The religions of the world: some factoids

The very first verse of the Rig Véd mentions Agni, which normally means ‘fire.’ Srî Nîlkâñt Sûrî (15th century A.D.) wrote in the Chañdr-bhâshya,,. ‘This verse is actually an ode to Hanumân jî because the word Agni refers not to actual, physical fire, but to Hanumân, the son of Vâyu [wind].’[i] If this interpretation is accepted—and why not, for fire cannot exist without oxygen—then it can be said that the Hiñdû religion itself begins with Hanumân jî.
HT Mumbai, 2 Sept 06
*
For most Muslims, the Hadees (‘the Book of Traditions’) ranks next only to the Holy Qur'ân. (A few, like the Parvézî sect of Pâkistân, do not accept the Traditions.) The Hadees is a record of what Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, had said or done.
*
The essence of the Âdî Srî Gurû Grañth Sâhib-jî is: ‘If we believe in the divine Name, our spirits will be liberated.’ The holy book was written in the Gurmukhi script. However, its language varies from the pure Punjabi of Guru Nânak ji (1469-1539) and the Braj Hindi of Gurû Arjan Dév jî (1581-1606) to Persian. The Gurû Grañth Sâhib accommodates these related languages within the overall structure of Sañt Bhâshâ or Sâdhukari, the simple form of Hindi spoken by the saints of Delhi and nearby areas.
*
The Son of the Wind was named Suñdar by his earthly parents, Añjanâ and Késarî. Lord Iñdr[1] later gave him the name Hanumân, ‘the one whose chin is broken.’ In most versions of the story of Srî Râm, an entire volume, the Suñdar Kâñd, is named after Hanumân.
^*
An Akhañd Pâth is an uninterrupted (akhañd) recitation (pâth) of the Guru Grañth Sâhib-jî. This is normally done at marriages, before starting new projects and on bereavements. The pious take turns to read portions and, together, they normally recite the entire scripture in about forty-eight hours. Ati (extreme) Akhañd Pâths are rare. During such ceremonies, a single reader recites the holy book, non-stop, in roughly twenty-seven hours.