Categories: Hindu temples Hinduism (सनातन धर्म; also known as Sanātana Dharma, and Vaidika-Dharma) is a worldwide religious tradition that is based on the bedrock of the Veda scriptures. ... 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. ... 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, 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 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. ... Kosas are five sheaths which covers the Atman. ... Dharma (sanskrit, roughly (natural) law or way) is the way of the higher Truths. ... 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. ... Murtis are statues or images used by Hindus and also by some Mahayana Buddhists during worship as points of devotional and meditational focus. ... Past Lives redirects here. ... 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 (called darshanas in Sanskrit) that are listed here and makes up the main belief systems of Hinduism. ... Hinduism (Vedic dharma or Sanatana dharma) encompasses many movements and traditions (sampradaya). ... 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 schools of Hindu philosophy - specifically the school of logic. ... Vaisheshika, also Vaisesika, (Sanskrit: वैशॆषिक)is one of the six Hindu schools of philosophy (orthodox Vedic systems) of India. ... Hatha Yoga posture performed at a Hindu temple. ... The main objective of the Purva (earlier) Mimamsa school was to establish the authority of the Vedas. ... Vedanta (Vedānta) is an important branch of Hindu philosophy and is a form of Jnana Yoga (one of the four basic yoga practices in Hinduism; the others are: Raja Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga), a form of yoga which involves an individual seeking the path of intellectual analysis or... 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. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Ayurveda (आयुर्वेद Sanskrit: ayu—life; veda—knowledge of) or ayurvedic medicine is a comprehensive system of medicine, more than 2,000 years old and 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 the worship of some deity by a guru (diksha guru) who bestows mantra(s) and takes the karma of the initiate - at least in case of Vaishnava diksha, as per Hari Bhakti Vilasa 1. ... In Tibet, many Buddhists carve mantras into rocks as a form of devotion. ... PÅ«jā (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) (very approximately 788–820 C.E., but see below) was the most famous Advaita philosopher, who had a profound influence on the growth of Hinduism... 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. ... Sri Thakur Gadadhar Chattopadhyaya Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (Bangla: শ্রীরামকৄষ্ঞ পরমহংস) (February 18, 1836 - August 16, 1886) was a Bengali saint. ... Swami Vivekananda (Bangla: স্বামী বিবেকানন্দ, Hindi: स्वामी विवेकानन्द) (whose pre-monastic name was Narendranath Dutta Bangla: নরেন্দ্রনাথ দত্ত, Hindi: 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 (Bangla: শ্রী অরবিন্দ) (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 (December 30, 1879 - April 14, 1950) was a great Hindu mystic of the Advaita Vedanta stream and is regarded by some as one of the greatest saints of Hinduism in the 20th century. ... Swami Sivananda Saraswati (1887-1963), as he is known under his monastic name, was born Kuppuswamy in Pattamadai, Tamil Nadu, India. ... 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 encompasses many movements and schools fairly organized within Hindu denominations. ... Vaishnavism is the branch of Hinduism in which Vishnu or one of his avatars is worshipped as the supreme God and is a monotheistic faith. ... Shaivism, also Saivism, is a branch of Hinduism that worships Siva as the Supreme God. ... Shaktism is a denomination of Hinduism that worships Shakti, or Devi -- the Hindu name for the Great Mother -- in all of her forms whilst not rejecting the importance of masculine and neuter divinity. ... A Smarta or Smartha is a denomination of the Hindu religion. ... 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. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... This is a List of Hindu deities. ... The term Hindu mythology refers collectively to a large body of Indian literature (essentially, the mythology of Hinduism) that detail the lives and times of legendary personalities, deities and divine incarnations on earth interspersed with often large sections of philosophical and ethical discourse. ...