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Unlike some religions, e.g., Christianity, Judaism, Islam
Hinduism has a huge library of books.

What are the 5 most important ones? Are there fewer than most Hindu's consult?

2006-11-10 16:27:33 · 6 answers · asked by rostov 5 in Society & Culture Religion & Spirituality

6 answers

The Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad-Gita. There are also the epic poems the Mahabharata and the Ramayana (but I don't think they are considered scripture).

2006-11-10 16:33:51 · answer #1 · answered by The Doctor 7 · 0 0

For the brahma (priest class) it is the Veda(s), and only they are supposed to read the Vedas

There is the Rig Veda (first one produced), Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, and Artharva Veda.

These were the first Hindu scriptures, they are hymns to many different gods I think there are hymns to 33 gods.

However I don't think normal Hindus (not priests) ever read the Vedas. The Vedas came into oral tradition from some time between 1500 BC - 1000 BC.
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The upanishads were composed between 800 BC and 500 BC, and can be commentaries on the Vedas and are philisophical.

The Muktika canon

The following is a list of the 108 canonical Upanishads of the Advaita school, according to the Muktika Upanishad (number 108), 1:30-39 (which does not list the associated Veda). In this canon,

* 10 Upanishads are associated with the Rigveda and have the Shānti beginning vaṇme-manasi.
* 16 Upanishads are associated with the Samaveda and have the Shānti beginning āpyāyantu.
* 19 Upanishads are associated with the White Yajurveda and have the Shānti beginning pūrṇamada.
* 32 Upanishads are associated with the Black Yajurveda and have the Shānti beginning sahanāvavatu.
* 31 Upanishads are associated with the Atharvaveda and have the Shānti beginning bhadram-karṇebhiḥ.


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I think the most popular Hindu text is a poem about Krishna an avatar of Vishnu, called bhagavad gita. It is just a part of Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata is 74000 verses, baghavad gita is 700 verse.

Ramayana is also a popular Hindu poem, which is 24000 verses about an avatar of Vishnu called Rama. It came into oral tradition from some time between 500 BCE to 100 BCE in its current form.

2006-11-11 01:04:01 · answer #2 · answered by LearningGuy 3 · 0 0

Bavaghad Vita

2006-11-11 00:31:57 · answer #3 · answered by DoNNy 2 · 0 0

Yes teacher, can I go to the bathroom now?

2006-11-11 00:37:36 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

Try this. http://www.hindunet.org/scriptures/

kind of full of advertisements but...

2006-11-11 00:31:36 · answer #5 · answered by Mayonaise 6 · 0 0

Kama Sutra ??

2006-11-11 00:31:35 · answer #6 · answered by Wiseguy 3 · 0 2

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