Chapter 2 Veda and the Vedas CHAPTER SUMMARY The word Veda is derived from the Sanskrit root vid, which means to know. It refers to knowledge of the highest sort, made available to all through the revelations of ancient seers. The Vedas are texts that were written between the years 1500 and 1000 B.C.E. This historical era is called the Vedic Age. The Vedas were organized into four great collections. The earliest and the most significant is the Rig Veda. The Rig Veda is a collection of hymns and chants associated with sacrifices (yajna) to the various gods within Hindu mythology (known as the Vedic pantheon). The men and women of early Vedic times yearned for security and meaning in a world that is often violent and unpredictable, which is reflected in the Vedas. Also apparent in the Vedas is the notion that the universe began as the One and eventually would return to the primal state from which it had emerged. The Doctrine of Rita explains that there is a natural law that is immanent throughout all of creation. Even the gods do not exercise their powers capriciously. The gods, like all other creatures, must act in accord with the universal order of rita. Rita is the grand unifying Order of Nature. In the concept of rita, the rishis gave form to the idea of a rational order that underlies and unifies all of Nature. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Discuss the importance of Vedic rituals and recall their essential elements. List the principal gods of the Vedic pantheon. Differentiate between Veda and Vedas. Explain the tenets of the Doctrine of Rita. TEACHING TIPS You may want to pull actual verses from the Vedas that exemplify the notions presented in this chapter (i.e. being at one with nature, the natural order, the importance of sacrifice). You can divide students into groups and assign each a Veda to read and analyze. To help students learn about the Vedic Pantheon, locate images (online, or in other books) of each of the major Hindu gods presented in the text to show to students. You could also quiz students by reading the characteristics/symbols associated with each god and have students guess which one you are talking about. Engage students in a comparative exercise between the Vedas and other religious texts (the Koran, the Bible, the Torah, etc.). In what ways are these texts similar to or different from one another in terms of style, tone, content, etc.? LECTURE GUIDE AND ASSET CORRELATION Various discussion prompts have been provided for in-class use. These prompts are developed to assist you in starting open conversation with students about key topics of the chapter. The below outline indicates where these prompts may be most useful/effective in overall student understanding. 7
Chapter Outline Veda and the Vedas Yajna: The Vedic Sacrifice Soma The Vedic Pantheon In the Beginning Principal Gods of the Vedic Pantheon Agni Indra Varuna Sarasvati Surya Ushas Rudra Yama An Overview of Vedic Cosmology DISCUSSION PROMPTS 1. What are some of the themes explored in the Rig Veda? How does this Veda reflect the time period in which it was written? 2. What is soma? How was it used in Vedic rituals? Can you think of practices in other religions that are similar? 3. How did the authors of the Vedas attempt to give order and meaning to life? Is the desire to give order and meaning to life unique to Hinduism or does it appear in other religions and philosophies as well? How? 4. Who are some of the major gods in the Vedic Pantheon? What is the significance of the symbols associated with each of the gods? 5. How does the Doctrine of Rita relate to the notion of rational order? LEARNING OUTCOMES The student will be able to demonstrate their knowledge of Vedic rituals. The student will be able to identify the major traits associated with each of the gods in the Vedic pantheon. The student will have an understanding of how the notion of rational order permeates the Doctrine of Rita. The student will have an understanding of how the theme of sacrifice relates to the Rig Veda. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Books Anonymous (2002). The Rig Veda: An anthology of one hundred eight hymns. Reprinted and Electronically reproduced by permission of Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Aurobindo, S. (1995). Secret of the Vedas. Twin Lakes, WI: Lotus Light Publications. Danielou, A. (1964). The myths and gods of India. New York: Macmillan. 8
O Flaherty, W. D. (trans.). (1981). The Rig Veda. London: Penguin Classics. Woodard, R. D. (2006). Indo-European sacred space: Vedic and Roman cult. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press. Journals Brown, W. N. (1942). The creation myth of the Rig Veda. Journal of the American Oriental Society 62(2), 85-98. Burchett, P. E. (2008). The magical language of mantra. Journal of the American Academy of Religion (76)4, 807-843. Lowe, S. (2011). Transcendental meditation, Vedic science and science. Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions 14(4), 54-76. Wasson, R. G. (1971). The soma of the Rig Veda: What was it? Journal of the American Oriental Society 91(2), 169-187. 9
Test Bank The following assessment has been created for in-class use. This assessment is available through Pearson s MyTest website allowing for easy access for creating your own tests. Please contact your local Pearson sales representative to learn about the options available. Visit http://www.pearsonhighered.com/replocator. = Easy; 2 = Medium; 3 = Challenging Short Answer Questions 1. What is an example of the topics covered in the Vedas? 2. State the primary differences between Veda and the Vedas. Bloom s Level: Knowledge Page Reference: 20 Page Reference: 20 3. What is a Hindu ritual that would have been difficult to perform without the information contained in the Vedas? 4. Why was soma important in Vedic rituals? Bloom s Level: Application Page Reference: 21 Bloom s Level: Comprehension Page Reference: 23 5. What is a similarity between all gods and goddesses included in the Vedic Pantheon? Page Reference: 25 6. Construct a brief argument in support of or against the following statement: The men and women of early Vedic times were fundamentally no different from people in any other time. Page Reference: 32 10
7. Rank the order of beings in the hierarchy of ascending levels of perfection. Bloom s Level: Comprehension Page Reference: 33 8. Give an example of a circumstance in which a yajna ceremony would be performed. 9. Briefly argue why the Vedas were not entirely religious. 10. What are some of the similarities between Indra and Varuna? Bloom s Level: Application Page Reference: 21-22 Page Reference: 21-22 Page Reference: 27-28 Essay Questions 1. How does the Doctrine of Rita address the concept of rational order? Bloom s Level: Comprehension Page Reference: 35 2. Construct an argument in support of or against the following statement: The Rig Veda is based on the concept of unity. Page Reference: 34-35 3. What are some of the primary differences between the gods Ushas and Rudra? Page Reference: 30 11
4. Construct an argument in support of the following statement: Rita connects all of nature. 5. Analyze the role of rita in Yama s task. Page Reference: 35 Page Reference: 32 12