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Hinduism is a religion (dharma) widely practiced in South Asia. Hindus believe that theirs is the oldest religion in the world, and they refer to it as "sanatana dharma" ("eternal religion"). Hinduism is regarded by scholars as a fusion or synthesis of various Indian cultures and traditions, with diverse roots and without any founder. This Hindu syncretism began to develop between 500 and 300 years before our era, following the guidelines of the Vedic religion (which existed between 1500 and 700 BC).
Hinduism contains many different doctrines but maintains common roots: recognized rituals, cosmology, and pilgrimage to sacred places. Hindu texts are classified into śruti (‘heard’ directly from the gods) and smriti (‘remembered’, the fruit of tradition). These texts discuss topics such as theology, mythology, yoga, rituals of the āgama and basic mathematics for the construction of temples and altars, among others. The main scriptures include the four Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad-gītā, and the Āgama. The sources of these texts play an important role in this religion, but there is a strong Hindu tradition that questions its authority in order to deepen the understanding of these texts and also to further develop the traditions.
Prominent themes in Hindu beliefs include karma (actions and consequences of actions), samsara (the reincarnation or cycle of births and deaths), various types of yoga (practices to achieve moksha), and the four goals of man (" purusharthas », from púrusha:" male ", and artha:" objectives ")
dharma (religion, ethics and obligations),
artha (prosperity and work),
kama (satisfaction of desires and passions),
moksha (spiritual salvation),
Hindu practices include rituals such as reciting prayers, meditation, ceremonies for various important moments in a person's life (such as the passage to puberty), annual festivals, and occasional pilgrimages. Some Hinduists abandon their social life and material belongings to dedicate themselves to monastic practices (sanniasin).
Hinduism prescribes moral obligations, such as truthfulness (satya), refraining from harming living beings, patience, tolerance, self-control, and compassion, among others.
The four major denominations of Hinduism are Vaisnavism, Shivaism, Shaktism, and Smartism.
Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world. His followers, called "Hinduists", number 1,150 million (more than 16% of the world population). Hindus make up the majority of the population in India, Nepal and Mauritius. There are also significant Hindu communities in the Caribbean, Africa, and North America.