HINDU SCRIPTURES

There are Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Scriptures and a hierarchy of authority.

Vedas (śruti) these are the primary scriptures and the most authoritative. There are four Vedas and each one is divided into four sections. The most important section is the Upanishads which deal with philosophy. They constitute the framework of Vedānta which is the heart of modern Hinduism.

Smritis are secondary scriptures and are the books of law, custom and usage which are loosely based on the Vedas and composed by various Legislators. Smritis are time-place specific and most of what they legislate is now redundant.

Itihāsa (Rāmayana and Mahabhārata) and Purānas are tertiary scriptures — encyclopedias of information on all aspects of Hindu religion, ritual, culture and tradition. Their authority lies only in their validation and support of Upanishad statements and teachings - in and of themselves they have no authority.

Āgamas (Tantras) are scriptures that are parallel to the Vedas and their philosophical teachings are acceptable as long as they don’t contradict the Upanishads. The majority of modern Hindu rituals and ceremonies including temple building and icon worship is based on the Āgamas or the Purāṇas - there is often a cross-over between the two.

Darśanas (views-of-reality) are the texts composed by sages delineating the ideology and methodology of the 6 classical schools of Hindu Philosophy (shanmathas). All these 6 different systems have been subsumed and merged into the mainstream philosophical trend of modern Hinduism which is Yoga-Vedānta.