“Windows To Spirituality”
Ajativada Ajātivāda (अजातिवाद) is the fundamental philosophical doctrine of the Advaita Vedanta philosopher Gaudapada. According to Gaudapada, the Absolute is not subject to birth, change, and death. The Absolute is aja, the unborn eternal. The empirical world of appearances is considered unreal, and not absolutely existent. Gaudapada’s perspective is based on the Mandukya Upanishad, applying the...
Śrauta or Srauta Śrauta or srauta is a Sanskrit word that means “belonging to śruti“, that is, anything based on the Vedas of Hinduism. It is an adjective and prefix for texts, ceremonies or person associated with śruti. The term, for example, refers to Brahmins who specialise in the śruti corpus of texts, and...
Brahmin Brahmin or The Brahman (ब्राह्मण) is varna (class) in Hinduism specialising as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari), teachers (acharya), and protectors of sacred learning across generations. The traditional occupation of Brahmins was that of priesthood at the Hindu temples or at socio-religious ceremonies and rite of passage rituals such as solemnising a wedding with hymns and prayers....
Vaishnavism Vaishnavism is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism, its followers are called Vaishnavas or Vaishnavites, and it considers Vishnu as the Supreme Lord. The tradition is notable for its avatar doctrine, wherein Vishnu is revered in one of many distinct incarnations. Rama, Krishna,...
Smarta Tradition Smarta tradition (स्मार्त) is a movement in Hinduism that developed during its classical period around the beginning of the Common Era. It reflects a Hindu synthesis of four philosophical strands: Mimamsa, Advaita, Yoga, and theism. The Smarta tradition rejects theistic sectarianism, and it is notable for the domestic worship of five shrines with five...
Shaivism Shaivism is one of the major traditions within Hinduism that reveres Shiva as the Supreme Being. The followers of Shaivism are called “Shaivites” or “Saivites”. It is one of the largest sects that believe Shiva, worshipped as a creator and destroyer of worlds, is the supreme god over all. The Shaiva have many sub-traditions...
Yajurveda The Yajurveda (यजुर्वेदः, yajurvedaḥ, from yajus meaning “worship“, and veda meaning “knowledge”) is the Veda primarily of prose mantras for worship rituals. An ancient Vedic Sanskrit text, it is a compilation of ritual-offering formulas that were said by a priest while an individual performed ritual actions such as those before the yajna fire. Yajurveda is...
![Symbols for the Triple Gem have been used throughout Buddhist history, including the Wheel of the Dhamma.[16]](https://slife.org/wp-content/uploads/1620px-006_Dhammacakra_and_the_Karmapa_9228248090-520x693.jpg)
Karma In Hinduism Karma is a concept of Hinduism which explains through a system where beneficial effects are derived from past beneficial actions and harmful effects from past harmful actions, creating a system of actions and reactions throughout a soul’s (Atman‘s) reincarnated lives forming a cycle of rebirth. The causality is...
Animal Sacrifice In Hinduism This article covers animal sacrifice in Hinduism. The modern practice of Hindu animal sacrifice is mostly associated with Shaktism, and in currents of folk Hinduism strongly rooted in local popular or tribal traditions. Animal sacrifices were part of the ancient Vedic religion in India, and are mentioned in scriptures such...
Hindu Atheism This article covers Hindu Atheism. Atheism (निरीश्वरवाद, nir-īśvara-vāda, lit. “statement of no Lord“, “doctrine of godlessness”) or disbelief in god or gods has been a historically propounded viewpoint in many of the orthodox and heterodox streams of Indian philosophy. There are six major orthodox (astika) schools of Hindu philosophy—Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Mīmāṃsā, and Vedanta, and five major...
Murti Murti (मूर्ति, Mūrti; lit. ’form, embodiment, or solid object’) is a general term for an image, statue or idol of a deity or mortal in Indian culture. In Hindu temples, it is a symbolic icon. A murti is itself not a god in Hinduism, but it is a shape, embodiment or manifestation of a...
![Modern replica of utensils and falcon shaped altar used for Agnicayana, an elaborate Śrauta ritual originating from the Kuru Kingdom,[11] around 1000 BCE.](https://slife.org/wp-content/uploads/3612px-ചിതിയുടെയും-ഉപകരണങ്ങളുടെയും_മാതൃക-520x311.jpg)
Vedic Period The Vedic period or Vedic age (c. 1500 – c. 500 BCE), is the period in the history of the northern Indian subcontinent between the end of the urban Indus Valley Civilisation and a second urbanisation which began in the central Indo-Gangetic Plain c. 600 BCE. It gets its name from the Vedas, which are liturgical texts containing details of life during this period...
Ayyavazhi Ayyavazhi (அய்யாவழி, അയ്യാവഴി Ayyāvaḻi), “Path of the Master”) is a henotheistic belief that originated in South India. It is cited as an independent monistic religion by several newspapers, government reports, journals, and academic researchers. In Indian censuses, however, the majority of its followers declare themselves as Hindus. Thus, Ayyavazhi is also considered a Hindu denomination. Officially...
Ayyavazhi Trinity According to the Ayyavazhi religion, the Ayyavazhi Trinity is the incarnation of God in the current stage of world development (Kali Yukam). Ayya Vaikundar, the Incarnation, is the combination of the Ultimate God, Narayana, and Human Being. In Akilam immediately after the Incarnation of Vaikundar, he was viewed simultaneously as the Ultimate God, Narayana, and as...
Hindu Trinity The Hindu trinity consists of three gods (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva) who are responsible for the creation, upkeep and destruction of the world. Vishnu is the preserver of the universe, while Shiva’s role is to destroy it in order to re-create. Brahma’s job was the creation of the...
Hindu Deities Hindu deities are the gods and goddesses in Hinduism. The terms and epithets for deity within the diverse traditions of Hinduism vary, and include Deva, Devi, Ishvara, Ishvari, Bhagavān and Bhagavati. The deities of Hinduism have evolved from the Vedic era (2nd millennium BC) through the medieval era (1st millennium AD), regionally within Nepal, India and in Southeast Asia, and...
Shaktism Shaktism (Śāktaḥ, lit., “doctrine of energy, power, the eternal goddess“) is a major tradition of Hinduism, wherein the metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically a woman and Shakti is regarded as the supreme godhead. It includes many goddesses, all considered aspects of the same supreme goddess. Shaktism has different sub-traditions, ranging from those...
Bhakti Movement The Bhakti movement refers to the theistic devotional trend that emerged in medieval Hinduism and later acted as the de facto catalyst to the formation and subsequent revolutionization in the form of Sikhism. It originated in eighth-century south India (now Tamil Nadu and Kerala), and spread northwards. It swept over east and north India from the 15th century onwards,...
Ganesha Ganesha (गणेश, Gaṇeśa), also known as Ganapati and Vinayaka, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bali (Indonesia), and Bangladesh and in countries with large ethnic Indian populations including Fiji, Mauritius, and Trinidad and Tobago. Hindu denominations...
Krishna Krishna (कृष्ण, Kṛṣṇa) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of the god Vishnu and also as the supreme God in his own right. He is the god of compassion, tenderness, love and is one of the most popular and widely revered among Indian divinities. Krishna’s birthday is celebrated every year by...
