Hindu Scripture

Religious scripture gives believers direction and support, for instance during times of sickness and setbacks. Hindus, namely, believe that texts such as the Vedas possess eternal knowledge. The important place scripture holds in Hinduism is also reflected within this house temple. Besides the magnificent collection of statues, the owner also possesses a rich collection of religious texts, which are stored in the cabinet under the category Hindi boeken (see image, ‘Hindu books’).

This collection includes books and texts inherited from her father, such as the Bhagavad Gita (often referred to as the Gita), a 700-verse Hindu text that dates back to the second half of the first millennium BCE (figure 1). Moreover, she shows us a pile of leaflets given to her by her congregation. Since not every Dutch Hindu is able to read (classical) Hindi, these leaflets also provide Dutch and Surinamese translations of the Hindi texts: “That way everyone can participate.”