The Hindu faith is endowed with a wealth of knowledge contained in a series of scriptures. The highest authority in Hinduism is given to the Vedas – four Sanskrit texts representing some of the oldest literature in the world. Hindu scripture is organized into two main categories – shruti, revelation or that which is heard; and smriti, tradition or that which is remembered.

Shruti - Revelation

Shruti literature, which is composed of the four Vedas and the Upanishads, represents, in Swami Vivekananda’s words, “the accumulated treasury of spiritual laws discovered by different persons in different times.” Shruti denotes spiritual wisdom revealed to sages called rishis who could cognize the truths of the universe, knowledge that are not human creations.

Vedas

The Vedas are the main scriptural texts of Hinduism, and are large body of Sanskrit texts originating in ancient India. Veda means knowledge, and the word Veda came from the Sanskrit root word "vid" which means "to know". The Vedas form part of an oral tradition, 'revealed' to the rishis referred to in the texts, not composed or written by them. Even though many historians have tried to affix dates to the Vedas there is as yet no consensus, and they are arguably the oldest surviving oral traditions in the world. The Vedas are considered by Hindus as  to be eternal truths. Furthermore, the Vedanta and Mimamsa schools of Hindu philosophy assert that the Vedas are apaurusheya, or 'un-authored', that is, they have neither human nor divine origin, and are eternal in nature. Read an overview of the Vedas.

1. Rig Veda
2. Yajur Veda
3. Sama Veda
4. Atharva Veda

Upanishads

The Upanishads are essentially commentaries on the Vedas and primarily discuss philosophy and ‘cosmic reality’. The Upanishads are also known as Vedanta, the ‘end or culmination of the Vedas,’ and form the basis of Hindu philosophy and spiritual thought. The Upanishads are mystical or spiritual contemplations of the Vedas, their acknowledged end and essence. The term Upanishad literally means "those who sit near" and implies listening closely to the wisdom of a spiritual teacher. The foundations of various Indian religious traditions are built upon the content of the Upanishads.

According to tradition, there are 108 Upanishads. Of these, ten principal Upanishads were commented upon by the Hindu saint Shankara are termed the mukhya, or principal, Upanishads: Isa, Kena, Katha, Prasna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Chandogya, and Brhadaranyaka.

Smriti - Human Composition

Smriti literature refers to scriptures that are human compositions based on divine inspiration, and includes poetry, mythology and epics. They contain the more popular Hindu literature, as they are easier to understand and explain universal truths through mythology and symbolism. Smriti is generally classified into the following categories – Itihasas, Puranas, Sutras, Agamas, Vedangas, Dharmasastras, and Darsana.

Itihasas

Itihasas, Sanskrit for histories, includes the great epics Ramayana and Mahabharata and other Sanskrit literature that associate Hindu philosophy and ritualism with mythology and legend.

Puranas

Purana, meaning "ancient" or "old" is a group of Indian literature usually written in the form of stories, presenting the mysteries of the Vedas through myth and legend. Its general themes are history, cosmology, genealogy, tradition and religion. The Puranas were written to popularize the religion of the Vedas and generate devotion in God through myths, legends, stories, lives of saints and kings, allegories and chronicles of historical events, using these to illustrate the eternal principles and philosophy.

Sutras

The sutras are short aphorisms that were intended to be memorized by Hindu students and scholars to help understand the inner meaning of the reveled scriptures of Hinduism. Each Veda has its own associated sutras.