The Rig Veda

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The Rig Veda

• Asian Religions
• Berger

2
The History of Vedic Texts

• Theories of Aryan Origins
• The Orientalist and Nazi ethnic theory
• The Russian invasion and migration theory
• The Native South Asian migration theory
• Migrations and Settlement (1500-500 BCE
• Aryan as noblemen or virtuous men
• Nomadic, cattle-herding culture

3
The Aryan Religious Heritage

• The Structure of Vedic Texts
• Veda poem-hymn, ritual uses
• Brahmana instructions for priests on performance
• Aranyaka forest text-symbolic meaning of
  ritual
• Upanisad philosophical interpretation of ritual
• The Three Pillars of Vedic Religion
• Polytheism, worship of natural and social powers
• Ritual sacrifice and priestly powers
• System of occupational social classes

4
The Non-Existence Hymn (6-7)

• The Order of Creation
• Non-existence, The One, breath, water (v 1-3)
• Desire and mind (v 4)
• Impulse and offering (v 5)
• The mystery of the origin (v 6-7)
• The order of non-existence, desire and creation
• The ignorance of gods about creation

5
The Hymn of Man (p. 7-8)

• Ritual Sacrifice and Creation
• Transcendence and belonging to world (v 1-5)
• Sacrifice as creation of world (v 6-10, 16)
• Creation of castes (v 11-12)
• Brahmins as mouth societys educators
• Warriors as arms societys defenders
• People as thighs societys creative power
• Servants as feet societys foundation

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Hymns to Goddesses and Gods

• Aditi giving birth to the world (p 9-10)
• Visvakarman crafting the world (p 11)
• Both male and female powers as divine

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Heat and Purpose of Ritual (p 11)

• Order and Truth proceeding from heat (tapas)
• Purpose of sacrifice, cooking the world
• Agni, ritual fire, creates heat
• Heat creates light, order of seasons, luminosity
• Sacrifice maintains world in its order

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Reading for Next Class

• Upanisads, pages 12-30