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Story of India. Beginnings. Based on: http://www.pbs.org/thestoryofindia/teachers/lessons/1 / Objectives: Understand the foundation of Hinduism. Consider and examine the ancient texts that defined Hinduism.
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Beginnings • Based on: http://www.pbs.org/thestoryofindia/teachers/lessons/1/ • Objectives: • Understand the foundation of Hinduism. • Consider and examine the ancient texts that defined Hinduism. • Develop an overarching understand of the complexity of Hinduism and its early development. • Review the major deities in Hinduism and their individual roles in the spiritual lives of Hindus.
Introduction India remains one of the most religiously diverse nations in the world. Hindus, Muslims, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jews, and Christians have a home in India. The oldest and most widely practiced religion in India, Hinduism, has deep roots in the subcontinent. Throughout the numerous political upheaval and foreign invasions, Hinduism remained the sole constant throughout the region’s history. Hindu beliefs developed over the centuries and include many influences, including numerous sacred texts, thousands of deities, and holy sites that continue to draw millions of pilgrims.
Ganges River India's most revered river, the Ganges, or Ganga, is formed by the merging of two mountain streams, the Bhagirathi, which is fed by the melting of the Gangotri glacier, and the Alaknanda, at the village of Deoprayag in the foothills of the Himalayas. The Ganges flows parallel to, but several hundred miles south of, the Himalayas as it crosses northern India on its route east to the Bay of Bengal. Its tributaries bring down sediment-filled water from the mountains, which help create a wide, fertile plain that provides food and sustenance for nearly a billion people.
What is the importance of the Ganges River? How do you understand Karma? What do you remember of the Caste System? What are the problems arising from this belief?
Varanasi The holiest of India's sacred cities, Varanasi's mythical status within Hinduism has attracted religious seekers and pilgrims since antiquity. Previously known as Benares and Kashi ("city of light"), the abode of the Hindu god Shiva, Varanasi is referenced in the Vedas and the Mahabharata. Hindus believe that dying in the city will liberate them from the cycle of death and rebirth. Its present name derives from the two rivers, Varuna and Asi, that join the Ganges River here and the city is the most celebrated pilgrimage, destination in India.
Varanasi's waterfront, with its miles of ghats, is the spiritual heart of the city that is home to hundreds of shrines, temples, and palaces. Its famous sites include the Vishvanath Temple, dedicated to Shiva; the Durga Temple, with its throngs of resident monkeys; the SankatMochan, a shrine to the monkey god Hanuman; and the Gyanvapi Mosque built by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb on the site of an earlier Shiva temple. Several miles north of Varanasi is Sarnath, where the Buddha preached his first sermon. Apart from its religious significance, Varanasi has been a center of learning—notably Sanskrit studies—and trade, and is known for its silk saris decorated with elaborately brocaded borders.
Varanasi Hindu pilgrims stand on one of the ghats (flights of steps) situated on the west bank of the Ganges River in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
Pilgrimage Why are pilgrimages important? Have you been on a pilgrimage? How is it similar or different from Varanasi pilgrimages?
Vedas The Vedas (sacred knowledge) are Hinduism's oldest and most sacred texts, composed between 1500 BCE and 600 BCE, and compiled by Vyasa Krishna Dwaipayana. The texts are collections of hymns and ritual instructions used to perform Vedic ceremonies, and the theology and philosophy they contain form the foundation of the indigenous religious systems of India which today we call Hinduism.
Rig Veda The oldest of the four works is the Rig-Veda, a collection of over 1,000 hymns, many of which invoke the deities Indra and Agni, the gods of war and fire, respectively. The remaining books are the Atharva-Veda, a collection of myths, verses, spells, and prayers named after the priest Atharavan; the Yajur-Veda, a book detailing Vedic sacrifice; and the Sama-Veda, a collection of liturgical chants.
Sruti and Smrti Textual commentaries written by priests are attached to and elaborate on each of the Vedas and are also considered part of Vedic literature. These commentaries include the Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and Upanishads. The Vedas are considered divine revelation or sruti ("that which has been heard") as opposed to texts of human origin, smrti ("that which is remembered"). Brahmin priests methodically memorized the content of the Vedas to ensure their consistent transmission to subsequent generations. The Vedas also provide early records of astronomy and mathematics in India that came out of Vedic ritual and temple construction.
How did India preserve the Vedas? Why is the story of Mahabharata and Ramayana important in Indian culture?
Shiva • Shiva, known as the destroyer, is the third of the principal gods of the Hindu. The triad's two other gods are Brahma, the creator of the universe, and Vishnu, the preserver of the universe. Hindus believe that Shiva periodically destroys the world in order to recreate it and is the source of both good and evil.
Figures of a dancing shaman/deity with trident bangles and an animal headdress has been found on prehistoric wall paintings in Central India and though this is disputed, many scholars see a proto-Shiva as depicted on seals from the Indus Valley civilization. When depicted in the pose of the cosmic dancer, Nataraja (or Lord of the Dance), Shiva's dual nature is manifest in a single image, for his dance is believed to both destroy and restore the universe. He is also the ideal family man and husband when shown with his wife, the goddess Parvati, and his two sons, Ganesha and Skanda. Many Hindus worship Shiva as the supreme and all-powerful deity and are part of the Shaivism sect. As a mark of their devotion, Shaivite ascetics smear their bodies with ash, keep their hair uncut, and carry a trident.
Krishna and Radha • The eighth incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, the preserver of the universe, Krishna is one of the most important and widely worshipped gods in India. In addition to being venerated as an avatar (human manifestation) of Vishnu, some traditions within Hinduism also acknowledge Krishna as the supreme being. Among the common representations of him is as a young man playing the flute and a baby stealing butter. These iconic images derive from the stories of his early life included in the ancient religious text the Bhagavata Purana.
Krishna grew up among the cowherds and milkmaids (gopis) of a village in the kingdom of Mathura and became the darling of the gopis as a young man, seducing them with his flute playing and dancing with them in the moonlit woods. From these events, Krishna is commonly depicted as a handsome, dark or blue skinned youth standing with one leg bent in front of the other holding a flute to his lips. The lower half of his body is covered in a dhoti, often yellow in color, and he is adorned with jewels and a peacock feather. By Krishna's side is his favorite gopi, Radha, who is typically shown only in conjunction with him.
Ideals of love In the middle ages the love between Krishna and the cowgirl Radha inspired a rich devotional literature still treasured by people of all communities in all walks of life. In a tale which glorifies the ideal of love between the sexes, Radha for many symbolizes the individual's surrender to the love of God.
Lakshmi • The Hindu goddess of beauty, wealth, and prosperity who is the consort of Vishnu, the preserver of the universe. She is often represented as a beautiful young women with four arms sitting or standing on a lotus bud. Her four arms symbolize the four goals of human life: artha (worldly wealth and success), kama (pleasure and desire), dharma (righteousness), and moksha (knowledge and liberation from the cycle of birth and death).
She is usually shown clasping a lotus flower, a symbol of purity and fertility, in her two back hands, while gold coins, signs of wealth, tumble from one or both of her front hands. Lakshmi’s association with prosperity is also emphasized by her dress, an elaborate sari often red with gold embroidery, and the fine jewelry that adorns her. Since Hindus believe Lakshmi can bestow good fortune and well-being on the family, she is a common household deity and the focus of worship during the festival of Diwali.
How can you compare the story of the Indian Gods and Goddesses to the ones you are familiar with? What are the symbols used in the representation of Gods and Goddesses?
