President releases first Encyclopedia on Hinduism

‘Hinduism is not just a faith, but a union of reason and intuition that cannot be defined, but is only to be experienced’

New Delhi: The basic tenet of Hinduism is happiness, health and enlightenment for everyone, and suffering, pain and agony for none, President Pranab Mukherjee said as he received the first copy of the Encyclopedia of Hinduism today.

Speaking at a function at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President complimented Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji of the Parmarth Niketan Rishikesh, the founder-chairman of India Heritage Research Foundation (IHRF) for undertaking the effort to bring out the encyclopedia.

Hindu philosophy identifies 'Dharma', 'Artha', 'Kama' and 'Moksh' as the foremost objectives of a human being, and striking a balance in human behaviour in working towards these objectives has been prescribed as a key aim of human existence, the President said according to a statement from Shamima Siddiqui, Deputy Press Secretary to the President.

Quoting former President Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, Mukherjee said Hinduism is not just a faith, but a union of reason and intuition that cannot be defined, but is only to be experienced.

"The basic tenet of Hinduism is happiness, health and enlightenment for everyone and suffering, pain and agony for none," he said.

Senior BJP leader and MP, L K Advani, Law Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Water Resources Minister, Uma Bharti, Auroville Foundation Chairman, Dr Karan Singh, Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji and Director General, TERI, R K Pachauri attended the function at the auditorium of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The Encyclopedia, a compendium of thousands of years of history, science, art, architecture, polity, religion, philosophy and culture, took 25 years to complete and is not limited to Hinduism as a religion, but provides an inclusive treatment of India's spiritual culture, including coverage of Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism traditions, the IHRF said.