Hinduism-lecture

Harappa culture

-excavation of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa in 1920's

-script undeciphered

-no temples, little art

-buried dead in cemeteries

large bathing tanks

-use for spiritual cleansing

-purify effect

Universal In pre-history

-Goddess figurines, phallic symbols

-associated with Shiva and Mahadev

Proto-shiva

Shiva-lord of animals, god of yogis

-roots in ancient India

Aryan Tribes

-Aryan Tribe 1500 BCE

-bringing their religion, priests, rituals, gods, scriptures, language, and social structure, were nomads, roaming with their hers on horseback

charcteristics of early period

Polytheism-believe in many gods

Rituals-please the gods, offer food as sacrifice includes cattle, in order for the gods to bless the people, also to make sure the crops grow, rains come, protection from harm

Afterlife- live once, be righteous, worships the gods, and you will be judged to be worthy of going the house of the ancestors vs house of clay

agni

-god of fire

-priest and mediator

Soma

-personification of hallucinogenic plant

-vision of the gods

-strength and immortality

Indra

-rain/storm god

-victory in battle

varuna

-oversees cosmic order and moral order

afterlife

-Agni takes soul

-Varuna judges

-House of ancestors or House of clay

-reincarnations develops later

-cremation replaces burial, the body transforms into a more subtle form in smoke and go to the other world

Vedic Rituals and Brahim Priests

1. Domestic rituals done by farther at home

2. Atharvan priest for special purposes

3. Public rituals for the community

scriptures

Four Vedas with Appendices Revealed (Shruti) Later texts added are the Smriti: Dharma Shastras, Epics and Puranas (many others)

The vedas (Shruti)

The Samhitas (collections) are 4 Vedas:

 Rig Veda - 1500-900 BCE 1,028 hymns in 10 books to various deities (basically they are prayers)

Sama Veda - selections from the above that’s chanted/sung during rituals (the power is in sound)

Yajur Veda - half of it is from the Rig Veda along with mantras used in the performing of the ritual

The above were used in rituals to serve the larger community.

 Atharva Veda - used by Atharvan priest for healing, spells, blessings, curses, to meet special needs of individuals and households

Attached to the Vedas are these Appendices:

Brahmanas - (900-600 BCE) priestly commentaries on the Vedas, that explain the what and how of doing the rituals and what they mean, for what purposes are they done

 Aranyakas (Forest Treatises) - (ca. 600 BCE) these texts reflect the thinking of the priests who retreated into the forest to contemplate the meaning behind the rituals, becoming highly philosophical

Upanishads - (600-300 BCE) (“To sit down beside” and receive the secret teachings) these are the teachings of those who become enlightened in the forest.

Non-vedic (Smirti)

Dharma Shastras - (ca. 500 BCE -100 CE) treatises that teach on one’s dharma, moral, social, religious duties/obligations in life;

 Laws of Manu (200 BCE- 100 CE) code of conduct

The Epics:

Ramayana (ca. 300 BCE) story of King Rama, wife Sita, overcoming evil demon King Ravana

 Puranas (4th - 6th Cent. CE) stories of the gods, creation accounts, mostly mythic, traditionally 18

Tantras and Agamas -- various texts, sectarian depending on the deities (Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism), Kundalini Yoga, etc.