A Brief Introduction to Hinduism

Scriptures

Hindu scriptures include: 

•  4 Vedas

• 108 Upanishads 

•  18 Puranas 

•  the Ramayana

•  the Mahabharata (The Bhagavad Gita is a tiny part of the Mahabharata.)

Trimurti and Tridevi

Hinduism is polytheistic, with dozens of gods, but there are three major deities: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, together called the Trimurti (meaning 'trinity'). Their respective consorts, Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Parvati, are collectively called Tridevi (meaning 'three goddesses').

• Brahma is the Creator of the universe. He grants wishes to those who pray to him, even if they are demons. His consort is Saraswati (the Goddess of learning and music). The mischievous and humorous Sage Narada is the son of Brahma. Brahma and Saraswati reside in Brahmaloka. Brahma never fights; therefore, he wields no weapons. He has four heads (representing the four Vedas) and four arms. His mount (vehicle) is a swan.

• Vishnu is the Preserver of the universe. He periodically incarnates on Earth to destroy the forces of evil. Some of his popular incarnations (avatars) are Lord Rama from the Ramayana and Lord Krishna from the Mahabharata. Vishnu's consort is Lakshmi (the Goddess of wealth and prosperity). Vishnu and Lakshmi lie on the body of a gigantic multi-headed serpent called Shesha in Vaikuntha (meaning 'place of eternal bliss'). Vishnu's weapon of choice is the Sudarshan Chakra—a fast-rotating disc with a sharp, serrated circumference—which he uses to decapitate demons. Vishnu has four arms; his mount (vehicle) is an eagle named Garuda, the king of the birds.

• Shiva is the Destroyer of the universe; he will destroy the universe at the end of each 'cycle'. Parvati (the Goddess of energy and beauty) is his consort. He also sometimes incarnates on Earth, but his avatars are generally less prominent than Vishnu's. He has a third eye in the middle of his forehead, which emits fire when opened. Thankfully, he opens it only when infuriated. Shiva's most famous avatar is the monkey-god Hanuman from the Ramayana. Shiva and Parvati reside on the summit of Mount Kailash with their attendants. They have two children: Kartikeya and Ganesha. Shiva's weapon of choice is the Trident. A snake called Vasuki resides on Shiva's neck. Shiva's mount (vehicle) is the bull-god Nandi.

The Minor Gods

There are numerous less important gods and goddesses. Among them are:

• Indra, the king of the gods, and his wife, Shachi

• the Sun god

• the Moon god

•  the Fire god

•  the Rain god

•  the Wind god

• Brihaspati, the gods' guru

• Vishvakarma, the divine architect

• Kamadeva, the god of love, and his consort, Rati

• Yamaraja, the god of death

• Several apsaras (celestial nymphs)

Important Definitions

• Brahman - the supreme, formless reality

• Brahmarshi - the highest class of sages

• guru dakshina - payment for a guru's services

• Maharshi - great sage

• Rajarshi - royal sage

• sati - the practice wherein a new widow is expected to kill herself by self-immolating on her husband's funeral pyre (This ghastly practice has long been abolished in India.)

• swayamvara - a ritual where a bride chooses her groom from a group of suitors

• yagya - any ritual done before a sacred fire

• yojana - a traditional measure of distance, reckoned variously as between about 3.5 km and 15 km

Major Denominations

• Vaishnavism - Its adherents, who believe Lord Vishnu is the supreme being, are called Vaishnavites.

• Shaivism - Its adherents, who believe Lord Shiva is supreme, are called Shaivites. 

• Shaktism - Its adherents, who believe that the supreme being is feminine, are called Shaktas. All goddesses are manifestations of this supreme feminine being called Goddess Shakti.

• Smartism - Its adherents are called Smartas. They worship five deities—Shiva, Vishnu, Devi (Goddess), Sun god, and Ganesha—as manifestations of Brahman.

The Caste System

Hinduism has different castes or varnas: 

• Brahmins (Priests and Intellectuals) 

• Kshatriyas (Warriors) 

• Vaishyas (Merchants) 

• Shudras (Manual laborers and Artisans)

• Dalits (Untouchables)

The caste system is one of the modern evils of Hinduism.