The corpus contains extensive source material on Hindu religious and philosophical traditions, from Vedic religion through classical philosophy to devotional movements.

Vedic Religion

The Rig Vedic religion centered on:

Devas: Principal gods (Indra, Agni, Varuna, Mitra, Soma, Ashvins, etc.)
Yajna: Sacrificial ritual connecting humans and gods
Rita: Cosmic order maintained by gods and sacrifice
Soma: Sacred plant offering with psychotropic properties

The Upanishadic Turn

The later Vedic period saw a shift from external ritual to internal realization:

Brahman: The ultimate reality, beyond all attributes
Atman: The innermost self, identical with Brahman
Moksha: Liberation from samsara (rebirth cycle)
Key texts: Isha, Kena, Katha, Mundaka, Brihadaranyaka Upanishads

Philosophical Schools (Darshanas)

The six orthodox schools (Astika):

Nyaya: Logic and epistemology (Nyaya Sutras)
Vaisheshika: Atomistic metaphysics
Samkhya: Dualism of purusha and prakriti
Yoga: Practical discipline (Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras)
Mimamsa: Vedic exegesis and ritual
Vedanta (Uttara Mimamsa): Upanishadic philosophy, with sub-schools (Advaita, Vishishtadvaita, Dvaita)

Sectarian Traditions

Shaivism: Worship of Shiva, including Pasupata and Kashmir Shaivism
Vaishnavism: Worship of Vishnu and avatars (Rama, Krishna)
Shaktism: Goddess worship
Skanda Karttikeya: Ancient god rediscovered through textual and archaeological evidence

Bhakti Movement

Alvars: Tamil Vaishnava saints (6th–9th century CE), composing devotional poetry
Nayanars: Tamil Shaiva saints
Ram Swarup: Work on the names of God in Hindu tradition

Key Thinkers and Texts

Shankara (c. 8th century CE): Advaita Vedanta
Ramanuja (c. 11th century CE): Vishishtadvaita
Madhva (c. 13th century CE): Dvaita
Patanjali: Yoga Sutras
Shiva Samhita: Hatha Yoga text

Aborigines and Tribal Religions

The corpus includes studies of:

Tribal religious traditions of India
Syncretism between Vedic and indigenous practices
The religion of aboriginal communities