Ancient Roots of Hinduism

Jeffrey L. Richey, Ph.D. REL 231 Religions of India and Tibet Berea College Fall 2003

WHAT IS HINDUISM?

Hindu = from Persian Hind (India); originally ethnic, not religious, label Since medieval period, Hinduism denotes broad set of devotional, philosophical, and scriptural traditions rooted in ancient India
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THE INDUS RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATION

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Original inhabitants of northwestern India-Pakistan (c. 2500 BCE) Indus society: Agricultural Urban Mercantile Indus religion: Polytheistic (esp. goddesses) Fertility-oriented By 1500 BCE, on brink of collapse, perhaps due to combination of natural and human disasters

THE ARYAN INVASION

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Around 1500 BCE, Aryan peoples from southern Russia enter Indus region Aryan society: Pastoral Nomadic Equestrian Aryan religion: Polytheistic Patriarchal Aryan language was ancestral to Sanskrit, oldest known in Indo-European family
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INDO-EUROPEAN LANGUAGE & MYTHOLOGY

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Words in Indo-European languages share common ancestors: English -- father German -- Vater Latin -- pater Greek -- pater Sanskrit pitar Other examples: English divinity / ritual Latin divus / ritus
Sanskrit deva / ta

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Deities in Indo-European traditions share common origins: Norse -- Alfodr (All Father, i.e., Odin) Latin Diespiter (Day Father, i.e., Jupiter) Greek Zeuspater (Father Zeus) Sanskrit Dyauspitar (Sky Father) Thus, Sanskrit reveals deep links between ancient Indian and Western cultures
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INDO-ARYAN SOCIETY

Divided into 4 hereditary occupational divisions (varas = colors): 1. Brhman (priest) 2. Katriya/Rjanya (warrior) 3. Vaiya (merchant/artisan) 4. dra (peasant) On margins of fourfold society are Dalits (so-called untouchables), who perform menial and polluting tasks: 1. Corpse handlers 2. Executioners 3. Hunters and fishermen 4. Leatherworkers
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THE VEDAS

Concerned with orthopraxy (proper action) in ritual Brhman authors edit oral liturgical traditions, producing Vedas (knowledges), c. 1200-600 BCE By 600 BCE, stras (threads, commentaries), or summaries of Vedas, become popular 4 collections (samhits) of Vedas: 1. igveda (ic = praise stanzas sung by priests in ritual) 2. Smaveda (sman = songs sung by priestly entourage) 3. Yajurveda (yajus = short incantations uttered by priests assistants in ritual) 4. Atharvaveda (therapeutic 7 spells and hymns used by atharvans = healers)

KARMAMARGA: THE WAY OF ACTION

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tman (breath) = Essential element of person Coexistent with body Separable at death, when it ideally rejoins ancestors ta (right, rite) = Correct pattern Cosmic order Accomplished by orthopraxy Dharma (law) = Fixed principles Social order Accomplished by obedience to vara-specific obligations

Ashramas (stages of life) for males of of three upper varas: 1. Brahmaarya (study with guru or master) 2. Grihastha (marriage, family, career) 3. Vnaprastha (partial withdrawal from social life) 4. Sannysa (complete renunciation of society, devotion to spiritual life) Women participate only in householder stage, with two likely fates: 1. Marginalization as widow 2. Predeceasing husband Gradually, goal of improved reincarnation through right action 8 (karma) replaces reunion with ancestors