Vedic Literature & Age
The settlements of the Indus civilisation were either destroyed or abandoned by about 1750 B.C. to be rediscovered only three thousand years later. What happened after the collapse of this rich civilisation is one of the most intriguing questions of human history and centres around the Aryan problem. Who were the Aryans where did they come from, what was their original language these are questions over which there have been many debates and much written. But more the debate, more the mystery seems to deepen. One of the major question regarding the Aryans in India revolves around whether they arrived from outside or were indigenous people According to some scholars, we nee not look outside India for their origin and that the Aryans predated and not succeeded the people of the Indus civilisation According to others, including Max Muller the Aryans had their original home in Central Asia from where they migrated due to climatic and other reasons. In support of their theory, they point out the similarity be tween the language of the Rig veda.
On the other hand, Bai Gangadhar Tilak, on the basis of astronomical evidence, came to the conclusion that the Aryans had their original home in the Arctic region or some where around the North pole.
Whatever may be the truth one wonders if it will ever be established authoritatively it seems nearly certain that the Aryans had established themselves in India by about 1500 B.C. and that their earliest the Rig Vedia had been composed somewhere between 1500-1200 B.C..
VEDIC LITERATURE
As we have seen earlier the Indus civilisation and developed some sort of a script as we see on their seals, but there is no evidence of a literature development by these people. On the other hand, script was a much later development with the Aryans while their literature flowered at a very early stage.
The Vedas from which this civilisation takes its name are the earliest literary compositions of all humanity. These are essentially four: the Rig Veda, the Samaveda, Yajurveda, and the Atharvaveda.
The Rig Veda is not only the oldest but also the most important source for portraying the life and the struggle of the people of the time. It is basically a collection of hymns addressed to various objects of worship the sun, moon, fire, wind, rain, the dawn and other deities either seeking their help or praising them, these hymns (suktas) 1028 in number (1017 according to some scholars) are grouped into ten books (mandalas) of unequal size.
through glaciation and glacial retreat affected the date of arrival and presence of indigenous people throughout the
Hinduism first started in India around 1500 BC. The word Hindu comes from the Sanskrit word sindhu, or river. The Hindu community define themselves as "those who believe in the Vedas", or also "those who follow the way, or dharma, of the four classes and the stages of life. The four classes being the varnas and the stages of life being the ashramas.
Although the Vedas and the Upanishads express common themes of the Aryan world view, they differ greatly in genre and emphasis. Underlying both texts are the core ideas of the religion: the ubiquitousness of atman, Brahman’s origins of non-being, the non-existence of physical reality, and the subtle, intangible existence of ultimate reality. But while the Vedas is mythical and ritualistic, the Upanishads is theological and devalues ritual.
The Indus Valley was the earliest Indian civilization. This civilization flourished for about a thousand years, then disappeared without a trace. Even though archeologists have no solid evidence, they know that it covers the largest area than any other civilization until the rise of Persia a thousand years later.
The Indus civilization extended over a much larger area as compared to its counterparts, The Mesopotamian Civilization and The Egyptian Civilization. However, far less is known about the Indus Civilization as it is a newer archaeological discovery and the current inability
The Vedas, which are the oldest written tradition in India, (2,000 - 600 B.C.) were written largely by the Indo-European invaders of India, known as the Aryans. The Aryans were said to have entered India on chariots, and the original meaning of the word chakra as "wheel" refers to the chariot wheels of the invading Aryans. (The correct spelling is cakra, though pronounced with a ch as in church.) The word was also a metaphor for the sun, which "traverses the world like the triumphant chariot of a cakravartin." (ruler) and denotes the eternal cycle of time called the kalacakra, or wheel of time. In this way, it represents celestial order and balance.
The Bhagavad-Gita, a portion of the great epic the Mahabharata, is the “most typical expression of Hinduism.” It is eighteen chapters long and was composed around the first century BCE. The sage Samjaya recites the story to the blind king Dhrtarastra, the father of the Kaurava princes. While presenting ideas of wisdom, duty, and liberation in the midst of the rivalry between the Kauravas, the Bhagavad-Gita epitomizes the teachings of Krishna. Focusing specifically on the moral struggle of the Pandava prince Arjuna, the Bhagavad-Gita’s major themes include yoga, karma, dharma, and moksa. Yoga, being discipline or the strict and “attentive cultivation of mental character and meaningful action” , is crucial to the text because it is dharma yoga, acting properly according to one’s dharma, and bhakti yoga, a disciplined life of devotion that allows one to achieve moksa, or liberation, one of the four aims of li...
Religions of the ancient world were in a state of constant flux. Karl Jaspers states that between the eighth and fourth centuries B.C.E, “great changes took place in all the civilized world” (qtd. in Basham 36), and the great thinkers of these times began thinking independently and individually. Moreover, “after these great thinkers the world was never the same again” (qtd. in Basham 36-37). These times were dubbed the “axial period” (qtd. in Basham 37). The axial religions that emerged during this period were profound and lasting. In fact, the religions discussed in this paper—Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity—are considered the most practiced religions to do this day. Although these religions have changed over time, their underlying structure remains intact.
Hinduism is easily the oldest major world religion that is still in use today. It has not only survived countless attacks but has also thrived and has changed little to none in the last 2500-3000 years. "The Aryans are said to have entered India through the fabled Khyber Pass, around 1500 BC. They intermingled with the local populace, and assimilated themselves into the social framework. The Aryans did not have a script, but they developed a rich tradition. They composed the hymns of the four vedas, the great philosophic poems that are at the heart of Hindu thought" (The Aryans and the Vedic Age, 2004, par. 2).
Hindu mythology has evolved from the times of the Indus Valley; already in the Vedic Period a sophisticated pantheon of gods and rites (was described). The main body of Hinduism narratives is contained in Sanskrit literature such as the Vedas, ...
The Vedas are a large body of philosophical and religious texts originating from ancient India, writ in Sanskrit verse they are some of the oldest texts ever written.
Although the Indus Valley Civilization began approximately 5000 years ago, it was not discovered until the 1920’s. Interestingly, all of the information we have on this civilization comes from physical findings, as although we’ve discovered some of their writings, it has yet to be deciphered. No consensus has yet been made concerning the social organization, and there is very little information on the religion of the Indus Valley Civilizations. What we do know is that there were at least two major cities, and hundreds of small towns and villages, all displaying a well planned urbanization system (http://www.ancient.eu/Indus_Valley_Civilization/). There were wide streets, public and private wells, drains, bathing platforms and reservoirs (http://www.harappa.com/har/indus-saraswati.html). We also recognize that all evidence points to a peaceful people, with very few weapons being found and no signs of violence on either the human bones or building remains (http://www.ushistory.org/civ/8a.asp) found.
When Hinduism originated as a religion it was mainly concerned with sacrifices for ancestors. The sacred texts - called the Vedas - on which Hinduism was based were the main root of the many different branches of Hindu philosophy. The Vedas originated around 1400-1200 BC. They consisted of several different documents, the oldest of them called the Rigveda. The Rigveda is considered to be the foundation of Brahmanic Hinduism. The main body of Rigveda's text contains mostly hymns dedicated to the ancient Hindu gods. The second text of Vedas is called the Yajurveda. It was written in 1200 BC. The main themes of Yajurveda are the sacred formulas recited by Brahmin priests during the performance of sacrifices. The third book of Vedas, Samveda (1100 BC), was also known as the Veda of chants. In its essence Samveda was an anthology of Rigveda writings. The last Veda is the Arthaveda (1200 BC).It consisted of hymns, incantations and magic charms.
Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion and was originated in the Indian subcontinent. Surprisingly as big as it is rare that Hinduism doesn’t have a start. Not a single founder, religious organization, or specific system, but it has evolved over thousands of years. Hinduism has a wide range of body in cultural and philosophical practices. Hinduism consists of belief and tradition. It has not only survived countless attacks from invading nations and religions, but has also changed and grown more than anything other religion has. It has been suggested that the Aryans are said to have invaded India around 1500 BC, added their traditions and chaste system to the culture. This is the only origin of the idea of Hinduism known.
The earliest manifestations of caste is traced from Vedas, which is a term used to refer to religious blockader in India. The Vedas were transmitted were traditionally passed down through oral literature before they were finally written down; they are considered as sources of ancient Indian wisdom. The Rig Veda which is the first of the Vedic books. It contains information about Purusa which is sacrificed to birth the four Varnas. His mouth was the Brahmin, Rajanya made the two arms (warrior, king and Kshatriya,), the Vaishya made the two loins and the Sudra (the servile class) was born from the feet (Bayly, 1999).