Vedic Age

 

Lecture 3 Vedic Age

Vedic Age Introduction 

Early phase(1500-1000 BC)

Later phase(1000-500 BC)

Origin of Aryans

1. William Jones- Europe(similarities in sanskrit, greek, latin, german)
2. Max Muller- Central Asia(Similarities between Rig veda and Zend Avesta)
3. Dr. Sampurnanand- Native to india(sapta sindhu as original home)
4. Bal Gangadhar Tilak(the arctic home in the vedas)- Arctic region(Astronomical calculation)
5. Dayanand saraswati(satyarth prakash)- Tibet (Plant species, Nazi took it seriousuly)

Vedic Age Horse and Chariot 

5000-4000 BC domestication of horse in the region between black sea and south of ural mountains.

4000 BC- horse domestication + wheel chariot in Anatolia

2300 BC- Spoked wheels in Hissar(Iran)

1900 BC- use of spoked wheels chariot in Hittites kingdom

Vedic Age Linguistic Connection 

Agada inscription(2200 BC, Iraq)- earliest evidence of indo european language

Hittites inscription(1900 BC, Anatolia/Turkey)- eastern branch of indo european speaker came in hittites empire.

Boghazkoi inscription(1400 BC, Turkey)- A treaty between Hittites and Mitanni kingdom citing 4 vedic gods(Indra, Varun, Mitra and Nasatyas) as witness of the treaty.

Vedic Age Rigved vs Zend Avesta

Rigveda- Sanskrit, Hindu religion

Zend Avestan- Indo-Iranian, Zoroastrian/Parsi Religion 

 

Vedic Age Sapta Sindhu- Land of Seven River

Vedic Age Early Vedic Age/Rig Vedic Age

• Patriarchal tribal society with a tribal chief(Rajan/King)
• Nature worshipers
• Pastoral lifestyle, go(cow) was their main wealth
• Joint family(Kula) and slave were also part of joint family
• Educated women(Apala, Ghosa, Lopa and Mudra)
• No child marriage(Rig vade marraige age:16-17), No Dowry
• Widow remarriage and practice of Niyogi(Levirate)
• People were loyal to jana/tribe(mentioned 275 times in rigveda but no mention of janapada and mahajanapada indicates lack of territorial integrity)

  Grama(group of family)- Vis/Clan(groups of grama)- Jana/Community(group of Vis)

Conquest of the indigenous inhabitants by indo aryan resulted in social division- Aryan(warrior, priest and common people) and dasa/dasyu(Non Aryan people, later known as Sudra).

The Rig Veda describes Dasa/Dasyu as barbaric people who do not follow any rituals. 

Dasa/Dasyu were Lingam worshippers. But the term Lingam is not mentioned anywhere in Rig Veda. Lingam worship became part of Aryan culture in later Vedic age(First mention in Atharvaved). 

As cow was the main wealth at rig vedic time, The fight for cow were frequent.

The fight of two different group of families(gram) is mentioned as sangram(Intra Tribal).

In Rig veda the term for war is Gavesti(search for cow).

Gifts made to priests- Cow and women slaves(domestic work, no production work)

Vrajapati- person controlling long pasture land

Gramini- Head of Grama

Kulapas- Head of Family/Kula/Griha

Vedic Age Rig Vedic Administration

King was supported by officers/Ratanils(Purohit/Priest, Senani, Purab, Spas/Spies)

No standing army and no taxation system(Bali- Volunteer tax/gift to Rajan)

Rig Vedic assembly

Vidhata(oldest assembly, whole jana were member including women)- Distribution of Agriculture Crops and other items.

Sabha(group of elites/educated one including women)

Samiti(male members of jana/tribe)- election of king

Gana(military assembly)

Vrata/Gana/Grama/Sardha used to fight war.

Vedic Age Rig Ved

10 Mandals(Chapters)-1028 hymns 

Chapter 1 and 10 were added in the last.

Artisans- Carpenter, Chariot maker, Weaver, Leather worker, Pottery(PGW~1200 BC)

Traders(Vanik)- Panis(traders used to travel long distance)

Animals- Asva(Horse-215 times), Go(Cow-176 times), Vrsabha(Bull-170 times)

              Aghanya(Not to kill- used with reference to go/cow) 

Metals- Ayas(Copper/Bronze), Hianya/Nishka(Gold), Satamana(Silver)

Gods- Indra(250 hymns)>Agni(200 hymns)>Varun(god of water)

  Soma(God of plants), Marut(God of storm), Pushan(God of animals), Ashwin(God Of Health)

Goddess- Aditi and Usha

Indra(Warlord) was most revered god by rig vedic people. He was also known as Purandher(destroyer of dwelling units). 

3 divisions of god

Prithivi/Earth- Agni, Prithvi, Soma, Brihaspati

Akash/Sky- Sun, Varun, Usa, Savitr, Vishnu

Antariksh/Space- Indra, Marut, Rudra, Vayu 

Gayatri Mantra

Vishwamitra Composed the gayatri mantra. And it is in 3rd mandal of Rigveda. 

With this he tried to expand the Aryan race. A non-aryan can become aryan after reciting this mantra. 

The gayatri mantra is in praise of god savitr, one among the twelves adithya(offsprings of goddess aditi). 

After the vedic age, only Vivasvan(surya) is revered as god of sun.

Battle of ten kings/Dasarajna Yudha

Battle of 10 king is described in 7th Mandal of rigveda. (1100-1000 BC)

10 tribes- 5 Aryan(Puru, Yadu, Turvasa, Anu and Druhyu)+ 5 Non Aryan(Alina, Pakhta, Bhalans, Shiva and Vishanin) get united under the guidance of priest Vishwamitra to fight against Bharat tribe(king Sudas supported by priest Vashishta).

The fight take place on the bank of river parushni(ravi river).

After the end of war King Sudas organized ashvamedha yagna.

Vashishta

Unlike Vishvamitra, Vashisht was conservative.

As per Vashisht

Sudra+Brahman(woman) → offspring will be chandal

Brahman+ Sudra(woman) → offspring will be parasava

Shudra+Kshatriya(woman) → offspring will be Vaina

X Mandal

The creation of world is mentioned in this mandal and Brahma is credited as creator of the world.

As per this mandal, different varna originated from different part of brahma.

Head- Priest

Arms- Kshatriya

Thighs- Vaishyas

Feet- Sudra

Vedic Age Later Vedic Age(1000-500 BC) 

At the end of the early vedic age,the 10th mandal was added to Rigveda. This made the caste system rigid/hereditary(class to caste division). Gotra was introduced in the later vedic age.

As caste becomes hereditary, various positions also become hereditary including Rajan/King. This led to the end of Vidhata assembly and less role of sabha and samiti(samiti is for election of king in Rigvedic age). 

Women were barred from attending sabha(in Rigvedic time women were allowed).

Women’s status deteriorated in later veic age. Women and sudra were barred from Upnayan ceremony and reciting of gayatri mantra(in Rigvedic time, there was upnayan ceremony for women also).

But, in later vedic age, still we find mention of three educated women- Gargi, Maitreyi and Katyani.

Vedic Age Later Vedic Administration

Instead of cows, land/territory became wealth of later vedic people, this gave rise to Janapada and Mahajanapada.

Main occupation shifted from cow rearing(in Rigvedic age) to agriculture. And the post of Govikarta was established for head of forest dept. The 12 Ratninas are mentioned in Satapatha brahmana. Some are as follows:

Head of Courier dept- Akshavapa 

Friend of King- Palagala

Gateman- Kshata

Main Agriculture produces- Wheat, Rice(vrihi), Barley (in rig vedic time only barley).

Fixed tax instead of volunteer bali. Vaishyas caste were the main tax payers.

Bhag Duha- Tax collector 

Sangrahitri- Treasure

The Coin system of later vedic age- Nishka(Gold), Satamana(Silver), Krishnala(Silver)

No standing army.

Other Ratninas

Purohit- Priest

Mahishi- Queen

Yuvaraj- Prince

Sarathi- Charioteer

Senani- General

Gramini- Head of Village

Vedic Age Later Vedic Age(Vedas) 

Iron was mentioned first time in Yajur Veda.

Lohit Ayas- Copper, Shyam/Krishna Ayas- Iron(in Atharva Veda and Yajur Veda)

Compilation of later vedic text

• Sama Veda(Gana and Archika)- Veda of melodies and chants(Musical representation of rigveda) in 6 Chapters
• Yajur Veda(Krishna Yajur veda and Shukla Yajur veda)- veda of rituals(sacrifices) in 40 chapters
• Atharva Veda- magic and charm spell in 20 Chapters

The earliest written vedas-Rig veda, Sama veda and Yajur veda collectively known as vedatryi(three vedas).

With compilation of three more vedas, rituals/Sacrifices became more prominent in later vedic age as compared to rig vedic age.

In Rigveda, the word Aghanya(not to kill) was used for cows. But in later vedic texts, the guest was known as goghna(one who was fed on cattle). So cow sacrifice started in the later vedic period.

In the later vedic age, other gods became more prominent than Indra.

Brahma/Prajapati> Vishnu(protector of people)>Rudra(god of animal)

Start of idol worship.

Pushan- God of Sudras

Yagya of Yajurved

1. Ashwamedha Yagya- A horse accompanied by the king's warriors would be released to wander for a year. In the territory traversed by the horse, any rival could dispute the king's authority by challenging the warriors accompanying it. After one year, if no enemy had managed to kill or capture the horse, the animal would be guided back to the king's capital. It would be then sacrificed, and the king would be declared as an undisputed sovereign.
2. Rajsuya Yagya- same as Ashwamedha yagya but at the coronation ceremony(appointment of new king). 
3. Vajpayee Yagya- 7 horses chariot race, in which king participate with others to prove his power.

Vedic Text Aryan/Hindu Texts

Vedas

Mundaka upanishad(Atharva veda)- satyamev jayate

Jabala upanishad(Yajur veda)- Description of Banaras(Avimuktam) and four stages of life(brahmachari/student, grihasti/household, vanprastha/forest dweller, sanyasi/renouncer)

Maitri upanishad(Yajur veda, post buddhism text)- few common theories with buddhism

Maha Upnishad(Samaveda)- Vasudeva Kutumbakam

Aitareya Brahmana(Rig veda, later vedic age)- daughter is source of sorrow 

Satapatha brahmana(Śukla Yajurveda)- Ploughing Rituals

Baudhayana Sulbasutra(Krishna Yajurveda)- Statement of Pythagoras Theorem(But historian attribute, Pythagoras Theorem to Greece)

Vedang

Six auxiliary disciplines associated with the study and understanding of the vedas

1. Shiksha(Phonetic)
2. Kalp(Rituals)
3. Vyakran(Grammar)
4. Nirkuts(Explanation)
5. Chand(Metrics)
6. Jyotisha(Astrology)

Vedas and Philosophy

Astadhyayi(Sanskrit grammar)- By Panini around 500 BC

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