1.

Hindu darshana

Darshana: A Glimpse into the Hindu Civilization” presents a colorful overview of Hindu
concepts and practices, offering an opportunity to learn about one of the oldest civilizations
in the world with continuing global presence today. The exhibition features a variety of
topics, ranging from yoga and divinity to mathematics and administration, demonstrating
how Hindu knowledge has manifested in all aspects of human endeavor.
The Exhibition is created to raise awareness on Hindu thinking, contributions, and common
practices. Compiled by a group of Hindu-Americans, it aims to clear misconceptions,
introduce some key terms, and inspire further research into the rich culture that has found its
home in the United States and globally.

2. Hindu Scripture

Shruti works are considered to have been heard and transmitted by earthly sages, as
contrasted to Smriti, or that which is remembered by ordinary human beings. Though Shruti
is considered to be the more authoritative, in practice the Smriti texts are more influential in
modern Hinduism.

Shruti

Shruti is a word of Vedic literature that is in the Sanskrit language. In Sanskrit, the word
‘Shruti’ means ‘what is heard’. The texts in Shruti are also called sacred texts. This is because
it has been revealed by God himself. Thus, they are unquestionable and authoritative. The
shruti consists of the four Vedas which deal with different aspects of Hinduism. The Vedas
are in the form of poetic hymns. The four Vedas are

Rigveda-The Rigveda is one of the oldest existing and most important texts in Shruti
literature. The Rigveda is a large collection of hymns. The hymns are in praise of God. There
are a total of 1028 hymns. The hymns are organised into ten books called Mandalas.

Yajurveda- Yajurveda is the collection of sacred formulas called Mantras. It is a guidebook

for priests to perform rituals. It is made up of two Vedas black and white Yajurveda. The
black Yajurvedas comprises un-arranged verses whereas white Yajur Vedas as well-arranged
and clear verses.

Samaveda- The Samaveda in Sanskrit means, Sama which means song and Veda means
knowledge. The “Sama Veda” is essentially a book of chants and songs. The Samaveda
consists of 1875 verses. The songs are sung during ceremonial sacrifices and various rituals
of worship.

Atharvaveda- The Atharvaveda is the fourth Veda collection. It contains various spells,
charms, and speculative hymns. It is different from all the three Vedas. It represents a good
picture of Vedic life.

The sacred texts contained in the above four Vedas are classified into three subgroups.

Aranyakas- Aranyakas are the philosophies contained in the four Vedas. It does not give any
importance to rituals, sacrifices or rites. It mainly focuses on moral science and philosophy.
The Aranyakas were written in the forest for the students living there.

Brahmanas-It explains the hymns in the Vedas. There is a Brahmana for every Veda.
Brahmanas also have some stories related to Vedic text.

Upanishads-Upanishads are the philosophies contained in the four Vedas. The knowledge is
given by the Gurus to their selected disciples.

Smriti

Smriti is the other part of Vedic literature and is derived from Shruti. In Sanskrit, the word
means ‘what is remembered’. It is a little less authoritative than Shruti. The sacred texts of
Smriti are traditionally written by ancient seers and sages. The Smriti texts are modified
through the experiences or the tradition over the period. On the basis of texts, Smriti is
broadly classified under four categories

Vedangas- The Vedangas are the disciplines of Hinduism. There are six disciplines that fully
comprehend the meaning of the texts in the Vedas. The name of six disciplines is Sikhsha,
Chandas, Vyakarana, Nirukta, Kalpa and Jyotisha.

Upavedas-The Upaveda meaning Knowledge is used in traditional or technical literature. It

applied to various fields such as arts and science. There are mainly four Upavedas. They
are Dhanurveda, Ayurveda, Arthasastra and Sthapatyaveda.

Upangas- Upangas is an instruction of gaining knowledge of life. It starts with very basic
principles or concepts. There are four [Link] first Upangas is Nyaya, the second
is Mimamsa, third is Itihasa–Purana and last is Dharma Sastra.
Darsanas- Darsanas in Sanskrit means ‘sight’. It is considered to be a window to the truth.
There are a total of six darshanas. They are Nyaya, Vaisesika, Samkhya, Purva-mimamsa
and Vedanta by Badarayaṇa.

3. Bhakti Movement

The term ‘Bhakthi’ refers to ‘devotion’. As a movement, it emphasized on the mutual intense
emotional attachment and love of a devotee toward a personal god and of the god for the
devotee. This movement originated in South India in the 7th and 10th CE, mostly in the
poems of Alvars and Nayanars. These poems were composed in Tamil; the poems were
addressed to Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva respectively

Bhakti soon spread to North India, appearing most notably in the 10th-century Sanskrit text
the Bhagavata-Purana. It swept over east and north India from the 15th century onwards,
reached its peak between the 15th and 17th century CE. The Bhakti Saints moved against the
austerities propagated by the Buddhist and Jain schools and professed that ultimate devotion
to god was the means to salvation.

4. Vedic religion

Vedic religion means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit. If you want to know the exact meaning,
history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page.
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