The people of India were referred to as Hinduvān (Hindus) and hindavī was used as the adjective for Indian in the 8th century text Chachnama. The term ‘Hindu’ in these ancient records is an ethno-geographical term and did not refer to a religion.

Hindi is a language. Hinduism is a religion, and its believers are called “Hindus.” Not all Hindus speak Hindi, and many Hindi-speakers are not Hindus.

Indian: An Indian is a person who comes from India. There are 22 recognized languages at the regional level in India, none of which is called Indian. Hindi: Hindi is the first official language of the national government in India, the second one being English.

The word Hindu is an exonym, and while Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, many practitioners refer to their religion as Sanātana Dharma (Sanskrit: सनातन धर्म, lit. ”the Eternal way”), which refers to the idea that its origins lie beyond human history, as revealed in the Hindu texts.

Any person who is born of Hindu Parents; 3. Any person who is not a Muslim, Christian, Parsi or Jew and who is not governed by any other law. practising it or by professing it is a Hindu. An attempt to define Hindu in terms of religion was made by the Supreme Court in Shastri v.

Vishnu Purāna attributes Vishnu first came to being and then from his navel sprout a lotus bearing Brahma in it and from his left body came Shiva. Shakti/Devi Pūran attributes Bhuvaneshwaridevi first came to being from whom the three gods were born.

No one knows who is God Shiva’s father and mother. Since Shiva is Swayambhu ( He created himself ) and is existing from times immemorial (Aadi, Ananth). Shiva was there when nothing existed and will be there, even when everything ceases to exist.

Many believe that God Shiva is a Sayambhu – which means He is not born from a human body. He was created automatically! He was there when there was nothing and He will remain even after everything is destructed. That is why; he is also loving called as the ‘Adi-Dev’ which means the ‘Oldest God of the Hindu mythology.

Shiva is therefore seen as the source of both good and evil and is regarded as the one who combines many contradictory elements. Shiva is known to have untamed passion, which leads him to extremes in behaviour. Sometimes he is an ascetic, abstaining from all wordly pleasures. At others he is a hedonist.