The Origins of Hinduism
The Ancient Origins of Hinduism. The word Hindu originated, not as the name of a religion, but as a physical symbol. Hindu originates from the Sanskrit ord for river, sindhu, from which the Indus River received its name.
The early Inhabitants of Indus Valley
The Indus Valley cilvilisation was one of the worlds first great urban civilisation. It flourished in the vast river plains adjacent regions in what is now Pakistan and Western India. The earliest cities became integrated into the urban culture around 4,600 years ago and continued tdominte the religion.
Vedic Period
Early Vedic Age: The Vedic age began in India in about 1500 BC and extend upto 6000 BCE with the coming of the Aryans, who spread on the plains of northern India. Aryans developed Vedic culture based on Vedas. The meaning of the word Veda is "knowledge", the best of all knowledge in the eyes of Hindus. It is a collection of hymns, prayers, charms, litanies and sacrificial formulae.
Features of devotion to:
- Vaishnava - Vaishnava, like Saivites, believe that there is only one Supreme God, who separately fill all creation and exists beyond it, being both immanent and transcendent. Like other Hindu values, Vaishnava acknowledges the existence of many lower Gods under the Supreme One. These gods, like all of creation, are included byVishnu, either as appearances of the Supreme Being or as powerful entities who are filled by Him.
- Shaiva - Shaiva is the branch of Hinduism that worships Siva as the Supreme God. Shaiva believe that the entire creation is both an expression of a mindful religion and is non-different from that holiness which they call "Siva". Because he is one who created and one who is a creator, Siva is both immanent and transcendent. This idea differences with many Semitic religious traditions in which God is seen as basically different from the creation and transcendent, or "higher" than the creation. As in all Hindu values, Shaiva acknowledges the existence of many other Gods and Goddesses.
The early Inhabitants of Indus Valley
The Indus Valley cilvilisation was one of the worlds first great urban civilisation. It flourished in the vast river plains adjacent regions in what is now Pakistan and Western India. The earliest cities became integrated into the urban culture around 4,600 years ago and continued tdominte the religion.
Vedic Period
Early Vedic Age: The Vedic age began in India in about 1500 BC and extend upto 6000 BCE with the coming of the Aryans, who spread on the plains of northern India. Aryans developed Vedic culture based on Vedas. The meaning of the word Veda is "knowledge", the best of all knowledge in the eyes of Hindus. It is a collection of hymns, prayers, charms, litanies and sacrificial formulae.
Features of devotion to:
- Vaishnava - Vaishnava, like Saivites, believe that there is only one Supreme God, who separately fill all creation and exists beyond it, being both immanent and transcendent. Like other Hindu values, Vaishnava acknowledges the existence of many lower Gods under the Supreme One. These gods, like all of creation, are included byVishnu, either as appearances of the Supreme Being or as powerful entities who are filled by Him.
- Shaiva - Shaiva is the branch of Hinduism that worships Siva as the Supreme God. Shaiva believe that the entire creation is both an expression of a mindful religion and is non-different from that holiness which they call "Siva". Because he is one who created and one who is a creator, Siva is both immanent and transcendent. This idea differences with many Semitic religious traditions in which God is seen as basically different from the creation and transcendent, or "higher" than the creation. As in all Hindu values, Shaiva acknowledges the existence of many other Gods and Goddesses.