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| sanskrit for "knowledge" - refers to body of knowledge compiled orally - composed of four Samhitas (yajur, sama, atharva, and rig) - contain sruti (what is heard) - 1500-1000 BCE, late bronze to early iron age - memorized through bodily mnemonics |
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| the earliest of the vedas - from a sanskrit root Rc (praise, wisdom) - strong linguistic and cultural similarities with the Avesta (the Iranian text of roughly contemporary period) - composed of Mandalas or families - 10 books, 2-7 are considered the oldest, arranged by length - first and tenth are considered the youngest - |
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| 2nd veda, composed of knowledge pertaining to sung hymns drawn out of rg veda - root saman = melody - after 1000 BCE - for priests called saman or udgatri (singer) |
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| third veda - from yajus meaning "sacrificial formula" - between 1400 and 1000 BCE - contains sacrificial mantras - for priests called adhvaryus (reciters) |
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| latest of the 4 vedas - deals with more magical rites - for priests called atharvan or angiras - fire priests |
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| king of the devas - syncretic amalgamation of regional deities acquired during migration - separated mother earth and father sky like atlas - freed cows/light from vala cave like heracles - slayed vrtra (resistance) to release waters - homologized with human king - see RV 64 - given soma to become warrior (sura = swelling/big strong man/tribal champion) - vira = virile/brave in domestic contexts - contains savas (might) but it has ethical limitations because indra can't acquire savas without ritual performances and is expected to redistribute conquered wealth, so the ritual is justification for violence and self-reinforcing economy of plunder - called "maghavan" (generous one) and is told to defeat misers called "panis" |
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| the hymn of man - purusha is the cosmic being sacrificed and dismembered - hymn 10.90 on p. 29 of RV - body homologized with varna system - |
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| warrior/kingly member of society - aligned with indra - called rajanya in early vedic society |
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| priestly class of the varna system - in the RV, brAhman refers to formulation, and brahmAn refers to the formulator - in the AV, Brahman comes to include generically all prieces, and then it is internalized in the Upanishads as the ground of being/atman and later the god BrahmA |
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| sacrificial drink for Indra - basically means "pressed out" and is probably made of ephedra - considered both a god and the plant itself - connotes rain, fretility, and wealth |
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| deified fire - complementary opposite with soma as european concept of fiery-liquid - carries oblations to the gods and brings the gods to the site of the ritual - serves political function to represent combination and separation of tribes - represents culture while soma represents wildness - the myth of his willingness to serve a ritual function in return for eternal life reflects need to keep fire burning at all times and myth of bringing him back serves to accompany lighting of fire that has gone out. |
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| texts attached to the vedas which formed theological and ritual commentary - form a kind of ritual science based on theories of cause and effect - like effects like, etc...- why the rituals do what they do |
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| philosophical commentaries - the beginning of karma and the internalization of ritual |
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| ritual sacrifice - haviryajnas are vegetable offerinces - animal sacrifices are also haviryajnas, but are more elaborate rituals called pasubandhas - used to mark time |
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| spring ritual lasting several days - means "praise of agni" - uses much of the samaveda - |
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| lowest class of slaves - formed out of dasyu and dasa |
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