Hinduism
path to human progress
Dr.T.V.Rao MD
History of Hinduism
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According to historians, the origin of Hinduism dates
back to 5,000 or more years. The word "Hindu" is
derived from the name of River Indus, which flows
through north-western India. In ancient times the river
was called the "Sindhu", but the Persians who migrated
to India called the river "Hindu," the land "Hindustan"
(Sanskrit, Hindi), and its inhabitants "Hindus". Thus
the daily life practices evolved as the religion followed
by the Hindus came to be known as "Hinduism
What is Hinduism
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Hinduism is a term for a wide variety of related
religious traditions native to India. Historically, it
encompasses the development of Religion in
India since the Iron Age traditions, which in
turn hark back to prehistoric religions such as
that of the Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilization
followed by the Vedic religion.
What is Hindu philosophy
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Hindu philosophy had six branches, evolving
from about the 2nd century BCE to the 6th
century CE, viz. Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya,
Vaisheshika, Mimamsa, and Vedanta.
Monotheistic religions like Shaivism and
Vaishnavism developed during this same period
through the Bhakti movement.
Supreme court defines Hinduism
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In 1995 The Supreme Court of India
highlighted Bal Gangadhar Tilak's formulation
of Hinduism's defining features: 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.
Hinduism is Sanatana Dharma
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Hinduism is often referred to as Sanatana
Dharma meaning 'the eternal path'. The belief is
a conglomerate of religious, philosophical and
cultural ideas characterized by the belief in
reincarnation, the path to righteousness, and the
desire to liberate from the cycle of births and
deaths.
Hinduism is Human Dharma
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Hinduism rests on the spiritual bedrock of the
Vedas, hence Veda Dharma, and their mystic
issue, the Upanishads, as well as the teachings of
many great Hindu gurus through the ages. Many
streams of thought flow from the six
Vedic/Hindu schools, Bhakti sects and Tantra
Agamic schools into the one ocean of
Hinduism, the first of the Dharma religions.
Dharma is foundation of Hinduism
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Dharma, a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal
law", by its adherents. Hindu beliefs vary widely,
with concepts of God and/or gods ranging
from Panentheism, pantheism, monotheism,
polytheism, and atheism with Vishnu and Shiva
being the most popular deities. Other notable
characteristics include a belief in reincarnation
and karma, as well as personal duty, or dharma.
Gayatri Mantra raises the Human
consciousness
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Aum bhur bhuvah
svah
Tat savitur varenyam
Bhargo devasya
dhimahi
Dhiyo yo nah
pracodayat
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We meditate on the
transcendental glory of
the Deity Supreme,
who is inside the heart
of the earth,
inside the life of the sky,
and inside the soul of
the heaven.
May He stimulate and
illumine our minds. "
For Dharmic man life is a Delight
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From Delight we came
into existence.
In Delight we grow.
At the end of our
journey’s close,
Into Delight we retire.
Dharma is foundation of Hinduism

Dharma, a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal
law", by its adherents. Hindu beliefs vary widely,
with concepts of God and/or gods ranging
from Panentheism, pantheism, monotheism,
polytheism, and atheism with Vishnu and Shiva
being the most popular deities. Other notable
characteristics include a belief in reincarnation
and karma, as well as personal duty, or dharma.
Chandogya Upanishad
on origin of Life
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"In
the beginning was only Being,
One without a second.
Out of himself he brought forth the cosmos
And entered into everything in it.
There is nothing that does not come from him.
Of everything he is the inmost Self.
He is the truth; he is the Self supreme.
You are that, Shvetaketu; you are that."
Every Man’s Prayer
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Lead me from the unreal
to the Real.
Lead me from darkness
unto Light.
Lead me from death to
Immortality.
Concentration is Meditations
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The earth seems to rest
in silent meditation;
and the waters and the
sky and the heavens
seem all to be in
meditation." On Earth,
those who reach
greatness
achieve it through
concentration.
Who Is God
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"He is everlasting and
omnipresent,
infinite in the great and
infinite in the small.
He is the Eternal whom
the sages see as the
source of all creation.
What is Creation Veda Upanishad
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Where there is joy
there is creation.
Where there is no joy
there is no creation:
know the nature of
joy.
Your future life is decided by..
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Live in accordance with
our deep, driving desire.
It is this desire at
the time of death that
determines what our
next life is to be. We will
come back to earth to
work out the satisfaction
of that desire.
From Mortal to Immortal
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When all the desires that
surge in the heart
Are renounced, the
mortal becomes
immortal.
When all the knots that
strangle the heart
Are loosened, the mortal
becomes immortal,
Here in this very life.
Truth alone Triumphs
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Whatever takes form is
false.
Only the formless
endures.
Truth alone triumphs.
Who is Infinite
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For God is infinite,
Within the body and
without,
Like a mirror,
And the image in a
mirror.
Ashtavakra Gita 1: 18-20
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As the air is everywhere,
Flowing around a pot
And filling it,
So God is everywhere,
Filling all things
And flowing through
them forever.
Ashtavakra Gita
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I am boundless space.
The world is a clay pot.
This is the truth.
There is nothing to accept,
Nothing to reject,
Nothing to dissolve.
Sri Ramakrishna
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The formless Absolute is my
Father, and God with form is
my Mother.” God reveals
Himself in the form which
His devotee loves most. His
love for the devotee knows no
bounds.
Tirukkural on Compassion
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Find and follow the good
path and be ruled by
compassion.
For if the various ways
are examined,
compassion will prove
the means to liberation.
Mundaka Upanishad
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Not by the weak, not by
the unearnest,
Not by those who practice
wrong disciplines
Can the Self be realized.
The Self reveals
Himself as the Lord of
Love to the one
Who practices right
disciplines.
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888–1975)
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Hinduism is not just a faith.
It is the union of reason and
intuition that can not be
defined but is only to be
experienced. Evil and error
are not ultimate. There is no
Hell, for that means there is a
place where God is not, and
there are sins which exceed
his love.
Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948
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After long study and
experience, I have come to
the conclusion that
all religions are true; all
religions have some error in
them; all religions are almost
as dear to me as my own
Hinduism,
in as much as all human
beings should be as dear to
one
The Mahabharata on Highest Human
Dharma
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Do not to others what ye
do not wish
Done to yourself; and
wish for others too
What ye desire and long
for, for yourself.
This is the whole of
righteousness, heed it
well.
Rig Veda
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When there is harmony
between the mind, heart and
resolution then nothing is
impossible
“One should performed his
deeds for the benefit of
mankind with an unbiased
approach because of bias
gives birth to evil, which
creates thousands of
obstacles in our path.
Rig Veda
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“ Ego is the biggest
enemy of humans.
People who are soft
spoken and truthful are
loved by all. ”
A person can achieve
everything by being
simple and humble.”
Have a child like
Innocence
Rig Veda
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By getting up early in the
morning one also gets
more time at his disposal
for work as compared to
late-risers. Scholar and
thinkers get up early in
the morning and
contemplate
Rig Veda
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One should, perform karma
with nonchalance without
expecting the benefits
because sooner or later one
shall definitely gets the fruits.
~
People accept only that
person as their leader who is
radiant with good knowledge
and karma (deeds). ~
Rig Veda
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One should be cautions
not to speak anything
that hurts others. Such
kind of speech never
helps but always brings
destruction. ”
“The main factor behind
success is - self control.
Rig Veda
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Kindled in various
forms, the perennial
flame is One; sprinkling
the world with golden
beams at dawn; painting
the evening clouds with
changing colors, the sun
is one.
Swami Vivekananda
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You have to grow from
the inside out. None can
teach you, none can
make you spiritual. There
is no other teacher but
your own soul.”
Swami Vivekananda
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We are what our
thoughts have made us;
so take care about what
you think. Words are
secondary. Thoughts live;
they travel far
Swami Vivekananda
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“The goal of mankind is knowledge ... Now this
knowledge is inherent in man. No knowledge
comes from outside: it is all inside. What we say
a man 'knows', should, in strict psychological
language, be what he 'discovers' or 'unveils';
what man 'learns' is really what he discovers by
taking the cover off his own soul, which is a
mine of infinite knowledge.”
Swami Vivekananda
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Never think there is
anything impossible for
the soul. It is the greatest
heresy to think so. If
there is sin, this is the
only sin to say that you
are weak, or others are
weak.
Dharma basis of Hinduism
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Dharma is God's divine law prevailing on every
level of existence, from the sustaining cosmic
order to religious and moral laws which bind us
in harmony with that order. Every form of life,
every group of men, has its dharma, the law of
its being. Related to the soul, dharma is the
mode of conduct most conducive to spiritual
advancement, the right and righteous path.
Dharma is Divine Law
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When we follow dharma, we
are in conformity with the
Truth that inheres and
instructs the universe, and we
naturally abide in closeness to
God. A dharma is opposition
to divine law. Dharma is to
the individual what its
normal development is to a
seed--the orderly fulfilment
of an inherent nature and
destiny.
What is superior
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The desires are superior
to the senses, the mind is
superior to the desires,
the intuition
(understanding) is
superior to the mind, the
great Self is superior to
the intuition.
Controlling self remain the Highest
Yoga
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The senses, they say, are the
horses; the objects of sense,
what they range over..
He who is ever of
unrestrained mind, devoid of
true understanding, his
sense-desires then become
uncontrollable like the wild
horses of a charioteer.
Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
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Hinduism has made marvellous discoveries in
things of religion, of the spirit, of the soul. We
have no eye for these great and fine discoveries.
We are dazzled by the material progress that
Western science has made. Ancient India has
survived because Hinduism was not developed
along material but spiritual lines
Mother Sarada Devi,
 Hinduism
does not see
sins, but only
mistakes
Why I am a Hindu
Mahatma Gandhi
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I am a Hindu because it
is Hinduism which
makes the world worth
living. I am a Hindu
hence I Love not only
human beings, but all
living beings
Hinduism is Spiritual Progress
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Hinduism has made marvellous
discoveries in things of religion,
of the spirit, of the soul. We
have no eye for these great and
fine discoveries. We are dazzled
by the material progress that
Western science has made.
Ancient India has survived
because Hinduism was not
developed along material but
spiritual lines
Mahatma Gandhi
Sri Aurobindo
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Hinduism.....gave itself no name, because it set itself
no sectarian limits; it claimed no universal adhesion,
asserted no sole infallible dogma, set up no single
narrow path or gate of salvation; it was less a creed or
cult than a continuously enlarging tradition of the God
ward endeavor of the human spirit. An immense manysided and many staged provision for a spiritual selfbuilding and self-finding, it had some right to speak of
itself by the only name it knew, the eternal religion,
Santana Dharma...."
Wilhelm von Humboldt
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Bhagvad-Gita is the most
beautiful, perhaps the
only true philosophical
song existing in any
known
tongue…....perhaps the
deepest and loftiest thing
the world has to show.
Ralph Waldo Emerson on
Gita
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Bhagwad
It is sublime as night and
a breathless ocean. It
contains every religious
sentiment, all the grand
ethics which visit in turn
each noble poetic
mind…
Voltaire on Sacred Land
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I am convinced that
everything has come
down to us from the
banks of the Ganges, astronomy, astrology,
metempsychosis, etc."
Dr. Annie Besant
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After a study of some forty years and more of
the great religions of the world, I find none so
perfect, none so scientific, none so philosophic,
and none so spiritual as the great religion known
by the name of Hinduism. The more you know
it, the more you will love it; the more you try to
understand it, the more deeply you will value it”
Dr. Annie Besant
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After a study of some forty years and more of
the great religions of the world, I find none so
perfect, none so scientific, none so philosophic,
and none so spiritual as the great religion known
by the name of Hinduism. The more you know
it, the more you will love it; the more you try to
understand it, the more deeply you will value it”
Will Durant
Hinduism teaches Love for all
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Perhaps in return for
conquest, arrogance and
spoliation, India will teach us
the tolerance and gentleness
of the mature mind, the quiet
content of the unacquisitive
soul, the calm of the
understanding spirit, and a
unifying, a pacifying love for
all living things."
Hinduism continues to
Inspire Great thinkers in
the World in spite of
several Religious
Dr.T.V.Rao MD beliefs
Email
doctortvrao@gmail.com