The corpus contains extensive source material on Hindu religious and philosophical traditions, from Vedic religion through classical philosophy to devotional movements.
Vedic Religion
The Rig Vedic religion centered on:
- Devas: Principal gods (Indra, Agni, Varuna, Mitra, Soma, Ashvins, etc.)
- Yajna: Sacrificial ritual connecting humans and gods
- Rita: Cosmic order maintained by gods and sacrifice
- Soma: Sacred plant offering with psychotropic properties
The Upanishadic Turn
The later Vedic period saw a shift from external ritual to internal realization:
- Brahman: The ultimate reality, beyond all attributes
- Atman: The innermost self, identical with Brahman
- Moksha: Liberation from samsara (rebirth cycle)
- Key texts: Isha, Kena, Katha, Mundaka, Brihadaranyaka Upanishads
Philosophical Schools (Darshanas)
The six orthodox schools (Astika):
- Nyaya: Logic and epistemology (Nyaya Sutras)
- Vaisheshika: Atomistic metaphysics
- Samkhya: Dualism of purusha and prakriti
- Yoga: Practical discipline (Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras)
- Mimamsa: Vedic exegesis and ritual
- Vedanta (Uttara Mimamsa): Upanishadic philosophy, with sub-schools (Advaita, Vishishtadvaita, Dvaita)
Sectarian Traditions
- Shaivism: Worship of Shiva, including Pasupata and Kashmir Shaivism
- Vaishnavism: Worship of Vishnu and avatars (Rama, Krishna)
- Shaktism: Goddess worship
- Skanda Karttikeya: Ancient god rediscovered through textual and archaeological evidence
Bhakti Movement
- Alvars: Tamil Vaishnava saints (6th–9th century CE), composing devotional poetry
- Nayanars: Tamil Shaiva saints
- Ram Swarup: Work on the names of God in Hindu tradition
Key Thinkers and Texts
- Shankara (c. 8th century CE): Advaita Vedanta
- Ramanuja (c. 11th century CE): Vishishtadvaita
- Madhva (c. 13th century CE): Dvaita
- Patanjali: Yoga Sutras
- Shiva Samhita: Hatha Yoga text
Aborigines and Tribal Religions
The corpus includes studies of:
- Tribal religious traditions of India
- Syncretism between Vedic and indigenous practices
- The religion of aboriginal communities