Tenets and practices of Hinduism

THE ABCD OF THE GREAT HINDU RELIGION OF INDIA: S. Balakrishna; Copies can be had from the author, ``Manavasi'', Srirangam, Tiruchi-620006. Price not stated.

THE AUTHOR of the book under review a retired mechanical and electrical engineer, felt inspired to write this book by his study of the Valmiki Ramayana and Sri Vyasa's Mahabharata.

``A'' in the title stands for the basic tenets of the religion. He points out that the principal tenet is the Trinity of Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the preserver; and Siva the destroyer. This is the basic belief of what we may regard as popular Hinduism. Adi Sankara recognises the need for popular Hinduism and Saguna Brahma-Upasana is not ruled out. The author speaks of Brahman being born in the universe at the start of creation. This is Pauranic Hinduism and is a stage to be transcended. He deals in this section with Brahma's creation of the Devas, the several avatars or manifestations of Lord Vishnu and Siva's quarrel with His father-in-law, Daksha. These matters are not strictly ``tenets'' of Hinduism.

``B'' deals, among other things, with the founders of Hinduism. The most noteworthy feature of the religion is that it has no founder at all, unlike Buddhism which has Gautama, Christianity which has Jesus Christ and Islam which has Prophet Muhammad. The sages and saints of Hinduism are not ``founders'' in this sense. They are gifted transmitters of what was perceived or ``heard'' (Sruti).

``C'' deals with the practices, observances, rituals and festivals.

``D'' deals with supporting data and contains useful information about the Gotras and the Rishis who figure in the various Gotras. The table attached to this section gives useful information about the Pravaras. The Pravaras has become important in Hinduism, because it does not approve of ``Sagotra'' marriages. S. Srinivasa Iyengar, in his classic edition of Mayne's Hindu Law, decries this prohibition as needlessly and formlessly restrictive. Today, we have gone far beyond ``Sagotra'' marriages. We go in for inter-caste, inter-communal and inter- racial marriages. These anti-traditional innovations have no sanction in the Hindu scriptures though the Mahabharata seems to reckon with both polygamous and polyandrous marriages.

We must express our honest feeling that the book is far too elementary an introduction to be recommended to serious readers. But there are in our society a large number of young people and even old ones who do not even know the name of their religion or its basic contents and who have not even heard the names of Rama and Krishna. This book will serve their need very well indeed.

S.R.

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