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Ancient Roots of Hinduism

Jeffrey L. Richey, Ph.D.

REL 231

Religions of India and Tibet

Berea College

Fall 2003

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WHAT IS HINDUISM?

• Hindu = from Persian Hind (India); originally ethnic, not religious, label

• Since medieval period, “Hinduism” denotes broad set of devotional, philosophical, and scriptural traditions rooted in ancient India

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THE INDUS RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATION

• Original inhabitants of northwestern India-Pakistan (c. 2500 BCE)

• Indus society:1. Agricultural2. Urban3. Mercantile• Indus religion:1. Polytheistic (esp. goddesses)2. Fertility-oriented• By 1500 BCE, on brink of

collapse, perhaps due to combination of natural and human disasters

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THE “ARYAN INVASION”

• Around 1500 BCE, “Aryan” peoples from southern Russia enter Indus region

• Aryan society:1. Pastoral2. Nomadic3. Equestrian• Aryan religion:1. Polytheistic2. Patriarchal• Aryan language was ancestral

to Sanskrit, oldest known in Indo-European family

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INDO-EUROPEAN LANGUAGE & MYTHOLOGY

• Words in Indo-European languages share common ancestors:

1. English -- father2. German -- Vater3. Latin -- pater4. Greek -- pater5. Sanskrit – pitar• Other examples:1. English – divinity / ritual2. Latin – divus / ritus

3. Sanskrit – deva / ŗta

• Deities in Indo-European traditions share common origins:

1. Norse -- Alfodr (“All Father,” i.e., Odin)

2. Latin – Diespiter (“Day Father,” i.e., Jupiter)

3. Greek – Zeuspater (“Father Zeus”)

4. Sanskrit – Dyauspitar (“Sky Father”)

• Thus, Sanskrit reveals deep links between ancient Indian and Western cultures

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INDO-ARYAN SOCIETY

• Divided into 4 hereditary occupational divisions (varņas = colors):

1. Brāhman (priest)

2. Kşatriya/Rājanya (warrior)

3. Vaiśya (merchant/artisan)

4. Śūdra (peasant)

• On margins of fourfold society are Dalits (so-called “untouchables”), who perform menial and polluting tasks:

1. Corpse handlers

2. Executioners

3. Hunters and fishermen

4. Leatherworkers

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THE VEDAS

• Concerned with orthopraxy (proper action) in ritual

• Brāhman authors edit oral liturgical traditions, producing Vedas (“knowledges”), c. 1200-600 BCE

• By 600 BCE, sūtras (“threads,” commentaries), or summaries of Vedas, become popular

• 4 collections (samhitās) of Vedas:1. Ŗigveda (ŗic = praise stanzas sung

by priests in ritual)2. Sāmaveda (sāman = songs sung by

priestly entourage)3. Yajurveda (yajus = short

incantations uttered by priests’ assistants in ritual)

4. Atharvaveda (therapeutic spells and hymns used by atharvans = healers)

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KARMAMARGA: THE WAY OF ACTION

• Ātman (“breath”) = 1. Essential element of person2. Coexistent with body3. Separable at death, when it

ideally rejoins ancestors• Ŗta (“right, rite”) = 1. Correct pattern2. Cosmic order3. Accomplished by orthopraxy• Dharma (“law”) =1. Fixed principles2. Social order3. Accomplished by obedience to

varņa-specific obligations

• Ashramas (“stages of life”) for males of of three upper varņas:

1. Brahmaçarya (study with guru or master)

2. Grihastha (marriage, family, career)3. Vānaprastha (partial withdrawal

from social life)4. Sannyāsa (complete renunciation of

society, devotion to spiritual life)• Women participate only in householder

stage, with two likely fates:1. Marginalization as widow2. Predeceasing husband

• Gradually, goal of improved reincarnation through right action (karma) replaces reunion with ancestors

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