Vedic Period Flashcards
______________ inscription which mentions 4 vedic gods ___________________, proves that Aryans are from ______________________
Boghazkai inscription (turkey)
Indra, Varun, Mitra, nasatyas
Central Asia
4 literary productions of vedic literature
- Samhitas/Vedas
- Brahamans - explain hymns of the vedas
written in prose and ritualistic in nature
various sacrifices and rituals are elaborated - Aranyakas - forest texts written for hermits and students living in jungles
They are the concluding portions of Brahmanas - Upanishads- philosophical texts, Vedanta
Vedas are called __________ and __________
Appaurasheya- not created by man’
Nitya - eternal
What are the four Vedas?
Rig (collection of lyrics)
Sama (book of chants)
Yajur (book of sacrificial prayers) - ritual veda
Atharva (book of magical formula)- contains charms and spells to ward off evils and diseases
Rig Veda is divided into how many mandalas?
What are mentioned in the mandalas?
10 manadals
six mandals - 2nd to 7th are called Gotra/Vamsha mandala (kula granth)
1st and 10th added later
What is mentioned in the 10th mandala?
Rig veda is recited by?
Purushasukta- 4 varnas
recited by Hotri
Sama ved is recited by?
It is very imp for?
Udgatri
Indian music
Yajur veda recited by?
what are the 2 parts it divided into?
What is different about Yajur when compared to Sam and Rig?
Adhvaryus
2 parts: Krishna Yajur veda and Shukla Yajur veda
Yajur veda is in both verse and prose, whereas Sama and Rig are in verse only
oldest and largest Brahamana
Shatapatha
mentions the east ward expansion of Aryans from Sapta Sindhu region to Madhya desa (Ganga region)
oldest upanishad
Vrihadranyaka
6 literary works of vedic tradition
Vedanga/Sutras
Smritis
Mahakavyas
Puranas
Upvedas
Shad Dharshanas
What are the upvedas associated with the main Vedas?
Rig: Ayurveda
Sama: Gandharvaveda (music)
Yajur: Dhanurveda (archery)
Athrav: arthveda/shilpveda (wealth/craft)
What are the shad darshanas and who are their founders?
Sankhya - Kapila
Yoga - Patanjali
Nyaya- Akshapada Gautama
Vaisheshika- Uluka Kanada
Mimamsa/Purva mimansa- Jaimini
Vedanta/Uttara Mimansa- badaranya
Basic text associated with Vedanta
Brahmasutra/Vedantasutra
The ____________ hymn of rigveda mentions 21 rivers which include Ganges in the east and Kubha (Kabul) in the west
Nadisukta
Units that formed the basis for social and political organization and their heads
Kula (Family): Kulapa
Grama (village): Gramani
Vis (clan): Vispati
Jana( people): Gopa/Gopati
Rashtra (country): Rajan
What was the form of govt?
patriarchal
monarchy was normal, elective monarchy was known
usually, royal descent by hereditary
non-monarchial polities also existed
King had religious duties also
He was the upholder of established order and moral rules
What are the assemblies of Rig vedic time?
Sabha- committee of privileged and imp few
also functioned as a court of justice
Samiti
Vidath
Gana
Sabha and Samiti acted as checks on arbitrary rule of Rajan
Society during Rig veda and what changed happened in later vedic period
- Varna system based on occupation
- occupations had not become hereditary
- Child marriage not really prevalent
- widow remarriage allowed
- father’s property inherited by son
- meat was consumed
- cow was deemed not to be killed
- alcholic drinks: sura and soma were consumed
- agricultural and pastoral
Later Vedic
- polygamy was frequent
- women prohibited from attending assemblies
- women’s status declined
- caste system became rigid, Gotra institution introduced
Religion during Rig vedic time
- What did they worship?
- 3 categories of God and mention which Gods
- personified powers of nature
Fire was sacred and considered an intermediary between God and Man - Terrestrial (Prithvisthana): Prithvi, Agni, Soma, Brihaspati and rivers
Aerial/intermediate (Antarikshasthana): Indra, Rudra, vayu-vata, Parijanya
Celestial (Dyusthana): Daus (oldest god and father of the world), Surya, Varuna, Aditi (great mother of Gods), Usha and Asvin/Nastya (god of health, youth and immortality)
No animal worship
Yajna or sacrifice was carried out
3 popular dieties of Rig vedic times
Indra/ Purandar (destroyer of forts)- role of war lord, rain god
Agni:
Varuna: water god who is supposed to uphold Rita/ natural order (Ritasyagopa)
What kind of pottery in early vedic period?
ochre colored pottery
territorial divisions in the later vedas
Aryavarta - Northern India
Madhya Desa
Dakshinapatha
Polity during later vedas
_____________ and ____________ made appearance
____________Brahmana mention the theory of _______________
affairs of kingdom exercised through ___________ and ____________________ and __________completely disappeared
Large Kingdoms and stately cities
Taittariya Brahmana
divine origin of kingship
Sabha and Samiti
Vidatha
Kings didn’t possess standing army
- Tax collector
- Royal Charioteer
- Chamberlain
- Courier
- Sthapati
- satapati
- Adhikrita
- Ugras
- Bhagadudha
- Sutta/Sarathi
- Khastri
- Akshavapa
- duty of administering outlying areas
- head of group of 100 villages
- village official
- police official
The institution of ___________appeared in later vedic period
The idea of ___________ appeared
Gotra
pollution
The 4 ashramas are mentioned in which upanishad?
Jabala upanishad
Gods that rose to prominence
Prajapati: creator of Universe (later Brahma)
- became supreme instead of Indra or agni
Vishnu: patron god of aryans
Rudra: God of animals (later Shiva)
Who became God of Shudras in later Vedic?
Pushana
Upanishad that mention doctrine of transmigration and Karma
Brihadaranyaka
What kind of Yajna were prevalent?
- Laghuyajnas: performed by householders
Pancha mahayajna, Agnihotra, Drasha yajna- on Amvasya and Purnamasa yajna - on Purnima - Mahayajnas: performed by wealthy class or kings
- rajasuya yajna - royal consecration
- Vajapeya Yajna - drink of strength
- Asvamedha Yajna - Horse sacrifice
- Agnistoma Yajna - sacrifice of animals dedicated to agni, soma ras is consumed
What were changes in economy during later vedic period?
- land more valuable than cows
- Agriculture more prominence than rearing of cattle
Rig veda mentions which metals?
Tin, silver, iron apart from gold and ayas (either copper or iron)
What are Ganas and Srestins?
merchant guilds
What kind of pottery is prevalent in Later vedic period?
Painted Grey ware
What are ganas and sreshtins?
merchant guilds
