominate modern discourses on Indian philosophy."

This introduction develops the idea of 'Global Theory' - a form of theorising that draws on, contrasts, and meta-theorises from diverse cultures. Itt looks at the use that has been made of Indian ideas, and develops a theory of 'choral hermeneutics' (rather than merely dialogical hermeneutics) that cross-references multiple worldviews to "produce a simultaneous vision of many positions in relation to each other." The rest of the book "Hindu Worldviews" explores theories of self, action, thought and community in classical Hindu sources such as the Upanisads, Sutras, and Bhagavad Gita. The result is a portrait of the Self in Indian thought as something that can shape itself, altering its embodiment, reshaping personality, expanding its scope across concepts, and connecting to other selves. Far from the fixed self usually associated with the Atman, this is a fluid and flexible self with a profound creative power over its own identity.

Chapman University, 2022

Hinduism describes the nature of the outer and inner realities and instructs on ways to obtain self-knowledge. The formal name of Hinduism is Sanātana Dharma (Eternal or Universal Law) and its oldest text is the Ṛgveda. It also has a huge amount of ancillary literature that covers a wide variety of subjects. Hinduism is also called the Ātma Vidyā (Science of Consciousness). Lived Hinduism is Yoga, in which one of the first steps is the practice of āsanas that has become well-known all over the world. Preceding this practice is ethical and moral preparation that makes one ready to delve into a deeper understanding of the tradition. There are many misconceptions about Hinduism both in academic writing and in the popular press. Some of these misconceptions are so ridiculous that to paraphrase the Roman scholar Cicero only academics and journalists would believe them.

International Journal of Management, Technology and Social Sciences (IJMTS), 2016

Man has succeeded very much in going outside of himself and has made many achievements. He has travelled through the space, found out many machines, many stars etc.But man has not succeeded as he must have done in one field except a very few who have really searched within and transformed themselves and others into great self-realised,contented human beings, who are not moved by the pleasures and pains of life The epic character Nachikethas is a best example of this field's best motivator.India's epics are the greatest recorded epics known to man.It has been said that nothing exists that cannot be found in the epics of India. Bhagavat Geetha is the song of God.This literature continues to enchant readers and scholars the world over. This paper is an effort to search in a very limited way the spirit of this culture and its treasures.I bow down to the great power which is the power behind the entire existence.This power is smaller than the smallest and bigger than the biggest. Symbology is very common in all the ancient literature and epics. This paper is an effort to inculcate more interest in the present generation about the beauty and highly esteemed principles and values of the characters of the epics and the reality of life.

American Journal of Indic Studies, 2018

The essay first considers the meaning of the terms "Hindu" and "Hinduism" and whether we can speak of a single "Hinduism." After discussion of critiques of the term "religion" an account of religion as worldview, ethics and practice, following Geertz and Smart, is proposed. Two senses of "universality" as descriptive and prescriptive are explained, with corresponding senses of "pluralism." Illustrative Hindu texts are mentioned along with Brereton's overall characterization of Hinduism. Drawing on Lorenzen, Nicholson and others it is noted that a selfconscious identity of "Hindu dharma" emerged centuries before the colonial period. The essay then turns to Swami Vivekananda's account of universal dimensions of "Hinduism" in the context of religious diversity. He affirms both senses of universality along with an inclusive pluralism rooted in Vedāntic norms and views religion as the universal aspiration for union with one sacred Reality reachable by varied paths and described by different doctrines. Hinduism and Universality in Religion: The Word "Hinduism" What is "Hinduism"? As all introductions to Hinduism tell us, the word "Hinduism" is not of Indian origin. Rather it derives from "sindhu," meaning river or stream, and is a geographical term used first by ancient Persians and then by the Greeks and Arabs. "Hindu" referred to the land beyond the river Indus and also to its peoplethat is, to India and the Indians. The ethnic connotations of the term came to include culture and religion, yet its ambiguity in meaning both territory and tradition persists down to the present. 1

2017

Emerson started to read about Indian philosophy and mythology in The Edinburgh Review between 1820 and 1825. His interest in Indian thought grew when he was a young Harvard graduate, and it continued until the end of his writing career. We see its evidence in many of his essays, poems, letters, and journal entries. For example, the concept of Brahma plays a central role in his works and ideas. He is also very much interested in the Bhagavad Gita. Some of his essays such as "Self-Reliance" deal with a theme that is very much similar to the concept of karma. Through a discussion of Brahma, the Bhagavad Gita, and the laws of karma, I explore how Emerson was deeply influenced by the Indian philosophical and religious thought. The Indian concept of Brahma had great influence on Emerson. Brahma is the god of creation, and one of the Hindu trinity-others being Visnu, the preserver and savior of the world, and Siva, the destroyer or dissolver of the world. Emerson was so influenced by the concept of Brahma that he named one of his short poems "Brahma:" If the red slayer think he slays, Or if the slain think he is slain, They know not well the subtle ways I keep, and pass, and turn again. Far or forgot to me is near; Shadow and sunlight are the same; the vanished gods to me appear; And one to me are shame and fame.

Etymologically, the word Hindu has a twisted history; it had different meanings in different times. It is a foreign word, coined by foreigners, and the word is not be found in any Indian language. We do not find its reference in any of the Vedas or in any other ancient Hindu scriptures. What we find, nearest to the modern word Hindu, is the term Hapta Hendu in the Avesta of Persia that recorded the teachings of the Zoroastrianism religion of ancient Persia; Hapta Hendu was the name of the land described to be the fifteenth land created by the Zoroastrianism God, Ahura Mazda. This Hapta Hendu is preemptively equated with the Vedic Sapte Sindhu. (meaning the land of the seven rivers). Both these terms, Sindhu and Hendu, are derived from the name of the river Sindhu, ('The Indus river'-the word 'sindhu' literally means 'river' in Sanskrit). It is most probable that originally the name of the river was