The religious traditions which are prevalent in India are the product of the beliefs promulgated by Aryans who migrated here and the ancient Indus valley civilization. A deeply religious lot, the Aryans wrote four great compositions known as the Vedas. Hinduism as a religion fundamentally has descended from the early Vedic tradition.
According to Vedic Hinduism belief, the relationship between life and death is not linear. There is a cyclical pattern which exists after death, called afterlife. According to the Vedic scriptures, Hindus believe that there is transmigration of soul (reincarnation). The soul is said to enter into a new body and begin life once again. Vedic beliefs also upholds that one's birth in a family determines his or her caste status and also many other facets of one's life. Vedic beliefs rest on the principle of 'karma.' This means that during the course of life, one's good deeds and bad deeds are accumulated and once a person is dead, his 'calculations of deeds' are done by God. The sum total of karma determines the life form a person will take in his next life. Thus'karma' is not dependent on God but a human being. His or her good deeds can award him a good life in a prosperous family. Also important is the 'dharma' or moral duty. One can accumulate a good amount of 'karma' based on the way he or she fulfilled his moral duties or 'dharma.'
According to Vedic Hinduism belief, the relationship between life and death is not linear. There is a cyclical pattern which exists after death, called afterlife. According to the Vedic scriptures, Hindus believe that there is transmigration of soul (reincarnation). The soul is said to enter into a new body and begin life once again. Vedic beliefs also upholds that one's birth in a family determines his or her caste status and also many other facets of one's life. Vedic beliefs rest on the principle of 'karma.' This means that during the course of life, one's good deeds and bad deeds are accumulated and once a person is dead, his 'calculations of deeds' are done by God. The sum total of karma determines the life form a person will take in his next life. Thus'karma' is not dependent on God but a human being. His or her good deeds can award him a good life in a prosperous family. Also important is the 'dharma' or moral duty. One can accumulate a good amount of 'karma' based on the way he or she fulfilled his moral duties or 'dharma.'
