Meaning of Hinduism

Author: Florence Bailey
Date Of Creation: 25 March 2021
Update Date: 25 January 2025
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What Is Hinduism??
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What is Hinduism:

Hinduism is a polytheistic religious system originating from India. Although it is made up of a great diversity of tendencies, it is articulated from two fundamental elements: the belief in Brahma as the supreme god and the belief in reincarnation.

Hinduism is the dominant spirituality in India, Nepal, the island of Mauritius (Africa) and the island of Bali (Indonesia), although its practice has spread to some countries of other cultures where believers constitute a religious minority.

Origin of Hinduism

The term Hinduism comes from the word Hindu, a Persian adaptation of the name of the river Sindhu. However, it was only in the 19th century of our era that the term was coined to encompass the set of religious practices of the peoples of the Indus Valley.

It is estimated that its origin dates back to 1750 BC. from C. It comes from the monotheistic Brahmanic religion. Little by little other gods were incorporated into the belief system such as Visnu, Indra, Shiva, Saravasti, Lakshmi, Kali, Krishna and Ganesha, among many others, from which their diversity derives.


Characteristic elements of Hinduism

For the believers of this spirituality, it is very important to take into account the holy books, among which the Vedas stand out in the first place. Followed by these are the Upanishad, the Mahā Bhārata, the Rāmāyan, the Sūtras, the Brahmanicas and the Aranyakas.

Hinduism does not have a founder nor does it possess an institutional structure similar to those of monotheistic religions. This, added to its polytheistic character, allows a great diversity of orientations to exist. Thus, Hinduism brings together many different metaphysical, spiritual, philosophical currents, customs, cults and rituals.

Given these characteristics, its practitioners prefer to call it "Sanatana Dharma", which wants "tradition or eternal path", rather than religion. This term is broader and fair for them, since the diversity of beliefs that are involved in Hinduism does not allow it to be identified as a unified system, but rather as a lifestyle.


In this last aspect, it is essential to karma and the dharma. Karma refers to the consequences of all the actions that a person develops in his life (law of cause and effect). Dharma refers to the set of duties that a person must respect in his life, such as virtue, religiosity, conduct, etc.

See also:

  • Karma.
  • Dharma.
  • Shiva.

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