Hindu texts

Shruti Hindu scripture is overwhelmingly written in Sanskrit. ... Image File history File links Aum. ... Shruti (Sanskrit श्रुति, what is heard) is a canon of Hindu scriptures. ... Vedas Rig Veda Sama Veda Yajur Veda Atharva Veda Brahmanas Aranyakas Upanishads Smriti Veda redirects here. ... The Rig Veda ऋग्वेद (Sanskrit ṛc praise + veda knowledge) is the earliest of the four Hindu religious scriptures known as the Vedas. ... The Sama Veda (सामवेद), or Veda of Holy Songs, is third in the usual order of enumeration of the four Vedas, the ancient core Hindu scriptures. ... The Yajur Veda यजुर्वेद is one of the four Hindu Vedas; it contains religious texts focussing on liturgy and ritual. ... The Atharva Veda is a sacred text of Hinduism, part of the four books of the Vedas. ... The Brahmanas (Brahmin Books) are part of the Hindu Shruti; these religious scriptures focus on sacrifice -- particularly that of horses and soma. ... The Aranyakas (Forest Books, Forest Treatises) are part of the Hindu Shruti; these religious scriptures are sometimes argued to be part of either the Brahmanas or Upanishads. ... The Upanishads (; Devanagari ) are part of the Hindu Shruti scriptures which primarily discuss meditation and philosophy and are seen as religious instructions by most schools of Hinduism. ... Smriti (Sanskrit स्मॄति, that which is remembered) refers to a specific canon of Hindu religious scripture. ... Itihāsas Mahābhārata Bhagavad Gītā Ramayana Puranas (List) Tantras Sutras (List) Stotras Ashtavakra Gita Gita Govinda Hatha Yoga Pradipika

Dharmayuddha is a Sanskrit word made up of two roots: dharma meaning righteousness, and yuddha meaning warfare. In the ancient Indian texts, Dharmayuddha refers to a war that is fought while following several rules that make the war fair. The great Hindu Epics are also occasionally termed Mahakavya (Great Compositions); the terms refer to a canon of Hindu religious scripture. ... 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. ... 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. ... The Rāmāyana (Sanskrit: रामायण, march or journey (Ä€yana) of Rāma) is part of the Hindu smriti, written by Valmiki. ... The Puranas (Sanskrit पुराण, purāṇá ancient, since they focus on ancient history of the universe) are part of Hindu Smriti; these religious scriptures discuss varied topics like devotion to God in his various aspects, traditional sciences like Ayurveda, Jyotish, cosmology, concepts like dharma, karma, reincarnation and many others. ... The Puranas (Sanskrit पुराण, purāṇá ancient, since they focus on ancient history of the universe) are part of Hindu Smriti; these religious scriptures discuss varied topics like devotion to God in his various aspects, traditional sciences like Ayurveda, Jyotish, cosmology, concepts like dharma, karma, reincarnation and many others. ... The Tantra (Looms or Weavings), refer to numerous and varied scriptures pertaining to any of several esoteric traditions rooted in Hindu and Buddhist philosophy. ... Sutra (सूत्र) in Sanskrit is derived from the verb siv-, meaning to sew (these words, including English to sew and Latinate suture, all derive from PIE *syÅ«-). It literally means a rope or thread, and more metaphorically refers to an aphorism (or line, rule, formula), or a collection of such aphorisms... Below is a list of sutras organized alphabetically under the broad categories of Hinduism and Buddhism. ... Stotras are Hindu prayers that praise aspects of God, such as Devi, Siva, or Vishnu. ... The Ashtavakra Gita (Song of Ashtavakra) is an influential nondualist Hindu text traditionally said to have been written by the Sage Ashtavakra, though its authorship is not known with certainty. ... The Gita Govinda or the Song of the Shri Krishna is a work composed in the 12th century by Jayadeva Goswami. ... The most fundamental text of Hatha Yoga is the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, a Sanskrit classic written by Swami Swatamarama, a disciple of Swami Goraknath. ... Sanskrit ( संस्कृतम्) is an Indo-European classical language of India and a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. ... Dharma - The Liberty of Knowledge The principle that all knowledge are the manifestation of Dharma by Dr. Edmund Chan Forest Dhamma Books Free English translations of the teachings from the Buddhist Masters of the Thai forest tradition. ... Hindu scripture is overwhelmingly written in Sanskrit. ...

For instance, in a righteous war, equals fight equals. Chariot warriors are not supposed to attack cavalry and infantry, those on elephants are not supposed to attack infantry, and so on. The rules also forbid the usage of celestial weapons (divine weapons bestowed by the gods) on ordinary soldiers (as opposed to soldiers of noble birth). The build-up of weapons and armies is done with the full knowledge of the opposing side and no surprise attacks are made. Cavalry is also a common misspelling of the Biblical hill Calvary. ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme, First World War. ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme, First World War. ...

The rules of engagement also set out how warriors were to deal with noncombatants. No one should attack an enemy who has temporarily lost or dropped their weapon. The lives of women, prisoners of war, and farmers were also sacred. Pillaging the land was forbidden.

Dharmayuddha also signifies that the war is not fought for gain or selfish reasons. A Dharmayuddha is waged to uphold the principles of righteousness.

Dharmayuddha in the Mahabharata

In the Mahabharata epic, which describes the Kurukshetra war, the two sides agreed on the following rules: 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 Kurukshetra war, according to scholars taking into consideration archeological, astronomical and literary evidences took place around 3102 BCE in the modern day state of Haryana in India and was described in detail in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. ...

 * Fighting must begin no earlier than sunrise and end exactly at sunset. * Multiple warriors may not attack a single warrior. * Two warriors may "duel," or engage in prolonged personal combat, only if they carry the same weapons and they are on the same mount (no mount, a horse, an elephant, or a chariot). * No warrior may kill or injure a warrior who has surrendered. * One who surrenders becomes a prisoner of war and a slave. * No warrior may kill or injure an unarmed warrior. * No warrior may kill or injure an unconscious warrior. * No warrior may kill or injure a person or animal not taking part in the war. * No warrior may kill or injure a warrior whose back is turned away. * No warrior may strike an animal not considered a direct threat. * The rules specific to each weapon must be followed. For example, it is prohibited to strike below the waist in mace warfare. * Warriors may not engage in any "unfair" warfare whatsoever. 

While King Yudishtira of the Mahabharata began his war for righteous reasons, by the end of the 18 days of fighting he and his relatives had broken every other rule of righteous war. In the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira (Sanskrit: युधिष्ठिर, yudhishthira) was the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti, king of Hastinapura and Indraprastha, and World Emperor. ...

Dharmayuddha in Other Texts

Beyond the Mahabharata, the principles of dharmayuddha are refered to in many other ancient Indian texts, including the Ramayana and the Dharmashastras or law texts. The Rāmāyana (Sanskrit: रामायण, march or journey (Āyana) of Rāma) is part of the Hindu smriti, written by Valmiki. ... The Dharmashastra is a volume of Hindu legal texts, covering moral, ethical and social laws. ...

External links

• Strategic Thinking in Ancient India and China
• A Tribute to Hinduism - War in Ancient India
• Chennai Online Comparison of the nighttime fighting rule in the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.