How did Brahmanism evolve into Hinduism

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Larry

Social Studies

2 August, 13:21

How did Brahmanism evolve into Hinduism

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Kylie Herring · Answer 1

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Brahmanism is the religion of the Vedic period. Also known as Vedism or Vedic Brahmanism is the historical predecessor of Hinduism.

Its liturgy is reflected in the Mantra portion of the four Vedas, which are compiled in Sanskrit. The religious practices centered on a clergy administering rites that often involved sacrifices. This mode of worship is largely unchanged today within Hinduism; however, only a small fraction of conservative Shrautins continue the tradition of oral recitation of hymns learned solely through the oral tradition.

Elements of Vedic religion reach back into Proto-Indo-European times. The Vedic period is held to have ended around 500 BC, Vedic religion gradually metamorphosizing into the various schools of Hinduism, which further evolved into Puranic Hinduism. Vedic religion also influenced Buddhism and Jainism.

Vedic religion was gradually formalized and concluded into Vedanta, which is the primary institution of Hinduism. Vedanta considers itself the 'essence' of the Vedas. The Vedic pantheon was interpreted by a unitary view of the universe with Brahman seen as immanent and transcendent, since the Middle Upanishads also in personal forms of the deity as Ishvara, Bhagavan, or Paramatma. There are also conservative schools which continue portions of the historical Vedic religion largely unchanged until today.

During the formative centuries of Vedanta, traditions that opposed Vedanta and which supported the same, emerged. These were the nastika and astika respectively.

Hinduism is an umbrella term for astika traditions in India.

- Puranas, Sanskrit epics

- the classical schools of Hindu philosophy, of which only Vedanta is extant.

- Shaivism

- Vaishnavism

- Bhakti

- Shrauta traditions, maintaining much of the original form of the Vedic religion.

Vedic Brahmanism of Iron Age India co-existed and closely interacted with the non-Vedic (nastika) Shramana traditions. These were not direct outgrowths of Vedism, but separate movements influenced by Brahmanical traditions.