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Wk02 Wednesday, Oct 2

Today

1. Stragglers– Introductions under Discussion– Get Acquainted Meeting

2. Reflection– “Soft” deadline: 10am– ½ page per question

Essays by Eastman, Perrett (& Halbfass) Selections from the Atharva Veda (AV)

– Part 1, pp. 79-1102

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Monday

Selections from the Atharva Veda– Part 2, pp. 111-132

Transition to Olivelle’s Upaniṣads

Altar of Fire video

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RV Closure

10.90, Cosmic man, Puruṣa sūkta (hymn) 10.121, The Unknown God, Ka 10.129 – Creation, Nāsadīya Sūkta

Many deities, many forces Unanswered questions?

Important Concepts

Metaphysics Soteriology Enlightenment / Liberation (mokṣa) Scientific Materialism Activism, pravṛtti v. Quietism, nivṛtti

– Dharma v. mokṣa

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Eastman on (Western?) Philosophy

Philosophy vs. Metaphysics

Understanding the human predicament– Why do I exist?– What has meaning?

Question of ultimate human fulfilment– What’s my purpose?

Philosophy ought to be a tool to answer this question– Critical thinking

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Halbfass (& Perrett) on Indian Philosophy

Which term = philosophy?

darśana ← √dṛś, to see– = vision, intuition, realization, – philosophical system/doctrine, view (=dṛṣṭi),

perspective, way of thinking

anvīkṣikī, examination, inquiry– “investigative science/methodology”

tantra, siddhānta, śāstra, pakṣa, mata, samaya, vāda, tarka, yukti

Jaina naya, world view

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Diff. from Western Philosophy West: “pure theory”

– knowledge for its own sake– excludes religious practice, theology, dogma, tradition– critical thinking

East: soteriological orientation – focus on liberation, mokṣa– advocates transcendence of everyday world– critical of mere theory– “apologetics” for acceptance of Vedas, tradition

Is this a valid distinction?

Critique of reason/argumentation

Use of reason to scorn orthodox Vedic tradition– by heterodox opponents (Buddhists, Jains,

materialists)

Logician = heretic! Analytic reasoning alone cannot provide

truth of ātman.– logic useful in refuting opposing views

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Perrett

What is “Philosophy”– Descriptive v. Evaluative– Conditions: Secularity Argumentation Historicist Lexical Equivalence

Perrett, cont’d

Western perception– Magisterial– Exoticist– Curatorial– Interlocutory = questioning, critical, cross-

cultural

Periodization– Our focus: Ancient Period (900 BCE-200 CE)

+ early Classical (200-400 CE)

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Eastman v.Perrett & Halbfass

Agreement? – Refln Q

Philosophical Speculation Continues

Select Atharva Veda Hymns – Part I

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Atharva Veda – Popular Religion

“Lower” ritualism, popular belief

Available to the masses “Magic” spells, charms Healing, prosperity,

victory

No opposition to Ṛg Veda Ideas from “lower”

sphere contribute to the “higher”

Example: A Charm Against Jaundice (AV 1.22)

Unto the sun let them both go, your heartburn and your yellowness; with the color of the red bull do we envelop you.

With red colors do we envelop you for the sake of long life; so that this person may be free from harm and may become non-yellow.

…Into parrots do we put your yellowness and into

the yellow-green ropaṇākā birds. Similarly into the turmeric do we deposit your yellowness.

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Rvw: Search for First Principle

Physical world– Earth (AV 12.1) [ = next class]– Sun (13.1-3 )

Inner world– Prāṇa, breath (11.4)– Kāma, desire (9.2, 19.52 )

Relation of human body to universe (10.2, 11.8)

First Principles, cont’d

More abstract, intangible– Kāla, Time (AV 19.53-4 )– Brahman = holy word (AV 4.1)– Virāj, the shining one, fem. creative principle → Prakṛti later in Sāṅkhya (8.10)

– Skambha, Support (10.7-8)

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Vena’s speculations (2.1)

Identity of Vena unclear Highest in secret, ¾ set down in secret Father, name-assigner. Connection = bandhu,

– causal connection between existence & non-existence

Speech? Fire? Circled heaven and earth, all the worlds ‘stretched out thread of Right (5),’ sacrifice?

– Right = ṛta, also law, rule, truth. Precursor to dharma– also 10.8.37-38, 13.1.6,60, 13.3.20

Prāṇa, ~Breath (11.4)

as wind, thunder, lightning, rain (2-6) Lord of all that breathes and doesn’t (10) as death, fever (11) as Virāj, Prajāpati, sun, moon (12),

Mātariśvan (15) 20: birth and rebirth 25: stays awake among those asleep… 26: magic purpose of this hymn – life!

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Human Body (10.2)

More inquiry into nature of RV 10.90 Puruṣa Seven apertures of the head (6), eight circles,

nine doors (31) Source of pleasant and unpleasant things (9-10),

truth & falsehood (14),wisdom & music (17), sacrifice, faith, thought (19)? Ans: Brahman! (23)

Anatomical queries (11, 13, 15, 17) 28-33: Citadel (pura) of brahman = puruṣa 32: brahman & ātman, “triply based”

Human Body & Universe (11.8) 10 gods: 4 breaths, sight, hearing, speech,

thought, perishability, imperishability (3-4) 9: Indra was born from Indra, … 10-12: inquiry into origin of the origin 19-25, 27: inventory of contents subsequent to

the (10) gods entering the body Anatomical speculations: 14-17, 28-29 30-31: brahman, Virāj enlivening the Self

(ātman) – first instance of Brahman=ātman 32: deities seated in Puruṣa “as cattle in a cow-

stall.”

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Brahman vs. Brahmā

Bráhman – Sacred Utterance / Holy Word– Brahman – ultimate

reality, ground of all being

Brahmā – creator god, post-Vedic.

brāhmaṇa = brahmin– member of highest

Hindu caste

Bṛāhmaṇa-s, texts explaining Vedic ritual

Brahman, Holy Word (4.1)

1. Womb of the Existent and Non-existent

3. Knowing the causal Connection between them (E, Ē)

6: Cryptic, time-bending paradox? 7: Whosoever shall comprehend …

Bṛhaspati, shall be the creator of all …”– Bṛhaspati = Lord of Brahman

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Kāma, Desire (9.2, 19.52)

Mentioned in RV 10.129.4, nāsadīya 9.2:

– First born, mother of Speech– beyond heaven and earth– 25: means for coming true, evil thoughts

19.52– First seed of thought– 4: “… that thought which pertains to those

people yonder, let it come to me here.” ??

Virāj, the Shining One (8.10) Was the universe in the beginning. When she was born, everything was afraid… (1) She knows that upon which both gods and men

may subsist (9) 18: Cut off is the hostile rival … 18-21: Ascended – slain – came into being again 22-29: Ascended – invoked – milked

– wiles, libation, cultivation & grain, brahman & tapas,sweet scent, concealment, poison

33: magic spell?

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Skambha, Support (10.7)

More sophisticated version of puruṣa (RV 10.90) Includes tapas, Right, Vow, Faith, Truth, Fire,

Wind, Earth, Atmosphere, Sky, sun, moon, all 33 gods, “golden germ,”

Supports seasons, day/night, all worlds 17, 24, 33-36: = brahman 14, 20: echoes of puruṣa dismemberment 40-41: = Prajāpati 42-44: Riddle of maidens, weaving

Skambha, Support (10.8) 1-2: = brahman, contains all which possesses ātman “soul”

4-5, 7: riddle – wheel/year 13: = Prajāpati, ½ = whole world, other ½?

[vs. ¼ in RV 10.90.3] 14: carries water upwards, like 19.53.3 (kāla)? 26-29: riddle immortal woman, aging creator,

inert suitor? 37-38: thread of the thread 43-44: nine gates, three strands, ātman =

brahman