Hinduism is the predominant religious tradition of South Asia, especially in the Republic of India and in
Nepal. Hinduism is often referred to as Sanątana Dharma (a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal law") by
its adherents. Generic "types" of Hinduism that attempt to accommodate a variety of complex views span
folk and Vedic Hinduism to bhakti tradition, as in Vaishnavism. Hinduism also includes yogic traditions and a
wide spectrum of "daily morality" based on the notion of karma and societal norms such as Hindu marriage
customs.
Hinduism is formed of diverse traditions and has no single founder. Among its roots is the historical Vedic
religion of Iron Age India, and as such Hinduism is often called the " oldest living religion" or the "oldest
living major tradition".
Demographically, Hinduism is the world's third largest religion, after Christianity and Islam, with
approximately one billion adherents, of whom approximately 905 million live in the Republic of India.
Other significant populations are found in Nepal (23 million), Bangladesh (14 million) and the Indonesian
island of Bali (3.3 million).
A large body of texts is classified as Hindu, divided into Sruti ("revealed") and Smriti ("remembered") texts.
These texts discuss theology, philosophy and mythology, and provide information on the practice of
dharma (religious living). Among these texts, the Vedas are the foremost in authority, importance and
antiquity. Other major scriptures include the Upanishads, Puranas, and the epics Mahabharata and
Ramayana. The Bhagavad Gita , a treatise from the Mahabharata spoken by Krishna, is of special
importance.