To gain insights into the term that arises repeatedly in our daily lives, namely “Hindu,” it is important to note that this term is not something we merely look at superficially. Rather, it situates itself across different fields such as history, philosophy, psychology, and several others. “Hindu”, term provides the insights over the context of everyday life structures, addressing questions such as how the term arose, how it relates to us, and how it defines human mentality. Although these questions often focus on “how,” when we shift our perspective to “why,” the inquiry moves beyond surface-level understanding. This deeper questioning raises curiosity about existence itself: why history preserved this term, why philosophy is deeply rooted in it, and how Indian belief systems connect it with sadhus and the idea of “Sanatan,” meaning continuity from beginning to end.
The
concept of sadhus or sages has also been depicted by A. K. Ramanujan in his
informal essay “Is There an Indian Way of Thinking?” He wrote the essay to portray
and provides the western world about the Indian aspects overlooking towards the
“humans existence and the trade between them”. With his deep insight, Ramanujan,
A.K. suggests that – “only the real Indian aspects can come, after discussing
with the sages. Through such conversations, one can grasp the significance of
the Vedas, Puranas, and Upanishads in shaping Indian ways of thinking. These
texts evoke philosophical, historical, and psychological ideas Those
who identify themselves as “Sanatan” or “Hindus”, moreover sometimes they call
themselves as “Aryans”.
From a historical standpoint, the term “Hindu”
originally functioned as an exonym. It derived from the Sanskrit term “Sindhu”
which means river or ocean, and geographically it exists near the Himalayan
range i.e. most part near the Kashmir. The term first appeared in the 5th
– century BCE Persian inscriptions as geographic identifier for the people
living beyond the Indus. Scholarly debate surrounds the development of this
term. One perspective claim that during British colonial rule, which
constructed as “catch-all” category for indigenous communities who were not Muslims,
Christians, or Sikh. Another perspective argues that a sense of identity took
before the invaders came to live and destructing the existing ideologies of the
natives around the 8th and 14th centuries CE.
From
a philosophical perspective, Hinduism is understood through a religious and
spiritual framework. Through this approach, we attain the insights in the way
of the sages – the Vedas, smritis, Upanishads, and puranas describes the term
as an spiritual responsibility over human-kind, more of that it teaches the
laws of human responsibility, care, love, or survivalism towards the natural
artwork by creating us – means we every human being, who call themselves as the
child of the supreme. Through these sacred texts retains all the believers of Sanatan,
the philosophy relies with the core concept of the Sanskrit word “Brahman” – it
does not describe any single community here, instead of that it described as “Brahm”
meaning as the supreme or the creator and “maan” describes us, means humans as
the child or part of the supreme.
Hindu
philosophy recognizes an ultimate reality that transcends form yet possesses
infinite names and manifestations. This allows for options to be monotheistic,
polytheistic, pantheistic, agnostic, or even atheistic. Despite of these
diversity, Hindus share several fundamental concepts; Dharma: Duty, righteousness,
and the moral law that sustain cosmic order (Rta), Karma: it deprives the law
of action and reaction towards every good or bad actions which comes with the
future reactions, Samsara: The cycle of birth, life, death, and reincarnation,
Moksha: it detaches the soul for being the part of cycle – birth, life, death
and reincarnation. In the Hindu philosophy, birth is given by “Brahma”, life is
being cared by “Vishnu” and death caused by “Shiva”.
This
framework extends beyond physical birth and death to include the birth of
thoughts, the life of thought processes, and the death of unproductive ideas. Psychologically,
the Hindu thinking deeply rooted with the self through intricate frameworks
includes Atman (the eternal inner self) and the Antahkarana (the internal
mental organs). To attain the spiritual happiness (Ananda) Hindu psychology talks
about traditionally identified “six enemies” or Arishadvargas (such as lust,
anger, and greed) and Ahamkara (ego/attachment) considered as psychological
barriers that must be overcome.
The psychological
and philosophical perspective can be intimated with these paradoxical poetic lines:
O
Shyama, O Shyama, dissolve me into you;
let
me surrender myself completely.
O
Shyama, “Why do you restrain me?
I’m
your devoted believer, my deity.
I ask that beauty belong to me.
I’m
asking you! Shyama – Why do you remain silent?
I
seek some jewels and money, Shyama?”
O
Shyama, it is your duty – I’ve fulfilled mine.
O
Shyama! I desire wealth and love.
My
child, I do not restrain; just testing you!
Your
surrender is incomplete and self-centred.
You
do not ask – you demand
What
belongs to another soul.
Even
if I grant you wealth, jewels, and affection,
They
would fade with time.
This
is not my obligation, my son.
Your
karma alone determines what you receive.
Shyama!
Shyama! You’re my chosen deity.
Shyama!
I desire wealth and love.
My
son, remember this truth:
Karma
alone governs reward and experience.
--anurag_vatsya
Through this poetic verse, we can entertained what Hindu
philosophy and psychology pertains with the idea of respecting other soul too. It
clearly provides every soul to rejoice within themselves or with the spiritual relief
to attain the happiness internally. It also suggests that don’t hurt or disrupt
anyone’s peace. Moreover, it depicts the resilience of the supreme towards
anyone’s attempt over burning the other soul’s peace will remembered by the
karma.
Works cited;
1. Wikipedia contributors. "Hindus." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 30 Dec. 2025. Web. 6 Jan. 2026.
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