Four Denominations of Hinduism

A Splendrous Lotus with Four Superb Petals

These four sects of Hinduism hold such divergent beliefs that each is a complete and independent religion. Yet, they share a vast heritage of culture and beliefkarma, dharma, reincarnation, all-pervasive Divinity, temple worship, sacraments, manifold Deities, the guru-disciple tradition and the Vedas as scriptural authority. In this eight-page Insight, drawn from Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswamis Dancing with Siva, we offer a synopsis of these four denominations, followed by a point-by-point comparison.