The belief system in the hindi religion is outlined from these scriptures. The rig veda of ancient hinduism is estimated to have been composed between 17001100 bce, which not only denotes it as one of the oldest known religious texts, but also one of the oldest written religious text which is still actively used in religious practice to this day. These texts were meant to be for the pharaoh and were reserved for him. The rig veda is the oldest of the vedas and it is the primary texts of hinduism. It was first written at bc through 500 bc and the words were given by god to its writers. Hinduism is the worlds oldest living religion and the third largest behind christianity and islam with more than 1 billion followers. The wikipedia entry on kamasutra does say it is a hindu religious text, but as wikipedia cites two references both of which are not of indian origin, and then there is another reference which says the kamasutra is neither exclusively a sex manual nor, as also commonly used art, a. Scholars regard hinduism as a fusion or synthesis 6 note 4. They consider this the word of god and the basis of the eternal religion, sanatana dharma.
It has been stated that puranas are 18 in number containing 800000 couplets. Perforce covering those traditions in broad terms without going into doctrinal complexities, his book has a straightforward style that should appeal to casual readers and students at a basic level. While written history is only around 5,000 years old, religion, in some form, has probably been around since the origins of mankind. It is believed by followers of this religion that the universe goes through many phases of preservation, creation, and dissolution. Today, with about 900 million followers, hinduism is the third. Tattvarthsutra is invaluable for understanding life, and pursuit of happiness.
Hindu religious texts are the oldest known written works on earth, as well. The most ancient sacred texts of the hindu religion are written in sanskrit and called the vedas. A lack of written records results in most of the knowledge of prehistoric religion being derived from archaeological records and other. The vedas are a large body of hindu texts originating in ancient india, with its samhita and brahmanas complete before about 800 bce. Swami bhaskarananda, a monk of the ramakrishna order, here offers a brief catechism aimed at westerners unacquainted with hindu religious traditions. The oldest sacred book of hinduism gomal university. All the other vedas are based upon it and consist to a large degree of various hymns from it. Composed in vedic sanskrit hymns, the texts constitute the oldest layer of sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of hinduism.
The worlds earliest complete, dated and printed book goes back to may 11, 868. It is the earliest surviving manuscript of the rule of saint benedict of nursia, which he enumerated sometime around 540 as a guide to the principles of monastic life. Its a little hilarious to see the answers here about this question almost every person is trying to prove their scriptures are the best just like any other religious question. The book contains 270 pages and is divided in 57 small easytoread chapters, containing authentic information about all the important aspects of hindu religion, culture, and philosophy. The bulk of the human religious experience predates written history. Nor is it based on the teachings of a founder or holy book. While we have the main vedas, upanishads, the mahabharata in several translations we also present newer commentaries, anthologies, and entirely new branches of hinduism. The rig veda is the oldest book in sanskrit or any indoeuropean language. It consists of a thousand such hymns of different seers, each hymn averaging around ten verses. It also had a vast influence on buddhism, jainism, and sikhism. May 11, 2019 the worlds earliest complete, dated and printed book goes back to may 11, 868. Scholars have determined that the rig veda, the oldest of the four vedas, was composed about. The oldest of the vedas, the rig veda dates back to around 1500 bce and is one of the oldest religious texts in use. The hindu religion follows the divinity of the four vedas which is considered the oldest scripture in the world.
The real author of the bible is god, and that makes the bible also one of the oldest written works. Although several religions claim to have teachings that date back to the dawn of time, spiritual practices and beliefs have emerged and eventually faded out of history as often as empires. It is incredibly hard to pinpoint the founding date of any religion. The belief system in the hindi religion is outlined. Aug 15, 2019 what is the oldest religion in the world. Hinduism is the oldest of all religions practised in the todays world. The rig veda is a collection of vedic sanskrit hymns counted among the four hindu religious texts known as the vedas. Online books on hinduism, hindu religion, hindu culture, shastras, hindu scripture, vedas, upanishad, hindu saints, sages, science and hinduism. In hindu religion the oldest and most sacred text is the vedas. That said, the oldest religious texts we have found are egyptian, and they are extremely old. The vedas are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient india. The vishwanatha hindu temple in khajuraho, india is a unesco world heritage site.
Hinduism is the worlds third most popular religion, with around 750 million followers. Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, and some practitioners and scholars refer to it as sanatana dharma, the eternal tradition, or the eternal way, beyond human history. The epic of gilgamesh from sumer, although only considered by some scholars as a religious text, has origins as early as 2150 bce, and stands as one of the earliest literary works that includes various mythological figures and themes. The hindu vedas are the oldest religious texts known to us. The vedas, which means knowledge in sanskrit, are hinduisms oldest sacred scriptures. The religion of hinduism originated in northern india, near the river indus, about 4000 years ago and is the worlds oldest existing religion.
The dead sea scrolls have been dated to between 150 bce and 70 ce. Purana is the oldest sacred book surpassing vedas as well. Hinduismintroduction wikibooks, open books for an open. The holy books of world religions sacred texts in world. Informed by this historical insight, it has been possible for constructionist research to show that the making of a hindu religious identity does not antedate the early 19th century. May 04, 2020 here at the hinduismsection of, we aim at presenting the original works that lay the foundations of hinduism. These sacred books began as an oral tradition that was passed down unaltered for. This is an attempt to capture in one place the names of books and other. Religion or dharma has been a factor of the human experience throughout history, from prehistoric to modern times. Purushartha siddhyupaya shri amritchandra suris purushartha siddhyupaya is a matchless jaina text that deals with the conduct required of the householder shravaka. Some argue that hinduism is more a way of life than religion.
Being one of the oldest, it has the oldest religious literature. Vedas simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Hinduism does not just have one sacred book but several. The precision with which one can date the creation of this book is purely down to the fact that it gives us its publication datethe only such case on this list it is, according to the british library, where it now resides, the earliest example of a.
It is generally believed to have originated around 2000 bc to 1500 bc. Yajus were mantras sung during religious activities. Tattvarthsutra the most authoritative book on jainism. Hinduism is practised by more than 80% of indias population. Which holy book is the oldest, the bible, the gita, or the. Jul 20, 2007 the oldest religious book in the world hasnt yet been discovered by archaeologists. A hindu reading list 73 books meet your next favorite book. Hindu religious spiritual books collection of chaturpata. Hindu sacred literature is the most ancient of the. Composed in vedic sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of hinduism.
The pyramid texts are known as one of the oldest religious texts in the world. Jan 20, 2006 this book encapsulates the complete wisdom of one of humanitys oldest religions in an easytounderstand format debashis majumdar, india about the author prof dr satyajit is a renowned educationist in india who has written this book after 5 years of research in hindu religion. It contains the moon, the sun, the planets and the stars. Here are some of the oldest surviving books in the world. The holy book in the hindu religion is known as the vedas. Another religious book, this time kept at the bodleian library in oxford.
This article provides detailed information about the meaning, compilation history and contents of puranas with strong references. Hinduism is an indian religion and dharma, or way of life, widely practiced in the indian subcontinent and parts of southeast asia. This book encapsulates the complete wisdom of one of humanitys oldest religions in an easytounderstand format debashis majumdar, india. The bhagavad gita, usually considered part of the sixth book of the mahabharata dating from about 400 or 300 b. The rig veda the hymns of the rigveda annotated hinduism. The vedas are a collection of hymns and other ancient religious texts written in india between about 1500 and bce. Hinduism is the worlds oldest religion, according to many scholars, with roots and customs dating back more than 4,000 years. Written history the age of formal writing is only c. Of all the ancient writings, most scholars agree that the old testament of the bible is the oldest of religious books. These are the most ancient religious texts which define truth for hindus. This is one of the most popular and accessible of all hindu scriptures, required reading for anyone interested in hinduism. And yet, this work came to the limelight only in the early 20th century.
However, it is generally believed that hinduism is one of the worlds oldest religions. There are four vedas, and these constitute the hindu canon. The vedas are separated into four different sections, the rig veda, sama veda, yajur veda and atharva veda. One of the oldest known religious texts is the kesh temple hymn of ancient sumer, a set of inscribed clay tablets which scholars typically date around 2600 bce. So as far as text is concerned, meaning words written down in a book, the ot does not come close to being the oldest religious text. Aug 26, 2009 so as far as text is concerned, meaning words written down in a book, the ot does not come close to being the oldest religious text. Here at the hinduismsection of, we aim at presenting the original works that lay the foundations of hinduism. The vedas are scriptures that the hindu people use as a guide to daily and religious life. The rig veda was likely composed between roughly 17001100 bce, making it one of the oldest texts of any indoiranian language, one. Being the oldest they still some how knew of science, such as the cosmos and universes. Now i am eager to think that the beautiful text the epic of gilgamesh 3rd millennium b.
I was inclined to believe that the rig veda was the oldest. List of holy books in hinduism the galaxy of hindu literature is very vast and voluminous. This holy book is written in the sanskrit language. The vedas have also had a profound influence on buddhism, jainism and sikhism. Rigveda is the most sacred and authoritative book of hindu religion.
The oldest religious book in the world hasnt yet been discovered by archaeologists. Koran or alquran holy book of islam was written in 650 ad. The wikipedia entry on kamasutra does say it is a hindu religious text, but as wikipedia cites two references both of which are not of indian origin, and then there is another reference which says. The kamasutra is neither exclusively a sex manual nor, as also commonly used art, a sacred or religious work.
Traditionally the text of the vedas was coeval with the universe. During the 5th or 6th dynasties of the old kingdom in ancient egypt, the text was carved on to the walls and within the sarcophagi of the saqqara pyramids. They are believed to be the worlds most ancient religious texts. Sacred hymns, which are a large body of texts originating in ancient india. The vedas, the best known hindu sacred texts, are some of the earliest religious texts in existence. Online books on hinduism, hindu religion, hindu culture. Under the sky there are fruits and flowers on trees and plants. Ramayana and mahabharata also have a great religious importance in hinduism but cannot be considered as hindu scriptures.