Scriptures and theology:- Hinduism  is  based  on  "the accumulated treasury of spiritual  laws discovered  by different persons in different times." The scriptures were transmitted orally in verse form to aid memorization, for many centuries before they were written down. Over many centuries, sages refined the teachings and  expanded the canon. In post-Vedic and current Hindu belief, most Hindu scriptures are not  typically  interpreted  literally. More importance is attached to the ethics and metaphorical meanings derived from them. Most sacred texts are in Sanskrit.

The texts are classified into two classes: Shruti and Smriti.

Shruti (that which is heard) refers to the Vedas which form the  earliest  record  of  the  Hindu  scriptures. While many Hindus revere the Vedas as eternal truths revealed to ancient sages, some devotees do not  associate  the creation of the Vedas with a God or person. They are thought of as the laws of the spiritual world, which would still exist even if they were not revealed to the  sages. Hindus  believe  that  because  the  spiritual  truths  of  the Vedas are eternal, they continue to be expressed in new ways.

There are four Vedas (Rig, Sama, Yajus and Atharva). The Rigveda is the first and most important  Veda. Each Veda  is divided into four parts: the primary one, the Veda  proper, being  the  Samhita, which  contains  sacred mantras. The other three parts form a three-tier ensemble of commentaries, usually in prose and are believed  to be slightly later in age than the Samhita. These are: the  Brahmanas,  Aranyakas, and  the  Upanishads. The  first two parts were subsequently called the Karmanaka (ritualistic portion), while the last  two  form  the  Jñananaka (knowledge  portion).  While  the  Vedas  focus  on  rituals,   the  Upanishads   focus   on   spiritual  insight  and philosophical teachings, and discuss Brahman and reincarnation.


                      
The  Naradeya  Purana  describes  the  mechanics  of  the  cosmos.  Depicted  here are Vishnu with his consort Lakshmi resting on Shesha Nag. Narada and Brahma are also pictured.

Hindu  texts  other  than  the Shrutis are collectively called the Smritis (memory). The most notable of the smritis are the epics, which consist of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The Bhagavad Gita is an integral part of the Mahabharata and one of the most popular sacred texts of  Hinduism. It  contains  philosophical  teachings  from Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu, told to the prince Arjuna on the eve  of  a  great war. The  Bhagavad  Gita  is described as the essence  of  the  Vedas. The  Smritis  also  include  the  Puranas, which  illustrate  Hindu  ideas through vivid narratives. There are texts with a sectarian nature such as Devi Mahatmya, the  Tantras, the  Yoga Sutras, Tirumantiram, Shiva Sutras and the Hindu  Agamas. A  more  controversial  text,  the  Manusmriti,  is  a prescriptive lawbook which epitomizes the societal codes of the caste system.