Hindu Texts — A Map
“Hindu scripture” is not one book — it’s a vast layered library compiled over 3500+ years, in multiple languages, by different lineages, with overlapping but distinct authority claims. Mapping it requires distinguishing two categories first.
Shruti vs Smriti
| Shruti (“that which is heard”) | Smriti (“that which is remembered”) | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Revealed; not human-authored | Composed by named sages/poets |
| Authority | Highest. Inviolable. | High but interpretable; subordinate to Shruti |
| Includes | concept-vedas (4 Vedas + their layered texts) | Puranas, Itihasas, Dharmashastras, Tantras, Agamas |
| Date range | ~1500 BCE - 500 BCE (oldest layer earlier orally) | ~500 BCE - 1500 CE |
If two texts contradict, Shruti wins by Hindu hermeneutic convention. In practice, Smriti gets most of the daily attention — it’s the storytelling layer.
The Shruti Layer (The Four Vedas)
Each Veda has four sub-layers (same internal structure):
| Layer | Function |
|---|---|
| Samhita | Hymns, mantras (the ritual core) |
| Brahmana | Prose commentary on ritual procedure |
| Aranyaka | ”Forest” texts; transition from ritual to contemplation |
| Upanishad | Philosophical inquiry; the vedanta — end of the Veda |
The 4 Vedas: Rigveda (oldest, hymns), Samaveda (chants), Yajurveda (ritual formulas), Atharvaveda (everyday/medical/magical).
See concept-vedas for the deeper breakdown.
The Upanishads — The Philosophical Pivot
Out of ~200 surviving Upanishads, 10-13 are considered “principal” (Shankara wrote commentaries on these): Isha, Kena, Katha, Prashna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Aitareya, Taittiriya, Chandogya, Brihadaranyaka, Shvetashvatara, Kaushitaki, Maitri.
The Upanishads pivot Hindu thought from ritual-driven to inquiry-driven. overview-vedanta is downstream of this pivot.
The Smriti Layer (The Storytelling Canon)
Itihasas (Epics)
- Mahabharata — ~1.8M words, 100,000 verses. Includes the Bhagavad Gita (700 verses) as 5%-by-volume but ~95%-by-philosophical-density subset.
- Ramayana — Valmiki’s ~24,000-verse poem. Multiple regional versions (Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas, Kamban’s Tamil, etc.).
Puranas
18 Mahapuranas + 18 Upapuranas. Encyclopedic — cosmology, dynasty genealogies, deity stories, rituals. The big six: Vishnu, Shiva, Bhagavata, Padma, Markandeya, Garuda.
Dharmashastras
Codes of conduct, law, social organization. Manusmriti (famous + controversial), Yajnavalkya Smriti, Naradasmriti. Colonial-era selection elevated Manusmriti beyond its historic weight.
Other Lineage-Specific
- Tantras — Shaiva and Shakta esoteric texts; ritual + meditation
- Agamas — Vaishnava and Shaiva temple-ritual canon
- Sutras — Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Brahma Sutras of Badarayana, Nyaya Sutras of Gautama
The Big Three Schools’ Anchor Texts
| School | Anchor |
|---|---|
| overview-vedanta | Upanishads + Bhagavad Gita + Brahma Sutras (the prasthana trayi) |
| Yoga | Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (4 books, 196 sutras) |
| Tantra | Multiple — varies by sect (Kashmir Shaivism, Sri Vidya, etc.) |
What’s Missing From This Map
This is a Sanskrit-canon view. Equally important but separate:
- Tamil Shaiva and Vaishnava canon (Tevaram, Divya Prabandham, Tirumurai)
- Bhakti movement vernacular literature (Tulsidas Hindi, Tukaram Marathi, Mira Hindi, Kabir Hindi)
- Sikh canon — drawn partly from Hindu bhakti, distinct religion now (Guru Granth Sahib)