Vedism
Vedism, meaning "knowledge," refers to the ancient religious and literary tradition that emerged in India alongside the Indo-European invasions. This foundational period laid the groundwork for subsequent belief systems like Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, and also contributed to the establishment of the caste system. The Vedas, particularly the Rigveda, are central texts from this era, encapsulating early Indo-European thought and values through poetic narratives and hymns. They encompass various themes, including divine worship, rituals, and practical incantations, reflecting a rich tapestry of spiritual practices and mythologies.
As the Indo-Europeans settled into agrarian societies, their religious focus shifted from warrior deities to a more structured priesthood known as the Brahmans, who played a key role in the institutionalization of what would evolve into Hinduism. The Brahmā, or sacred presence invoked in rituals, and the caste system became integral to this new religious framework. The later Upaniṣads introduced deeper philosophical concepts, emphasizing the unity of all being through the idea of brahman (ultimate reality) and ātman (individual soul), culminating in the pursuit of mokṣa, or liberation from the cycle of rebirth. Overall, Vedism represents a significant evolutionary stage in the spiritual and cultural history of India, influencing religious thought for centuries to come.
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Vedism
Related civilization: Indo-Aryan.
Date: c. 1500-c. 400 b.c.e.
Locale: India
Vedism
Vedism (VAY-dih-zm), which means knowledge, is the complex of literature and religion that developed in India along with the Indo-European invasions. The basic structure of the later belief systems that evolved into Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism developed during this period, as did the organization of the caste system.
Classic Hindu works of literature, especially the Vedas, were first composed during this period. The four Vedas record early Indo-European thought, values, and legend beginning with the Rigveda (also known as Ṛgveda, c. 1500-1000 b.c.e.; English translation, 1896-1897), which contains poetic narratives of the epic stories of the Indo-European invasion of India. Each of the other Vedas covers a specific area of knowledge. The largely prose Yajurveda (c. 1500-1100 b.c.e.; The Texts of the White Yajurveda, 1899) is a prayer book that includes prayers and litanies to be used as devotional material. The Sāmaveda (c. 1500-1100 b.c.e.; Sama Veda of the Jaiminiyas, 1938) is a song book containing chants to be sung with sacrifices. The Atharvaveda (c. 1500-1100 b.c.e.; The Hymns of the Atharva-veda, 1895-1896) is a book of magical incantations, curses, and spells that may be used to help people deal with their basic daily fears, passions, hatreds or anger, and distress. Therefore, the Vedas include knowledge that ranges from the distant epic struggles in the beginning of time to ritual practices and songs for worship to something as banal as an incantation to protect one’s property.
The Rigveda invokes the oldest Indo-European gods: Dyaus Pitar (the sky father god), Pṛthivī Matar (the Earth Mother goddess), and Mitra (the god of morality and faith). However, the more dramatic deities are the gods of the natural environment of India, one of whom was Indra (the god of storms), who wielded the mighty thunderbolt. Another nature god was Rudra (the mountain god), who could send destructive storms to the Himalayas, destroying settlements and lives.
Another god from the Rigveda who would survive into later Hinduism was Vishnu (Viṣṇu, the Sun or sky god). Agni was the god of fire, either on the earth or in the sky, but he was particularly present in the altar fire. As a cleanser and purifier, Agni removed evil and drove bad spirits away. Other gods included Varuṇa (a sky god), Yama (the god of the dead), and Soma (the god of drink). As the Indo-Europeans became more settled in India, adopting agriculture and living in permanent villages, religion evolved from their war and storm gods to Brahmanism.
The Brahmans were the priests, the religious elite. This next stage in the development of Vedism marks the institutionalization of Hinduism, when the priests rivaled the gods in importance. The Brahmā was the holy or godly power and presence that the priests could invoke and manipulate with their sacrificial rituals. Once they had settled in villages, the people built temples, and full-time priests were named. As priestly rituals became more sophisticated, people believed in the efficacy of the rituals, and the Brahmans became the center of religious life. The religious focus shifted from the other world to this world, and the utterance of prayers and the ritual services increased the importance of the priests.
The caste system was a part of the new Brahmanism, and the Brahmans were the ones who most benefited from it. They taught that the fundamental nature of society as formed by the gods was based on the divisions of the castes with the Brahmans at the top. Obeying the rules of caste behavior became a universal obligation within Hinduism, and people obeyed the rules in the hope that their position in life would be better in the next incarnation.
The literature that defines Brahmanism is called the Brāhmaṇas, which were compiled between the eighth and fifth centuries b.c.e. The Brāhmaṇas give detailed instruction on how to perform the various kinds of sacrifices in practice at the time, and they are thought to have been texts for teaching candidates for the priesthood. Along with the directions for the rituals are statements of worship and theology. The ultimate reality in the universe, which was greater than the individual gods, was the Brahmā (or brahman), the creator principle.
In the writings called the Upaniṣads, religious thinkers gradually became more abstract in their understanding of the ultimate spiritual reality. All being, whether it is material or spiritual, is a manifestation and part of the brahman. The heavens, earth (including nature), and even hell are of the brahman. The brahman includes all that is objective, or outside of one, and all that is subjective, including one’s soul, innermost self, feelings, and self-consciousness. The soul or inner self is the ātman. The combination of the brahman (the objective all) and the ātman (the subjective or personal being) makes the ultimate reality, which is the brahman-ātman. True union with the brahman is the ultimate state of being for the person, the mystical experience of entering Nirvana.
Life is perceived as a cycle of reincarnation in which rebirth follows rebirth in what might seem like a continuous circle or wheel. The soul may have a higher or lower status in the next life, depending on the law of karma. “Karma” means deeds or works, and it is the ethical dimension of Hinduism. The law of karma says that the accumulation of one’s deeds and thoughts affects the next rebirth. Good deeds gives an individual a higher place in the next life; bad deeds lower the position. Mokṣa, which is deliverance from the endless cycle of rebirths, can come through spiritual union with the brahman described earlier. As Vedism evolved into classic Hinduism, the gods changed significantly, but most of the religious concepts remained essentially the same.
Bibliography
Embree, Ainslie T. Sources of Indian Tradition. 2d ed. New York: Columbia University Press, 1988.
Kinsley, David R. Hinduism: A Cultural Perspective. 2d ed. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1993.
Noss, David S., and John B. Noss. A History of the World’s Religions. 9th ed. New York: Macmillan College Publishing, 1994.
Smith, Huston. The World’s Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1991.