... , translating, or challenging the Smriti. The Smriti includes the two great Sanskrit epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana; the many SanskritPuranas, including 18 great Puranas and several dozen more subordinate Puranas; and the many Dharmashastras and Dharmasutras (textbooks on sacred law), of which the one attributed to the sage Manu is the most frequently cited. The two epics are built around central narratives. The Mahabharata tells of the war between the Pandava brothers, led their ... cousin Krishna, and their cousins the Kauravas. The Ramayana tells of the journey ... ...

• Word Count: 1549
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... , it has many other stories that are included to teach important lessons. The Ramayana has 24,000 verses. It is thought to be the work of a man called Val-miki, and was written down around 100 BC. It tells the story of Prince Ramah and his wife Sita. The stories in the Mahabharata and the Ramayana can be understood on many different levels. For children, they are exciting ... stories. For adults, they teach important lessons about the gods and the way to worship. Many Hindu ... actors and dancers use parts of the stories in their performances. "The basic concepts put forth in the Vedas ...

• Word Count: 1437
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... have one "Holy Book" like many other religions, but many texts including the four Vedas along with their Upanishads, called the "Sruti", several Dharma Sasthras or Smrutis, Ithihasas and Puranas including the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The Bhagavad Gita, or "Song of God", comes as part of Mahabaratha, is an essence of the message of the Upanishads and Hindu Philosophy and is considered to be a guide on how ... we should live as told by Lord Krishna to Arjuna. 5. Hindus believe that as all streams and rivers lead to the same ocean, all genuine ... religious (spiritual) paths lead to ...

• Word Count: 1635
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... to grant their respective wishes, and the most controlled and successful sacarifice enable men to gain control over body and actions and ultimately the entire universe. Fire also enable the dispelling of evil spirits and hostile magic as seen in the epic Ramayana. Hence, due to the immense power of fire, the common people idiolize fire and treat it as the lord of the house. All sacred vows and ... bonds are taken with God as the witness in the form of fire. Thus, men attain happiness ... by appeasing Agni and completing proper fire rituals. As time passed, the Upanishads formed the end...

• Word Count: 1633
• Approx Pages: 7