A3. The Vedic Age Flashcards
Time period of Vedic Age
1500 BC - 500 BC
Vedic Age is divided into two parts
- Early/Rig Vedic Period (1500 BC - 1000 BC)
- Later Vedic Period (1000 BC - 500 BC)
as per Vedic theory
- The Brahmins, or priests, came from Purusha’s mouth
- the Kshatriyas, or warrior rulers, came from Purusha’s arms
- the Vaishyas, or commoners such as landowners and merchants, came from Purusha’s thighs
- the Shudras, or laborers and servants, came from Purusha’s feet
The collections of Vedic hymns
or mantras are known as
Samhita
There are four Vedic Samhitas
- Rig Veda
- Yajur Veda
- Sama Veda
- Atharva Veda
Vedas were written in which period
Rig Veda in RigVedic Period
Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, Atharva Veda in Later Vedic Period
Rig Veda
- Veda of Verses
- Consists of 1028 Hyms arranged in 10 volumes called mandals
- Also known as “First Testament” of mankind
Yajur Veda
- a sacrificial prayer book, “Yajus” means Sacrificial Formula
- Contains the rituals of Yajnas
- includes world’s first written Indo-European leterature
Sama Veda
- Vedas of Melodies
- Rhythymic Hyms
- Consists of 1549 songs designed to be sung by a subset of Brahmans known as “Udgatris”
Atharva Veda
- Contains magic spells, early healings and magical practices
- it depicts prevalent beliefs and superstitions of general public
Religion in Rig Vedic Period
Early vedic Gods such as Agni and Indra became obsolete
No temples or idol worship
Religion in Later Vedic Period
Prajapati(the creator), Vishu(the protector) and Rudra(the Destroyer) rose to prominence during this period
The Samkhya School of
Philosophy was founded by
Kapila
Samkhya means Enumeration
The archeological site Inamgaon
is situated in
Maharashtra
post-Harappan agrarian village
How many Vedangas are there in
total
six auxiliary disciplines associated with the study and understanding of the Vedas.
What wew the 6 vedangas
Shiksha (Phonetics), Kalpa (Ritual Canon), Vyakaran (Grammar), Nirukta (explanation), Chhanda (Vedic meter) and Jyotisha (Astrology)
