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বৰ্তমান এক বিলিয়ন অনুগামীতকৈয়ো বেছি সংখ্যক লোকেৰে, হিন্দু ধৰ্মাম্বলম্বী লোকসকল [[পৃথিৱী|পৃথিৱীৰ]] তৃতীয় বৃহত্তম গোট| ইয়াৰে সৰহ সংখ্যক অনুগামীয়েই ভাৰতত বসবাস কৰে, সংখ্যাত প্ৰায় ৯৪০ মিলিয়ন<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/in.html CIA World Factbook - India Demographics] 80.5% of 1.166 billion Indians are Hindus</ref>| অন্য দেশ কিছুমান যেনে, [[নেপাল]], [[বাংলাদেশ]], [[শ্ৰীলঙ্কা]], [[মৰিছাছ]], [[গুৱানা]], [[ফিজি]], বালি দ্বীপপুঞ্জতো যথেষ্ঠ সংখ্যক হিন্দু ধৰ্মাম্বলম্বী লোক আছে|
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==Etymology==
[[Image:HinduSwastika.svg|thumb|left| text|The [[Swastika#Hinduism|swastika]] in the Hindu decorative form.]]
The word ''Hindu'' is derived from the [[Sanskrit]] word ''Sindhu'', first mentioned in the [[Rig Veda]]<ref>http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rv10075.htm</ref>, was the historic local appellation for the [[Indus River]] in the northwestern part of the [[Indian subcontinent]]<ref>"India", ''Oxford English Dictionary'', second edition, 2100a.d. Oxford University Press.</ref>.
The Brihaspati Agama says:
{{Cquote|
हिमालयं समारभ्य यावदिंदुसरोवरम् ।
तं देवनिर्मितं देशं हिंदुस्थानं प्रचक्ष्यते ।।
The land created by the gods which stretched from the [[Himalaya]]s to the Indu (i.e. Southern) ocean is called [[Hindusthan]], with the हिंदु (Hindu) mentioned in word हिंदुस्थानं (Hindusthan)<ref name="antiquityhindu-pdf">http://sites.google.com/site/sarasvati95/antiquityhindu.pdf?attredirects=0</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | url = http://books.google.com/?id=Dz-5B8_jMpEC&pg=PA59&dq=%22Brihaspati+Agama%22#v=onepage&q=%22Brihaspati%20Agama%22&f=false | title = Encyclopaedia of eminent thinkers | isbn = 9788180695001 | author1 = Sharma | first1 = Jai Narain | date = 2008-01-01 | ref = harv}}</ref>.
}}
The usage of the word ''Hindu'' was further popularized for Arabs and further west by the [[Arabic]] term ''al-[[Hind]]'' referring to the land of the people who live across river Indus<ref>Thapar, R. 1993. ''Interpreting Early India.'' Delhi: Oxford University Press. p. 77</ref> and the [[Persia]]n term Hindū referring to all Indians. By the 13th century, ''[[Hindustan|Hindustān]]'' emerged as a popular alternative [[Names of India|name of India]], meaning the "land of ''Hindus''".<ref>{{Cite document|last = Thompson Platts |first = John |title = A dictionary of Urdu , classical Hindī, and English| publisher = W.H. Allen & Co., Oxford University 1884|ref = harv|postscript = <!-- Bot inserted parameter. Either remove it; or change its value to "." for the cite to end in a ".", as necessary. --></ref>
Originally, ''Hindu'' was a secular term which was used to describe all inhabitants of the [[Indian subcontinent]] (or ''Hindustan'') irrespective of their religious affiliation. It occurs sporadically in some 16th-18th century [[Bengali language|Bengali]] [[Gaudiya Vaishnavism|Gaudiya Vaishnava]] texts, including ''[[Chaitanya Charitamrita]]'' and ''[[Chaitanya Bhagavata]]'', usually to contrast Hindus with [[Yavana#Later meanings|Yavanas]] or [[Mlecchas]].<ref>{{cite article|title=The Word 'Hindu' in Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Texts| author = O'Conell, Joseph T.| journal= Journal of the American Oriental Society| volume= 93| number =3 | year =1973| pages=340–344}}</ref> It appears in South Indian and Kashmiri texts from at least 1323 CE,<ref>David Lorenzen, ''Who Invented Hinduism?'' New Delhi 2006, pp. 24-33; Rajatarangini of Yonaraja : "Hinduka"</ref> and increasingly so during [[British Raj|British rule]]. It was only towards the end of the 18th century that the European merchants and colonists referred collectively to the followers of [[Indian religions]] as ''Hindus''. Eventually, it came to define a precisely religious identity that includes any person of [[demographics of India|Indian origin]] who neither practiced [[Abrahamic religions]] nor non-Vedic Indian religions, such as [[Jainism]], [[Sikhism]] or [[Buddhism]], thereby encompassing a wide range of religious beliefs and practices related to [[Sanātana Dharma]].<ref name = flood/>
The term ''Hinduism'' was formed around 1830 to denote the culture and religion of the high-caste [[Brahmans]] in contrast to other religions. It was soon appropriated by the [[Hinduism in India|Hindus in India]] themselves as they tried to establish a national, social and cultural identity opposed to [[Colonial India|European colonialism in India]].<ref name = flood>
{{cite web
|url=http://www.icsahome.com/infoserv_articles/flood_gavin_hinduismvaisismandiskcon.htm
|title= Hare Krishna: Hinduism, Vaisnavism, and ISKCON: Authentic Traditions or Scholarly Constructions?
|publisher=Cults and Society, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2001
|accessdate=2008-05-11
|last=Gavin
|first=Flood
}}
</ref>
==History==
The notion of grouping the indigenous [[Indian religions|religions of India]] under a single umbrella term ''Hindu'' emerges as a result of various [[History of India|invasions in India]] bringing forth non-indigenous religions such as [[Islam]] to the [[Indian Subcontinent]]<ref name="ISBN 0-19-563921-9">{{Harvnb|Basham|1999}}</ref> Numerous Muslim invaders, such as [[Aurangzeb]], destroyed Hindu temples and [[Persecution of Hindus|persecuted non-Muslims]]; some, such as [[Akbar]], were more tolerant. Hinduism underwent profound changes, in large part due to the influence of the prominent teachers [[Ramanuja]], [[Madhvacharya|Madhva]] and [[Chaitanya]].<ref name="ISBN 0-19-563921-9"/> Followers of the [[Bhakti movement]] moved away from the abstract concept of [[Brahman]], which the philosopher [[Adi Shankara]] consolidated a few centuries before, with emotional, passionate devotion towards what they believed as the more accessible [[Avatar]]s, especially Krishna and Rama.<ref name="JordensISBN 0-19-563921-9">J.T.F. Jordens, "Medieval Hindu Devotionalism" in {{Harvnb||Basham|1999}}</ref>
[[File:Akshardham Delhi .jpg|thumb|left|The Swaminarayan sect's [[Akshardham (Delhi)|Akshardham Temple]] in [[Delhi]], according the [[Guinness World Record]]s is the ''World’s Largest Comprehensive Hindu Temple'']]
[[Indology]] as an academic discipline of studying Indian culture from a European perspective was established in the 19th century, led by scholars such as [[Max Müller]] and [[John Woodroffe]]. They brought [[Vedas|Vedic]], [[Puranic]] and [[Tantra|Tantric]] literature and philosophy to Europe and the [[United States]]. At the same time, societies such as the [[Brahmo Samaj]] and the [[Theosophical Society]] attempted to reconcile and fuse [[Abrahamic religion|Abrahamic]] and Dharmic philosophies, endeavouring to institute societal reform. This period saw the emergence of movements which, while highly innovative, were rooted in indigenous tradition. They were based on the personalities and teachings of individuals, as with [[Ramakrishna]] and [[Ramana Maharshi]]. Prominent Hindu philosophers, including [[Aurobindo]] and [[A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada|Prabhupada]] (founder of [[ISKCON]]), translated, reformulated and presented Hinduism's foundational texts for contemporary audiences in new iterations, attracting followers and attention in India and abroad.
Others, such as [[Vivekananda]], [[Paramahansa Yogananda]], [[B.K.S. Iyengar]] and [[Swami Rama]], have also been instrumental in raising the profiles of Yoga and [[Vedanta]] in the West. Today modern movements, such as ISKCON and the [[Swaminarayan Faith]], attract a large amount of followers across the world.<ref name="isbn0754638561">{{Cite book |author=Raymond Brady Williams |title=Williams on South Asian Religions and Immigration: Collected Works |publisher=Ashgate Publishing Ltd.|location= |year=2004 |url=http://books.google.com/?id=nkVBOfE1KkAC&dq=swaminarayan+hare+krishna |isbn=0754638561 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate= |ref=harv |postscript=<!-- Bot inserted parameter. Either remove it; or change its value to "." for the cite to end in a ".", as necessary. -->p.217</ref>
== Definition ==
[[File:Krishna and Arjun on the chariot, Mahabharata, 18th-19th century, India.jpg|thumb|The ''[[Bhagavad Gita|Bhagavad Gītā]]'', a conversation between [[Lord Krishna]] and [[Arjuna]] before the start of the [[Kurukshetra war]], is one of the foremost Hindu scriptures<ref>Pandit, Bansi. Explore Hinduism. p. 27</ref> and is described as a concise guide to Hindu philosophy and beliefs.<ref>Maharishi Mahesh Yogi; On The Bhagavad Gita; A New Translation and Commentary With Sanskrit Text Chapters 1 to 6, Preface p. 9</ref>]]
<div class="smaller">
The diverse set of religious beliefs, traditions and philosophies of the Hindus are the product of an amalgamation process that began with the [[decline of Buddhism in India]] (5th-8th Century), where traditions of [[Vedic Brahmanism]] and the mystical schools of [[Vedanta]] were combined with [[Shramana]] traditions and regional cults to give rise to the socio-religious and cultural sphere later described as "Hinduism".
[[Adi Shankara]]'s commentaries on the Upanishads led to the rise of [[Advaita Vedanta]], the most influential sub-school of Vedanta.
Hinduism continues to be divided in numerous [[Hindu denominations|several sects and denominations]], of which ''[[Vaishnavism]]'' and ''[[Shaivism]]'' are by far the most popular.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adherents.com/adh_branches.html#Hinduism |title=Hinduism |publisher=Adherents.com |date= |accessdate=2010-09-01}}</ref> Other aspects include [[Folk Hinduism|folk]] and [[Śrauta|conservative Vedic Hinduism]].
Since the 18th century, Hinduism has accommodated a host of [[Hinduism-oriented new religious movements|new religious]] and [[Hindu reform movements|reform movements]], with [[Arya Samaj]] being one of the most notable Hindu revivalist organizations.
Due to the wide diversity in the beliefs, practices and traditions encompassed by Hinduism, there is no universally accepted definition on who a Hindu is, or even agreement on whether the term Hinduism represents a religious, cultural or socio-political entity. In 1995, Chief Justice [[P. B. Gajendragadkar]] was quoted in an [[Supreme Court of India|Indian Supreme Court]] ruling:<ref name = SCI>[[Supreme Court of India]], [http://www.hinduismtoday.com/in-depth_issues/RKMission.html "Bramchari Sidheswar Shai and others Versus State of West Bengal"], 1995.</ref>
:When we think of the Hindu religion, unlike other religions in the world, the Hindu religion does not claim any one prophet; it does not worship any one god; it does not subscribe to any one dogma; it does not believe in any one philosophic concept; it does not follow any one 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.
Thus some scholars argue that the Hinduism is not a religion ''per se'' but rather a [[reification]] of a diverse set of traditions and practices by scholars who constituted a unified system and arbitrarily labeled it Hinduism.<ref name=Frykenberg>Frykenberg, Robert. "The emergence of modern 'Hinduism' as a concept and as an Institution: A reappraisal with special reference to South India" in ''Hinduism reconsidered'', Manohar, Delhi, 1989. ISBN 8-17-304385-X</ref> The usage may also have been necessitated by the desire to distinguish between "Hindus" and followers of other religions during the periodic [[census]] undertaken by the colonial British government in India. Other scholars, while seeing Hinduism as a 19th century construct, view Hinduism as a response to [[British colonialism]] by [[Indian nationalist]]s who forged a unified tradition centered on oral and written [[Sanskrit]] texts adopted as scriptures.<ref name = Hardy>Hardy, F. "A radical assessment of the Vedic heritage" in ''[[Representing Hinduism]]: The Construction of Religious and National Identity'', Sage Publ., Delhi, 1995.</ref>
While Hinduism contains both "uniting and dispersing tendencies", it also has a common central thread of philosophical concepts (including [[dharma]], [[moksha]] and [[samsara]]), practices ([[Puja (Hinduism)|puja]], [[bhakti]] etc.) and cultural traditions.<ref name = Flood>[http://books.google.com/books?id=qSfneQ0YYY8C&lpg=PP1&dq=editions%3AqSfneQ0YYY8C&pg=PA4#v=onepage&q=uniting%20and%20dispersing%20tendencies&f=false Flood, Gavin, "Establishing the boundaries" in Flood (2003), pp. 1-17.]</ref> These common elements originating (or being codified within) the [[Vedas|Vedic]], [[Upanishad]] and [[Puranic]] scriptures and [[Indian epics|epics]]. Thus a Hindu could :
* follow any of the Hindu [[Hindu philosophy|schools of philosophy]], such as [[Advaita Vedanta|Advaita]] (non-[[dualism]]), [[Vishishtadvaita]] (non-dualism of the qualified whole), [[Dvaita]] ([[dualism]]), [[Dvaitadvaita]] (dualism with non-dualism), etc.<ref>Muller, F. Max. ''Six Systems of Indian Philosophy; Samkhya and Yoga; Naya and Vaiseshika''. 1899. This classic work helped to establish the major classification systems as we know them today. Reprint edition: (Kessinger Publishing: February 2003) ISBN 978-0766142961.</ref><ref>Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Charles A. Moore. ''A Source Book in Indian Philosophy''. (Princeton University Press; 1957) Princeton paperback 12th edition, 1989. ISBN 0691019584.</ref>
* follow a tradition centered on any particular form of the Divine, such as [[Shaivism]], [[Vaishnavism]], [[Shaktism]], etc.<ref>Swami Tattwananda. ''Vaisnava Sects, Saiva Sects, Mother Worship''. (Firma KLM Private Ltd.: Calcutta, 1984). This work gives an overview of many different subsets of the three main religious groups in India.</ref>
* practice any one of the various forms of [[yoga]] systems; including [[bhakti]] ([[Hindu devotional movements]]) in order to achieve ''[[moksha]]''.
[[File:HinduDevoteeNepal.jpg|thumb|A young [[Nepal]]i Hindu devotee during a traditional prayer ceremony at [[Kathmandu]]'s [[Durbar Square]].]]
The [[Republic of India]] is in the peculiar situation that the [[Supreme Court of India]] has repeatedly been called upon to define "Hinduism" because the [[Constitution of India]], while it prohibits "discrimination of any citizen" on grounds of religion in article 15, article 30 foresees special rights for "All minorities, whether based on religion or language". As a consequence, religious groups have an interest in being recognized as distinct from the Hindu majority in order to qualify as a "religious minority". Thus, the Supreme Court was forced to consider the question whether [[Jainism]] is part of Hinduism in 2005 and 2006. In the 2006 verdict, the Supreme Court found that the "Jain Religion is indisputably not a part of the Hindu Religion".<ref>para 25, Committee of Management Kanya Junior High School Bal Vidya Mandir, Etah, Uttar Pradesh v. Sachiv, U.P. Basic Shiksha Parishad, Allahabad, U.P. and Ors., Per Dalveer Bhandari J., Civil Appeal No. 9595 of 2003, decided On: 21.08.2006, Supreme Court of India</ref>
In 1995, while considering the question "who are Hindus and what are the broad features of Hindu religion", the [[Supreme Court of India]] highlighted [[Bal Gangadhar Tilak]]'s formulation of Hinduism's defining features:<ref name = SCI/>
:Acceptance of the Vedas with reverence; recognition of the fact that the means or ways to salvation are diverse; and the realization of the truth that the number of gods to be worshipped is large, that indeed is the distinguishing feature of Hindu religion.
Some thinkers have attempted to distinguish between the concept of Hinduism as a religion, and a Hindu as a member of a nationalist or socio-political class.
In [[Hindu nationalism]], the term "Hindu" combines notions of geographical unity, common culture and common race. Thus, [[Vinayak Damodar Savarkar|Veer Savarkar]] in his influential pamphlet "[[Hindutva: Who is a Hindu?]]" defined a Hindu as a person who sees India "as his Fatherland as well as his Holy land, that is, the cradle land of his religion".<ref name = Savarkar>Savarkar, V. K. ''Hindutva'', Hindi Sahitya Sadan, 2003. ISBN 8-18-838825-4</ref> This conceptualization of Hinduism, has led to establishment of [[Hindutva]] as the dominant force in [[Hindu nationalism]] over the last century.<ref name = RamPrasad>Ram-Prasad, C. "Contemporary political Hinduism" in ''Blackwell companion to Hinduism'', [[Blackwell Publishing]], 2003. ISBN 0-631-21535-2</ref>
==Ethnic and cultural fabric==
{{see also|Demographics of India|History of India|Hindutva}}
[[File:Mother Temple of Besakih.jpg|thumb|The [[Mother Temple of Besakih]] in [[Bali]], Indonesia.]]
Hinduism, its religious doctrines, traditions and observances are very typical and inextricably linked to the culture and demographics of India. Hinduism has one of the most ethnically diverse bodies of adherents in the world. It is hard to classify Hinduism as a religion because the framework, symbols, leaders and books of reference that make up a typical religion are not uniquely identified in the case of Hinduism. Hinduism is almost 4,000 years old. Most commonly it can be seen as a "way of life" which gives rise to many other forms of religions.
Large tribes and communities indigenous to India are closely linked to the synthesis and formation of Hindu civilization. People of [[East Asian]] roots living in the states of north eastern India and Nepal were also a part of the earliest Hindu civilization. Immigration and settlement of people from [[Central Asia]] and people of [[Indo-Greek]] heritage have brought their own influence on Hindu society.
[[File:Deepavali, Little India, Singapore, Oct 06.JPG|thumb|[[Diwali]] celebrations in [[Little India, Singapore]].]]
The roots of Hinduism in southern India, and among tribal and indigenous communities is just as ancient and fundamentally contributive to the foundations of the religious and philosophical system.
Ancient Hindu kingdoms arose and spread the religion and traditions across [[Southeast Asia]], particularly [[Thailand]], [[Nepal]], [[Burma]], [[Malaysia]], [[Indonesia]], [[Cambodia]], [[Laos]], [[Philippines]], and what is now central [[Vietnam]]. A form of Hinduism particularly different from Indian roots and traditions is practiced in [[Bali]], Indonesia, where Hindus form 90% of the population. Indian migrants have taken Hinduism and Hindu culture to [[South Africa]], Fiji, Mauritius and other countries in and around the [[Indian Ocean]], and in the nations of the [[West Indies]] and the [[Caribbean]].
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==লগতে চাওক==
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