People of India are not in contact with their religious history therefore, they believe their inherited beliefs as the ultimate truth. People of India think Hinduism is Vedic Religion or Sanatana Dharma but it is not so. Vedic Religion or Sanatana Dharma is prior to Buddhism. Hinduism was established after overthrowing Buddhism.
People of India have to liberate themselves from the stranglehold of casteism to realize their original religion is not Hinduism which is full of different castes and creeds but Vedic Religion or Sanatana Dharma. The people should be educated about the historical truth of the religion of Vedas.
People of India are not in contact with their religious history therefore, they believe Hinduism as their religion. People of India are sentimentally and emotionally involved with their inherited religion. They think it is irreligious to think or speak that their religion is not ancient Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma.
Hinduism is not a religion. Rather it is a group of religions found within India that share common beliefs while still remaining very different. Many may even argue that it is not a religion but more a way of life. The term "Hinduism" was not developed by the practitioners, but by groups outside of the religions as a means for labeling the entire Indian people.
Some groups within Hinduism claim a sort of "going back to the Vedas". While these groups are attempting to create a bond with the Vedas, they will never be followers of the Vedic religion while they still hold their core ideals.
These core beliefs are at odds with those of the Vedas. Many followers of Hinduism do translate the Vedas to fit into Hindu thought by changing the translation to reflect the beliefs of monism, reincarnation, the caste system, and the absence of animal and human sacrifice. However, these poor translators.
Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru:~ 'The word Hindu can be earliest traced to a source the tantric text in the 8th century and it was used initially to describe the people, it was never used to describe religion. (The Discovery of India” on page -74 and -75)
According to Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru, Its connection with religion is of late occurrence. The word Hinduism is derived from the word Hindu.
The word Hinduism was first used by English writers in the 19th century to describe the multiplicity of faiths of the people of India.
In Encyclopaedia Britannica it says:~ The word Hinduism was first used by the British writers in the year 1830 to describe the multiplicity of the faiths of the people of India excluding the converted Christians. (Volume -20, Reference -581)
Swami Vivekananda says: - The word Hindu is a misnomer; the correct word should be a Vedantin, a person who follows the Vedas.
The word Hinduism is a misnomer.
Aryans were an ancient people who originally inhabited Central Asia and later migrated southwards to the regions stretching from Iran to northwest India. These early Aryans had a similar language, race, culture, and religion with many variations. The Aryans were influenced by the Dravidic culture and in later centuries other peoples also invaded and migrated to India bringing other influences and mixing many cultures' ideologies and beliefs.
Ancient peoples of India belong to the Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma, therefore, they have nothing to do with present-day Hinduism.
Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma is not Hinduism. The word Hindu came originated from the word Sindhu which is another name for the river Indus. Maybe people who stayed along the Sindhu (Indus) valley came to be known as Hindus.
An exact date of the birth of Santana Dharma cannot be given. They say that Santana Dharma is as old as planet Earth. Some claim it is 5000 to 7000 years old Ancient India consisted of indigenous people. Aryans, Dravidians, Jews, Christians, and Muslims have invaded India and all ingenious people were converted to different faiths from time to time. Thus, Hinduism is a group of different caste, creed, and faith.
The Hindus believed in polytheism, believing all of their Gods to be separate individuals, which were introduced much later by the founders of Hinduism which contains diverse beliefs caste, and creed.
The term Hindu religion is totally a new name that cannot be found in any Indian literature before 1794 A.D.
Out of the five Indian religions of Buddhism, Jainism, Saivism, Vaishnavism, and Sikhism; Saivism and Vaishnavism were brought under the Varnashrama principle.
After naming the discriminating principle of casteism of Manu Dharma as Hinduism, the religions of Saivism and Vaishnavism, which were enslaved to the caste-discriminating principles, were given a new name as ‘Hinduism’! Thus, the Hindu religion is different from Santana Dharma or Vedic religion.
The term Hinduism came into existence under British rule. Hinduism is the caste-discriminating principle of Varnashrama Dharma based on the Book of Manu.
After 1750 A.D., Europeans captured certain parts of India and started ruling those areas. The capital of then British India was Calcutta the present-day Kolkata.
The Britishers were duty-bound to administer justice to the people living within their dominion. Thus, they set up courts of justice. They needed laws to administer justice through the courts.
To administer justice to the Christian citizens of India living within their dominion, there was Christian Law, based on Biblical principles.
To administer justice to the Muslim citizens of India living within their dominion, there was Islamic Law, based on Quranic principles. But to administer justice to non-Christian and non-Islamic citizens living in British dominion, there was no law book. This created problems for the Britishers.
As we peep into the annals of the religious history of India we find that Santana Dharma or Vedic religion was not the religion of the Hindus: ~
Every one of the great religions in the world, except our own, is built upon such historical characters; but ours rests upon principles. No man or woman can claim to have created the Vedas. They are the embodiment of eternal principles; sages discovered them.
Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion was not the religion of the Hindus, nor were the Vedic people Hindus, nor will the Hindus of today approve the replacement of the term ‘Hinduism’ with Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion. None can say exactly when the Aryans became Hindus because neither the name Hindu nor its major beliefs and practices existed in the Vedic times.
To this, one must add the marginal place the Vedic gods occupy in today’s Hindu pantheon. In addition, as we have seen, the Vedas themselves are not attractive to most of today’s Hindus as sacred texts. The Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, Puranas, and Manusmriti, may have more to do with the Hinduism of today than the Vedas.
Thus, it is clear that there is no direct ancestry of modern Hinduism traceable in the Vedas, though it does have some influence on it “The Vedic corpus reflects the archetypal religion of those who called themselves Aryas, and which, although it contributed to facets of latter-day Hinduism, was nevertheless distinct”.
In the British Raj, Sir William Jones was appointed as the chief justice of the Supreme Court at Calcutta. Local pundits made Sir William Jones believe that the book of Manu was the law book for the people of India.
Sir William Jones believed pundits and translated the book of Manu from Sanskrit to English. Thus, based on the laws of Manu, a law was formed for administering justice to non-Christian and non-Muslim Indians of the British dominion, and this law was called the Hindu law.
The principles of the book of Manu which was used for drafting the Hindu Law were called Hinduism. The basic principle of the book of Manu is caste discrimination.
The name coined by Sir William Jones to denote caste-discriminating principles is Hinduism. It is not a religion. It is a way of Life. It is the way of life of the Indus people.
In this, a historical false perception crept in. That is when they called the terms Christian Law, Muslim Law, and Hindu Law, both Christian Law and Muslim Law were associated with the Christian religion and Islamic religion. But with respect to Hindu Law, a false perception of religion was wrongly attributed to it as if it was also associated with a ‘Hindu religion’ which was not there.
This false perception developed a false notion that non-Christian and non-Muslim Indians of the British dominion belonged to the Hindu religion.
The book of Manu has nothing to do with the Vedas and Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma.
Indian populace wrongly believes that Hinduism is an ancient religion because they are unaware of the fact that Hinduism is not the Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion. The people in India believe in Varnashrama Dharma or caste discrimination.
The people of India have to be liberated from the stranglehold of casteism to realize their original religion is not Hinduism which is full of different castes and creeds but the Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion. The people should be educated about the historical truth of the religion of the Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion.
Out of the five Indian religions, Saivism and Vaishnavism were already enslaved to Varnashrama Dharma i.e. caste discrimination. The people of India began to use the newly originated common name of ‘Hinduism’ to denote Saivism and Vaishnavism. The context and substance of the term Hinduism; coined by Sir William Jones is different from the context and substance of the term ‘Hindu religion’, which was substituted erroneously and used by the people to denote Saivism and Vaishnavism.
The term Hinduism came into existence in British rule. Hinduism is the caste-discriminating principle of Varnashrama Dharma based on the Book of Manu.
After 1750 A.D., Europeans captured certain parts of India and started ruling those areas. The capital of then British India was Calcutta the present-day Kolkata.
The Britishers were duty-bound to administer justice to the people living within their dominion. Thus, they set up courts of justice. They needed laws to administer justice through the courts.
To administer justice to the Christian citizens of India living within their dominion, there was Christian Law, based on Biblical principles.
To administer justice to the Muslim citizens of India living within their dominion, there was Islamic Law, based on Quranic principles. But to administer justice to non-Christian and non-Islamic citizens living in British dominion, there was no law book. This created problems for the Britishers.
At this time, Sir William Jones was appointed as the chief justice of the Supreme Court at Calcutta. Local pundits made Sir William Jones believe that the book of Manu was the law book for the people of India.
Sir William Jones believed pundits and translated the book of Manu from Sanskrit to English. Thus, based on the laws of Manu, a law was formed for administering justice to non-Christian and non-Muslim Indians of the British dominion, and this law was called as the Hindu law.
The principles of the book of Manu which was used for drafting the Hindu Law were called Hinduism. The basic principle of the book of Manu is caste discrimination.
The name coined by Sir William Jones to denote caste-discriminating principles is Hinduism. It is not a religion. It is a way of Life. It is the way of life of the Indus people.
In this, a historical false perception crept in. That is when they called the terms Christian Law, Muslim Law, and Hindu Law, both Christian Law and Muslim Law were associated with the Christian religion and Islamic religion. But with respect to Hindu Law, a false perception of religion was wrongly attributed to it as if it was also associated with a ‘Hindu religion’ which was not there.
The seekers of truth must realize the Hinduism has nothing to do with Spirituality because Hinduism is based on the matter whereas Vedic religion or Santana Dharma is based on the Spirit(Atman).
Religion is regarded as sacred and real by the common people, by the wise as false, and by the politicians as useful.
The caste system which is so integral to Hinduism was also not practiced in the Vedic times. There is hardly any evidence of a rigid caste system in the Vedas. It is argued that the purushasukta hymn of the Rig Veda (X.90) which is often referred to to give a religious sanction to the caste system, was a later interpolation. The Vedas, however, speak of various classes of people, which appear to have been names of professions, and they were not hereditary.
“The very concept of castes by birth, upper/lower castes, superior/inferior castes, outcastes, untouchables, Dalits, etc. are clearly prohibited by Rigveda”.
Religion is regarded as sacred and real by the common people, by the wise as false, and by the politicians as useful.
The caste system which is so integral to Hinduism was also not practiced in the Vedic times. There is hardly any evidence of a rigid caste system in the Vedas. It is argued that the purushasukta hymn of the Rig Veda (X.90) which is often referred to to give a religious sanction to the caste system, was a later interpolation. The Vedas, however, speak of various classes of people, which appear to have been names of professions, and they were not hereditary.
“The very concept of castes by birth, upper/lower castes, superior/inferior castes, outcastes, untouchables, Dalits, etc. are clearly prohibited by Rigveda”.
The term Hindu religion is totally a new name that cannot be found in any Indian literature prior to 1794 A.D.
Out of the five Indian religions of Buddhism, Jainism, Saivism, Vaishnavism, and Sikhism; Saivism and Vaishnavism were brought under the Varnashrama principle.
After naming the discriminating principle of casteism of Manu Dharma as Hinduism, the religions of Saivism and Vaishnavism, which were enslaved to the caste-discriminating principles, were given a new name as ‘Hinduism’! Thus, the Hindu religion is different from Santana Dharma or Vedic religion.
The term Hinduism came into existence under British rule. Hinduism is the caste-discriminating principle of Varnashrama Dharma based on the Book of Manu.
As we peep into the annals of the religious history of India we find that Santana Dharma or Vedic religion was not the religion of the Hindus: ~
Every one of the great religions in the world, except our own, is built upon such historical characters; but ours rests upon principles. No man or woman can claim to have created the Vedas. They are the embodiment of eternal principles; sages discovered them.
Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion was not the religion of the Hindus, nor were the Vedic people Hindus, nor will the Hindus of today approve the replacement of the term ‘Hinduism’ with Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion. None can say exactly when the Aryans became Hindus because neither the name Hindu nor its major beliefs and practices existed in the Vedic times.
To this, one must add the marginal place the Vedic gods occupy in today’s Hindu pantheon. In addition, as we have seen, the Vedas themselves are not attractive to most of today’s Hindus as sacred texts. The Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, Puranas, and Manusmriti, may have more to do with the Hinduism of today than the Vedas.
Thus, it is clear that there is no direct ancestry of modern Hinduism traceable in the Vedas, though it does have some influence on it “The Vedic corpus reflects the archetypal religion of those who called themselves Aryas, and which, although it contributed to facets of latter-day Hinduism, was nevertheless distinct”.
In the British Raj, Sir William Jones was appointed as the chief justice of the Supreme Court at Calcutta. Local pundits made Sir William Jones believe that the book of Manu was the law book for the people of India.
Sir William Jones believed pundits and translated the book of Manu from Sanskrit to English. Thus, based on the laws of Manu, a law was formed for administering justice to non-Christian and non-Muslim Indians of the British dominion and this law was called as the Hindu law.
The principles of the book of Manu which was used for drafting the Hindu Law were called Hinduism. The basic principle of the book of Manu is caste discrimination.
The name coined by Sir William Jones to denote caste-discriminating principles is Hinduism. It is not a religion. It is a way of Life. It is the way of life of the Indus people.
In this, a historical false perception crept in. That is when they called the terms Christian Law, Muslim law, and Hindu Law, both Christian Law and Muslim Law were associated with the Christian religion and Islamic religion. But in respect of Hindu Law, a false perception of religion was wrongly attributed to it as if it was also associated with a ‘Hindu religion’ which was not there.
This false perception developed a false notion that non-Christian and non-Muslim Indians of the British dominion belonged to the Hindu religion.
The book of Manu is nothing to do with the Vedas and Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma.
Indian populace wrongly believes that Hinduism is an ancient religion because they are unaware of the fact that Hinduism is not the Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion. The people in India believe in Varnashrama Dharma or caste discrimination.
The people of India have to liberate from the stranglehold of casteism to realize their original religion is not Hinduism which is full of different caste and creeds but the Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion. The people should be educated about the historical truth of the religion of the Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion.
Out of the five Indian religions, Saivism and Vaishnavism were already enslaved to Varnashrama Dharma i.e. caste discrimination. The people of India began to use the newly originated common name of ‘Hinduism’ to denote Saivism and Vaishnavism. The context and substance of the term Hinduism; coined by Sir William Jones is different from the context and substance of the term ‘Hindu religion’, which was substituted erroneously and used by the people to denote Saivism and Vaishnavism.
The term Hinduism came into existence under British rule. Hinduism is the caste-discriminating principle of Varnashrama Dharma based on the Book of Manu.
After 1750 A.D., Europeans captured certain parts of India and started ruling those areas. The capital of then British India was Calcutta the present-day Kolkata.
The Britishers were duty-bound to administer justice to the people living within their dominion. Thus, they set up courts of justice. They needed laws to administer justice through the courts.
To administer justice to the Christian citizens of India living within their dominion, there was Christian Law, based on Biblical principles.
To administer justice to the Muslim citizens of India living within their dominion, there was Islamic Law, based on Quranic principles. But to administer justice to non-Christian and non-Islamic citizens living in British dominion, there was no law book. This created problems for the Britishers.
At this time, Sir William Jones was appointed as the chief justice of the Supreme Court at Calcutta. Local pundits made Sir William Jones believe that the book of Manu was the law book for the people of India.
Sir William Jones believed pundits and translated the book of Manu from Sanskrit to English. Thus, based on the laws of Manu, a law was formed for administering justice to non-Christian and non-Muslim Indians of the British dominion, and this law was called the Hindu law.
The principles of the book of Manu which was used for drafting the Hindu Law were called Hinduism. The basic principle of the book of Manu is caste discrimination.
The name coined by Sir William Jones to denote caste-discriminating principles is Hinduism. It is not a religion. It is a way of Life. It is the way of life of the Indus people.
In this, a historical false perception crept in. That is when they called the terms Christian Law, Muslim Law, and Hindu Law, both Christian Law and Muslim Law were associated with the Christian religion and Islamic religion. But in respect to Hindu Law, a false perception of religion was wrongly attributed to it as if it was also associated with a ‘Hindu religion’ which was not there.
It is necessary for the seekers of truth to realize the Hinduism is nothing to do with Spirituality because Hinduism is based on the matter whereas Vedic religion or Santana Dharma is based on the Spirit(Atman).
The word Hindu holds all the castes together. By removing the Hindu tag from castes all the present minority religions become the majority and all the Hindus belonging to the castes become a minority.
It is necessary for the Government of India and the Indian Judiciary to bar all the caste systems and abolish all the religious-based laws introduced by the British Raj for their divide-and-rule policy. The uniform civil code is very much necessary. Religion has to be kept away from democracy. Democracy is always secular.
It is necessary for the seekers of truth to realize the Hinduism is nothing to do with Spirituality because Hinduism is based on the matter whereas Vedic religion or Santana Dharma is based on the Spirit(Atman).
The word Hindu holds all the castes together. By removing the Hindu tag from castes all the present minority religions become the majority and all the Hindus belonging to the castes become a minority.
It is necessary for the Government of India and the Indian Judiciary to bar all the caste systems and abolish all the religious-based laws introduced by the British Raj for their divide-and-rule policy. The uniform civil code is very much necessary. Religion has to be kept away from democracy. Democracy is always secular.
There is a need for deeper research to realize Vedas and Vedic religion are nothing to do with present-day Hinduism.
The word Hindu is a misnomer. The correct word should be a Sindhu the people belonging to the Indus Valley. The ancient peoples of the Indus Valley or undivided India called Hindus by Muslim Invaders.
It is time for the Govt of India to replace the word Hindu with Shindu or any other suitable word to recognize the Indian populace and secular India because the word ' Hindu' originated by the Muslim Invaders.
Peep into the religious history: ~
The Supreme Court of India correctly pointed out Hinduism as a religion, incorporating all forms of belief without mandating the selection or elimination of any one single belief,“ It is a religion that has no single founder, no single scripture and no single set of teachings. It has been described as Santana Dharma, namely, eternal faith, as it is the collective wisdom and inspiration of the centuries that Hinduism seeks to preach and propagate,” ---Hinduism has no single founder or scripture.
The Supreme Court failed to observe the preset Hinduism is not ancient Santana Dharam or Vedic Religion.
Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion has no founders whereas Advaita and qualified Advaita and Dwaita and all other sects and castes identified as Hinduism are identified with their founders.
All of these castes have non-Vedic Gods and rituals barred by the Vedas. The dualism came only in the 12th century. The orthodox Advaita and Dwaita are based on the Abrahamic framework. Both Advaita and Dvaita schools are based on Vedas and they condemn each other with Upanishads and Puranic citations and try to prove they are right and others are wrong. The orthodox Advaita has nothing to do with the ultimate truth or Brahman because they worship idols, human worship, and symbol worship and indulge in non-Vedic rituals barred by Vedas.
As one peeps into the annals of Indian religious history, Hinduism is not an ancient Sanatana Dharm or Vedic Religion.
Upon close examination we discover that the religion of the Vedas was not the religion of the Hindus, nor were the Vedic people Hindus, nor will the Hindus of today approve the replacement of the term ‘Hinduism’ with ‘Vedic Religion’. None can say exactly when the Aryans became Hindus because neither the name Hindu nor its major beliefs and practices existed in the Vedic times. To this, one must add the marginal place the Vedic gods occupy in today’s Hindu pantheon. In addition, as we have seen, the Vedas themselves are not attractive to most of today’s Hindus as sacred texts. The Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, Puranas, and Manusmriti, may have more to do with the Hinduism of today than the Vedas.
Thus, it is clear that there is no direct ancestry of modern Hinduism traceable in the Vedas, though it does have some influence on it “The Vedic corpus reflects the archetypal religion of those who called themselves Aryans, and which, although it contributed to facets of latter-day Hinduism, was nevertheless distinct”.
The caste system which is so integral to Hinduism was also not practiced in the Vedic times. There is hardly any evidence of a rigid caste system in the Vedas. It is argued that the purushasukta hymn of the Rig Veda (X.90) which is often referred to to give a religious sanction to the caste system, was a later interpolation. The Vedas, however, speak of various classes of people, which appear to have been names of professions, and they were not hereditary.
“The very concept of castes by birth, upper/lower castes, superior/inferior castes, outcastes, untouchables, Dalits, etc. are clearly prohibited by Rigveda”.
The taboo on cow slaughter is not Vedic in origin. The taboo on cow slaughter and beef-eating did not exist in Vedic times. Criteria like taboo on beef-eating or belief in reincarnation might stamp the Vedic seers as non-Hindus”. The question of whether the Vedic people practiced cow slaughter is debated among Hindu traditionalists. The cow was a sacred animal that the authors of the Vedas sacrificed cows and ate beef on special occasions. This argument only substantiates the view that cow was not an inviolable animal and that beef-eating was not a taboo in Vedic times.
As is clear from the above, several aspects that are intrinsic to the Hinduism of today, such as, the doctrine of re-incarnation, avatars (‘descent’) of gods, caste system, the taboo on cow slaughter and beef-eating were absent in the Vedic Religion. It was shown by a critical study of the Vedas that the Aryans had no developed idea of the caste system, (.…) The taboo on the use of beef was shown to be of later origin, that the cow was freely killed for ceremonial and other purposes in ancient India”.
Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma is distinct from Hinduism. The Vedic Religion or Santana Dharmadeserves to be treated on its own as a distinct religion with its own sacred texts, rites, rules of social life, beliefs, and practices without inter-linking it with Hinduism. Perhaps it is right to maintain that the Mimamsa School which is concerned with the investigation of the Vedic texts, their correct interpretation, and the meticulous performance of the Vedic rituals and ceremonies has preserved and defended a part of the heritage of the Vedic tradition.
The Vedanta school also may have received a part of the inspiration from the Vedas. For the rest of the Hindu philosophical schools and religious sects, the influence of the Vedas is nominal. However, in as much as elements from the Vedas have influenced some aspects of Hinduism, it may be considered as one of the many factors influencing modern Hinduism.
But by no means can it be maintained that Hinduism has its direct ancestry in the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma. Therefore, Hinduism of Vedic times is an imagined community. Hinduism is of a much later origin, and a historical view of Indian religions would endorse a dichotomy between Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma and contemporary Hinduism.
Hinduism does not have a long ancestry as is often presumed or propagated by the Hindu ideologues. In fact, historically, religions like Buddhism and Jainism can claim greater antiquity than the Hinduism of today. Hinduism began to take a systematic form from the time of Sage Sri, Sankara (8th century A.D). In this sense, he may be considered as the ‘founder’ of Hinduism but he never called it Hinduism.
Thus, Hinduism came into existence with its own code of conduct beliefs, rituals after the 8th century. Hinduism as one knows it today is of recent origin. He states: “Hinduism did not really achieve its status as a coherent, though still baffling, religious complex until after the establishment of the British rule in India.
In discussing the Vedic Religion it is also to be remembered that in the course of history, many non-Aryan elements entered into the Vedic Religion. The Vedic Aryans freely borrowed elements from the culture and the society around them. But we cannot say with precision, which are the non-Aryan elements in the Vedic Religion. Therefore, the thesis of the direct ancestry of Hinduism of today from Vedic Religion is to be considered as a myth purported by orthodoxy.
Other aspects
Religion is regarded as sacred and real by the common people, by the wise as false and by the politicians as useful.
The word Hindu is a misnomer. The correct word should be a Sindhu the people belonging to the Indus valley. The ancient peoples of the Indus Valley or undivided India were called Hindus by Muslim Invaders.
The term ‘Hindu’ is originally a geographical nomenclature. In the Arabic texts where the term ‘Hindu’ is initially used, refers to the inhabitants of the Indian subcontinent, the land across the Sindhu or Indus River. Al-Hind was, therefore, a geographical identity, and the Hindus were all the people who lived on this land.
Thus, the term ‘Hindu’ was used to describe those who professed a religion other than Islam and Christianity. It is also noteworthy that the use of the word ‘Hindu’ in non-Islamic sources is known probably only from the 15th century A.D.
The term ‘Hindu’ became a term of administrative convenience when the rulers of Arab, Turkish, Afghan, and Mughal origin ― all Muslims ― had to differentiate between ‘the believers’ and the rest.
The word Hindu is derived from the Indo-Aryan and Sanskrit word Sindhu, which means "a large body of water", covering "river, ocean". ... The term 'Hindu' in these ancient records is an ethno-geographical term and does not refer to a religion. The Arabic equivalent Al-Hind likewise referred to the country of India.
Origin of the word 'Hindu'. Many scholars and historians have concluded that the word 'Hindu' was coined by the ancient invaders who could not accurately pronounce the name of the River Sindhu. According to Sir Monier Williams, the famous Sanskrit lexicographer, the words 'Hindu' and 'India' evidently do not possess ...
Interestingly the word "Hindu" came into existence because of mispronunciation of a Sanskrit word by the ancient Persians some 3000 to 4000 years ago. The word "Hindu" is not a Sanskrit word. It is not found in any of the thousands of native dialects and languages of India. Neither is it a religious word. It is a secular word...
Hindu means nothing. Hindu and word Hinduism was given by Irani and Persian people who can’t pronoun Sandhu, so they call people on opposite sides of the river Sandhu as HINDU & Hinduism was given by Britishers.
The word 'Hindu' has no meaning actually. Hindu is derived from the word Sindhu in Sanskrit, the historic local name for the Indus River. The word 'Hindu' occurred first as a Persian geographical term for the people who lived beyond the river Indus. Hindu was a geographical term and did not refer to a religion.
People of India are not in contact with their religious history therefore, they believe their inherited beliefs as the ultimate truth. People of India think Hinduism is not Vedic Religion or Sanatana Dharma but it is not so. Vedic Religion or Sanatana Dharma is prior to Buddhism. Hinduism was established after overthrowing Buddhism.
People of India have to liberate themselves from the stranglehold of casteism to realize their original religion is not Hinduism which is full of different castes and creeds but Vedic Religion or Sanatana Dharma. The people should be educated about the historical truth of the religion of Vedas.
People of India are not in contact with their religious history therefore, they believe Hinduism as their religion. People of India are sentimentally and emotionally involved with their inherited religion. They think it is irreligious to think or speak that their religion is not ancient Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma.
Hinduism is not a religion. Rather it is a group of religions found within India that share common beliefs while still remaining very different. Many may even argue that it is not a religion but more a way of life. The term "Hinduism" was not developed by the practitioners, but by groups outside of the religions as a means for labeling the entire Indian people.
Some groups within Hinduism claim a sort of "going back to the Vedas". While these groups are attempting to create a bond with the Vedas, they will never be followers of Vedic religion while they still hold their core ideals.
These core beliefs are at odds with those of the Vedas. Many followers of Hinduism do translate the Vedas to fit into Hindu thought by changing the translation to reflect the beliefs of monism, reincarnation, the caste system, and the absence of animal and human sacrifice. However, these poor translators.
Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru:~ 'The word Hindu can be earliest traced to a source the tantric text in the 8th century and it was used initially to describe the people, it was never used to describe religion. (The Discovery of India” on page -74 and -75)
According to Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru, Its connection with religion is of late occurrence. The word Hinduism is derived from the word Hindu.
The word Hinduism was first used by English writers in the 19th century to describe the multiplicity of faiths of the people of India.
In Encyclopaedia Britannica it says:~ The word Hinduism was first used by the British writers in the year 1830 to describe the multiplicity of the faiths of the people of India excluding the converted Christians. (Volume -20, Reference -581)
Swami Vivekananda says: - The word Hindu is a misnomer; the correct word should be a Vedantin, a person who follows the Vedas.
The word Hinduism is a misnomer.
Aryans were an ancient people who originally inhabited Central Asia and later migrated southwards to the regions stretching from Iran to northwest India. These early Aryans had a similar language, race, culture, and religion with many variations. The Aryans were influenced by the Dravidic culture and in later centuries other peoples also invaded and migrated to India bringing other influences and mixing many cultures' ideologies and beliefs.
Ancient peoples of India belong to the Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma, therefore, they have nothing to do with present-day Hinduism.
Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma is not Hinduism. The word Hindu came originated from the word Sindhu which is another name for the river Indus. Maybe people who stayed along the Sindhu (Indus) valley came to be known as Hindus.
An exact date of the birth of Santana Dharma cannot be given. They say that Santana Dharma is as old as planet Earth. Some claim it is 5000 to 7000 years old Ancient India consisted of indigenous people. Aryans, Dravidians, Jews, Christians, and Muslims have invaded India and all ingenious people were converted to different faiths from time to time. Thus, Hinduism is a group of different caste, creed, and faith.
The Hindus believed in polytheism, believing all of their Gods to be separate individuals, which were introduced much later by the founders of Hinduism which contains diverse beliefs caste, and creed.
Max Müller says: ~ "The religion of the Veda knows no idols; the worship of idols in India is a secondary formation, a degradation of the more primitive worship of ideal Gods."
When the religion of the Veda knows no idols then why so many Gods and Goddesses with different forms and names are being propagated as Vedic Gods. Why these conceptual Gods are introduced when the Vedic concept of God is free from form and attributes.
When the religion of the Veda knows no idols then why so many Gods and Goddesses with different forms and names are being propagated as Vedic Gods. Why these conceptual Gods are introduced when the Vedic concept of God is free from form and attributes.
Hindus are idol worshipers of a large number of Gods and Goddesses whereas in Vedas the God has been described as:-
The Vedic Culture and Vedas are complete in themselves but Hinduism which is a non-Vedic belief system with all rituals and conduct-oriented practices has been contributed largely by the orthodox priests to suit their convenience!
That is why Swami Vivekananda~ The masses in India cry to sixty million Gods and still die like dogs. Where are these gods? - Swami Vivekananda-The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 1/Lectures And Discourses/The Gita II
The Hindus believed in polytheism, believing all of their Gods to be separate individuals, which were introduced much later by the founders of Hinduism which contains diverse beliefs caste and creed.
The DaVita, Vedanta borrows a concept from Abrahamic religions, such as Eternal Damanation (of certain Souls destined to hell forever) which goes against the belief of most Vedanta schools, which states that the Soul attains liberation.
Hinduism is based on myths and thus people of India are unaware of the facts of their inherited religious history.
The Vedic system did not have caste system. The caste system was a fake created in the name of Hinduism. This non-Vedic belief system called Hinduism created hatred in the low-caste Hindus for the higher caste.
Hindu idols or deities or temples is nothing to do with the Vedic Religion. Vedic people ate beef. The Hindu practices of idol worship and temple worship ban on beef-eating were introduced many centuries later.
The vast ocean of Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma was consistently steady and calm for a very long period. It appears that as a consequence of the rage of the Buddhist revolution, it got suddenly disturbed and flowed down to us in disorder. Even today Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma has not recovered from the onslaught of Buddhism and Jainism and is not able to settle in people's hearts in its original form in the same old measure.
The Buddhist influence is seen in a great measure in the Vedic philosophy which is followed by the majority of Indians. Thus, it is clear that Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma has not retained its original form, but has been influenced by other religions that have undergone a sea change. Thus the influence of Buddhism on Santana Dharma is extraordinary. Even Kumarila Bhatta, who fought with great heroism for the revival of Vedic Religion, was so much influenced by Buddhism that he established for the first time in the country, an atheist Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma. There is no room for any doubt to assert that the Kumarila Bhatta School was influenced by atheist Buddhism because the school which is based on the validity of the Vedas and rituals refutes the existence of God.
It is also necessary for the people to know why the Ancient Vedic Religion or Sanatana Dharma is not present in Hinduism if they are seeking truth in India.
It is very much necessary for the Indian populace to know why Ancient Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma is not present in Hinduism. India is a spiritual supermarket with diverse philosophies, theories, ideologies, yoga, and beliefs.
Hinduism indulges non-Vedic beliefs such as idolatry, ancestor worship, pilgrimages, priestcraft, offerings made in temples, the caste system, untouchability, and child marriages. All these lack Vedic sanction, therefore, Hinduism is not an Ancient Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma.
Hinduism is the museum of diverse beliefs and dogmas. Hinduism is not the means to ‘Self’-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana All Hindus indulge in non-Vedic practice barred by the Vedas introduced by the different founders of the different sects of Hinduism at different times, whereas the Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma is ancient and has no founder.
Hinduism is not Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion. Hinduism is not a religion. Rather it is a group of religions found within India that share common beliefs while still remaining very different.
Hinduism it is not a religion but more a way of life. The term "Hinduism" is used to label the entire Indian people.
The new religion was introduced with new add-ons by Sage Sankara a great Advaitic Sage to uplift the Vedic culture and Santana Dharma, which were in ruins in the clutches of Buddhism.
18 Puranas are introduced in the name of Sage Veda Vyasa not by Sage Sankara but by the saints or founders of different castes because the Puranic Gods are non-Vedic Gods. Vedas bar worship of non-Vedic Gods of Hinduism.
As one goes deeper into the annals of history, it indicates the fact that somewhere someone has added the Puranas in the name of Sage Veda Vyasa the grandmaster of Vedas. It is impossible to accept and believe that Sage Veda Vyasa authored and introduced Puranas which have all conceptual gods because ~
That is why Swami Vivekananda~ The masses in India cry to sixty million Gods and still die like dogs. Where are these gods? - Swami Vivekananda-The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 1/Lectures And Discourses/The Gita II
Supreme Court of India:~ Hinduism, as a religion, incorporates all forms of belief without mandating the selection or elimination of any one single belief,“ It is a religion that has no single founder, no single scripture, and no single set of teachings. It has been described as Santana Dharma, namely, eternal faith, as it is the collective wisdom and inspiration of the centuries that Hinduism seeks to preach and propagate,” ---Hinduism has no single founder or scripture: SC, The Times of India (Delhi) Dec 17, 2015
In Reality, Hinduism is not an ancient Vedic Religion or Sanatana Dharma. People of Hinduism do not follow the Vedas. People of Inda think Hinduism is Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion but it is not so.
As one peeps into the annals of religious history, he finds that Hinduism which exists today is not a continuation of the Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma, and it has no real historical foundation. Hinduism is of a much later origin.
As per the researchers, the two faiths the Hindu belief system has drifted miles away from the Vedic faith so the two seem to be two distinct faiths. It is not difficult to discover that there is no noticeable continuity of Hinduism from the Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma.
The distinctive characteristics of the Hindu belief system cannot be traced in the Vedic literature. Besides, although the Vedas are revered as sacred texts, many people in India do not know what ‘belief in the Vedas’ means. In most cases, the acquaintance of the Hindus with the Vedas is limited to the few hymns that are recited in temples and household liturgies.
Remember: ~
As one peeps into the annals of religious history, he finds that Hinduism which exists today is not a continuation of the Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma, and it has no real historical foundation. Hinduism is of a much later origin.
As per the researchers, the two faiths the Hindu belief system has drifted miles away from the Vedic faith so that the two seem to be two distinct faiths. It is not difficult to discover that there is no noticeable continuity of Hinduism from the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma.
The distinctive characteristics of the Hindu belief system cannot be traced in the Vedic literature. Besides, although the Vedas are revered as sacred texts, many people in India do not know what ‘belief in the Vedas’ means. In most cases, the acquaintance of the Hindus with the Vedas is limited to the few hymns that are recited in temples and household liturgies.
God and Goddesses worshipped in India today are non-Vedic Gods. Such gods and Goddesses cease to exist without the dualistic illusion. Whatever belongs to the dualistic illusion is bound to be a falsehood.
Hinduism is based on myths and thus, people of Indian are unaware of the facts of their inherited religious history. The Vedic Culture and Vedas are complete in themselves but Hinduism which is a non-Vedic belief system with all it is ritual and conduct oriented practices has been contributed largely by the orthodox priests to suit their convenience!
To be considered an orthodox Hindu one need only accept the authority of Shruti, however, there is no universal agreement among Hindus what constitutes Shruti. Vedantins consider the Vedanta, i.e., the Upanishads as Shruti but also include the Bhagavad-Gita and Brahma Sutras as authoritative. For some Vaishnavas, the Bhagavata Purana is to be considered Veda. Some consider the Tantras are considered Veda. Thus we find that there is ample scope for different philosophies and practices under the very broad umbrella of Hinduism.
Hindus indulge non-Vedic beliefs such as idolatry, ancestor worship, pilgrimages, priestcraft, offerings made in temples, the caste system, untouchability and child marriages. All these lack Vedic sanction, therefore, Hinduism is not Ancient Vedic religion or Santana Dharma.
The Hindus indulge in non-Vedic practice barred by the Vedas introduced by the different founders of the different sects of Hinduism at a different time, whereas the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma is ancient and has no founder. Thus to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, the seeker has to realize his inherited religion is adulterated in the past and it becomes a great obstacle is realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman.
Hindus indulge non-Vedic beliefs such as idolatry, ancestor worship, pilgrimages, priestcraft, offerings made in temples, the caste system, untouchability and child marriages. All these lack Vedic sanction, therefore, Hinduism is not Ancient Vedic religion or Santana Dharma.
The Hindus indulge in non-Vedic practice barred by the Vedas introduced by the different founders of the different sects of Hinduism at a different time, whereas the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma is ancient and has no founder. Thus to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, the seeker has to realize his inherited religion is adulterated in the past and it becomes a great obstacle is realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman.
Hinduism is based on mythology and thus people of Indian are unaware of the facts of their inherited religious history. The Vedic Culture and Vedas are complete in themselves but Hinduism which is a non-Vedic belief system with all its ritual and conduct oriented practices has been contributed largely by the orthodox priests to suit their convenience!
The Buddhist influence is seen in a great measure in the Vedic philosophy which is followed by the majority of Indians. Thus, it is clear that Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma has not retained its original form, but has been influenced by other religions and has undergone a sea change. Thus the influence of Buddhism on Santana Dharma is extraordinary. Even Kumarila Bhatta, who fought with great heroism for the revival of Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion, was so much influenced by Buddhism that he established for the first time in the country, an atheist Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma. There is no room for any doubt to assert that the Kumarila Bhatta School was influenced by atheist Buddhism because the school which is based on the validity of the Vedas and rituals refutes the existence of God.
Sage Sankara endeavored to establish Vedic Religion overthrowing Buddhism. But even he was not able to avoid the influence of Buddhism. The influence of the revolutionary atmosphere of Buddhism has reappeared in the Advaita of Sage Sankara. His inability to revive the Vedic religion that flourished before the Buddhist revolution in its pure form is discernible.
Many thinkers since his time have said about Sage Sankara that he made use of many important tenets of Buddhism and presented to the people the very Buddhism in the guise of Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion. Though the Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion represented by Sage Sankara is like a conglomeration of many things he deserves the credit of having turned the Hindu mind which was once averse to Vedas -the root of Hinduism, towards the Vedas once again. For this, the followers of Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion should be grateful to Sage Sankara.
The brilliance shown by Sage Sankara, a man of wonderful genius, a matchless speaker, and an extraordinary dialectician is really a great spectacle in history. In his time, there was a severe conflict between Buddhism and the atheist Santana Dharma, or Vedic Religion of Kumarila Bhatta. Utilizing this opportunity age Sage Sankara intervened in the conflict and making use of some concepts and methodology of both the Kumarila Bhatta School and Buddhism presented a new coalition religion before the people.
Sage Sankara gave extraordinary charisma to this religion with the help of his methods of logic and style of exposition. Its influence was so great that both the Bhatta School and Buddhism had to flee from India without leaving a trace. The absence, even today, of a single follower of the Kumarila Bhatta School as well as of Buddhism, is proof enough for the great achievement of Sage Sankara. This indeed is a historical miracle.
One can see in the Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion expounded by Sage Sankara a different version of the Kumarila Bhatta School and Buddhism. That is why the tradition of following Kumarila Bhatta's methodology in expounding the Advaita thought at the empirical level gained ground in the Advaita School. Different types of the methodology of Buddhism were absorbed into the Advaita thought, of course, under new labels. There is a very clear similarity between the Vedic Religion of Sage Sankara and Buddhism and the Advaita School has given the world a common message. The essence of both schools is:~
The entire world which man perceives is illusionary; it is just an appearance of unreality and there is only one indeterminate and attributeless Sat at the root of this world".
Some Saints in the past introduced the concept of God with attributes and attributeless gods, but Yajur Veda says: ~ those who worship visible things, born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like), in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness.
Therefore, all these add-ons prove that the form and attribute-based concepts are introduced by some sages of the past with a new belief system and code of conduct in the name of Vedas.
Thus, it proves that Hinduism is nothing to do with the ancient Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion.
Hinduism does not consist in struggles and attempts to believe a certain doctrine or dogma. From the high spiritual flights of the Vedanta philosophy, of which the latest discoveries of science seem like echoes, to the low ideas of idolatry with its multifarious mythology, the agnosticism of the Buddhists, and the atheism of the Jains, each and all have a place in the Hinduism.
The vast ocean of Vedic religion or Santana Dharma was consistently steady and calm for a very long period. It appears that as a consequence of the rage of the Buddhist revolution it got suddenly disturbed and flowed down to us in disorder. Even today Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma has not recovered from the onslaught of Buddhism and Jainism and is not able to settle in people's hearts in its original form in the same old measure.
The term Hindu religion is totally a new name that cannot be found in any Indian literature before 1794 A.D.
Out of the five Indian religions of Buddhism, Jainism, Saivism, Vaishnavism, and Sikhism; Saivism and Vaishnavism were brought under the Varnashrama principle.
After naming the discriminating principle of casteism of Manu Dharma as Hinduism, the religions of Saivism and Vaishnavism, which were enslaved to the caste-discriminating principles, were given a new name as ‘Hinduism’! Thus, the Hindu religion is different from Santana Dharma or Vedic religion.
The term Hinduism came into existence in British rule. Hinduism is the caste-discriminating principle of Varnashrama Dharma based on the Book of Manu.
After 1750 A.D., Europeans captured certain parts of India and started ruling those areas. The capital of then British India was Calcutta the present-day Kolkata.
The Britishers were duty-bound to administer justice to the people living within their dominion. Thus, they set up courts of justice. They needed laws to administer justice through the courts.
To administer justice to the Christian citizens of India living within their dominion, there was Christian Law, based on Biblical principles.
To administer justice to the Muslim citizens of India living within their dominion, there was Islamic Law, based on Quranic principles. But to administer justice to non-Christian and non-Islamic citizens living in British dominion, there was no law book. This created problems for the Britishers.
As we peep into the annals of the religious history of India we find that Santana Dharma or Vedic religion was not the religion of the Hindus: ~
Every one of the great religions in the world, except our own, is built upon such historical characters; but ours rests upon principles. No man or woman can claim to have created the Vedas. They are the embodiment of eternal principles; sages discovered them.
Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion was not the religion of the Hindus, nor were the Vedic people Hindus, nor will the Hindus of today approve the replacement of the term ‘Hinduism’ with Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion. None can say exactly when the Aryans became Hindus because neither the name Hindu nor its major beliefs and practices existed in the Vedic times.
To this, one must add the marginal place the Vedic gods occupy in today’s Hindu pantheon. In addition, as we have seen, the Vedas themselves are not attractive to most of today’s Hindus as sacred texts. The Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad-Gita, Puranas, and Manusmriti, may have more to do with the Hinduism of today than the Vedas.
Thus, it is clear that there is no direct ancestry of modern Hinduism traceable in the Vedas, though it does have some influence on it “The Vedic corpus reflects the archetypal religion of those who called themselves Aryas, and which, although it contributed to facets of latter-day Hinduism, was nevertheless distinct”.
In the British Raj, Sir William Jones was appointed as the chief justice of the Supreme Court at Calcutta. Local pundits made Sir William Jones believe that the book of Manu was the law book for the people of India.
Sir William Jones believed pundits and translated the book of Manu from Sanskrit to English. Thus, on the basis of the laws of Manu, a law was formed for administering justice to non-Christian and non-Muslim Indians of the British dominion and this law was called as the Hindu law.
The principles of the book of Manu which was used for drafting the Hindu Law were called as Hinduism. The basic principle of the book of Manu is caste discrimination.
The name coined by Sir William Jones to denote caste-discriminating principles is Hinduism. It is not a religion. It is a way of Life. It is the way of life of the Indus people.
In this, a historic false perception crept in. That is when they called the terms Christian Law, Muslim law and Hindu Law, both Christian Law and Muslim Law were associated with the Christian religion and Islamic religion. But in respect of Hindu Law, a false perception of religion was wrongly attributed to it as if it was also associated with a ‘Hindu religion’ which was not there.
This false perception developed a false notion that non-Christian and non-Muslim Indians of the British dominion was belonging to the Hindu religion.
The book of Manu is nothing to do with the Vedas and Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma.
Indians populace wrongly believes that Hinduism is an ancient religion because they are unaware of the fact that Hinduism is not the Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion. The people in India believe in Varnashrama Dharma or caste discrimination.
The people of India have to liberate from the stranglehold of casteism to realize their original religion is not Hinduism which is full of different caste and creeds but the Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion. The people should be educated about the historical truth of the religion of the Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion.
Out of the five Indian religions, since Saivism and Vaishnavism were already enslaved to Varnashrama Dharma i.e. caste discrimination. The people of India began to use the newly originated common name of ‘Hinduism’ to denote Saivism and Vaishnavism. The context and substance of the term Hinduism; coined by Sir William Jones is different from the context and substance of this term ‘Hindu religion’, which was substituted erroneously and used by the people to denote Saivism and Vaishnavism.
The term Hinduism came into existence in British rule. Hinduism is the caste discriminating principle of Varnashrama Dharma based on the Book of Manu.
After 1750 A.D., Europeans captured certain parts of India and started ruling those areas. The capital of the then British India was Calcutta the present-day Kolkata.
The Britishers were duty-bound to administer justice to the people living within their dominion. Thus, they set up courts of justice. They needed laws to administer justice through the courts.
To administer justice to the Christian citizens of India living within their dominion, there was Christian Law, based on Biblical principles.
To administer justice to the Muslim citizens of India living within their dominion, there was Islamic Law, based on Quranic principles. But to administer justice to non-Christian and non-Islamic citizens living in British dominion, there was no law book. This created problems for the Britishers.
At this time, Sir William Jones was appointed as the chief justice of the Supreme Court at Calcutta. Local pundits made Sir William Jones believe that the book of Manu was the law book for the people of India.
Sir William Jones believed pundits and translated the book of Manu from Sanskrit to English. Thus, on the basis of the laws of Manu, a law was formed for administering justice to non-Christian and non-Muslim Indians of the British dominion and this law was called the Hindu law.
The principles of the book of Manu which was used for drafting the Hindu Law were called Hinduism. The basic principle of the book of Manu is caste discrimination.
The name coined by Sir William Jones to denote caste discriminating principles is Hinduism. It is not a religion. It is a way of Life. It is the way of life of the Indus people.
In this, a historic false perception crept in. That is when they called the terms Christian Law, Muslim law and Hindu Law, both Christian Law and Muslim Law were associated with the Christian religion and Islamic religion. But in respect of Hindu Law, a false perception of religion was wrongly attributed to it as if it was also associated with a ‘Hindu religion’ which was not there.
It is necessary for the people to realize the Hinduism is nothing to do with Spirituality because Hinduism is based on the matter whereas Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma is based on the Spirit(Atman).
Vedas are in the Vedic language which was a high-class language. Rig Veda (excluding chapters II and X) were written before the Christian Era in Vedic language. Vedic language is not Sanskrit. It is the same language in which the Zoroastrian Scripture Zend Avesta is written – a form of Persian language. All the other scriptures of India are written in Sanskrit.
These include Rig Veda Chapter II and X and the Upanishads, Brahmanas, Puranas and the Vedantas. These were written during the Christian Era after the Thomas ministry. As the use of this language diminished, it became a tough language for the commoners. The priests, who were supposed to be experts in this language, translated it into Sanskrit language and manipulated the meanings in time and gradually, all the practices changed.
The Vedas confirms God is Atman (Spirit), the innermost ‘Self’.
Rig Veda: ~ The Atman is the cause; Atman is the support of all that exists in this universe. May ye never turn away from the Atman the innermost ‘Self’. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)
Rig Veda 1/164/46: ~ “They call him Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni or the heavenly sunbird Garutmat. The seers call in many ways that which is One; they speak of Agni, Yama, Matarishvan.
Rig Veda 8/58/2:~ Only One is the Fire, enkindled in numerous ways; only One is the Sun, pervading this whole universe; only One is the Dawn, illuminating all things. In very truth, the One has become the whole world.
Rig-Veda 1-164-46 and Y.V 32-1 clearly mention that God is “One”.
Rig Veda declares God is ‘ONE’ and God is Atman, then why believe and worship in place of real God.
In Yajurveda – chapter- 32:~ It has been said that God Supreme or Supreme Spirit has no ‘Pratima’ (idol) or material shape. God cannot be seen directly by anyone. God pervades all beings and all directions. Thus, Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: ~ Brahman (God) is in the form of the Athma, and it is indeed Athma itself.
People, who worship the religious belief of God, are hallucinating that they become one with such God.
Vedas itself says: May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman? Thus, to know the real God Self-realization is necessary. Self-realization is God-realization. Self-realization itself is real worship.
How can you worship God? That implies two ~ the worshipper and the worshiped, whereas God is nondual. One can worship his idea of God only or realize his unity with it when he can’t worship it as apart.
When Upanishads and Vedas declare that, “God is the form of the Athma, and God is indeed Athma itself” then why to accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman.
God is the Supreme Being the One eternal homogeneous essence, indivisible consciousness and intelligence, which is beyond the form, time, and space. To which the Sages describe in a variety of ways through diverse words.
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad declares: "He who worships the deities as entities entirely separate from him does not know the truth. For the Gods, he is like a pasu (beast)". (1. 4. 10)
The Bhagavad Gita: ~ Brahmano hi pratisthaham ~ Brahman (God) is considered the all-pervading consciousness, which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material. (14.27).
When Bhagavad Gita says, God is considered the all-pervading consciousness which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material then nothing has to be accepted as God other than consciousness.
Bhagavad Gita: ~ ‘All those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires, they worship many Gods. (7- Verse -20)
Brihad Upanishad: ~ “If you think there is another entity, whether man or God there is no truth."
Upanishad itself says: ~ Sarvam khalvidam brahma ~ all this (universe) is verily Brahman. By following back all of the relative appearances in the world, we eventually return to that from which it is all manifest – the non-dual reality (Chandogya Upanishad).
Sage Sri, Sankara’s Supreme Brahman (God) is impersonal, Nirguna (without Gunas or attributes), Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without special characteristics), immutable, eternal and Akarta (non-agent). It is above all needs and desires. It is always the Witnessing Subject. It can never become an object as it is beyond the reach of the senses. Brahman is non-dual, one without a second. It has no other beside it. It is destitute of difference, either external or internal. Brahman cannot be described because the description implies a distinction. Brahman cannot be distinguished from any other than It. In Brahman, there is not a distinction between substance and attribute. Sat-Chit-Ananda constitutes the very essence or Svarupa of Brahman, and not just Its attributes. The Nirguna Brahman of Sage Sri, Sankara is impersonal.
As indicated in ISH Upanishads:~By worshipping Gods and Goddesses you will go after death to the world of gods and goddesses. But will that help you? The time you spend there is wasted because if you were not there you could have spent that time moving forward towards ‘Self’-knowledge, which is your goal. In the world of gods and goddesses, you cannot do that, and thus you go deeper and deeper into darkness.
Yajur Veda says: ~ They sink deeper into darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example, table, chair, idol, etc. - (Yajurveda 40:9)
Those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time."-(Yajur Veda 40:9.)
It clearly indicates that:- If the human goal is to acquire ‘Self’-Knowledge then why one has to indulge in rituals and glorify the conceptual gods, goddesses a, d gurus to go into deeper darkness. Instead spend that time moving forward towards ‘Self’-knowledge, which is one’s prime goal.
Since it is eternal and infinite, it comprises the only truth. The goal of Vedic religion, through the various yogas, is to realize that the consciousness (Atman) is actually nothing but Brahman.
The Vedic pantheon of gods is said, in the Vedas and Upanishads, to be only higher manifestations of Brahman. For this reason, "ekam sat" (all is one), and all is Brahman.
One must remember that for all periods the Vedas are the final goal and authority, and if the Puranas differ in any respect from the Vedas, that part of the Puranas is to be rejected without mercy.
If Hindus believe in one God, why do people worship so many Gods? There are 33,000,000 Gods and Goddesses in Hinduism.
It is very unfortunate that Hindus have started worshipping so many idols. In fact, Vedas specifically say that idols have not to be worshipped. Here are quotes from the principal Scriptures which say that Idols shouldn’t be worshipped.
Hindu idol or deity or temple is nothing to do with the Vedic religion. Vedic people ate beef. The Hindu practices of idol worship and temples worship ban on beef-eating introduced many centuries later. therefore the Hinduism is not non-Vedic nothing to do with Vedas or Vedic religion. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar
