1. Narratives and Myths
1.1. Shruti
1.1.1. Vedas
1.1.2. About
1.1.2.1. oldest
1.1.2.2. seen as written by divine
1.2. Smriti
1.2.1. Mahabharata
1.2.1.1. Bhagavad Gita
1.2.1.1.1. Characters
1.2.1.2. Ramayana
1.2.2. About
1.2.2.1. easier to understand
1.2.2.2. more stories
1.3. History
1.3.1. The Indus Valley Period
1.3.2. The Brahminical Period
1.3.3. The Classical Period
1.3.4. The Hindu Muslim Period
1.3.5. The Modern Period
2. Social
2.1. Branches
2.1.1. Shaivism
2.1.2. Shaktism
2.1.3. Vaishnavism
2.1.4. Vedanta
2.2. Priests
3. Avatars
3.1. 1. The First Avatar: Matsya (The Fish)
3.1.1. Matsya is said to be the avatar that rescued the first man, as well as other creatures of the earth, from a great flood. Matsya is sometimes depicted as a great fish or as a human torso connected to the tail of a fish.
3.1.2. Matsya is said to have forewarned man about the coming flood and ordered him to preserve all the grains and living creatures in a boat. This story is similar to many deluge myths found in other cultures.
3.2. 2. Kurma (The Tortoise)
3.2.1. Kurma (or Koorma) is the tortoise incarnation that relates to the myth of churning the ocean to obtain treasures dissolved in the ocean of milk. In this myth, Vishnu took the form of a tortoise upon which to support the churning stick on his back.
3.2.2. The Kurma avatar of Vishnu is usually seen in a mixed human-animal form.
3.3. 3. Varaha (the Boar)
3.3.1. Varaha is the boar that raised the earth from the bottom of the sea after the demon Hiranyaksha dragged it to the bottom of the sea. After a battle of 1,000 years, Varaha raised the earth out of the water with his tusks.
3.3.2. Varaha is depicted as either a full boar form or as a boar head on a human body.
3.4. 4. Narasimha (The Man-Lion)
3.4.1. As the legend goes, the demon Hiranyakashipiu obtained a boon from Brahma that he could not be killed or harmed by any means. Now arrogant in his security, Hiranyakshipiu began to cause trouble both in heaven and on earth.
3.4.2. However, his son Prahlada was devoted to Vishnu. One day, when the demon challenged Prahlada, Vishnu emerged in the form of a man-lion known as Narasimha to slay the demon.
3.5. 5. Vamana (The Dwarf)
3.5.1. In the Rig Veda, Vamana (the dwarf) appears when the demon king Bali ruled the universe and the gods lost their power. One day, Vamana visited the court of Bali and begged for as much land as he could cover in three steps. Laughing at the dwarf, Bali granted the wish.
3.5.2. The dwarf then assumed the form of a giant. He took the whole earth with the first step and the entire middle world with the second step. With the third step, Vamana sent Bali down to rule the underworld.
3.6. 6. Parasurama (The Angry Man)
3.6.1. In his form as Parasurama, Vishnu appears as a priest (brahman) who comes to the world to kill bad kings and protect humanity from danger. He appears in the form of a man carrying an ax, sometimes referred to as Rama with an ax.
3.6.2. In the original story, Parasurama appeared to restore Hindu social order which had become corrupted by the arrogant Kshatrya caste.
3.7. 7. Lord Rama (The Perfect Man)
3.7.1. Lord Rama is the seventh avatar of Vishnu and is a major deity of Hinduism. He is considered supreme in some traditions. He is the central figure of the ancient Hindu epic "Ramayana" and known as King of Ayodhya, the city believed to be Rama's birthplace.
3.7.2. According to the Ramayana, Rama’s father was King Dasaratha and his mother Queen Kausalya. Rama was born at the end of the Second Age, sent by the gods to do battle with the multi-headed demon Ravana.
3.7.3. Rama is often depicted with blue skin and standing with a bow and arrow.
3.8. 8. Lord Krishna (The Divine Statesman)
3.8.1. Lord Krishna (the divine statesman) is the eighth avatar of Vishnu and is one of the most widely revered deities in Hinduism. He was a cowherd (sometimes depicted as a charioteer or statesman) who shrewdly changes rules.
3.8.2. According to legend, the famous poem, the Bhagavad Gita, is spoken by Krishna to Ajuna on the battlefield.
3.8.3. Krishna is depicted in a variety of forms because there are so many stories surrounding him. The most common of these is as the divine lover in which he plays the flute, though his child form is very common as well. In paintings, Krishna often has blue skin and wears a crown of peacock feathers with a yellow loincloth.
3.9. 9. Balarama (Krishna's Elder Brother)
3.9.1. Balarama is said to be the elder brother of Krishna. It is believed that he engaged in many adventures alongside his brother. Balarama is rarely worshiped independently, but stories always focus on his prodigious strength.
3.9.2. In representations, he is usually shown with pale skin in contrast to Krishna's blue skin.
3.9.3. In a number of versions of the mythology, Lord Buddha is thought to be the ninth incarnation. However, this was an addition that came after the dasavatara was already established.
3.10. 10. Kalki (The Mighty Warrior)
3.10.1. Kalki (meaning “eternity” or "mighty warrior") is the last incarnation of Vishnu. He is not expected to appear until the end of Kali Yuga, the time period in which we currently exist.
3.10.2. He will come, it is believed, to rid the world of oppression by unrighteous rulers. It is said that he will appear riding a white horse and carrying a fiery sword.
4. Ritual
4.1. Puja
4.1.1. chanting
4.1.2. Prostration or bowing in adoration to particular deities
4.1.3. meditation
4.1.4. Offering of fruit, sweets, or money
4.2. Namaste
5. Material
5.1. Om symbol
5.2. Temple
6. Ethical and Legal
6.1. Karma
6.2. Golden Rule
7. Doctrinal and Philosophical
7.1. One reality
7.2. Many Gods
7.2.1. Ganesh
7.2.2. Rama
7.2.3. Other gods
7.2.3.1. Lakshmi
7.2.3.2. Krishna
7.2.4. Hindu "Trinity"
7.2.4.1. Vishnu
7.2.4.1.1. mercy and goodness; preserves the universe
7.2.4.2. Brahma:
7.2.4.2.1. creator (note: not Brahman=supreme force)
7.2.4.3. Shiva
7.2.4.3.1. destroys so the world it can be re-created