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The Bhagavad Gita (/ ˈ b ʌ ɡ ə v ə d ˈ ɡ iː t ɑː /; [1] Sanskrit: भगवद्गीता, IPA: [ˌbʱɐɡɐʋɐd ˈɡiːtɑː], romanized: bhagavad-gītā, lit. 'God's song'), [a] often referred to as the Gita (IAST: gītā), is a Hindu scripture, dated to the second or first century BCE, [7] which forms part of the epic Mahabharata.
Beyond the Sruti, Hindu texts include Smritis, Shastras, Sutras, Tantras, Puranas, Itihasas, Stotras, Subhashitas and others. [8] [9] Most of these texts exist in Sanskrit, [10] [11] and Old Tamil, and also later in other Indic languages. In modern times, most have been translated into other Indian languages and some in Western languages.
The Vedas, for orthodox Indian theologians, are considered revelations, some way or other the work of the Deity. [citation needed] In the Hindu Epic the Mahabharata, the creation of Vedas is credited to the deity responsible for creation, Brahma. [25] Each of the four Vedas [26] [27] have been subclassified into four major text types:
Its recitation continues to be a part of Hindu wedding rituals. [134] [135] The Rigveda, in contemporary Hinduism, has been a reminder of the ancient cultural heritage and point of pride for Hindus, with some hymns still in use in major rites of passage ceremonies, but the literal acceptance of most of the textual essence is long gone.
Though many religious Hindus implicitly acknowledge the authority of the Vedas, this acknowledgment is often "no more than a declaration that someone considers himself [or herself] a Hindu", [238] [note 24] and "most Indians today pay lip service to the Veda and have no regard for the contents of the text."
Hinduism is the largest and most practised religion in India. [1] [2] About 80% of the country's population identified as Hindu in the last census. India contains 94% of the global Hindu population. [3] [4] The vast majority of Indian Hindus belong to Shaivite, Vaishnavite and Shakta denominations. [5]
The study of India and its cultures and religions, and the definition of "Hinduism", has been shaped by the interests of colonialism and by Western notions of religion. [ 70 ] [ 71 ] Since the 1990s, those influences and its outcomes have been the topic of debate among scholars of Hinduism, [ 70 ] [ note 13 ] and have also been taken over by ...
Religion in India is characterised by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices. Throughout India's history, religion has been an important part of the country's culture and the Indian subcontinent is the birthplace of four of the world's major religions, namely, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism, which are collectively known as native Indian religions or Dharmic religions and ...