Basic Beliefs of Hinduism

Historians opine, nomadic tribes known as "Aryan" had settled on the banks of River Indus four thousand years back. It is allegedly believed Aryans brought with them the traditions and the folklore of the gods. They along with the Dravidians, the original inhabitants, blended the beliefs, culture and faith and named the land "Hindustan". Hindustan means "beyond the River Indus" and the people of Hindustan were known as Hindus. The religion followed by the Hindus is known as Hinduism. However, the term "Hinduism" was coined by the Persian and the Greek travelers of the 16th century. Initially, it was known as the Vedic religion.

It is a herculean task to define Hinduism because nobody knows anything about the central authority or founder of Hinduism. There is no belief that is common to all practitioners of Hinduism. Historians believe over the centuries Hinduism had adopted many spiritual traditions and practices, which are seen even today in the homes of many Hindus. It is not easy to generalize the beliefs of Hinduism because the practices vary widely among the believers of this religion. We try to look into a few basic and common beliefs that are practiced by all Hindus.

Primary Hindu Deities

According to the holy texts of Hinduism, there are around three crore gods and goddesses. However, in practice Hindus believe and worship only a few deities who have a direct influence on their lives. Hindus as a whole believe there is an immense cosmic power that controls the entire universe. We will look at a few primary Hindu deities worshiped by the believers of Hinduism.

Devi - Devi is known as the "Mother" or as the "Goddess". There are many temples and lores about the deeds of Devi. She is known by different names such as "Kali", "Vaishanavi", "Mata Durga" and so on. Many believe that she is the creative and protective energy of this universe. She is considered as equal in powers to Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu.

Shiva - Lord Shiva is known as the "Creator" and the "Destroyer". Hindus believe Lord Shiva has the power to destroy when he creates something new. He gives life and also, takes it away. He is known by the names such as "Omkar", "Eshwar", "Rudra" and many more.

Vishnu - Lord Vishnu is known as the "Preserver". He preserves life on this Universe. His incarnations are "Lord Krishna" and "Lord Ram".

Basic Beliefs of Hinduism

There are many beliefs and traditions in Hinduism, hence it is difficult to pen down all. One thing that is accepted by the Hindus is that all religious paths lead to God who is supreme power and omnipotent. The basic beliefs of Hinduism are:

Law of Karma is one of the basic beliefs of Hinduism. Karma means "actions or deeds". Hindus believe in rebirths and reincarnation. It is believed the karma of a person in this birth decides his life after death. There are seven cycles of birth that a person undergoes before he achieves moksha or nirvana.

To achieve moksha, a person has to perform "Jyana". To achieve the eternal level, a person has to follow the philosophical writings of the Vedas and other religious books. He has to perform many charity works and be a humble person. Apart from that he has to meditate and also practice yoga.

The Hindus practice "bhakti marg" or the path of devotion. Bhakti is the way of getting the help of the gods by giving offerings to please them. This is practiced to achieve moksha from the life cycle.

Hinduism is one of the oldest and the largest religion in the world. There are around 1000 million Hindus in the world and more than three-quarter of Indians are Hindus.