When the Aryans Settled in the Indus Valley, Their Nomadic Culture Became Tempered By

When the Aryans settled in the Indus Valley, their nomadic culture became tempered by the agricultural tradition of the Harappans, creating what is now called the Vedic culture. And, like we discussed in the last lecture, the Aryans brought many things with them when they migrated to India, the most important of which was their religion.

The religious beliefs and practices of the Vedic culture are contained in a series of texts called the Vedas. The word Veda is derived from the word vid, or "to know". In essence, the

Vedas are the source of all religious knowledge to the Vedic culture. The first, and arguably, the oldest book, is the Rg Veda, which is a collection of hymns meant to be sung by the hotr, a member of the Brahman caste which specialized in the recitation of invocations. The second is the Sama Veda, another collection of hymns meant to be sung by the udgatr, a priest that specialized in the melodic chanting of the Sama Veda. The third book is the Yajur Veda, a compilation of the processes of sacrifices. And the fourth is the Atharva Veda, a collection of magical spells and incantations. Of the four books of the Vedas, the Rg (or Rig) Veda is, by far, the most important to our discussion.

The Vedas are believed to be eternal, without beginning or end. As such, it is believed that the Vedas were not, and cannot, be composed by humans. Rather, the Vedas were "heard" as revelation, and then written or passed down orally. In the Rg Veda, as other Vedas, there are three major deities plus one. These deities are Soma, Agni, and Indra, with Varuna as important cosmologically, but not so much in terms of praise.

Here, it is important to make a distinction between Eastern and Western culture. In the

West, it is typically believed that the word "fire" is a verbal representation of a physical object that can be separated into the categories of "things that are words" and "things that are fire".

However, due to this tendency to draw true knowledge from what is "heard", the early Vedic culture saw the word "Agni" (both the word for fire and the name of the God) as a physical manifestation. So, in the Vedic view, the word and the thing are entirely inseparable. When the priest says Agni he is invoking the physical god to perform an action. Moreover, the physical fire is a manifestation of the God, not a symbolic representation. Likewise, Soma, another major God of the Vedas, is a physical tonic which the practitioner drinks, but it is also the God.

The character on the right is probably recognizable to many of you.

If its physical form isn't recognizable, then its verbal form will surely be familiar. The word is Ohm, and, like Soma and Agni, it is representative of something. There is no actual English translation for the word, but many just take it to mean existence, an inaccurate translation at best, but is probably the only way that we'll understand what it means. It is used in the Vedic texts to invite the god being invoked to take part in the ceremony. Likewise, when one speaks the word, one supposedly forms a direct connection with existence.

The most important aspect of the Rg Veda is that it provides us with a look at the inner workings of the social structure in Vedic society, specifically through the story of Purusha and the characteristics of the major gods of the Vedas.

The idea of a primeval sacrifice is not unheard of. The concept exists in many early

Germanic and Scandinavian religions (perhaps further evidence of the Aryan migration?).

However, the story of Purusha is unique, in that his sacrifice not only brings about the beginning of our universe, but also is the structure upon which Indian society is built upon, even today. At this point, I would like you to take a moment to read the story of Purusha, which I have included, before we continue the lecture. As indicated in the story, Purusha's sacrifice is the reason for our universe and all that is in it. But what does it tell us? First, where the Vedas came from. It tells us that the chants originates from Purusha's sacrifice, and that is what is "heard" by the Brahmans that pass the Vedas down. Second, we can see that the early Vedic culture based their society upon the sacrifice of Purusha. The Brahman came from his head, the Ksatriya, from his arms, the

Vaisyas from his thighs, and the Sudras from his feet.

This Vedas also gave birth to several terms which would be adopted and adapted by every major religion thereafter. One could even make the claim that all subsequent religions are a response in some form to these Vedic ideas. These terms are dharma, karma, atman, brahman, and samsara. In terms of Vedic belief, dharma, which is also the Vedic idea of rta, is natural law.

Dharma is essentially pure reality, and will later come to be understood as one's duty. In the

Vedic sense, however, it is the correct following of the universal instructions of the Vedas.

Atman, in the Vedic conception, was the individual "soul". It directly relates to one's own personhood. Brahman, not to be confused with the caste, is the power that fueled the sacrificial rituals, and gave power. Karma is the idea of causality. Literally, it means "action" or "deed", and essentially, when one commits an action, if that action is positive, one will reap the benefits of that in the next life. If it is negative, the effects will be negative. In Vedic context however, karma was not as important, as the only deeds worth merit were sacrificial. As such, karma had little impact upon early Vedic religion. Finally, the Vedas created the concept of Samsara.

Samsara is the Sanskrit word that describes the cycle of rebirth, and is a foundational element of all major South Asian religions.

Now is probably the best time to explain the caste system. Think of Vedic society like a pyramid. At the very tip of the pyramid is the Brahmans. They are the priests and the interpreters of the Vedas. Underneath them are the Ksatriyas (pronounced Chahtriya). The Ksatriyas are the nobles and warriors. Ksatriyas are expected to read and learn the Vedas, but not interpret them.

After the Ksatriyas are the Vaisyas (pronounced Vahys-yah). These are the professional class, and consist of traders, business owners, farmers, and herders. These individuals are allowed to hear the Vedas, but are not obligated to learn them, as long as they act according to their dharma.

Finally, Purusha's feet created the Sudras (pronounced Soodras). These individuals are the slaves, servants, and tradesmen. In this system, there is very little room for upwards or downwards mobility. Unless you marry into another class, or undergo a ritual to change your class (which almost never happened), you will always be the class you are born into.

Members of the upper three classes were expected to follow the four stages of life, otherwise known as the Ashramas. The Ashramas are governed by the four goals of human life––––Dharma, Kama(sensual pleasure), Artha(Wealth), and Moksha(Liberation). The

Ashramas are better outlined in the powerpoints, and I would rather have that be used as a visual aid.

So, in Vedic culture, how was ethics determined? Simply, what was ethical depended upon one's caste and stage of life. That was the individual's dharma. For further information on the subjects that I've covered in this lecture, I have provided supplemental readings that go into further detail. Feel free to read those as you see fit. Next week's lecture will be on the

Upanishads.