Is There A Single Hinduism Holy Book?

Is There A Single Hinduism Holy Book?

Imagine you’re at your local library.

The knowledge of the world is at your fingertips. Essentially, you have walked into an Encyclopedia of Everything — categorized by topic, stored in sequential order, and run by the wisest of women and men.

You ask your astute librarian, “Where can I find the encyclopedia of Christianity and Islam?”

She whispers, “In the religion section, under Holy Bible and Holy Quran.”

“And how about the Hindu holy book? The Holy Book of Hinduism?”

“It does not exist,” she knowingly states. “There is no single Hinduism holy book. You can go to the Hinduism isle and scan all the Hindu texts from there… Just to warn you, though, there are many.”

Categories Of Hindu Texts

She’s right, there is no one Hinduism sacred text.

Rather, there are thousands of Hindu scriptures that make up an array of different sacred texts. Each Hinduism holy book describes a unique aspect of Hinduism.

Thankfully, these Hindu texts are organized into two categories:

1. Shruti “That which has been heard.”

These texts (including the Hindu Vedas) contain unquestionable truths that the foundation of Hinduism is based on — they are the “bedrock” texts. These texts remain unchanged.

They were channeled from Source by the risis, (the seers, the sages), who recorded and shared them. For this, there is no acclaimed human author of these texts.

2. Smriti “That which has been remembered.”

These texts were inspired by the Shruti texts.

Smriti texts provide information that helps Hindus better understand the Shruti texts. Unlike the Shruti texts though, Smriti texts are constantly revised and written by human authors.

Foundational Hindu Texts

While a general distinction exists between Smriti and Shruti, there isn’t always a clear divide. Rather, these categories can be thought of as scale or spectrum — Smriti at one end, and Shruti at the other (with some texts containing elements of both Smriti and Shruti).

Different sects of Hinduism place importance on different texts. However, there at least 7 main, universally recognized Hindu texts.

Main Shruti Texts The Vedas The Vedas are the oldest of the Hindu scriptures and form the very foundation of Hinduism.

They consist of the Rig Veda (book of mantra and hymn), the Sama Veda(book of song), the Yajur Veda (book of ritual), and the Atharva Veda (book of spell).

The 108 Upanishads (Muktika) The Upanishads are the last chapter of the Vedas.

They are written in the form of a dialogue from the Hindu god Rama and cover the most important aspects of the four Vedas, meditation, philosophy, and spirituality.

The Vedanta Sutra (Brahma Sutra) The Vedanta Sutra is a summary of the Upanishads.

The categorization of this Hinduism holy book as Shruti is debated. It is a widely accepted interpretation and explanation, written by an Indian philosopher over 2,500 years ago.

Main Smriti Texts The Itihasas The Itihasas are the history books of Hinduism, the Mahabharata and Ramayana being the two most important books.

They record an incredibly ancient history, spanning back hundreds of thousands of years (through the cycles of time, called Yugas). The Itihasas are structured as epics and account the histories of the gods and their wars, as well as the emergence of humanity.

The Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita is a part of the Mahabharata. It is often considered to be its own text, as it profoundly describes the order of the Universe (dharma). It is written as a dialogue between the prince Arjuna, who seeks moral advice from the God Krishna.

The Puranas The Puranas are ancient stories written on a variety of topics. These stories are thought to contain common-sense wisdom and knowledge. They cover nearly every aspect of life — from love and war to science and myth, to medicine and humor.

The Dharma Shastra The Dharma Shastra can be thought of as the Hindu Law Book. It contains commentary on the responsibilities and ethics of individuals, families, and communities.