Category Ancient India

       There were many strange and elaborate rituals and sacrifices in Ancient India. In the later Vedic period, that is, between 1000 and 600 BC, kings performed the Ashvamedha Yagna, or horse sacrifice. It was one of the most important royal rituals of the Vedic religion. Only a king could conduct the Ashvamedha.

       Its purpose was to acquire power and glory, to establish sovereignty over neighbouring provinces, and to ensure general prosperity for a kingdom. A pure white horse was marked with a victory card and allowed to roam about freely. If anyone stopped the horse, the king had to go and defeat him in battle, and bring back the horse. The horse was then sacrificed along with many other animals.

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       There will be hardly anyone who has not heard of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata in India. These two great epics are studied in every nook and corner of the country. They were written in Sanskrit, and were then translated into various languages.

       The Ramayana was written by the Sage Valmiki. The Mahabharata was written by Veda Vyasa. The Mahabharata is much more than an epic; it is a magnificent piece of literature, which, for thousands of years, has been a part of India’s culture. A sweeping tale of the feud between two families, it is the mother of all epics. It spans hundreds of years and deals with a wide range of topics. In fact, its introduction says, “What is found here may be found elsewhere. What is not found here will not be found elsewhere.”

       The Ramayana was originally written in the Sanskrit language. Later on, it was translated into other languages in different versions. The main story of the Ramayana is about Lord Rama. Rama was born in a royal family and was supposed to be the king, but because of his step mother, he was exiled from his kingdom for fourteen years. During this period, his wife Sita was kidnapped by a demon called Ravana, who was the king of Lanka. Rama, with the help of his brother, Lakshman, and an army of monkeys under the leadership of Hanuman, rescued Sita. However, the Ramayana is about not only Lord Rama and his attempt to rescue his wife Sita, but also about devotion, loyalty, family roles and respect to elders. These great epics are the backbone of our great Indian tradition and culture. They have a very great influence on Indian heritage. They convey deep-rooted messages, which have had great impact on Indian society. The essence of these epics is Dharma, righteousness, good conduct, fearlessness, duty and dedication.

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       The Upanishads are sometimes called ‘Vedanta’, which means ‘the end of the Vedas.’ They are part of the Vedas, which primarily discuss meditation and philosophy, and are seen as religious instructions by most schools of Hinduism.

       Studying the Upanishads is like sitting down near a spiritual teacher in order to receive instruction. They are not concerned with gods, worship or sacrifice. Instead, they try to explain the world and the cycle of life and death. The Upanishads were written around 600 BC, and are about 200 in number.

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       In Sanskrit, the word ‘Veda’ means knowledge. The Vedas are the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism. The four main Vedas are the Rig Veda, the Sama Veda, the Yajur Veda and the Atharva Veda. The Rig Veda is a collection of inspired songs or hymns, and is the main source of information on the civilization of that time.

       The Rig Veda is considered the most precious gift that the Aryans have passed on to us. The Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, and Atharva Veda were compiled after the age of the Rig Veda, and are ascribed to the Vedic period. The Sama Veda is purely a collection of melodies. The hymns in the Sama Veda, used as musical notes, were almost completely drawn from the Rig Veda. Musical notes indicated how the verses should be chanted. In effect, it is a shortened and musical version of the Rig Veda.

       The Yajur Veda practically served as a guidebook for the priests. It contains hymns and rituals to be performed while chanting the verses. The Atharva Veda contains magic spells and chants to cure diseases, and ward off danger. If you have fever, or have been bitten by a snake, the Atharva Veda has a chant to cure it! According to Hinduism, the Vedas are of divine origin, and it is believed that all human knowledge is available in the Vedas in symbolic form.

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       Do you know that the caste system in India originated in the Aryan society? The Aryan society was divided into four varnas or castes, which were decided by the occupation one followed. The four varnas were the Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and the Shudras. The word ‘varna’ means colour, and in those days, the four castes were supposed to wear different colours.

       The Brahmins wore white, the Kshatriyas wore yellow, the Vaishyas wore red, and the Shudras wore black. The Brahmins were teachers, priests and intellectuals. The Kshatriyas were warriors and administrators. The Vaishyas were farmers, merchants and business people, and the Shudras were artisans and workers. In the early days, a person was not born into a caste. However, with the passing of time, the caste system became more rigid. A person’s caste was decided by birth, and the Brahmins and Kshatriyas began to consider themselves superior to the other two castes. The system of untouchability was one of the evils that originated as a result of the caste system.

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       Vedas are not only religious texts but also socio-cultural and literary documents of ancient India. The Rig Veda, the oldest literary document of India, is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns dedicated to the gods.

       The Rig Veda tells the story of Prajapati, the first god who created the world. His mouth, arms, thighs and feet turned into different groups of people. These groups became the different castes. The Rig Veda mentions many different gods, and it is the first written evidence of Hinduism. It refers to some rituals such as marriage and funeral rites, which differ little from those practised today.

       The Rig Veda is also considered the source of much Indian thought. It is believed among the world’s oldest religious texts in continued use.

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