Historical Vedic Religion - Post-Vedic Religions

Post-Vedic Religions

Hinduism


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Vedic religion was followed by Upanishads which gradually evolved into Vedanta, which is regarded by some as the primary institution of Hinduism. Vedanta considers itself "the purpose or goal of the Vedas." The philosophy of Vedanta (lit. “The end of the Vedas"), transformed the Vedic worldview to monistic one. This led to the development of tantric metaphysics and gave rise to new forms of yoga, such as jnana yoga and bhakti yoga. There are also conservative schools which continue portions of the historical Vedic religion largely unchanged until today (see Śrauta, Nambudiri).

During the formative centuries of Vedanta, traditions that supported it and which opposed the same, emerged. These were the Āstika and nāstika.

Hinduism is an umbrella term for astika traditions in India (see History of Hinduism).
- Puranas, Sanskrit epics
- the classical schools of Hindu philosophy
- Shaivism
- Vaishnavism
- Bhakti
- Shaktism
- Śrauta traditions, maintaining much of the original form of the Vedic religion.

Vedic Brahmanism of Iron Age India is believed by some to have co-existed, at least in eastern North India, and closely interacted with the non-Vedic (nastika) Śramana traditions. These were not direct outgrowths of Vedism, but movements with mutual influences with Brahmanical traditions. Following are the religions that evolved out of the Sramana tradition:

Jainism, traditionally from the 8th century BCE during Parshva's time. There are Jaina references to 22 pre-historic Tirthankaras. In this view, Jainism peaked at the time of Mahavira (traditionally put in the 6th Century BCE).
Buddhism, (traditionally put) from ca. 500 BC; declined in India over the 5th to 12th centuries AD in favor of Puranic Hinduism.

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