I Think One Of The Greatest Things About Sanatan/hinduism Is How Animals Are So Intrinsically Involved

Sant Tulsidas (2/2)

Sant Tulsidas’ influence extended far beyond literature.

He is often credited with popularizing Ramlila, the dramatic retelling of the Ramayana. Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas, and the language of choice Awadhi, inspired its widespread adoption, making it a central part of cultural and religious celebrations across India.

Monuments dedicated to Tulsidas, such as the Tulsidas Smarak Bhavan in Varanasi and the Tulsidas Temple in Ayodhya, stand as tributes to his lasting legacy.

Tulsidas’ works, especially the Ramcharitmanas and Hanuman Chalisa, are still widely referenced in pop culture, from television shows to films and music.

You all this is demi erasure. Calling it friends to lovers or "normal" love. Your age shouldn't be an excuse for this kind of ignorance.

SMH

Brooo wtf 🤣🤣🤣

That's the definition of demiromantic btw.

Isn't that just normal love?

Doesn't everyone need a deep emotional connection before getting romantic attraction???

Good luck with all that hate in your heart and all the ignorance in your brain.

Hindu traditions and festivals just enslave women and reinforce patriarchal practices, karwa chauth for example, a festival where a married woman has to fast and stay famished for whole 24 hours, NO water and food and some of them don’t even swallow their own saliva and why? for the long life and well being of her husband. Husbands are placed on a pedestal in hinduism, he is more revered than god sometimes while reducing women to obedient and self sacrificing caretakers . It reinforces the idea that a woman’s purpose revolves around a man’s needs, his health, his happiness, his survival while her own identity and agency is considered as irrelevant. In this religion women’s existence will always be tied to men and are expected to embrace such misogynistic ideals or else she’ll be labelled as a “too westernised housewife” or other names they love calling when you go against the system

Understanding Hindu Scriptures-

Hinduism consists of an extensive collection of ancient religious writings and oral accounts that expound upon eternal truths, some of which Hindus believe to have been divinely revealed and realized by their ancient sages and enlightened individuals. Hindu scriptures (such as the Vedas, Upanishads, Agamas, and Puranas), epics (the Bhagavad Gita and Ramayana), lawbooks, and other philosophical and denominational texts, have been passed on for generations through an oral and written tradition.

Since spiritual seekers have different levels of understanding, scriptural teachings are presented in a variety of ways to provide guidance to all seekers. Scripture in Hinduism, however, does not have the same place as it does in many other religious traditions. While the Vedas and other sacred writings are considered valid sources for knowledge about God, other means of knowledge, such as personal experience of the Divine, are regarded highly as well. Some Hindu philosophers have taught that these other means of knowledge should be seen as secondary to scripture. But other Hindu philosophers have taught that religious experience can be considered equal or even superior to scriptural teachings.

Hindu scriptures are classified broadly into two categories: Shruti and Smriti. The word Shruti literally means "heard", and consists of what Hindus believe to be eternal truths akin to natural law. Hindus believe these truths are contained in the vibrations of the universe. It was the ancient sages, Hindus say, who realized these eternal truths through their meditation, and then transmitted them orally. The term Shruti is generally applied to the Vedas and includes the Upanishads, which constitute the fourth and final part of the Vedas. These texts are revered as "revealed" or divine in origin and are believed to contain the foundational truths of Hinduism. Eternal truths are said to be realized by those with open and spiritual minds.

The second category of scripture is Smriti, which literally means "memory," and is distinguished from Shruti in terms of its origin. These texts are designed to help Hindus "remember" the teachings of Shruti. For many Hindus, all other scriptural texts are loosely classified as Smriti. Teachings in Smriti texts are meant to be read and interpreted in light of changing circumstances over kala (time), desha (land), and guna (personality). These texts are intended to create structure for society, and must be flexible in response to changing history, geography, and communities.

Although there is variation across Hindu denominations in regard to what is classified Shruti or Smriti, a discussion of the major Hindu scriptures follows.

Shruti Texts -

Vedas:

The word Veda means "knowledge". There are four Vedas: Rig, Sama, Yajur and Atharva, of which the Rig Veda is the oldest. It has over 10,000 mantras that deal with a wide range of topics. Some Hindus see the Vedas as texts expounding on rituals and Gods, whereas others see them as teaching metaphysical and spiritual truths about God and the soul. While there is general agreement that the Vedas are at least over three thousand years old, there is little agreement on just how old they are. Evidence is scarce and estimates of their age vary widely, from 1200 BCE to thousands of years earlier than that.

Upanishads: These texts contain an extensive exploration of the methods of understanding the self, God, and the nature of the world. There are more than a hundred Upanishads. The Upanishads, along with the Bhagavad Gita and Brahma Sutras, constitute the primary basis for the practice of Jnana Yoga, the path of knowledge.

Smriti Texts -

Upavedas: The Upavedas consist of four main texts. The first text deals with ayurveda, the science of health and life, and outlines how to cure disease and prevent it. Dhanurveda is about the science of warfare. Gandharvaveda is the study of aesthetics, and delineates art forms such as singing, dancing, writing poetry, creating sculptures, etc. The Arthashastra deals with public administration, governance, economy, and politics.

Vedangas: There are a number of auxiliary texts known collectively as Vedanga- some of them are considered Shruti, but they fall under Smriti for the most part. They cover a range of topics: oral chanting of scripture (shiksha), grammar (vyakarana), prosody (chhandas), etymology (nirukta), astronomy (yotisha), and obligatory rituals (kalpa).

Puranas: Stories in the Puranas translate the meanings of the ancient Shruti scriptures and teach them to the masses by explaining the teachings of the Vedas and Upanishads through stories and parables. There are eighteen major Puranas (Mahapuranas) and many minor ones (upapuranas) that have compiled stories and narratives over many centuries, Each Purana tells stories around a principal character- either about a specific form of the Divine (or God) or a sage. They cover a wide range of sacred and secular topics such as the manifestations of God; teachings on dharma, karma, death, and rebirth; the use of mantras and other religious observances; the significance of sacred sites for pilgrimages; the importance of service; genealogies of kings and sages; cosmology; ayurveda; and astrology. Ancient, modern, and contemporary Hindu beliefs and religious practices are derived in large part from the Puranas.

Ramayana: This popular epic tells the life story the noble prince named Rama, whom Hindus believe to be an incarnation of the Divine. Prince Rama suffers year of exile and many hardships while destroying powerful demons before returning to rule his kingdom. This epic portrays several characters who embody ideal qualities and conduct. Among them are Rama himself as the ideal man; Sita as the ideal woman and emblem of strength; Hanuman as the ideal devotee of Rama; and Lakshmana and Bharata as devoted brothers. There are numerous versions of the Ramayana, of which the most well-known are those by the original author Sage Valmiki and the poet-saint Tulsidas. These texts are recited by devoted Hindus at the home and in devotional gatherings, and are also the basis for popular children's stories, dances, and dramatic performances. Additionally, many consult the scripture for guidance on everyday life. Homages to the Ramayana can be seen all around Southeast Asia through architecture and dramatic renderings of the epic.

Mahabharata: With over 100,000 verses, the Mahabharat is a historical epic, and is the longest poem the world has known. It is seven times the combined length of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. Based on an extended conflict between two branches of the Kaurava family, the Mahabharata is a trove of stories and discourses on the practice of Dharma. As a scripture, its primary messages are the importance of truth, justice, self sacrifice, and the upholding of Dharma, the need for complete devotion to God, and the ultimate futility of war. Embedded in the Mahabharata is a text of special scriptural significance -- the Bhagavad Gita.

Bhagavad Gita: The Bhagavad Gita is a primary scripture for Hindus. Although it is a tiny part of the Mahabharata and technically classed as a Smriti text, it is traditionally accorded the rank of an Upanishad. The Bhagavad Gita is believed to divulge a number of truths and life lessons by Krishna, who Hindus believe to be an incarnation of the Divine. Krishna is speaking to Arjun, a warrior prince, who is in the middle of a battlefield trying to decide whether it is dharmic or not to fight in a war with his family members, friends, and teachers. Krishna describes to Arjun why it is dharmic for him to pick up arms in this situation, and fight the force that is disrupting peace for citizens all over India. Though fighting goes against the idea of ahimsa, or non-violence, Arjun's dharma as a prince is to use his skills to fight injustice to make his kingdom a safe and peaceful place for all his citizens. The Bhagavad Gita is meant to help one understand that upholding dharma can be challenging, especially in situations where there is not a clear right or wrong. In modern times, many people, including non-Hindus, have read the Gita.

Dharma Shastras: This class of texts that explains how Dharma is maintained in daily life. The texts deal with a wide range of topics: the responsibilities of each ashrama (stage of life), civil and criminal law, dietary rules, festivals, pilgrimages, charity, etc. Since these texts are part of Smriti, not Shruti, their teachings are subject to re-interpretation to suit differences in time and place. There are numerous texts composed by various authors over many centuries.

Darshana Shastras: These are six philosophical texts that are the basis for the six major schools of Hindu philosophy. Two of the most widely studied are the Brahma Sutras by Sage Vyasa and the Yoga Sutras by Sage Patanjali.

Agama Shastras: Ancient and numerous, including many that have been lost over the centuries, these texts deal with practical aspects of devotion and worship, including personal and temple rituals and practices.

Bhakti Texts: From ancient to contemporary times the teachings, poems, and songs composed by saints in regional languages have been a major source of inspiration. They convey simple messages of devotion, dharma, and spiritual practice through the language of the local people throughout all parts of India and beyond

The plethora of scriptures is not as bewildering as they might appear at first sight. Most Hindus receive their religious education from family traditions and discourses by spiritual leaders. Individual Hindus follow the prayers and teachings of the sect to which they belong and possibly the more specific teachings of a guru (spiritual teacher). Few directly access the Vedas and Upanishads that provide the foundation for all other scriptures in Hinduism, many read commentaries about these scriptures instead. The stories from the Puranas and epics and songs composed by saints are the most common vehicles of religious education.

Key Takeaways-

• The Vedas are the foundational texts of Hinduism

• Hindu scriptures are numerous and diverse and are meant to provide a guide to each individual on their unique path

Yes thank you for saying this. We Hindus in India have been trying to decolonise only to be met with the leftists speaking up against it.

Saw a post that said "leftists love it when countries and communities decolonize and embrace their culture that was lost to colonization".

I want to ask, do they though?

They are furious at Israel, they still have a strangle hold on nearly every country they still have "governance" over. Leaving Indigenous people in reservations...

I'm a First Nations Indigenous person (and a Jew) and if you think they are letting us decolonize... I want to both kind of laugh and cry. Because they ain't going anywhere, but our culture seem to be disappearing though...

No, colonial countries do not want to let go of their strangleholds they have on their colonies.

Glad I could help.

Oh so now when they got the time to carry out such investigations? Where were they when hundreds of Muslims were out on the street slaughtering?

the police in west bengal is claiming that two hindus pasted pakistan flag on toilet wall to write "long live pakistan and death to India" in order to create "communal tension". Now, we know how corrupt west bengal police and state government is but holy shit. This explanation doesn't even make logical sense, why would they paste the pakistan flag on toilet wall to write "long live pakistan" to make it look like west bengal's moslems are supporting pakistan?? By releasing mere suspects name they're definitely doing propaganda. Is there any doubt that west bengal isn't already islamist? there are entire sharia villages in west bengal where hindus have no freedom to go. West bengal will be the next kashmir and soon everyone will start calling India settler in wb. Fuck this shit man.

Har Har Mahadev 🙏🕉🙂

This is a call out post. This is not coming from a feminist, but a Hindu.

True Hinduism gives equal respect to feminine and masculine energies.

So, men, you need to evaluate how you view women while claiming you're a Hindu.

How can you call yourself a Hindu while calling women names, while making and laughing at gr*pe jokes, while turning a blind eye to assault?

What are you even doing? You chant "Jai Shri Ram" and use the same vocal cords to hurl a slur at a woman you all have collectively demonized. You comment gr*pe threats under a woman's post like you’re above consequences.

And since I mentioned Shri Ram, let me remind you:

He continued to treat Surpanakha with respect, continued addressing her as "devi", even after she expressed her desire to kill Mata Sita so that she gets to marry Shri Ram. Even after she crossed every line of maryada.

He didn’t degrade her, didn’t mock her.

What would he think of you now?

You add sanskrit shlokas in your bio, but your comment history drips with filth. You bow at Mata Durga’s feet during Navratri, then talk about women’s bodies in a degrading manner.

This isn’t Hinduism. This is *misogyny wrapped in saffron*.

You're so desperate to not associate with what Islam or other Abrahmic religions stand for. And yet you're an equal part of the misogyny that they perpetuate on women everywhere in India.

Take out some time and really think about it. Are you a true Hindu or is it just for social media?

Are you really ready to fight adharma? Do you not know that for any fight with Adharma you want to win, you'd need the feminine energy on your side, by your side, and at times have them lead you. Our ancient texts, our folklore, our puranas are evidence for it.

Google Lens-ed it and it says something like "it's wrong to look at them kiss"

A divine kiss by mmmmmr

UTTAR PRADESH ✨

1 st and 6th photo credit: @desikanya ©️