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The Word Hinduism And Its Origin – Dr Karan Singh

Dr Karan Singh explains the word Hinduism and its origin.

The religion that has come to be known as Hinduism is certainly the oldest and most varied of all the great religions of the world. The word ‘Hinduism’ itself is a geographical term based upon the Sanskrit name of the great river that runs across the northern boundaries of India, known as the Sindhu. For those living on the other side of the this river, the entire region to the south-east of the Sindhu, which the Greeks called the Indus, came to known as the land of the Hindus, and the vast spectrum of faiths that flourished here acquired the generic name Hinduism.

In fact, Hinduism calls itself the Sanatana Dharma, the eternal faith, because it is based not upon the teachings of single preceptor but on the collective wisdom and inspiration of great seers and sages from the very dawn of Indian civilization.

The Sanskrit word for philosophy is Darshana or seeing, which implies that Hinduism is not based merely on intellectual speculation but is grounded upon direct and immediate perception.

Karan Singh