Hinduism is an ancient Indian religious tradition and dharma, or spiritual path. According to the Survey of India, the Hindu religion is the most popular in the country and accounts for nearly a quarter of India’s total population. Hinduism is a monotheistic religion, which means that all members of a community follow the same religion, but worship different deities. Hinduism’s most sacred texts are the Vedas (the oldest of the Hindu scriptures), the Upanishads (prohibitions against eating beef and pork) and the Bhagavad Gita (the oldest of the Hindu poems). A number of Hindu scholars have classified Hinduism into four main schools: Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Islam.
Hinduism believes in reincarnation, heaven, hell, karma, reincarnation, and tapas (precious items). The five hundred thousand animal ancestors were believed to be absorbed by the Brahma, the Creator of the heavens and earth. Hindu scholars say that the soul or “atman” lives in the Brahma and is responsible for all actions in this life. The Brahma gave nine volumes of sacred texts, including the Vedas, to the ancient Hindus as an instruction manual, the Mahatatatas, which cover all aspects of Hinduism, and the Shastras, which prescribe rules for praying, conduct, eating, living, and death. The Hindu deities are usually worshiped as the most powerful beings in the heavens and are viewed as children of the creator.
The word “Hindus” is derived from the two languages – Hindi and Sanskrit, the language of yoga and Hinduism, respectively. The term is also found in the holy books of India, the Vedas, which are the primary source of Hindu religious literature. The primary structure of the Hindu faith is divided into two branches, namely, the RSS and Jains, both of which are based on the Vedic texts. A significant offshoot of Hinduism is Buddhism, which are a logical offshoot of Hinduism, and is said to have begun as a religion during the Buddha age, approximately 1200 B.C., with the spread of Buddhism across south and central India.