POPULAR HINDU RELIGIOUS LITERATURE

Hindu religious literature like Vedas & Upanishads are believed to be revealed by God. These are the riches religiousliterature in the whole world in terms of volume, quality, variety and historical value.

Vedas & Upanishads contain hymns and mythological stories in revelation and discussion of universe and its creator, cosmic order and the evolution of Dharm i.e. rules of social conduct, therby giving direction towards good social behavior.

It may be interesting to know that one particular piece of Hindu literature i.e. Mahabharat, is the worlds’s most voluminous piece of literature.

Hindu religious literature can be classified as follows:-

SHRUTI

That which is revealed by God and includes:

·         Vedas ( Rig Ved, Sam Ved, Yajur Ved  & Athar Ved)

·         Upanishads (over 100 in numbers) and

SMRITI

That which is interpretation and other findings of the previously mentioned Shruti, by sages & scholars, as per their own comprehensions, and included Vedangs ( Manu Smriti etc.), Purans, Uppvedas etc. We give in this chapter only a brief introduction to some of the more popular pieces of the great Hindu religious literature.

VEDAS (2500-600 BC)

Four Vedas, meaning books of knowledge, were written during a period spread over about 2000 years. Identity of the authors of these Vedas is not known. As mentioned earlier, these are believed to have been revealed by Go but, it can be assumed that these were written by Aryan seers and sages, over a very long period of time.

RIG VED

Meaning praise of wisdom, is the first and the most important of the 4 Vedas. It is a collection of hymns (mantras). Aryans were worhippers of natural elemental phenomenon i.e. earth, fire, sky, air/space, water etc.

They also imbibed the philosophies of aboriginals about importance of animals as well as Dravidian philosophy about gods, Thus natural elements became gods whose praise is written in these hymns. Aryans also started giving thought to the creation of universe and tried to put these thoughts in hymns. There is talk about the rhythm in cosmos which evolved the concept of Dharm-ruled of social conduct. Also discussed in the Rig Ved is the issue of death and rebirth. Thus Rig Ved is documentation of the ideas that evolved amongst people about creation, gods and birth and death, Other 3 Vedas namely Yayur Ved, Dam Ved and Atharv Ved are more about ritual details and reveal the gradual development of related arts and sciences.

UPANISHAHDS (800 BC onwards)

Also called vedantas, literally meaning religious  dialogues between sages and their disciples. There are over 100 Upanishads about philosophical discussions on the Vedas and compilation of mythological tales etc. Identity of the authors of most of the Upanishads, like in case of Vedas, is again not clear. Upanishads are directed at arousing a person’s search for truth in his/her own manner, without imposing any doctrine or any myth to be accepted without thought.

PURAAN (600 BC – 200 AD)

Believed to be eighteen in number, 6 each addressed to Vishnu Ji, Brahma Ji & Shiv Ji and termed Satvik, Rajasik and Tamasik Puraans respectively, these were written during the Puraanic or the Epic period and are a collection of lots of detailed tales on gods and their incarnations, which constitute much of Hindu mythology. Vishnu Puraan, Shiv Puraan etc. are examples.

The great epics of Hindus, the Mahabharat (Gita included ) and the Ramayan were also written during this period.

MAHABHARAT

Enacted in Dwaparyug (corresponding to year 3500 BC) and written around 500 BC, is the world’s most voluminous religious epic with Gita as an integral part of Mahabharat. Although credit for writing this epic goes to sage Vyas, it seems that there must have been more authors association with it, since it must have taken a generation to write such a voluminous epic.

Mahabharat contains stories within stories, including Savitri-Satyawan & Nal-Daymyant etc. which are commonly narrated to children.

THE STORY

Mahabharat is about wars fought between Aryan tribes. There was a famous Kuru dynasty of Hastinapur, a Place near Delhi, and it had two scions named Dhritrashtra who was blind and younger Pandu. Pandu was made king because of Dhritrashtra’s hancicap. Pandu had five sons, Yudhishter, Bheem, Arjun, Nakul and Sahdev, from two wives, Kaunti and Madri.

All the five brothers were very capable, particularly Yudhister with religious disposition, Bheem being tough and a glutton and Arjun a great marksman. Dhritrashtra produced 100 sons  called Kauravs, eldest being Duryodhan, who was very wicked and his wickedness was supplemented by his maternal uncle Shakuni, who devised plans and thought of regaining power of the kingdom as they strongly belived that Dhritrashtra, being elder brother, should have been the king, in the first place.

On death of Pandu, Duryodhan felt that he deserved to be made the King and played dirty tricks against the five Pandavs. These tricks included burning of their palace, and a game of gamble. A loss for Pandavs in the gamble led to Kauravs insulting Draupadi, the common wife of Pandavs, by trying to disrobe her in the Kings’s court and ultimately to the exile of Pandavs to the wilderness for 13 years.

In the meantime, Dhritrashtra continued to rule, aided by Bhishm Pitamah (Uncle of Both, Dhritrashtra and Pandu and respected to all) and the Chief Minister Vidur.

It will be in the fitness of things to add her that Draupadi, a princess, was won a wife by Arjun in an archery contest for marriage (Swayamwar). When the five Pandavs retuned to their hideout and announced to mother Kunti that they had brought something special, Kunti carelessly told them to share it equally amongst themselves. Mother’s advice was taken in all earnest and Draupadi became common wife to all the five Pandavas.

Another important aspect is that during Draupadi’s disrobing, Krishn ji came to her rescue. Inspite of the best efforts of Kaurav’s to disrobe her completely, Draupadi’s robe (sari) became infinitely long and she could not be disrobed completely. She was thus saved from absolute humiliation, by the divine intervention.

When the period of exile was over, Pandavs returned and expressed their right to throne, Duryodhan refused to give away anything.

This led to the war named Mahabharat, between Pandavs and Kauravs. The war was fought in Kurukshetra (Haryana), about 130 km north of Delhi Krishn Ji, (the 8^th incarnation of Vishnu Ji) who was cousin of Pandavas, joined them as Arjun’s charioteer, acting as his friend, philosopher and guide. While at war, Arjun got into a dilemma when the thought cam to his mind about killing his own cousins for material gain, that is, the kingdom of Hastinapur.

It is at this juncture that Krishn Ji gives the sermon as scripted in Gita, which is about appropitateness of doing assigned duty without thought of the reward involved. This sermon is described in some details in a piece given in the previous page. The War of Mahabharat lasted 18 days, Kauravs were defeated and Padavs regained the kingdom. Much of the credit for this victory goes to Krishn Ji for his sermorns to Arjun and certain other divine interventions.

RAMAYAN

It was written sometime around year 500 BC by sage Valmiki, much agter the Mahabharat, again with the objective of making the ethical and philosophical commandments of the Vedas and Upanishads, interesting and understandable to common man.

Ram Chandr Ji, the 7^th incarnation of Vishnu Ji, is the hero of the tale which, according to Hindu Mythology, took place near the end of Tratayug. Rimarily, it gives lessons in rightesousness as demonstrated by Ram Chandr Ji.

Ram Chandr Ji was born to King Dashrath and Queen Kaushalya of Ayodya (UP), about 500 km east of Delhi. He has three brothers namely Bharat (Son of Queen Kekayi) and Lakshman & Shatughn (sons of Queen Sumitra).

Ram Chandr Ji won Sita ji as wife in a contest for marriage(swayamwar), Sita Ji being the princess and daughter of King Janak of neighbouring state Mithila. She was very chaste and beautiful.

Ram Chandr Ji was to become King but Kekayi wanted her son Bharat to be the King, based on the advice of her wicked maid Manthra. Therefore Kekayi asked King Dashrath to send Ram Chandr Ji to 14 years to exile and make Bharat the King. Much against his wishes, Dashrath did so.

Ram Chandr Ji proceeded to wilderness and Sita Ji & Lakshman went along. Ravan, the ten-headed demon King of Lanaka kidnapped Sita Ji and took her to his Kingdom. In  the meantime, Hanuman Ji, the monkey god became friendly with (rather devotee of) Ram Chandr Ji and helped him in dearch of Sita Ji. Along with Hanuman Ji’s monkey army, Sita Ji was finally rescued and the demon king Ravan killed. At the end the exile period they all returned to Ayodhya. Two sons, Luv & Kush were born to Tam Chandr Ji and Sita Ji.

After Ram Chandr Ji was crowned King, gossip about Sita Ji’s chastity were made by some. Sita Ji could not tolerate this and requested mother earth to giver her shelter. A split in earth occurred and accommodated Sita Ji inside. It was an illusory act, although.

This tale as Ramlila is enacted every year (in episodes, spread over 11 days) in all villages/ towns in India, reminding people about the benifints of righteous behavior and the ethics and philosophy of life as exemplified by Ram Chandr Ji and Sita ji.