Hinduism

The Vedas

There are four Vedas, the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. The Vedas are the primary texts of Hinduism. They also had a vast influence on Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Traditionally the text of the Vedas was coeval with the universe. Scholars have determined that the Rig Veda, the oldest of the four Vedas, was composed about 1500 B.C., and codified about 600 B.C. It is unknown when it was finally committed to writing, but this probably was at some point after 300 B.C.

The Vedas contain hymns, incantations, and rituals from ancient India. Along with the Book of the Dead, the Enuma Elish, the I Ching, and the Avesta, they are among the most ancient religious texts still in existence. Besides their spiritual value, they also give a unique view of everyday life in India four thousand years ago. The Vedas are also the most ancient extensive texts in an Indo-European language, and as such are invaluable in the study of comparative linguistics.

Rig Veda

The Rig-Veda

translated by Ralph Griffith [1896]

A complete English translation of the Rig Veda.

Rig-Veda (Sanskrit)

The complete Rig Veda in Sanskrit, in Unicode Devanagari script and standard romanization.

Vedic Hymns, Part I (SBE 32)

Hymns to the Maruts, Rudra, Vâyu and Vâta , tr. by F. Max Müller [ 1891 ]

A masterpiece of linguistics and comparative mythology: translations and deep analysis of the Vedic Hymns to the Storm Gods. , tr. by

Vedic Hymns, Part II (SBE 46)

Hymns to Agni , tr. by Hermann Oldenberg [ 1897 ]

The Vedic Hymns to Agni. , tr. by

A Vedic Reader for Students (excerpts)

by A.A. Macdonell [1917]

An introduction to the Dramatis Personæ of the Rig Veda.

Sama Veda

The Sama-Veda

translated by Ralph Griffith [1895]

A collection of hymns used by the priests during the Soma sacrifice. Many of these duplicate in part or in whole hymns from the Rig Veda. This is a complete translation.

Yajur Veda

The Yajur Veda (Taittiriya Sanhita)

translated by Arthur Berriedale Keith [1914]

A complete translation of the Black Yajur Veda. The Yajur Veda is a detailed manual of the Vedic sacrificial rites.

The Texts of the White Yajurveda

translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith [1899]

A complete translation of the White Yajur Veda.

Atharva Veda

The Atharva Veda also contains material from the Rig Veda, but of interest are the numerous incantations and metaphysical texts, which this anthology (part of the Sacred Books of the East series) collects and categorizes. The Atharva Veda was written down much later than the rest of the Vedas, about 200 B.C.; it may have been composed about 1000 B.C.

The Hymns of the Atharvaveda

translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith [ 1895-6 ]

The unabridged Atharva Veda translation by Ralph Griffith. translated by

The Atharva-Veda

translated by Maurice Bloomfield [ 1897 ]

(Sacred Books of the East, Vol. 42)

The Sacred Books of the East translation of the Atharva-veda. Selected hymns from the Atharva-veda. translated by(Sacred Books of the East, Vol. 42)Selected hymns from the Atharva-veda.

Upanishads

The Upanishads are a continuation of the Vedic philosophy, and were written between 800 and 400 B.C. They elaborate on how the soul () can be united with the ultimate truth () through contemplation and mediation, as well as the doctrine of-- the cumulative effects of a persons' actions.

The Upanishads (Sacred Books of the East, vols. 1 and 15):



The Upanishads, Part I (SBE 1)

Max Müller, translator [1879]

The Chandogya, Talavakara, Aitreya-Aranyaka, the Kaushitaki-Brahmana, and the Vajasaneyi Samhita Upanishads

The Upanishads, Part II (SBE 15)

Max Müller, translator [1884]

Katha, Mundaka, Taittirîyaka, Brihadâranyaka, Svetâsvatara, Prasña, and Maitrâyana Brâhmana Upanishads.

Thirty Minor Upanishads

by K. Narayanasvami Aiyar [1914]

Thirty shorter Upanishads, principally dealing with Yogic thought and practice.

From the Upanishads

Charles Johnston, translator [1889]

Translations from the Katha, Prasna and Chhandogya Upanishads.

Puranas

The Puranas are post-Vedic texts which typically contain a complete narrative of the history of the Universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of the kings, heroes and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology and geography. There are 17 or 18 canonical Puranas, divided into three categories, each named after a deity: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. There are also many other works termed Purana, known as 'Upapuranas.'

The Vishnu Purana

by H.H. Wilson [1840]

A primary text of the Vaishnava branch of Hinduism, and one of the canonical Puranas of the Vishnu category. Among the portions of interest are a cycle of legends of the boyhood deeds of Krishna and Rama. H.H. Wilson was one of the first Europeans to translate a Hindu sacred text from the original Sanskrit. His style and annotations are exceptional and very readable.

The Garuda Purana

translated by Ernest Wood and S.V. Subrahmanyam [1911]

A Vishnu Purana with Dantesque descriptions of the afterlife, and details of Hindu funeral rites.

The S'rimad Devî Bhâgawatam

translated by Swami Vijnanananda (Hari Prasanna Chatterji) [1921]

One of the Upapuranas, devoted to the Devi (Goddess).

The Devî Gita

translated by Swami Vijnanananda (Hari Prasanna Chatterji) [1921]

The Song of the Goddess. An excerpt from the S'rimad Devî Bhâgawatam (above)

The Prem Sagur

(Prem Sagar) by Lallu Lal, translated by W. Hollings [1848]

English translation of a popular Hindi retelling of the Krishna cycle, based on the tenth book of the Bhagavata Purana.

The Transmigration of the Seven Brahmans

translated by Henry David Thoreau [1931]

An excerpt from the Harivamsa, a Puranic text, translated by the American transcendentalist philosopher.

Kundalini: The Mother of the Universe

by Rishi Singh Gherwal [1930]

Includes an English translation of the Lalita Sahasranama, the 'Thousand Names of the Goddess,' from the Brahmanda Purana.

Other Primary Texts

The Laws of Manu

George Bühler, translator [1886]

(Sacred Books of the East, vol. 25)

Manu was the legendary first man, the Adam of the Hindus. This is a collection of laws attributed to Manu.

The Sacred Laws of the Âryas, Part I (SBE 2)

George Bühler translator [1879]

(Sacred Books of the East, Vol. 2)

Hindu law books written by the sages Âpastamba and Gautama, in the first millenium B.C.

The Sacred Laws of the Âryas, Part II (SBE 14)

George Bühler translator [1879]

(Sacred Books of the East, Vol. 14)

Hindu law books written by the sages Vasishtha and Baudhâyana, in the first millenium B.C.

The Institutes of Vishnu (SBE 7)

Julius Jolly, translator [1880]

(Sacred Books of the East, Vol. 7)

This Hindu law book contains descriptions of yogic practises, and a moving hymn to the Goddess Prajapati.

The Minor Law Books (SBE 33)

Julius Jolly, translator [1880]

(Sacred Books of the East, Vol. 33)

Later Hindu law books written by Narada and Brihaspati about 600 CE.



The Satapatha Brahmana

A primary source for Vedic-era mythology, philosophy and magical practices. The complete five part Sacred Books of the East Satapatha Brahmana translation is now online:

Satapatha Brahmana, Part I (SBE12)

Satapatha Brahmana, Part II (SBE26)

Satapatha Brahmana, Part III (SBE41)

Satapatha Brahmana, Part IV (SBE43)

Satapatha Brahmana, Part V (SBE44)



The Grihya Sutras, Part 2 (SBE 30)

Hermann Oldenberg , tr. [ 1892 ]

Ancient Hindu household rites, including fertility, marriage, purity, initiations, and funerals. , tr. [

The Epics

The Mahabharata and Ramayana are the national epics of India. They are probably the longest poems in any language. The Mahabharata, attributed to the sage Vyasa, was written down from 540 to 300 B.C. The Mahabharata tells the legends of the Bharatas, a Vedic Aryan group. The Ramayana, attributed to the poet Valmiki, was written down during the first century A.D., although it is based on oral traditions that go back six or seven centuries earlier. The Ramayana is a moving love story with moral and spiritual themes that has deep appeal in India to this day.

In addition, a key Hindu sacred text, the Bhagavad Gita, is embedded in Book Six of the Mahabharata.

Mahabharata

The Mahabharata

translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli [ 1883-1896 ]

Digitizing this unabridged translation of the Mahabharata was a joint venture between sacred-texts and Project Gutenberg. translated by

The Mahabharata in Sanskrit

The text of the Mahabharata with parallel Devanagari and Romanization Unicode.

The Ramayana

Rámáyan Of Válmíki

translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith [1870-1874]

The first complete public domain translation of the Ramayana to be placed online.

The Ramayana in Sanskrit

The text of the Ramayana with parallel Unicode Devanagari and Romanization.

Abridged Versions

The Ramayana and Mahabharata

R. Dutt translator [1899]

A very readable abridged version of these epics.

Indian Idylls

Sir Edwin Arnold, translator [1883]

More stories from the Mahabharata, rendered in poetry.

Love and Death

by Sri Arobindo [1921]

The popular story of Ruru and Priyumvada from the Mahabharata.

Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita, usually considered part of the sixth book of the Mahabharata (dating from about 400 or 300 B.C.), is a central text of Hinduism, a philosphical dialog between the god Krishna and the warrior Arjuna. This is one of the most popular and accessible of all Hindu scriptures, required reading for anyone interested in Hinduism. The Gita discusses selflessness, duty, devotion, and meditation, integrating many different threads of Hindu philosophy.

The Bhagavadgîtâ (SBE 8)

with the Sanatsugâtîya and the Anugîtâ translated by Kâshinâth Trimbak Telang, (Sacred Books of the East, Vol. 8) [1882]

A scholarly prose translation of the Bhagavad Gita with two other similar, less well known, works from the Mahabharata.

The Bhagavad Gita in Sanskrit

A Unicode presentation of the Gita in Romanized Sanskrit.

Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita

by Swami Swarupananda [1909]

A modern English prose translation of the Gita with commentary.

The Bhagavad Gita

A modern prose translation of the Gita, sanctioned by the International Gita Society.