This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. The talk page may contain suggestions. (December 2010) Part of a series on Hindu scriptures Vedas Rigveda · Yajurveda Samaveda · Atharvaveda Divisions Samhita · Brahmana Aranyaka · Upanishad Vedangas Shiksha · Chandas Vyakarana · Nirukta Kalpa · Jyotisha Upanishads Rig vedic Aitareya Yajur vedic Brihadaranyaka · Isha Taittiriya · Katha Shvetashvatara Sama vedic Chandogya · Kena Atharva vedic Mundaka · Mandukya Prashna Puranas Brahma puranas Brahma · Brahmānda Brahmavaivarta Markandeya · Bhavishya Vaishnava puranas Vishnu · Bhagavata Naradeya · Garuda · Padma · Agni Shaiva puranas Shiva · Linga Skanda · Vayu Itihasa Ramayana Mahabharata (Bhagavad Gita) Other scriptures Manu Smriti Artha Shastra · Agama Tantra · Sūtra · Stotra Dharmashastra Divya Prabandha Tevaram Ramcharitmanas Yoga Vasistha Scripture classification Śruti · Smriti Timeline Hindu texts v · d · e The Literature regarded as central to the Vedic and Hindu literary tradition was originally predominantly composed in Sanskrit. Indeed, much of the morphology inherent in the learning of Sanskrit is inextricably linked to study of the Vedas and other early texts.

Vedic literature is divided by tradition into two categories: Shruti – that which is heard (traditionally understood as revelation) and Smriti – that which is remembered (stemming from human authors, not revelation). The Vedas constituting the former category are considered sacred texts or scripture by many followers of Hindu religion. The post-Vedic scriptures form the latter category: the various shastras and the itihaasas, or histories in epic Sanskrit verse. Holding an ambiguous position between the Upanishads of the Vedas and the epics, the Bhagavad Gita is considered to be revered scripture by most Hindus today. Contents 1 The Vedas 2 The Upanishads 3 Post-Vedic Hindu scriptures 4 The Bhagavad Gita 5 The Puranas 6 The Tevaram Saivite hymns 7 Divya Prabandha Vaishnavite hymns 8 Other Hindu texts 9 See also 10 References 11 Further reading 12 Hanuman Chalisa in English Rhyme 13 External links The Vedas Main article: Vedas The Vedas form the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature1 and the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism.2 According to the Rigveda itself, the Vedic Mantras were composed by various seers who had 'seen' (dṛś) them in deep concentration (dhī). However, to post-Vedic tradition, the Vedas are apauruṣeya "not human compositions",3 being supposed to have been directly revealed, and thus are called śruti ("what is heard").45 A number of Vedic mantras are recited as Hindu prayers, at religious functions and other auspicious occasions.

The philosophies and religious sects that developed in the Indian subcontinent have taken various positions on the Vedas. Schools of Indian philosophy which cite the Vedas as their scriptural authority are classified as "orthodox" (āstika). Other Indian philosophies, such as Buddhism, Jainism and materialism, did not accept the authority of the Vedas and the former two evolved into separate religions. In Indian philosophy these groups are referred to as "heterodox" or "non-Vedic" (nāstika) schools.6 The central focus of all four Vedas is Vedic sacrifice (yajña), officiated by four main priests, each using materials from one of the four Vedas. Ritual is mediated by the fire-god Agni, through whom can the priests and thus the rest of society gain access to the Devas. The four Vedas are the Ṛig-, Yajur-, Sāma- and Atharva Vedas. They are transmitted in various shākhās, or branches of knowledge. Depending on the branch, various early different commentaries (Brahmanas)and instructions (Sutras) are associated with each Veda. The Ṛigveda contains hymns (mantras) addressed to the gods that contain much of the mythology and ancient-most Vedic ritual practice; The Sāmaveda consists almost exclusively of mantras from the Rig Veda, arranged in an order that was used for singing at the Soma sacrifice; The Yajurveda contains prose mantras and verses extracted from the Rigveda used in ritual,in addition to detailed prose 'commentaries' (brāhmaṇa sections) on the sacrifices; and The Atharvaveda comprises magical spells against enemies, sorcerers, diseases and mistakes made during the sacrificial ritual, as well as hymns dealing with household and royal rites, and in the speculative books (8-12) some spiritual content.7

Each of the four Vedas has traditionally been divided into several sections: The Mantra portion, also called the Saṃhitā (संहिता), is a collection of hymns and prose mantras to be used in Vedic sacrifices. The Brāhmaṇas portion (ब्राह्मण) (not to be confused with Brahman, or the brahmin caste), contains the explanation of some of the mantras as well as prose commentaries explaining the meaning of the mantras and rituals. The Brāhmaṇas style texts, commenting on the procedure and purpose of the Saṃhitās, are further divided: the Āraṇyakas (आरण्यक), which conclude the Brahmanas, are composed along a blurry line between the Upaniṣhads (उपनिषद्), which mainly contain early philosophical and metaphysical texts about the nature of macrocosm (the gods and the universe),ritual (yajña) and micrososm (humans) as well as the relationship between the soul (ātman) and the universal Brahman. The Upanishads are often referred to collectively as Vedanta ("the end of the Vedas"), not only because they appear physically in the concluding sections of each Veda, but also because their teachings are traditionally seen as the culmination of all other Vedic knowledge.8 The Upanishads Main article: Upanishad While the Upanishads are part of the "Vedas", their actual importance to Hindu philosophy has exceeded that of Hindu scriptures; indirectly, it resulted in the Bhagavad Gita, which is a self-proclaimed yoga upanishad. As such, they are different from the Samhitas and Brahmanas and are the basis of Vedantic thought.

The Upanishads ("Sittings near, laying siege to [a Teacher]") are part of the Shruti and primarily discuss early philosophy; they also contain accounts of various debates between contemporary priests and sages. There are more than 200 texts counted as Upanishads; however, only 13 are generally accepted as primary. The Upanishads have been acknowledged by scholars and philosophers from both East and West, from Schrödinger, Thoreau and Emerson and Schopenhauer to Mahatma Gandhi and Aurobindo Ghosh. Post-Vedic Hindu scriptures The new texts that appeared afterwards were called Smriti. Smrti literature includes Itihasas (epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata), Harivamsa Puranas, Agamas and Darshanas. The Dharmashastras ('law' books), though derivatives of earlier Vedic texts such as the Dharmasutras, are traditionally considered as part of the Smrti. From time to time great law-givers (e.g. Manu, Yajnavalkya and Parashara) emerged, who collected existing customs and laws and to ensure that the then way of life was consistent with both the Vedic spirit and the changing times. However, Dharmashastras have been disregarded by many groups of Hindus, namely those following Vedanta, Bhakti, bhakti and Tantra streams of Hinduism, even if they practically speaking still follow the samskaras fro birth to death. One aspect of the philosophy reflected in the epics is the concept of Avatar (appearance of God on the Earth). The two main avataras of Vishnu that appear in the epics are Rama, the hero of the Ramayana, and Krishna, the protagonist in the Mahabharata. Unlike some of the deities of the Vedic Samhitas and the all-pervading and formless Brahman of the Upanishads, the avataras have more developed personalities, as loving and righteous descents of the Supreme Being among mortals. The Bhagavad Gita Main article: Bhagavad Gita

Many followers of Hindu religion or Sanatana Dharma opine that the most succinct and powerful abbreviation of the overwhelmingly diverse realm of Vedic thought is to be found in the Bhagavad Gita (also known simply "The Gita"). Essentially, it is a microcosm of Vedanta- Bhakti, Yogic, and Karmic aspects of Sanatan Dharma, or Vedic religion. Bhagavad Gita (literally: Song of the Lord) is a revered part of the epic poems of the Mahabharata, book 6. It speaks not only to Vaishnavas but to all people of all faiths, and it is accepted by the members of most Hindus as a seminal text. The "tag line" of each chapter of the Bhagavad Gita refers to the book as the "Gita Upanishad" and as a "yoga text," as Lord Krishna speaks the truths of yoga and the Upanishads for all. What holds the devotee's mind foremost is Krishna's repeated injunction to abandon the mortal self to the infinite love of the Lord. He not only speaks to the mind and to the Atman, individual spirit's innate sense of Dharma, but calls for overwhelming love. By loving God one also loves the immortal Self, finds harmony in oneself, and finds oneself at peace with the entire cosmos. The Gita speaks of cultivating the intellect, properly using the body, and always remaining equipoised in relation to the greater Self. The Bhagavad Gita truly presents itself as a liberation text universal in its message. In the Bhagavadgita Krishna stresses "nishkam karma" (means efforts or functions without selfishness). The Puranas Main article: Puranas

The Puranas are a vast medieval literature of stories and allegory. Eighteen are considered to be Mahapuranas, or Great Puranas, and thus authoritative references on the Gods and Goddesses, religious rites and holy places (most of which are in the Indian subcontinent, known as Bharat). The Tevaram Saivite hymns The Tevaram is a body of remarkable hymns exuding Bhakti composed more than 1400–1200 years ago in the classical Tamil language by three Saivite composers. They are credited with igniting the Bhakti movement in the whole of India. Divya Prabandha Vaishnavite hymns The Nalayira Divya Prabandha (or Nalayira(4000) Divya Prabhamdham) is a divine collection of 4,000 verses (Naalayira in Tamil means 'four thousand') composed before 8th century AD[1], by the 12 Alvars, and was compiled in its present form by Nathamuni during the 9th – 10th centuries. The work is the beginning of the canonization of the twelve Vaishnava poet saints, and these hymns are still sung extensively today. The works were lost before they were collected and organized in the form of an anthology by Nathamunigal. The Prabandha sings the praise of Sriman Narayana (or Vishnu) and his many forms. The Alvars sung these songs at various sacred shrines. These shrines are known as the Divya Desams. In South India, especially in Tamil Nadu, the Divya Prabhandha is considered as equal to the Vedas, hence the epithet Dravida Veda. In many temples, Srirangam, for example, the chanting of the Divya Prabhandham forms a major part of the daily service. Prominent among the 4,000 verses are the 1,100+ verses known as the Thiru Vaaymozhi, composed by Nammalvar (Kaaril Maaran Sadagopan) of Thiruk Kurugoor. Other Hindu texts

Other famous texts of Hinduism include those of the bhakti yoga school (loving devotion to God) such as the Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas (an epic poem based on the Ramayana), the Gita Govinda of Jayadeva (a religious song of the divine love of Krishna and his consort Radha), Adi Shankara's commentaries and other works, Ramanujacharya's nine books including "Sri Bhasya", Madhvacharya's commentaries and the Devi Mahatmya (the tales of Devi, the mother goddess, in her many forms as Shakti, Durga, Parvati, etc.). See also List of Historic Indian Texts Timeline of Hindu texts List of Hindu scriptures List of sutras Hindu Epics Epic Age Sanskrit Literature Akilattirattu Ammanai Yoga Vasistha References ^ see e.g. MacDonell 2004, pp. 29–39; Sanskrit literature (2003) in Philip's Encyclopedia. Accessed 2007-08-09 ^ see e.g. Radhakrishnan & Moore 1957, p. 3; Witzel, Michael, "Vedas and Upaniṣads", in: Flood 2003, p. 68 ^ Apte, pp. 109f. has "not of the authorship of man, of divine origin" ^ Apte 1965, p. 887 ^ Muller 1891, pp. 17–18 ^ Flood 1996, p. 82 ^ Swami Nikhilananda, The Upanishads: A New Translation Vol.I, at 3-4 (5th Ed. 1990) ISBN 0-911206-15-9 ^ Swami Nikhilananda, The Upanishads: A New Translation Vol.I, at 3-7 (5th Ed. 1990) ISBN 0-911206-15-9 Further reading Kapoor, Dr. S.S. (2005). Hinduism: An Introduction (History, Scriptures, Prayers and Phylosophy). Hanuman Chalisa in English Rhyme This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. External links Sacred-Texts: Hinduism Clay Sanskrit Library publishes Sanskrit literature with downloadable materials. Encyclopedia of Authentic Hinduism Hindubooks.org Krishna.com - The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Bhagavad-gita online and extensive other resources Hindu Poets - Collection of Hindu Poetry Prapatti.com - Collection of Sukthams, and other manthras Sanskrit Documents Collection: Documents in ITX format of Upanishads, Stotras etc. GRETIL: Göttingen Register of Electronic Texts in Indian Languages, a cumulative register of the numerous download sites for electronic texts in Indian languages. Gaudiya Grantha Mandira - A Sanskrit Text Repository. This site also provides encoding converter.