Introduction to Vedic Knowledge

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Introduction to Vedic Knowledge Introduction to Vedic Knowledge first volume: The Study of Vedic Scriptures Along History by Parama Karuna Devi Copyright © 2012 Parama Karuna Devi All rights reserved. ISBN-10: 1482500361 ISBN-13: 978-1482500363 published by Jagannatha Vallabha Research Center PAVAN House, Siddha Mahavira patana, Puri 752002 Orissa Web presence: http://www.jagannathavallabha.com http://www.facebook.com/ParamaKarunaDevi http://jagannathavallabhavedicresearch.wordpress.com/ The Perception of Vedic Culture in Western History This publication originates from the need to present in a simple, clear, objective and exhaustive way, the basic information about the original Vedic knowledge, that in the course of the centuries has often been confused by colonialist propaganda, through the writings of indologists belonging to the euro-centric Christian academic system (that were bent on refuting and demolishing the vedic scriptures rather than presenting them in a positive way) and through the cultural superimposition suffered by sincere students who only had access to very indirect material, already carefully chosen and filtered by professors or commentators that were afflicted by negative prejudice. It was pope Onorius IV (1286-1287) who inaugurated in the West the study of oriental languages and precisely Hebrew, Greek and Arabic. He had studied at the University of Paris before entering the diplomatic career at the service of pope Clement IV (1265-1268), who sent him to celebrate the crowning of Charles d'Anjou as King of Sicily. After becoming pope, Onorius introduced in the University of Paris the new curriculum (Studia linguarum) aimed at building the languistic knowledge required to understand the original texts of Parama Karuna Devi the Old and New Testament and the Coranic texts, that were the theological, ethical and philosophical foundations of the scholars which in those times were not subject to the Church of Rome: Jews, orthodox Christians and Muslims. The Ecumenic Council of Wien (1311-1312) recognized the importance of Onorius' strategy and encouraged the creation of suitable departments in all the other European universities, that were then under the complete control of the Church of Rome. In fact, all the universities started as Scholae monasticae approved by the papal bull Studia generalia, and were managed by the cathedrals or monasteries and aimed at training priests, government officers, lawyers and pyhysicians that would remain strictly loyal to the Church of Rome. All the students received the clerical tonsure and were only subjected to the ecclesiastic legal authority and not to the authority of the King or any other government agency. The passage from Schola monastica to University (universitas magistrorum et scholarium, "universal community of teachers and scholars") was specifically characterized by the creation of teachers' guilds that acquired a certain organizational autonomy from the parishes on which they initially depended. The first of such universities was recognized in Bologna in 1088, followed by those of Paris in 1150, Oxford (1167), Valencia (1208), Cambridge (1209), Salamanca (1218), Montpellier (1220) and Padova (1222). 4 Introduction to Vedic Knowledge: volume 1 The official language of all universities was Latin, even if the students - coming from all parts of Europe - were divided into "nationes". At the University of Paris these were France, Normandie, Picardie and England- Germany, which also included the students from Scandinavia and eastern Europe. After attending the preliminary courses (trivium: Latin grammar, rhetoric and dialectics, and quadrivium: arithmetics, geometry, music and astronomy) the students proceeded to further degrees of specialization, importance and glory consisting in the studies of arts, natural philosophy, medicine, canonic law and theology. That period saw the resurfacing of some ancient texts that had somehow escaped the anti-pagan devastation conducted by Christians during the previous millennium. However, the only "approved" author allowed to be studied was Aristotle, and his writings were adapted to support the Christian theology, as we can see in the famous Summa Theologica by Thomas Aquinas. There were also strict limitations on Aristotle's books: his prohibited texts included physics and metaphysics. The arabic texts studied in that period were on mathematics, geometry, medicine and the commentaries on the fragments of Aristotle; the most famous authors were Avicenna e Averroè. Avicenna (Abū ‘Alī al-Ḥusayn ibn ‘Abd Allāh ibn Sīnā, 980-1037 CE), considered the father of modern medicine and "avicennan logic", perhaps the greatest representative of the so-called "golden age of Islam". 5 Parama Karuna Devi He wrote The Book of Healing and the Canon of Medicine, based on the teachings of Sushruta samhita and Charaka samhita as well as the writings of Hyppocrates and Galen. He also explored Indian mathematics and aristotelic and neoplatonic philosophy. Averroè (Abū l-Walīd Muhammad ibn Ahmad Muhammad ibn Rushd, 1126-1198), qadi of Sevilla and Cordoba like his father and grandfather, became famous for his logical refutations in defense of the philosophical search, that he presented as compatible and non-contrary to theology. Specifically, he wrote many famous translations with commentaries to the texts of Aristotle, that had become completely forgotten in the West. His most important work, The Destruction of Destruction (Tahāfut al-tahāfut, in Latin Destructio destructionis) is a refutation of The Destruction of the Philosophers (Tahāfut al-falāsifa, in Latin Destructio philosophorum), the aggressive text in which Al Ghazali presented freedom of thinking as offensive against Islamic theology. Averroè also composed a voluminous text focused on the analysis of the Islamic religious doctrines of his times and a treatise on General Medicine. Because of his defense of the intrinsic value of culture and free thinking, Averroè was pronounced as heretic, exiled and kept under strict control until his death: this sentence is considered the turning point closing the brief period of the "golden age" of Islamic domination. 6 Introduction to Vedic Knowledge: volume 1 Aristotle's works were translated from Greek into Latin also by the monks of Saint Michel, including Giacomo Veneto, starting from 1127. However, the study of Aristotle's philosophy was merely aimed at creating Church leaders that were adequately equipped with the knowledge required to protect it and bring about its triumph at global level. Among the laureates from the University of Paris there were many popes, such as Celestine II, Adrian IV, Innocentius III and Onorius IV. In his attempts at becoming independent from the Church of Rome, Henry VIII of England too established chairs of "Regius Professor" to teach Hebrew at Cambridge in 1540 and at Oxford in 1546; then a department of Arabic was established in Cambridge in 1643. In 1669 Edmund Castell published his "Dictionary of seven language", the Lexicon Heptaglotton Hebraicum, Chaldaicum, Syriacum, Samaritanum, Aethiopicum, Arabicum, et Persicum. Of course, all the knowledge offered in the universities had to be subordinated to the Christian doctrine: only in the 19th century, after the French revolution and Napoleon's regime, theology ceased to be a compulsory study in the universities - first in Paris and then in Oxford. Indology proper (as the study of Sanskrit and Vedic texts) only started after a new sea route to the Indies became feasible. During the period of Islamic expansion, commerce with India was strictly controlled and exploited by Muslims, therefore the European kingdoms suffered great economic losses due to the 7 Parama Karuna Devi extreme rise in the cost of spices. At that time, spices were used as medicines, flavorings and preservatives for food, as well as ingredients for perfumes and scents for body, clothing and houses. We need to remember that in that period there was no refrigeration system, the Christian rules discouraged people from taking baths and toilets were seriously rudimentary. The crusades failed in their attempt to take the Middle East away from Islam, and south Europe had to engage in a hard war on its very territory - Spain, south Italy, Greece - to fight back the invasions of the "Sarrasins". Only in 1491 the King of Spain was able to retake Grenada from the hands of the Muslims. When Constantinople fell in the hands of the Turks, the European monarchs started to seek urgently for a sea route that could allow them to reach the Indies without having to travel through the territories occupied by Islam. This was precisely the plan of Christopher Columbus, as when he started his journey in 1492 he was not looking for America but rather for India, It was also the plan of Vasco da Gama (journey from 1497 to 1499), Magellan (journey of 1519-1522) and other great navigators of those times. The explicit ambition of those monarchs was the direct conquest of the territories and their resources, to be exploited for the greater power of Christianity, so each expedition was accompanied by an ambassador of the Church of Rome, who was to report everything to the pope. Francis (Francisco) Xavier de Jasso y Azpilicueta (1506-1552) had graduated from Paris University 8 Introduction to Vedic Knowledge: volume 1 together with Ignatius Loyola and Pierre Favre. He left in 1549 to accompany the Portuguese expedition of Vasco da Gama and organize India's christianization. Initially Xavier had founded the Jesuit order together with Ignatius of Loyola and other 5 friends, with the declared purpose of "converting all the Muslims of the Middle East", but as that task had proven impossible, the Company of Jesus shifted its attention to the fabulous Indies. The Portuguese expedition landed at Goa, on the west coast of India, taking possession of the territory in the name of the pope and immediately founding the College of Saint Paul, a seminar to train lay priests, that was entrusted to by Michele Ruggieri. This became the headquarters of the Jesuits in Asia, the base from which Nobili, Ricci and Beschi started for their missions respectively to India and to the Far East.
Recommended publications
  • The Upanishads, Vol I
    The Upanishads, Vol I Translated by F. Max Müller The Upanishads, Vol I Table of Contents The Upanishads, Vol I........................................................................................................................................1 Translated by F. Max Müller...................................................................................................................1 PREFACE................................................................................................................................................7 PROGRAM OF A TRANSLATION...............................................................................................................19 THE SACRED BOOKS OF THE EAST........................................................................................................20 TRANSLITERATION OF ORIENTAL ALPHABETS,..............................................................................25 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................26 POSITION OF THE UPANISHADS IN VEDIC LITERATURE.......................................................30 DIFFERENT CLASSES OF UPANISHADS.......................................................................................31 CRITICAL TREATMENT OF THE TEXT OF THE UPANISHADS................................................33 MEANING OF THE WORD UPANISHAD........................................................................................38 WORKS ON THE UPANISHADS....................................................................................................................41
    [Show full text]
  • Bhagavata Purana
    Bhagavata Purana The Bh āgavata Pur āṇa (Devanagari : भागवतपुराण ; also Śrīmad Bh āgavata Mah ā Pur āṇa, Śrīmad Bh āgavatam or Bh āgavata ) is one of Hinduism 's eighteen great Puranas (Mahapuranas , great histories).[1][2] Composed in Sanskrit and available in almost all Indian languages,[3] it promotes bhakti (devotion) to Krishna [4][5][6] integrating themes from the Advaita (monism) philosophy of Adi Shankara .[5][7][8] The Bhagavata Purana , like other puranas, discusses a wide range of topics including cosmology, genealogy, geography, mythology, legend, music, dance, yoga and culture.[5][9] As it begins, the forces of evil have won a war between the benevolent devas (deities) and evil asuras (demons) and now rule the universe. Truth re-emerges as Krishna, (called " Hari " and " Vasudeva " in the text) – first makes peace with the demons, understands them and then creatively defeats them, bringing back hope, justice, freedom and good – a cyclic theme that appears in many legends.[10] The Bhagavata Purana is a revered text in Vaishnavism , a Hindu tradition that reveres Vishnu.[11] The text presents a form of religion ( dharma ) that competes with that of the Vedas , wherein bhakti ultimately leads to self-knowledge, liberation ( moksha ) and bliss.[12] However the Bhagavata Purana asserts that the inner nature and outer form of Krishna is identical to the Vedas and that this is what rescues the world from the forces of evil.[13] An oft-quoted verse is used by some Krishna sects to assert that the text itself is Krishna in literary
    [Show full text]
  • Women in Hindu Dharma- a Tribute
    Women in Hindu Dharma- a Tribute Respected Ladies and Gentlemen1, Namaste! Women and the Divine Word:- Let me start my talk with a recitation from the Vedas2, the ‘Divinely Exhaled’ texts of Hindu Dharma – Profound thought was the pillow of her couch, Vision was the unguent for her eyes. Her wealth was the earth and Heaven, When Surya (the sun-like resplendent bride) went to meet her husband.3 Her mind was the bridal chariot, And sky was the canopy of that chariot. Orbs of light were the two steers that pulled the chariot, When Surya proceeded to her husband’s home!4 The close connection of women with divine revelation in Hinduism may be judged from the fact that of the 407 Sages associated with the revelation of Rigveda, twenty-one5 are women. Many of these mantras are quite significant for instance the hymn on the glorification of the Divine Speech.6 The very invocatory mantra7 of the Atharvaveda8 addresses divinity as a ‘Devi’ – the Goddess, who while present in waters, fulfills all our desires and hopes. In the Atharvaveda, the entire 14th book dealing with marriage, domestic issues etc., is attributed to a woman. Portions9 of other 19 books are also attributed to women sages10. 1 It is a Hindu tradition to address women before men in a group, out of reverence for the former. For instance, Hindu wedding invitations are normally addressed ‘To Mrs. and Mr. Smith’ and so on and not as ‘To Mr. And Mrs. Smith’ or as ‘ To Mr. and Mrs. John Smith’ or even as ‘To Mrs.
    [Show full text]
  • Hymns to the Mystic Fire
    16 Hymns to the Mystic Fire VOLUME 16 THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SRI AUROBINDO © Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust 2013 Published by Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department Printed at Sri Aurobindo Ashram Press, Pondicherry PRINTED IN INDIA Hymns To The Mystic Fire Publisher’s Note The present volume comprises Sri Aurobindo’s translations of and commentaries on hymns to Agni in the Rig Veda. It is divided into three parts: Hymns to the Mystic Fire: The entire contents of a book of this name that was published by Sri Aurobindo in 1946, consisting of selected hymns to Agni with a Fore- word and extracts from the essay “The Doctrine of the Mystics”. Other Hymns to Agni: Translations of hymns to Agni that Sri Aurobindo did not include in the edition of Hymns to the Mystic Fire published during his lifetime. An appendix to this part contains his complete transla- tions of the first hymn of the Rig Veda, showing how his approach to translating the Veda changed over the years. Commentaries and Annotated Translations: Pieces from Sri Aurobindo’s manuscripts in which he commented on hymns to Agni or provided annotated translations of them. Some translations of hymns addressed to Agni are included in The Secret of the Veda, volume 15 of THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SRI AUROBINDO. That volume consists of all Sri Aurobindo’s essays on and translations of Vedic hymns that appeared first in the monthly review Arya between 1914 and 1920. His writings on the Veda that do not deal primarily with Agni and that were not published in the Arya are collected in Vedic and Philological Studies, volume 14 of THE COMPLETE WORKS.
    [Show full text]
  • Vedic Period Language and Literature
    Study of Vedic Period Language and Literature Prem Nagar Overview Introduction to the Vedas Vedic Language Characteristics of the Vedic Language Vedic Literature Contents of the Vedic Literature Retention of the Vedic Literature Vedic Period: Language and Literature 2 Introduction to the Veda (वेद) Vedas are believed to be the earliest literary composition of the world! Text and Contents: • They are scriptural poetic narratives of undetermined age containing prayers, philosophical dialogue, myth, ritual chants and invocation. • They helped develop ritualistic procedures, social organization and an ethical code of conduct. • The language and grammar appear local in origin. Transmission: • Composition in chhandas (छ�:, meters) helped transmission over time. Lasting Impact • Prayers and rituals are used for atonement and to alleviate grief. • Philosophy and prescribed belief systems provided a foundation for culture in India. Vedic Period: Language and Literature 3 What is Veda (वेद) • Word Veda (वेद) signifies knowledge, traditionally considered eternal. • The Vedas were handed down orally and are called śruti (श्रुित) literature: Rig-Veda (ऋ�ेद ) (RV) - Hymns of Praise (recitation) Sama-Veda (सामवेद) (SV) - Knowledge of the Melodies Yajur-Veda (यजुव�द) (YV) - Sacrificial rituals for liturgy Atharva-Veda (अथव�वेद) (AV) - Formulas • They fall into four classes of literary works: Samhitås (संिहता): rule-based verses (collection of hymns) Aranyakas (आर�क): developed beliefs (theological explanation) Brāhmaṇa (ब्रा�णम्): explanations of rituals (ceremonies, sacrifices) Upanishads (उपिनषद् ): philosophy that has Vedic essence • The Rig-Veda Samhitås are organized into: 1. Mandalas (म�ल, books) consisting of hymns called sūkta 2. Sūktas (सू�) consist of individual ṛcs (stanzas) 3.
    [Show full text]
  • The Sacred Books of the East Translated by Various Oriental
    The Sacred Books of the East Translated By various Oriental scholars and edited by F. Max Müller Vol. I The Upanishads Translated by F. Max Müller In two parts Part I Chandogya Upanishad Talavakara (Kena) Upanishad Aitareya Upanishad Kausitaki Upanishad Vajasaneyi (Isa) Upanshad (1879) TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE MARQUIS OF SALISBURY, K.G. CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, LATELY SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA, SIR HENRY J. S. MAINE, K.O.S.I. MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL OF INDIA, AND THE VERY REV. H. G. LIDDELL, D.D. DEAN OF CHRIST CHURCH, TO WHOSE KIND INTEREST AND EXERTIONS THIS ATTEMPT TO MAKE KNOWN TO THE ENGLISH PEOPLE THE SACRED BOOKS OF THE EAST IS SO LARGELY INDEBTED, I NOW DEDICATE THESE VOLUMES WITH SINCERE RESPECT AND GRATITUDE, F. MAX MÜLLER. 'The general inclinations which are naturally implanted in my soul to some religion, it is impossible for me to shift off: but there being such a multiplicity of religions in the world, I desire now seriously to consider with my self which of them all to restrain these my general inclinations to. And the reason of this my enquiry is not, that I am in the least dissatisfied with that religion I have already embraced; but because 'tis natural for all men to have an overbearing opinion and esteem for that particular religion they are born and bred-up in. That, therefore, I may not seem biassed by the prejudice of education, I am resolved to prove and examine them all; that I may see and hold fast to that which is best ...
    [Show full text]
  • Kena and Other Upanishads
    18 Kena and Other Upanishads VOLUME18 THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SRI AUROBINDO ©SriAurobindoAshramTrust2001 Published by Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department Printed at Sri Aurobindo Ashram Press, Pondicherry PRINTED IN INDIA Kena and Other Upanishads ii Publisher’s Note This volume comprises Sri Aurobindo’s translations of and com- mentaries on Upanishads other than the Isha Upanishad. (His writings on that Upanishad appear in Isha Upanishad, volume 17 of THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SRI AUROBINDO.) It also in- cludes his translations of later Vedantic texts and writings on the Upanishads and Vedanta philosophy in general. The volume is divided into three parts. The first consists of translations and commentaries that were published during Sri Aurobindo’s lifetime. The pieces in this part, along with his final translation of and commentary on the Isha Upani- shad, are his most mature works of Upanishadic interpretation. The second and third parts consist of material from Sri Auro- bindo’s manuscripts. The second includes early translations of the Prashna, Mandukya, Aitareya and Taittiriya Upanishads, and incomplete translations of and commentaries on some other Upanishads and Vedantic texts. The third part comprises incom- plete and fragmentary writings on the Upanishads and Vedanta in general. All the texts have been checked against the relevant manu- script and printed versions. Guide to Editorial Notation The contents of Parts Two and Three of this volume were never prepared by Sri Aurobindo for publication. They have been transcribed from manuscripts that sometimes present textual difficulties. In this edition these problems have been indicated as far as possible by means of the notation shown below.
    [Show full text]
  • Essence of Sankhya Pari Jnana
    ESSENCE OF SANKHYA PARIJNANA (Knowledge of Numbers) Translated and edited by V.D.N. Rao, former General Manager of India Trade Promotion Organisation, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, Ministry of Commerce, Govt. of India now at Chennai 1 Other Scripts by the same Author: Essence of Puranas:- Maha Bhagavata, Vishnu Purana, Matsya Purana, Varaha Purana, Kurma Purana, Vamana Purana, Narada Purana, Padma Purana; Shiva Purana, Linga Purana, Skanda Purana, Markandeya Purana, Devi Bhagavata;Brahma Purana, Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Agni Purana, Bhavishya Purana, Nilamata Purana; Shri Kamakshi Vilasa Dwadasha Divya Sahasranaama: a) Devi Chaturvidha Sahasra naama: Lakshmi, Lalitha, Saraswati, Gayatri; b) Chaturvidha Shiva Sahasra naama-Linga-Shiva-Brahma Puranas and Maha Bhagavata; c) Trividha Vishnu and Yugala Radha-Krishna Sahasra naama-Padma-Skanda-Maha Bharata and Narada Purana. Stotra Kavacha- A Shield of Prayers Purana Saaraamsha Select Stories from Puranas Essence of Dharma Sindhu Essence of Shiva Sahasra Lingarchana Essence of Paraashara Smtiti Essence of Pradhana Tirtha Mahima Dharma Bindu Essence of Upanishads : Brihadaranyaka , Katha, Tittiriya, Isha, Svetashwara of Yajur Veda- Chhandogya and Kena of Saama Veda-Atreya and Kausheetaki of Rig Veda-Mundaka, Mandukya and Prashna of Atharva Veda ‘Upanishad Saaraamsa’ (Quintessence of Upanishads) Essence of Virat Parva of Maha Bharata* Essence of Bharat Yatra Smriti* Essence of Brahma Sutras* Essence of Sankhya Parijnaana* [Note: All the above Scriptures already released on www. Kamakoti. Org/news as also on Google by the respective references. The one with * is under process] 2 PREFACE Here are simple explantions of Vedic Numbers, but not indeed of Sankhya Yoga nor its Mimaamsa. General awareness of the common meanings and the power of numbers is useful to realize.
    [Show full text]
  • The Upanishads, Vol I
    The Upanishads, Vol I Translated by F. Max Müller The Upanishads, Vol I Table of Contents The Upanishads, Vol I...............................................................................................................................................1 Translated by F. Max Müller.........................................................................................................................2 PREFACE......................................................................................................................................................9 PROGRAM OF A TRANSLATION.....................................................................................................................19 THE SACRED BOOKS OF THE EAST..............................................................................................................20 TRANSLITERATION OF ORIENTAL ALPHABETS,.....................................................................................24 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................26 POSITION OF THE UPANISHADS IN VEDIC LITERATURE..............................................................30 DIFFERENT CLASSES OF UPANISHADS..............................................................................................32 CRITICAL TREATMENT OF THE TEXT OF THE UPANISHADS.......................................................34 MEANING OF THE WORD UPANISHAD...............................................................................................38
    [Show full text]
  • The Brahmins of Kashmir
    September 1991, Michael Witzel THE BRAHMINS OF KASHMIR vedai +aagai1 padakramayutair vedåntasiddhåntakais tarkavyåkaraai puråapahanair mantrai aagågamai ... pauråaśrutitarkaśåstranicayai ki cågnihotråkitair viprair dhyånatapojapådiniratai snånårcanådyutsukai ... kåśmīrabhūr uttamå || (Råjataragiī of Jonaråja, B 747) With the Vedas, the six appendices, with the Pada and Krama (texts), with Vedånta and Siddhånta, logic and grammar, Puråa recitation, with (Tantric) Mantras and the six traditional sects ... with its masses of Puråic, Vedic (śruti) and logic disciplines (tarkaśåstra), and, moreover, marked by Agnihotrins, with Brahmins devoted to meditation, asceticism, recitation and so on, and zealeaously engaged with ablutions, worship, and the like, ... the land of Kashmir is the best. Introduction The Kashmiri Brahmins, usually called Paits, constitute one single group, the Kåśmīra Bråhmaas, without any real subdivisions. They form, according to Bühler,2 the first Indologist to visit the Valley, one unified community: they 'interdine' (annavyavahåra) and they also teach each other (vidyåvyavahåra, vidyåsambandha). But not all of them intermarry (kanyåvyavahåra, yonisambandha), which is the real test of belonging or not belonging to a single community. This is confirmed by Lawrence,3 who distinguishes "the astrologer class (Jotish), the priest class (Guru or Båchabat) and the working class (Kårkun). The priest class do not intermarry with either of the other classes. But the Jotish and Kårkun intermarry. The Jotish Pundits are learned in the Shastras and expound them to the Hindus, and they draw up the calendars in which prophecies are made about the events of the coming year. The priest class perform the rites and ceremonies of the Hindu religion. The vast majority of the Pandits belong to the Kårkun class and have usually made their livelihood in the employment of the state." This division is believed to have taken place after the country turned to Islam in the fourtheenth century, and especially after the initial persecution of Brahmins at around 1400 A.D.
    [Show full text]
  • The Development of the Vedic Canon and Its Schools : the Social and Political Milieu
    Michael Witzel Harvard University The Development of the Vedic Canon and its Schools : The Social and Political Milieu (Materials on Vedic Śåkhås, 8) Le problème de la śåkhå est au centre des problèmes védiques, ... si l’on réussissait à établir ... la filiation des écoles, on saurait du même coup comment s’est développé l’ensemble du védisme. Louis Renou Les écoles védiques, 208 § 0. THE NATURE OF THE VEDIC CANON § 1. THE GVEDA § 1.1. The structure of the RV collection § 1.2. The historical background § 1.3. Two Stages in the collection of the gvedic materials § 2. COLLECTIONS OF THE MANTRA PERIOD IN THE LANDS OF THE KURU § 2.1. The social and political conditions: The Kuru realm § 2.2. The texts of the Mantra period § 2.3. The Såmaveda § 2.4. The Yajurveda § 2.5. The Atharvaveda § 2.6. The gveda Khila Collection § 2.7. The Four Vedas § 3. FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE CANON: EARLY YAJURVEDA PROSE AND THE BRĀHMAAS § 3.1. The Historical Background § 3.2. The early Bråhmaa style collections of the CarS, MS/KS, TS § 3.3. The early Yajurveda Sahitås of the Kuru realm: MS, KS/KpS § 4. THE TEXTS OF THE PAÑCĀLA LANDS § 4.1. The Taittirīyas and their subschools § 4.2. Early Bråhmaa texts of the Pañcåla lands: Śåyåyani and Jaiminīya texts § 5. THE EASTERN TERRITORIES § 5.1. The social and political situation § 5.2. The eastern fringe area: Kosala § 5.3. The Śatapatha Bråhmaa of the Kåva school § 5.4. Baudhåyana Śrautasūtra § 5.5. Kau ītaki Bråhmaa § 6. THE EASTERN CORE AREA: VIDEHA § 6.1.
    [Show full text]
  • Paper 7 INDIAN HISTORIOGRAPHY
    DDCE/SLM/M.A. Hist-Paper-VII Paper-VII INDIAN HISTORIOGRAPHY By Dr. Binod Bihari Satpathy 0 CONTENT INDIAN HISTORIOGRAPHY Unit.No. Chapter Name Page No Unit-I. Ancient Indian Historiography 1. Historical Sense in Ancient India, Idea of Bharatvarsha in Indian Tradition 2. Itihasa-Purana Tradition in Ancient India; Traditional History from the Vedas, Epics and Puranas 3. Jain Historiography and Buddhist Historiography Unit-II Medieval Indian Historiography 1. Historical Biography of Banabhatta and the Kashmir Chronicle of Kalhana 2. Arrival of Islam and its influence on Historical Tradition of India; Historiography of the Sultanate period – Alberuni’s –Kitab-ul-Hind and Amir Khusrau 3. Historiography of the Mughal Period – Baburnama, Abul Fazl and Badauni Unit-III. Orientalist, Imperial and colonial ideology and historian 1. William Jones and Orientalist writings on India 2. Colonial/ Imperialist Approach to Indian History and Historiography: James Mill, Elphinstone, and Vincent Smith 3. Nationalist Approach and writings to Indian History: R.G.Bhandarkar, H.C Raychoudhiri, and J.N.Sarkar Unit-IV. Marxist and Subaltern Approach to Indian History 1. Marxist approach to Indian History: D.D.Kosambi, R.S.Sharma, Romilla Thaper and Irfan Habib 2. Marxist writings on Modern India: Major assumptions 3. Subaltern Approach to Indian History- Ranjit Guha 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT It is pleasure to be able to complete this compilation work. containing various aspects of Indian historical writing tradition through ages. This material is prepared with an objective to familiarize the students of M.A History, DDCE Utkal University on the various aspcets of Indian historiography. This work would not have been possible without the support of the Directorate of Distance and Continuing Education, Utkal University.
    [Show full text]