List of books and articles about hinduism online research. Ancient greek mythology involved stories of gods and creation combined with various rituals. Expect a book that tells you about many lesserknown tales from our hindu mythology and about the relevance of worshipping various elements and gods in the hindu pantheon. What people call hinduism today is actually a collection of different philosophies, teachings and traditions. Hinduism, major world religion originating on the indian subcontinent and comprising several and varied systems of philosophy, belief, and ritual. Hinduism is the worlds third largest religion and still growing. The ancient civilizations such as the roman, the greek, the egyptian, the sumerian, and the.
Hinduism and mythology hinduism, which has millions of followers in india and around the world today, is one of the worlds oldest religions. Early hinduism hinduism is a synthesis of the religion brought into india by the aryans c. Our personal starter kit for mythology was the board book series from om kidz. Do you know which are the best books on hindu mythology. Nobody at least those with a modicum of awareness considers it so. In traditional hinduism, the vedas are considered divine in origin and are assumed to be revelations from god. Hinduism is such an ancient religion that it had many types of beliefs and religious practices. There is no central ancient text that succinctly sums up the religions basic tenets, no single leader that hindus can call the founder of their faith and no single modernday organization to which all hindus belong. It is the oldest major religion with a tradition reaching back millennia and having many notable peaks and periods of glory. In this text, leading scholars from around the world take stock of two centuries of international intellectual investment in hinduism. Hinduism is a living religion which has evolved gradually. The debate over the term hinduism in the light of postorientalist critiques is just one example of how once standard academic frameworks have been. The hindu book of astrologyor yogic knowledge of the.
This book covers hindu mythology during the vedic and puranic periods. Spiritual guru sadhguru jaggi vasudev says hinduism is not a religion as there is no one book or papacy, its just a geographical identity and that anyone, irrespective of belief, born on this. Due to the huge number of gods and goddesses, and their changing role through centuries of indian spiritual life, this is a complex subject. Which is the holy book or sacred scripture of hinduism. Author devdutt pattanaik is a leading expert on ancient india, from. The book is filled with viewpoints that make the reader take a second look at the hindu religion. Each entry should indicate the writers most wellknown work. The greeks had an active religion, and their mythology was part of it.
Although the name hinduism is relatively new, having been coined by british writers in the first decades of the 19th century, it refers to a rich cumulative tradition of texts and practices, some of which date to the 2nd millennium bce or possibly. Greek mythology is still the basis of many forms of paganism, so it is still active. Are there any similarities between hinduism and greek mythohogy. But why is it that people dont really have a good answer when asked, what is hinduism. Jan 04, 2016 india and greece both have rich, ancient civilisations. This book has everything you want to learn about the hindu religion.
It refers to systems of concepts that are of high importance to a certain community, making statements concerning the supernatural or sacred. Here are a few good picks in the hindu mythology section for young readers. Like the oral traditions of many other societies, hopi mythology is not always told consistently and each hopi mesa, or even each village, may have its own version of a particular story. Online books on hinduism, hindu religion, hindu culture.
A comprehensive guide to the hindu religion, hindu gods, hindu beliefs. Its interesting to note that the book noted hinduism is the oldest religion in the world. Their total population is said to number some thirty three million. The scientific origin of divinity and religions kindle edition by kansal, ajay. Disconnected from its religious system, a myth may lose its immediate relevance to the community and evolveaway from sacred importanceinto a legend or folktale. Religionfacts does not necessarily endorse the contents of these books. These are chunky board books with lovely snippets about the deity. Since the early 19th century, when the scholarly investigation of hinduism began to take shape as a modern academic discipline, hindu studies has evolved from its concentration on description and analysis to an emphasis on understanding hindu traditions in the. Most books available on hinduism in bookshops in the west today are written by non. Nov 24, 2015 hindu mythology is full of stories, most of which are intriguing. Hinduism is a unique faith, and not really a religion at allat least not in the same way as other religions. Online books on hinduism, hindu religion, hindu culture, shastras, hindu scripture, vedas, upanishad, hindu saints, sages, science and hinduism. While deriving the concept of god, it is but natural for man to start from the world in which he lives and moves. Suhag shukla knows thats how some people outside hinduism see her religion.
Early hinduism hinduism is a synthesis of the religion brought into. Hindu mythology are narratives found in hindu texts such as the vedic literature, epics like. Sruti scriptures are considered divinely inspired and fully authoritative for belief and practice, while smruti are recognized as the products of the minds of the great sages. Raimon panikkar 19182010 made pioneering contributions in the areas of interreligious dialogue, comparative theology, and the phenomenology of religion, while bridging different religions and cultures christianity, buddhism, hinduism, and effected insightful conversation between the socalled sacred and secular worlds. For well over 3,000 years, it has been accumulating the sacred stories and heroic epics that make up the mythology of hinduism. Apr 05, 2010 mythology is one aspect of any religion. There are gods, children of gods, wives, divine powers, and there is magic. However, it is difficult to definitively state what all hopis as a group believe. The titles available in mythology and religion are ganesha, shiva, hanuman and krishna. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts.
The hopi maintain a complex religious and mythological tradition stretching back over centuries. In the scientific community all religions are thought to be considered false and that it is a man made aspect to control people. This religious book defines the boundary of the religion and the followers would be. Multiple works should be listed only if each work has a wikipedia article. It answers so many questionsdo the hindus worship many gods. If youre interested in knowing the most important aspects of the longest lasting religion in history, this reading list is for you. There are countless rituals practiced within hinduism many of which are practiced by people of other religions. Around 1750 bc aryan invaders from central asia settled in north west india and introduced their own religious. Nivedita wrote multiple books on indian history, culture, vedic religion, hinduism, buddhism etc. Hindu gods worlds largest portal on hindu religion. The different gods and goddesses in the hindu mythology are derived from these books. Do you know which are the best books on hindu mythology for.
Are you looking for some good religion and mythology books to read. Of all the main known scriptures, only the puranas are mythology. More than a billion people are followers of indias eternal faith. The differences between religion and mythology can be less discernible when examining mythologys history in ancient greece. Hinduism, which has millions of followers in india and around the world today, is one of the worlds oldest religions. Online shopping for mythology hinduism from a great selection at books store. Religion is a way of life in india, where hinduism is practiced by over eighty percent of the population. Hinduism is composed of innumerable sects and has no welldefined ecclesiastical organization. In this book the authors probe into vedic mathematics and explore if it is really vedic in origin or mathematics in content. Expect a book that tells you a lot about ancient indian temples and the legends that surround them. Orbis books recent reissue of the complete works of raimon panikkarparticularly of his magisterial the vedic experience. Difference between hindu gods and greek gods difference. The encyclopedia of hinduism contains over 900 entries reflecting recent advances in scholarship which have raised new theoretical and methodological issues as well as identifying new areas of study which have not been addressed previously.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Panikkar occupies a unique space, both in the realm of comparative theology and in the wider realm of the study of religion. All hindu religious books scriptures are not mythology. A classical dictionary of hindu mythology and religion, geography, history, and literature. Thus, contrary to popular perception, hinduism is not a religion in the traditional sense of the term. Hindu mythology are narratives found in hindu texts such as the vedic literature, epics like mahabharata and ramayana, the puranas, the regional literatures like periya puranam.
All are available for purchase on click book images for details. Hinduism is the largest and oldest religion on earth almost 5,000 years old. The epic of gilgamesh by anonymous, the odyssey by homer, qur. Religion and mythology books 78 asgard and the gods the tales and traditions of our northern ancestors ver 2 by mw macdowall a complete and popular english account of the religious beliefs and superstitious customs of the old norsemen, suited to our younger readers, has hitherto been left unwritten. The essence of the upanishats is brought out in brahmasutra composed by vedavyasa, the one. Explore captivating hindu myths of hindu gods and goddesses. In this book the author included and narrated some.
A classical dictionary of hindu mythology and religion geography, history and literature. It has influenced and been affected by other world. Why are all of hindu religious books are considered as. Mar 17, 2015 hindu sacred texts the sacred texts of hinduism fall into one of two categories. The earliest source of hindu mythology is the vedic literature, the oldest texts of which are the four vedas, or books of knowledge. Decode hindu mythology mythology is a modern term of our languages, where physical evidences are not available to prove the facts, the effects and elements tatvam are experienced with the path to go along. Jan 18, 2015 are there any similarities between hinduism and greek mythohogy. A classical dictionary of hindu mythology and religion. Get answers for all the questions related to hinduism, the greatest religion. A must read for anyone wanting to understand hinduism swami. Nov 26, 2011 why is hinduism considered a mythology.
Religion and mythology books 78 asgard and the gods the tales and traditions of our northern ancestors ver 2 by mw macdowall a complete and popular english account of the religious beliefs and superstitious customs of the old norsemen, suited to our younger readers, has. Pulsing with creation, destruction, love, and war, it shifts and changes. Hindu mythology is full of stories, most of which are intriguing. Summary of hinduism beliefs meaning of name hinduism, from the persian hindu sanskrit sindhu, literally river. However, with the hindu religion i find it very interesting. What are the similarities between hinduism and greek mythology. The official subreddit for hinduism sanatan dharma, the oldest living religion dating back thousands of years. A given mythology is almost always associated with a certain religion such as greek mythology with ancient greek religion. Religion is the broader term, besides mythological system, it includes ritual. Appears in 89 books from 18482007 page 43 acceptance of the vedas with reverence.
Over the past few months, i have been very interested in the hindu religion. Hindu sacred texts the sacred texts of hinduism fall into one of two categories. Hindu mythology is also found in widely translated popular texts such as the panchatantra and hitopadesha, as well as southeast asian texts. Hindus call their religion sanatama dharma, eternal religion or eternal truth. Like christianity and islam and judaism, hinduism can be seen as a religion as well as mythology. To be precise, hinduism is a way of life, a dharma. Hinduism is the worlds oldest religion, according to many scholars, with roots. Hindu mythology and greek mythology is also very similar in a number of ways read on to see how.
The stories in hindu myth stem from traditions within hinduism, drawing on stories from ancient texts, like the ramayana and the mahabharata. Hinduism not a religion, theres no book, no papacy. Nothing in this complex and colorful mythology is fixed and firm. The greek gods in contrast are in a few hundred excluding those gods and goddesses responsible for specific aspects of human affairs. In hindu mythology the gods are a separate population inhabiting some part of the cosmos outside the earths atmosphere. Introduction hinduism stands for the faith and the way of life most of the people who live in india. The list should include writers who have wikipedia articles who have written books about hinduism. Hindu mythology, vedic and puranic forgotten books. Its two most general features are the caste system and acceptance of the veda as the most sacred scriptures. Wilkins sacred texts, 1900 this is a comprehensive study of hindu mythology. So, the god of hinduism, when looked at from this angle, is the creator. However, some of these books and songs became more popular than others and came to define the culture and religion we know today as hinduism.
Hinduism is a religion with various gods and goddesses. Hindus value many sacred writings as opposed to one holy book. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the evolution of gods. Hence any concept of god based on these books is welcome to practically all sections of hinduism. Hinduism thus resists a precise definition, but a common core of characteristics most hindus share can be identified. A collection of handselected books on hinduism, chosen on the basis of apparent usefulness and quality. Add to that, that the best stories are created when facts merge with imagination, leaving us with history, mythology and an exciting story. Dharma does not mean religion, but rather it is the law that governs all action. Hindu mythology is also found in widely translated popular texts such as the panchatantra and. If you believe mythology the koran for example can all by itself be a religion, then the answer is yes.