Balavikas - Hindu Temple of Oklahoma City

ICF Hindu Temple of Oklahoma
Balavikas
Hindu Philosophy

The Scriptures of Hinduism
1. The Srutis
Vedas
(revealed by God directly)
(Apaurusheyas)
Rig Veda
(Hymns in praise of
divine)
Yajur Veda
(Hymns used in religious
rites)
Sama Veda
(Rig Veda set in music)
Atharva Veda
(guides man in
material & daily living)
Parts of Vedas
Mantras
(Hymns)
Aranyakas
(Forest books mystical)
Upanishads
(Essence of Vedas)
Upanishads (108 in all)
12 are most important
1. Isa 2. Kena 3. Katha 4. Prasna 5. Mundaka 6. Mandukya 7. Aitareya 8. Taittiriya
9. Chandogya 10. Brihadaranyaka 11. Kaushitaki 12. Svetasvatara
Upavedas or Subsidiary Vedas
Ayurveda
(health & medicine)
Dhanurveda
(science of Archery)
Gandharvaveda
(music & dance)
Arthashastra
(state administration
policy)
Vedangas
1. Siksha 2. Vyakarana 3. Nirukta 4. Chandas Shastra 5. Kalpashastra 6. Jyotisha

2. Smritis
(which one remembered)
Human Composition
(list of codes & rules of everyday
life)
Day of Brahma is called Kalpa
Satya or Krita Yuga Treta Yuga Dwapara Yuga Kali Yuga
Smritis
(18 in number)
Manu Yajnavalkya Shankha Likhita Parashara
3. Ramayana
Ramayana Mahabharata Yogavasista Harivamsa

4. The Puranas
18 Puranas
(most popular)
Bhagavata Vishnu Markandeya
18 Upapuranas
(For ordinary people short stories convey the truths of
Vedas & Dharmashastras)
Ø1. God is everywhere - Narsihma Avatara
Ø2. Power of purity - story of Savitri
Ø3. Importance of prayer - story of Dhruva
Ø4. Story of Devotion - Markandeya story
Ø5. Looking after your elders - story of Shravana
Ø6. Story of generosity - story of Sibi king
Ø7. Story of Truth - story of king Harischandra
Ø8. Poorest gift given of love is enough to please God - story
of Sudama
The Ten Incarnations
1. Matsya 2. Kurma 3. Varaha 4. Narasimha 5. Vamana
6. Parasurama 7. Rama 8. Krishna 9. Buddha 10. Kalki

5. Agamas
(Disciplines & doctrines of worship
of each deity
1. Shaiva
2. Vaishnava
Shaiva sidhanta in south
Pratyabhijna system in Kashmir
Pancharatra (more popular it is believed
to be revealed by great God
Vaikhasana
3. Shakta
Glorifies Devi
Agama
1. Philosophy & spiritual
knowledge behind worship
of each deity.
2. Yoga mental discipline
required for worship.
3. Rules for constructing
temples.
6. Darshanas
(Visions – there are 6
schools of philosophy)
1. Nyaya by Gautama Rishi
4. Yoga by Patanjali
2. Vaiseshika by Kannada
5. Mimansa by Jaimini
3. Sankhya by Kapila Muni
6. Vedanta by Badarayana (Vyasa)

Religion
Religion is the remedy for a particular unrest felt by the human being when he or she has all the
best that life has to offer. Religion is the technique by which we set our minds and intellects
trained to grasp and understand the larger theme of the universe and our own place in it.
All the spiritual literature of the world says unhappy state of mind need not be
ours. Each individual learns the art of approving life correctly everyone can be happy and be
successful. We have in each one of us all the resources, abilities, energy and power for building
up supremely happy and successful life, not only for ourselves but for others around us also.
Everyone is born with a great potential within himself or herself and if we order our
behavior so as to nurture and nourish that potential our life will be well spent and our success
depends on the amount of transformation we can bring about in our character and
behavior.The science of the spirit has a very practical use for us. The approach to life that helps
us to discover new strength to face challenge of life and a new courage of conviction to live
honestly serving others. That which provides us with such method and masterly living is true
religion.
Religion does not attempt to implore the conditions of the world. It does not grant us
higher standards of living or freedom from all our needs. Instead it teaches us a method for
creating in our selves the equipoise to stand up to life situations meeting efficiently the ever
changing world of challenges. A true religion imparts to us “the art of living”.
Science has conquered nature and human being as a result of knowledge accumulated
has gained mastery over the outer world. Despite the mastery over outer world we still feel
unhappy and unfulfilled. The great sages of the past taught that a particular kind of knowledge
can transform our lives and bring to us a fullness of transformation and that no other endeavor
yields “knowledge of our inner spiritual constitution”, a knowledge of our inner spiritual
constitution that gives us mastery of our lives.
The knowledge of which the sages spoke grew out of their analysis of human beings and
their contact with outer world. They designed the instruments that contact the world and their
experience life as the body, mind & intellect.
Religion is a scientific reevaluation of life. Like a scientist goes to lab for research, the
spiritual masters have retired to the cool and silent valleys of the Himalayas to do their research
on human personality.

Material scientist uses outer world for their investigation. Spiritual master’s user inner
world for their study. The philosophy of Hindus has emphasized the importance of experience
more than the philosophy of the west.
In Hindu philosophy Vedanta has the unique distinction of having based itself on the entire
range of human experience namely “waking, dream, and deep sleep”
Religion is the technique of perfect living of gaining better mastery of our selves e.g.
Bhagavad Gita: The transformation of Arjuna whose dialogue to Lord Krishna is an example of
how spiritual wisdom can transform one’s life.

What Is Hinduism
Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world and about four in five Indians in India is a
Hindu. Besides India, Hinduism is also followed in Nepal, Bali and by millions of Indians that live
overseas. Many cultures in Southeast Asia are influenced by Hinduism.
The history of Hindus, as we know today, goes back 5000 years, but Hindus believe that
their religion is without beginning or end and is a continuous process even preceding the
existence of our earth and many worlds beyond. The word "Hindu" is derived from the name
given to people settled on the banks of river Sindu. It was corrupted by foreign visitors to the
word "Hindu" and the faith was given the name "Hinduism" in the English language. Scholars
however call it Brahmanical faith, meaning to attain Brahman or universal soul which is the aim
of all Hindu thought. Philosophical thinkers of recent times do not like to describe it as mere
religion, as it does not bring out adequately its great qualities and the universality of its outlook
and free thinking. An atheist is not precluded from being a Hindu and no hell or doomsday is
believed. It is therefore called "Sanathana Dharma" or "eternal religion." Others call it a
fellowship of religions from its liberal absorption of all faiths of others.
Hinduism is very simple and yet very complex; it permeates totally the life of every
Hindu from the moment of his or her birth, whether they are a believer or non-believer, a
scholar or illiterate. For this reason Hinduism is called a way of life.
Before we go any further, we should realize that Hinduism is a rare faith with few "dos’’
and "don’ts’ postulated, but offers many spiritual paths available to different types of people. It
accepts the reality that there is varying intellectual and spiritual levels in each one of us and all
do not therefore take the same path, although the goal may be same. Hinduism is tailored to
each individual with different aptitude, depending on if you are a philosopher or a poet, a
mystic or or a person of action, an intellectual or a simple person of faith. This is a unique
feature of Hinduism; it permits the greatest freedom of worship and insists that each person
must be guided by his or her own individual spiritual experience. It does not accept dictatorship
in religious guidance.
Another quality unique to Hinduism is its tolerance of other religious faiths and beliefs.
In the Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna, worshiped as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, himself says,
‘’Whosoever follows my faith and worships me under whatsoever denomination in whatsoever
form with steadfastness, his faith shall I indeed reinforce’’. Most other religions say, "Your
religion is wrong and to follow it is a sin. Get converted to my religion and heaven will be
yours." The lord worshiped by Hindus implies in effect, ‘’Come to me as a Hindu, Christian,
Muslim or Sikh, I shall make you a better Hindu, Christian, Muslim, or Sikh." Conversion to
Hinduism has never been a major issue and has never been done through force or wars, nor as
a result of bigotry or by temptations offered to the economically week.
Hinduism, again unique amongst other religions, allows a Hindu to worship in a church,
mosque or a gurudwara as freely as in a temple. Hinduism allows social change and scientific

progress. Yet is highly philosophical and sublime, aiming at ethical perfection. However it is
most unfortunate that today even educated Hindus are often unaware as to what the religion
teaches or stands for or what its fundamental beliefs are.
The freedom offered by this religion, which does not ask an individual to visit a temple
once a week, has been misused and has led to widespread ignorance of what the religion
stands for. This can be tracked to the urbanization of villages and breaking down of the family
unit. While superstitions, which have nothing to do with the religion, are picked up, the
meaning of the symbolism and mantras is lost. Religious rituals and rites are performed by
family members on rare occasions, so children and adults do not have an understanding of
their significance. In our balavikas class we will try to understand the significance of the
philosophy behind some of the symbols and rituals.
The rishis were seers or sages to whom the Vedas were revealed by Divine intervention
and whose hearts and minds they were heard. T he Vedas are Apaurushas [of devine orgin] and
are unchangeable and eternal. They teach the highest truths ever known to man, and are valid
for all times and ages. Hindus believe that creation is anadi [that which s no beginning] and that
it is eternal. At the nod of each KALPA [a unit of time equal to a day of Brahma, the creator,
amounting to 4,320 million years], it exists in a suttle form in God, from whence each time is
recreated a new universe. At the end of the last age, there was a Pralaya or great Deluge which
destroyed the universe. Brahma the creator, is believed to have meditated at dawn of this age,
called Swetavaraha Kalpa, when the great God appeared in the form of sound of OM also
known as pranava.OM ,as the symbol of the absolute, is therefore the most sacred symbol of
Hinduism.
Brahma then prayed to him for knowledge to create a Universe from the vibrations of
the sound OM also spelt AUM, the Lord Concaved Rig Veda, Yagur Veda, Sama Veda and
Atharva Veda. The Great god then taught these four Vedas to Brahma who created our present
Universe with this supreme knowledge received by him. In other words Vedas existed before
the creation of the universe. Sage Veda Vyasa codified the four Vedas. His disciples, Palia,
Vaisampanya, Jaimini, and Sumanta taught them to their disciples and the later, in turn to their
pupils. This is how the Vedas have come to us through thousands of years. They are called
amnaya, or that which has come to us by tradition.
THE RIG VEDA consists of mostly hymns in praise of the devine
THE YAGUR VEDA consists of mainly hymns used in religious
rituals and rites
THE SAMA VEDA consists of verses from rig Veda set to music
THE ATHARVA VEDA guides man in his material daily living

The Scriptures Of The Hinduism
Hinduism is not based on any single book or the words of any teacher or prophet. It is
based on the Eternal Truth. However, there are literally thousands of books and scriptures to
guide both the beginner and the scholar.
THE SRUTI - The first set of books which are the primary authority, or the very soul of Hinduism,
are known as ‘SRUTI’ meaning that which has been heard or revealed. These Srutis are known
as Vedas. The word "Veda" is derived from the word "vid" to know. The Vedas are holy or
spiritual knowledge of the Eternal Truth. The word "rishi" is derived from the word "Dris" to
see.
The Vedas have several parts -
Vedas / Mantras [or hymns]
Brahmana (explanations for using mantras in rituals)
Aranyakas [or forest books] mysticalinterpratations of mantras or rituals]
Upanishads [most important part of the Vedas]
The summery or essence of Vedas and the philosophy Upa; near [the master] Ni; with
concentration on what is being taught, Shad; Sit
The knowledge of Upanishads removes Avidya or ignorance the one greatest failings
of mankind.
Upanishads \ 108 in number\ 12 are the most important--- ISA , KENA , KATHA , PRASNA ,
MUNDAKA , MANDUKYA , AITREYA , TAITTIRIYA , CHANDOGYA , BRIHADARANYAKA ,
KAUSHITAKI AND SVETASVATARA .
The Upanishads reveal some of the greatest truths ever known to mankind .The next
set of books are the UPAVEDAS \ AYURVEDA Science of extending life by using medicinal
herbs roots and fruits for treating illness and diseases and highly developed school of surgery.
Charaka, the great Hindu physician was possibly the first to speak of code of ethics for
physician to treat patients without the thought of gain or reward, and to keep confidentiality of
patient illness.
Sushruta, was a great ancient surgeon developed 120 surgical instruments .Plastic
surgery was well developed and deformities of nose ears and lips were set right. The skill of
plastic surgery was taken to the west by east India Company.
DHANURVEDA science of archery and and use of weapons. Even weapons like missiles
are covered in this .There were rules of warfare and weapons were used for destruction of evil
and protection of physically weak, of sages of meditation. And of holly men and women and
children. Opposing armies laid down their weapons at sunset and dined together.

GANDHARVA VEDA science of music and dance. Sage Bharata has written the Natya
Shastra, he has been taught by Sage Tandu who has witnessed the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva.
The musical Sama Veda, placed emphasis of on musical notation and sound .these were taught
by rote memory sound and acoustics .The musical octave was accurately divided into 22
quarter tones. The musical instruments consisted of percussion [drums] wind instruments
[flute] string instruments [vina] Music was considered as a source to reach god head.
ARTHASHSTRA this is a treatise on polity, state administration .and conduct of
commerce. The vedangas have science of phonetics and accent and pronunciation. Vyakarana
.science of grammar, Nirukta, science of etymology of words in Vedic mantras. Chandra shastra,
teaches prosody, the art of versification, teaches the use of meters in prose and poetry.
Kalpashastra deals with science of rituals and ceremonials in religious rites. Jyotishya science of
astronomy and astrology. Knowledge of astrology was used to set auspicious timings for events
of peace and war. After 6 th century it was used for predicting future of individual.
The knowledge of mathematics was conveyed to Arab and the Greek worlds. The
concept of zero [sunya], abstract concept of numbers, algebra, the decimal numbers, all owe
their origin to ancient Hindus. The ISAVASYA Upanishad has the revolutionary mathematical
truth that infinity divided by any number continues to be infinity.
Astronomy was an important branch of the science of Jyotisha and the ancient
Hindus sent their advanced theories of mathematics to Europe through Greeks. Aryabhata the
ancient Indian astronomer mentioned that it is the earth which, on its axis rotated around the
sun and not the sun. Knowledge of equinoxes the movement of moon and sun, the predictions
of eclipses were all accurately predicted.[the open air observatory at Jaipur] the above books
are part of the srutis or Vedas and are the first set of scriptures.

The Smritis
Smritis mean that which is remembered. Unlike srutis which are divine in origin smritis
are written by learned masters. These guide individuals in their daily conduct and list codes and
rules governing the actions of individuals. They are known as Dharma Shastras or laws
governing righteous conduct. The day of Brahma the creator is known as Kalpa is divided into
four ages or Yugas.
Satya or Krita Yuga
Treta Yuga
Dwapara yuga
Kali Yuga [the present age] which is age of decling of virtue
There are total of 18 smritis. There were many law givers like Manu , Yagnavalkya , Shankha ,
Likhita and Parasa.
Manu was the earliest of them .Today the Hindu law is based on Yagnavalkya smriti.
Hinduism is unique in that the rules of society change with every age ,and therefore the laws ,or
Dharma Shastras , must change from time to time. Hinduism is a practical religion as it accepts
the laws governing the conduct of man and society are manmade and and should be flexible
and dynamic and should be subject to change. these smritis were used by Kings and Priests .
The Epics
As ordinary people do not have the intellect or education to read and understand
these books, there are a third set of books, the Itihasas or Epics that serve the purpose. The
philosophy of Upanishads is presented in the form of Parables and stories in these Epics so even
a common man can understand.
The great Epics of Hinduism are THE RAMAYANA THE MAHABHARATA THE
YOGAVASISTHA THE HARIVAMSA .They are also called SUHRIT SAMHITAS or friendly
compositions , as they teach the greatest truths in a simple friendly way. They are easily
understood by one and all. Of these four Ramayana and Mahabharata are well known to even
most illiterate of all the Hindus. They are told as stories enacted as plays and sung as songs.
They teach the ideals of Hinduism in a simple understandable way. Every peasant and villager in
India is knowledgeable about the basic Hindu values because of these Epics.
Ramayana is the most popular Epic It is also known as ADIKAVYA OR THE FIRST
POETIC COMPOSITION OF THE WORLD .It was written by the great sage Valmiki. This is the
story of lord Rama an incarnation of Lord Vishnu born on earth to show path of righteousness.

Rama Rajya, the reign of Rama, was one of idealism and perfection where no tear was
shed or sorrow was experienced. People were good to each other and there was peace and joy.
Ayodhya was a land of tolerance and understanding, even the king‘s actions were subject to the
will of people.
In this Epic the qualities of an ideal queen Kausalya and Sumitra who put king
Dasharathas word above the love of their sons King Dasharatha who kept his promise to queen
Kaikeyi and Lord Rama who obeyed his father’s orders without any questions . This shows the
importance of the value of a spoken word and keeping up a promise which were very important
for a king. Also the sacrifices of a Hindu women are depicted in several such instances.
Bharata was a very good example of a principled man who on return from a visit to his
uncle, finds his brother banished to forest for 14years and his father dying of grief .He does not
take over as a king as he knew it was not the right thing to do waits till his brother comes back
from forest .He places his brothers PADUKAS on the throne. Even an ordinary man realizes the
qualities of an ideal man in Rama and that of an ideal woman and wife in Sita Qualities of ideal
brother are well depicted in Bharata, Lakshmana, and Shatrugna.
The ideal qualities of loyalty. Devotion and love are depicted in the character of
Hanuman, the monkey who helped Rama cross over the ocean to Lanka and defeat Ravana and
bring back Sita. Hanuman also brings the herb sangivani to save Lakshmana as he knew that his
beloved Rama could not live without Lakshmana.
The qualities of good and evil are always depicted again and again. The destruction
of evil by good either by oneself or by Devine intervention [like in Ramayana] is a constant
theme in Hinduism.
Even the demons were all not bad and wicked and are shown as having good
qualities also. Ravana a very learned man who abducted Sita for her beauty and good virtues
did not force her but waited for her consent to marry her. Even Hanuman admires Ravana’s
courage and strength. Ravana’s brother the demon Kumbhakarna, disapproved strongly of
abduction of Sita.
The second epic is called Mahabharata was compiled by VEDA VYASA is a story of
two royal families the Pandavas and the Kauravas who were first cousins. Pandavas were five
and Kauravas were one hundred. This epic the central character is LORD KRISHNA an
incarnation of LORD VISHNU himself. When confronted with war with his cousins uncles grand
uncle and teachers Arjuna one of the five brothers feels dejected does not want to fight the war
and LORD KRISHNA teaches ARJUNA the path of DHARMA [righteousness] LORD KRISHNA was
Arjuna’s charioteer .The great Hindu scripture BHAGAVAD GITA OR THE SONG OF THE LORD,
was narrated by the LORD to Arjuna at KURUKSHETRA war.

In this scripture, Lord Krishna places the importance of NISKAMAKA KARMA or action
without desire or passion and without any worry about the frits or results of one’s actions. Here
the duties and the right conduct of an ideal man are shown setting the rights and wrongs of
society. The Upanishads are compared to a cow the BHAGAVAD GITA to milk, Krishna to a
cowherd and Arjuna to a calf. In other words the essence of the Upanishads is milked by
Krishna and the milk. The Bhagavadgita fed to Arjuna. In Shantiparva of the Mahabharata
grand-uncle Bhishma utters to Yudihstra the oldest of the pandava brothers the words of
wisdom, on Dharma or righteous conduct, and the duty on statecraft and the responsibilities of
a ruler.

The Puranas
After srutis, smritis, and itihasas we have the fourth set of books the puranas. There
are 18 puranas of which THE BHAGAVATAS, VISHNU, AND MARKANDEYA puranas are the most
popular. There is 18 subsidiary or UPA PURANAS .These are not for the scholars or intellectuals
but for the common man a farmer a villager and a child. They are told as imaginary stories and
are filled with fundamental truths of religion and morality of what is right and wrong in a
society.
These Puranas have been told by word of mouth by grandparents to their grand
children and by the village priest and by the wandering minstrel. The walls of temple are
covered with the carving of Puranic stories, a visual method of educating the ordinary people.
For example to teach the people that god is everywhere and always comes to help
his devotee, the story of Prahalada is told.Prahalada’s father the demon king Hiranya kasipu
tried to convince his son that there is no other greater Divine than himself and advises his son
to pray to him but Prahalad was an ardent devotee of lord Vishnu continues to pray and was
saved by the lord on several instances .his own father orders him to be killed but each time he
fails.
Lord Vishnu appears as Narasimha [half man and half lion] and kills Hiranyakasipu. The
latter had a Boone that he will not be killed by a man or a beast neither at night or day and no
weapon. But the child Prahalada insisted that God is everywhere and in everyone. When
Hiranyakasipu challenges and says ‘’is he in this pillar’’ and hits the pillar and the Lord comes
out as Narasimha and kills him [ego is killed] this story teaches that god comes to us in different
ways and helps us when we have full faith in him. The puranas taught the power of a chaste
and good woman in the story of savitri. She was the daughter of king of Madra, Savitri chose
Satyayan who was predicted to die within a year of their wedding. Satyavan was the son of a
deposed and blind king and lived in a forest. On the day of his predicted death Satyavan goes to
fetch some wood and Satyavati follows him all the time thinking as to how to save him.
By her power of her purity Savitri follows Lord Yama [God of death] when he takes the
prana or breath of life of Satyavan. Yama pleased by her devotion and wisdom grants her four
boons provided she does not ask for Satyavan’s life. Savitri asks as her fourth boon that she
wishes to have hundred sons and Yama grants her wish. She then asks Yama as a chaste
woman how is to have children without a husband. Yama had no choice but to return Satyavan
back to her alive. The story of Dhruva, a young prince who by his constant meditation and faith
on lord Vishnu one the eternal blessings of the lord. Thus proving that with sincere prayer and
strong faith one can move God. To this day Dhruva is well known as a pole star.
The story of Markandeya how a boy of sixteen conquered his fate by his devotion to Shiva.
Markendeya did not allow his predestined death to take him away by his bhakti or devotion and
was given the gift of immortality. Even today when we bless a child after he sneezes we wish
him long life like Markandeya. These stories are embedded in every Indian household to this

day. To teach children the importance of looking after their elders ,we have a story on Shravana
a young boy ,who denied himself of all joys of childhood while caring for his old and blind
parents. When they wished to go on pilgrimage to holy cities, he placed them in bamboo
baskets tied a pole which he carried on his shoulders and cheerfully took the journey even
though it was a discomfort for him. The family ties are very strong in India even today a peasant
works in large cities and supports family in a village.
Another interesting story is that of king Usinara of sibi clan who was very just and wise
and whose generosity knew no bounds. Once a dove rushed to him to for help to escape from a
hawk the king gave him protection. The hawk protested at being deprived of its food. Usinara
then offers to give flesh from his thigh but however much flesh he cuts from his body the dove
weighs more. The king then offers his entire self to balance the scale. Indra the king of devas
[celestial beings or lesser gods] and Agni took the form of the dove and hawk to test king
Usinara and his generosity.
To teach the importance of adhering to truth the story of Harischandra who was a king
is told. The king gave away his kingdom to pay his loan to Viswamitra and gives away his wife
and son as slaves .Finally he sells himself as a slave to the keeper of cremation grounds to
payback the rest of the loan .However Harischandra’s sorrow had no bounds when his wife
brought his sons dead body to the cremation ground. When Harischandra and his wife taramati,
decided to end their life by falling in the funeral pyre, Indra and Yama appear before them and
save all three of them. And Harischandra’s adherence to truth is a lesson to even to gods. The
importance of truth and the inviolability of the spoken word are therefore taught in many
puranas. To prove the poorest of the gifts when given with love is enough to please god is told
in the story of Sudama who went to the same hermitage school of sage sandeepa with lord
Krishna. Sudama ‘s wife asks him to seek help from lord Krishna as they could not feed their
children due to poverty he had no gift to take except a handful of beaten rice. Lord Krishna
readily accepts the gift and when Sudama returns home he finds his hut to be a mansion and
his family prosperous and happy.

Puranas
It is in the puranas we read about the ten avatars or incarnations of lord Vishnu. These
incarnations describe the help given by god during the various stages of mans evolution by His
appearance on earth in different forms.
These avatars teach mankind that God has re-established Dharma or righteous justice
and destroyed injustice from time to time by appearing on earth in various incarnations.
Matsya [fish] kurma [tortoise] varaha [boar] Narasimha [half lion half man] Vamana
[the dwarf] Parusurama [the angryman] Rama [the perfect man] Krishna [the divine statesman]
and Budha [the compassionate man]
The first avatar Matsya the fish, was taken by V Vishnu at the end of last Kalpa or age,
where there was deluge that destroyed the world that existed then. Choosing a sage, Rishi
Satyavrata, Lord Vishnu commanded him to gather together the seven sages. Samples of all
animals’ birds, plants and seeds. And wait in the boat. The gigantic golden fish then dragged the
boat through the turbulent oceans all through the long, long night of Brahma till the deluge
ended and Brahma created the present world. Another version has it that a demon has once
stolen the four Vedas and hid them under the sea. Vishnu took the form of a giant fish and
retrieved them.
In the kurma avatara Vishnu took the form of a tortoise to help the Devas [lesser
gods or heavenly beings] to obtain the nectar of immortality with the Asuras [demons] were
also after. The Devas and asuras churned the ocean to get this nectar, using the giant snake
Vasuki .as their churning rope and mount Mandara as the churning rod. To prevent the
mountain from sinking into the ocean; Lord Vishnu took the form of giant tortoise and
supported the mountain under water until the nectar of immortality emerged which Vishnu
gave it to devas alone.
At the end of the deluge in the last kalpa or age Bhoomi Devi [mother earth] sank into
the bottom of the ocean .Vishnu in the form of varaha, dived into the bottom of the ocean and
carried the goddess out of the waters supported by his massive snout.
In order to destroy Bali, the king of demons, Vishnu took the avatar of midget Amana.
He appeared during a huge Yajna or sacrifice being conducted by the king when the later was
arrogantly distributing gifts to all who asked for it to show his wealth and power. Vamana just
asked for three feet of land .measured by his own small feet. With his first foot he covered the
earth, with the second he covered the heavens. When there was no place for the next foot of
land. Bali offered his head to show that he kept his word. Lord Vishnu sent him to nether lands.

When the kings of earth became autocratic and started to harm ordinary people and
sages in the forest lord Vishnu took the form of Parasurama and destroyed all the kshatriyas
[princes] who were harassing the people.
When priesthood became arrogant and priests used rituals to exploit the people,
Vishnu took the Avatar of Budha to purify Hindu practices of excessive ritualism. He taught that
all sorrow stemmed from attachments and desires and advocated a middle path consisting of
eight-fold virtues of right views, right resolve, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right
effort, right mindfulness, and right meditation.
Hindus believe that at the end of this age, or kali Yuga, there will be a holocaust of fire
when the last Avatar, that of Kalki, will ride forth to save mankind and reestablish Dharma, or
righteousness.
To summarize, we have covered four sets of books or scriptures so far. The first, srutis
or Vedas are very soul of Hinduism and are of divine origin. They are eternal and without
beginning or end. The smiritis or dharma shastras are like body, subject to decay and can be
changed from time to time, from age to age.
The truths of the srutis and smritis are conveyed to the ordinary people through the
great epics, which appeal to their hearts, and through puranas, which appeal to their
imagination.
The Agamas
The fifth set of scriptures are the Agamas. They give the theological disciplines of worship of
different Deities. These have come from the three main Sects of Hindus the Shaiva,
Vaishnava and Shakta. The Shiva Agama has different philosophy in south and in Kashmir. In
this agama the Supreme God is worshiped under different names of Lord Shiva.
Similarly, there are two schools in Vaishnava Agama, the pancharatra and the
Vaikhanasa, both glorify lord Vishnu. Of these the former is more popular as it is believed by
the great God himself in the form of Vishnu. The Shakta Agama glorifies Devi, the consort of
Shiva, as the world Mother who, as Shakti, the energy giving power behind all creation,
Creativity and destruction. Tantric worship uses many occult magical practices and is not
accepted by main stream Hinduism.
This set of scriptures, the Agamas, guide the faithful to worship their Supreme
Lord with devotion. Each Agama consists of philosophy and spiritual knowledge of behind the
worship of the deity. As the first part and the yoga and the mental discipline required for each
school in the second part.
An important part of the third section of the agamas covers the rules for
constructing of temples. That is why, whatever the outward architecture of any temple the plan
of the temple is same all over the country. Some temples have Mandapas or halls. As the
worship is not congregational but individual the Sanctum santorum is small and narrow.

The third section is equally important as rules of sculpting or carving figures of
the deities. Details such as how Lord Rama holds his bow, the length of his arms, and the
graceful stance of Sita are all written down and the same in whatever part of the country the
temple is built. The only difference is the facial features of the images which are usually
patterned on racial characteristics of the local population.
The fourth part of the Agamas consists of rules pertaining to the religious
rites and rituals at home and in the community and the observance of religious festivals. These
are slightly changed according to the local cultural differences. There are a lot of poetic
compositions and devotional songs that have sprung under the name of these theological
scriptures in all languages in the country.
The Darshanas
The sixth or last set of scriptures are the six Darshanas [meaning visions]
which are schools of philosophy. These are for the intellectuals and scholars who have six main
schools of philosophic thought to guide them.
They are:
NYAYA founded by Gautama Rishi
Vaiseshika by Kannada
Sankhya by Kapila muni
Yoga by Patanjali
Mimamsa by Jaimini
Vedanta by Badarayana [Vyasa]
The nyaya philosophy is guided by pure logic and reasoning. Although this
philosophy is not very popular today it emphasis on logic and Tarka or debate. The vaiseshika
philosophy talks of universe as consisting of countless atoms and each eithits own visesha or
particular quality. The Sankhya philosophy is also based on logic and inference but its main
belief system is that universe consists of two elements. Purusha and prakriti. [Sprit and
matter]It is the oldest school and it is mentioned in Mahabharata.
The yoga school accepts Sankhya philosophy but uses mind control as means of
attaining God head. Mimamsa places great emphasis on Vedic Rituals and sacrifices.Yagna as
a sacrifice involves chanting Vedic Mantras and pouring Ghee [melted butter] and grain in the
sacred fire.
Vedanta means end of Vedas, based on the doctrine of Upanishads.
Vedanta teaches that the supreme God can be reached only by ones individual spiritual
experience.
Each Veda has a karma kanda dealing with rituals, Upasana kanda dealing with
worship, and Jnana kanda dealing with spiritual knowledge. Jnana kanda or path of knowledge
is all important and others are steps to the final goal.

Vedanta insists on strict adherence to Truth and to tireless investigation. The
Manduka Upanishad says “the path to the divine is through truth”. Untruth can never win .All
thinking in India is has been affected by Vedanta which we may not be aware of. It is the root of
our belief s and culture. The three great commentators’ on Vedanta sutra were Adishankara,
Ramanuja and Madhavacharya. Vedantic philosophy was influenced by western thinkers and
philosophers like Nietzehe Spinoza.

The Trinity
God is one who is called Ishwara or Brahman who has three main functions of
creation, preservation, and destruction. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva according to their functions
a high degree of symbolism has been involved in Hinduism to explain the attributes and
qualities of God Head to the masses.
Same God is pictured with different features and expressions depending on the role
they play. Ex, Lord Vishnu may be shown as a peaceful form in one temple and destroying evil
in another. The weapons he holds may be different in each form. Brahma is shown with four
heads facing all four directions symbolizing that he created the entire universe and is
enlightened. The fact that he meditates and creates the universe in each Kalpa (or age) is
symbolized by him holding the Vedas in one hand (which guide him), the vessel or Kamandalu
he holds symbolizes the ritual he does before creation or prayer. He sits on a lotus which
symbolizes purity .as the lotus grows in muddy waters but is untouched by the dirt and mire
from which it emerges. So is a yogi or a evolved person should be unaffected by the world
around him.
The feminine aspect of creation is personified in the form of Saraswati, the consort of
Brahma. She is associated with knowledge and wisdom. In her hand she holds the veena
symbolizing the music and rhythm of the universe. It is of the sound OM the universe was
created. The beads in her fingers bring out the importance of prayer and meditation. The palm
leaf scroll she holds represents learning and wisdom without which man is nothing. She always
wears white, reminding knowledge should be pristine and pure and true. She sits on a lotus or a
peacock the later representing ego (which should be suppressed). The swan is her vehicle which
to remind us to separate chaff from the grain of true knowledge just as swan removes water
from milk before it consumes it.
Vishnu is represented as lying on many headed snake cobra, Ananta, in the ocean of
milk. Ananta denotes cosmic energy and the ocean symbolizes Ananda or the endless bliss of
God or Brahman. Vishnu is shown as blue color symbolic of infinity, as he is limitless like the
blue sky. He holds the Disc or discus in one hand suggesting that he maintains Dharma or
righteousness and order in the universe. The Shanka or conch he holds in one hand denotes the
removal of ignorance and is also symbolic of Nada Brahmam or the music of the cosmos, as the
conch when placed to the ear has a deep humming sound. The Gada or mave is for removing
evil in the world and lotus is symbol of purity and beauty of the cosmic universe. The vehicle of
Vishnu is Garuda, the man eagle, a figure of great strength and power.
The feminine aspect of preserver is Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu. The grace of God is
personified in her as one who brings prosperity. One hand is holds Abhaya Mudra (with the
hand held open palm facing the devotee and fingers facing upwards) which says ‘do not fear’
and the other hand has Varada Mudra (with palm facing the devotee but fingers facing
downward )symbolic of prosperity and grace she gives to the human race. She sits on a lotus
flower and holds a lotus flower in her hand emphasizing the importance of pure living without

which her grace and giving are meaningless. Bhoo Devi or mother earth is depicted as the other
consort of Lord Vishnu.
Shiva, the destroyer of the Universe, is also shown as Nataraja, the king of dancers, the
dance depicting the cosmic energy. He dances on the Demon Apasmara purusha depicting our
ego only by destroying ones ego one can attain God head in one hand Shiva holds a deer which
denotes the man’s unsteady mind which darts here and there like the deer but has to be
brought under control. In the other hand he holds rattle drum ,the symbol of creative activity
,and in the third a fire the symbol of destruction .The fourth hand in the Abhaya Mudra says ‘do
not fear’, I shall protect as I destroy. The circle behind his head represents the continuity of life
cycle of birth and death. The river Goddess Ganga, on Shiva’s head denotes eternity and purity,
and the crescent moon reminds us of waxing and waning moon and the movement of time. The
cobra around his neck is the symbol of cosmic energy. Shiva’s garland of skulls reminds man
that death comes to all and his third eye depicts that God is all-seeing and wise. The third eye
also represents the seat of knowledge and wisdom. Shiva also opens his third eye to destroy
evil.
On the right ear Shiva wears Kundala (a jewel worn by man) and in the left ear he
wears a Tatanka (earring worn by woman). This is to tell us that Shiva and Parvati are part of
each other (ardhanareshwari) half man and half woman symbolizing the ideal union of man and
woman. As fire and heat are inseparable, so are Shiva and Parvati and purusha (the spirit) and
prakriti (matter) are combined in them.
The ashes worn by Shiva tell us that the body is temporary and ends in ashes. The tiger
skin he wears represents the pride and ego in us (like the tiger) which has to be suppressed.
Soon after the creation of the world Shiva is believed to have appeared in the form of a pillar of
fire which reached to the space and the bowels of earth which Brahma and Vishnu could not
trace the beginning or end of this supernatural manifestation .Therefore Shiva is represented as
Linga or Lingam which represents the pillar of cosmic energy.
In Shiva temples his vehicle Nandi the bull, faces the figure of Shiva symbolizing the
soul of man, the jiva, yearning for Paramatma, the great soul (God).

Parvati Or Uma
The consort of lord Shiva is Parvati or Uma the gentle one .cosmic energy in dynamic
form is called Shakti, the world Mother. Who is the power and energy by which the great God
creates preserves and destroys the world? Kamakshi or Rajarajeswari, she is the great mother.
In one hand she holds a noose, signifying worldly attachments from which we should free
ourselves. The hook in her other hand is indicative of her prodding us on to the path of
righteousness. The sugarcane plant she carries is a symbol of sweetness of the mind. The
arrows she holds in one hand are our five sense perceptions which we to conquer. In the form
of Durga she rides a tiger, the ego and arrogance that man has to subdue. With the weapons in
her hand she fights the eight evils (hate, greed, passion, vanity, contempt of others, envy,
jealousy). In her angry form she is called Kali, the personification of Time. In the fighting form
she destroys Mahishasura (the demon buffalo) who is the symbol of ignorance which is mans
biggest enemy). The skulls she wears tell you that man is mortal. Her dark form is symbolic of
future which is beyond our knowledge.
Ganesha
Ganesha is also known as Ganapathi or Vinayaka, the son of Shiva and Parvati
is the first Deity to be worshiped during any ritual, as he is considered as the remover of
obstacles .His huge body represents the cosmos or universe and the trunk Pranava or OM the
symbol of the Brahman. His elephant head denotes superior intelligence and the snake around
the waist represents cosmic energy. The noose is to remind us that worldly attachments and
the hook in his hand is to prod man on the path of righteousness. The rosary beads are for the
pursuit of prayer and the broken tusk is symbolic of knowledge as with the tusk he is believed
to have written Mahabharata as dictated by Sage Vyasa. The modaka or sweet in his hand is to
remind us of sweetness of one’s inner self. The physical form of Ganesha is large and awkward
to teach us that beauty of outward form has no connection with inner beauty or spiritual
perfection. Ganesha, on his vehicle, the mouse, symbolizes the equal importance of biggest and
smallest creatures of the world.
Kartikeya
Is the other son of lord Shiva also known as Kumara, Skanda, Subramanya,
Shanmukha, or Muruga .As kartikeya he is designated the deity of war, guarding right and
destroying evil. As Shanmukha, the six headed, he teaches that we have five senses and the
mind, and only when all six are in harmony spiritual growth happens. As Subramanya, he has
two consorts, Valli and Devasena who represent Jnana shakti, the power of knowledge and
kriya shakti, the power of action .He rides a peacock, reminding us of not to let pride and ego
take over us .In his hand he holds a Vel or sharp spear, symbolizing the developed sharp
intellect and with which he guards the spiritual progress of the world.

One often wonders as to why Gods and goddesses of Hindu pantheon are shown to have
several arms and at times with several faces. The main reason is to show them to be
supernatural ,just as in some religions angels are shown to have wings .We are aware that the
supreme Brahman is formless. It is man in the primitive stages of society, who has given the
Great spirit understandable human forms of His power and his attributes, to teach ordinary
people of his greatness, His omniscience and omnipotence. Hinduism assimilated and adopted
the religious beliefs of many small primitive tribes and people with whom the Hindus came in
contact. Hinduism gathered many religious beliefs and religions under one umbrella of ‘’Vedic
Hinduism’’ with the upanishadic aphorism ‘’EKAM SAT VIPRAHA BAHUDHA VADANTI’’ (the
Great God is one but the learned call Him by different names.)
By the time Adishankara the great Indian philosopher, came in to the picture there
were thousands of gods and goddesses of various races and tribes and countless number of
rituals performed by Hindus. Adishankara was born in Kalady Kerala in the 8 th century he was
the exponent of Advaita philosophy (according to which GOD is within man, and the Atma, the
individual soul and Brahman, the universal soul are one not two.)
He travelled by foot several times to all the corners of the vast land and established
the earliest Hindu monastic order with MATAMS or ASHRAMS in the south, west, north and
east of the country .even today we have Matams of this order in Srigeri and Kanchi in south,
Dwaraka in the west, Badri in the Himalayas, and Puri in the east. Each Matam was placed
under a Acharya or teacher, who propagated the Adivaita or philosophy of monism.
Shankaracharya died at a young age of 32.
Shankaracharya was a religious reformer at a time of religious and spiritual crises, as
existed then (as it exists now) He postulated that Jnana Marga or path of knowledge is the best
way to attain god hood. However Vijnana (intuition) vichara (enquiry) and anubhava
(experience) are all essential for spiritual experience but knowledge is very essential which
should be acquired by self enquiry and personal investigation.
He was one of the mystical seers who, with their intuitory knowledge, anticipated
many of today’s scientific theories on primal energy (Shakti) the Atom (Anu) vibrations of
Universe (shabda Brahmam) and the physical and psychic world around us.
Adishankara also wrote commentaries on Vedanta, the Gita and the Upanishads. He
codified the popular Hinduism and grouped all the gods and goddesses under six main streams
of worship.
They are 1(Shiva (worship of Shiva) 2 Vaishnava (worship of Vishnu) 3 Shakta (worship
of Shakti. The mother goddess) 4 saura (worship of surya the son god ) 5 Ganapatya (worship of
Ganesha or Ganapathi) 6 kaumara (worship of kumara or kartikeya Muruga )He taught all these
six forms of prayer are not in conflict but are the choice of of worshiper striving to reach god .

The Tenets And Beliefs Of Hinduism
Nirguna Brahman, the Absolute Hindus believe in One God, who, in His highest form is
known as the Brahman, the Absolute, or the Universal soul. He is within and about us
(immanent) is also outside the material existence (transcendent) and beyond time and space
(transcending). He is Nirguna without shape or form, and without beginning or end.
In chandogya Upanishad Uddalaka Aruni explains to his son Svetaketu about Brahman
and proof that God exists as he is not visible. The father asks the son to get a fruit from the
banyan (nyagrodha) tree and asks him to break it open. Taking one of the tiny seeds inside the
fruit, he asked him to split it further, but young Svetaketu found nothing inside the seed. Yet
the father explained to him, inside the seed, not visible to the eye is something out of which
grows the mighty banyan tree. That great power pervades the entire universe. It may not be
seen, but it exists.
Uddalaka further asks his son to mix salt in water. After it has dissolved, he asked
Svetaketu to taste different parts of the water in the bowl and to separate salt from water.The
son found that all parts of water tasted the same and he could not separate the salt from
water.
Uddalaka explained to Svetaketu that just as the salt pervades every drop of water in
the cup, the Universal Sprit pervades all life. Uddalaka also pointed out to his son that, just as
salt cannot be separated from water, when finally all beings merge with the Brahman, they lose
their individual entities, as the separate waters of rivers lose their individual entities, as
separate waters of rivers lose their separate forms when they flow into the ocean. Individuals
may die but the Universal Sprit is deathless and life itself does not die.
The Upanishads therefore teach us that the whole universe is a manifestation of the
Brahman. Life in all forms is evolved from a single source of Energy, the Universal sprit, which
pervades all things animate and inanimate. Since it is Nirguna or formless the Brahman is not
considered either male or female and is referred to by impersonal pronoun, Tat meaning that.
The Brahman is described as ‘’Sachitananda’’. Sat is that which exists (being), Chit is
pure intelligence (consciousness)and Ananda is pure bliss "SAT’’, to remind us only ultimate
Reality ,the Brahman ,which is the highest intelligence and is supreme bliss.
The Mystic syllable ‘OM’ is known as the pranava and is the symbol of the Brahman.
This sacred word encompasses in itself the whole universe, the past the present and future and
goes beyond the periphery of Time itself. Being the symbol of the Brahman or the Universal
soul, it is the very essence of all that is sacred in Hindu thought.
It is used at the beginning of meditation, at the beginning and end of prayer, during the practice
of yoga.
Saguna Brahman, the Great God
To the ordinary mortals the Nirguna Brahman (without form or attributes) is hard to
comprehend and is impersonal. Therefore for the world to understand the Universal sprit easily
we have Saguna Brahman, or the Brahman with form and attributes who is known as One Great
God or Ishwara. To the ordinary individual who is not spiritually evolved, the concept of God
has to be one with a form, a sort of superior being in a human form on whom one can fix one’s
mind, especially during prayer.

Samsara
The cycle of birth, and death and rebirth is called samsara, and every soul must
undergo this cycle of births and deaths before it attains moksha or liberation. Only the soul
which reaches perfection in this life becomes one with the Brahman and is not born again.
Hindus believe in samsara as we do not accept that the Great God would be cruel
enough to create all the inequalities that exist in the world. He would not create one child
beloved of happy parents and another handicapped or blind and the third unwanted born to
impoverish parents and left hungry. The inequalities of life are only understandable when we
realize that they are man’s own Karma or actions and not God’s creation.
Each one of us at birth is the result of our own past life. Our birth in this life is
determined by the good and bad thoughts, our words and deeds of a previous birth. This
doctrine of samsara or rebirth is also called the theory of reincarnation or the trance migration
of the soul and is a basic Tenet of Hinduism. The Upanishads compare it to the caterpillar which
climbs one blade of grass and jumps to a new one. Just as man changes worn out garments and
wears new ones, so does the soul casts away one body and enters another. However we do not
carry the burden of our previous births in our consciousness, though we do in our subconscious
minds.
Karma
One other basic belief of Hinduism is the law of karma or action,”the law of cause and
effect’’. It is explained by the saying,’’as you sow so shall you reap’’. A farmer cannot sow wheat
and expect a crop of rice. Similarly every good thought ,word and deed begets a similar reaction
which affects our next lives and every unkind thought ,harsh word and evil deed comes back to
harm us in this life or the next. There are three stages of karma. The only karma that is beyond
our control is prarabdha karma .According to this the body the soul chooses to be born is not
under human control. The choice of parents, the condition of a new born baby the environment
of the home there are all predetermined as per the sum total of favorable and unfavorable acts
performed in the previous births. These cannot be changed even the time of death. Our
scriptures tell us that even a thousand spers will not kill you when your time on earth is not
over yet a blade of grass can when your time is up.
The second stage of karma is Samchita karma which is accumulated karma of all our
previous births which gives us our characteristics, tendencies, aptitudes, and interests. This is
why two children of the same family and environment turn out to be very different in their
capabilities and characteristics.

Samchita karma is however, changeable with wisdom a man can change himself,
improve his habits and get rid of evil thoughts and desires. Similarly one born with good
characteristics could descend to a life of evil, setting aside the naturally good inclinations.
Samchita karma is therefore alterable by man himself.
The third, Agama karma consists of the actions in our present life which determines our
future in the later years of this life and in the next. It is entirely in our hands and in our free will.
Man cannot change his past or birth, but he can mould his future. By evil thoughts, words or
deeds .we mar our days to come. By purity of thought, compassionate words and deeds,
righteous action without thought of fruits of thereof, we have a better life for all our tomorrow
in this birth and next.

Dharma
As mentioned above every Hindu aims to break the cycle of birth and death ,that
binds him to the earth ,the first step to to be taken on this path is for each one to perform well
his own Dharma or righteous duties. Hinduism differentiates the duties of man and man and
also between the duties to be followed at various stages of one’s life.
The teacher, the nurse, the priest, a mother, or father each has to follow his own
Dharma. Duties, what aver they are, have to be performed with excellence and moral purity as
a goal. The concept of Dharma is fundamental to Hinduism, as it is believed that it is only
through the pursuit of dharma that there is social harmony and peace in the world. The pursuit
of Adharma (A path that rejects righteousness) leads to conflicts, discord and imbalance.
Dharma sustains the world together. Varnashrama Dharma is fundamental to Hindu belief and
includes the duties of various occupations, orders and classes (Varna) and the duties in the four
stages (Ashramas) of one’s life. It states that each person’s Dharma or duty depends on his
occupation, position, moral and spiritual development, age and marital status.
The Cast System
The cast system is legally abolished at the present age however it is interesting to
know how it started. When the Indo Aryans invaded the country they came across the local
inhabitants whom they called Dasas or Dasyus. Instead of destroying them they absorbed them
and gave them a lower but definite place in their society.
With time this system came to be four- tiered with four classes ,The Brahmanas or
Brahmins who were teachers and priests, The Kshatriyas or warriors or rulers ,The Vaishyas,
those who followed the trade or commercial occupations, The Sudras who performed manual
labor and were also agriculturists and farmers. The word Varna is therefore implied to the social
order not the cast, as even Manu has given the difference between Varna or class or order and
Jati (sect of birth or caste) A man’s Varna depends as much on his mental and physical abilities
as on heritage.
The Jatis (or sects) in time became more important than the four main classes. These
were more occupational as the goldsmith Jati the weaver jati, the carpenter jati etc. and served
the purpose of guilds which protected the interests of their members, trained the young and
saw to it that no outsider entered the fold. In time the four Jatis or sects grouped themselves
under main classes which is why we speak today as four castes. The untouchables or outcasts
were originally those who had broken certain caste rules. Even a Brahmin was excommunicated
to a lower order. The Hindus were originally meat eaters but slowly changed their habits to
vegetarianism. Especially the Brahmins and vaishyas came under the influence of Buddhism and
Jainism .with this change those who ate beef or meat of certain animals came to be considered
outcastes or untouchables, as by this time the cow was regarded akin to a mother, the people
being largely rural, having to depend on cow’s products for sustenance. (This is why a cow is

given the reverence due to a mother in Hindu society). There is no religious sanction
whatsoever in HINDUISM to the concept of untouchability. It was purely a social practice,
introduced by the upper castes to provide themselves with menial labor to perform certain
tasks repulsive to themselves such as those of cemetery keepers, scavengers and cleaners.
Hindu society has much to answer for this inhuman treatment of a whole section of its own
people, but the Hindu religion has nothing to do with it.

Status of women
Status of Hindu women in Hindu society was an enviable one. A woman could go up
to the highest learning if she so chooses. The early Hindu society had women philosophers and
seers like Maitreyi, Gargi, and Apala. Warrior queens like Kaikeyi helped her husband on the
battlefield.
In the princely families women chose their own suitable husband the custom called
‘swayamwara’. Inter marriages were comman Shakuntala daughter of a Brahmin sage married
Dushyanta ,a kshatriya prince, Santanu a king married a fisher woman Satyavati who was
crowned queen.
Polygamy existed in some societies especially amongst princes who married several
times for expansion of their kingdom and to have an heir to their throne. Polyandry was
practiced at some areas. E.g. Draupadi had five husbands.(Pandavas).
Girls were married in their late teens and most Dravidian cultures were matriarchal
.Even today Kerala state in south is matriarchal. Hindu society as established by Indo-Aryan was
patriarchal.
The upper castes tried to dominate the lower castes. Brahmins monopolizing the
reading of scriptures and religious rituals became rigid also the kshatriyas and vaisyas
dominated their field. But the caste system became more rigid after invasion of India by the
foreigners in the 11 th century by Muhammad Ghazani and Gori.
The earlier invaders looted and plundered and destroyed temples, abducted women
and children. With this the practice of child marriages and ‘Sati’ where a women gumped into
the funeral pyre with her husband started. The practice of shaving a widow’s head (to make a
woman unattractive) was also practiced. The temples were guarded and only a priest was
allowed in the inside or (Sanctum sanctorum) of the temple. Women started covering their
faces in order for men not to be able to see their faces.
The Hindu Reform
With the coming or British rule in India and the introduction of the western thought,
there arose in India an upsurge of intellectual searching and re-evaluation of our ancient past.
Hindu thinkers reassessed their weakness and traced it to the evils of rigid caste system and the
socials evils that had befallen women and the untouchable castes. Starting in the early 19 th
century, several Indian reformers sprang all over India and spread their message for purifying
Hinduism of excessive rites, rituals and orthodoxy and for abolishing the inequalities heaped on
women in the name of religion. To mention a few whose work led to a reform on a national
level, Raja Rammohan Roy of Bengal .He preached against rituals and abolishing of sati.
Although the word sati means pure and chaste women it was used to denote a widow who fell
in the funeral pyre of her husband.
Another illustrious son of Bengal, ISHWAR CHANDRA VIDYASAGAR popularized
Sanskrit teachings amongst all castes and fought for widow marriage. The Prarthana samaj was
set up in Mumbai for fighting the caste system and its leaders were R.G .Bhandarkar, and M. G.
Ranade.

The greatest of them all was Swami Vivekananda, who set up the Ramakrishna
mission, an organization of service and social reform, and spread the message of true Hinduism
throughout India and in the western world. He fought hard against orthodoxy and preached
spiritual freedom, and fearlessness and the universalism of all religions.
Swami Dayananda Saraswati, a Gujarati Brahmin, fought against Hindu priest hood
and wanted Hinduism to go back to it’s its Vedic glory. He founded the Aryasamaj in 1875, a
movement which was reformist, and attempted to unify the Hindus under the umbrella of
Vedic Hinduism.
Anny Besant, Irish by birth came to India in1895 as a theosophist and worked for
Hindu Religious revival. Her admiration for Hindu thought gave great self respect to the Hindus
at a time when the Hindus were looked down upon by the British rulers. She set up central
Hindu college at Banaras.
Mahatma Gandhi, the father of independent India, made women take part in the
freedom movement, and by this great act, got rid of many inequalities heaped on women. He
also made the abolition of untouchability an integral part of freedom movement .By not
allowing untouchables to the places of worship, Hindu society had been weakened as the
scriptures reiterated the equality of all men in the eyes of God.
The other reformists to mention are Narayanguru of kerala, Dr. C.P. Ramaswamy
Aiyar the later fought for untouchability and orthodoxy.