Study Of Hindu Rituals and Routines

Rites, rituals and customs play a major role in the life of every person, irrespective of religious affiliations. However, this is more prominent in the case of Hindus. Right from the time of conception and birth, up to a person`s passing away and even after it, rites and rituals follow a Hindu at all times, much like a shadow. Indeed, there is one or the other rite, ritual or custom that comes into play for Hindus 365 days of the year. However, unlike other religions where many customs are mandatory, the Hindu way of life is comparatively flexible, with people in different region following a variety of customs and traditions. While a monotonous way of life could figuratively kill many people from sheer boredom, Hindu rituals and customs enliven Hindus` daily existence. Besides, they also ensure that in the hustle and bustle of daily life in this materialistic era, people do not lose sight of spiritual goals. The Hindu way of life is principally based upon the teachings in the Vedas. The Rig Veda, which was recorded in a form of Sanskrit over 3000 years ago, is the oldest of the four Vedas. It has 1,028 hymns to a pantheon of gods. Over the years the teachings have passed on from one generation to another through memorisation and word of mouth. Two other Vedas, the Yajur-Veda and the Sama-Veda, later supplemented the Rig-Veda. The fourth Veda, the Atharva-Veda, was added perhaps a hundred years later. The Hindu way of life has also been profoundly influenced by the Upanishads – Sanskrit religious scriptures. They came as the final portion of a Veda, and are also termed as Vedanta (Veda-anta – end of knowledge). The word upa-ni-shad (“sit down near”) suggests a personal touch to explaining a religious truth. The earliest Upanishad dates back to about 2,800 years. Others followed chronologically. It is believed that as the first three Vedas split into a number of branches, each branch produced its own Upanishad and is named accordingly. There are about 200 of them. The emphasis is on personal realisation. The two great epics the Mahabharata and the Ramayana were sources of inspiration and direction to the Hindu way of life that followed the Upanishads. Each is narrated in the form of a meaningful classic. Within each there are shorter stories, tales and discourses on subjects that pertain to life and living. The epics date back to over 2,000 years. Over the years their popularity has grown tremendously. Newer versions came about. Translated into many languages, in modern times they have been made into movies and television serials. Their popularity is unmatched as people feel there is something new to learn and be inspired by each time. The Puranas were composed after the epics. Some of them deal in detail with subjects and characters in the epics. The Bhagavata-Purana describes the life of Krishna. The Puranas elaborate on the hymns of praise, philosophies and rituals. They use iconography as a descriptive tool and praise Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesh and many other gods and goddesses. Along with the Puranas, the Dharmashastras and Dharmasutras (textbooks on sacred law) provide many guidelines on life and living. Of these, Manusmriti is perhaps the most important. What is significant is that the study of these is restricted 7 to a learned few. The common man believes in the theory of karma (action) and has learnt the Hindu way of living through rituals, customs and beliefs passed on by word of mouth from one generation to another. A ritual can be taken to mean several things. It could be a religious or solemn ceremony that involves a series of actions performed according to a set order. It could also mean a series of actions followed without variation or refer to a system of religious or other rites or observance of set forms in public worship. Similarly, customs can also be interpreted in different ways. It could mean a traditional way of behaviour that is specific to an occasion, place or time. It could also refer to a habitual practice or a way of acting in given circumstances. The habitual activity could be transmitted from one generation to another. Customs gradually became an established way of doing things. Continued use made them a part of social usage. A belief is a firmly held opinion or conviction. It may be a trust or confidence in something that cannot be immediately proved. It may come from personal or religious faith through use and experience. Rituals, customs and beliefs together give direction to individuals to act in particular ways in everyday life, and also in the conduct of certain rites and ceremonies for religious services or on public occasions. Hinduism has thrived despite a variety of reforms due to urbanisation and modernisation. The country faced foreign invasions and occupation. Changes were then necessary. Yet the rituals, customs and beliefs have survived not only in temples and religious institutions, but also in millions of homes around India. Individuals continue to follow traditional patterns. They derive strength from the confidence the rituals and customs inspire. The inquiring mind looks for reasons to uphold traditions. Modern youth want facts to decide what they can accept or reject. An effort has been made to trace the origins of many rituals and customs and find explanations for their usage. Hinduism is the oldest of all religions. No individual or prophet has founded it. While other religions are dated in that you can go back to their origin, Hinduism emerges from the mists of time. It is a synthesis of a variety of religious experiences and offers a complete view of life. It is not rigid in thought and is tolerant of how individuals interpret it in their own life. According to Swami Chinmayananda, “Love is the very basis of Hinduism. If you know how to love, you are a Hindu. All great people have become great because of their love for others. They gained greatness because they learnt to love.” Hinduism allows great freedom of thought to man. There is no restraint upon reasoning, thinking or the will of man. Hinduism is not theoretical. It is a practical philosophy of life. If we can call it a religion, then it is a religion of freedom. No Hindu is bound to accept any particular set of beliefs or rituals. They may have been used over hundreds of years. They may even have been misinterpreted or distorted for the personal benefit of a few. Everyone is free to reflect upon them, investigate and inquire about their utility and, finally, accept or reject them.