HUMA 1865 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Mohenjo-Daro, Atharvaveda, Yajurveda
Jan 10, 2018
HINDUISM I : HINDU TRADITIONS
Lecture Notes
-Eastern tradition.point by the british colonizers by the practices they observed in india that
were not buddhism, islam. Etc.
-Vedic period named after the Vedas, classical or eic period. The two early periods in
hinduism.
-Within the tradition, Emphasis on seeing and hearing. Another emphasis is DARSHANA(to
see and be seen by a particular deity or guru).
Sources of knowledge about traditions
● Rituals
● recitation
● music
● dance
● Theatre
Indus valley civilization
● 2500 - 1500 BCE
● Mohenjo-daro
● Harappa
“HInduism”
-Common denomination are difficult to identify.
-Hinduism is shorthand for diverse philosophies.
-Became prevalent in the 19th century.
-People that were Muslim christian parsi and jew by religion were not identified hindus.
-there are about one billion hindus in india.
-Dharma means “religion” - duty and social obligation.
-There are various theories on how the religion evolved. One is that two people emerged
and became hindus. Heroines who came from turkey, central asia amd merged.
-Origins in pakistan called the Harappan culture:
● Mohenjo daro and Harappa
● Emerged in 2750 BCE
● No unknown language
● Archeology
Origin - Indus valley
-Indo europeans, arrival of the indoss-european environmental flooding and river
desiccation, epidemics caused migration further east.
-Indo european - language it was written is Sanskrit, migration theory, indigenous theory of
origin in legendary sarasvati river valley of india
Early text - vedic collection
● rig veda, (from a hymn to Agni, the god of fire) - text about ritual of sacrifice
● sama veda,
● yajur veda,
● atharva veda related to rituals and gods in the deities.
Note: Hinduism is a Polytheistic religion and one god is seen as supreme called Brahman.
There are many god but emphasis is put on one god.
4 parts of the vedas - vedic collection
● Samhitas( hymns)
● Brahmanas ritual direction
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● Aranyakas composition for the forest
● Upanishads- philosophical text and are referred to as vedanta meaning end of the
vedas. The philosophies are non dualistic or monistic (a principle of unity in the
universe).
-Chronological context, was a time of intellectual ferment, came around 1100 years ago (7th
and 6th century) upanishad means to seat down near.
-Hinduism is not about word of renouncing but a sustaining religion.
Vedic deities
● Agni - god of fire
● soma - god of ecstasy/illumination, has many hands and legs.
● Indra- god of war depicted in a yogis structure. The practice of yoga has been with us
for over 4000 years.
● Vac - god of speech
Vedas
-4 collection of hymns
-Considered as revealed scriptures to seers.
-Referred to that which is heard- shruti.
-Knowledge of vedas is not necessarily to be hindu.
-Denial of status of vedas generally democrats non hindus.
The vedic hymn
● Typically praise the gods, including Indra, Agni, Varuna, Sarasvati, etc., many later
superseded
● Offer petitions for a good and happy life on this earth
● Rituals to maintain cosmic and worldly order (rta)
Svetasvatara Upanishad - It is the supreme brahman alone and also a supreme deity.
Suggest that the brahman is the essence of phenomena. Rebirth, reincarnation (live
indefinitely and have eternal life) they believe that souls referred to as atman is identical with
brahman.
Key terms
karma - action, meaning all your actions have consequences
Dharma - duty, religion righteousness
samsara - the cycle of birth death and rebirth the goal is to escape the cycle
moksha - liberation from samsara
Varna - colour of class
jati - the occupations
Ashmara - stage of life
Rishi a poetic stage, visionary author
Darshan - to see, to overcome ignorance to see what is actually there
Guru - exemplar
Manthra - a sacred utterance
Yoga - discipline to a deity
Atman -individual soul a personal witness to change on eternal level
Brahman - the impersonal ultimate. principle witness is on a cosmic level
Puranas
sansKrit - the ancient language of the holy scripture
Shruti,
Smrti,
Yanja
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Eastern tradition. point by the british colonizers by the practices they observed in india that were not buddhism, islam. Vedic period named after the vedas, classical or eic period. Within the tradition, emphasis on seeing and hearing. Another emphasis is darshana(to see and be seen by a particular deity or guru). People that were muslim christian parsi and jew by religion were not identified hindus. There are about one billion hindus in india. Dharma means religion - duty and social obligation. There are various theories on how the religion evolved. One is that two people emerged and became hindus. Heroines who came from turkey, central asia amd merged. Indo europeans, arrival of the indoss-european environmental flooding and river desiccation, epidemics caused migration further east. Indo european - language it was written is sanskrit, migration theory, indigenous theory of origin in legendary sarasvati river valley of india.
