📜 Hindu Sacred Texts

Śruti ("That Which is Heard") - Eternal Divine Revelation

Considered apauruṣeya (not of human origin), these texts were "heard" by ancient rishis (seers) in deep meditation and passed down through oral tradition with extraordinary precision. Śruti texts are the ultimate authority in Hindu philosophy.

• The four Vedas and their components
• Upanishads (Vedānta - the culmination of Vedic wisdom)

Smṛti ("That Which is Remembered") - Sacred Human Composition

Texts authored by sages and poets, based on Śruti but more accessible. While secondary to Śruti, these texts have immense practical importance in daily Hindu life and practice.

• Itihasas (Epics): Ramayana, Mahabharata
• Puranas (Ancient Stories)
• Dharma Shastras (Law Books)
• Agamas and Tantras (Sectarian Texts)
• Bhakti Literature (Devotional Poetry)

📿 Rigveda - The Veda of Praise

Period: c. 1500-1200 BCE | Hymns: 1,028 in 10 books (Mandalas)

The oldest and most important Veda, consisting of hymns addressed to various deities. These poetic verses reveal the earliest Indo-Aryan religious thought, cosmology, and mythology. Key hymns include the Nasadiya Sukta (Hymn of Creation), Purusha Sukta (Cosmic Person), and numerous praises to Indra, Agni, Vishnu, and other Vedic gods.

Themes: Cosmic order (rita), sacrifice, nature deities, philosophical speculation

🎵 Samaveda - The Veda of Melodies

Period: c. 1200-1000 BCE | Verses: 1,549 (mostly from Rigveda)

The "Book of Chants" consisting primarily of Rigvedic verses set to melodies for ritual singing. Used by priests (udgātṛs) during soma sacrifices. Represents the origin of Indian classical music and emphasizes the sacred power of sound.

Significance: Preserves the musical/chanting tradition, demonstrates transformation of hymns into liturgical songs

⚡ Yajurveda - The Veda of Rituals

Period: c. 1200-800 BCE | Versions: Black (Krishna) and White (Shukla) Yajurveda

Prose mantras and instructions for performing sacrificial rituals (yajñas). Provides the liturgical formulas uttered by priests while performing physical actions during rituals. More practical and less poetic than the Rigveda.

Content: Ritual formulas, sacrificial instructions, ceremonial procedures

🌿 Atharvaveda - The Veda of Everyday Life

Period: c. 1000-800 BCE | Hymns: 730 hymns in 20 books

Distinct from the other three Vedas, focusing on practical matters: healing, protection from evil, long life, prosperity, love spells, and household rituals. Contains magical incantations, charms, and folk traditions alongside philosophical hymns. Includes some of Hinduism's earliest medical and astronomical knowledge.

Unique Features: Magic spells, healing mantras, domestic rituals, philosophical hymns about Time (Kala) and cosmic order

Core Upanishadic Teachings:

• Brahman: The ultimate, infinite, unchanging reality underlying all existence
• Atman: The true self, beyond body and mind, identical with Brahman
• Tat Tvam Asi: "You are That" - the identity of individual soul with cosmic reality
• Karma: Law of cause and effect governing rebirth
• Moksha: Liberation from the cycle of rebirth through self-knowledge

Principal (Mukhya) Upanishads:

Of the 108+ Upanishads, 10-13 are considered principal:

• Isha Upanishad: "All this is pervaded by the Lord" - seeing divinity in all
• Kena Upanishad: "By whom?" - investigating the power behind mind and senses
• Katha Upanishad: Nachiketa's dialogue with Death (Yama) about the soul
• Mandukya Upanishad: Shortest but profound - analyzing Om and consciousness
• Chandogya Upanishad: Contains "Tat Tvam Asi" - teachings on Brahman
• Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: Longest Upanishad - "Great Forest Book"

🏹 Ramayana - The Journey of Rama

Author: Valmiki | Period: c. 500-100 BCE | Verses: ~24,000 | Books: 7 kandas

The story of Prince Rama, an avatar of Vishnu, his exile from Ayodhya, the abduction of his wife Sita by demon king Ravana, and the epic war to rescue her with the aid of Hanuman and the vanara (monkey) army.

Core Themes: Dharma (righteous duty), devotion, loyalty, the ideal king, husband, wife, and brother

Cultural Impact: Celebrated during Diwali; performed as Ram Lila; influences across Southeast Asia

🎭 Mahabharata - The Great Epic of the Bharata Dynasty

Attributed to: Vyasa | Period: c. 400 BCE - 400 CE | Verses: ~100,000 (world's longest epic) | Books: 18 parvas

The massive saga of the Kurukshetra War between two branches of the Kuru dynasty - the virtuous Pandavas and their cousins the Kauravas. Far more than a war story, it's an encyclopedia of Hindu culture, philosophy, ethics, politics, and spirituality. Contains the Bhagavad Gita within it.

Core Themes: Dharma in complex situations, moral ambiguity, fate vs. free will, consequences of war

Key Sections: Bhagavad Gita, Nala-Damayanti story, Savitri-Satyavan story, thousands of sub-stories

🪷 Bhagavad Gita - The Song of God

Part of: Mahabharata, Book 6 | Verses: 700 in 18 chapters

On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, warrior Arjuna is paralyzed by moral conflict about fighting his relatives. His charioteer, Lord Krishna (avatar of Vishnu), reveals his divine nature and teaches the paths to spiritual liberation.

The Three Yogas:

• Karma Yoga: Path of selfless action, performing duty without attachment to results
• Bhakti Yoga: Path of devotion and surrender to the divine
• Jnana Yoga: Path of knowledge and discrimination between real and unreal

Significance: Most influential Hindu scripture, synthesis of Hindu philosophy, accessible to all regardless of caste or learning

📖 Manusmriti (Laws of Manu)

Period: c. 200 BCE - 200 CE

Most famous dharma text, covering social duties, governance, law, ethics, and the four stages of life (ashramas). Highly influential but also controversial for its hierarchical social prescriptions. Represents one Hindu perspective on righteous living, not universally accepted.

Other Dharma Texts

• Yajnavalkya Smriti: Law, governance, yoga, emphasized over Manu in some regions
• Arthashastra (Kautilya): Statecraft, economics, political philosophy
• Kamasutra (Vatsyayana): Love, relationships, pleasure as a legitimate life goal

Shaiva Agamas (Shiva worship)

28 primary texts detailing temple construction, ritual worship (puja), mantras, meditation, and Shaiva philosophy. Emphasize union with Shiva through ritual and yogic practices.

Vaishnava Samhitas (Vishnu worship)

Pancharatra and Vaikhanasa traditions with detailed ritual instructions, temple protocols, and devotional practices for Vishnu worship.

Shakta Tantras (Goddess worship)

Texts emphasizing the Divine Mother (Shakti) as supreme reality. Include Kularnava Tantra, Mahanirvana Tantra, and numerous others. Cover yantra, mantra, kundalini yoga, and ritual practices.

From the 6th century CE onward, poet-saints across India composed devotional verses in regional languages, making spirituality accessible beyond Sanskrit scholars. These passionate, personal expressions of divine love transformed Hinduism.

• Alvars (Tamil): 12 Vaishnava saints, composed Divya Prabandham
• Nayanars (Tamil): 63 Shaiva saints, passionate devotion to Shiva
• Kabir: Weaver-saint, challenged religious orthodoxy, influenced Sikhism
• Mirabai: Princess-saint devoted to Krishna, defied social norms
• Tulsidas: Ramcharitmanas (Hindi version of Ramayana)
• Surdas: Blind poet, Krishna's childhood pastimes