The Vedic Age - 15 Mints Seminar Notes

The Vedic Age - 15 Mints Seminar Notes

• The Harappa’s  lived in cities and had a well organized trade and craft activities. They also had a script which we have been so far not able to decipher. 
• However around 1900 BC these cities began to decline. A number of rural settlements appeared afterwards. 
• These rural settlements show continuity of certain Harappan elements. 
• Around the same time we find archaeological evidence of the arrival of new people known as Aryans or Indo - Aryans on the outskirts of the Harappan region. 
• In the present lesson, we shall study the circumstances under which these new people arrived and also learn about the main features of their culture as depicted in the literature called the Vedas.
  

THE VEDIC TEXTS

What is veda ? 

• The word veda is derived from the root vid which means ‘to know’. The word veda means the sacred knowledge contained in the texts known as Vedic text. 
• Two categories of texts are included in the corpus of the Vedic literature. 
• These are Mantra and Brahmana. 
• The Mantra category forms the core of the Vedic texts and has four separate collections. These are the Rigveda, the Samaveda, the Yajurveda, and the Atharvaveda. 
• The Brahmanas not to be confused with Brahaminical class are prose texts containing the explanations of the mantras as well as the sacrificial rituals. 
• The four Vedas together with their Brahmanas are also known as shruti or ‘hearing’, that which was directly heard by the sages. 
• The Aranyakas (literally forest treatises) and the Upanishads (sitting down beside) are mainly appendices to the Brahmanas. 
• These are also known as the Vedanta (end of the Veda) and contain philosophical discussions.
  

The Vedic Age (1500BC–600BC)

• The Rigveda is a collection of 1,028 hymns divided into 10 mandalas. They are the earliest compositions and hence depict the life of the early Vedic people in India. 
• The Samaveda is a collection of verses mostly taken from the Rigveda but arranged in a poetic form to facilitate singing. 
• The Yajurveda is found in two recensions, Black and White, and are full of rituals to be performed publicly or individually. 
• The Atharvaveda is a collection of magic spells and charms to ward off the evil spirits and diseases. Careful studies have shown that the Vedic texts reflect two stages of development in terms of literature as well as social and cultural evolution. 
• The Rigveda which is the oldest Vedic text reflects one stage of social and cultural development whereas the other three Vedas reflect another stage. 
• The first stage is known as the Rigvedic period or Early Vedic period and the later stage is known as the Later Vedic period. 
• The age of the Early Vedic period corresponds with the date of the composition of the Rigvedic hymns. This date has been fixed between 1500 BC and 1000 BC. The later Vedic period is placed between 1000 BC and 600 BC. 
• Recently, the Rigveda has been included by the UNESCO in the list of literature signifying World Human Heritage.
  

 GEOGRAPHICAL HORIZON OF THE VEDIC ARYANS

• The early Vedic Aryans lived in the area known as sapta - sindhu meaning area of seven rivers. 
• This area largely covers the northwestern part of South Asia up to river Yamuna. 
• The seven rivers included Sindhu, Vitasta (Jhelum), Asikni (Chenab), Parushni (Ravi), Vipash (Beas), Shutudri (Sutlej) and the Sarasvati. 
• In this area the Rigvedic people lived, fought battles, grazed their herds of cattle and other domesticated animals. 
• Gradually moving eastward, they came to occupy eastern U.P. (Kosala) and north Bihar (Videha) during the Later Vedic period. 
• Here they came into contact with the people who spoke languages different from their own and were living in this area for long.
  

Vedic Literature

• The word ‘Veda’ originated from the root ‘vid’ which means spiritual knowledge/subject of knowledge/means of acquiring knowledge.
  
• The four Vedas are: Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva.
  
• Rig Veda was composed during the Early Vedic Age. 
• The other three were written in the Later Vedic Age.
  
• Rig Veda – this is the oldest religious text in the world. 
• It contains 1028 hymns and is classified into 10 mandalas.
  
• Yajur Veda – this deals with the ways to perform rituals.
  
• Sama Veda – deals with music. Indian music is said to be originated from Sama Veda.
  
• Atharva Veda – contains spells and magical formula.
  
• Other Vedic texts were the Brahmanas (explains the meaning of sacrifices); Upanishads (also called Vedantas, 108 in number, source of Indian philosophy); and Aranyakas (books of instructions).
  
• The great Indian epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana were also composed during this period.
  

 

Presented By,

Santhosh

Tnpsc Student

Magme School Of Banking