Hinduism

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Hinduism
The primary focus of this prospectus will be to discuss the religious theme featured in “The Immortals of Meluha.” This is the first fiction novel of the trilogy on Shiva, one of the most respected gods in Hinduism. The language used in the novel is informal and modern making it easy for the reader to understand and relate. The captivating story is constantly on the move with a series of events leaving no room for a reader to lose interest by being humdrum. The author, Amish Tripathi, who is a former banker first self-published the novel in 2010 after being rejected by several publishers in India. On 1st April 2011, Westlands Books published it and later on January 3rd, 2013 it was published as an eBook by Joflecher books. The 439 pages novel has twenty-six chapters and characters are drawn from the Hinduism mythological figures who are presented as mortals.
The story is set in 1900 BC in a fictional land, Meluha. It begins with an introduction to Shiva who is a warrior from Guna town arriving in Meluha following an invitation by the King Daksha of Meluha Empire. At this time, Meluha is facing various challenges including terrorist attacks orchestrated by the tribe of Chandravanshi. This tribe is believed to be collaborating with Naga people who are a cursed tribe that constitutes of malformed individuals. To rescue Meluha from these challenges, they are relying on a prophesy made long ago that a savior (Neelkanth) will come and rid the place of all evils and restore peace.

After drinking somras, a drink that provides the Meluha with utter health and longevity, Shiva’s throat turns blue. This symbolizes that he is the Neelkanth and is expected to fight against the Chandravanshi believed to be carrying terrorist attacks and stealing Saraswati’s water which is a key ingredient of the somras. This is then followed by Shiva’s love story with Sati who is King Daksha’s daughter. Sati who belongs to the social class of the ‘untouchables’ (Vikram), rejects Shiva. This leads to Shiva challenging the Law of Vikram. After capturing the Chandravanshi, Shiva learns that they believe in the same legend and the novel ends with Shiva accepting that Naga tribe needs to be eradicated for they are malevolent.
The main religious theme presented in this novel is Hinduism which is a fusion of innumerable beliefs and often times it is referred to as ‘way of life’ rather than an organized religion. This religion, according to history.com (2), dates back to 2300BC and 1500BC along Indus valley which is current Pakistan. However, these years have been disputed by many who argue that it is a timeless religion that existed even before then. This religion has spread widely with a majority of the believers in India and Nepal. Unlike other religions, Hinduism was not founded by a single person and neither does it have one ‘holy book’.
Those possessing its faith believe in one Supreme God, Brahman who is the god accountable for the creation of all living things and the world. In addition to the supreme god, other gods and goddesses are worshipped and recognized, e.g., Vishnu god who protects and preserves the universe, Lakshmi the goddess of purity and wealth, Krishna the god of love, compassion and tenderness, Shiva the god that destroys the universe to recreate it, etc. (history.com 2). Additionally, the key themes in Hinduism are “Samsara (the continuing cycle of life, death and rebirth), Dharma (code of ethical conduct), Moksha (liberation from Samsara), Karma (actions and subsequent reaction)” and numerous types of Yoga which are patterns that aid one in achieving Moksha (1). Another belief in Hinduism is that the human soul/spirit, the atman, is a portion of Brahman and it is perpetual.
In Hinduism great value is placed on different sacred writings with the principle one being the Veda, an assemblage of sacred hymns and verses. It was composed in 1500 BC and constitutes of The Samaveda, Atharvaveda, Rig Veda and Yajurveda (history.com 3). Other sacred writings include The Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, 18 Puranas, Upanishads, and Mahabharata. Hinduism believers aim to achieve Dharma and respect all living beings, and more so the cow which they consider as a sacred animal. Consequently, they do not eat beef as well as pork and most adhere to vegetarianism. Additionally, there are several religious festivals that are marked throughout the year e.g., Diwali the festival of lights, Mahashivaratri the commemoration of Shiva, Holi the spring celebration, etc. (history.com 2).
Modern Hinduism is as a result of western culture, thought and religion which led to the formation of reform movements. These movements have a small following and do not substitute the traditional Hinduism teachings which are greatly followed up to date. Such movements include The Brahmo Samaj, The Arya Samaj, the Ramakrishna mission and Gandhi’s “Satyagraha” (iskconeducationalservices.org1). Additionally, according to Hebbar (2), modern Hinduism did settle on four major sects i.e., Vaishnava Sect, Shakti Sect, Smartha Sect and the Shiva Sect.
Consequently, some practices are no longer practiced like before. For instance, the caste system which was a part of the historical foundation of the religion is lightly practiced in present-day Hinduism (history.com 4). This system used to divide the Hindus on the basis of their Dharma and Karma, e.g., the Brahmin were the spiritual and intellectual leaders, unskilled laborers were Shudras, etc. These classes encouraged discrimination and when India gained independence they were obliterated. However, up to date, there is a strict emphasis on marriages within the same caste (history.com 6).
Hinduism religion embraces a supreme god and recognizes others and therefore believers are encouraged to relate to god in a manner that suits each individual e.g., worshiping different deities. This aims to ultimately enable believers to attain the key goals of Hinduism, i.e., attaining innermost peace and reaching heaven. Concisely, Hinduism is a complex religion that for any non-believers to comprehend it, they need to set aside their beliefs and any stereotypical ideas they may have regarding Hinduism.
Work cited
Hebbar, Neria H. “Modern Hinduism.” Boloji, 2002, www.boloji.com/index.cfm?md=Mobile&sd=Articles&ArticleID=1494.
History.com Staff. “Hinduism.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2017, www.history.com/topics/hinduism. “The Reform Movements.” Heart of Hinduism: The Reform Movements, 2016, iskconeducationalservices.org/HoH/tradition/1207.htm.
Tripathi, Amish. “The Immortals of Meluha: The Shiva Trilogy.” Vol. 1. Hachette UK, 2012.