Hinduism

Table of Contents

Introduction
Overview
- The term Hinduism
- General nature of Hinduism
- The five tensile strands
  - Doctrine
  - Practice
  - Society
  - Story
  - Devotion
- Central conceptions
  - Veda, Brahmans, and issues of religious authority
  - Doctrine of atman-brahman
  - Karma, samsara, and moksha
  - Dharma and the three paths
  - Ashramas: the four stages of life
The history of Hinduism
- Sources of Hinduism
  - Indo-European sources
  - Other sources: the process of “Sanskritization”
- The prehistoric period (3rd and 2nd millennia bce)
  - Indigenous prehistoric religion
  - Religion in the Indus valley civilization
  - Survival of archaic religious practices
- The Vedic period (2nd millennium–7th century bce)
- Challenges to Brahmanism (6th–2nd century bce)
- Early Hinduism (2nd century bce–4th century ce)
  - The rise of the major sects: Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism
  - The development of temples
  - The spread of Hinduism in Southeast Asia and the Pacific
  - Questions of influence on the Mediterranean world
- The rise of devotional Hinduism (4th–11th century)
- Hinduism under Islam (11th–19th century)
  - The challenge of Islam and popular religion
  - Temple complexes
  - Sectarian movements
  - Bhakti movements
- The modern period (from the 19th century)
  - Hindu reform movements
    - Brahmo Samaj
    - Arya Samaj
  - New religious movements
    - Ramakrishna Mission
    - Theosophical Society
    - Aurobindo Ashram
    - Other reform movements
  - The struggle for independence
    - Mahatma Gandhi
    - The religious situation after independence
  - Hinduism outside India
Sacred texts
- Vedas
  - Importance of the Vedas
  - The components of the Vedas
  - The Rigveda
  - Elaborations of text and ritual: the later Vedas
    - The Yajurveda and Samaveda
    - The Atharvaveda
  - The Brahmanas and Aranyakas
  - Vedic religion
    - Cosmogony and cosmology
    - Theology
    - Ethical and social doctrines
    - The sacred: nature, humanity, and God
    - Vedic and Brahmanic rites
  - The Upanishads
- Sutras, shastras, and smritis
  - The Vedangas
  - Dharma-sutras and Dharma-shastras
  - Smriti texts
- Epics and Puranas
  - The Ramayana
  - The Mahabharata
  - The Bhagavadgita
  - The Puranas
    - Cosmogony
    - Cosmology
  - Myths of time and eternity
  - Stories of the gods
- Vaishnavism and Shaivism
  - Vaishnavism
  - Shaivism
  - Narratives of culture heroes
  - Myths of holy rivers and holy places
- Philosophical texts
  - Mysticism
  - Philosophical sutras and the rise of the Six Schools of philosophy
- Tantrism
  - Tantric traditions and Shaktism
    - Shaiva Agamas
    - Vaishnava Samhitas
    - Shakta Tantras
  - Nature of Tantric tradition
  - Tantric and Shakta views of nature, humanity, and the sacred
  - Tantric ritual and magical practices
  - Tantric and Shakta ethical and social doctrines
- Vernacular literatures
Practical Hinduism
- Devotion
- Deities
- Worship
- Divination, spirit possession, and healing
- Women’s religious practices
- Pilgrimage
Rituals, social practices, and institutions
- Sacrifice and worship
  - Domestic rites
    - Samskaras: rites of passage
    - Daily offerings
    - Other private rites
  - Temple worship
  - Shaiva rites
  - Vaishnava rites
- Sacred times and festivals
- Ritual and social status
  - Social structure
  - Castes
  - Social protest
  - Renunciants and the rejection of social order
- Religious orders and holy men
  - Initiation
  - Yoga
  - Sectarian symbols
- Cultural expressions: visual arts, theater, and dance
  - Types of symbols
    - Yantra and mandala
    - Lingam and yoni
    - Visual theology in icons
  - The arts
    - Religious principles in sculpture and painting
    - Religious organization of sacred architecture
    - Theater and dance
Hinduism and the world beyond
- Hinduism and religions of Indian origin
- Hinduism and Islam
- Hinduism and Christianity
- Diasporic Hinduism

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Shankara

Shankara

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Kabir

Indian mystic and poet

Suryavarman II

king of Khmer empire

Keshab Chunder Sen

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Gilbert John Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th earl of Minto

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Chaitanya

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(From left) Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and Bipin Chandra Pal

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Shirdi Sai Baba temple

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Vinayak Damodar Savarkar

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar

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Debendranath Tagore

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Sāhibdīn

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Ramanuja

Ramanuja

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Vivekananda

Vivekananda

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Ramatirtha

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R.C. Zaehner

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