HISTORY OF HINDUISM

Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion, according to many scholars, with roots and customs dating back more than 4,000 years. Today, with about 900 million followers, Hinduism is the third-largest religion behind Christianity and Islam. Roughly 95% of the world’s Hindus live in India. Because the religion has no specific founder, it’s difficult to trace its origins and history. Hinduism is unique in that it’s not a single religion but a compilation of many traditions and philosophies.

Hindu worship, which is known as “puja,” typically takes place in the Mandir (temple). Followers of Hinduism can visit the Mandir any time they please. Hindus can also worship at home, and many have a special shrine dedicated to certain gods and goddesses. The giving of offerings is an important part of Hindu worship. It’s a common practice to present gifts, such as flowers or oils, to a god or goddess. Hindus worship many gods and goddesses in addition to Brahman, who is believed to be the supreme God force present in all things.

Main Historical Periods

Although the early history of Hinduism is difficult to date with certainty, the following list presents a rough chronology:

Before 2000 BCE: The Indus Valley Civilisation
1500–500 BCE: The Vedic Period
500 BCE–500 CE: The Epic, Puranic and Classical Age
500 CE–1500 CE: Medieval Period
1500–1757 CE: Pre-Modern Period
1757–1947 CE: British Period

Hindu Notions of Time

Hindus in general believe that time is cyclical, much like the four seasons, and eternal rather than linear and bounded. Texts refer to successive ages (yuga), designated respectively as golden, silver, copper and iron.

During the golden age people were pious and adhered to dharma (law, duty, truth) but its power diminishes over time until it has to be reinvigorated through divine intervention.

With each successive age, good qualities diminish, until we reach the current iron or dark age (kali yuga) marked by cruelty, hypocrisy, materialism and so on. Such ideas challenge the widespread, linear view that humans are inevitably progressing.

Hinduism Beliefs

Some basic concepts of the religion include:

Hinduism embraces many religious ideas. For this reason, it’s sometimes referred to as a “way of life” or a “family of religions,” as opposed to a single, organized religion.
Most forms of Hinduism are henotheistic, which means they worship a single deity, known as “Brahman,” but still recognize other gods and goddesses. Followers believe there are multiple paths to reaching their god.
Hindus believe in the doctrines of samsara (the continuous cycle of life, death, and reincarnation) and karma (the universal law of cause and effect).
One of the key thoughts of Hinduism is “atman,” or the belief in soul. This philosophy holds that living creatures have a soul, and they’re all part of the supreme soul. The goal is to achieve “moksha,” or salvation, which ends the cycle of rebirths to become part of the absolute soul.
One fundamental principle of the religion is the idea that people’s actions and thoughts directly determine their current life and future lives.
Hinduism is closely related to other Indian religions, including Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism.
Hindus strive to achieve dharma, which is a code of living that emphasizes good conduct and morality.
Hindus revere all living creatures and consider the cow a sacred animal.
Food is an important part of life for Hindus. Most don’t eat beef, and many are vegetarians.

PROMINENT GODS AND GODDESSES

Brahma: the God responsible for the creation of the world and all living things
Vishnu: the God that preserves and protects the universe
Shiva: the God that destroys the universe in order to recreate it
Devi: the Goddess that fights to restore dharma
Krishna: the God of compassion, tenderness and love
Lakshmi: the Goddess of wealth and purity
Saraswati: the Goddess of learning
Durga: the Goddess of protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars

HINDU CASTE SYSTEM

The caste system is a social hierarchy in India that divides Hindus based on their karma and dharma. Many scholars believe the system dates back more than 3,000 years.

The four main castes (in order of prominence) include:

Brahmin: the intellectual and spiritual leaders
Kshatriyas: the protectors and public servants of society
Vaisyas: the skillful producers
Shudras: the unskilled laborers

Many subcategories also exist within each caste. The “Untouchables” are a class of citizens that are outside the caste system and considered to be in the lowest level of the social hierarchy.

For centuries, the caste system determined every aspect of a person’s social, professional and religious status in India.

When India became an independent nation, its constitution banned discrimination based on caste.

Today, the caste system still exists in India but is loosely followed. Many of the old customs are overlooked, but some traditions, such as only marrying within a specific caste, are still embraced.

SECTS OF HINDUISM

Hinduism has many sects, and is sometimes divided into the following:

Shaivism (followers of Shiva)
Vaishnava (followers of Vishnu)
Shaktism (followers of Devi)
Smarta (followers of Brahman and all major deities)
Some Hindus elevate the Hindu trinity, which consists of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Others believe that all the deities are a manifestation of one.

HINDU HOLIDAYS

Hindus observe numerous sacred days, holidays and festivals.

Some of the most well-known include:

Diwali: the festival of lights
Navaratri: a celebration of fertility and harvest
Holi: a spring festival
Krishna Janmashtami: a tribute to Krishna’s birthday
Raksha Bandhan: a celebration of the bond between brother and sister
Maha Shivaratri: the great festival of Shiva

Hinduism Holy Books

Hindus value many sacred writings as opposed to one holy book.

The primary sacred texts, known as the Vedas, were composed around 1500 B.C. This collection of verses and hymns was written in Sanskrit and contains revelations received by ancient saints and sages.

The Vedas are made up of:

The Rig Veda
The Samaveda
Yajurveda
Atharvaveda

Hindus believe that the Vedas transcend all time and don’t have a beginning or an end.

The Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, 18 Puranas, Ramayana and Mahabharata are also considered important texts in Hinduism.

Bhagavad Gita

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Ramayana

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History of Hinduism

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Mahabharata

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Vishnu Purana

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Vedas

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Ramcharitmanas

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Upanishads

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Manusmriti

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Lord Sri Krishna

Beginning of Creation

Lord Sri Krishna made an earthly appearance in roughly 3220 B.C., and He left this planet in 3102 B.C. However, because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes, He is eternally existing. Therefore these dates are simply a recording of His incarnation in Dvapara-yuga (the age prior to the present Age of Kali). He spoke the Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna in Dvapara-yuga, but this does not limit His position as the adi-purusha (the original Supreme Person) and the adi-guru (the original teacher). In the Vedic literature Lord Krishna is described as the ultimate source of all knowledge; hence, He is the most reliable source of knowledge. The whole guru-parampara—the disciplic succession—begins with Him because He is the original preceptor.

Time has witnessed the passing of many cultures and civilizations over thousands of years just as the sky witnesses the passing of clouds. The Vikings, Mayans, Greeks, Romans, Pharaohs of Egypt are just a few to name. But the Vedic civilization, also known as sanātana-dharma, has existed since time immemorial and is still current. In fact, the name sanātana-dharma means ‘eternal occupation’. The sanātana-dharma is a God-centered civilization where the entire spectrum of activities of thoughts, words and deeds are expressions of devotion to God. It is not simply based on sentiments but on sound philosophical footing. The corpus of Vedic scriptures contains the most extensive knowledge not only of this material world, but beyond it as well. Unlike mundane literatures, it is not a product of research but is received directly from God and as such there is found to be no fault in its statements.

Krishna Seek in Bangla - কৃষ্ণ-কথা

Krishna Consciousness: Krishna Consciousness means an awareness of and affection for the Supreme Person, Krishna. It is the culmination of all forms of yoga, knowledge, meditation, and spirituality.

Krishna consciousness is the natural, original, and blissful condition of every individual. Only when we're covered by maya, illusion, do we forget who we are and who the Supreme Person is. We want happiness, but without Krishna consciousness, we don't know who we are or what we're supposed to do. We try to enjoy life through the body and mind, with hit-or-miss results. And we fear death since we don't know what happens afterwards.

Jagannātha Purī is located on India’s eastern seashore about three hundred miles south of Kolkata, in the state of Orissa. The central attraction of Purī is the Śrī Mandira, which is a massive temple that serves as a spiritual vortex for the entire town’s activities.This temple is dedicated to Lord Jagannātha (Lord of the Universe). Lord Jagannātha who is Kṛṣṇa himself, resides in the temple as a huge wooden deity along with the deities of Lord Baladeva (Kṛṣṇa’s immediate expansion, and also lovingly taking the position as His elder brother) and Śrīmatī Subhadrā-devī (The internal potency of the Lord known as Yogamāyā, taking the position as the younger sister of both Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma).

They are colored black, white and yellow respectively, and they are the most worshipable trio in the town of Purī. Chronicles of Lord Jagannātha and the town of Purī are found in the Vedic scriptures. Specifically, the Puruṣottama Kṣetra Mahātmya section of the Skanda Purāṇa has the most extensive and detailed records on this subject matter. Puruṣottama Kṣetra is the ancient Vedic name of the town of Purī as found in the scriptures is the ancient Vedic name of the town of Purī as found in the scriptures. Puruṣottama Kṣetra is formed like the silhouette of a śaṅkha(conchshell), and as such it is known as Śaṅkha Kṣetra as well. It is understood that during the bygone ages, the land of Śaṅkha Kṣetra was very pure and pristine, filled with the beauty of nature. There was also a very powerful and exquisite deity of the Lord known as Nīla-Mādhava who resided there, and over time had disappeared from the vision of everyone due to some natural phenomenon.

As a result, the Lord manifested himself as Lord Jagannātha replacing the position of Nīla-Mādhava, not reduced in any amount of the unlimited potency that He has always possessed and the unlimited causeless mercy that He has always bestowed. Even powerful kings of the human society have accepted subordinate positions such as a menial servant in the service of the Lord, out of love, respect, awe, adoration and devotion for the Lord. This devotion to Lord Jagannātha has been strongly displayed by the kings of Purī from then till date.

As per ancient maps found in authorized scriptures, the temple of Jagannātha is located right in the centre of the town of Purī. The tall temple structure has a huge Sudarśana cakra at the top of the main tower. The city is planned in such a way that this cakra which is known to be the symbol of the invincible discus weapon of the Lord, is visible from any part of the town. Beholding this cakra is as good as beholding the Lord Himself. This is a perfect example of spiritual city planning.

In Purī, the worship of Lord Jagannātha is performed in great opulence and grandeur. The statistical department of Orissa estimates that about 30,000 people of Purī depend on their work with the temple for their livelihood. Many of them have been engaged in the service of the Lord from the very beginning, with their families engaged in a particular area of service for generations. In fact, they become specialized in that service and present it to the Lord generation after generation, to ensure that the services to the Lord continue with perfection.

Dressing The Deities:

Just as how we have the natural tendency to dress in a certain manner for various occasions, our creator is the original person who has this inclination. Indeed Kṛṣṇa is known to be a meticulous dresser and enjoys being decorated by his devotees. The devotees gain much pleasure from dressing the Lord in various pure silk or cotton garments, bedecking him with many precious jewels and sparkling ornaments and offering him fragrant flowers and garlands, just as how one would love to dress their loved ones beautifully.

In Jagannātha Purī, the Lord is dressed in various styles known as veṣas or costumes. Some popular veṣas include rāja-veṣa (royal costume), hāthī-veṣa(elephant costume), padma-veṣa (lotus costume) and suna-veṣa (golden costume).

The devotees are absorbed in thoughts of the Lord’s variety of dressing and by regularly dressing the Lord or meditating on His dress, one will eventually forget to exquisitely dress one’s own body. Our undue attraction for this miserable material body is the cause of our entanglement in bodily relationships and at the time of death, we are transported by higher arrangement, into a body according to our thoughts at the end of our lives. But if we die thinking of Kṛṣṇa, then we go back to Godhead. So even such a simple act of dressing the Deities has such a profound effect on the devotees.

Cooking for the Lord:

Lord Kṛṣṇa enjoins in the Bhagavad-gītā (3.13) as follows: “The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered ﬁrst for sacriﬁce. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin.” And what are the foods that can be offered to the Lord in sacrifice? Lord Kṛṣṇa answers in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.26) as follows: “If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a ﬂower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.”

In strict accordance with this injunction, the cooking at the Jagannātha temple is done with utmost care and attention even at a colossal scale. It is recorded that more than 5,000 cooks are engaged on a daily basis to prepare at least 56 pure vegetarian dishes to be offered to the Lord.

The offerings are prepared fresh and in a very hygienic manner in the 9 kitchens of the temple compound, which houses an astounding 752 wood-burning stoves called chūlas. In fact, the chefs and servants in the kitchen cover their nose and mouth so as to not smell the preparations or accidentally expectorate upon the offerings.

Food is the most important ingredient for the upkeep of the body. Food offered to the Lord in love and devotion, known as prasādam, not only assures the maintenance of the material body but also provides us with spiritual nourishment. Partaking of prasādam helps us to control our senses. Prasādam is provided to all pilgrims who come to the Jagannātha temple. According to authorized sources, the Jagannātha temple contains the largest non-mechanized kitchen in the world and can supply prasādam to at least 100,000 people at any given time.

Festivals:

There are over 60 official festivals performed each year in Jagannātha Purī. Some of the popular ones are the Ratha Yātrā (chariot festival), Snāna Yātrā (bathing ceremony), Jhūlana Yātrā (swing festival), Candana Yātrā (Sandalwood-paste-anointing festival), Śrī Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭami (Lord Kṛṣṇa’s appearance day festival), etc.

There are other festivals like Navakalevara, etc. which are performed once in a certain number of lunar years. It would be impossible to give a complete account of services offered to the deities during all these festivals, but to roughly get the idea of the diverse range of services offered to the deities, the Ratha Yātrā festival can be analyzed.

Traditionally Ratha Yātrā is celebrated on the second day of the waxing moon in the month of āṣāḍha (June/July). This festival of the Lord’s chariots is the most glorious and colourful celebration of the entire year.

There are various other services offered by various people during Ratha Yātrā, according to their capacity. There are those who cook the meals for the offering, dancers performing Odissi for Their Lordships’ pleasure, artists who decorate the path of the chariot procession with various artistic and intricate raṅgolis (color-spread patterns on the road/pathway), musicians who play the traditional instruments while chanting the holy name of the Lord, priests who conduct the necessary rituals, poets who glorify the Lord and the list just goes on.

In this way, with so many festivals connected to the Lord, the inhabitants of Jagannātha Purī and pilgrims from all parts of the world are immersed in thoughts of the Lord. This is a replica of Vaikuṇṭha life where an akhaṇḍa-utsava, or a continuous festival in glorification of the Lord is celebrated.

This is a world apart from the modern materialistic way of life. In today’s world, people are engaged in work which is taxing and is directly or indirectly supporting the four sinful activities of meat-eating, illicit sex, intoxication and gambling. Then, in order to get relief from the stressful work life, people indulge in one or more of the aforementioned sinful acts as a means of recreation thus accelerating towards hellish life both in the present and in the future.

In a Vaikuṇṭha civilization like that of Jagannātha Purī, the work and recreation and everything else is connected with the Lord and thus liberates the people thus engaged. None of the activities of the materialist is denied by the devotee of the Lord but a devotee engages in all such activities in relation with the Lord. This is Vaikuṇṭha life. This makes the population very much satisfied at heart and also assures their comfortable life with all their worldly necessities fulfilled as well. This is the perfect arrangement of how one should engage in their occupational duty for the satisfaction of the Lord.An extrapolation of this unique concept of civilization can be made to an unlimited scale if it is practiced in all parts of the world. Just as so many skills and talents are being used in Jagannātha Purī to serve Lord Jagannātha, all the modern advancement in science and technology can be employed in the Lord’s service.

Scientific and technological advancement is not condemned but its widespread use for sense gratification is certainly to be condemned. Such intense sense gratification only throws the population in a miserable situation as is evident with the world today. But the same technology, when used in Kṛṣṇa’s service can uplift the entire human civilization from all material miseries even in this life and reinstate them in the kingdom of God just after finishing this life.

It was Lord Jagannātha’s will that His worship be expanded beyond the borders of India and He has therefore sent His dearmost devotee into this world. That devotee is His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, fondly known by his disciples as Śrīla Prabhupāda. Beginning from his childhood, he celebrated Ratha Yātrā in his neighborhood with his friends and seventy years later, he brought the worship of Jagannātha along with the grand Ratha Yātrā festival outside the borders of India and spread it throughout the whole world.

Śrīla Prabhupāda brought about the system of daivī-varṇāśrama to the whole world by introducing this Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement to the English-speaking countries. Following the instructions of his spiritual master, he went to the United States in the year 1965. He had only two trunks full of his English translations of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and forty Indian rupees which meant nothing in America.

Over the next twelve years, he opened more than 108 temples, farm communities and gurukulas. He taught the highest knowledge found in the Vedic scriptures such as the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and spread Kṛṣṇa Consciousness throughout the world. In the course of introducing the movement, Jagannātha worship also naturally followed as Jagannātha is Lord Kṛṣṇa himself.

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