By Shubham Agrawal
The significance of literary ancient Indian texts holds immense significance and continues to be vital even in today’s day-to-day life. The rich and culturally diverse traditions and texts of this country, have played an important role in the upliftment of Indian society since the beginning.
India, the land of religions, has always maintained the dignity of all major religions and sects. In this article, I will give the readers a brief insight into the important teachings of Hindu Sacred texts.
These texts are not just written scripts. These teach us the true values and right way of living. Hinduism or preferably, “Sanatana Dharma,” is a Sanskrit word that means “eternal dharma or order.” It is not just the name of a religion but prescribes the rights and duties that all the followers need to follow regardless of class, caste, or sect. All these teachings are inscribed in major sacred texts of Hindus known as The Vedas, The Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, and many more.
Brief learnings found in all these sacred texts are:
1. Vedas- These are the oldest written texts, containing hymns, rituals, and philosophical ideas. The four (4) Vedas in Hinduism are, a. Rig Veda- It contains various hymns of prayers offered to Vedic Gods like Agni Deva, Indra Deva, and others. b. Yajurveda- It consists of mantras for practicing ritual offerings practically. It comprises ritual offering formulas. c. Samveda-It consists of chants or Vedic songs that teach you the truth d. Atharvaveda- It consists of teachings for performing daily life rituals and offerings like marriage funerals etc. All these 4 Vedas are composed by Maharishi Ved Vyasa.
2. Upanishads- These consist of philosophical questions about the self, the ultimate truth, and spiritual liberation. Reading and understanding the writings, helps readers to attain wisdom and spiritual knowledge.
3. Ramayana- Composed by Sage Valmiki, one of the most famous and most loved written texts across the globe. It evolves around the life of Prince Rama, and its teachings signify the importance of righteous duties, devotion, loyalty, and victory of good over evil. It shows the qualities of an ideal son, a husband, and a ruler, as well as the importance and values of family and the ways and disciplines to follow.
4. Mahabharat- Composed by Sage Vyasa, is an epic narrative the longest poem ever written in history. It teaches the core principles of Right Dharma, and the identification of real individuals during a time of complexity and adhering to moral standards. It evolves around The Pandavas, The Kauravas, and Lord Krishna.
5. Bhagavad Gita- It is a dialogue between Prince Arjuna and Lord Krishna, narrated on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. It teaches the importance of Karma, Devotion, and all the learnings to deal with today’s real-life problems and complexions. It emphasizes performing one’s duty without having an attachment to results.
6. Bhagavad Puran- This Purana focuses on the life and teachings of Lord Krishna. It signifies the importance of devotion as the supreme and ultimate path to salvation. One of the most sacred texts for understanding the ultimate truth- Death, and life after death.
All these sacred texts answer important questions related to philosophies of life and moral values that are still relevant today. The wisdom contained in these ancient texts has similarities in various fields of philosophy, psychology, arts, music, and literature in India and in the world as well.
By Shubham Agrawal
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