Hindu Religious Texts were written and developed over many centuries. They were developed in order to get spiritual insights and guidance of the religion as a whole or to practice a perfect religious life. These religious scriptures are written for spiritual upliftment and self-realization. The scriptures are for receiving benefit and can be considered to be the science of the Soul.
Types of Hindu Religious Texts
The vast body of scriptures among the Hindu Religious Texts is divided into two, namely;
•Shruti or "revealed": Shruti is that which is heard or divinely revealed. It consists of the Vedas, the most ancient of the scriptures, Upanishads, Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Bhagavad Gita. Shruti refers to the manifestation of the divine in the world, and reveal the truth, it also narrates about the deities to the early sages or rishis.
•Smriti or "remembered": Smriti is recognized as the product of the minds of the great sages. Smritis have been authored and developed by great personages. Under Smriti, a vast collection of texts are there namely; Manusmriti, the 18 Puranas, epics such as Ramayana and Mahabharata and many more. These scriptures are based on theology, philosophy and mythology. The scriptures provide information on the practice of dharma or religious living.
Various Hindu Religious Texts
Hindu Religious Texts are greatly treasured by the humanity. The texts are inscribed to offer guidance on the daily conduct of life. Some of the Hindu Religious Texts are discussed below:
Vedas
Among these Hindu Religious Texts, the Vedas are the ancient and the foremost in authority, meaning and antiquity. There are four collections which comprise the Veda, the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. Rig Veda is the oldest of the four Vedas which was composed about 1500 B.C. The Veda contains accounts of creation, information on ritual, sacrifices and prayers to the deities.
Chalisa
Chalisa is also considered to be the Hindu Religious Texts. Chalisa means "forty verse" prayer and contains verses that praise the deity with devotion. These texts have been in existence since the moment when human beings had started fearing God or almighty. The Chalisa include expression of the deepest and sincerest feelings of mankind.
Upanishad
Upanishads are considered to be the most important of the three scriptures of Shruti literature. The term Upanishad means "those who sit near" and implies listening closely to the secret doctrines of a spiritual teacher. The Upanishads are a collection of Indian speculations and believed to have developed around 600 BC.
Brahmanas
The Brahmanas were composed between 1000 and 700 B.C. as commentaries on the four Vedas. As such, each Brahmana is attached to a specific Veda. They function as a manual teaching the proper use of the material in the Veda to which it belongs.
Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita is a treatise from the Mahabharata which includes the verses spoken by Lord Krishna and are regarded as the spiritual teachings of the Vedas. All the teachings of Lord Krishna were subsequently recorded by Rishi Vyasa.
Mahabharata
In the history of mankind, Mahabharata is the largest epic and it was originally called Jaisamhita. The epic Mahabharata creates a junction between the end of the Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron or Kali Age.
In addition to that, it is believed that these texts were secret scriptures taught by a sage to a disciple. Moreover, 18 Indian Puranas, the two epics Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita are also valued scriptures of Hindu religion. Other major scriptures include the Tantras and the Agama.
