Vedic Age Introduction
The term Vedic Age refers to the period in ancient Indian history when the Vedas are composed by some ancient sages. This period is generally dated from around 1500 BCE to 600 BCE marked an important period in the development of Indian culture and tradition. The major source of information regarding the Vedic Age is the Vedic literature, that is, the ancient religious and philosophical text written in Vedic Sanskrit that forms the foundational scriptures of Hinduism.
The Vedic literature tradition is traditionally classified into two main divisions:
- Shruti: That division is heard, considered eternal and divine revelation.
- Smriti: That which is remembered, composed by the human author.
The primary Shruti text consists of four Vedas, which are classified into:
- Samhitas: collection of hymns and mantras
- Brahmanas: close explanation of rituals
- Aranyakas: forest texts based upon transition to philosophy.
- Upaniṣad: sitting near the teacher, contains the philosophical essence of the Vedas.
Rigveda
It is the oldest of the four Vedas and the earliest surviving sacred text composed in Vedic Sanskrit. It serves as a primary historical and literary source for understanding the early Vedic culture and tradition. The rishis/sages who are experts in the Rig Veda are called Hotra/Hotri. The language of the Rig Veda is similar to the Avestan language of ancient Iran, that is, Persia. The oldest Persian text, Zend Avesta, shows the similarity with the Rigveda.
Rigveda is divided into ten parts called mandalas. These mandalas contain the hymns dedicated to various gods, and therefore Rigveda is also known as the Vedas of hymns. Mandalas 2nd to 7th are known as family books because each of these mandalas is attributed to a different priestly family and contains the hymns that were likely composed by the members of these families.
All together, the Rigveda contains 1,028 hymns. Mandala 8th of the Rigveda contains the Gayatri Mantra. Mandala 7 of the Rigveda contains the story of the Dāśarājñá Yuddha, also known as the Battle of the Ten Kings, fought by Sudas, the king of the Bharat tribe, on the banks of the river Parushni (modern Ravi), against a collection of ten tribes. The 10th mandala of the Rigveda contains the Purusha Sukta hymn. It is the only hymn in the Rigveda that explicitly mentions all four varnas, serving as the foundational text for understanding the social division of ancient India.
The tenth mandala of the Rigveda also contains the Nadi Sturti hymn, sung in praise of rivers such as Indus (Sindhu), Saraswati, Ganga, Yamuna, Shutudri (Satluj), Parshuni (Ravi), Asikni (Chenab), Vistara (Jhelum), Vipas (Vyas), etc.
Samaveda
Samaveda is also known as the Veda of Melody and Chants. The origin of Indian music is traced back to here. The experts of the Samaveda are the class of priests called Udgatar. It is the shortest of all four Vedas, and it is closely connected with Rigveda. It has taken many of its hymns from the eighth and ninth mandalas of the Rigveda, but they are arranged differently for the rituals associated with sama sacrifices.
Yajurveda
Yajurveda is also known as the way of sacrificial formulas. It primarily consists of the hymns used in Yajurveda Vedic sacrifices called yajnas, such as
- Rajsuya yajana that is, a consecration ceremony performed to formally establish a person's identity as a king or an emperor
- Ashvamedha that is, the horse sacrifice performed to assert the imperial supremacy and expand the territorial control of the king.
- Vajapeya that is, a ritual to attain higher social status. It is characterised by a chariot race where the proem chariots were ensured to win against the kingsmen.
- Somayajna: sacrifice centres around the extraction, preparation, and offering of soma juice (soma ras).
- Purushmedha, a ritual/sacrifice that emphasises cosmic unity and creation.
- Sarvamedha: A comprehensive sacrifice performed for universal welfare, spiritual solitude, and moksha.
- Agnihotra: a daily morning/evening fire ritual performed to purify the environment and offer oblation of milk or ghee to the fire.
Unlike the Rigveda or Samaveda, which focus upon hymns or melodies, the Yajurveda provides exact prose formulas for the physical execution by a class of priests called Adhuvaryu. In this context, Yajurveda has two branches.
- Shukla Yajurveda/White Yajurveda
- Vajasneyi Samhita, which contains only verses.
- Krishna Yajurveda/Black Yajurveda
- Maitryani Samhita, which contains both verses and prose.
The Rigveda, Yajurveda, and Samaveda taken together are known as Veda Triiya.
The earliest literacy references to iron in the Indian subcontinent appear in the Yajurveda, which uses the terms Krishna Ayas and Shama Ayas for iron.
Atharva Veda
Atharvaveda, also known as the Book of Magical Formula. It contains the mantras related to the cure of various physical and mental diseases and those which are used in connection with fighting against the evil forces and diseases. It is the oldest literacy document of Indian medicine, and it is believed to be the origin of Ayurveda. It is associated with two great sages, that is, Sage Angira and Sage Atharvan.
Samhitas
It is a collection of ancient Sanskrit verses, mantras, and hymns that form the oldest layer and foundational part of the four Vedas.
Brahmanas
They are the commentaries on the Vedic era that provide explanations of the Vedic rituals and sacrifices.
Aranyakas
They are mainly written for hermits and students living in Jungle. They laid emphasis upon meditation and contemplation.
Upanishads
They form a crucial part of Indian philosophy and tradition, exploring the nature of reality, the self that is Atama, and the universal truth that is the Brahman. Altogether, there are 108 Upanishads, out of which 13 are the most prominent ones and are called Mukhya Upanishads.
The Upanishads feature prominent human scholars like Gargi and Maitreyi in connection with the interaction and conversation with the ancient rishi.
Some of the prominent teachings of the Upanishads are
- Aham Brahmasmi
- I am Brahman
- Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
- Prajnanam Brahma
- Consciousness is Brahman
- Aitareya Upanishad
- Ayam Atma Brahma
- The self is Brahman
- Mandukya Upanishad
- Tat Tvam Asi
- Thou art that
- Chandogya Upanishad
