Hinduism - Definition - Law Dictionary Home Dictionary Definition hinduism

Definition :

Hinduism, Hinduism is so tolerant and Hindu religious practices so varied and eclectic that one would find it difficult to say whether one is practicing or professing Hindu religion or not. Especially when one is born a Hindu the fact that he goes to a Buddhist temple or a church or a durgah cannot be said to show that they are no more Hindus unless it is clearly proved that they have changed their religion from Hinduism to some other religion, Ganpat v. Presiding Officer, AIR 1975 SC 420 (424): (1975) 1 SCC 589: (1975) 2 SCR 923.

Hinduism cannot be defined in terms of Polytheism or Henotheism or Monotheism. The nature of Hindu religion ultimately is Monism/Advaita. This is in contradistinction to Monotheism which means only one God to the exclusion of all others. Polytheism is a belief of multiplicity of Gods. On the contrary, Monism is a spiritual belief of one Ultimate Supreme who manifests himself as many. This multiplicity is not contrary to on-dualism. This is the reason why Hindus start adoring any deity either handed down by tradition or brought by a Guru or Swambhuru and seek to attain the ultimate Supreme, Sri Adi Visheshwara of Kashi Vishwanath Temple v. State of Uttar Pradesh, (1997) 4 SCC 606 (631).

Hinduism, is far more than a mere form of theism vesting on Brahmanism. It presents for our investigation a complex congeries of creeds and doctrines which in its gradual accumulation may be compared to the gathering together of the mighty volume of the Ganges, swollen by a continual influx of tributary rivers and rivulets, spreading itself over an ever-increasing area of country and finally resolving itself into an intricate Delta of tortuous steams and jungle marshes. The Hindu religion is a reflection of the composite character of the Hindus, who are not one people but many. It is based on the Idea of Universal receptivity ['Religious Thought & Life in India' by Monier Williams, p. 57].

Ordinarily, Hindutva is understood as a way of life or a state of mind and it is not to be equated with, or understood as religious Hindu fundamentalism. The strategy worked out to solve the minorities problem was, although differently worded, that of Hindutva or Indianisation. This strategy, briefly stated, aims at developing a uniform culture by obliterating the differences between all the cultures co-existing in the country. This was felt to be the way of communal harmony and national unity. It was thought that this would put an end once and for all to the minorities problem ['Indian Muslims -- The Need for a Positive Outlook' by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, (1994), p. 19].