Clase 3 the Vedic Arians

8/7/2019 Clase 3 the Vedic Arians

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THE VEDIC ARIANS


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BACKGROUND

The identity and origin of the Indo cultures isstill a matter of controversy.

But postures argue that they could have beenantecessors of the Dravidian tribes which stillexist in south India (up to 100 million people

yet) coming from the Northwest (Baluchistan were Dravidian is still spoken).

Some others claim they arrived from Australiaand some others that they came from Munda-

Kol. Linguistic and ethnological traces are not

enough to affirm anything for good.


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THE ARIAN INFLUENCE.

In the second half of the II millennium b.C., and in

several waves, the so called Indo-European elementis introduced covering the Indo cultures with adifferent pre-Arian religiosity, a new way of living anda new language.

This happened by means of invasions made by VedicArians who came from Asia Minor.

Documents found which were written in Acadianinvoque an oath to Mithra, Varuna, Indra and

Mattiwaza. These documents are a series of letters between

Mattiwaza, the Indian ruler of Mitanni, and the Hittiteking Suppiliuma by the year 1360 b. C.


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The topic of the letters runs around a horse expert

named Kikkuli, who had written a treaty about his areaof skills in Arian language.

All these letters let us know that the upper ruling classesof the Acadians had migrated to the east and conqueredpart of India after their empires fell in Mesopotamia.

Although this is as well controversial since the researchesof sir William Jones and Franz Bopp demonstrate that thesimilitudes of language show a slow process ofassimilation.

For example: one wrote in Acadian: Subandu (of noble

relatives) that which was written Subandhu in oldSanscrit. Another example was piridaswa instead ofprdasva (possessor of combat horses).


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The primordial origin of the Indo-Europeans(or Vedic Arians) is until yet unknown. Butthe vocables point towards south Russiawhich was a natural pass between Minor

Asia and Asia. They didnt built out of bricks nor founded

cities; didnt know cotton. Wore long hair butdidnt let it lose. They didnt know the tiger,

and mentioned the elephant as the animalwith hand. Lyons and horses were importantto them.


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The Indian-Vedic culture can be reconstructedby means of the Vedic hymns called the Rgveda(Pronounced Rigg-veda).

The oldest ones were written in times of the

early invasions while the newest as they werealready assimilated.

The Rgvedas are authored by many personswhose origins were families of artists, poets

and singers. They were transmitted via oral tradition using

precise and special nemotechnic methods.


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The Veda-books are divided in mandalas(chants) and these in hymns.

They are in total, including the Rgveda, four:

The Samaveda contains the sacrificechantings.

The Yajurveda gathers the Sacrificial

formulas.

The Artharveda the magic formulas and

proverbs.


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nnna v u no dhiyo vi vratni jannm |

tak ria ruta bhiagh brahm

sunvantamichatndryendo pari srava ||

jaratbhiroadhbhi parebhi akunnm |

krmro amabhirdyubhirhirayavantamichatndryendo pari

srava ||

kruraha tato bhiaghupalapraki nan |

nndhiyovasyavo.anu gh iva tasthimendryendo pari srava

||avo voh sukha ratha hasanmupamantria |

epo romavantau bhedau vrin maka ichatndryendo

pari srava ||


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We all have various thoughts and plans, and diverse are the ways

of men. The Brahman seeks the worshipper, wright seeks the cracked,

and leech the maimed. Flow, Indu, flow for Indra's sake. The smith with ripe and seasoned plants, with feathers of the

birds of air, With stones, and with enkindled flames, seeks him who hath a

store of gold. Flow, Indu, flow for Indra's sake. A bard am I, my dad's a leech, mammy lays corn upon the

stones. Striving for wealth, with varied plans, we follow our desires like

kine. Flow, Indu, flow for Indra's sake.

The horse would draw an easy car, gay hosts attract the laughand jest.

The male desires his mate's approach, the frog is eager for theflood, Flow, Indu, flow for Indra's sake.


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THE ARIAN INVASION

The Rgveda helps researchers to find out the Arianinvasion route.

The first territory to be conquered was the Panjab

and its probable that they came by intermittent

waves that lasted long. They came through the northwest, crossing the

mountains passes located in Iran and Afganistan.

However, these facts are only interpretative.

The invasion to the south cannot be deduced from

the Rgveda.


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The conquer of the dark-skinned caused racial

segregation.

The Arians considered a special privilege to be white and

condemned race mixing.

The old Indian word to mention chaste was varna (color).

In the beginning, the Arians were semi-nomad farmers, butwere later settling themselves in the conquered territories.

Their main seeds were cereal, mainly barley. Later they

would learn the seeding of rice from the non-Arian

population. Cattling, mainly bovine, was their core forriches. Oxes were the currency for trading. Because of that

jewels and objects were not as ambitioned as cattle and

grassland.


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The mandalas of the Rgveda mention a city named Haryupiyawhich has been identified as Harappa, although Mohenjo andDaro are the ones that present traces of violent devastation.

According to the Rgveda, the autochthonous population offereda very fierce resistance against the Arians.

The Arians were inferior in number, but they had the weaponryedge. They tools were made out of bronze, their bows werestronger and had already battle cars, two wheeled and carriedby horses. Two warriors traveled on the cars.

The Indians had cars carried by oxes.

The Indians were called Dasyus or Dasas. These words wouldlater acquire the meaning of slaves. They were discribes bythe Arians as darked skin and no-nosed, worshipers of thephallus.


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RGVEDA III, 1.

He, self-reliant, mighty and triumphant,

brought low the dear head of the wicked Dasas.

Indra the Vritra-slayer, Fort-destroyer,

scattered the Dasa hosts who dwelt in darkness.

For men hath he created earth and waters,

and ever helped the prayer of him who worships.To him in might the Gods have ever yielded,

to Indra in the tumult of battle.

When in his arms they laid the bolt,

he slaughtered the Dasyusand cast down their forts of iron.


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In the oldest Vedic texts the subdivision for the four

main castes was not yet to be found.

Nevertheless, there are social classes that were quite

recognizable: Ksatra (Warrior aristocracy), Vis (free

members of the tribe) who had control over the power

of the Rajan (King) by means of the samiti or sabba

(assembly). In one same class the Purohitas (priests),

Senapati (Commander of warriors) and the Gramani

(Commander of Charriots) were to be found.

The warriors were the only ones to have alcohol and

dice games and betting allowed. (See Mahabharata).


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RGVEDA VII, 103.

Free us from sins committed by our fathers,

from those wherein we have ourselves offended.O king, loose, like a thief who feeds the cattle,

as from the cord a calf, set free Vasishtha.

Not our own will betrayed us, but seduction,

thoughtlessness, Varuna! wine, dice or anger.The old is near to lead astray the younger:

even sleep removes not all evil-doing.

A hymn to the frogs compares the repetitions of

the priests around the soma bowl to the croakingof the frogs around a pond after the rains come.


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