The Dhaarmik Traditions - Indic Studies Foundation

The Mandukya Upanishad has an excellent discussion on the significance of
the Om sound. See the section on the Upanishads for an overview of the main
Upanishads.
2. What are the main scriptures (Shastra) of the Hindu
To those who are relatively unfamiliar with the Hindu Dharma, the vast panoply and
canon of Hindu Shastras is both bewildering and overwhelming. Just as there is
order in the cosmos, an order that needs effort and diligence to discover and
comprehend, so also it is the case with the discovery of the ontology and structure of
the Dharma, an effort which I might add is more than rewarding. Shastra is a Sanskrit
word used to denote education/knowledge in a general sense. The word is generally
used as a suffix in the context of technical or specialized knowledge in a defined area
of practice. For example, Astra shastra means, knowledge about "Handling of
weapons", Astra means weapons, and Shastra is their knowledge
The scripture of the Hindu is broadly divided into Shruti (Sanskrit ौुित , that which is
heard) and Smriti (ःम्र्रुित,that which is remembered).
Shruti , the main body of the Hindu canonical scripture, comprises the following
The Veda or Vedas - the Rig-Veda, the Sama-Veda, the Atharva-Veda, the Yajur-
Veda. The four Vedas comprise the Samhitas - texts of prayers and hymns, charms,
invocations and sacrificial formulae. The Rig Veda is the Book of Devotional Verse,
the Yajur Veda is the Book of Sacrificial Formulae, the Sama Veda is the Book of
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