03. Early Rig Vedic Period Flashcards
Learn all about the Social, Economic, Political, and Cultural (Religion, Arts, Literature) aspects of this period.
Meaning of Veda
Knowledge Conscience
Founders of Vedic Culture
Aryans
Meaning of Aryans
Noble
When did the Aryans first arrive in India?
2000 - 1500 BC
What did Aryans speak?
Indo-European language European + Middle Asian + Indian Sanskrit
What was the period of Early Vedic Civilization
1500 - 1000 BC
Aryans: A race or incisive group?
Max Muller Initial: Race Later: Detracted ; Therefore a linguistic community
Original Home of Aryans according to 1. Max Muller 2. Swami Dayanand Saraswati 3. Bal Gangadhar Tilak 4. J C Rod 5. Hurz Feld
- Central Asia 2. Tibet 3. Polar Region - Arctic 4. Bactria 5. Turkistan
What is the evidence that Aryans originated in central asia?
Boghazkoi Inscriptions Mentioned names of Vedic gods and goddesses
Cradle of Rig Vedic Civilization is called
Sapt Saidhav Region
Which River was rig Vedic civilization centered around
Saraswati River
What is referred to as hapta Hindu and where?
Referred to Sapta Sindhu In Zend Avesta ( the oldest holy book of the Zoroastrians)
What is Sapta Sindhu? Name them
The 7 rivers where the rig Vedic civilization centered around 1. Asikini (Chenab) 2. Parushni (Ravi) 3. Saraswati 4. Shutudri (Satluj) 5. Sindhu (Indus) 6. Vipash (Beas) 7. Vitasta (Jhelum)
Four Vedas and what are they?
- Rig Veda 2. Saman Veda 3. Yajur Veda 4. Atharva Veda
Different categories of Vedic literature
Vedas Brahmanas Aranyakas Upanishads
Where did the Aryans enter India through?
Khyber Pass Bolan Pass
Highly literate women of the Early rig vedic period are known as
Brahmavadini
Great literate and scholar of rig vedic phase
Yagnavalkya
Name the famous Brahmavadinis of the Rig Vedic Period
Gargi Mytreyi Viswavara Lopamudra
Who wrote Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
Yagnavalkya
What is the name of the Upanishad Yagnavalkya wrote
Brihad - aranyaka Upanishad
What does Brihad-aranyaka talk about
Transmigration of the soul
Who adopted Brihadaranyaka?
T. S. Eliot Waste Land Noble Prize in 1948
Who challenged Yagnavalkya
Gargi
Non-Aryancattle businessmen called
Pani
Gold as part of the barter system in the Rig Vedic period called
Niska
Small tribal kingdoms
Jana or Gana
Head of Jana/Gana
Ganapati/Rajan/Gopa
Assembly of the head of families (Kulapathis)
Sabha
Assembly of the entire tribe including woman and children
Samithi
The King who lost his power for going against the Sabha and Samiti
Dustarethu
Village head known as
Gramani
Group of Villages known as
Vis (Block)
Head of the group of villages
Viyapathi
Sabha for a vis
Vidhata
What are the two types of taxes collected
Bagha : Obligatory Tax Bali : Voluntary tax
Religious beliefs of the early rig Vedic civilization
Monoism Henotheism : One God many forms
How much percentage of the income was being taxed under bhaga?
10%
Rig Vedic civilization believed that nature originated from (called in rig Veda as?)
Yagna Hiranyagarbha
Ancient God’s according to Rig Veda is
Dayyus - father - hear of swarga lok Prithvi - Mother earth
How did nature origin according to Rig Veda
Dayyus and Prithvi performed a yagam called hiranyagarbha which lead to the origin of nature
What are the three phases as a result of Hiranyagarbha
Phase 1: Celestial (Anthariksha) Phase 2: Ariel Weather and Climate Phase 3: Terrestrial Fire
Who was the anthariksha god
Indra
Anthariksha God’s names
Indra God of wars and weapons
Celestial God’s weapons
Vajrayudha Lighting and thunderbolt
Name of the evil one the celestial god destroyed
Vrithra: The Giant Snake
Name of the second phase and God of the second phase
Arial: Weather and climate Varuna
Who protects the nature’s law/regulations
Varuna
What is nature’s law called
Vritha
Name of the III phase god
Agni
Which is the second most important god of rig veda
Agni
how many shlokas in rig veda are dedicated for agni
220
What are the four different names of Agni
- Messenger of gods and people 2. Hotri 3. Havya-Vahana 4. Huthasana
Male god with a female name in rig Veda
Savitri
Most powerful and holy mantra of rig veda
Gayathri manthra
Which mandal is the most powerful manthra in
3rd mandal
Who is the god of cosmic energy
Savitri
Which God is the most powerful manthra for
Savitri
Who composed the gayatri manthra
Vishwamitra
What is the 9th mandal completely dedicated for
Soma
Who are the gods of ayurveda
Aswini gods - vanamulikas
who is the non aryan god
Rudra aka pasupathi
one and only female god
saraswathi
name three female deities mentioned in the rig veda
usha: early morning rays eela: god of unsatisfied souls aranyayani: goddess of wild animals
what does rig Veda predominantly mention about? prayers or yagas
Prayers
/what does it imply when the priority of yagas are not given
It implies that the purohits were not prioritized and hence there was no brahminical upper hand in the Early rig Vedic phase
