Sacred Texts: Scriptures in Hinduism
Editor’s Note: FāVS has launched a new series on Sacred Texts. In most religious traditions they are considered sacred because it is believed they were divinely revealed or inspired, and they form part of an authoritative canon. In this series we ask how scripture is used in particular traditions and if it’s necessary or dispensable. Is it subject to interpretation? What is its purpose? How have scriptures been used to promote or justify certain types of behavior? And, do ancient scriptures have any relevance today?
The Veda and Agamas,revealed by God are Hinduism’s sovereign Scriptures ,called sruti, “that which is heard.”
Their timeless truths are expressed in the most extraordinary profound mystical poetry known to man.
Veda,from vid, means “to know”means” supreme wisdom or science.” Similarly,Agama,which names the sacred
sectarian revelations, means “descent of knowledge.”The Vedas and Agamas are eternal truths transmitted by God
through great clairvoyant rishis.They are Hinduism’s primary and most authoritative scriptures,expounding life’s
sacredness and man’ purpose on the planet.These psalms of wisdom were disclosed over many centuries, memorized
and orally conveyed from generation to generation within priestly families,then finally written down in Sanskrit in the last
few millennia.The subtly symbolic language of sruti,the cherished word of God, is lyrical and lofty.In imparting religious practice, rules, and doctrine, the Vedas are general and the Agamas specific.The Vedas extol and invoke a multiplicity of Gods through elaborate fire rituals called yagna. The Agams center around a single Deity
and His worship with water,flowers, and lights in sanctified temples and shrines.
Secondary Scripture.
While the Vedas and Agamas are shared as part of every Hindu’s primary scripture,sruti, each sect and lineage defines its own unique set of smriti.
Smriti means” that which is remembered”and is know as” the tradition,”for it derives from human insight and experience and preserves
the course of culture.While struti comes from God and is eternal and universal,the ever-growing smriti canon is written by man.
Hinduisms sacred literature is the touchstone of theater and dance,music song and pageantry,yoga and sadhana,metaphysics and
ethics,exquisite art and hallowed sciences.
Does Hinduism have Epics and Myths?
The Mahabharata and Ramayana are Hinduism,most renowned epic histories,called Itihasa.The Puranas are popular folk narratives,teaching
faith,belief and ethics in mythology,allegory legend and symbolism.
Are there other sacred texts?
India’s lofty philosphical texts expound diverse views in exacting dialectics. Yoga treaties unveil the mysterious path to ultimate samadhis.
Intimate devotional hymns disclose the raptures of consummate Divine love.
In addition to the epics,legends and supplements to the Vedas and Agamas, there is a wealth of Hindu metaphysical,yogic and devotional
writings.
How are the Vedas significant today?
The Veda,the ultimate scriptural authority,permeates Hinduism’s thought,ritual,and meditation.They open a rare window into ancient Bharata
society,proclaiming life’s sacredness and the way to oneness with God.
The Veda is the Hindu holy book.For untold centuries until today,it has remained the sustaining force and authoritative doctrine,guiding followers in ways of worship, duty and enlightenment. All Hindus wholeheartedly accept the Vedas,yet each draws selectively,interprets freely and
amplifies abundantly.
How are the Agamas significant today?
While the Vedas,with myriad Deities,bind all Hindus together,the Agama’s with a single supreme God,unify each sect in a oneness of thought,
instilling in adherents the joyful arts of divine adoration.
God is love,and to love God is the pure path prescribed in the Agamas.Veritably,these texts are God’s voice admonishing the samsari,
reincarnations wander,to give up love of the transient and adore instead the Immortal.How to love the Divine,when and where,with what mantras
and visualizations and at what auspicious times,all this is preserved in the Agamas.The specific doctrines and practices of day-to-day Hinduism
are nowhere more fully expounded than in these revelation hymns,delineating everything from daily work routines to astrology and cosmology.
What is the great virtue called Ahimsa?
Ahimsa,or noninjury,is the first and foremost ethical principle of every Hindu.It is gentleness and nonviolence,whether physical,
mental,or emotional. It is abstaining from causing hurt or harm to all beings.
