PART 3 HINDU RELIGION

Asato Ma Sad Gamaya Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya Mrityor Ma Amritam Gamaya Om Shanti Shanti Shanti. Lead Us From the Unreal To Real, Lead Us From Darkness To Light, Lead Us From Death To Immortality, Aum (the universal sound of God) Let There Be Peace Peace Peace.

CLICK: LISTEN TO SOME RENDITIONS OF THIS CHANT.

INDUS RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATION

1. Indus River Valley Civilization spanned the years 3300 to 1300BCE.

2. In the absence of a translatable script, discovery and study of Harappan cities pushed archaeology to its limits. It was a great success for the field.

3. The cities were complex for its time. They manufactured bronze, were ruled over by a priestly class, and had a well-developed drainage and sewage system (the first for its time).

ENTER THE VEDIC AGE (1500 – 500BCE)

This period began with the entrance of the semi-nomadic and pastoral Aryans into the Indus River Valley.

THE VEDIC AGE: The Aryan People

THE VEDIC AGE : The Aryan People

THE VEDIC AGE : The Aryan People

In 1780, William Jones noticed a deep similarity between Sanskrit and Latin.

Meaning Sanskrit Latin

three trayas tres

seven sapta septem

father pitar pater

mother matar mater

snake sarpa serpens

king raja regem

god devas divus

The Aryans are credited with the spread, and most likely origin, of the Indo-European languages.

Aryan social structure 1. The Aryans had two basic divisions:

noble and common.

2. The non-Aryans comprised a third: the Dasas (or Dravidian).

3. A raja ruled over a society with the assistance of a Chief Priest and a circle of other ritualists.

4. By the Brahmanic Era (1000 – 500BCE), the priests gained enormous power and influence.

THE VEDIC AGE : The Aryan People

THE VEDIC AGE: The Caste System

The caste system is a ritual or spiritual hierarchy (and may not represent economic or physical or reality). Only the upper three castes can participate in social, political, and religious life. The Brahmin were often at an advantage with their claim to exclusive knowledge of sacred texts.

THE VEDIC AGE: The Caste System

THE VEDIC AGE: The Caste System

Thus, a large segment of society was far removed from political and religious life. Brahmin performed rituals and spoke about the gods, but these meant nothing to the ordinary person.

There was a need for social justice and a path for the ordinary person to achieve salvation.

This was the ethos of Indian religion.