Hinduism is an Indian religion that is widely practiced in the Indian Subcontinent. The oldest world religion, Hinduism holds that all gods are manifestations of Brahma, the supreme being of the Hindu pantheon, who is part of a trinity with Vishnu (the all-preserver) and Shiva (the mystic, miracle-working deity). Into Brahma, the ultimate world-spirit, the reincarnated, purified individual spirit is finally absorbed. The oldest extant scriptures are the eighth-century BC Sanskrit texts, the Upanishads, from which the systems of Hindu law and social structure are derived, including the caste system. Of later texts the Mahabharata remains extremely influential, within which is the Bhagavad Gita (300 BC), where Krishna, the lord of creation, teaches self-mastery through the Yoga, which aims at the harmonization of body, soul, and spirit.
Hinduism contains a broad range of philosophies, and it was formed as a combination of several traditions; it has no founder. Prominent themes include dharma (ethics/duties), artha (prosperity/work), kama (desires/passions), and moksha (salvation). Other major tenets include karma (action, intent, and consequences), samsara (rebirth), and the various yogas (paths to achieve salvation). Hinduism is generally seen as henotheistic, as Hindus devote themselves to a single god, while they do accept the existence of others.
Cows are revered animals in Hinduism, and beef consumption is strictly prohibited. The sects of Hinduism are Vaishnavism (the worship of Vishnu as the Supreme Lord), Shaivism (the worship of Shiva as the supreme being), Shaktism (the worship of Hindu goddesses), and Smarta (the equal worship of Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesha, Surya, and Devi). Hinduism is the world's third-largest religion, having 1,150,000,000 adherents (16% of the global population). In India, Nepal, and Mauritius, Hindu is the largest faith.
Perhaps the greatest modern Hindu reformer was Mahatma Gandhi, who based his campaign on the deep roots of Hinduism, such as his satyagraha ("holding fast to the truth"), which emphasized nonviolent methods of protest, as well as his practice of yoga, meditation, fasting, and nonviolence to any living thing (ahimsa). At the same time, Gandhi was concerned to reform some fundamental aspects of Hinduism, in particular the rejection of the caste of the untouchables, whom he addressed as harijans ("children of God"). This pointed to a fundamental problem of modern India, namely the tension between the old Hindu caste system, the traditional subservience of women, and the insistence on nonviolence on the one hand, and the requirements of a modern secular state with equal reponsibilities towards all its citizens, and with frequent involvement in wars with religious undercurrents (such as the wars with Pakistan or the Sri Lankan Civil War) on the other. Currently, the world Hindu population is 1,150,000,000, or 16% of the global population.