Sanatana Dharma — Hinduism, Vedas & Upanishads

Sanatana Dharma explained simply: core beliefs, the goals and stages of life, the four Vedas, the Upanishads, the six schools of philosophy, the epics and Puranas, the great traditions and the sixteen samskaras.

• What Is Sanatana Dharma? Hinduism Explained Simply

  Sanatana Dharma — "the eternal way" — is how many Hindus describe their tradition. What the name means, how Hinduism differs from founder-based religions, and its core ideas in plain language.

• Core Beliefs of Hinduism — Dharma, Karma, Samsara, Moksha, Atman and Brahman

  The central ideas of Sanatana Dharma explained: Brahman and Atman, dharma, karma, samsara and rebirth, moksha, ahimsa, the gods and goddesses, and the four paths of yoga.

• The Four Purusharthas and Four Ashramas — Goals and Stages of Life

  Dharma, artha, kama and moksha — the four aims of human life — and brahmacharya, grihastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa, the four stages of life in Hindu tradition.

• Hindu Scriptures — Shruti and Smriti: Vedas, Upanishads, Gita, Epics and Puranas

  A map of the Hindu sacred texts: shruti (the revealed Vedas and Upanishads) and smriti (the remembered texts — Itihasa, Puranas, Dharma Shastras, Agamas and the Bhagavad Gita).

• The Four Vedas — Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva Veda Explained

  The four Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism: what each contains, their four layers (Samhita, Brahmana, Aranyaka, Upanishad), how they were preserved orally, and their famous mantras.

• Rig Veda — The Oldest Veda: Hymns, Gods and Famous Suktas

  The Rig Veda: 1,028 hymns in ten mandalas to Agni, Indra, Soma, Varuna, Ushas and others; the family books; the Gayatri mantra, Purusha Sukta and Nasadiya Sukta.

• Yajur Veda — The Veda of Ritual: Shukla and Krishna Yajur Veda

  The Yajur Veda contains the formulas recited by priests during yajnas. Its two branches — Shukla (White) and Krishna (Black) — the Shatapatha Brahmana, and the Isha and Brihadaranyaka Upanishads.

• Sama Veda — The Veda of Song and the Roots of Indian Music

  The Sama Veda sets Rig Vedic verses to melody for chanting at the soma sacrifice. Its structure, the udgatr priest, the Chandogya and Kena Upanishads, and its place in Indian music.

• Atharva Veda — Hymns for Everyday Life, Health and Protection

  The Atharva Veda: hymns for healing, protection, prosperity, marriage, kingship and the earth — including the Bhumi Sukta — and the Mundaka, Mandukya and Prashna Upanishads.

• The Upanishads — Principal Upanishads, Mahavakyas and Their Teaching

  The Upanishads, the philosophical heart of the Vedas: the principal Upanishads, what each teaches, the four mahavakyas, famous verses and the 108 of the Muktika canon.

• The Six Schools of Hindu Philosophy (Shad Darshana)

  Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Sankhya, Yoga, Mimamsa and Vedanta — the six orthodox darshanas, their founders and key ideas, and the three great schools of Vedanta: Advaita, Vishishtadvaita and Dvaita.

• Ramayana, Mahabharata and the 18 Puranas — Hindu Epics Explained

  The two great epics — Valmiki's Ramayana in seven kandas and Vyasa's Mahabharata in eighteen parvas — and the eighteen Mahapuranas, with what each tells.

• Hindu Traditions — Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism and Smartism

  The main sampradayas (traditions) of Hinduism: Vaishnavas who worship Vishnu and his avatars, Shaivas who worship Shiva, Shaktas who worship the Goddess, and Smartas who worship five or six deities.

• The 16 Samskaras — Hindu Rites of Passage from Birth to Death

  The sixteen samskaras (shodasha samskara) that sanctify a Hindu life — from garbhadhana and namakarana to upanayana, vivaha and antyeshti — what each marks and how families observe them today.