Law books, philosophy and devotional poems
Beyond the , the epics and the there is a large body of later Hindu writing. It shapes how Hindus live, think and worship every day. Each part has its own answer, and each one goes wrong somewhere.
Law books (Dharma Shastras)
These set out duty () for each person: rules for family, society, rulers, rites and punishments. The best known is the , from about 200 BCE to 200 CE. It also sets out the four classes () that later hardened into the caste system. Many Hindus today, including leaders of reform movements, do not accept all of it, and it is one of the most debated Hindu texts.
Where it goes wrong
The ranks people by birth. It says the one duty given to the is to serve the three higher classes (), and that a woman "must never be independent" (). Its punishments are harsher for lower classes. Many Hindus reject these parts today, but that means choosing which parts of the text to obey.
What the Bible says
Every person is made in God's image, "male and female" (). In Christ "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female" ().
Philosophy texts (the six schools)
The left questions that the thinkers organized into six schools (). Their main texts are short "threads" () which need a commentary to be understood.
- and its . This is the school that reads the , the and the together. Its three main teachers disagreed: taught that all is one (advaita), that God is personal and we are His body (qualified oneness), and that God and souls are always distinct (dvaita).
- Yoga and the Yoga of , about disciplining the mind to reach freedom.
- , which divides all reality into spirit and matter.
- , and , about logic, the make-up of the world and the right reading of the Vedic rites.
Where it goes wrong
The three teachers read the same texts, the , the and the , and reached opposite answers to the most basic question: are God and the soul one, or two? If the texts were clear, they could not all claim them.
What the Bible says
The heart of the Bible is plain enough for a child: "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day" ().
Temple and ritual texts (Agamas and Tantras)
The are manuals for building temples, making images and running daily worship. are a related family of texts on ritual and the worship of the goddess. Most Hindu temple worship today follows an Agama. They are less read as scripture than followed as practice.
Where it goes wrong
The teach how to make an image and invite a god to live in it. But a god who must be housed, washed and fed by people is a god who depends on us.
What the Bible says
"The God who made the world and all things in it ... doesn't dwell in temples made with hands. He isn't served by men's hands, as though he needed anything" ().
Devotional poems
From about 600 CE, poet-saints began writing songs of love for God in everyday languages instead of . They are the most widely sung Hindu texts.
- The and in Tamil, about and .
- , whose retells the in Hindi.
- and in Marathi, with commentary on the .
- , and , who sang of a God who is near and who loves.
Where it goes wrong
The poems express a longing for God. But the poets disagree: mocked idols and pilgrimages, while worshipped as God. Longing for God is not the same as knowing Him, and no poem says how a sinner can be made right with Him.
What the Bible says
Jesus answers the longing with an invitation: "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest" ().
What your friend may sayWhat Hindus often say
- "All of this is one tradition, and each text speaks to a different person." There is room for the thinker, the worker and the lover of God.
Your strongest answerHow a Christian answers
When the voices disagree, which one is true? A tradition that holds opposite answers to who God is cannot tell you which one to trust. The Bible points to a person, not a school: Jesus, who said "I am the way, the truth, and the life" ().
What they ask, and what the Bible announces
These texts asks
How should I live, think and worship? Each answers with something to do: keep your duty, train your mind, serve the image, sing your love.
The Bible announces
You cannot fix yourself, but God makes you new: "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation" ().
The poets sang of a God who is near and who loves. Jesus is not a song about that God. He is that God, come near: He called His followers friends () and promised to be with them always ().
The law books rank people by birth, the philosophers contradict each other, the temple manuals house gods in images, and the poets long for a God they cannot reach. Only Christ makes a person new.
Why the next step followsWe have walked through the Hindu texts. Now the Bible: one story from beginning to end, and the two side by side.The Bible: one story of redemption →Every one of these texts gives you something to do. The gospel tells you what Christ has done. Where are you still tempted to earn what God gives freely?
Have you ever tried to earn God's favor by duty, ritual or devotion? What would it mean to receive it as a gift?