Categories: Indian people stubs | Indian religious figures | Hindu religious figures This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Shruti (what is heard) is a canon of Hindu scriptures, early forms of which may have existed as early as 1500 BC, with most scholarship favoring dates between 1200 and 800 BC. Shruti is said to have no author; rather, it is believed to be a divine recording of the... The Vedas (also referred to as Vedam) are part of the Hindu Shruti; these religious scriptures form part of the core of the Brahminical and Vedic traditions within Hinduism and are the inspirational, metaphysical and mythological foundation for later Vedanta, Yoga, Tantra and even Bhakti forms of Hinduism. ... The Upanishads (उपनिषद्, UpaniÅŸad) are part of the Hindu Shruti scriptures which primarily discuss meditation and philosophy and are seen as religious instructions by most schools of Hinduism. ... Bhagavad Gīta भगवद्गीता, composed ca the fifth - second centuries BC, is part of the epic poem Mahabharata, located in the Bhisma-Parva chapters 23–40. ... Itihasa (Sanskrit: thus verily happened) refers collectively to the epic Hindu scriptures, detailing the actions of divine incarnations on earth while interspersing them with often large sections of philosophical and ethical discourse. ... Lord Ram, Laxman, Sita and Hanuman(crouching) The Ramayana (Sanskrit: march (ayana) of Rama) is part of the Hindu smriti, written by Valmiki (c. ... The Mahabharata (Devanagari: महाभारत, phonetically Mahābhārata - see note), sometimes just called Bharata, is one of the two major ancient Sanskrit epics of India, the other being the Ramayana. ... The Agamas are sectarian and monotheistic texts dedicated to worship of Vishnu, Shiva or Devi. ... Smriti (what is fit/deserves to be remembered) refers to a canon of Hindu religious scripture. ... The Tantras (Looms or Weavings), written between 500 and 1800, are part of Hindu Smriti; these religious scriptures discuss rituals and meditation. ... Sutra (सूत्र) in Sanskrit is derived from the verb √siv, meaning to sew. ... The Puranas (Sanskrit purāṇá ancient) are part of Hindu Smriti; these religious scriptures discuss devotion and mythology. ... The Brahma sutra is the nyaya prasthana, the logical text that sets forth the philosophy systematically (nyaya - logic/order). ... Hatha Yoga Pradipika is a classic Sanskrit manual on Hatha Yoga, written by Swami Svatmarama. ... Smriti (what is fit/deserves to be remembered) refers to a canon of Hindu religious scripture. ... Tiruvalluvar statue at Kanyakumari Tirukural (திருக்குறள் in Tamil) is an important work of Tamil literature by Tiruvalluvar written in the form of couplets expounding various aspects of life. ... This article is in need of attention. ... In Hinduism, an avatar is the incarnation (bodily manifestation) of an Immortal Being, or of the Ultimate Supreme Being. ... Here the underlined vowels carry the Vedic Sanskrit udātta pitch accent. ... Dharma is a sanskrit word and a concept of eastern religions. ... Karma first came into being as a concept in Hinduism, largely based on the Vedas and Upanishads. ... Moksha (Sanskrit: liberation) or Mukti (Sanskrit: release) refers, in general, to liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth. ... Maya, in Hinduism, is many things. ... Ishta-Deva, or Ishta Devata is a term from Hinduism that means chosen Deity or revered aspect of God by a devotee and is a widely held concept in Smartism. ... Murti Worship Different sects of Hinduism, especially devotional/bhakti and tantric ones, have their own particular monotheistic conception of supreme Godhead from whom all other deities and principles emanate (such as Vishnu or Shiva, Krishna or Devi). ... Reincarnation, also called transmigration of souls, is the rebirth in another body (after physical death), of some critical part of a persons personality or spirit. ... In Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, samsara or saṃsāra refers to the concept of reincarnation or rebirth in Indian philosophical traditions. ... In Hinduism, the Trimurti (also called the Hindu trinity) are three aspects of God in His forms as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. ... In early Hindu philosophy, turiya (also called caturtha) is a state of Pure Consciousness, or the experience of ultimate reality and truth. ... Hindu philosophy (one of the main divisions of Indian philosophy) is traditionally seen through the prism of six different systems that are listed here and makes up the main belief systems of Hinduism. ... Hinduism encompasses many movements and schools fairly organized within Hindu sects. ... Early Hinduism is a term used to designate the religious development of India before the historical period. ... Samkhya, also Sankhya, (Sanskrit: सांख्य) is a school of Indian philosophy, and is one of the six astika or Hindu philosophical schools of India. ... Nyaya is the name given to one of the six orthodox or astika Hindu schools of Philosophy - specifically the history of logic. ... Vaisheshika, also Vaisesika, (Sanskrit: वैशॆषिक)is one of the six Hindu schools of philosophy (orthodox Vedic systems) of India. ... Hatha Yoga posture Yoga is a form of mysticism that developed on the Indian subcontinent in the Hindu cultural context. ... The main objective of the Purva (earlier) Mimamsa school was to establish the authority of the Vedas. ... Veda means knowledge and anta the end, so the literal meaning is the end of knowledge or the ultimate knowledge. ... Tantra (Sanskrit: loom), tantric yoga or tantrism is any of several esoteric traditions rooted in the religions of India. ... Bhakti yoga is the Hindu term for the spiritual practice of fostering of loving devotion to God, called bhakti Traditionally there are 9 forms of bhakti yoga. ... Jyotisha, or in its common Hindustani abbreviated form, Jyotish (referring to jyot, or light and isha, or lords) is traditionally understood in orthodox Hindu traditions as a contemplation of the patterns in which divinity expresses itself in the form of time and space. ... Ayurveda (आयुर्वेद Sanskrit: ayu—life; veda—knowledge of) or ayurvedic medicine is a more than 2,000 year old comprehensive system of medicine based on a holistic approach rooted in Vedic culture. ... A ritual is a formalised, predetermined set of symbolic actions generally performed in a particular environment at a regular, recurring interval. ... Aarti, ãrti, arathi, or ãrati is a Hindu ritual in which light from wicks soaked in ghee (purified butter) or camphor is offered to one or more deities. ... A bhajan or kirtan is a Hindu devotional song, often but not necessarily of ancient origin. ... Darshan is a Sanskrit Hindu term meaning sight or a glimpse of the divine. ... In Hinduism, diksha is the ritual of initiation into a monastic order. ... In Tibet, many Buddhists carve mantras into rocks as a form of devotion. ... Pūjā (alternative transliteration pooja, Sanskrit: reverence or worship, loosely) is a religious ritual which most Hindus perform every morning after bathing and dressing but prior to taking any food or drink. ... The company of the highest knowledge and Truth; the company of a Guru; contact with a person or an assembly of persons who listen to, talk about, and assimilate the Truth. ... Stotras are Hindu prayers that praise aspects of God, such as Devi, Siva, or Vishnu. ... In Hinduism, Yajna or Yagya (Sanskrit yajñá worship, prayer, praise; offering, oblation, sacrifice) is a ritual of sacrifice performed to please the Devas. ... A guru (गुरू Sanskrit) is a teacher in Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism. ... General definition of saint In general, the term Saint refers to someone who is exceptionally virtuous and holy. ... Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (Shri Shankaracharya, Adhi Shankaracharya; the first Shankara in his lineage), reverentially called Bhagavatpada Acharya (the teacher at the feet of Lord) (For Shankaras birth date see below) was the most famous Advaita philosopher, who had a profound influence on the growth of Hinduism through his... Sri Ramanuja Acharya (1017 - 1137 AD) was an Indian philosopher and is recognized as the most important saint of Sri Vaishnavism. ... Shri Madhvacharya,(1238-1317), was the chief propounder of the Dvaita or dualistic school of Hindu philosophy, one of the three influential Vedanta philosophies. ... Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (February 18, 1836 - August 16, 1886) was a Bengali saint. ... Swami Vivekananda स्वामी विवेकानन्द (Narendranath Dutta नरेन्द्रनाथ दत्त) (January 12, 1863 – July 4, 1902) is considered one of the most famous and influential spiritual leaders of the Hindu religion. ... Narayana Guru Narayana Guru (नारायण गुरु) (1856 - 1928) was a great sage and social reformer of India. ... Sri Aurobindo Sri Aurobindo (August 15, 1872–December 5, 1950) was an Indian nationalist, scholar, poet, Hindu mystic, evolutionary philosopher, yogi and guru. ... Ramana Mahrishi as portrayed in a loving oil painting by Jayalakshmi Satyendra Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi is regarded by some as one of the greatest saints of Hinduism in the 20th century. ... This is an article on Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh. ... Swami Chinmayananda (स्‍वामी चिन्‍मयानन्‍द) (1916-1993) was born Balakrishna Menon (Balan) in Ernakulam, Kerala in a very devout Hindu family. ... Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927 - 2001), affectionately known as Gurudeva, was born in Oakland, California on January 5th, 1927. ... Swaminarayan (April 2, 1781 - 1830) was born Ghanshyam Maharaj to a brahmin family in the village of Chhapaiya, Uttar Pradesh. ... Srila Prabhupada under a painting of Krishna A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (September 1, 1896–November 14, 1977) was born Abhay Charan De, in Calcutta, West Bengal. ... Hinduism like any other major religion has many sects or denominations. ... Hinduism encompasses many movements and schools fairly organized within Hindu denominations. ... Vaishnavism is the branch of Hinduism in which Vishnu or one of his avatars (Catursana, Narad, Varaha, Matsya, Yajna, Nara-Narayana, Kapila, Dattatreya, Hayasirsa, Hamsa, Prsnigarbha, Rsabha, Prithu, Narasimha , Kurma, Dhanvantari, Mohini, Vamana, Parasurama, Raghavendra, Vyasa, Balarama, Krishna, Buddha, Kalki) is worshipped as the supreme God and is a monotheistic... Shaivism, also Saivism, is a branch of Hinduism that worships Siva as the Supreme God. ... Shaktism is a denomination of Hinduism that worships Shakti, the Divine Mother, in all of her forms whilst not rejecting the importance of masculine and neuter divinity. ... See also the Smartha page Smartism is a denomination of the religion of Hinduism and is closely affiliated with the Advaita tradition. ... Agama Hindu Dharma is the formal name of Hinduism in Indonesia. ... Hinduism is going through a phase or regeneration and reform through the vehicle of several contemporary movements. ... Scope The article presents a comparative overview of the leading Hindu organisations of India. ...