Ancient Indian Literature, their Period and Historical importance . Part - 1. Rigveda - Samveda.

Whenever U talk about some Historical Fact or Facts, Temple etc most People, Electronics and Print Media start their point that this is mentioned in Purana or some other book or books  without knowing the period of  that book and what is written in that book. They quote Purana and other books to give their point a validity, authenticity and historical ground.  Here I am describing these books, their period and for what good they are and their authenticity.

To know Indian History, Culture, Dharm (Religion is not a proper word for dharma, it fits with Panth of Hindi word; but in English it’s the only option), Politics, Social life Ancient literature holds a strong ground. 

Books are divided into 2 types of Granths (Books) – 1. Dharma Granth and 2. Historical and Contemporary Books.

Dharma Granth or Religious books are of 3 types – Brahaman Granth, Bodh Granth and Jain Granth.

 

1. Brahaman Granth – In chronology - 

1. Veda – Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, Atharva Veda -
 

Rigveda or Rigveda - Sanhita – 

 Aryans lived in tribes and spoke Sanskrit, which is the language of the “Indo – European” group. There’s most sacred and oldest book “Rigveda” is written in Sanskrit.   Settlement of Aryans in India is described in Rigveda. The period of Rigveda is 2000 BC and above.

 Aryans worshiped the gods Agni, Indra, Mitra, Varun, Sun etc.  Hymns in praise of these Gods are found in Rigveda.  In Rigveda “Indra” is known as ‘Purandar’ (conqueror of forts).Rigveda says due to their horses Aryans won all the battle.

There are 250 Mantra’s in praise of “Indra”. God 'Varun' was the drover of Rit. In Rigvedic sloka he appeared 24 times.Varun is known as “Ritasaya Gopa” drover of Rit.

Scholars like Winternitz, Macdonel and Kith etc says ‘Rit’ means ‘System of Creation’, ‘Physical and Social System’, ‘Universal and Social system’.

Rigveda is the first book of Veda. Rig means Mantra with verse (chand) and stanza (charan). Veda means Knowledge. This way “Rigveda” means the knowledge which is written in verses and stanzas. “Sanhita means collection”. Thus “Rigveda Sanhita” means - Collection of Rigvedic Mantra.

"एकं सत् विपा्:  बहुधा वदन्ति" – Brahman (one who knows Brahma) says truth is One.

 

In Rigveda there are 10 Mandal and 1028 Hymn (Sukta) and 10462 Sloka (Song). 2 to 7^th Mandal are the oldest one. It seems that 1 and 10 Mandals are added later means chapak.

6 Sage, who are very important in composing of Hymns are Gritsamad, Visvamitra, Vamdeva, Atri, Bharadwaj and Vasistha. The famous lady composer or Lady Sage is Lopamudra, Ghosha, Sachi, Polomi and Kakchavriti. 

Many things of Rigveda correlate with Zendavesta.  Zendavesta is the oldest and sacred book of Iranian. Names of many God and social class are common.. In BC 1746 – 1180 the name of the ruler of Babylon “Kasayet kings” is “Surias” (Surya or Sun), Maritam (Vedic Marut), etc.

In 1400 BC in a place “Bogaj - Koi” in Asia Miner, where “Hytite’s” were ruling, an Inscription is found; which says that there is a treaty between the “Hytite” and “Mitanyon”. In this Inscription the name of Vedic gods – Indra, Mitra, Varun, and Ashwani Kumar were there. These Gods were called to consolidate the Treaty. The use of “Dwand Samas” proofs that these are Vedic God, not Iranian, because “Dwand Samas” is used in Sanskrit only.  This shows that in BC 1400 the Vedic Civilization was influencing the culture of “Asia Miner”. It means Vedic civilization was already established in India. 

Sloka (Song - a category of verse line developed from the Vedic Anustubh poetic meter. It is the basis for Indian epic verse, and may be considered the Indian verse form par excellence, occurring, as it does, far more frequently than any other meter in classical Sanskrit poetry.)

In the beginning Aryans were living in Eastern Afghanistan, Punjab (land of 5 rivers) and borders of western UP. In Rigveda one can get the names of rivers of Afghanistan Kubha (Kabul), Swat, Kurram, Gumal.  

In Punjab they settled on the bank of Sindhu (Indus) and its 5 subsidiary rivers - Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej. The cradle of Rig-Vedic civilization is called “Sapt Saidhav” Region. The Hymns of Rigveda were composed here. From Punjab they moved eastward and spread all over the Gangetic valley and moved eastward as far as the Vindhya Mountain.

Names of Indian rivers, where Aryans first settled, in Sanskrit – Vitasta (Jhelum), Asikni (Chenab), Parusni (Ravi), Vipas (Beas), Satudri (Sutlej) and Marudvrdha. 

Sindhu or Indus is the river which is mentioned maximum times in Rigveda. 2^nd river which got place in Rigveda is “Saraswati”. This river disappeared in the desert of Rajasthan. (But scientists have found in their research that this river is alive beneath the desert and when it is bored, water started coming out of it). 

Rigveda mentions many tribes, who came time to time. The name of 5 dominating tribes of Aryans who came in India and fought for supremacy are – Tritsu, Puru, Yadus or Turvasas, Druhyus, Anus. 

Aryans fought 2 types of battle in India for their supremacy. One with those Aryan tribes who reached many years, decades before and settled in India; and two with in-between 5 tribes, who came about in a same time for total supremacy. These 5 tribes of Aryans, in combined are called ‘Panchjan’. 

In their fight they even took the help of Non Aryans too. War of 10 kings (DasRajYudh), in which Bharat dynesty was on one side and 10 kings – 5 Aryan and 5 Non Aryan were on other side. This war was fought on the bank of river ‘Parusni’ (Ravi). But some other written sources say that in this war more than 30 kings have participated as against 10 kings.

Vasistha was the ‘Family Priest ‘of Bharat Kul, king Sudash. Sudash won the battle with the help of ‘Vasistha’. The “Family priest” (Purohit) of 10 kings was “Visvamitra”.  Those who lost the battle, among then ‘Puru’ were most important king. Later Bharat and Puru became friend and they merged and make a new tribe or Kul, named ‘KURU’.

In Rigvedic period King was like any other people - "यो व: सेनानीमॅहतो गणस्य राजा वातस्य पथमो बभूव".  The king was not an absolute ruler.” He was regarded as the servant of the Dharma, which was a body of laws based on custom as well as tradition, supposedly of divine origin” .The leader of the tribe (king) was known as – Janasya Gopa, Gope, Visampati, Ganasya Raja, Gananam Ganpati and Gramni.

Anarya Non Aryan) races of Rigvedic period are Aj, Yaxhu, Kikat, Pisach, Sigru etc. Among Anaryan (Non Aryan) king are - Med (was defeated by Sudash, the Aryan king), Sambar, Dhuni, Chumuri etc. Only in Rigveda’s, Purushsukta the word “SUDRA” appears. This part is known as Chepak (added later). 

Out of war, Cattle were the most important part of Aryan’s life. Actually both were so correlated in Aryan’s life that “Gavisth”, Gayo ke Gaveshna (Exploration of Cows) is the synonym of war. Like that Gaveshna, Gosu, Gavya, Gavha etc words are used for war. War for cattle’s in tribes, when there was no farming, any other way of surviving, is a common thing for them. Cattle’s were their property and to give to God or ‘PUROHIT’ (Family Priest).

Pasturing (charana) was the most important work for Aryans, Agriculture was not as important as Cattles were. In Rigvedic 10,462 songs (Sloka) only 24 were related with Agriculture. Even most of them are taken as Chepak Added later).

The characteristics of Sukta are –

In Sukta, the name of that Sage or his Gotra is mentioned who has composed that Shukta or Hymn.

The name of God is mentioned for whom this Hymn (sukhta) is composed.

There are 21 verses (chand). In each Hymn its verse is also mentioned.

Hymns are used for some special work, that special work is known as “Viniyoga”. This way in each Hymn there is a “Viniyoga”.

In some handwritten copies of “Rigveda” there is an attachment, which is known as “Parisista” 

These Parisista are known as “Khil”. Ex. - At the end of 8^th Mandal of Rigveda, there is a Parisista.

This Parisista is known as “BalKhilya Sukta”.

Different (Devta) God in Rigveda – 

Dhows (Akash or Sky) – Prithvi (Earth) – in Athens,’ Dhows’ is known as “Zeus” and in Rome “Jupiter”.   

MitraVarun – Varun is known as god of ‘sky’ in Rigveda. In Iran this god is known as “Ahurmazda” and in Athens “Ornoz”.

Scholars say the Rigvedic goddess “Aditi” is known as ‘Ades’ or ‘Hades’ in Athens, in Norway ‘Ida’,  and in other countries of Europe ‘Adonis’ Goddess or God. 

Statues or Temples are not found in Rigveda. So Mantra and Yajana were their rituals.

Samveda – 

Sam means (Gan) Sing.  This way Samveda is a Veda, which has songs in the form of “stotra” means eulogy or a hymn of praise; which is sung in the praise of God during Yajana or Yaga.  75 Mantra of Samveda is original rest are of Rigveda; but due to phonetics they looks different from Rigvedic Mantra. 

There is a different style to sing Samveda, which needs speciality to sing its Stotra. Those who used to sing ‘Samveda’ in those days are known as “Udgata”.