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SACRED TEXTS

SACRED TEXTS. Sacred Texts. Hinduism has numerous sources that it considers sacred texts Consists of 200 books Scriptures are either classified as shruti or smriti. Shruti. Knowledge that is revealed or “discovered” by the rishis, or seers of Hinduism.

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SACRED TEXTS

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  1. SACRED TEXTS

  2. Sacred Texts • Hinduism has numerous sources that it considers sacred texts • Consists of 200 books • Scriptures are either classified as shruti or smriti

  3. Shruti • Knowledge that is revealed or “discovered” by the rishis, or seers of Hinduism. • The Rishi's soul is believed to receive wisdom directly from the universal source. • This wisdom is contained in the Vedas.

  4. Smriti • “human made” literature, or knowledge that is “remembered”

  5. The Vedas • Composed around 1500 BCE • Considered the oldest and most authoritative Hindu scriptures • They are a collection of writings on subjects ranging from the divine spirit to medicine and the sciences

  6. The Four Vedas • *The Rig-Veda, 10 books of hymns that praise the deities • The Yajur-Veda, instructions for a priest to perform fire sacrifices • The Sama-Veda, melodies, chants, and tunes for singing hymns • Atharva-Veda, magical formulas, chants, spells, and charms.

  7. The Upanishads • Concluding sections of the Vedas • Form the basis of Hindu philosophy which have dominated Indian life and thought for 3000 years. • There are over 200 Upanishads. • Discuss topics such as the mind, worship, meditation, and various means of liberation. • Also discuss central beliefs such as Brahman, atman, karma, samsara etc.

  8. Upanishads Examples

  9. The Ramayana • One of India’s two great epics • Popular vehicle for spreading Hindu ideals of moral conduct. • Smriti text that has wide spread appeal in India • Has been produced for television, in comics, in children’s books • Written in Sanskrit around 200 BCE • Contains 24,000 verses • Story of Prince Rama, who is worshipped as the seventh avatar the God Vishnu. • The epic represents the constant struggle between good and evil where good eventually prevails.

  10. The Ramayana • Let’s watch a VERY SHORT KIDS VERSION.

  11. The Mahabharata • This is the longest poem in the world! • Comprised of about 100 000 verses • Appears to be the work of many authors • Compiled between 400BCE and 400CE • Story of two forces, the Pandavas, who represent good, and the Kauravas, who represent evil. • There is a war between the Kuru princes and the Pandu princes and after many adventrues, the evil forces of the Kauravas are defeated by the Pandavas who rule for many years.

  12. The Mahabharata

  13. The Puranas (Myths) • These are Smritis that describes the exploits of the deities in thirty-sixvolumes. • Each Purana usually begins with the name of the god it glorifies, for example, Shiva Purana.

  14. The Laws of Manu • Hindu law book affirms concepts of dharma, caste, and the four aims of life • Deals with religious practice, law, customs, politics. • Brahmins accept this book as authoritative but it is rejected by other castes. • Hindus refer to this text for guidance on family property, inheritance, marriage, adoption, and guardianship but all other legal matters are subject to Indian secular law.

  15. Textbook Questions • Pg. 143 • #1abc, 2, 3 • Pg. 144- BHAGAVAD-GITA questions • #1,2,3

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