Decoding Hinduism

“A set of belief concerning the cause, nature and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as a creation of superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.” dictionary.com

“A personal set or institutionalised system of religious attitudes, beliefs and practices.” merriam-webster.com

These are the definitions of the word ‘Religion’ given in two of the most renowned dictionaries available on Internet. And these definitions are spot on in case of most of the religions existing in the world like Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism , etc. Every religion would find its definition in the above mentioned words. But not Hinduism; because these definitions are too narrow in scope to define Hinduism. It is too broad a term to be defined in two simple lines. I am in no way trying to undermine any other religion or trying to portray a larger than life image of Hinduism. To get a better understanding of what I am trying to say here, we have to dive into the depths of spiritual and intellectual history of Hinduism.

We have to start with an obvious question, What is Hinduism? And the most common answers would be, either “It’s a religion practiced by millions of Hindus living all over the world,” or “It is a way of life.” Great! So what really is it? Is it a religion or a way of life? What is that thing that differentiates between the two? That question usually draws a blank on most faces. But why is that? It is because most of us have never really given a thought about what it means to be a Hindu. We have been raised to believe in certain Gods and rituals and like every other religion in the world are supposed to follow them sans any questions. But if we were to open our horizons and want to understand and explore what really is the meaning of this religion or way of life, and here lies the beauty of it, we are free to do so. There are no restrictions. And where do we start this exploration? All the knowledge is right in front of our eyes in the form our sacred texts. But let us divide this exploration in two parts or we can say Hinduism can be explored in two ways Intellectually and Spiritually. Both are complete in their own sense. But the true essence of Hinduism can be felt when the two are combined. 

We will try and explore these two dimensions of Hinduism and in the end try and combine the two to see what we can make out of this word, Hinduism.

We will be starting with the intellectual study of Hinduism and after opening the gates of our mind we will try and knock on the door of our spiritual side. However, before we delve into the history, let us also understand a very important fact. Hinduism as such is not a word coined by the ancient practitioners of this religion. The word Hindu was coined by the Greeks and Persians for the people living on the banks of River Indus, which was called Sindhu and a mis-pronunciation of the word led them to call the people living on the banks of that river, which they had to cross to enter this sacred land, as Hindu. The name stuck and today we have all accepted it as our own, but in ancient times no one was aware of any such word. In fact one would not find any reference to a particular name for this religion.

Some would say that the word that can be used to describe what is today’s Hinduism was ‘Sanatan Dharma.’ But that would also be off the mark, as Sanatan Dharma was coined during the period when a revival movement was undertaken to strengthen this religion against Buddhism which was fast spreading as an alternate to the Vedic way of life as it was easy to comprehend for the common man as against the Vedic way of life and was less rigid to practice and on top of that there was no class distinction. So as we can see, there is no real name that can be attributed to this religion. But for the sake of better understanding, focus and avoiding any confusion, I am going to stick to the term, Hinduism.

There has been a tectonic shift in the form of Hinduism practiced during Vedic times in ancient India and what is practiced today. The earliest reference to this religion can be found during the Vedic times. In fact, we can say that advent of Hinduism began during the Vedic Period that was around 4000 years ago, because everything that we practice today has its roots in what is written in the Vedas, the original books of knowledge. The four Vedas Rig, Sam, Yajur and Athrva contained the detailed knowledge about Hymns, Melodies, Rituals and Spells. The entire lifestyle of people living during the Vedic period revolved around these Vedas (although it is important to state here that Atharva Veda was added later to this series). The most important form of ritual during that period was a ‘Yagna,’ a sacrifice to appease the Gods so that they bestow good fortune in the form of good weather, timely rainfall and abundant crops, because the well being of the entire kingdoms depended on the harvests. And that’s why the sacrificial offerings were made to the elemental Gods like, Indra, Vayu, Pawan, Surya etc. And even today it is believed in Hinduism that no sacred ritual is complete without a ‘Yagna.’ A Yagna is the supreme form of obedience in front of the life giving and life sustaining Gods. It is performed using the sacred hymns or Mantras quoted from the Vedas and all these Mantras or Hymns are dedicated to the Elemental Gods like Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Rain, Sun. Being the agrarian society that existed during the Vedic period, these were the most powerful deities, who had the power to influence the lives and well being of people.

The Vedic Society that existed in Ancient India was one of the most advanced civilisations in the world. Through its scientific classification of classes based on the skill set of the people, it was able to harness full potential of every member. Everyone was classified according to their aptitude and no job was considered menial. This system was diluted over a period of time because of the human tendency to give into corruption and hunger for power and wealth. However, in order to stay on our quest to understand Hinduism, we would leave this topic for later. We will stick to our research into the journey of Hinduism.

The next point that requires our attention or rather the next question we should be asking now is, if the Yagnas were done to appease the elemental Gods and all the offerings were for them, then who was praying to the Supreme Gods, the Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and Shakti? The answer from the point of view of the intellectual research would be, no one. Does that mean the supreme Gods of today’s Hindus, like Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu and Shakti are just myths, of whom no one knew about during the Vedic times? Were they just a part of folklore? The answer would be Yes and No. A historian studying about the history of religious evolution in India would say that all the Supreme deities like Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Shakti are myths as they were created by the minds of Brahmans to influence the brains of common people, who were veering towards Buddhism, as against the Vedic Rituals. The Vedic way of life, had over a period of time started giving more importance to the Brahmins and Kings as against the common people. Even the language of the Vedic Mantras i.e. Sanskrit was more elitist in nature understood and used only by the Brahmins. The common people used Prakrit and hence couldn’t understand the meaning of Vedic Mantras and rituals. But after the advent of Buddhism, which was a religion for common people and didn’t have a pecking order, the oppressed started moving towards it. As the power and importance of Brahmins reduced with a reduction of followers, they decided to do something about it. 

Hence, in order to lure people back to Hinduism, the Brahmins created the stories of Supreme Powers. These Supremely powerful deities were way above the elemental Gods and anything else. They were at the top of the pecking order . They were the Creator, the Preserver and the Destroyer. The stories which defined them, their deeds and their prowess were compiled in the form of books known as the Puranas. These Puranas although were written in Sanskrit, but as opposed the more rigid and ritualistic style of Vedas, they were in the form of stories and poems. These stories were told and enacted in the temples devoted to these Gods. Common people were amazed by these stories and were attracted to these deities. The stories about the Gods who were above all the elemental Gods, attracted people towards Hinduism, gave it a new impetus and lead to its revival.

However, if we can just keep aside the intellect for a while and look at the Puranas through the eyes of spirituality we would see an altogether different picture. This is because a Religion not just affects the mind of a person, it touches the chords somewhere deep with in him. It connects him to his deity through his spirit. And that holds true for every religion. Although people in the Vedic times may not be worshipping the supreme Gods, but there was always a belief win the all powerful ‘Param Pita Parameshwer,’ who looked after everyone, who was responsible for the creation, preservation and destruction of everything in this world. Hinduism, as opposed to any other religion in the world, was a very functional religion. Though everyone had the gratitude towards the supreme power in their hearts, they focused their rituals towards appeasing the Gods affecting their well being. It was only when its survival was threatened, the supreme power acquired shapes. So from the point of view of Spirituality, all the stories in the Puranas are true. No one may have ever seen any God in person but almost everyone would have had an encounter with some form of energy that left them wondering if they had some cosmic experience. The powers of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, the creator, the preserver and the destroyer, exist in abundance in this world and these Puranas just gave names to these energies for the better understanding of common public and at the same time, by giving names to these energies they established an instant connection between man and the cosmos.    

Not everyone in the society is equally intelligent, learned or enlightened to understand the true meaning of the cosmic energies that sustain this world. There are questions which we haven’t got the answers to. Why do we born? Why do we die? Even though we have a Theory of Evolution but what was the need for this evolution? These are some questions for which we don’t have the answers. Most of the religions in the world talk about one supreme God and state that everything that happens in this world happens because of his will. There is no scope of questions there. But only one religion in this world tries to analyse that supreme power, and then for the understanding of the common man, simplifies him, in order to get them closer to that power. And by the way of giving names and shapes to these Gods, they endeared them to the masses.

One may ask if all the Gods are the manifestations of the energies flowing in the cosmos, then why have the Hindus given them the shapes and faces? The answer to that question is listed in the Puranas. The Puranas give the detailed descriptions of the Gods. Why a God dressed in a particular way, is tied to the task assigned to him/her. The bejewelled picture of Vishnu, the ash smitten body of Shiva or the four heads of Brahma, all have some meanings and these meaning are listed in the Puranas for common man to read. After understanding the Puranas, people started getting attracted to these Gods, these energy sources. And this led them to create a picture of them in their hearts and those pictures in the hands of Painters and Sculptors took form of Gods we know today.

But the story of Hinduism doesn’t end there. After the trinity and Shakti, came the two of the biggest cults which became so famous that they ended up eclipsing even the popularity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. These two men were so revered that they were deemed as the incarnations of Vishnu who took birth on Earth as human being in two different eras and ended up as the defining factors of those particular eras. They were Ram and Krishna. Now whether Ram and Krishna were Gods or mere men who rose above everyone else and achieved the status of Gods is as debatable as the status of Jesus, Mohammad, Buddha, or Guru Nanak. But for the sake of our quest, let us presume that both of them were ordinary human beings. The reason I want to make that presumption is because who we worship today, are not the men Ram and Krishna were, we worship the code they lived by, we worship the lessons they gave us through their conduct and we worship the examples they set for the society and the way they towered above everyone, when things took turn for the worse.

Ram was born in an age when the people had started to lose their faith in Dharma and needed someone to guide them on righteous path following strict code. And Ram was that man. His entire life is an example of how a man should act at a certain stage of his life and what his Dharma is at a given time. He simplified the rules life for everyone by being an example himself.  If we observe his life, we would notice that at every stage of his life he was the perfect example for everyone, as to how they should be in each role of their lives, be it as a son, as a husband, as a King or as a father. He never faltered from his code and always lived by the rules no matter the hardships he had to endure. Being a Prince and later a king he could have escaped all the hardships he faced in his life, but he chose to stick to the Dharma and for that he was willing to pay any price. He became and example for the society. His symbolised the idea of being a perfect man in every circumstance. And that’s why he achieved the status of a God and that’s why the book which tells his life story, the Ramayana, became a sacred book for Hindus, a guide for everyone to follow the Dharma, and is read in every Hindu household.

And then came Krishna. He was born after the age of Ram at a time when there was a chaos in the society and Dharma was either being neglected altogether or people didn’t know how to protect it. At that time Krishna came as the saviour. Krishna had an altogether different personality. Ram was born in an era when people needed to learn to live according to the rules/Dharma and Krishna’s era came when people had forsaken rules/Dharma and needed to be taught that Dharma was supreme and to achieve it, all means were legal. Unlike Rama who became an example through his own life, Krishna became a guide and showed the correct path to follow. He gave us the biggest ever learning in the form of Bhagwat Gita. This book contains his dialogue with Arjuna at Kurukshatra, right before the biggest war of that era was about to begin. In his message to Arjuna, Krishna emphasised on the Karma, as opposed to emphasis on Dharma by Ram. He told Arjuna, and through him to everyone, that it is the Karma that is most important because in order to ensure that Dharma is protected a man has to rise and take matters in his own hands and protect it. He said that what you do is in your hands, but the result is beyond you. So one should focus on his/her Karma. Bhagwat Gita has since become a guiding light for every man, woman and child and is the most sacred book for Hindus. It has come to be known as the Word of God to all Hindus. The story of Krishna was more miraculous as compared to Ram’s but what really catapulted him to the status of a God is his thought process and reasoning. Even all the miracles in his life have deep hidden meanings for everyone to understand.  Hence, the Gita, and his deeds from childhood till his death and his role in the Mahabharata immortalised Krishna and that is why he is worshipped as a God in different forms all over India.

These major Gods and Goddess aside, Hindus also worship a lot of other Gods and Goddesses. However, it is important to note that every God and Goddess has an emotion attached to him/her for which they symbolise and for what they are worshipped. For example Ganesha is worshipped for Wisdom and Good luck, Lakshmi symbolises wealth and Saraswati is the Goddess of Wisdom, Hanuman is the ultimate symbol of dedication. So every God and Goddess has an emotion attached to them and these emotions have been given the live forms so that the people can embrace them and it becomes easier for them to connect to them. 

Following this trajectory, we find that the Hindu Gods and Goddesses are not mere pieces of fiction, myth and folklore, but there is a reason attached to presence of each one of them. Every single one of them represents an aspect of human life and by worshipping these Gods and Goddesses or by connecting to them through meditation and prayers, we  give ourselves a chance to embrace that aspect and come out a better man.

So, if we carefully observe what we have observed till now, we would get an answer to our question as to why Hinduism is a way of life? This religion has not been created to turn its followers into blind worshippers. This religion encourages everyone to be a Seeker. It encourages everyone to ask questions and then paves way for them to find answers within themselves by connecting to one’s mind, body and spirit. We have different Gods, so that we can concentrate on a specific emotion if need be. 

Now let us turn our attention towards the Spiritual aspect of the Hinduism. Hinduism is the only religion in the world that believes in the concept of reincarnation. It considers the Spirit as a separate entity than the body. In Hindu belief system, the spirit is deemed immortal and the body is considered as a mere vessel for the spirit to complete its journey. Now you may ask what is this journey that a spirit undertakes?

According to Hindu belief system, the spirit is nothing but a form of energy, pure, potent and all powerful energy. It has immense potential to achieve great things but is bound by the limitations of the body it is trapped in. If we take a scientific example of an air tunnel that is filled with air bursting with Kinetic energy, but is sealed at both ends. We can experience the ferocity of the wind that can either wreak havoc in the form of a tornado if let loose or can generate electricity and move clouds to the deserts if channeled properly. The connection between the body and spirit is the same. The spirit being pure energy can be used by the body either for the destruction, or can be used to attain enlightenment and there is a third option also. It can remain trapped, causing upheaval inside the body, but never really achieving anything.

Hindus since the beginning consider the entire universe as a gigantic Energy Reserve, that has the power of creation, preservation and destruction all combined into one. Everything in this universe is considered to be a part of that Energy reserve. This energy cannot be destroyed. It merely changes its form and travels from one place to another. Similarly our Spirits are also considered small masses of energy, all a part of that Giant Energy Reserve (what we term as the Param Pita Parmeshwar), that keep shifting from one body to another till they have completed their journey. The journey to return back to that Gigantic Energy Reserve called Universe, or in religious terms, The Almighty.

According to the core belief of the Hindus, the journey of a spirit can only be completed once it has realised its full potential and then it gets the terminal velocity to zoom into the space to reach its destination. And how does the spirit realises its potential? Through the process of self realisation; the spirit in itself is so powerful that it can complete its journey back to the space, but it needs to be channelised though the process of meditation. Like the air trapped in a wind tunnel can be channelised by creating a passageway, similarly, the process of meditation, that involves a number of rituals and processes, opens channels in the body that guide the Spirit towards right path. According to the traditional Hindu beliefs, this process requires the body, mind and spirit in their peak condition and only then, through their harmony, they create that perfect system to catapult the Spirit towards its ultimate journey. That is why Hindus believe in the concept of re-incarnation and rebirth. Because till the time the Spirit gets the perfect body and mind combination, it can never complete its journey. Hence, in Hinduism there is a process, a journey for everyone unlike many other religions where everything just stops in a vacuum once a person dies.

Hinduism is one of the most scientific religion on the face of this earth. Our belief system has its roots in some or the other scientific principle and one need to look closely to understand it. This religion, connects body to the mind and mind to the spirit and then connects the individual to the universe. A Hindu is not bound by any rules or rituals. A person, who daily visits temples, does yagnas, observes fasts, is a Hindu. A person, who only lights a Diya in front of a picture or idol of God in his home, is a Hindu. A person, who only takes name of the God in his heart and doesn’t do anything else, is a Hindu. And finally a person who does nothing mentioned above and just does his Karma, is also a Hindu. This is the God’s word in Gita. So you can see that a Hindu is not bound by anything. Therefore, it is how you conduct your life, that classifies whether you are a Hindu or not. A Hindu doesn’t have to do anything in particular, like following a certain way of life, living by a code or a set of rules like many other religions or taking part in specific rituals. Now you may ask then why do Hindus go to temples, worship Idols, undertake fasts? All valid questions but are in no way related to Hinduism and at the same time are a part of Hinduism. That is the beauty of this religion. It is an inclusive religion, that welcomes everyone. It gives a freedom to everyone to connect to their Gods, in the way feel is the best for them. A temple here and a slogan there does not give you a right to be known as a Hindu. What we find all around us today is a diluted version of Hinduism and like every other religion of the world is being used as a political tool to grab power over the ignorant believers. The people who are rigid about rituals or propagate their importance for being known as a Hindu, are either ignorant about the true form of Hinduism or spreading a false propaganda in the name of Hinduism. To be a true Hindu you just need to focus on two things Doing Your Karma and Doing it to achieve Dharma. To be a Hindu means that you live to work for the betterment of your life and for the betterment of the whole society. The entire journey of a Hindu can be summed up in a process to attain Perfection, not the physical or mental, but Spiritual. A Hindu does not merely worships an idol or a picture, he/she worships the energy behind that idol because that is his destination, and through his/her prayers asks for the spiritual awakening of the entire human race so that everyone can connect to the power of Cosmos and work towards making this world a better place. If you do that, no matter who you are, where you live, what you do, you are a Hindu. And that my friend is true Hinduism for you.