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Glimpses of World Religions
Ved-Samhita. That is why he was called Ved Vyas - the compiler of the Vedas.
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Great Baadrayana Vyas composed the 'Brahmasutra' with a view to sort out and to put into a system, the philosophical treatises and principles acquired from the spiritual realisations woven around the great Upanishadic sages; it can be called the first systematic volume of philosophy of the world.
Whether it is one Vyas or many Vyases, the 'Vyasaji' can very well be regarded as the father of Hindu religion.
In the tradition of the teacher and the taught, (Guru-Shishya) accepted by Shankaracharya for the purpose of attaining knowledge of the self, even God Narayan, Brahmā, Vashishtha, Shakti, Parashar, Vyas, Shuk Gaudapada, Govind Tirth and Sri Shankaracharya with his disciples Sureshāchārya, Padmapādāchārya, Hastamalkāchārya and Totakāchārya are included.
Hinduism (the Religion of the Hindus)
Hindu Dharma is one of the most significant dharmas of India. Nothing is possible to be asserted with surity as to when exactly this religion was originated. No human being has propounded or initiated this religion. It is, as well, not easy to answer the question - "to which we should give the name of 'Hindu-Dharma' ?" Because some persons put forward the 'faith in the Vedas' as the characteristics of Hindu religion. Some enumerate as essential the sixteen sanskāras, contained as intrinsic to the said religion; some again consider as unique characteristic - the Varnasharama Dharma. Not only that but there are also some people who claim as Hinduism the beliefs in Karma (action), Re-birth and Moksha or Liberation over and above the Varnashram. Some add to these, the faith in the gods of the clan, the worship of the five gods viz. Ganesh, the Goddess, the Sun, Lord Vishnu and Shiva as well as the belief in Avatars
