Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation

“The Home of God-Loving and Globally Competent Individuals”

Martin P. Posadas Avenue, San Carlos City, Pangasinan, 2420, Philippines

College of Arts & Sciences

THEO 102 Christianity and Other Religions
MODULE: 1
CHAPTER/LESSON HINDUISM

OVERVIEW  In this chapter/lesson, the students will be able to learn what Hinduism is all about, how
this world’s oldest religion is considered a diverse and complex religion, and how Hindus
manifest their spirituality amidst the variety of their traditions and freedom of beliefs. This
module is concern on the main features of Hinduism in terms of origin, deities and sacred
texts.
LEARNING  Students be able to articulate the origin of Hinduism.
COMPETENCIES:  Students be able to identify the names of the major Hindu deities as well as their
corresponding functions or power.
 Students be able to describe the sacred texts of Hinduism.

Learning TOPIC Summary/Discussion Reference/s

Outcomes
1. Know the origin Sanatana Dharma  Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion, Theo 102: Christianity
of Hinduism. according to many scholars, with roots and and Other Religions
customs dating back more than 4,000 years (c. Jose de Vera)
ago in India. It was the religion of an ancient Pages 172 onwards
people known as the Aryans (“noble
people”) whose philosophy, religion, and https://www.patheos.
customs are recorded in their sacred texts com/library/
known as the Vedas. These texts were hinduism/origins/
initially handed down by word of mouth scriptures
from teacher to student. It was not until
much later that they were actually written
down.
 Hinduism is a collective term applied to the
many philosophical and religious traditions
native to India. Hinduism has neither a
specific moment of origin nor a specific
founder. Rather, the tradition understands
itself to be timeless, having always existed.
It is thus a complex tradition that
encompasses numerous interrelated
religious doctrines and practices that have
some common characteristics but which
lack any unified system of beliefs and
practices.
 Hinduism is also known as “Sanatana
Dharma” which means eternal natural law /
eternal teaching. This provides that
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 Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation
“The Home of God-Loving and Globally Competent Individuals”
Martin P. Posadas Avenue, San Carlos City, Pangasinan, 2420, Philippines

College of Arts & Sciences

everybody should follow natural laws in
order to live a good life (i.e. Eating when
you are hungry, because eating satisfies the
hunger.)
 One must accomplish their duties to be able
to become a higher form of creature (would
be emphasized with the concept of the
Dharma)
 The fundamental teaching of Hinduism, or
Vedanta, is that a human being’s basic
nature is not confined to the body or the
mind. Beyond both of these is the spirit or
the spark of God within the soul.
 The exact beginnings of Hinduism are
impossible to determine, since they evolved
as time and culture impacted the religious
ideas of early India.

2. Know who is The Three Major  Brahma - creator, the god responsible for
Brahma and the Gods the creation of the world and all living
other major things.
gods in the  Shiva - destroyer, the god that destroys the
Hindu religion universe in order to recreate it.
 Vishnu - preserver, the god that preserves
and protects the universe.

Other prominent  Devi: the goddess that fights to restore

deities dharma.
 Krishna: the god of compassion, tenderness
and love.
 Lakshmi: the goddess of wealth and purity.
 Saraswati: the goddess of learning
 Many Hindus recognize a vast diversity of
gods and goddesses; others believe in a
Hindu "trinity" (trimurti): Brahman, Vishnu,
Shiva; yet others claim an essential
monotheism, believing that all the gods are
manifestations of one.

3. Describe the Hindu Sacred Text  Hindu ancient, sacred texts were written in
Hindu Sacred Sanskrit, the language of ancient India.
Texts.  There are two basic categories of religious

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“The Home of God-Loving and Globally Competent Individuals”
Martin P. Posadas Avenue, San Carlos City, Pangasinan, 2420, Philippines

College of Arts & Sciences

texts of Hindu, namely: Shruti (revealed)
and Smrti (remembered). Shruti generally
refers to the Vedas, the Brahmanas, and the
Upanishads; some Hindus also classify the
Bhagavad Gita as shruti. Smrti typically
refers to everything else, vast collection of
myths, epic texts, and traditions
 The primary sacred texts, The Vedas are the
oldest - about 3000 years old. They are a
collection of hymns, prayers, and magic
spells. This collection of verses and hymns
contains revelations received by ancient
saints and sages. The Vedas form the
foundation of Hinduism, the bedrock upon
which the entire tradition is built. Indeed,
although Hindus of different schools and
different sects typically align themselves
with different texts, virtually all Hindus
recognize the legitimizing authority of the
Vedas.
 There are four primary Vedas—the Rig
Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, and Atharva
Veda—that together comprise over 1,000
hymns of praise addressed to the gods, as
well elaborate instructions on how to
conduct sacrifices to these divine beings,
and a huge corpus of myths. the Rigveda:
hymns(for the chief priest to recite); the
Yajurveda: formulas (for the priest to
recite); the Samaveda: formulas
(for the priest to chant); the Atharvaveda:
collection of stories, spells, and charms
 Each Veda, in turn, has four divisions. The
primary division is called the Samhita, which
is the vedic text itself. The other three
divisions—the Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and
Upanishads—are commentaries and
elaborations on the primary vedic text.
 The Upanishads are stories and parables
told by gurus (teachers) to their students.
The Upanishads are typically understood by
the Hindu tradition as an extension of the

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Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation
“The Home of God-Loving and Globally Competent Individuals”
Martin P. Posadas Avenue, San Carlos City, Pangasinan, 2420, Philippines

College of Arts & Sciences

Vedas; they are also known, collectively, as
Vedanta, the "completion" of the Vedas.
However, the Upanishads significantly reject
many of the Vedic ideas and practices. The
Upanishads largely reject the multiple
deities of the Vedas, arguing that all one
gets from such ritual is more material. The
sages who composed the Upanishads
sought something more—ultimate, eternal
salvation. Thus they posit a single, eternal,
impersonal divine force that animates and
permeates the entire cosmos—Brahman.
 The smrti texts Mahabharata and the
Ramayana—as well as a group of texts
known as Puranas, and all manner of local
myths and legends.
 The Mahabharata, the "Great story of
India," is a huge text of over 75,000 verses,
or nearly two million words. Early on, the
text states: "What is found here, may be
found elsewhere. What is not found here,
will not be found elsewhere."
The Mahabharata is a story of a war
between two royal families. The central
story of the Mahabharata is the dynastic
conflict between two sets of paternal
cousins, the Pandavas and the Kauravas,
each of whom claim the rightful rule of
Bharata (India).
 The most well-known part of the
Mahabharata is the Bhagavad Gita, the
"Song of the Blessed One," which becomes
one of the most important theological
treatises in all of Hinduism. The central
message of the Bhagavad Gita is a complex
reconciliation of the seemingly
contradictory worldview of the Vedas—
emphasizing ritual action and duty—and the
Upanishads—emphasizing renunciation of
worldly involvement and meditation.
 The Ramayana, like the Mahabharata, is a
huge text. At its core is the story of the god

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“The Home of God-Loving and Globally Competent Individuals”
Martin P. Posadas Avenue, San Carlos City, Pangasinan, 2420, Philippines

College of Arts & Sciences

Rama and his wife Sita, their exile, Sita's
abduction by an evil demon (Ravana),
Rama's rescue of Sita, and the eventual
restoration of their kingdom.
 The Puranas (the word means "Ancient")
are a diverse collection of texts that, like the
epics, contain mythology, theology, history,
and geography.

ACTIVITY/OUTPUT: I. Why is Hinduism considered a diverse and complex religion?

II. Why is hard to pinpoint the start and founders of Hinduism?
III.How are Hindu texts categorized? What are some examples of each, and why has
more authority?
IV. Fill in the blanks with the correct answer.
1. Hindus worship many gods and goddesses in addition to ______, who is
believed to be the supreme God force present in all things.
2. The _____ are a collection of hymns, prayers, and magic spells. This collection
of verses and hymns was written in Sanskrit and contains revelations received
by ancient saints and sages.
3. _____ is the world’s oldest religion, according to many scholars, with roots and
customs dating back more than 4,000 years ago in India. It was the religion of
an ancient people known as the _____ (“noble people”) whose philosophy,
religion, and customs are recorded in their sacred texts known as the _____.
These texts were initially handed down by word of mouth from teacher to
student. It was not until much later that they were actually written down.
4. Hinduism is also known as _____ which means _____.
5. The ____ is the fundamental teaching of Hinduism, or Vedanta.
6. The _____, the "Great story of India,"
7. The word_____ means "Ancient")
ACTIVITY/OUTPUT 1. Read carefully the summarized discussion from above (refer to page 172 onwards from
GUIDE the handbook)
2. Answer Activities I-IV preferably using a paper with white background. Copy and answer.
DATE OF Marc 18, 2020
SUBMISSION

Prepared by: Reviewed by: Approved:

JOSE C. DE VERA, M.A.ED. ARIEL C. BACANI, MPA, MBGPH MERLY D. QUIAO, Ph.D
Professor Chair, Social Sciences Dean, College of Arts and Sciences