Hinduism and the Vedas

Hinduism: (minute 00:54-05:17)

Brahma, the creator of the cosmos

"Brahma." In World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2004. Image. Accessed January 6, 2017. https://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1213943. 

Shiva, destroyer of the cosmos

"Statue of Dancing Shiva." In World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2004. Image. Accessed January 6, 2017. https://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/619747.

Vishnu, preserver of the cosmos

"Vishnu." In World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2004. Image. Accessed January 6, 2017. https://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1940100.

Practiced primarily in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, Hinduism is considered the world's oldest religion, with traditions originating in and before the Neolithic era, around 8,000 years ago. Hinduism may have had its beginnings in the Indus River Valley in modern Pakistan, and the word hindu comes from the Persian name for that river.  Approximately 80% of India's population today practices Hinduism.

Although Hinduism contains elements of polytheism, monotheism and monism, all gods within Hinduism are today considered manifestations of Brahman. Many Hindus practice devotion to one of three main deities: Brahma, the creator of the cosmos; Vishnu, preserver of the cosmos; and Shiva, destroyer of the cosmos.

In Hinduism, Vishnu is the preserver and maintainer of the universe. Vishnu, along with Brahma, the creator, and Shiva, the destroyer, are the three main gods of Hinduism. Vishnu is worshipped directly or in his incarnations (physical forms), especially  Rama and Krishna. According to Hindu belief, Vishnu descended to earth to restore order and justice to a threatened world and to save mankind. He has been incarnated 10 times in animal, supernatural, and human forms, including the Buddha. His 10th avatar is yet to come. Vishnu is commonly worshiped by chanting the Vishnu sahasranama, his thousand names.

A heterogeneous philosophy, Hinduism has no one founder and includes many sacred texts, the most ancient being the Vedas. Among the variety of genres included in the Vedic texts, composed 1500 – 1100 BCE, are hymns to gods, descriptions of rituals and philosophical writings.

(Source: The Story of India, http://www.pbs.org/thestoryofindia/gallery/photos/14.html