A History of Hinduism: An Inside-the-Tradition View

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Hinduism is the oldest religion on this planet with over a billion adherents. It is not based on the dogma of one book, one prophet and one Pope. It has no organised church, no heresy and heretics. It has an open architecture. In this wide ranging history, the author traces its origins in the Indus-Sarasvati civilisation that has been carbon dated to almost 9,500 years before present. It has amazing antiquity and cultural continuity. That is why it is called Sanatana Dharma or the eternal faith by its adherents. The leitmotifs of Hinduism are Meditation and Yoga. It is based on “Experiential Spirituality”—Hindus use Yoga and meditation to experience the truth of the Vedas in their own beings as lived realisations—as Anubhav, Anubhuti and Darshan. The author traces the roots of this great religion to the Vedas which were received by the ancient Rishis in the deep silence of the forests, as were the Upanishads and Aranyakas. He describes the lofty philosophy of the Vedanta which sees the unity of Brahman behind the bewildering multiplicity of beings and things in the cosmos. Unlike the Abrahamic faiths which arose in the deserts, Hinduism is a religion of the forests. The author traces its evolution through the Vedic, Epic and Puranic periods and its emergence from the forests to establish opulent temples in the urban cities. He describes the Hindu holocaust inflicted by foreign invaders over four centuries which killed almost a hundred million Hindus. He tells us of the Indian Military Revival which finally destroyed Mughal tyranny. He describes how India was colonised and enslaved by the British; how they used the fault lines of caste to divide and rule. He describes how a number of revivalist saints have periodically rejuvenated the faith. He describes the post-Independence political consolidation of the Hindu majority and how it was nearly undone recently using the caste card again. He speculates about the future of this faith and calls for a back-to-the- roots movement to take us back to the Vedas and the pristine silence of the forests.