Hinduism
Sacred Texts

The Ellora temple complex in Maharashtra. These temples were carved top-down, from rocky hills. Their creation began with the roof and the master-craftsmen worked their way down to the foundations! 
 

    For Hinduism there is not revelation of God, of the Absolute, in sharp contrast with Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
    Hindu scripture, based on the insights of Hindu sages and seers, serves primarily as a guidebook. But ultimately truth comes through direct consciousness of the divine or the ultimate reality. In other religions this ultimate reality is known as God. Hindus refer to it by many names, but the most common name is Brahman.

    There are hundred of thousands of sacred pages... most of them without author... there are now over 1,000 famous commentaries of the Gita alone, and any "guru" or "swami" or "shadu" can start a new original Hinduism Branch at any time with special sacred texts for that Branch or Sect.

    Here are the most important Sacred Texts and most universal:

    1- The 4 Vedas ("knowledge") (1500-1000 Before Christ):
    Though the various Hindu traditions and sects each rely on their own set of scriptures, they all revere the ancient Vedas, which were brought to India by Aryan invaders after 1200 BC. The early portions of the Vedas describe a number of deities who for the most part are personifications of natural phenomena, such as storms and fire. Prayers and sacrifices were offered to these gods.
     - Rig-Veda (Royal Veda): With the 33 gods of the Vedas pantheon mythology, including the Cosmic Trinity of Agni (god of fire), Vayu, (god of air), and Surya (god of energy or life),... plus Varuna (principal), Indra (war)...
     - Yajur-Veda: Sacrifices to gods.
     - Sama-Veda: Chants for worship.
     - Atharva-Veda: Magic spells, healing the sick
    The term thus includes the Brahmanas, which are commentaries on each Veda, and the Upanishads, which are philosophical treatises based upon them.
    Henotheism, the religion of the ancient Vedas and later Vaishnavism and Shaivism, states that many gods exist, but one of them is more important than the others.
    The 33 "gods of the Vedas" are not very popular. Although the Vedas comprise the most sacred literature of Hinduism, the divine pantheon in them is essentially ignored in daily life. Only one god important is Agni, who is both the god of fire, and the sacred fire itself. He continues to be worshipped in the daily rituals of each Hindu home. Every morning, an offering of clarified butter (ghee) and some grain cakes is shared communion-style between Agni (i.e., the fire) and the members of the household
    The contents of the Vedas should make it clear that these are texts for the Brahmins, who monopolized the Vedas. Until recently, it was forbidden for anyone else even to hear the Vedas recited.
    The Vedas (including the Brahmanas and Upanishads) constitute the sacred texts of Hinduism. The Vedas were written down by rishis (holy men who are the mythical founders of Hinduism) who "heard" them during deep meditation. Vedas: Rig, Atharva, Sama, Yajur

    2- Upanishads (Wisdom of Gurus) (700 Before Christ):
    The later portions of the Vedas, called the Upanishads, reflect a significant development in Hinduism's concept of the divine. Many of the Upanishads, instead of speaking of a multitude of gods, refer to an ultimate reality beyond our comprehension called Brahman. Though Brahman is impersonal in nature, it is sometimes referred to in personal terms by the name Isvara. They explored the search for knowledge that would allow mankind to escape the cycle of reincarnation.
    The Upanishads contain the essence of the Vedas. They are the concluding portions of the Vedas and are the source of the Vedanta philosophy.  The Upanishads give a vivid description of the nature of the Atman, the Supreme Soul, in a variety of ways, and expound suitable methods and aids to attain the Immortal Brahman, the Highest Purusha.
    Thus there are 1,180 Upanishads.
    Pantheism, the perspective brought by the Upanishads and later Vedanta, considers Ultimate Reality to be an impersonal transcendent being. It (neuter gender) is at the origin of any physical, moral or spiritual activity … this is the God proclaimed today by the Mormons, New Age, and many eastern religions sects trying to conquer the west. (see Brihadaranyaka Up. 4, 1-2; Chandogya Up. 3,18,1-6; Taittiriya Up. 2,6; 3,1)
     According to the pantheistic view of the Upanishads and Vedanta, the gods are merely manifestations or attributes of the supreme impersonal Brahman and, they continue to play an important role for the average Hindu. The gods that are worshipped today are not the same as in Vedic times. The most important ones became Vishnu and his avatars (especially Rama and Krishna), Shiva and the goddess Kali and Durga... Upanishads

    3- Mahabharata epic (Great Bharata) (300 Before Christ):
    A long war between 2 Bharata tribes, 15 times longer than the Bible, recorded by the elephant god Ganesha. The last chapter, 18, is the Bhagavad-Gita (Song of the Lord), "the Gita", the most popular religious text of Hinduism, called the gospel of the lord Krishna, the most favored god in the eyes of the common people.
 Mahabharata - Mahabharata-2, in full- Bhagavad Gita - The Gita - The gods of Hinduism.     
   
    4- Ramayana (Romance of Rama) (200 Before Christ):
    The Ramayana, composed around 200 BC, is the story of Rama and his wife Sita.
    Rama is heir apparent to his father, the King of Ayodhya. He learns of the beautiful, royal Sita of a neighboring kingdom and wins her hand in marriage by performing the mighty feat of stringing Shiva's bow.
    Due to palace intrigue at home, however, Rama is sent into exile as a sadhu for 14 years. Sita, ever faithful, chooses to accompany him. They have many adventures, the greatest of which happens when Sita is kidnapped by the demon king Ravana, who disappears with her to his kingdom of Lanka (=Sri Lanka). Rama enlists the help of the monkeys, especially their champion Hanuman. Hanuman finds Sita, and enlisting the assistance of a monkey army, helps Rama regain Sita.
    During her captivity, Sita spurned all Ravana's advances, quoting the Vedas and lecturing him on dharma. Rama is ultimately returned to his kingship in Ayodhya, but the people doubt Sita's faithfullness, since she was a captive for more than a year. In the end, she called upon the earth goddess to bear witness and she is swallowed up forever.
    Each of the main figures of the story represent an ideal type in Bhakti. Rama is the strong, active, hero, while Sita is the faithful, loyal, beautiful wife. Once it is realized that Rama is the incarnation of Vishnu and Sita is the incarnation of his consort Lakshmi, then Hanuman becomes the representation of an ideal follower, one who is totally devoted to the god and who saved Sita. Ramayana

    5- The Laws of Manu (the first man, like Adam), (200 After Christ):
    The Hindu Ten Commandments, and the 4 stages of life: Birth and infancy, marriage, retirement, and death.
    Hinduism stresses the right way of living, "dharma": The Commandments of the Law of Manu can be taken by any Jew or Christian or Muslim: Love your neighbors, tolerance, compassion, respect, humility, do not harm other people, do not commit evil acts not harbor evil thoughts... with the 5 rules of "right conduct", the "niyana": Poverty, serenity, austerity, learn about God, obey his laws. The Laws of Manu

     6- Puranas (myths and legends) (400-500 After Christ):
    The Puranas are the richest collection of mythology in the world. Most of them attained their final form around 500 A.D. but they were passed on as an oral tradition since the time of Krishna (c. 1500 B.C.).
    The theology of the Puranas mainly centers round the Hindu Trinity, the "Trimurti", with some similarities to the Christian "Holy Trinity": Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the savior and protector who incarnates 10 times, his Avatars), and Shiva (the destroyer of evil, and the creator of new life)... and the Saktis, spouses, of the Trinity,--Lakshmi, Sarasvati and Durga,--and the two sons of Siva, the Elephant Ganesha  and Scanda.
    Voluminous texts, became the scriptures of the common man, since they were available to everybody; the Vedas were restricted to initiated. A kind of Heaven and Hell are described in the Puranas.
    The eighteen major Puranas are collections of stories about the gods and their activities.
    They tend to emphasize two points: bhakti (devotion to a god) and dharma (doing one's personal and social duty).
    The Puranas fall into three groups: Those dealing with the stories of Brahma, those concerning Vishnu  and his avatars and consort(s), and those about Shiva and the goddesses associated with him. See gods of Hinduism  Puranas   Puranas
 

    Sacred Texts:
            - Vedas: Rig, Atharva, Sama, Yajur, Upanishads
            - Mahabharata - Mahabharata-2, in full- Bhagavad Gita - The Gita  
            - Ramayana
            - Puranas
            - The Laws of Manu