The Vedic Period

The Vedic Period

* The Vedic Period or the Vedic age refers to the period when the Vedic Sanskrit texts were composed in India. 

* Division of Vedic Civilization-

1) Rigvedic Period: (1500-1000 BC)

2) Post Vedic Period: (1000-600 BC)

* The early Aryans setteled in Punjab and Afghanistan. 

* Literally ' Aryans' means the ' best' or 'eminent'. 

* The Aryans are supposed to have migrated from Central Asia into the Indian Subcontinent in several stages during 2000 to 1500 B.C. 

* Max Muller stated that Aryans originated from Area around the Caspian Sea in central Asia. 

* Aryan used Sanskrit language. 

* In order to prove their suupremacy the Aryans called themselves "The Aryans" and they called their oppenets "Anarya", "dasyu" or "Das".

* The Rigveda (150-1000 BC) consists of 1028 hyms. These hyms were sung in honour of various gods and and were recited by Hotri. 

* The Yajur Veda is a book of sacrificial prayer. It is written in both verse and prose. 

The Gaytri Mantra had been discovered from the Rig Veda.

* The Sindhu and its tributaries are called Sapta Sindhu.

 * The Sama Veda consists of 1549 hymns. 

* The Atharva Veda is book of magical formulae which reflects the popular4 conventions and rituals of that period. 

* The Brahmans were composed after the Vedas to explain hymns of the Vedas. They are written in prose and rituallistic in nature. 

Brahmans and their Veda

1) Aitareya and Kaushitiki or Shankhyan. - Rigveda

2) Panchvisa (Tandya Mahabrahman. Shadvinsh Branhman, Jaiminiya Brahman. - Samveda

3) Shatapath(the oldest and the largent Brahman) and Taittariya.- Yajurveda 

4) Gopath ( A treatise on Medical Science, charms and magic. -Atharva Veda

* The Aranyakas were written mainly for the hermits and the jungle living students. 

* The Upanishadas are anti ritualisttic discussing about the relations between Brahma(God) and Jiva (Creature). 

* Upanishadas are philosophical texts and are called Vedanta as they came towards the end of the Veda.

* Vrihadaranyaka is the oldes Upanishadas among all the 108 Upanishadas. 

* In the  bloody and decisive battle on the banks of river Parushni, the Bharatas emerged victorious. 

* According to Rigveda, the famous Dasrajan Yuddha or the battle of ten kings was fought be3tween Sudas, a Bharat King of the Tristu family, and the confederacy of ten well-known trives- Puru, Yadu, Tarvasa, Anu, Druhyu, Alina, Paktha, Bhalnas, Siva and Vishanin 

* Sabha and Samiti (Popular Assemblies controlled the affairs of Vedic Stated. These two assembllies wrere called the two daughters of Prajapati. 

* The King was responsible for the protection of the trice. 

* The Vedic Aryans worshipped the forces of nature such as Earth, Fire, Wind, Rain and Thunder; thier main occupation was cattle rearing.

* Vedang were composed during post-vedic period. Shiksha, Kalpa, Vyakaran, Nirukta, Chhanda and Jyotish are the six vedangas. 

* Upvedas were composed afer vedangas. 

* Puranas means ' the old' and they are 18 in number. 

* Ashtadhyayi is the first grammar of the world written by Panini. 

* The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are the two Indian epics. 

* Darshans are the auxiliary treatise of the Vedas. The six schools of Indian philosophy are called Shad Darshan.

*Literally "Smiriti' means 'remembrance'.  The Smritis were composed during Gupta's period.