The Origin (Genesis) of Hinduism

Gyan Rajhans P. Eng.

Unlike other religions of the world, Hinduism (or more correctly known as Sanatan Dharma) neither originated from a single founder or a single scripture nor did it begin at a particular point in time. It is impossible to define the exact time and place of its origin. The date of approximately 2000 BCE ((Before Common Era – i.e. before year zero in term of Gregorian calendar) is usually quoted to be the origin of Hinduism in the standard western textbooks. This date of 2000 BCE is based on the old Aryan Invasion Theory which has now been completely discredited (see The Aryan Invasion Myth by K. Kris Hirst in http://archaeology.about.com). According to that theory the Vedic Aryan came from central Asia, invaded India around 2000 BCE, destroyed the more advanced indigenous Harrapan civilization and established the Vedic culture. Based on the current archeological and literary evidence, modern scholars have concluded that there never was an Aryan invasion and that the Vedic people who called themselves Aryan were indigenous to India and were present as one of the original ethnic groups since 6500 BCE, or even earlier.


“Arya”

The word “Arya” in Sanskrit means wise and noble; it is a word of honorable address not the racial reference as invented by European scholars and put to its perverse use by the Nazis. Evidence that Hinduism must have existed even 10,000 BCE is now available. The importance attached to the river Saraswati and the numerous references to it in the Rig-Veda (There are four Vedas, the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. The Vedas are the primary texts of Hinduism. The Rig Veda is the oldest of the four). The first vernal equinox recorded in the Rig Veda is now known to have occurred 10,000 BCE.


The Oldest Surviving Religion

Thus, it can be said that nobody knows when Hinduism or Sanatan Dharma was born. However, it’s a well established fact that the Hinduism is the oldest surviving religion in the world. The ancient sages and rishis sang divine songs in the forest and on the river banks of India thousands of years before Moses, Buddha or Christ walked on earth. Sanatan Dharma thus flourished from the prehistoric times in India in the form of monotheistic Hindu Pantheon – meaning the worship of one Supreme lord in various ways and forms. However, unlike Hinduism there is general consensus among scholars about the term Hindu. The consensus is that as early as 500 BCE, the ancient Persians called the Indian people living on the banks of river Indus, known as Sindhu in Sanskrit as Sindhus. In the Persian language the letter “S” is pronounced as the letter “H”. Hence, the word Sindhu became the word Hindu. The people living in India came to be knows as Hindus, irrespective of what religion they followed.


Timeline

6500 or earlier to 2000 BCE – considered to be the period in which the hymns of Rig Veda (the oldest Hindu scriptures) were developed.

1500 to 500 BCE – the Upanishads were composed; the development of Buddhism and Jainism also took place in this period. The Mahabharata and Ramayana were expanded or enhanced during this period. They were composed much earlier, exactly when nobody knows for sure, possibly 2000 BCE or earlier. The Bhagvad Gita is part of the Mahabharata. The laws of Manu (Hindu code of conduct) were also written at this time.

300 to 1500 AD – the Puranic and Tantric literature was developed.

750 to 1000 AD – considered to the period of establishment of Shankara’s Advaita Vedanta Philosophy and the decline of Buddhism in India.

1000-1800 AD – the period experiencing the rise of devotional worship expounded by Alwars, Nayanars, Tulsidaas, Surdaas, Tukaram, Ramprasad, Ramanuj, Ramanand, Gurunanak, Meerabai, Vallavacharya, Chaitanaye Mahaprabhu, and many other religious teachers and saints.


Modern Hindu Renaissance

History has not been kind to Hindus and their religion in India. A long and brutal spell of foreign domination and religious fervor of the foreign missionaries brought numerous challenges to the survival of Hinduism in India. At the same time India has had the good fortune of producing a number of illustrious religious and spiritual leaders who revolutionalized Hinduism by opposing certain inhumane social practices, including the vices of the caste system and excess ritualism. There are many leaders of the modern Hindu renaissance including: Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Paramhans Ramkrishna, Swami Vivekanand, Sri Arvindo, Raman Maharishi and of course Mahatama Gandhi.

The insights of Hindu Dharma were spread to other parts of the world through emissaries who visited India and from Indians who visited foreign lands. The forerunner of this movement to the Western world was Swami Vivekanand. He was a popular speaker at the World Parliament of Religions (held in Chicago, Sept. 1893). Later Paramhans Yoganand, author of “Autobiography of a Yogi” came to the US in 1920 and helped spread the universal ideals of Sanatan Dharma. He established the Self Realization Fellowship in California to disseminate the Vedic teachings. There are many more prominent figures who have generated significant Hindu spirituality in the western world, included are Swami Ramtirth, Swami Ramdaas, Swami Sivananada, Jai Krishnmurthi, Sri Satya Sai Baba, Maa Anand Mai, Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta, Maharishi Maheshyogi, Swami Chinmayananda, Sat Guru Subramayaswami, and Amritanand Mai Maa.

The above is a very brief account of how Hinduism was born and how from time to time to time it is being revitalized by many apostles, ambassadors, emissaries, and religious leaders. For details, please visit www.hinduism.about.com.

[Gyan Rajhans, an internationally recognized heath & safety professional has been broadcasting the only non-commercial Vedic religion radio program in North America since 1981 & worldwide web cast on www.bhajanawali.com since 1999. Mr. Rajhans has published extensively on religious and spiritual matters. Some articles are available on the Bhajanawali web site. He has translated Sri Mad Bhagvad Gita in English for the younger generation. Mr Rajhans has been conferred various titles, including that of Rishi by Hindu Prarthana Samaj of Toronto Hindu Ratna by Hindu Federation of Toronto. He received Canadian Journalists' and Writers' Club (CEJWC) award  for 2005 in the Internet category - Opinion - for his Spirituality columns in South Asian Outlook e-Monthly.]

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