Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, and some practitioners and scholars refer to it as sanatana dharma, the eternal tradition, or the eternal way, beyond human history. Well, the division between vaishnavism and shaivism has been very old, maybe as old as hinduism. But they do not make the distinction between krishna and vishnu on the basis of the concept of the avatars. However, the puranas are supposed to be complied by muni vyasa. Differences between universal and ethnic religions universalizing 1 appeals to people everywhere, message diffused by missionaries, followers distributed widely, 2 individual founder prophet with connection with god or interpreter of documents, 3 holidays based on founders life events. The most striking difference between srivaishnavas and other vaishnava groups lies in their interpretation of vedas. Gaudiya vaishnavism believes that sri krishna is supreme and mahavishnu is an aspect of the supreme. Shaivism and vaishnavism practices in hinduism gcse. Apr 03, 20 the puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india.
The four books of the vedasrig, yajur, sama and atharvainclude over 100,000 verses. Feb 06, 2019 what are their views on reincarnation. From hinduwiki article on hinduism hinduism sanskrit. Hinduism is a very vast religion and there are quite a handful number of books on which it is based. Vaishnavism in a nutshell hinduism religion and culture. Its followers, called christians, often believe christ is the son of the holy trinity and walked the earth as the incarnate form of god the father. The most ancient sacred texts of the hindu religion are written in sanskrit and called the vedas. After being raised christian and being held captive of their religeous college, hinduism would be a breath of unpolluted air. Vaishnava texts and practices, however, have not been confined to india. The bhagavadgita complete translation by jayaram v with text and commentary. During a long and complex development, many vaishnava groups emerged with differing beliefs and aims. Hinduism is practised by more than 80% of indias population.
Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world, and hindus refer to it as sanatana dharma, the eternal tradition, or the eternal way, beyond human history. The majority of the vedas are considered the shruti, which is translated to that which is hard. The upanishads are also called as vedantas or the end of the vedas. Apr 27, 2012 after being raised christian and being held captive of their religeous college, hinduism would be a breath of unpolluted air. Oct 30, 2014 the other forms of hinduism such as vaishnavism generally do not accept the trimurti concept at all. Mar 17, 2015 vaishnavism is the branch of hinduism in which vishnu or one of his incarnations usually krishna or rama is worshipped as the supreme god. Vaishnavism is the name given to the faith and practices of those hindus who hold vishnu the all pervasive one and the goddess lakshmi as supreme deities. Tk waters has a bachelors degree in literature and religious studies and a. Within the nondual schools, it is true that the absolute is given different names like paramashiva, brahman. The major difference between them though, is that hinduism did not spread like the other two religions. Vaishnavism is the largest hindu denomination and it has numerous subdivisions. Gaudiya vaishnavas are a sect of hindus from west bengal, who believe that caitanya mahaprabhu is an incarnation of krishna, whom they believe to be even higher than vishnu most other vaishnavas except the nimbarka school believe that krishna is an incarnation of vishnu. In addition to the vedas, vaishnavites especially revere the. Its devotees worship vishnu, or one of his avatars, as the supreme god.
And in hinduism as a global religion, it talks about how hindu migrants have settled in many countries and spread hinduism worldwide. Guided by the founder, satguru sivaya subramuniyaswami, the magazines editors, who are initiated monks of the kauais hindu monastery, collaborated with holy men and women and experts around the world in creating graphically rich guides to virtually. Can someone explain the fundamental philosophy and difference in ideology of both these belief systems. The differences between catholics and eastern orthodox will be quite different than say, a list of differences between catholics and baptists. While hinduism is considered polytheistic, sikhism is a monotheistic religion. And in doing bhakti there are several practices, of which it is said that hari kirtana or chanting holy names of lord vishnu and glorifying him is the best, and it is especially recommended for this age of kali or kali yuga. The religion reflected in the rigveda exhibits belief in several deities and the propitiation of divinities associated with the sky and the atmosphere. Vaishnavism is the branch of hinduism in which vishnu or one of his incarnations usually krishna or rama is worshipped as the supreme god. What is the difference between economic theory and behavioral theory of how information systems affects organizations.
I suggest that you just read around abit of sri vaishnavism by ramanujacharya, madhva vaishnavism, hamsa vaishnavism by nimbarkacharya, pushtimarg by vallabhacharya, and gaudiya vaishnavism by chaitanya mahaprabhu. Other holy scriptures in hinduism are called the upanisads, the smrutis, the puranas, the ramayana and the mahabharata. Vaishnavism is the largest branch of modern hinduism. Structure and form of all the indian languages find their roots in sanskrit. The main differences between hinduism and christianity are typical of the differences between eastern and western religions in general. The pervader or the immanent or one of his various incarnations avatars as the supreme manifestation of the divine. Scholars regard hinduism as a combination of different indian cultures and traditions, with diverse roots. Shaivism to an outsider the book of doctrines and opinions. Why is the historical vedic religion called as vedic. What is the difference between shaivism and vaishnavism. Hinduism includes shaivism, vaishnavism and srauta. It has several distinct and important branches, and is commonly associated with. This chart compares sikhism and hinduism on the basis of their philosophy, view of god, religious practices and beliefs, as well as principles and teachings. Compare and contrast hinduism to buddhism 7th grade.
The hymns of vedantadesika in their south indian tradition steven paul hopkins. It encompasses many religious rituals that widely vary in. Hinduismwhat is the philosophical difference between. Shaivism heart of hinduism iskcon educational services. Mar 05, 2018 vaishnavism is the largest branch of modern hinduism. Differences between universal and ethnic religions universalizing 1 appeals to people everywhere, message diffused by missionaries, followers distributed widely, 2 individual founder prophet with connection with god or interpreter of documents, 3 holidays based on. There are many statements in the scriptures about that, and here is one of those verses, its bhagavatam 12. The belief system of the vaishnavs regards lord vishnu and his avatars as the ultimate forms of brahman or the supreme soul.
Mar 27, 2011 can someone explain the fundamental philosophy and difference in ideology of both these belief systems. Guided by the founder, satguru sivaya subramuniyaswami, the magazines editors, who are initiated monks of the kauais hindu monastery, collaborated with holy men and women and experts around the world in creating. The vedas is made up of four different sections, each section with four different parts. The term hinduism is heterogeneous, as hinduism consists of several schools of thought.
The other forms of hinduism such as vaishnavism generally do not accept the trimurti concept at all. What is the basic difference between vaishnavism and. Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of the supreme personality of godhead, narayana. Some of the other holy works and books of hinduism. Hinduism is the religion of choice in some parts of the middle east primarily india. Varna and jati are deeply rooted in hindus daily life, therefore, you cannot talk about hinduism without mention varna and jati. In hinduism there are only four denominations where as in christianity there are many. Members of vaishnavism are called vaishnavites or vaishnavas. Of these, the indoeuropean sky god dyaus was little regarded. In denominations within hinduism, the booklet explains vaishnavism, shavism, and shaktism. Also, youll find various philosophies, dualistic and nondualistic in both vaishnavism and saivism. Vaishnavism heart of hinduism iskcon educational services.
Shaivism is the second largest religious community in cotemporary india. The largest community within the family of religions called hinduism worships god under the name of vishnu one who is allpervading. It is believed that the conflict between the aryans and dravidians was expressed in the vaishnav shaiv differences as lord vishnu is largely considered to be an aryan god, while lord shiva belongs to the prearyan era and he is believed to have. There are two basic kinds of religions in the world. Vaishnavism is the branch of hinduism in which vishnu or one of his incarnations usually krishna or rama is. The holy books of all the indic religions like hinduism, buddhism, jainism, vaishnavism and sikhism are written in sanskrit language. What is the main difference between hinduism and christianity. More important were such gods as indra chief of the gods, varuna guardian of the cosmic order, agni the sacrificial fire, and surya the sun.
And the tripitaka pali canon, mahayana sutras and the tibetan book of the dead are three major noncanonical buddhist texts. In all vaishnava traditions it is said that the path of bhakti is recommended as the best. What are differences between the hinduism and catholicism. The vedas is made up of four different sections, each. This is the gaudiya vaishnava position, possibly believed by other vaishnavas as well. Hinduism what is the philosophical difference between. This worship in different perspectives or historical traditions addresses god under the names of narayana, krishna, vasudeva or more often vishnu.
As both of the sanskrit word varna and jati are usually translated as caste, it has always misleading because they have an important differences behind them. Of the historical division into six darsanas philosophies, two schools, vedanta and yoga, are currently the most prominent. The differences between hinduism and jainism essay 268 words. Hinduism is the worlds third most popular religion, with around 750 million followers. Jul 09, 2009 this is the gaudiya vaishnava position, possibly believed by other vaishnavas as well. My understanding is that vaishnavism believes that mahavishnu is the paramapurusha and krishna is a poornavataram of mahavishnu. Dec 01, 2011 the differences between hinduism and jainism the differences between hinduism and jainism jainism and hinduism are two religions of the world that show differences between them when it comes to their concepts and religious beliefs. The basic difference is that in vaishnavism vishnu is hailed as the supreme god and in shaivism shiva is hailed as the supreme god. Classified by primary deity or deities, four major hinduism modern currents are vaishnavism vishnu, shaivism shiva, shaktism devi and smartism five deities treated.
The heart of hinduism, in the spirit of the tradition, aims to be nonsectarian, evenhanded, and respectful in its description of all the hindu traditions. This book focuses on the vaishnava tradition and its contemporary manifestations. Iskcon, the international society for krishna consciousness, belongs to the vaisnava tradition of hinduism. New educational booklet explores iskcon and hinduism. And like other hindu branches, they believe in the existence of many. Vaishnavism is one of the major hindu denominations along with shaivism, shaktism, and. Differences between sanskrit and hindi difference between. The three most studied texts of this genre of vaishnava religious texts are paushkara samhita, sattvata samhita and. The most holy of the hindu books is written in sanskrit and is referred to as the vedas. There is a considerable difference between the hinduism in scripture and hinduism followed practically. Difference between vaishnavism and shaivism compare the. Hinduism as it is commonly known can be subdivided into a number of major currents.
Lots of hindu customs, traditions, and beliefs differ from region to region and climate conditions. Gaudiya vaishnavism believes that sri krishna is supreme and mahavishnu is an aspect of the supreme krishna. Both religions originated in the indian subcontinent hinduism about 3,000 years ago and sikhism in the second half of the last millennium. The puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. Three principles of jainism are nonviolence, nonabsolutism and nonpossession. Vaishnavism and shaivism are two types of religious sects that prevail in india.
Vaishnavism is a tradition of hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of vishnu or his associated avatars, principally as rama and krishna, as the original and supreme god. The heart of hinduism text book is produced by iskcon educational services, uk. The story of the mahabharata, indias longest epic poem. I found hinduism to be a very interesting religion and i was surprised to find out there were some commonalities between christianity and hinduism. While the hindu pantheon is expansive, not all hindus worship every deity. The knowledge imparted by the vedas ranges from earthy devotion to high philosophy. Vaishnavism is one of the most historically significant sect of sanatana dharma or hinduism. The sri vaishnavism movement grew with its social inclusiveness, where emotional devotionalism to personal god vishnu has been open without limitation to gender or caste. Hinduism vs sikhism difference and comparison diffen. The four denominations of hinduism himalayan academy. Most hindus subscribe to a particular sect that focuses on the worship of one or a. Hinduism and buddhism both believe in reincarnation.
The vedas and these other works are further divided into two sections. Mar 20, 2020 in denominations within hinduism, the booklet explains vaishnavism, shavism, and shaktism. The four denominations of hinduism a splendrous lotus with four superb petals for over 200 years, western scholars have struggled to understand hinduism, a faith whose followers seemed to outsiders to arbitrarily worship any one of a dozen gods as the supreme, a religion vastly diverse in its beliefs, practices and ways of worship. Vaishnavism has numerous sects and their beliefs vary. Easy journey to other planets this book sets out to discuss and prove that vedic swamis have been travelling to other planets for thousands of years through meditation. Scholars regard hinduism as a fusion or synthesis 6 note 4.
Oct 14, 2007 hinduism is the harmonious working together of these three worlds. The real differences come in understanding the relationship between the absolute and the relative. Christianity vs hinduism difference and comparison diffen. The religion of hinduism originated in northern india, near the river indus, about 4000 years ago and is the worlds oldest existing religion. Vaishnavism is the worship and acceptance of vishnu sanskrit. The bhagavadgita introduction and chapter summaries. When most people think of hinduism, they think of the many gods and goddess in the hindu pantheon. The theologies of these sites do not reflect current hinduism, even if they make great book covers.
Kreeft outlines the main theological and practical differences, as well as the important common elements, between christianity and hinduism. It is believed that these devotees made pilgrimages, visiting sacred sites in various. Hinduism is widely practiced in south asia mainly in india and nepal. There are many statements in the scriptures about that, and here is one of those. Vaishnavism was jointly founded by many great religious leaders, but the credit goes to ramanujacharya who lived in the southern part of india. Hinduism simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Hindu dharma, also known as hindumat, sanatan dharma, arya dharma, and vaidik dharma is a religion or philosophy that originated from the indian subcontinent and nearby surrounding areas. It is many know from unique archeological sites such as the 7th century, trimurti cave, alight atop a steep cliff, in mahabalipuram. The scriptures of the vedas are meant to guide hindu believers in their daily lives. Although there are great differences between various schools of vaishnavism.
There are different groups of hindus, whose beliefs and puja. Both achintyabhedaabheda tattva are so similar, i can not tell the difference between the two philosophies. Christianity broadly consists of individuals who believe in the deity jesus christ. What are some big differences between hinduism and daoism. This is one of the main differences between the two religious sects. Some of the other holy works and books of hinduism are stories and epic poems. What is the position of durga in gaudiya vaishnavism. Despite the differences, all vaishnavas believe that there is one supreme god over all creation. Hinduism is the harmonious working together of these three worlds. This book also claims and proves that lord krishna is incarnation of shiva instead of vishnu. These texts are glorious tales of the hindu trinity brahma, vishnu and maheshwar shiva. Since 1979 the international magazine hinduism today has been producing a treasury of educational features on all aspects of sanatana dharma.