Decoding the coded myths of Hinduism

I think animals are better at living than us humans because they, together belong to the animal kingdom. Although they do rely on each other to continue the food chain, they are not essentially divided by abstract ideas of caste and religion.

When a human is born, they are born into a civilization, one which is bound by ideas of caste, culture and religion. Our ancestors might have been the pioneers of the path we follow, but putting it on a pedestal and deriving our behaviors from it is something which we have done. There is nothing wrong in putting your faith in something, but blindly believing what is said is true is where the mankind goes astray.

Essentially, the crux of the matter is that people have developed notions about an abstract idea that guides us humans. They have made boundaries full of myths which when combined with the political influence of a state misguide these homo-sapiens which potentially lead to debates with people fighting over facts which in the first place, are not even true.

One such abstract idea is Hinduism. Over the years, mankind has struggled to establish whether Hinduism is a religion or a way of life. Some people consider it to be the third largest religion after Christianity and Islam and other schools of though consider it a way of life. They believe when the ideas and teachings of Hinduism are inculcated in their life, they grow into living a more proper lifestyle.

However, whatever people might consider to be true, there is no two ways in the fact that even the real essence of Hinduism is lost in a web of myths. Debunking these myths, is exactly what I endeavor to do today.

Myth #1 : Bhagavad Gita is the Hindu Bible

Although the Bhagavad Gita is the most recognized Hindu text in the world, it is certainly not a central authoritative book that the Hindus derive their personality or behavior from. In fact, Hinduism is not confined by the ideas of a single scripture but takes it teachings from various scriptures like the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Puranas.

Hindus believe that the Gods have passed on worldly truths to wise men who then converted these teachings into scriptures. These basically talk about the way of life under different circumstances and help a reader see the mysteries of life with a clearer perspective.

The Gita is essentially a 700-verse long poem narrated by Lord Krishna to the Pandava Prince Arjun during the Mahabharat and a surprising fact, not all Hindus have read or have to read the Gita compulsorily.

Myth #2 : Hinduism has a discriminatory caste system.

Hinduism, in a greater sense in generally related to India because of which many people believe that Hinduism prescribes a discriminatory caste system. It is the Indian culture and the ancient practices of the Kings who ruled the country that gave rise to hierarchy. People were divided into classes on the basis of their occupations and were treated on the basis of those classes in their daily life.

This framework of social order is not related to a religion, but derives its roots from the age-old culture of the country itself. Although this system is practised lesser and lesser as the years pass, it still exists in some parts of the country where people are fixated to their school of thought and cannot completely adopt to the changing times. Therefore, the caste system should not be thought as religiously sanctioned by Hinduism.

Myth #3 : Practitioners of Hinduism worship idols.

Almost all around the world, people believe that Hindus worship idols. In reality, they do not consider it as worshipping an idol but they believe in praying to a physical representation of God. They know that the idol is not actually God but a mere imagery which helps them focus on an aspect of prayer or meditation.

The Westerners find it difficult to separate idolatry from what Hindus consider ‘murthi puja’, therefore thinking they worship idols but instead, they actually worship a reminder of God.

Myth #4 : Hindus are all vegetarians

In reality, a vast majority of Hindus are non-vegetarians and eat whatever they want except on certain days like auspicious festivals. Only about 30% of the population practices vegetarianism because they think that animals are responsive beings with feelings. At the same time, some believe in the principle of ‘ahimsa’ or non-violence therefore think of it as a sin to slaughter animals for their own livelihood and consumption.

Although a vegetarian diet is encouraged, Hinduism does not mandate that people follow vegetarianism.

Myth #5 : Women wear bindi on their forehead

Traditionally, Hindu women wore a ‘bindi’ or a red dot made with vermilion powder above and between their eyes to signify that they are happily married. Women from different castes within Hinduism wore it in different colors with each color signifying a specific meaning. According to scriptures, the location relates to the “third eye” where one loses their ego.

Nowadays, the tradition has evolved drastically. Now, even young girls and not just women wear it in different decorative forms and colors on various occasions or just for fashion. In modern times, the shape of a ‘bindi’ has also undergone a change and now it is also worn by men as a costume piece on various festivals.

These myths are just certain common misconceptions that people, especially the Westerners have about Hinduism and the Hindus that follow its path. There are many other myths like the women in the society are not treated equal to men or that there are a million Gods in Hinduism which in reality hold not truth.

Lastly, I would say that you were born human. You come in this world without a prejudice. Then why should you, over the course of your existence, question the practices of other human groups who celebrate life as per their believes in a particular school of thought? Hence, it is essential that all myths, regarding a topic like Hinduism should be cleared before it takes the form of something bigger that would lead to mankind fighting mankind.

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