Who is a Hindu ? This question arises all the time in various situations and Hindus are unable to answer

Who is a Hindu? Yogesh Kumar Saxena, Advocate, High Court, YOGREKHA

Who is a Hindu ? This question arises all the time in various situations and Hindus are unable to answer it exactly , precisely , satisfactorily and with confidence.I have asked this question to many people including eminent Hindu scholars, Sadhus, religious leaders, professors and Pandits but without a satisfactory reply. Fortunately I have found the most fitting , exact, precise and above all satisfying definition of a Hindu by a great revolutionary, author, orator, poet and patriot Veer Vinayak Rao Damodar Rao Savarkar. In 1905 while in the prison at Andamon- Nicobar Islands he thus wrote

Asindhu Sindhu Paryanta yashya Bharat Bhoomika,

Pitribhu Punya Bhuschaiva Sa vai Hindu Riti Smritah.[1]

There is a vast land between river Sindhu and Hind Mahasagar called Bharat and those who accept that this is their motherland or / and a holy land, land of pilgrimage are all Hindu .

This defination includes Sanatanis, Saivas, Vaishnavas,Saktas, Buddhists, Jains, Zorostrians[Parsis] , Arya Samasis, Sikhs, Harijans, members/followers of International Society of Krishna Consciousness or ISKCON, Vanvasis, Tribes , Yogis , Sadhus, Dalits, followers of Swaminarayan,followers of Shri Raamkrishna Paramhans, Panthis, Pagans, atheists and various other sects without exception are all Hindus . This is the first lesson the Hindu parents can give to their children. Parents, teachers, Sadhus and leaders must learn this definition and convey and spread the correct information to children and people to unify the Hindu society .

Vishnu Puran describes Bharat ;The country that lies north of the ocean and south of snowy mountains called Bharat,for there dwelt the descendents of Bharat.

Bharatvarsh in short called Bharat is said to be given after these great three sons of the land;

Bharat the son of Raja Dasarath symbol of Tyag or sacrifice.

Bharat the son of Rishabhdev symbol of Gyan or knowledge.

Bharat the son of Raja Dushyant symbol of Veerata or bravery.

Therefore every Bharatiya must acquire all these qualities of sacrifice, knowledge and bravery to be a true son and daughter of Bharatmata, the mother of us all.

This is worth mentioning that acceptance of the Vedas with reverence, recognition of the fact that the means or ways to salvation are diverse; and realisation of the truth that number of gods to be worship is large, that indeed the distinguishing feature of the Hindu religion.--- Shri Balgangadhar Tilak.[ Quoted by Supreme Court of Bharat on 2 July 1995.] Hindus believe in One God. There is no god but God .Hindus are truly monotheist but worship many gods and goddesses and see the same God in all of them. This needs to be realised at intellectual level by others but they have failed to understand this fact. For example snow, ice, icicle, dew, and vapour are all forms of water but we call them by different names similarly Hindus see the same God in all the gods and goddesses as well as in all the living and non living things this is the most simple thing , Hindus understand this and appreciate this. Hindu scriptures say it boldly, clearly, distinctly and most beautifully