Guest guest Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 , " dave m " <dev3108 wrote: > > > Om Namah Sivaya > > > > > A Revealed Religion > > > > Hinduism is the religion of the Hindus, a name given to the Universal > Religion which hailed supreme in India. It is the oldest of all living > religions. This is not founded by any prophet. Buddhism, Christianity > and Mohammedanism owe their origin to the prophets. Their dates are > fixed. But no such date can be fixed for Hinduism. Hinduism is not born > of the teachings of particular prophets. It is not based on a set of > dogmas preached by a particular set of teachers. It is free from > religious fanaticism. > > > > Hinduism is also known by the names Sanatana-Dharma and Vaidika- Dharma. > Sanatana-Dharma means eternal religion. Hinduism is as old as the world > itself. Hinduism is the mother of all religions. Hindu scriptures are > the oldest in the world, Sanatana-Dharma is so called, not only because > it is eternal, but also because it is protected by God and because it > can make us eternal. > > > > Vaidika-Dharma means the religion of the Vedas. The Vedas are the > foundational scriptures of Hinduism. The ancient Rishis and sages of > India have expressed their intuitive spiritual experiences > (Aparoksha-Anubhuti ) in the Upanishads. These experiences are direct > and infallible. Hinduism regards the spiritual experiences of the Rishis > of yore as its authority. The priceless truths that have been discovered > by the Hindu Rishis and sages through millennia constitute the glory of > Hinduism. Therefore, Hinduism is a revealed religion. > > > > A Religion Of Freedom > > > > Hinduism, unlike other religions, does not dogmatically assert that the > final emancipation is possible only through its means and not through > any other. It is only a means to an end and all means which will > ultimately lead to the end are equally approved. > > > > Hinduism allows absolute freedom to the rational mind of man. Hinduism > never demands any undue restraint upon the freedom of human reason, the > freedom of thought, feeling and will of man. It allows the widest > freedom in matters of faith and worship. Hinduism is a religion of > freedom. It allows absolute freedom to the human reason and heart with > regard to questions such as nature of God, soul, creation, form of > worship and the goal of life. > > > > Hinduism does not lie in the acceptance of any particular doctrine, nor > in the observance of some particular rituals or form of worship. It does > not force anybody to accept particular dogmas or forms of worship. It > allows everybody to reflect, investigate, enquire and cogitate. Hence, > all sorts of religious faiths, various forms of worship or Sadhana, and > diverse kinds of rituals and customs, have found their honourable places > side by side within Hinduism and are cultured and developed in > harmonious relationship with one another. > > > > Hinduism does not condemn those who deny God as the creator and ruler of > the world, who do not accept the existence of an eternal soul and the > state of Moksha or state of liberation. Hinduism does not render the > upholders of such views unfit to be recognised as pious and honourable > members of the Hindu religious society. > > > > The religious hospitality of Hinduism is proverbial. Hinduism is > extremely catholic and liberal. This is the fundamental feature of > Hinduism. Hinduism pays respects to all religions. It does not revile > any other religion. It accepts and honours truth†" wherever it may > come from and whatever garb it may put on. > > > > There are considerable numbers of the followers of other religions in > India. And yet, the Hindus live in perfect harmony, peace and friendship > with all of them. Their tolerance and fellow-feeling towards the > followers of other religions is remarkable. > > > > Despite all the differences of metaphysical doctrines, modes of > religious discipline and forms of ritualistic practices and social > habits prevalent in the Hindu society, there is an essential uniformity > in the conception of religion and in the outlook on life and the world, > among all sections of Hindus. > > > > ----Sri Swami Sivananda > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 15, 2009 Report Share Posted December 15, 2009 What is Hinduism? " The Sanatana Dharma " There are about 800 million Hindus in the world. There are more than 800,000 Hindus in the U.S., and about 160,000 in Canada. Hinduism is referred to as Sanatana Dharma, the eternal faith. Hinduism is based on the practice of Dharma, the code of life. Hinduism has no founder, anyone who practices Dharma can call himself a Hindu. The greatness of Hinduism is its Freedom of Thoughts and Actions. Sanatana Dharma or Righteousness Forever was the original name of Hinduism. It was Persians who invaded India during 6th century B.C. who gave the name Hinduism meaning the religion of people living near the Indus river. In Persian the letter H and S are pronounced almost the same so they mistook the word Sindhu (Sanskrit name for Indus) to H and then started calling Hindus and Hinduism. Q. Who is a Hindu? Anyone who search after truth is a Hindu. There is One and only God and One Truth. The very first veda of Hindus named Rig proclaim, " Ekam Sat, Viprah Bahudha Vadanti " . (There is only one truth, only men describe it in different ways). Q. What is the language in which the Hindu scriptures were written? Sanskrit is older than Hebrew and Latin. Most of the words in English language came from Sanskrit. The word mother came from Sanskrit word mata and father came from Sanskrit word pita. Believe it or not the word geometry came from a Sanskrit word named Gyaamiti meaning 'measuring the earth'. The word trigonometry came from the word Trikonamiti meaning 'measuring triangular forms'. Sanskrit, which literally means " cultured or refined " was the classical language of India and is the oldest and the most systematic language in the world. Forbes Magazine, (July, 1987) wrote: " Sanskrit is the mother of all the European languages and is the most suitable language for the computer software. " Q. What are the main ideas that hindu religion professes? A. Hinduism is more a way of life than a specific religion. In Hinduism one can find all religions of the world. Various religions like Buddhism, Sikhism emerged from it. The most important aspect of Hinduism is being truthful to oneself. Hinduism has no monopoly on ideas. It is open to all. Hindus believe in one God expressed in different forms. For them, God is timeless and form less entity. Hindus believe in eternal truths and these truths are opened to anyone who seeks them, even if he or she is ignorant of Hindu scripture or ideas. This religion also professes Non-violence - " Ahimsa Paramo Dharma " - Non violence is the highest duty. True Ahimsa implies curtsey, kindness, hospitality, humanity and love. Q. How do Hindus worship? A. The place where Hindus worship is called a Temple. Most of the ancient Indian Temples were constructed by Hindu Kings. The Temples were constructed on auspicious sites and the whole process was very elaborate. Two rituals associated with temple construction were a. Pratishta [installation of icons and deity] and b. Kumbha - Abhishekam [temple dedication]. The idols of Gods are either made of special stone or wood and the artisan who makes them are called Shilpikar. The process by which worship of Gods & Goddess is done is called Pooja. It is the most common form of ritual. In the process of Pooja, Upacaras [offerings of many articles like food, perfumed water, tulsi leaves, sandal wood paste etc with honor to deity] play a vital role. The person who performs the Pooja is called Poojari. Generally, all Indian houses have a small corner reserved for God and is called Mandir or Pooja Ghar where the Indian Family worships together. An individual family can have their own Poojari doing the Pooja or the head of the family does the Pooja. This tradition is considered a good practice in Indian houses. It is a time when all the family members come together and pray together. Q. What are the important rituals, ceremonies etc practiced by Hindus? A. Rituals are basically an art of worshipping the God. Rituals may vary from home to home in some way or other but their basic concept remains the same. The rituals of Hinduism are- Poojas Yajnas Vedic Rituals called Samskaras [means refinement] - these are carried out throughout the whole life cycle and are 16 in all - 1.Garbhadhana - Ritual to guarantee conception 2.Pumsavana - Ritual to protect fetus and to have a boy 3.Simantonnayana - Ritual at the last month of pregnancy 4.Jatakarana - Preparation of astrological chart of child 5.Namakarana - Naming the child 6.Nishkaramana - Taking the child out of the house for the first time 7.Annaprasana - First feeding of rice to the child 8.Chudakarana - First cutting of hair of the child 9.Karnavedha - Boring ear lobes of the child 10.Vidyarambha - Beginning of child learning alphabets 11.Upanayana - Wearing of holy threads by boys 12.Vedarambha - Commencement of the Vedic studies 13.Keshante - First shaving of the child's head 14.Samavartana - Home coming after completion of Vedic Studies 15.Vivaha - Marriage Rituals 16.Anthyesthi - Funeral rituals Shraddha - Rituals at the time of death, these lasts for 12 days and is carried out to ensure that the departed soul is at ease and it goes to heaven where there are lesser difficulties. Tirtha Yatra - Ritual of going to holy places for purification and redemption from sin. Important places for tirtha yatra are - 1. Kasi,rishikesh,haridwar & Badrinath [North] 2. Puri [East] 3. Srirangam & Rameshwara [south] 4. Dwarka [West] Q. What is the Hindu Concept of God? Hindus believe in One and Only God - Brahman which expresses itself in trillions of forms. God is nameless and timeless. But there is nothing wrong to worship a God with name and form (nama-roopa), since man cannot conceive anything without any name and form. In fact, in the Shruti scriptures of Hinduism, God or Brahman has been described as Saguna Brahman (God-Brahman with attributes) as well as Nirguna Brahman (God-without attributes. In the Upanishads, God is described as Neti-Neti (not this-not that) method. Q. If there is only One God, Why Hindus worship many God forms? During the time of Upanishads, when the Hindu Rishis (scientists of that day) said there is only One God - Brahman, they found out that laymen could not understand that concept. So they wrote Itihasas (epics) and Puranas [mythological stories] filled with many gods, with the concept that when you worship any God form, you are actually worshiping one and only God Brahman. Lord Krishna reiterated that point by saying, " Call me by what ever name you like; Worship me in any form you like; All that goes to One and Only Supreme Reality. " So a Hindu when worshiping any God form is actually worshiping One and Only God Brahman. Q. How many Gods do Hindus worship? What are the main Gods & Goddess? A. According to Hinduism all gods are the various representation of one true God. Hinduism states that there is only one God and the Vedas call him Brahman. The vibratory aspect of Brahman is called AUM or OM. From AUM came the 3 godheads - a. Bramha [creator] b. Vishnu [preservor] c. Shiva [destroyer] These gods when take a human form are called Avtaars. The three main Goddesses are- Saraswati [Wife of Lord Brahma; Goddess of Knowledge] Lakshmi [Wife of Lord Vishnu; Goddess of Wealth] Parvati [Wife of Lord Shiva; Goddess of Power] Hindus believe in Powers of Nature and have gods of nature like Varuna [water], Agni [fire], Vayu [air] etc. Hindus also worship the dear ones and the deciples of gods and their avatars.For example, Hanuman the true and sincere devotee of the Lord Rama is worshipped as a devata. It is believed that there are 33 crores Devatas in Hinduism. A Hindu can worship as many Gods and Goddesses as he wants because Hindus believe that all forms of Gods and Goddesses are the manifestations of one god or power. A Hindu temple can have a blend of various Gods. Q. What is the final destination of all souls in Hinduism? A. At the time of death, the body dies but the soul never dies. The soul passes from one body to another after the death, like a body changes clothes, the soul goes on taking endless number of bodies; until it pays off all the karmas attached to the soul. The path the soul takes is decided by the past actions which as popularly known as " Karmas " . After death the soul seeks an ideal body to be born again. So if you are born rich or poor - it is because of your actions in your previous life. Thus the journey of life continues and death with karmas attached to it from one life to another by undergoing pain or pleasure. The different methods of god realization provide an easy way to put an end to the drama. Then the individual soul, which is called " Jeevatman " , will merge with Absolute Soul or Infinite Power [God], popularly known as " Paramatman " . This merging process is called Salvation or Enlightment. Q. How a " Jeevatman " can merge with God [Paramatman]? In order to reach enlightment a human being should adopt different methods of God realization which are as follows- Karma Yoga - It is a system of attaining freedom through selfless actions. The word " Karma " means " to do " , thus Karma means work. The Karmas which we do dictate our past, present and future. An individual should engage himself in good karmas. Jnana Yoga - It is a system of reaching enlightment by adopting the path of knowledge or Hindu Philosophy. Bhakti Yoga - Bhakti Yoga comes from the word " Bhaj " which means " to be attached to " . Through this the devotee goes for total surrender to God and in this process a total dissolution of " I " or " Ego " takes place. Raja Yoga - It is a very scientific path of God Realization. In this the individual practices self control and thought control of his body and mind. Q. Is Bhagavad Gita the Hindu Holy Bible? Bhagavad Gita is a part of the epic Mahabharata, appearing in the middle of the great epic. Many consider Bhagavad Gita as the most important scripture of Hindus. If the entire Upanishads can be considered as cows, then the Bhagavad Gita can be considered as milk. It is the essence of the Vedas. Bhagavad Gita consists of 18 chapters and 700 verses. It deals with all type of Yogas, means of self-realization. It is in the form of a very lively conversation between the warrior-prince Arjuna and his friend and charioteer Lord Krishna, at the outset of the great Mahabharata war, in the middle of the battle field. Just before the beginning of the war, Arjuna refused to fight, when he found he had to kill thousands of his own kinsmen to be victorious in the war. Lord Krishna advised him on a very large variety of subjects in a question and answer format. At the end, Arjuna took Lord Krishna's advice and fought and won a very fierce war. Gita has an answer to every problem a man may face in his life. It never commands anyone what to do; Instead it discusses pros and cons of every action and thought. Throughout Gita you will not come across any line starting or ending with Thou Shalt Not. That is the reason why Gita is the darling of millions of seekers of truth throughout the world. Father of Atom Bomb and Bhagavad Gita Robert Oppenheimer, the very first Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission and father of Atom bomb was a great admirer of the Bhagavad Gita. He learnt Sanskrit during Manhattan Project to understand the true meaning of Gita. He really shocked the world, when he quoted a couplet from Gita (Chapter 11:12) after witnessing the first Atomic Explosion in the state of New Mexico. Later when he addressed congress regarding Atom Bomb he said Atom Bomb remind him of Lord Krishna who said in the Bhagavad Gita, " I am death devourer of all " . Q. What are the Hindu Moral Codes? Hindu moral codes are written a collection of books called Dharma Sutras. Hindu moral Codes are the integral part of Hinduism and they come under the big umbrella called Dharma. It is very difficult to translate the word Dharma. Some of the codes are Ahimsa (non-killing), Satya (truth), Dharma (duty), Karuna (compassion), Virya (fortitude), Dama (self-restraint), Saucha (Purity). Q. What is the Law of Karma? Hindus believe in life after death. They also believe in the Biblical concept " Whatever a man soweth, that shall he reap " . That is the basis of karmic law. Every action and every thought has a result. Hindus believe that every thought and every action is weighed on the scale of eternal justice. The law of karma is one of cause and effect. Nobody can escape from the Karmic debt. Q. What is Caste System? There is nothing in Hinduism as complex as caste system. It emerged as a part of division of labor among people during the days of Rig Veda. The greatest apostle of caste system, was Sage Manu. He laid down all provisions governing caste system in Manu-Smriti. Brahmins - Priests Kshatriyas - Fighters and warriors Vaisya - Business men Shudras - helpers of every one Unlike in the Holy Bible, where Slavery is discussed and accepted even by St. Paul (Holy Bible verses Col. 4:11; Exodus 21:21 1: Lev. XXV:44- 55 Thessalonians 3:22), there is no statement in the entire Hindu scriptures to ill-treat lower castes, except Sage Manu's Code, where punishments of lower castes are severe comparing to punishments for the higher castes for the same offense. There is no word " untouchable " in the entire Hindu scriptures. Mahatma Gandhi said: " Untouchability is a crime against God and men. " Q. What are the Sacred Books of Hinduism? The sacred books of Hinduism are called Vedas. Vedas means knowledge. There are four Vedas and they claim to teach men the highest aspects of truths which can lead them to God. Vedas and Upanishads are Shruti scriptures. The word Veda came from the root word " vid " meaning " to know " . Vedas are the very first scriptures of Hinduism. Vedas as per scriptures was written by God. Vedas state " Self Ralization " is one and the goal of human life. Vedas also discuss in detail rituals and ceremonies to attain self-realization. There are 4 Vedas. They are: Rig Veda - Knowledge of Hymns - 10589 verses The Hindu Rig Veda is the foremost book of Hindus. It is the oldest book in the world. Nobody knows when Rig Veda was written. According to Bal Gangadhar Tilak it was written in 5000 BC. German philosopher Max Muller dates 1500 BC. According to some it took centuries to write this book from 1500 B.C. to 500 B.C. Rig Veda is older than Gilgamesh (2500 B.C) and the Old Testament. The very first Veda, Rig Veda very clearly shows that it was written, when nomad man first settled down on the banks of rivers like Ganges, Brahmaputra, Indus etc. That is the reason why, in Rig Veda, you see, people are worshiping natural powers like lighting, rain, Sun, fire (Agni); water; air, that effects cultivation. It consists of 1028 hymns, comprising of 10,589 verses in 10 chapters known as Mandalas. 33 gods are worshiped in Rig Veda. There are 100 hymns addressed to Soma; 250 addressed to Indra; 200 hymns addressed to Agni; Many addressed to Surya. Few addressed to Ushas, Aditi, Saraswati, Varuna and Asvins. Lord Vishnu is a minor god in Rig Veda. One of the most important statement came from the Rig Veda is " Ekam Sat, Viprah Bahudha Vadanti " -meaning " Truth is one but men describe it differently " . Lord Vishnu has minor importance in Rig Veda. Name of Lord Siva is mentioned as Rudra. Soma in Rig Veda is intoxicating drink to gods. The word Sura came those who drink an intoxicating drink which I think is Soma. The word Asura came from those who do not drink that drink. Another word that caught my attention in Rig Veda is the word Rta which means some kind of cosmic order. I think the word Dharma originated from the word Rta. One of the most prominent hymns of Rig Veda " Purusa-Sukta - Purusha (man) and the Primordial sacrifice of Purusha for the betterment of man and the world " . Another one is " Creation Hymn. Caste system started in Rig Vedic period. The Rig Vedic Hymn, known as Purusha-Sukta (Mandala-x, 19th hymn, 12th verse) states: " The Brahmin was Purusha's (cosmic man - the first principle of Sankhya Philosophy in Hinduism) mouth, the Kshatriya his arms, the Vaisya his thighs and Shudra his feet. Yajur Veda - Knowledge of Liturgy - 3988 verses Yajur Veda deals with knowledge of rites. This Veda is based on Rig Veda. It contains rules and regulations explaining how to conduct rituals. It consists of prose as well verse. This Veda is indeed a priestly handbook, even describing the details of how to make an alter. Sacrifice is one of the most important aspect of this Veda. Sama Veda - Knowledge of Music - 1549 verses Sama Veda deals with the knowledge of chants. Sama means " melody " . The classical Indian music originated from this Veda. This Veda is also based on Rig Veda. Verses from this Veda is sung when " Soma Sacrifice " is performed. Sama Veda is similar to Psalms in Christianity. To some extent much of this Veda is a repetition of the Rig Veda sung in melodious format. Invocations of this Veda is addressed to Soma (moon or the narcotic drink Soma); Agni (fire); Indra (god of heaven). One of the Upanishads that came out of this Veda is Chandogya Upanishad. Atharva Veda - Knowledge given by Sage Athrvana - 6000 Verses Atharva Veda contains the knowledge given by sage Athrvana. Some state that sage Athrvana did not formulate this Veda but was the chief priest in the ceremonies associated with it. Atharvana who is mentioned in the Rig Veda was considered as the eldest son of Lord Brahma (God of creation). Atharva Veda is also known as Brahma Veda, because it is still used as a manual by Hindu priests and Brahmins. Ayurveda is a part of Atharva Veda. A large number of Upanishads came from Atharva Veda. Belief it or not, much of Hindu exorcism of devils came from this Veda. At the same time, the oldest records on Veda do not talk about this Veda. There is absolutely no reference about this Veda in the Chandogya Upanishad or in the Brahmana tests or in the Jatakas or in the Bhagavad Gita. That very clearly shows Atharva Veda was non-existent when other 3 Vedas were composed. Ayurveda Ayurveda - The Hindu Medicine Scripture - consists of more than 100,000 verses initially. Still it is considered as a upa Veda of Atharva Veda. Q. What are upanishads? Upanishads - texts revealing ultimate truths by different saints. Upanishads teach men that there is One and Only thing and that is BRAHMAN. You and I are just reflections of Brahman. Or we are indeed God... Upanishads teach us " Tat Tvam Asi " - That Thou Art. In fact, the word Upanishad can be broken down as upa (near) ni (down) shad (sit) meaning that teachings of Upanishads were conveyed from masters to students when students sat very next to masters and nobody overheard those teachings. There are a total of 108 Upanishads. Principle ones 13. Some of the Upanishads are named after the sages who answered all questions. Some as per the first word in the Upanishad. 1. Isa Upanishad, 2. Kena Upanishad, 3. Katha Unpanishad, 4. Prasna Upanishad, 5. Mundaka Upanishad, 6. Mandukya Upanishad, 7. Aitareya Upanishad, 8. Taittirya Upanishad, 9. Chandogya Upanishad, 10. Brihad-Aranyaka Upanishad, 11. Kaushitaki Upanishad, 12. Shvetashvatara Upanishad, 13. Maitri Upanishad. Smriti Literature consists of large number of books. Vedangas - scriptures attached to Vedas. 1. Dharma Sutras - Codes of Manu, Yatnyavalkya etc 2. Jyotisha - Astrology and Astronomy 3. Kalpa - rituals and legal matters 4. Siksha - phonetics 5. Chhandas - measurements 6. Nirukta - Etymology 7. Vyakarana - Sanskrit grammar Upa Vedas 1. Ayurveda - Hindu science of health and longevity 2. Dharnur Veda - Hindu science of archery and war 3. Gandharva Veda - Hindu science of Music 4. Artha Shastra - Hindu science of governing by Kings Darsanans - Hindu Jnana Yoga - Path of Knowledge 1. Nyasa - Sage Gautama wrote Nyaya sutras 2. Vaisheshika - Sage Kanada wrote Vaisheshika sutra 3. Samkhya - Sage Kapila - Gita starts with this philosophy 4. Yoga - Sage Patanjali wrote Patanjali Yogasutra 5. Mimamsa - Sage Jaimini wrote Mimamsa Sutra 6. Vedanta - Sage Veda Vyasa Vedanta (At the End of the Vedas) meaning it started at the end of Vedic age, has two parts : 1. Advaita Philosophy - One Only - great exponent Adi Sankara and 2. Dvaita Philosophy - Two - almost all Vaishnava Saints. Itihasas or Epics : Mythological Scriptures 1. Ramayana - story of Rama, written by Valmiki. Ramayana is the story of Rama and princess Sita. Valmiki wrote the whole Ramayana as the narration of a crying dove (who just lost her lover to a hunter's wicked arrow) to him. This beautiful poem consists of 24,000 couplets. Lord Rama is one of the avatars of Lord Vishnu and Ramayana is a story which projects Hindu ideals of life. There are many versions of Ramayana. The Hindi version was written by sage Tulsi Das The Malayalam version (Kerala state) was written by Thuncheth Ezuthachan. The original text was written in very stylish Sanskrit language 2. Mahabharata - story of Pandvas and Kauravas 220,000 verses, 18 chapters Bhagavad Gita is part of this scripture. It is lengthier than Homer's ODYSSEY. It consists of episodes, dialogues, stories, discourses and sermons. It contains 110,000 couplets or 220,000 lines in 18 Parvas or sections or chapters. Apart from 18 parvas there is a section of poems in the form of an appendix with 16,375 verses which is known as Harivamsa Parva. So in total there are 19 Parvas, even though many saints do not consider the last Parva as an important parva. The Bhagavad Gita is part and parcel of Mahabharata. Puranas -18 are most important Puranas are religious stories which expound truths. Just like the parables told by Jesus Christ, these stories are told to common folk to make them understand the higher truths of life. According to Jesus Christ " Mysteries of the universe are revealed to those who are spiritually awake, but to others those mysteries have to be explained in parables " . On that Puranas are called the Vedas of the Common folk, for they present the mysteries through myth and legend. Six puranas addressed to Lord Vishnu are 1-Vishnu Purana 2-Narada Purana 3-Srimad Bhavata Purana 4-Garuda Purna 5-Padma Purana 6-Varaha Purana. Six Puranas --addressed to Lord Siva are 1-Matsya Purana 2-Kurma Purana 3-Linga Purana 4-Vayu Purana 5-Skanda Purana 6-Agni Purana. SIX Puranas addressed to Lord Brahma are 1-Brahma Purana 2-Brahanda Purana 3-Brahma-Vaivasvata Puranaor Brahma-Vaivarta Purana 4-Markandeya Purana 5-Bhavishya Purana 6-Vamana Purana . Apart from that we have 22 minor Puranas Agamas - Sectarian Scriptures They are a group scriptures worshipping God in particular form and they describe detailed courses of disciple for the devotee. Like Upanishads there are many Agamas. They can be broadly divided into three sets of Agamas. Vaishnava Agamas - worship God as Lord Vishnu Saiva Agamas - worship God as Lord Siva Sakti Agamas - worship God as Mother Goddess. Saivates have 28 Agamas and 108 Upa Agamas (minor agamas). Saktiates recoganizes 77 agamas. Vaishanavates consider Pancha Ratra Agamas as one of the most important agamas. Each Agama consists of Philosophy, mental discipline, Rules for constructing temples and Religious practices. Tantras Started during Vedic age, Tantras consists of cosmology, erotic exercises etc. Tantra is very important and very vast. Sanskrit word Tantras means to expand. Tantrism researched into Astronomy, Astrology, Palmistry, Cosmology. Chakras and Kundalini power etc are the contributions of Tantras to the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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