had a significant influence on Hinduism are theMahabharata and the Ramayana (10). These two epics have undergone numerous changesthroughout the centuries (10).“The Mahabharata is the story of the earliest inhabitants of the Indian subcontinent , theMahabharata tribe” (Boraks 17). Containing over ninety thousand stanzas, it is probably thelongest epic poem in history (Wangu 10). “It tells the story of two families engaged in war” (10).Mastrangelo 3 “It includes the Bhagavad Gita, an important sacred text in Hinduism which tells an importantstory about the god Krishna” (10).“The other great epic, the Ramayana, tells the tale of Rama, the seventh incarnation of thegod Vishnu” (Wangu 10). “The earliest part of the text dates from around 350 BC, but the workas a whole was not compiled until much later” (10). “This long epic poem traces the incarnationof Rama from infancy to adulthood, recounting his exploits, his teachings, and his miraculousdeeds” (Boraks 17). These pieces of sacred literature are just some of the many sacred worksthat has built Hinduism into the religion it is today.Hinduism alone is a complicated religion, but it becomes even more complex because ofits social duties and beliefs. “Hinduism is divided into three different sects: Shaivism,Vaishnavism, and Shaktism” (Wangu 11). “These sects are bound together by the belief thatdifferent or individual paths may lead to moksha, which is release from the attachment peoplehave to the material world” (11). Some rituals and beliefs hold all the sects together (Wangu 11). These are puja, dailyworship; Dharma, religious duties pertaining to family and society; samskara, rites of passage;samsara, belief in reincarnation; and moksha, final release from material existence (11).Each day Hindus worship their gods. “To do this, they perform puja in a sacred corner ina worship r...
