Marriage

Author(s): Natubhai Shah
Publisher: UK Jain Academy

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polytheistic religion, though such is its tolerance of that it encompasses beliefs, which are monotheistic and atheistic. Hindus worship a host of gods and goddesses such as Brahma, Vishnu (and his incarnations such as Rama and Krishna), Shiva, Ganesha, Kartikeya, Hanuman, Parvati, Durga, Kali, Sarasvati and Laxmi. God is described in the Bhagavad Gita as the inner dweller, the soul of the whole universe, infinite, external and all pervading.
Holy Texts
The beliefs and practices of Hinduism can be traced, in part, in its vast sacred literature: the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Puranas, the Dharma Sutras, the Dharma Sastras, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, which includes the Bhagvad Gita. The main Hindu texts are the Vedas and their supplements (books based on the Vedas). Veda is a Sanskrit word meaning 'knowledge'. The Bhagvad Gita advocates the moral path of selfless detached action, setting out the duties of different castes. The Rigveda and Upanishads contain the core of Hindu morality; the Dharma Sastras describe the ethical virtues and duties of all castes: braahman, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra.
Ethics
The general duties prescribed for all Hindus are the practices of ahimsaa (non-violence), satya (truth), asteya (non-stealing), brahmcarya (celibacy) and aparigraha (detachment). Hinduism emphasises the virtues of love, compassion, purity, self-restraint and philanthropy, charity and social service in addition to the above five general duties.
Hinduism also describes the different duties for each stage of life:
The stage of brahmacarya (up to 25 years): the life of a student.
The stage of grahastha (26-50 years): the life of a householder,
The stage of vanaprastha (51-75 years): retirement for self-discipline, simpler life.
The stage of sanyaasa (75 onwards, or at any time): renunciation, the life of a Sadhu or Yogi.
Worship and devotion
The path of devotion to God includes prayers, worship and complete surrender, in daily practice. Pujaa is performed in the home, in temples or at places of pilgrimage, where certain
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