--- title: Hinduism description: Hinduism examines the diverse philosophical, spiritual, and cultural traditions of the Indian subcontinent. Learners will understand core concepts such as dharma, karma, samsara, and moksha, alongside the historical development of Hindu texts, deities, and ritual practices. category: humanities subcategory: religious-studies difficulty: beginner, intermediate, advanced url: /subject/hinduism --- # Hinduism Hinduism examines the diverse philosophical, spiritual, and cultural traditions of the Indian subcontinent. Learners will understand core concepts such as dharma, karma, samsara, and moksha, alongside the historical development of Hindu texts, deities, and ritual practices. ## Available Resources 3 Books • 1 Courses • 4 Websites ## Websites ### 1. BBC Religions - Hinduism BBC's archived religion pages on Hinduism: short editor-reviewed articles on beliefs, deities, texts, worship, festivals, and ethical questions. A quick orientation to vocabulary and major concepts before moving to scholarly surveys or primary scripture. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/ **Tags:** hinduism, world-religions, introduction, hindu-deities, religious-practice ### 2. Internet Sacred Text Archive - Hinduism Public-domain English translations of Hindu scripture — Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas — mostly nineteenth-century scholarly editions such as the Sacred Books of the East. Dated language, but free full texts for reading sources directly. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/index.htm **Tags:** hinduism, sacred-texts, upanishads, vedas, primary-sources ### 3. Vedanta Society of New York Ramakrishna Order centre in New York publishing free recorded lectures and class series on Advaita Vedanta, the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita. Presents the tradition from inside a practising lineage rather than as academic religious studies. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.vedantany.org/ **Tags:** hinduism, advaita-vedanta, upanishads, lectures, ramakrishna ### 4. gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in A comprehensive online Bhagavad Gita resource hosted by IIT Kanpur, offering the full Sanskrit text with English translations, transliterations, and scholarly commentaries, along with search tools and study aids to explore verses and themes. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.gitasupersite.in/ **Tags:** websites, humanities-social-sciences, religious-studies ## Courses ### 1. Hinduism Through Its Scriptures Learn about the rich diversity of Hindu sacred texts – hymns, narratives, philosophical thought – and their interpretations. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.edx.org/learn/hinduism/harvard-university-hinduism-through-its-scriptures **Tags:** hindu-scriptures, vedas, upanishads, religious-studies, south-asia ## Books ### 1. An Introduction to Hinduism **Author:** Gavin Flood A scholarly survey tracing Hindu traditions from the Vedas through devotional, philosophical, and tantric movements to the modern period. Readers come away able to distinguish major sects, texts, and ritual practices rather than treating Hinduism as one system. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/8175960280?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, humanities-social-sciences, religious-studies ### 2. Hinduism: A Very Short Introduction **Author:** Kim Knott A short scholarly introduction organized around Hindu concepts of dharma, worship, and the divine, plus caste, gender, and diaspora. Useful for getting oriented before longer surveys, and for seeing how practice varies across regions and communities. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0192853872?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, humanities-social-sciences, religious-studies ### 3. The Hindus: An Alternative History **Author:** Wendy Doniger A long narrative history told from the margins, foregrounding women, lower castes, and animals in Sanskrit and vernacular sources. Controversial among some Hindu readers; best approached alongside a mainstream survey so its interpretive choices are visible. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/014311669X?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, humanities-social-sciences, religious-studies --- *This content is part of Dantes.io - Your Treasure Map to Knowledge* *Curated by humans at Dantes.io. Personal study use welcome; republishing this curation requires permission (team@dantes.io).* View this page online: https://dantes.io/subject/hinduism