Course XXVII - Teaching 3: Hinduism

Aryans established all of their religions, philosophies, literature and arts upon Vedas.
Upanishads and Sutras become moral and philosophy of Hinduism, and are just vast commentaries of early texts based on their religion.
Aryan people grows and becomes strong and powerful; then, their desire of power fosters intestine fights and frightful wars.
In the Puranas, a war between gods and elements is described, in the Ramayana, a war of Aryans guided by the Divine Incarnation of Rama against the Atlanteans; and in the Mahabarata, an internal war of Hindu people. In this epic, Krishna, the eight Avatar of Vishnu, appears and leads Arjuna to victory. Their conversation, described in the Bhagavad Gita, still is today spiritual basis for many devoted people of India, and followers of this religion are called Vaishnavites.
In the end of the Mahabharata, Shiva, god of destiny and destruction, and Kali, his wife, appear. From that time on, these gods prevailed more and more and they will have more temples in India and a lot of Yogis and Tantrikas, mystics and people with psychic powers that none can surpass in the world; even today, Joggenauth, king of the world driven once a year on his millenary chariot, is image of the god Shiva.
Exercises practiced by Yogis are especially described in Patanjali’s Yoga, in the Sivagma and in Chakra Nirupana. This love of the Hindus for their religion and spiritual practices makes them fit for a multiplication of their religions into innumerable sects, which would be impossible to name; all of them foster the study of inner and abstract things.
Philosophy has powerful foundations that come into being from Hindu religion.
According to the Vedanta Purana, all is maya, with the exception of Non-manifestation.
Though the Vedanta Advaita accepts Absoluteness as the only reality, however tolerates a creational principle, Purusha (Spirit) and a vital and substantial principle, Prakriti (Matter).
Behind these philosophies and theologies, there are infinite Pandits (sages), Brahmacharin (monks), Sanyasis (mystics) that renounce to everything, Initiated yogis that renew, keep, clean and purify continuously the only early religion of the Vedas: Chaitanya-Shankaracharya, and lately Ram Mohum Roy (founder of the Brahmosamaj), Ramakrishna and Vivekananda (founder of the Ramakrishna’s Mission) and Tagore, a poet and philosopher.
As you saw, the pure Vedic religion also has its time of obscurantism after the war described in the Mahabharata.
Priests controlled the government when peoples grew weaker.
These priests were called Brahmans, not after Indra but after the name of the Divinity Brahma. And they strengthen their power by dividing the race into four castes and placing themselves at the top as divine dynasty.
In spite of this, many Brahmans were truly descendants of the ancient Initiated Aryan Kings.
The four castes were divided as follows:
Brahmans: Priests and spiritual leaders of the people;
Chatriyas: Caste of kings and warriors.
Vaisyas: Caste of industrialists and merchants;
Sudras: Caste of servants.
As a negative outcome of these laws, as they became despotic, their results are terrible, which still are difficult to extirpate today.