Hinduism on its own Terms

Contents: Preface. I. General Introduction to Hinudism: 1. Definition : Primary sources: history : trends in scholarly study. 2. Hinduism, the great tradition : basic teachings. 3. Hinduism, the great tradition : characteristic practices. 4. Hinduism, the little tradition. 5. Modern developments. II. Alphabetical Entries: 1. Abhaya-Mudra. 2. Abhava. 3. Abhicara. 4. Abhimanyu. 5. Abhinavagupta. 6. Abhisheka. 7. Acharya. 8. Acintya-Bhedabheda. 9. Adhvaryu. 10. Aditi. 11. Aditya. 12. Adivasis. 13. Adrishta. 14. Advaita Vedanta. 15. Agamas. 16. Agastya. 17. Agni. 18. Ahalya. 19. Ahimsa. 20. Aihole. 21. Airavata. 22. Akshaya-Tritiya. 23. Akshaya Vata. 24. Al-Biruni. 25. Alvars. 26. Amara-Citra-Katha. 27. Amarakosha. 28. Ambedkar, Bhimrao. 29. Amrita. 30. Ananda. 31. Ananda Marg. 32. Anandamayi Ma. 33. Angkor Wat. 34. Antyeshti. 35. Anugita. 36. Anumana. 37. Anupurvi. 38. Apaurusheya. 39. Apurva. 40. Ari. 41. Aryan Culture. 42. Aryan–Dravidian Hypothesis. 43. Asceticism. 44. Asko Parpola. 45. Astika. 46. Astrology. 47. Atomic Theory. 48. Basavanna. 49. Bhagavad-Gita. 50. Bhakta. 51. Bhakti. 52. Bhakti Movement. 53. Bhamati School of Advaita Vedanta. 54. Bhedabheda. 55. Bhimbetka. 56. Bhrama. 57. Birthdays. 58. Body-mind relationship. 59. Brahma Kumaris. 60. Brahmabandhav upadhyay. 61. Brahman: Nirguna and Saguna. 62. Brahmanas. 63. Brindaban holi. 64. Caitanya. 65. Caste. 66. Cat logic and monkey logic. 67. Classical hinduism. 68. Dakshina. 69. Darshana. 70. Darshana literature. 71. Darshanas: The schools of Indian philosophy. 72. Dasa. 73. Dayananda Sarasvati. 74. Devadasi. 75. Devas. 76. Dharma. 77. Dharma and Moksha. 78. Dharmabhuta-Jnana. 79. Dharmashastra. 80. Diwali. 81. Doordarshan. 82. Drishti: Paramarthika and Vyavaharika. 83. Durga. 84. Durga Puja. 85. Dvaita Vedanta. 86. Dvaitadvaita Vedanta. 87. Dvandva. 88. Dvija. 89. Esotericism. 90. Ezour Vedam. 91. Festivals. 92. Gai Jatra. 93. Ganesha. 94. Ganesha’s Milk Miracle. 95. Ganga. 96. Gangajala. 97. Ganges, Pollution of. 98. Gaudapada. 99. Gender Studies. 100. Ghat. 101. Gopis. 102. Great and Little Traditions. 103. Grihastha and Samnyasa. 104. Guru Nanak. 105. Guru-Purnima. 106. Heresy. 107. Himalayas. 108. Hindu. 109. Hindu Calendar. 110. Hindu Ethics. 111. Hindu Polytheism. 112. Hindu Rashtra. 113. Hindu Ritual. 114. Hindu Studies, Bias in. 115. Hindu Terrorism. 116. Hinduism. 117. Hinduism, an Eight-Point Definition. 118. Hinduism and Science. 119. Hinduism and Social Reform. 120. Hinduism as a Global Phenomenon. 121. Hinduism as a Religion. 122. Hinduism, Chronology. 123. Hinduism, Dogmatism in. 124. Hinduism, General Features. 125. Hindutva. 126. Hospitality in Hinduism. 127. Icon. 128. Identity. 129. Indra. 130. Indus Valley Civilization. 131. Ishta-Devata. 132. Ishvara (Advaita). 133. Japa. 134. Jati. 135. Jatra. 136. Jnana-Yoga. 137. Kabir. 138. Kali. 139. Kalpasutras. 140. Karava-cautha. 141. Karma. 142. Karmabhumi. 143. Kashi. 144. Khyativada (Doctrines of Error). 145. Krishna. 146. Kumbha Mela. 147. Kundalini. 148. Madhva. 149. Mahabharata. 150. Mahadevi. 151. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. 152. Mahatma Gandhi. 153. Mahavakyas. 154. Mandir.155. Mariyamman. 156. Matha (Monastery). 157. Maya. 158. Mehrgarh. 159. Mimamsa Darshana. 160. Mimamsa, God in. 161. Mirabai. 162. Mrityu 163. Mukhya and Gauni Vritti 164. Murti 165. Mutiny 166. Muvalakulicamundi 167. Nagapanchami 168. Namakarana 169. Namaskara 170. Nasadiya-Sukta 171. Navya-Nyaya 172. Neti-Neti 173. Nilakantha 174. Nirguna and Saguna Bhakti 175. Nirguna-Brahman 176. Nitya, Vedas as 177. Nityata 178. Nyaya 179. Nyaya: Pratyaksha 180. Nyaya: Shabda 181. Nyaya-Sutra 182. Nyaya-Vaisheshika 183. Om 184. Orientalism 185. Pannchikarana 186. Para and Apara Vidya 187. Pathas of Vedas 188. Pinda 189. Pitrloka 190. Postmodernism 191. Pradakshina 192. Pramanashastra 193. Pranama 194. Prapatti 195. Prasada 196. Prasthana-Traya 197. Pratishakhya 198. Preta 199. Printing 200. Proofs of the Existence of God. 201. Puja 202. Puja: Murti-Puja 203. Puja: Pannchayatana 204. Puja: Vaishvadeva 205. Puranas 206. Purohita 207. Purusha and Prakriti 208. Purushartha 209. Purusha-Sukta 210. Radha Soami Satsang 211. Raja Rammohun Roy 212. Ramakrishna Mission 213. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa 214. Ramananda 215. Rama-Rajya 216. Ramayana 217. Ravidas 218. Rebirth 219. Revelation 220. Ritual: Historical Background 221. Ritual Symbolism 222. Roop Kanwar 223. Rishis 224. Rita 225. Sacred Cow 226. Sacred Sound 227. Sadhana/Sadhana 228. Sadhana-catushtaya 229. Saguna-Brahman 230. Shaiva Siddhanta 231. shaiva-Siddhanta: Texts 232. shaivism 233. Shakha 234. Sakshi 235. Samadhi 236. Samkhya 237. Samsara 238. Shankara 239. Shankara: Post-Shankara Advaita 240. Shankaracharya 241. Sanskritization 242. Sant 243. Sarva-Darshana-Sa?graha 244. Shastra 245. Sathya Sai Baba 246. Satsanga 247. Satyanarayna-Puja 248. Secular State, India as a 249. Siddha 250. Sikh Separatism. 251. Sikhism 252. Shiva 253. Shiva as Nataraja 254. Shivaratri 255. Smriti 256. Shri-Yantra 257. Subaltern Studies 258. Shuddhadvaita Vedanta 259. Surdas 260. Sutaka 261. Suttee (Sati) 262. Swadhyay Movement 263. Tantra 264. Tantra: Left-Handed 265. Tattva-Traya 266. Teej (Tija) 267. Teyyam 268. Theory of Causation 269. Tilaka 270. Tirthayatra 271. Tradition and Modernity 272. Tulsidas 273. Ubhaya-Vedanta 274. Untouchability 275. Upamana 276. Upanishad 277. Utsava 278. Vaikuntha 279. Vaikuntha Ekadashi 280. Vaisheshika School of Philosophy 281. Vaishnavism 282. Varna 283. Vasanta-Panchami 284. Veda 285. Veda: The “Fifth” Veda 286. Veda: The “Lost” Veda 287. Vedanga 288. Vedanta 289. Vedanta-Sutra 290. Vedic Religion 291. Vedic Ritual 292. Virashaivism 293. Vishishtadvaita Vedanta 294. Vishishtadvaita Vedanta: Moksha 295. Vishnu 296. Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) 297. Vivaha 298. Vivarana School of Advaita Vedanta 299. Vivekananda 300. Vrata. 301. Vyasa. 302. Western Tradition of Vedic Study. 303. Women’s Rituals. 304. Yoga. 305. Yuga Scheme. Index.

Hinduism, due to its proteanness, is more a way of life rather than a creed. The Hindu tradition recognizes the Vedas as its foundational scripture, Hinduism itself being indigenously known as Vaidika Dharma. Shruti and Smriti are the primary sources of Hinduism, where the former connotes the Vedas that stand for the revealed wisdom and the latter stands for tradition. Smriti texts include law books like the Manusmriti, epics (Itihasa) like the Ramayana and Mahabharata, Puranas, Agamas, Darshana literature (philosophical systems), sometimes Buddhist and Jaina works, other than the numerous religious works in regional languages.

Hinduism was challenged by the rise of heterodox movements in the sixth century BCE, especially Jainism and Buddhism. Their prolonged encounter and interaction led to the development of the philosophical schools of Hinduism. The advent of Islam and Christianity, and the origin of Sikhism, led to further developments in the Hindu thought system. 

This book defines and surveys Hinduism, and elaborates its keywords. It consists of two parts. The first part is a general survey of Hinduism. It describes its primary sources of information and the historical trends within its study; the Great Tradition with its basic teaching and practices; the Little Tradition; and modern developments. Many terms which appear in the first part are elaborated in the second part, along with some additional terms.

This volume enables readers to grasp the fundamentals of Hinduism.