| Hinduism Article | Hinduism (known as Hindu Dharma in modern Indian languages) is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. In contemporary usage Hinduism is also sometimes referred to as Sanatana Dharma, a Sanskrit phrase meaning "eternal law". Hinduism is the world's oldest major extant religion, whose earliest origins can be traced to the ancient Vedic civilization.A conglomerate of diverse beliefs and traditions, Hinduism has no single founder.It is the world's third largest religion following Christianity and Islam, with approximately a billion adherents, of whom about 905 million live in India and Nepal.Other countries with large Hindu populations include Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, Fiji, Suriname, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. Hinduism contains a vast body of scriptures. Divided as revealed and remembered and developed over millennia, these scriptures expound on theology, philosophy and mythology, and provide spiritual insights and guidance on the practice of dharma (religious living). In the orthodox view, among such texts, the Vedas and the Upanishads are the foremost in authority, importance and antiquity. Other major scriptures include the Tantras, the sectarian Agamas, the Puranas and the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana. The Bhagavad Gita, a treatise excerpted from the Mahabharata, is sometimes called a summary of the spiritual teachings of the Vedas.
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