RELS 131 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Quasi, Vritra, Social Stratification

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Religious Studies
• Course: RELS 131
• Professor: Aditi Sen- Chowdhury

Document Summary

Hinduism is the oldest religion, has many roots with other religions. Vedas and upanishads: fundamental basic, 800 bc: british gave it to the indian non-islamic people. No word for religion: other than dharma (duty) Holy trinity: three gods form universe, look after the university: creator is brahma, preserver is vishnu, and destroyer is shiva. Reincarnation: circle of life, one has at least 7 lives. Rig veda holiest, first identified religious text (similar authority to the queen) Bhagavad gita fundamental practices (similar authority to the prime minister) Vedic whole body of other texts, bigger volume: historical time period reconstruct it, involves vedas, brahmans, aranakyas, upanishads. The rig veda: songs and hymns of practice: brahma transmits knowledge to the sage oral tradition. Written in vedic sanskrit classic sanskrit is dead: memorization by using the mind. To know: songs of grace, soma (unknown plant), india (king: human"s first contact with nature, praise nature man in all of nature.