Vedic religion

The religion of the Vedic civilization is the predecessor of classical Hinduism, usually included in the term. Its liturgy is reflected in the text of the Vedas. The religion centered on a clergy (the Brahmins) administrating sacrificial rites.

Specific rituals and sacrifices of the Vedic religion include:

The Soma cult described in the Rigveda, descended from a common Indo-Iranian practice.
Fire rituals, also a common Indo-Iranian practice, c.f. Zoroastrianism:
- The Agnihotra or oblation to Agni
- The Agnicayana, the sophisticated ritual of piling the fire altar.
- The Agnistoma or fire sacrifice
The Ashvamedha or horse sacrifice described in the Yajurveda
The Purushamedha or human sacrifice, probably very early reduced to a symbolic sacrifice.
The rituals described in the Atharvaveda concerned with demonology and magic.

Religions considered to be Vedic in origin

Topics in Hinduism
Shruti (primary Scriptures):	Vedas \| Upanishads \| Bhagavad Gita \| Itihasa (Ramayana & Mahabharata) \| Agamas
Smriti (other texts):	Tantras \| Sutras \| Puranas \| Brahma Sutras \| Hatha Yoga Pradipika \| Smritis \| Tirukural \| Yoga Sutra
Concepts:	Avatar \| Brahman \| Dharma \| Karma \| Moksha \| Maya \| Ishta-Deva \| Murti \| Reincarnation \| Samsara \| Trimurti \| Turiya
Schools & Systems:	Schools of Hinduism \| Early Hinduism \| Samkhya \| Nyaya \| Vaisheshika \| Yoga \| Mimamsa \| Vedanta \| Tantra \| Bhakti
Traditional Practices:	Jyotish \| Ayurveda
Rituals:	Aarti \| Bhajans \| Darshan \| Diksha \| Mantras \| Puja \| Satsang \| Stotras \| Yajna
Gurus and Saints:	Shankara \| Ramanuja \| Madhvacharya \| Ramakrishna \| Vivekananda \| Sree Narayana Guru \| Aurobindo \| Ramana Maharshi \| Sivananda \| Chinmayananda \| Sivaya Subramuniyaswami \| Swaminarayan \| A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Denominations:	List of Hindu denominations Vaishnavism \| Saivism \| Shaktism \| Smartism \| Agama Hindu Dharma \| Contemporary Hindu movements \| Survey of Hindu organisations