Hinduism

Hinduism

Hinduism is the religion of most people in India and Nepal. Many Hindus call it Sanatana Dharma, the eternal dharma, and the name covers many related traditions. Most Hindus share belief in karma and rebirth, and many seek liberation from rebirth. Nearly 1.2 billion people identified as Hindu in 2020.

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What is Hinduism?

Hinduism is the religion of most people in India and Nepal, where Hindus made up 79 and 81 percent of the population in 2020.1 Many Hindus call their tradition Sanatana Dharma, a Sanskrit name meaning "eternal dharma" or "eternal law," which stresses its eternal foundation.2

The scholar Michael Witzel describes Hinduism as a loose grouping of many interlinked religions of South Asia. It has no common creed, he writes, and a person may choose which god or goddess to worship, or none.3 Dancing with Siva, a catechism that teaches a monistic form of Shaiva Siddhanta,4 describes Hinduism as a family of religions that accept the authority of the Vedas and share belief in karma, dharma, and rebirth.56

What do Hindus believe?

Most Hindus share a few core ideas, though their schools explain them differently. Witzel writes that the idea of rebirth, joined to karma, the effect of actions in this life on the next, is almost universally accepted among Hindus.3 In Pew's 2019 to 2020 survey of India, 77 percent of Hindus said they believe in karma.7 Many seek moksha, liberation from the cycle of rebirth, called samsara.89

The schools differ on what liberation is. Advaita Vedanta, the nondualist school of Shankara, teaches that the self, or atman, is Brahman, ultimate reality. Liberation comes with knowledge, when the ignorance that hides this is overcome.1011 Ramanuja, the chief teacher of the Sri Vaishnava tradition, taught that individual selves are real and that liberation is unbroken awareness of God, reached through bhakti, or loving devotion.9

In Shaiva Siddhanta, the grace of Shiva frees the soul from its bonds. Its classical teachers, the scholar Mariasusai Dhavamony writes, hold that the liberated soul keeps its own character in union with Shiva.12 Dancing with Siva, following a monistic reading of the school, teaches that the soul finally merges with Shiva like water returning to the sea.8 The Beliefs page gives each school's answers.

Do Hindus believe in one God or many gods?

Most Indian Hindus say there is one God with many forms. In Pew's survey, 61 percent of Hindus said there is only one God with many manifestations, and 7 percent said there are many gods.7 Most named more than one god they feel close to, and the gods Hindus most often felt close to were Shiva (44 percent), Hanuman (35 percent), and Ganesha (32 percent).7 A Rig Veda hymn puts the idea in one line: To what is One, sages give many a title (Rig Veda 1.164.46)13.

The traditions name the supreme in different ways. Most Vaishnavas hold Vishnu supreme and worship his incarnations, especially Rama and Krishna; Sri Vaishnavas worship him with the goddess Lakshmi, and Gaudiya Vaishnavas, including ISKCON, worship Krishna himself as the supreme reality.14109 Shaivas worship Shiva as the supreme Lord.15 Shaktas worship divine female power, Shakti, which they conceive either as the supreme being in female form or as the consort of a god.16

How did Hinduism begin?

Hinduism took shape in South Asia over a long period, and the tradition and historians tell its beginning differently.103 The History page gives both accounts in full.

The tradition's account

Many Hindus hold that dharma is eternal, which is why they call their faith Sanatana Dharma.2 In his 1893 address to the Parliament of Religions in Chicago, Swami Vivekananda said that Hindus hold the Vedas to be without beginning and without end.1710 In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna traces his teaching back through the generations: This everlasting (system of) devotion I declared to the sun (Bhagavad Gita 4.1)18, which passed it to Manu and so on to the royal sages.

The historians' view

Michael Witzel traces Hinduism's major roots to the Veda, and Alf Hiltebeitel treats the Vedic texts as its early sacred literature. Witzel dates the Veda to roughly 1500 to 500 BCE, placing it first in the northwest.3 Hiltebeitel dates the Vedic texts to about 1400 to 400 BCE and writes that they were handed down orally.10 Both see possible earlier elements in the Indus Valley civilization, about 2600 to 1900 BCE in Witzel's dates, but neither treats them as certain: Hiltebeitel notes that its script is undeciphered, and Witzel the lack of written records.310

What are the Hindu scriptures?

Hindu texts fall into two classes. The oldest, the four Vedas and the texts attached to them, including the Upanishads, are called shruti, "what is heard." Tradition holds that seers, the rishis, heard this revelation in the distant past and passed it on by mouth, and that it is eternal and unmarked by human editing.19 Hiltebeitel dates the Vedic texts from about 1400 to 400 BCE.10

Later texts are called smriti, "what is remembered": among them the two epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, and the Puranas, or "ancient lore." Tradition counts them sacred but a less direct form of revelation.1019 The Bhagavad Gita is a section of the Mahabharata; scholars tentatively date the Gita to around the second century BCE or the first century CE.143 The Sacred Texts page explains how the texts gained authority.

How do Hindus practice?

Much Hindu worship takes place at home as well as in temples. In Pew's survey of India, 57 percent of Hindus said they perform puja, or ritual worship, every day, at home or at a temple.7

Forty-four percent of Indian Hindus said they are vegetarian, and another 33 percent avoid certain meats.7

Festivals vary by region. Diwali, the festival of lights, comes in October or November. In many regions it includes worship of Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity, and it recalls several stories, among them Rama's return to his capital, Ayodhya, and Krishna's victory over the demon Naraka.2021

Navaratri, the nine nights of the Goddess in autumn, ends with Dashara, or Vijayadashami, on the tenth day.22 Durga Puja, the great festival of the goddess Durga, is kept in the first ten days of the waxing fortnight of the autumn month of Ashvina.23 Holi, a North Indian festival of spring, falls at the full moon of the lunar month of March to April.24 The Practices page covers the Hindu year.

What are the main branches?

Dancing with Siva names four main traditions, Vaishnava, Shaiva, Shakta, and Smarta, each with its own supreme deity, lineages of teachers, and temples.6 Smartas, the catechism says, leave the choice of deity to the worshiper.6 In the Smarta practice of five-shrine worship, a worshiper may choose any one of five deities, Vishnu, Shiva, Durga, Surya, or Ganesha. The Smarta tradition is often linked with Shankara's Advaita.1015 Pew Research Center reported in 2012 that reliable estimates of the traditions' sizes were not available.25

The schools of Vedanta philosophy include Advaita (nondualism), Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita (qualified nondualism), and Dvaita (dualism), and they differ on how the self relates to Brahman.9 Tamil poet-saints sang to Shiva and to Vishnu; John Carman dates their poetry to the fifth to ninth centuries, while traditional accounts scatter them across the first five thousand years of the kali yuga, the present age.26 In the 19th century Ramakrishna, a Bengali mystic and priest of the goddess Kali, joined devotion with Advaita, and many followers regard him as an incarnation of God.1027 The Branches page describes each tradition.

How many Hindus are there?

Pew Research Center estimates that nearly 1.2 billion people identified as Hindu in 2020, or 14.9 percent of the world's population.281 About 95 percent of Hindus live in India.1 The Today page has more. For a side-by-side look, see Christianity vs Hinduism and the God Theories book series.

Common questions

What is Hinduism?

Hinduism is the religion of most people in India and Nepal. Many Hindus call it Sanatana Dharma, the eternal dharma, a name that stresses its eternal foundation. The word "Hinduism" comes from the Old Persian name for the Indus River. The scholar Michael Witzel describes it as a loose grouping of many interlinked religions of South Asia, with no common creed, though he finds belief in rebirth and karma almost universal among Hindus.

Do Hindus believe in one God or many gods?

Most Indian Hindus say there is one God with many manifestations. In Pew Research Center's 2019 to 2020 survey of India, 61 percent of Hindus took that view and 7 percent said there are many gods. Most feel close to more than one god, most often Shiva, Hanuman, or Ganesha. Most Vaishnavas hold Vishnu supreme, Shaivas Shiva, and Shaktas the Goddess, while Advaita Vedanta teaches that God with qualities is a way toward Brahman beyond all qualities.

When did Hinduism begin?

Many Hindus hold that their tradition has no beginning in time. They call it the eternal dharma, and Swami Vivekananda told the 1893 Parliament of Religions that Hindus hold the Vedas to be without beginning or end. Historians trace its major roots to the Veda, composed roughly 1500 to 500 BCE, and some see earlier elements in the Indus Valley civilization. The History page gives both accounts.

Do Hindus believe in reincarnation?

Most Hindus believe in rebirth, the cycle called samsara, in which actions in this life, or karma, shape the next. The goal of many Hindus is moksha, liberation from rebirth. Schools describe it differently: Advaita Vedanta as knowing the self to be Brahman, Ramanuja's school as unbroken awareness of God reached through devotion, and Shaiva Siddhanta as union with Shiva, in which, depending on the teacher, the soul keeps its own character or merges with him.

What is the holy book of Hinduism?

Hinduism has many sacred texts rather than one book. The oldest are the four Vedas, which include the Upanishads and are called shruti, "what is heard." Tradition holds them to be eternal revelation, heard by the seers; the scholar Alf Hiltebeitel dates them between about 1400 and 400 BCE. Later texts, called smriti, include the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana, and the Puranas. The Bhagavad Gita is a section of the Mahabharata. The Sacred Texts page explains how they gained authority.

How many Hindus are there in the world?

Pew Research Center estimates that nearly 1.2 billion people identified as Hindu in 2020, or 14.9 percent of the world's population, a share that held steady from 2010. About 95 percent of the world's Hindus live in India, and Hindus are a majority in India and Nepal. Outside the Asia-Pacific region, the United States has the most Hindus, about 3.0 million. The Today page has the details.

Are all Hindus vegetarian?

No. In Pew Research Center's 2019 to 2020 survey of India, 44 percent of Hindus said they are vegetarian, and another 33 percent said they avoid certain meats. Pew notes that Hindus traditionally view cows as sacred, and 72 percent said a person who eats beef cannot be Hindu. That view was much less common among Hindus in the South (50 percent) than in the North and Central regions (83 percent).

What are the main branches of Hinduism?

A Shaiva catechism, Dancing with Siva, names four traditions. Most Vaishnavas worship Vishnu and his incarnations, such as Rama and Krishna, while Gaudiya Vaishnavas, including ISKCON, hold Krishna himself supreme. Shaivas worship Shiva as the supreme Lord. Shaktas worship the Goddess as divine power, or Shakti. Smartas may choose among several deities. Pew reported in 2012 that reliable size estimates were not available. The Branches page describes them.

Sources

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