It is very much necessary to educate the people of India on the historical truth of ancient Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion and the difference between Hinduism and Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion.
The term Hindu religion is totally a new name that cannot be found in any Indian literature prior to 1794 A.D.
People dwelling in India belonged to different castes and communities, worshipped different gods, and practiced different rites to believe in different dogmas.
The Indian political class is taking advantage of this lack and trying to divide society for their vote bank politics.
The word Hindu (Sindhu) represents nationality, not religion. Every caste in India has different founders and believes in different books.
All the founders of the castes are non-Vedic because propagated Non-Vedic Gods are barred by Vedas.
Deeper research reveals Vedas and Vedic religion are nothing to do with present-day Hinduism.
As one peeps into the annals of Indian religious history, Hinduism is not an ancient Sanatana Dharm or Vedic Religion.
Upon close examination we discover that the religion of the Vedas was not the religion of the Hindus, nor were the Vedic people Hindus, nor will the Hindus of today approve of the replacement of the term ‘Hinduism’ with ‘Vedic Religion’. None can say exactly when the Aryans became Hindus because neither the name Hindu nor its major beliefs and practices existed in the Vedic times. To this, one must add the marginal place the Vedic gods occupy in today’s Hindu pantheon. Also, as we have seen, the Vedas themselves are not attractive to most of today’s Hindus as sacred texts. The Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad-Gita, Puranas, and Manusmriti, may have more to do with the Hinduism of today than the Vedas.
Thus, it is clear that there is no direct ancestry of modern Hinduism traceable in the Vedas, though it does have some influence on it “The Vedic corpus reflects the archetypal religion of those who called themselves Aryans, and which, although it contributed to facets of latter-day Hinduism, was nevertheless distinct”.
The caste system which is so integral to Hinduism was also not practiced in the Vedic times. There is hardly any evidence of a rigid caste system in the Vedas. It is argued that the purushasukta hymn of the Rig Veda (X.90) which is often referred to give a religious sanction to the caste system, was a later interpolation. The Vedas, however, speak of various classes of people, which appear to have been names of professions, and they were not hereditary.
“The very concept of castes by birth, upper/lower castes, superior/inferior castes, outcastes, untouchables, Dalits, etc. are clearly prohibited by Rigveda”.
Rigveda prohibits: ~ “The very concept of castes by birth.”
There is hardly any evidence of a rigid caste system in the Vedas. It is argued that the purushasuktahymn of the Rig Veda (X.90) which is often referred to give a religious sanction to the caste system was a later interpolation.
The Vedas, however, speak of various classes of people, which appear to have been names of professions, and they were not hereditary.
The very concepts of castes by birth, upper/lower castes, superior/inferior castes, outcastes, untouchables, Dalits, etc. are clearly prohibited by Rig-Veda”.
The caste system which is so integral to Hinduism was also not practiced in the Vedic times.
The Book of Manu was made by Manu Dharma Shastra. The Book of Manu was a book that originated in India in and around the 9th century A.D. This book of Manu was given a false spiritual interpretation by orthodoxy. And this book was projected as ‘Manu Dharma Shastra’ by orthodoxy. It is the Manu Dharma Shastra that is the foundation and cause of caste discrimination.
It is argued that the purushasukta hymn of the Rig Veda (X.90) which is often referred to give a religious sanction to the caste system was a later interpolation.
Rigveda prohibits: ~ “The very concept of castes by birth, upper/lower castes, superior/inferior castes, outcastes, untouchables, Dalits,
Bhagavata clearly says in 7.11.35: ~ “Just because one is born to a Brahmin doesn’t automatically make him a Brahmin. But he has more chances of becoming a Brahmin by acquiring Self- knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.
Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is the only qualification of Brahmin to become a Brahmin. If a person born to a non-Brahmin who acquires Self- knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana possesses he/she should be immediately accepted as a Brahmin.”
In the Vedic era, a Brahmin was a person who had acquired Self- knowledge or Brahma Gnana Atma Gnana. This was an extremely difficult path of the discipline of body, mind, and intellect, and people irrespective of their birth or class, who were dedicated to such an austere life, were recognized as Brahmins.
A great example of this tradition (that a person becoming a Brahmin, rather than born as one) is the case of Vishwamitra, a warrior (Kshatriya), who became a Brahmin after attaining Atma Jnana or Self-Knowledge.
A Smritis or code of conduct composed by sage Atri defines Brahminhood very clearly.
"By birth, every man is a Shudra (an ignorant person). Through various types of disciplines (samskaras), he becomes a dwija (twice-born). Through the studies of scriptures, he becomes a vipra (or a scholar). Through the realization of supreme spirit (Brahmajnana), he becomes a Brahmin.”
The belief that people born in the Brahmin caste, automatically become Brahmins, is a much later concept in very ancient India. Thus, Brahmin means not a caste but one who has attained Atma Jnana or Brahma Jnana.
By birth everyone is Shudra only with Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Brahma Gnana every Shudra can become a Brahmin. Those who identify themselves as Brahmins caste without Brahmajnana are not Brahmins.
Religion caste and creed are nothing to do with God. Humanity itself is a religion. Love peace and equanimity are much necessary to discard the religion and sect which breeds hatred, and violence in the name of God and religion.
Santana Dharma deserves to be treated on its own as a distinct religion with its own sacred texts and practices without inter-linking it with Hinduism.
The word Hindu is a misnomer. The correct word should be Sindhu the people belonging to the Indus valley. The ancient peoples of Indus Valley or undivided India were called Hindus by Muslim Invaders.
Peep into the religious history: ~
The Supreme court of India correctly pointed out Hinduism as a religion, incorporates all forms of belief without mandating the selection or elimination of any one single belief,“ It is a religion that has no single founder, no single scripture, and no single set of teachings. It has been described as Santana Dharma, namely, eternal faith, as it is the collective wisdom and inspiration of the centuries that Hinduism seeks to preach and propagate,” ---Hinduism has no single founder or scripture.
The Supreme court fail to observe that preset Hinduism is not ancient Santana Dharam or Vedic Religion.
Hinduism is not a religion. Rather it is a group of caste found within India that share common beliefs while still remaining very different. Many may even argue that it is not a religion but more a way of life. The term "Hinduism" was not developed by the practitioners, but by groups outside of the religions as a means for labeling the entire Indian people.
Know the difference between Hindusim and ancient Sanatana Dharma.
Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion has no founders whereas Advaita and qualified Advaita and Dwaita and all other sects and castes identified as Hinduism are identified with their founders.
Hinduism is a group of castes and sects founded by different founders at different times.
Ancient Sanatan Dharma is a religion without a caste system and without any founder.
Ancient Sanatan Dharma is based on Vedas and Vedic God is Athma.
Advaita is Vedic Spirituality or Adyathma.
The people on the Indian side of the Sindhu were called Hindu by the Persian and the later western invaders. That is the genesis of the word `Hindu'.
When we think of the Hindu religion, we find it difficult, if not impossible, to define Hindu religion or even adequately describe it. Unlike other religions in the world, the Hindu religion does not claim any one prophet; it does not worship anyone God; it does not subscribe to any one dogma; it does not believe in any one philosophic concept; it does not follow anyone set of religious rites or performances; in fact, it does not appear to satisfy the narrow traditional features of any religion or creed. It may broadly be described as a way of life and nothing more.
Hinduism seems to be a name without any content. Is it a museum of beliefs, a medley or rites, or a mere map, a geographical expression?
The Vedas as a body of scripture contains many contradictions and they are fragmentary in nature. For most Hindus of today, scriptures like the Bhagavad-Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Puranas are more attractive and appealing than the Vedas.
The Gods and Goddesses they worship differ considerably from the Vedic ones. The collection of hymns called Vedas that are written in praise of certain deities by poets over several centuries does not seem to have much significance for the Hindus of today.
Hinduism is ‘Puranic based on mythology. Hinduism is based on myth because it believes in mythological Gods. Vedic Gods like Indra, Varuna, Agni, Soma, and the like, whom the Vedic people worshipped, hardly have any significance in present-day Hinduism.
Remember:~
People of India have to liberate themselves from the stranglehold of casteism to realize their original religion is not Hinduism which is full of different caste and creeds but Vedic religion or Santana Dharma. The people should be educated about the historical truth of the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma.
The caste system which is so integral to Hinduism was also not practiced in the Vedic era. There is hardly any evidence of a rigid caste system in the Vedas. The Vedas, however, speak of various classes of people, which appear to have been names of professions, and they were not hereditary.
All of these castes have non-Vedic Gods, rituals barred by the Vedas. The dualism came only in the 12th century. The orthodox Advaita and Dwaita area is based on the Abrahamic framework. Both Advaita and Dvaita schools are based on Vedas and they condemn each other with Upanishads and Puranic citations and try to prove they are right and others are wrong.
The orthodox Advaita is nothing to do with the ultimate truth or Brahman because they worship idols, human worship, and symbol worship and indulge in non-Vedic rituals barred by Vedas.
Hindus are idol worshipers of a large number of Gods and Goddesses whereas Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.
The Vedas do not talk about idol worship. In fact, until about 2000 years ago followers of Vedism never worshipped idols. Idol worship was started by the followers of Buddhism and Jains.
There is logic to idol worship. Vedas speak of one God that is the supreme Self i.e. Atman or Soul but Hinduism indulges in worshiping 60 million Gods.
Prohibition of idol worship in Yajurveda: ~
Yajur Veda – Chapter- 32: - God is Supreme Spirit has no ‘Pratima’ (idol) or material shape. He cannot be seen directly by anyone. He pervades all beings and all directions.
Yajurveda: ~ There is no image of God in truth. God in truth is unborn and eternal. (Chapter 32, Verse 3)
Yajurveda: ~ God in truth is nondual and pure"
Yajurveda: ~ "They are entering darkness, those who worship the natural things (like air, water, fire, etc.), they are sinking more in darkness who worship created things." (Chapter 40, Verse 9)
Thus, Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.
Rig Veda: ~ 'Prajnanam Brahma'- Consciousness is the ultimate reality or Brahman or God in truth.
God in truth is the Atman, the Self. Atman is present in the form of consciousness.
Do not accept any other God other than Atman not worship other than Atman.
Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.
Nothing is real but God. Nothing Matters but love for God in truth. God in truth is everywhere and in everything.
God in truth is hidden by the illusory universe. God in truth alone is and all else is an illusion.
Rig Veda: ~ The Atman (Soul or Spirit) is the cause; Atman is the support of all that exists in this universe. May ye never turn away from the Atman, the Self. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)
Thus it refers to a formless and attributeless God, which is the Atman (Soul), the Self within the false experience.
Thus it indicates clearly all the Gods with form and attributes are mere imaginations based on the false self. Thus, Atman or Soul, the Self is God in truth.
Other aspects:~
Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru:~ 'The word Hindu can be earliest traced to a source the tantric text in the 8th century and it was used initially to describe the people, it was never used to describe religion. (The discovery of India” on pages -74 and -75)
According to Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru, Its connection with religion is of late occurrence. The word Hinduism is derived from the word Hindu.
The word Hinduism was first used by English writers in the 19th century to describe the multiplicity of faiths of the people of India.
In Encyclopaedia Britannica it says:~ The word Hinduism was first used by the British writers in the year 1830 to describe the multiplicity of the faiths of the people of India excluding the converted Christians. (Volume -20, Reference -581)
Swami Vivekananda says: - The word Hindu is a misnomer; the correct word should be a Vedantins, a person who follows the Vedas.
The word Hinduism is a misnomer.
Aryans were ancient people who originally inhabited Central Asia and later migrated southwards to the regions stretching from Iran to northwest India. These early Aryans had a similar language, race, culture, and religion with many variations. The Aryans were influenced by the Dravidic culture and in later centuries other peoples also invaded and migrated to India bringing other influences and mixing many cultures' ideologies and beliefs.
Ancient peoples of India belong to the Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma, therefore, they have nothing to do with present-day Hinduism.
Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma is not Hinduism. The word Hindu came originated from the word Sindhu which is another name for the river Indus. Maybe people who stayed along the Sindhu (Indus) valley came to be known as Hindus.
An exact date of the birth of Santana Dharma cannot be given. They say that Santana Dharma is as old as planet earth. Some claim it is 5000 to 7000 years old Ancient India consisted of indigenous people. Aryans, Dravidians, Jews, Christian, and Muslims have invaded India and all ingenious people were converted to different faith from time to time. Thus, Hinduism is a group of different caste, creeds, and faith.
The Hindus believed in polytheism, believing all of their Gods to be separate individuals, which was introduced much later by the founders of Hinduism which contains diverse beliefs caste, and creed.
Max Müller says: ~ "The religion of the Veda knows no idols; the worship of idols in India is a secondary formation, a degradation of the more primitive worship of ideal Gods."
When the religion of the Veda knows no idols then why so many Gods and Goddesses with different forms and names are being propagated as Vedic Gods. Why these conceptual Gods are introduced when the Vedic concept of God is free from form and attributes.
Hindus are idol worshipers of a large number of Gods and Goddesses whereas in Vedas the God has been described as:-
The Vedic Culture and Vedas are complete in themselves but Hinduism which is a non-Vedic belief system with all its ritual and conduct-oriented practices has been contributed largely by the orthodox priests to suit their convenience!
The Hindus believed in polytheism, believing all of their Gods to be separate individuals, which was introduced much later by the founders of Hinduism which contains diverse beliefs caste, and creed. :~Santthosh Kumaar
