3) Hinduism is one of four ‘Dharmic’ or ‘Indic’ traditions Countless life stories, devotional poetry, and commentaries by sages and scholars have also contributed to the spiritual understanding and practice of Hindus. This philosophy was restated in the Puranas, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata (the world’s longest epic poem), as well as the Bhagavad Gita. Hindu philosophy was further developed in the Upanishads. The Vedas, considered to be realized (revealed) eternal truths, were passed down via an oral tradition for thousands of years before being written down. First among these are the Vedas (“knowledge” in Sanskrit), a collection of hymns on the divine forces of nature presenting key Hindu teachings. Instead, Hinduism has a large body of spiritual texts that guide devotees. Hinduism does not have a single holy book that guides religious practice. 2) The Vedas are one of Hinduism’s many primary religious texts The religious meaning of the term did not develop for roughly another 1000 years. Initially it did not have a specific religious connotation. As for the name itself, ‘Hindu’ is a word first used by Persians, dating back to the 6th century BCE, to describe the people living beyond the Indus River. Hindus believe their religion has no identifiable beginning or end and, as such, often refer to it as Sanatana Dharma (the ‘Eternal Way’). There is no ‘founder’ of Hinduism, nor single prophet or initial teacher. The collection of traditions that compose modern-day Hinduism have developed over at least the past 5000 years, beginning in the Indus Valley region (in the nations of modern India and Pakistan), in what was the largest civilization of the ancient world. Hinduism is one of a few ancient religions to survive into modern times.