What are the main Hindu Shastra ?

Meaning of Shastra

शास्त्र  – शिष्यतेऽनेन (शास्-ष्ट्रन्) – means an order, a command, rule.

“Shastra” commonly refers to a text on a specific field of knowledge. As highlighted by Rig Veda 1.19 ,  mind become sharp by shastras ( शास्त्रेष्वकुण्ठिता बुद्धिः )

Vedas

Vedas are called Apauruṣeya (अपौरुषेय ), which means “not composed by human” or “authorless”. Sages were द्रष्टा (seer) rather than author of Veda.

1. Rigveda (ऋग्वेद )
2. Yajurveda (यजुर्वेद )
3. Samaveda (सामवेद )
4. Atharvaveda (अथर्ववेद)

Upanishad

Upanishads are part of Vedas, and are also authorless. There are total 108 Upanishads, but nowadays 10 are considered as main, based on the commentary written on them by Adi Sankaracharya.

The main purpose Upanishads was to negate the individual’s identification with physical body. Upanishads says that world has no real purpose of world, as it is creation of Maya and is falsely believed as real by Brahman.

1. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद्)
2. Chandogya Upanishad (छांदोग्य उपनिषद्)
3. Taittiriya Upanishad (तैत्तरीयोपनिषद्)
4. Aitereya Upanishad (ऐतरेयोपनिषद्)
5. Kena Upanishad (केनोपनिषद्)
6. Katha Upanishad (कठोपनिषद्)
7. Isha Upanishad ( ईशावास्योपनिषद् )
8. Svetasvatara Upanishad (श्वेताश्वतरोपनिषद)
9. Mundaka Upanishad (मुण्डकोपनिषद्)
10. Prashna Upanishad (प्रश्नोपनिषद्)
11. Mandukya Upanishad (माण्डूक्योपनिषद्)

Purana

Their main purpose of Puranas was to spread Bhakti & devotion among masses.

1. Matsya Purana (मत्स्य पुराण)
2. Markandya Purana (मार्कण्डेय पुराण)
3. Bhagavata Purana (भागवत पुराण)
4. Bhavishya Purana (भविष्य पुराण)
5. Brahmanda Purana (ब्रह्माण्ड पुराण)
6. Brahmavaivarta Purana (ब्रह्मवैवर्त पुराण)
7. Brahma Purana (ब्रह्म पुराण)
8. Vamana Purana (वामन पुराण)
9. Varaha Purana (वराह पुराण)
10. Vishnu Puran (विष्णुपुराण))
11. Vayu Purana (वायु पुराण)
12. Agni Purana (अग्नि पुराण )
13. Narada Purana (नारद पुराण)
14. Padma Purana (पद्म पुराण)
15. Garuda Purana (गरुड़ पुराण )
16. Kurma Purana (कूर्म पुराण)
17. Linga Purana (लिङ्ग पुराण)
18. Skanda Purana (स्कन्द पुराण)

Itihasa

Itihasa (इतिहास) refers to the collection of written epics of important events in Hinduism

1. Mahabharata (महाभारत)
2. Ramayana (रामायण )