RitiRiwaz

Sacred literature

Hindu Scriptures: Vedas, Upanishads, Gita, Epics, and Puranas

Hindu sacred literature is a library rather than a single book. Texts come from different periods, genres, languages, philosophical schools, and living communities of interpretation.

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Shruti: that which is heard

  • The four Vedas

    Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva Veda preserve hymns, ritual formulas, chants, and reflections.

  • Brahmanas and Aranyakas

    Prose explanations and forest texts explore ritual meaning and transitions toward contemplation.

  • Upanishads

    Philosophical dialogues investigate self, reality, consciousness, knowledge, and liberation.

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Smriti and later traditions

  • Bhagavad Gita

    A dialogue within the Mahabharata addressing duty, action, devotion, knowledge, and yoga.

  • Ramayana

    The story of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman exists in many Sanskrit, regional, and performance traditions.

  • Mahabharata

    A vast epic exploring kinship, conflict, ethics, governance, devotion, and the complexity of dharma.

  • Puranas

    Narrative collections preserve cosmology, genealogies, pilgrimage traditions, theology, and stories of deities.

  • Agamas and Tantras

    Diverse texts guide temple design, ritual, mantra, yoga, and deity-centered practice.

  • Regional devotional literature

    Tamil hymns, bhakti poetry, vernacular epics, and saint traditions remain central to lived Hinduism.